Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: epidemiology, clinical course, investigation, and treatment.

BACKGROUND The global obesity epidemic has increased the prevalence of fatty liver disease. At present, 14% to 27% of the general population in the industrialized world has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHOD We review pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search of the PubMed database for the years 1995 to 2013. RESULTS The term "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" covers cases of a wide spectrum of severity, ranging from bland fatty liver without any inflammation and with little or no tendency to progress all the way to non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) with inflammatory reactions and hepatocyte damage, with or without fibrosis. Some 5% to 20% of patients with NAFLD develop NASH, which undergoes a further transition to higher-grade fibrosis in 10% to 20% of cases. In fewer than 5% of cases, fibrosis progresses to cirrhosis. These approximate figures lead to an estimate of 0.05% to 0.3% for the prevalence of cirrhosis in the general population. About 2% of all cirrhosis patients per year develop hepatocellular carcinoma. The diagnosis of fatty liver disease can be suspected initially on the basis of abnormally high aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) levels and abnormal ultrasonographic findings. The positive predictive value of an ultrasonographic study for mild steatosis is 67% at most. The NAFLD fibrosis score, which is computed on the basis of multiple parameters (age, body-mass index, diabetes status, ASAT, ALAT, platelet count, and albumin level), has a positive predictive value of 82% to 90% and a negative predictive value of 88% to 93%. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis but should be performed sparingly in view of its rare but sometimes life-threatening complications, such as hemorrhage. The treatment of NAFLD and NASH consists mainly of changes in lifestyle and nutrition. CONCLUSION NAFLD can, in principle, be reversed. This is only possible with weight reduction by at least 3% to 5%.
Isolation, Characterization, and Ecology of Sulfur-Respiring Crenarchaea Inhabiting Acid-Sulfate-Chloride-Containing Geothermal Springs in Yellowstone National Park

ABSTRACT Elemental sulfur (S0) is associated with many geochemically diverse hot springs, yet little is known about the phylogeny, physiology, and ecology of the organisms involved in its cycling. Here we report the isolation, characterization, and ecology of two novel, S0-reducing Crenarchaea from an acid geothermal spring referred to as Dragon Spring. Isolate 18U65 grows optimally at 70 to 72°C and at pH 2.5 to 3.0, while isolate 18D70 grows optimally at 81°C and pH 3.0. Both isolates are chemoorganotrophs, dependent on complex peptide-containing carbon sources, S0, and anaerobic conditions for respiration-dependent growth. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) containing four to six cyclopentyl rings were present in the lipid fraction of isolates 18U65 and 18D70. Physiological characterization suggests that the isolates are adapted to the physicochemical conditions of Dragon Spring and can utilize the natural organic matter in the spring as a carbon and energy source. Quantitative PCR analysis of 16S rRNA genes associated with the S0 flocs recovered from several acid geothermal springs using isolate-specific primers indicates that these two populations together represent 17 to 37% of the floc-associated DNA. The physiological characteristics of isolates 18U65 and 18D70 are consistent with their potential widespread distribution and putative role in the cycling of sulfur in acid geothermal springs throughout the Yellowstone National Park geothermal complex. Based on phenotypic and genetic characterization, the designations Caldisphaera draconis sp. nov. and Acidilobus sulfurireducens sp. nov. are proposed for isolates 18U65 and 18D70, respectively.
Tactile arousal threshold of sleeping king penguins in a breeding colony

