Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Prevalence and awareness of hypertension in Gansu Gannan Tibetan adult population].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and awareness status of hypertension in adult Gansu Gannan Tibetan population. METHODS A total of 6948 adult (aged 18 and over) Tibetan residents were selected by random cluster multistage method. Participants were divided into city, rural dwellers and rural nomads groups. Questionnaires were collected and blood pressure measured from all participants. RESULTS Prevalence of hypertension in this district was 24.6% (1708/6948), of which city, rural dwellers and nomadic areas were 25.3% (848/3340), 22.7% (628/2765), 27.5% (232/843), respectively. Prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in city than in rural dwellers group (P<0.05), significantly higher in rural nomads group than in city and rural dwellers groups (all P<0.05). Awareness, treatment and control rates of hypertension in city group were 35.7% (303/848), 25.1% (213/848), 6.9% (59/848), respectively; in rural dwellers group were 28.3% (178/628), 19.3% (121/628), 4.7% (30/628), respectively; in rural nomads group were 16.8% (39/232), 8.6% (20/232), 2.2% (5232), respectively. Rates of awareness, treatment and control were significantly lower in rural dwellers than in city group (all P<0.01), and significantly lower in rural nomads group than in city and rural dwellers groups (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Prevalence of hypertension in Gansu Gannan Tibetan population aged 18 and over is high. Awareness, treatment and control rates of hypertension are low, especially in rural dwellers and rural nomads residents.
Tumour volume is an independent predictor of prostate‐specific antigen recurrence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer

Authors from the USA sought to establish the relationship between tumour volume, pathological stage and outcomes after radical prostatectomy. In a large series of patients they found that tumour volume was correlated directly with pathological stage, and that it was independently correlated with PSA recurrence. The authors suggested that tumour volume had a potential use for prognostication in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.
Effects of Propranolol and Timolol on Calcium Uptake by Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Vesicles

The effects of the β-adrenergic receptor blocking agents propranolol and timolol on the initial calcium uptake velocity of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles of rabbit skeletal muscle were studied. Racemic d- and l-propranolol had similar inhibitory effects on initial calcium uptake velocity, which was inhibited 50% by 5–7 x 10-4 M racemic propranolol. Timolol was a much less potent inhibitor of initial calcium uptake velocity; 50% inhibition occurred at approximately 10-2 M timolol. Both drugs inhibited maximal calcium uptake velocity; however, Kca (the Ca2+ concentration at which calcium uptake was half-maximal) was modified differently. Propranolol increased Kca, whereas timolol caused the Kca to decrease. Addition of either drug to an ongoing calcium uptake reaction at the time that calcium content became maximal caused renewed calcium uptake. The relative potencies of propranolol and timolol as negative inotropic agents are similar to their potencies as inhibitors of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake, but dissimilar to their β-adrenergic receptor blocking potencies. Timolol, which has been reported to have less negative inotropic effect than propranolol, is approximately 5 times more potent than propranolol as a β-adrenergic receptor blocking agent but 15 times less potent as an inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake. Inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake may thus characterize negative inotropic potencies of new β-adrenergic receptor blocking agents.
The Water-Water Cycle Is Essential for Chloroplast Protection in the Absence of Stress*

Maintaining electron flow through the photosynthetic apparatus, even in the absence of a sufficient amount of NADP+ as an electron acceptor, is essential for chloroplast protection from photooxidative stress. At least two different pathways are thought to participate in this process, i.e. cyclic electron flow and the water-water cycle. Although the function of the water-water cycle was inferred from a number of biochemical and physiological studies, genetic evidence for the function of this cycle is very limited. Here we show that knockdown Arabidopsis plants with suppressed expression of the key water-water cycle enzyme, thylakoid-attached copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (KD-SOD), are suppressed in their growth and development. Chloroplast size, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic activity were also reduced in KD-SOD plants. Microarray analysis of KD-SOD plants, grown under controlled conditions, revealed changes in transcript expression consistent with an acclimation response to light stress. Although a number of transcripts involved in the defense of plants from oxidative stress were induced in KD-SOD plants, and seedlings of KD-SOD plants were more tolerant to oxidative stress, these mechanisms were unable to compensate for the suppression of the water-water cycle in mature leaves. Thus, the localization of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase at the vicinity of photosystem I may be essential for its function. Our studies provide genetic evidence for the importance of the water-water cycle in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus of higher plants from photooxidative damage.
Depression and Anxiety As Predictors of Outcome After Myocardial Infarction

