Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association among smoking, depression, and anxiety: findings from a representative sample of Korean adolescents

This study investigated the relationship between smoking and depression and anxiety using data from a nationwide survey representing Korean adolescents. Subjects were 6,489 adolescents in middle and high school (age 13–18) who had participated in the 2011 Korean Study of Promotion Policies on Children and Adolescents—Mental Health (KSPCAM). Daily smoking number of times for current smokers was classified as 1–2 times, 2–4 times and over 5 times. The odds ratio for the statistical test was presented using hierarchical logistic regression. When adjusted for covariates (gender, age, household economy, type of residing city, type of school, school record, satisfaction with school life, subjective health status, satisfaction with relationship with parents, and drinking experience), smokers more significantly likely to have depression (OR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.02–1.57]), and anxiety (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.14–1.96]) than non-smokers (p < 0.05). In addition, adolescents who smoke more than 5 cigarettes a day were 1.5 times more likely to have depression (OR = 1.48, 95% CI [1.13–1.92]) and anxiety (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.07–2.08]) than those who do not smoke. Smoking in adolescence was found to be significantly related with depression and anxiety. To promote the mental health of adolescents, effective smoking cessation programs are required.
Insulin Alleviates Posttrauma Cardiac Dysfunction by Inhibiting Tumor Necrosis Factor-&agr;–Mediated Reactive Oxygen Species Production*

Objective:Clinical evidence indicates that intensive insulin treatment prevents the incidence of multiple organ failures in surgical operation and severe trauma, but the mechanisms involved remain elusive. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that insulin may exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects and thus alleviate cardiac dysfunction after trauma. Design:Prospective, randomized experimental study. Setting:Animal research laboratory. Subjects:Sprague Dawley rats. Interventions:Anesthetized rats were subjected to 200 revolutions at a rate of 35 rpm in Noble-Collip drum to induce a nonlethal mechanical trauma and were randomized to receive vehicle, insulin, and insulin + wortmannin treatments. An in vitro study was performed on cultured cardiomyocytes subjected to sham-traumatic serum (SS), traumatic serum (TS), SS + tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&agr;, SS + H2O2, TS + neutralizing anti-TNF-&agr; antibody, or TS + tempol treatments. Measurements and Main Results:Immediate cardiac dysfunction occurred 0.5 hr after trauma without significant cardiomyocyte necrosis and apoptosis, while serum TNF-&agr; and cardiac reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was increased. Importantly, incubation of cardiomyocytes with TS or SS + TNF-&agr; significantly increased ROS generation together with dampened cardiomyocyte contractility and Ca2+ transient, all of which were rescued by TNF-&agr; antibody. Administration of insulin inhibited TNF-&agr; and ROS overproduction and alleviated cardiac dysfunction 2 hours after trauma. Scavenging ROS with tempol also attenuated cardiac dysfunction after trauma, whereas insulin combined with tempol failed to further improve cardiac functional recovery compared with insulin treatment alone. Moreover, the aforementioned anti-TNF-&agr;, antioxidative, and cardioprotective effects afforded by insulin were almost abolished by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin. Conclusions:These results demonstrate for the first time that mechanical trauma induces a significant increase in TNF-&agr; and ROS production, resulting in immediate cardiac dysfunction. Early posttrauma insulin treatment alleviates cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting TNF-&agr;-mediated ROS production via a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt-dependent mechanism.
Regulation of ENaC in mice lacking renal insulin receptors in the collecting duct

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is one of the central effectors involved in regulation of salt and water homeostasis in the kidney. To study mechanisms of ENaC regulation, we generated knockout mice lacking the insulin receptor (InsR KO) specifically in the collecting duct principal cells. Single‐channel analysis in freshly isolated split‐open tubules demonstrated that the InsR‐KO mice have significantly lower ENaC activity compared to their wild‐type (C57BL/6J) littermates when animals were fed either normal or sodium‐deficient diets. Immunohistochemical and Western blot assays demonstrated no significant changes in expression of ENaC subunits in InsR‐KO mice compared to wild‐type littermates. Insulin treatment caused greater ENaC activity in split‐open tubules isolated from wild‐type mice but did not have this effect in the InsR‐KO mice. Thus, these results suggest that insulin increases ENaC activity via its own receptor affecting the channel open probability. To further determine the mechanism of the action of insulin on ENaC, we used mouse mpkCCDc14 principal cells. Insulin significantly augmented amiloride‐sensitive transepithelial flux in these cells. Pretreatment of the mpkCCDc14 cells with phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (LY294002; 10 μM) or mTOR (PP242; 100 nM) inhibitors precluded this effect. This study provides new information about the importance of insulin receptors expressed in collecting duct principal cells for ENaC activity. —Pavlov, T. S. , Ilatovskaya, D. V. , Levchenko, V. , Li, L. , Ecelbarger, C. M. , Staruschenko, A. Regulation of ENaC in mice lacking renal insulin receptors in the collecting duct. FASEB J. 27, 2723‐2732 (2013). www.fasebj. org
Molecular Dissection of Na+ Binding to Thrombin*