The tactile arousal threshold of sleeping birds has not been investigated to date. In this study, the characteristics of this threshold were assessed by stimulating either the upper back or a foot of two groups (one cutaneous site per group) of 60 sleeping king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonica) in the breeding colony of Baie du Marin (Crozet Archipelago). Increasing weights were put onto one of the feet or the upper back of individuals that had been sleeping for more than 5 min until they showed behavioural signs of arousal (head raising). The weight applied to the upper back that was needed to awaken a sleeper (837 ± 73 g) was 20 times greater than that applied to a foot (38 ± 6 g). In terms of pressure, the difference remained five times higher for the back (209 ± 18 g/cm2) than the foot (40 g ± 7 g/cm2). Because the king penguin incubates its single egg and rears its young chick on its feet, the low threshold measured at this level could be viewed as an adaptation against progeny predation. Sleepers are frequently bumped by conspecifics walking through the colony. The increased arousal threshold associated with tactile stimulation of the back may help to preserve sleep continuity under these conditions.
Business-Bankruptcy After the BAPCPA: Evidence From the Stock Market

Little is known about how the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) affects the business-bankruptcy landscape in the United States. This study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the stock price dynamics of firms filing for Chapter 11 under both the 1978 Bankruptcy Act and the BAPCPA. Results show that, on average, shareholders of firms filing for Chapter 11 under the new Act lose significantly more both at and shortly after the event date than their 1978 counterparts do. Given the economic magnitude and robustness of these findings, this article’s empirical evidence suggests the market perceives the BAPCPA to be more creditor-friendly than its predecessor is.
Head Impulse Testing Using Video‐oculography

Head impulses are a routine clinical test of semicircular canal function. At the bedside, they are used to detect malfunctioning of the horizontal semicircular canals. So far, 3‐D‐search‐coil recording is required to reliably test anterior and posterior canal function and to determine the gain of the vestibulo‐ocular reflex (VOR). Search‐coil recording cannot be done at the bedside. Here we tested whether video‐oculography (VOG) is suitable to assess VOR gain for individual canals at the bedside. We recorded head impulses in healthy subjects using a mobile high‐frame‐rate, head‐mounted VOG‐device and compared the results with those obtained with standard search‐coil recording. Our preliminary results indicate that high‐frame‐rate VOG is a promising tool to measure and quantify individual semicircular canal function not only at the bedside.
Two-step method for creating a gastric tube during laparoscopic-thoracoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy

AIM To introduce a two-step method for creating a gastric tube during laparoscopic-thoracoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy and assess its clinical application. METHODS One hundred and twenty-two patients with middle or lower esophageal cancer who underwent laparoscopic-thoracoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy at Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute from March 2014 to March 2016 were included in this study, and divided into two groups based on the procedure used for creating a gastric tube. One group used a two-step method for creating a gastric tube, and the other group used the conventional method. The two groups were compared regarding the operating time, surgical complications, and number of stapler cartridges used. RESULTS The mean operating time was significantly shorter in the two-step method group than in the conventional method group [238 (179-293) min vs 272 (189-347) min, P < 0.01]. No postoperative death occurred in either group. There was no significant difference in the rate of complications [14 (21.9%) vs 13 (22.4%), P = 0.55] or mean number of stapler cartridges used [5 (4-6) vs 5.2 (5-6), P = 0.007] between the two groups. CONCLUSION The two-step method for creating a gastric tube during laparoscopic-thoracoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy has the advantages of simple operation, minimal damage to the tubular stomach, and reduced use of stapler cartridges.
Cost-effectiveness of individualized nutrition and exercise therapy for rehabilitation following hip fracture.

OBJECTIVE To undertake a cost-utility analysis of the Individual Nutrition Therapy and Exercise Regime: A Controlled Trial of Injured, Vulnerable Elderly (INTERACTIVE) trial. DESIGN Cost-utility analysis of a randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS A total of 175 patients following a hip fracture were allocated to receive either alternate weekly visits from a physical therapist and dietitian (intervention group), or social visits for 6 months (control group). METHODS Costs for utilization of hospitals, health and community services were compared with quality-adjusted life years gained, calculated from responses to the Assessment of Quality of Life instrument. RESULTS There were minimal differences in mean costs between the intervention ($AUD 45,331 standard deviation (SD): $AUD 23,012) and the control group ($AUD 44,764 SD: $AUD 20,712, p = 0.868), but a slightly higher mean gain in quality-adjusted life years in the intervention group (0.155, SD: 0.132) compared with the control group (0.139, SD: 0.149, p = 0.470). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $AUD 28,350 per quality-adjusted life year gained, which is below the implied cost-effectiveness threshold utilized by regulatory authorities in Australia. CONCLUSION A comprehensive 6-month programme of therapy from dietitians and physical therapists could be provided at a relatively low additional cost in this group of frail older adults, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio indicates likely cost-effectiveness, although there was a very high level of uncertainty in the findings.
Antigenic Activity of Three Chimeric Synthetic Peptides of the Transmembrane (Gp41) and the Envelope (Gp120) Glycoproteins of HIV‐1 Virus