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the significance of emotional distress immediately after a myocardial infarction as a predictor of physical, psychological, and social outcomes and resource use. Methods: In an epidemiological survey, demographic and cardiological data were obtained for all patients from a defined geographical area who had had a myocardial infarction (according to diagnostic criteria of the Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease [MONICA] trial). Hospital survivors were interviewed and were asked to complete self-report assessments on mental state and quality of life. Full replies were available at baseline for 347 subjects. Self-report follow-up questionnaire information was collected 3 months and 1 year later. Results: Fifteen percent of patients scored as probable cases of anxiety or depression. They were more likely than noncases to report preinfarct distress and poor adjustment (as indicated on the 36-item Medical Outcome Study short form). There was an improvement at 3 months, but there was little overall or individual change after that time. Anxiety and depression did not predict subsequent mortality but did significantly predict poor outcome at 1 year on all dimensions of the 36-item short form quality-of-life measure and on specific measures of everyday activity and reports of chest pain, use of primary care resources, and secondary prevention lifestyle changes. Conclusions: Subjects who are distressed in the hospital are at high risk of adverse psychological and quality-of-life outcomes during the ensuing year. Our findings strengthen the argument for in-hospital identification and treatment of patients with depression and anxiety after myocardial infarction.
Haematological characteristics predicting susceptibility for ascites. 1. High carbon dioxide tensions in juvenile chickens

1. Male broilers of two different genetic stocks, a pure broiler sire line (A) and commercially available Ross broilers (B), were used to study the effect of haematological characteristics in juvenile chickens on the development of clinical ascitic signs. Production performance (body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR)) from 448 birds per stock was measured from 2 to 5 weeks of age. Mortality was recorded from 2 to 6 weeks of age. The birds were housed at a low ambient temperature to stimulate the incidence of ascites. 2. From each stock, 32 birds with the highest (high risk: HRc) and 32 birds with the lowest (low risk: LRc) carbon dioxide tensions (pCO2) in venous blood were selected at 11 d of age. These birds were marked for future blood sampling to determine changes in pCO2 with age to relate these values to ascites susceptibility. 3. At 2 weeks of age all birds (including HRc and LRc birds) were allotted to 32 floor pens (one HRc and one LRc in each pen) per stock. Venous blood samples were collected weekly from HRc and LRc birds for blood gas analysis and haematocrit, and at week 5 also for thyroid hormone (T3, T4) concentrations in plasma. At 5 weeks of age all HRc and LRc birds were examined post-mortem, relative heart, lung, and liver weights and arterial pressure index (API) values were recorded. 4. Birds from stock A showed a lower BWG and FCR and notably higher ascites mortality compared with stock B. An effect of pCO2 tensions at d 11 was found on the incidence of ascitic signs in selected birds of both stocks up to week 5. From the HRc groups 30% of the birds showed ascitic signs, whereas this was only 8% in the LRc group. LRc birds of stock B in particular showed constant low API values (20 ± 3%) and none of these birds showed signs of ascites. 5. Our results suggest that the ascites problem in Ross birds can be eliminated by selection for low pCO2 tensions in venous blood. Stock effects on API, liver weight, lung weight, and plasma thyroid hormone independent of pCO2 showed a more complex picture of the ascitic signs in stock A compared with B. 6. We concluded that in this experiment a high pCO2 tension in venous blood measured at d 11 was a reliable predictor for ascites susceptibility observed at 5 weeks of age. A low pCO2 tension provides an appropriate criterion for genetic selection, whereas a high pCO2 tension emphasises the necessity for intensive management in poultry houses.
Plasticity of the Quinone-binding Site of the Complex II Homolog Quinol:Fumarate Reductase*

Background: Different quinone substrates are used by complex II. Results: Structural and kinetic analyses show that two arginine residues modulate the enzyme interaction with different quinones. Conclusion: Specific arginines compensate for each other in proton transfer during quinone oxidoreduction in the complex II homolog fumarate reductase. Significance: Plasticity in quinone binding may be important for bioenergetic transformations. Respiratory processes often use quinone oxidoreduction to generate a transmembrane proton gradient, making the 2H+/2e− quinone chemistry important for ATP synthesis. There are a variety of quinones used as electron carriers between bioenergetic proteins, and some respiratory proteins can functionally interact with more than one quinone type. In the case of complex II homologs, which couple quinone chemistry to the interconversion of succinate and fumarate, the redox potentials of the biologically available ubiquinone and menaquinone aid in driving the chemical reaction in one direction. In the complex II homolog quinol:fumarate reductase, it has been demonstrated that menaquinol oxidation requires at least one proton shuttle, but many of the remaining mechanistic details of menaquinol oxidation are not fully understood, and little is known about ubiquinone reduction. In the current study, structural and computational studies suggest that the sequential removal of the two menaquinol protons may be accompanied by a rotation of the naphthoquinone ring to optimize the interaction with a second proton shuttling pathway. However, kinetic measurements of site-specific mutations of quinol:fumarate reductase variants show that ubiquinone reduction does not use the same pathway. Computational docking of ubiquinone followed by mutagenesis instead suggested redundant proton shuttles lining the ubiquinone-binding site or from direct transfer from solvent. These data show that the quinone-binding site provides an environment that allows multiple amino acid residues to participate in quinone oxidoreduction. This suggests that the quinone-binding site in complex II is inherently plastic and can robustly interact with different types of quinones.
Cadmium Removal from Contaminated Water Using Polyelectrolyte-Coated Industrial Waste Fly Ash