Abstract The antigenicity of three chimeric synthetic peptides (Qm, Qm‐16, and Qm‐17) incorporating an immunodominant epitope of the gp41 transmembrane protein (587–617) and the different epitopes of the gp120 envelope protein (495–516), (301–335), (502–516) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV‐1), separated by two glycine residues, was evaluated by UltramicroEnzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (UMELISA) by using panels of anti‐HIV‐1 positive sera (n = 47). The specificity was evaluated with samples from healthy blood donors (n = 20) and anti‐HIV‐2 positive samples (n = 10). The results indicate that the chimeric peptide, Qm, was the most reactive one because it detected antibodies to virus efficiently. This may be related to peptide adsorption onto the solid surface, the C‐terminal region of HIV‐1 gp120 (495–516) combined with gp41 (587–617) in the chimera, and the epitope accessibility to the antibodies. This study showed the usefulness of the chimeric peptides as antigen to detect antibodies to HIV‐1 virus.
An in vitro model for the detection of reduced platelet sensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid

A discovery of ‘aspirin resistance’ has prompted the search for fast and reliable methods for the monitoring of antiplatelet efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Our aims were: (1) to evaluate the in vitro model-based method for detecting a reduced platelets’ sensitivity to ASA using a point-of-care platelet function analyser PFA-100; and (2) to propose a simple method of data analysis that might be successfully employed to discriminate between ‘good’ and ‘poor’ responders to aspirin. Whole blood platelets from healthy volunteers were incubated in vitro with 30 μg/ml ASA (the in vitro method under evaluation) or analysed following a 10-day intake of an average 150 mg ASA (Aspirin Protect) daily (the reference ex vivo method). According to polynomial regression analysis of the bimodally distributed data, the donors with lower (`ASA poor responders') or higher platelet sensitivity to ASA (`ASA good responders') were discriminated at 58.6% of platelet function inhibition. Despite the similar proportions of ‘ASA poor responders’ (44 versus 41% using the ex vivo and in vitro tests, respectively), 30% of discordant classifications point to a rather unsatisfactory convergence between both methods. Due to a considerable discordance between the in vitro and ex vivo tests of ASA efficacy performed with the use of the PFA-100 system, the former cannot be reliably and interchangeably used for the monitoring of aspirin therapy and the selection of an effective therapeutic ASA dose. A novel approach to data analysis of the distribution of platelet inhibition rates facilitates an evaluation of cut-off points required to discriminate between ‘poor responders’ and ‘good responders’ to aspirin.
New Beginnings: Evidence That the Meditational Regimen Can Lead to Optimization of Perception, Attention, Cognition, and Other Functions

A “framework” is presented for understanding empirically confirmed and unconfirmed phenomena in the Indo‐Tibetan meditation system, from an integrative perspective, and providing evidence that certain meditative practices enable meditators to realize the innate human potential to perceive light “at the limits imposed by quantum mechanics,” on the level of individual photons. This is part of a larger Buddhist agenda to meditatitively develop perceptual/attentional capacities to achieve penetrating insight into the nature of phenomena. Such capacities may also allow advanced meditators to perceive changes in natural scenes that are “hidden” from persons with “normal” attentional capacities, according to research on “change blindness,” and to enhance their visual system functioning akin to high‐speed and time‐lapse photography, in toto allowing for the perception, as well as sophisticated understanding, of the “moment to moment change or impermanence” universally characteristic of the phenomenal world but normally outside untrained attention and perception according to Buddhist doctrine.
Is the Recovery of Functional Balance and Mobility Accompanied by Physiological Recovery in People With Severe Impairments After Stroke?

Background. Rehabilitation after severe stroke is often limited because of impairments in sensorimotor function. Functional and physiological recovery after severe stroke is poorly understood and has not been studied extensively. Objective. This study’s purpose was to examine functional and physiological recovery of standing balance during inpatient rehabilitation in people with severe impairments after stroke. Methods. A total of 10 participants with severe impairments after stroke were evaluated monthly in a stroke rehabilitation unit with the following functional outcome measures: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Clinical Outcome Variables Scale (COVS), and Chedoke McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA). Weight bearing (WB), center of pressure (COP) velocity, and electromyography (EMG) data were collected during quiet standing and during internal perturbation with a rapid nonparetic arm raise. Results. Cross-sectionally, there were moderate to strong correlations for EMG area and WB with CMSA and COVS. Additionally, the BBS was correlated with WB on the paretic side. Longitudinally, statistically significant improvement was found for functional measures but not for physiological measures. The mean BBS and COVS improved by 23 and 21 points, respectively. COP velocity decreased by 60.1% on the paretic leg but not significantly. Conclusions. During stroke rehabilitation, all participants improved functionally. Some patients improved physiologically, though near discharge, all participants remained very impaired. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to explore the capacity for physiological recovery in this population.
The Academic Climate and Organizational Support Influence on Performance of Lecturers Scientific Publications (Study at the Private University Accredited in West Java)

Objective - This article aims to produce a study of: Academic climate, organizational support and the performance of scientific publications of lecturers. Then examine the influence of academic climate and organizational support on the performance of lecturer scientific publications. Research on the performance of scientific publications is still very rare, let alone linking the issue to the academic climate and organizational support. So that research on this scientific publication should be done immediately so that scientific publications of lecturers in Indonesia can increase, especially the performance of scientific publications of lecturers at the private university in West Java.Method - The research design used in this research is mixed method Research (MMR). The analytical tool uses a Partial Lease Square.Findings - Scientific publications of lecturers will increase both in quantity and quality if conducive academic climate and organizational support activities. Academic climate and organizational support affect the performance of lecturer scientific publications, either partially or simultaneously. Simultaneously influence the academic climate and organizational support to Performance of Scientific Publication of Lecturers, amounted to 54,4%. While partially Academic climate and Organizational Support influential significantly to Performance of Scientific Publication of Lecturers, which is Academic climate has a greater influence (34,8%).
Decay-Accelerating Factor and Cytoskeleton Redistribution Pattern in HeLa Cells Infected with RecombinantEscherichia coli Strains Expressing Dr Family of Adhesins

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli strains expressing Dr fimbriae are able to enter epithelial cells by interacting with a complement-regulatory protein, decay-accelerating factor. This model of bacterial internalization, with a well-characterized bacterial ligand and host receptor, provides a unique opportunity to investigate the early stages of invasion. We used immunofluorescence staining techniques to examine the distribution of receptor and cytoskeletal proteins in HeLa cells infected with E. coli recombinant strains that expressed Dr family of adhesins: Dr, Dr-II, F1845, AFA-I, and AFA-III. A major rearrangement of decay-accelerating factor was found at the adherence sites of recombinant strains expressing Dr, Dr-II, and F1845 adhesins. The changes in the distribution of receptor were significantly smaller on HeLa cells infected with E. coli bearing AFA-I or AFA-III afimbrial adhesins. Receptor aggregation was associated with the redistribution of cytoskeleton-associated proteins such as actin, α-actinin, ezrin, and occasionally tropomyosin. Purified Dr fimbriae coated on polystyrene beads were capable of triggering clustering of receptor and accumulating actin at the adhesion sites of beads to HeLa cells. Using scanning and transmission electron microscopic techniques, we have shown that beads coated with Dr fimbriae, as opposed to beads coated with bovine serum albumin, were enwrapped by cellular microvilli and ultimately internalized into HeLa cells. This indicates that interaction of Dr fimbriae with decay-accelerating factor is associated with redistribution of receptor and is sufficient to promote bacterial internalization.
Conformational flexibility of three cytoplasmic segments of the angiotensin II AT1A receptor: a circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy study