Fly ash (FA) is a major industrial waste generated from power stations that add extra cost for proper disposal. Recent research efforts have consequently focused on developing ways to make use of FA in environmentally sound applications. This study, therefore, investigates the potential ability of raw fly ash (RFA) and polyelectrolyte-coated fly ash (PEFA) to remove cadmium (Cd) from polluted water. Using layer-by-layer approach, functionalized fly ash was coated with 20 layers from 0.03% (v/v) of cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and anionic polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) solutions. Both surface morphology and chemical composition of the adsorbent (PEFA) were characterized using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR), and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) techniques. The effects of pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial contaminant concentration, and mixing rate of the adsorption of Cd were also studied in batch mode experiments. Results of the study revealed that a 4.0 g/L dosage of PEFA removed around 99% of 2.0 mg/L of Cd in 15 min at 150 rpm compared to only 27% Cd removal achieved by RFA under the same conditions. Results also showed that adsorption by PEFA followed both Langmuir and Freundlich models with correlation coefficients of 98% and 99%, respectively.
High efficiency video coding (HEVC): Replacing or complementing existing compression standards?

The HEVC (H.265) video compression standard was finalized in January 2013. It doubles the coding efficiency compared to its predecessor H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, however, with significantly higher complexity. Now that HEVC is available, the question of its industry adoption and implementation within the video broadcasting market segments is addressed in this paper. It is discusses whether HEVC should replace existing compression technology or should be dedicated to emerging markets. It demonstrates that HEVC will coexist with currently deployed video compression standards, and shows how the initial limitation of HEVC to progressive material - eventually penalizing the HEVC standard adoption by the industry - can be overcome. Finally, insight is provided on a software architecture suitable for implementing multi-standard, multi-screen HEVC encoders.
MRF4 can substitute for myogenin during early stages of myogenesis

MRF4, myogenin, MyoD, and Myf‐5 are the four members of the basic helix‐loop‐helix family of muscle‐specific regulatory factors (MRFs). We examined whether MRF4 could substitute for myogenin in vivo by determining if the myofiber‐ and MRF4‐deficient phenotype of myogenin (−/−) mice could be rescued by a myogenin promoter‐MRF4 transgene. When the transgene was expressed at a physiological level in myogenin‐deficient fetuses, we found that expression of the endogenous MRF4 gene was restored to normal levels, whereas MyoD levels were unchanged. Thus, MRF4 can participate in a positive autoregulatory loop and can substitute for myogenin to activate its own promoter. Myogenin‐deficient fetuses that expressed the transgene also had more myosin, more and larger myofibers, and a more normal ribcage morphology than myogenin‐deficient littermates without the transgene. The transgene failed, however, to restore normal numbers of myofibers or viability to myogenin‐deficient mice, because the ≈1.6 kb myogenin promoter fragment was not expressed in most late‐forming myofibers. These results demonstrate that MRF4 is able to substitute for myogenin to activate MRF4 expression and promote myofiber formation during the early stages of myogenesis. Dev. Dyn. 209:233–241, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss Inc.
Utilization of Cellular Automata in the DNA Signal Search Problem

Time-varying cellular automata (TV CA) are a form of cellular automata (CA) where the transition functions vary over time or are time de- pendent. The DNA signal search problem (DSSP) is a well-known problem in bio-informatics. Es- sentially it is the problem of searching for patterns in biological sequences. Two classical approaches utilize computation theory to exploit the power of deterministic ßnite automata (DFA). A third approach uses a ßltering technique. CA is novel in DSSP. We view a CA as an ag- gregate of NFAs or cells where the NFA transitions are modißed to account for neighboring cell states. There is a large body of literature on CA and large body of literature on NFA in DSSP. In this paper we extend the classical approach and explain the us- age of a TV CA in DSSP.
The Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor Ethoxzolamide Inhibits the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PhoPR Regulon and Esx-1 Secretion and Attenuates Virulence

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis must sense and adapt to host environmental cues to establish and maintain an infection. The two-component regulatory system PhoPR plays a central role in sensing and responding to acidic pH within the macrophage and is required for M. tuberculosis intracellular replication and growth in vivo. Therefore, the isolation of compounds that inhibit PhoPR-dependent adaptation may identify new antivirulence therapies to treat tuberculosis. Here, we report that the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor ethoxzolamide inhibits the PhoPR regulon and reduces pathogen virulence. We show that treatment of M. tuberculosis with ethoxzolamide recapitulates phoPR mutant phenotypes, including downregulation of the core PhoPR regulon, altered accumulation of virulence-associated lipids, and inhibition of Esx-1 protein secretion. Quantitative single-cell imaging of a PhoPR-dependent fluorescent reporter strain demonstrates that ethoxzolamide inhibits PhoPR-regulated genes in infected macrophages and mouse lungs. Moreover, ethoxzolamide reduces M. tuberculosis growth in both macrophages and infected mice. Ethoxzolamide inhibits M. tuberculosis carbonic anhydrase activity, supporting a previously unrecognized link between carbonic anhydrase activity and PhoPR signaling. We propose that ethoxzolamide may be pursued as a new class of antivirulence therapy that functions by modulating expression of the PhoPR regulon and Esx-1-dependent virulence.
The safety ladder: developing an evidence-based safety management strategy for small road transport companies

ABSTRACT Traffic accidents account for between 20% and 40% of work-related accidents in industrial countries, and research indicates that road transport companies often have little focus on organisational safety management (OSM). There is thus a huge and largely untapped road safety potential in improving the safety of people who drive in their work, by focusing on OSM. Road transport companies in European countries are often small, however, with limited resources in terms of time, financial resources and competence on road safety. The main aim of the present article is therefore to develop an OSM strategy for small road transport companies. Based on a systematic literature review, taking Norwegian research as its point of departure, the article concludes that four measures seem to be most realistic for small goods-transport businesses, and that these measures seem to have the greatest safety potential. These four measures can be arranged on a ladder, where businesses start at the lowest and most basic level, before proceeding to the next step. While our stepwise safety-ladder approach has not been validated, it is expected that further research would confirm the value of the strategy proposed.
Vers un nouveau modèle de parenté

En France au cours des trente dernieres annees, les situations familiales ont connu des evolutions de grande ampleur avec la banalisation du divorce et des couples non maries, la progression des familles monoparentales et celle, plus silencieuse, des familles recomposees, l'apparition largement discutee mais encore tres rare de l'homoparentalite, le developpement de l'adoption, de l'aide medicale a la procreation (AMP) et le recours frequent a l'interruption volontaire de grossesse. A cela s'ajoutent deux faits majeurs. Les meres ont de plus en plus souvent un emploi remunere et les grands-parents beneficient de l'allongement de l'esperance de vie sans incapacite et d'une plus grande autonomie financiere. Cet article se propose d'etudier comment les opinions ou les jugements portes par les Francais sur la vie de famille ont evolue en parallele avec ces nouvelles pratiques.
Montanide ISA 720 and 51: a new generation of water in oil emulsions as adjuvants for human vaccines

The development of adjuvants will represent a major challenge for this century. Indeed the need for safer vaccines leads to the development of a new generation of antigens like synthetic peptide, recombinant proteins or even vectored DNA. However, this is to the detriment of their immunogenicity. The addition of adjuvant is becomes necessary to enhance immune responses and improve vaccine potency. However, adjuvants can be responsible for the apparition of secondary reactions and they must be adapted according to various criteria such as the route of immunization, the type of the immune response, the duration of immunity, or the quality of the antigen, in order to get the best balance between efficacy and safety.
A comparison of two Thera-Band training rehabilitation protocols on postural control.

CONTEXT Thera-Band (TB) exercises are commonly utilized in ankle rehabilitation, but previous studies have shown inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE To compare two TB protocols among healthy subjects in improving postural control. DESIGN Mixed model design. SETTING Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Thirty healthy subjects divided into a control (CON), three times/week (TB3) or five times/week (TB5) group. INTERVENTION Training groups completed TB quick-kick protocols for six weeks either three (TB3) or five times (TB5) per week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Center of pressure velocity in the anterior/posterior (COPVX) and medial/lateral (COPVY) directions. RESULTS There were no differences related to Group or Side. COPVX in the eyes open (EO) condition increased pre-post. COPVY decreased pre-post. CONCLUSION The lack of differences between Groups and Side indicates these specific TB training protocols did not impact static postural control differently among healthy subjects.