The conformation of three synthetic peptides encompassing the proximal and distal half of the third intracellular loop (Ni3 and Ci3) and a portion of the cytoplasmic tail (fCT) of the angiotensin II AT1A receptor has been studied using circular dischroism and fluorescence spectroscopies. The results show that the conformation of the peptides is modulated in various ways by the environmental conditions (pH, ionic strength and dielectric constant). Indeed, Ni3 and fCT fold into helical structures that possess distinct stability and polarity due to the diverse forces involved: mainly polar interactions in the first case and a combination of polar and hydrophobic interactions in the second. The presence of these various features also produce distinct intermolecular interactions. Ci3, instead, exists as an ensemble of partially folded states in equilibrium. Since the corresponding regions of the angiotensin II AT1A receptor are known to play an important role in the receptor function, due to their ability to undergo conformational changes, these data provide some new clues about their different conformational plasticity. Copyright © 2002 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acceleration of the Decomposition Rate of Anaerobic Biological Treatment

Abstract Anaerobic biological waste treatment offers advantages over aerobic systems in terms of lower energy requirements, less biological sludge production, and the potential for energy recovery in the form of biogas. The biogas produced can be used in a multiplicity of ways. The major drawback of this process is the slow growth rate of anaerobic microorganisms. Experimental studies have been performed to investigate the effect of yeast population on the rate of anaerobic decomposition. The experiments were conducted in three laboratory scale anaerobic reactors. The result of this study showed that the yeast population enhanced the bacterial growth rate in the anaerobic batch reactors, consequently the COD removal efficiency and biogas generation inside the reactors were enhanced.
Liver resection after selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT): Proof of concept, initial survival, and safety

Extent of liver resections are restricted by the volume of the future liver remnant. Different strategies have been developed to increase the frequency of curative resections. Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) has emerged as an effective therapy for patients with primary non‐resectable malignancies of the liver. Here, we report the first clinical series of patients with curative liver resection following SIRT.
The Desulfuromonas acetoxidans Triheme Cytochrome c7 Produced in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Retains Its Metal Reductase Activity

ABSTRACT Multiheme cytochrome c proteins that belong to class III have been recently shown to exhibit a metal reductase activity, which could be of great environmental interest, especially in metal bioremediation. To get a better understanding of these activities, the gene encoding cytochrome c7from the sulfur-reducing bacterium Desulfuromonas acetoxidans was cloned from genomic DNA by PCR and expressed inDesulfovibrio desulfuricans G201. The expression system was based on the cyc transcription unit fromDesulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough and led to the synthesis of holocytochrome c7 when transferred by electrotransformation into the sulfate reducerDesulfovibrio desulfuricans G201. The produced cytochrome was indistinguishable from the protein purified fromDesulfuromonas acetoxidans cells with respect to several biochemical and biophysical criteria and exhibited the same metal reductase activities as determined from electrochemical experiments. This suggests that the molecule was correctly folded in the host organism. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans produces functional multiheme c-type cytochromes from bacteria belonging to a different genus and may be considered a suitable host for the heterologous biogenesis of multiheme c-type cytochromes for either structural or engineering studies. This report, which presents the first example of the transformation of aDesulfovibrio desulfuricans strain by electrotransformation, describes work that is the first necessary step of a protein engineering program that aims to specify the structural features that are responsible for the metal reductase activities of multiheme cytochrome c7.