Na+ binding near the primary specificity pocket of thrombin promotes the procoagulant, prothrombotic, and signaling functions of the enzyme. The effect is mediated allosterically by a communication between the Na+ site and regions involved in substrate recognition. Using a panel of 78 Ala mutants of thrombin, we have mapped the allosteric core of residues that are energetically linked to Na+ binding. These residues are Asp-189, Glu-217, Asp-222, and Tyr-225, all in close proximity to the bound Na+. Among these residues, Asp-189 shares with Asp-221 the important function of transducing Na+ binding into enhanced catalytic activity. None of the residues of exosite I, exosite II, or the 60-loop plays a significant role in Na+ binding and allosteric transduction. X-ray crystal structures of the Na+-free (slow) and Na+-bound (fast) forms of thrombin, free or bound to the active site inhibitor H-d-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl-ketone, document the conformational changes induced by Na+ binding. The slow → fast transition results in formation of the Arg-187:Asp-222 ion pair, optimal orientation of Asp-189 and Ser-195 for substrate binding, and a significant shift of the side chain of Glu-192 linked to a rearrangement of the network of water molecules that connect the bound Na+ to Ser-195 in the active site. The changes in the water network and the allosteric core explain the thermodynamic signatures linked to Na+ binding and the mechanism of thrombin activation by Na+. The role of the water network uncovered in this study establishes a new paradigm for the allosteric regulation of thrombin and other Na+-activated enzymes involved in blood coagulation and the immune response.
On the Privacy Practices of Just Plain Sites

In addition to visiting popular sites such as Facebook and Google, web users often visit more modest sites, such as those operated by bloggers, or by local organizations such as schools. Such sites, which we call "Just Plain Sites" (JPSs), are likely to inadvertently present greater privacy risks than highly popular sites, because they are unable to afford privacy expertise. To assess the prevalence of the privacy risks to which JPSs may inadvertently be exposing their visitors, we examined privacy practices that could be observed by analysis of JPS landing pages. We found that many JPSs collect a great deal of information from their visitors, and share a great deal of information about their visitors with third parties. For example, we found that an average of 7 third party organizations are informed when a user visits a JPS. Many JPSs additionally permit a great deal of tracking of their visitors. For example, we found that third party cookies are used by more than 50% of JPSs. We also found that many JPSs use deprecated or unsafe security practices. Our goal is not to scold JPS operators, but to raise awareness of these facts among both JPS operators and visitors, possibly encouraging operators to take greater care in their implementations, and visitors to take greater care in how, when, and what they share.
A region-based theory for state assignment in speed-independent circuits

State assignment problems still need satisfactory solutions to make asynchronous circuit synthesis more practical. A well-known example of such a problem is that of complete state coding (CSC), which happens when a pair of different states in a specification has the same binary encoding. A standard way to approach state coding conflicts is to insert new state signals into the original specification in such a way that the original behavior remains intact. This paper proposes a method which improves over existing approaches by coupling generality, optimality, and efficiency. The method is based on the use of a class of "ground objects", called regions, that play the role of a bridge between state-based specifications (transition systems, TS's) and event-based specifications (signal transition graphs, STG's), We need to deal with both types of specification because designers usually prefer a timing diagram-like notation, such as STG, while optimization and cost analysis work better at the state level. A region in a transition system is a set of states that corresponds to a place in an STG (or the underlying Petri net). Regions are tightly connected with a set of properties that are to be preserved across the state encoding process, namely, 1) trace equivalence between the original and the encoded specification, and 2) implementability as a speed-independent circuit. We will build on a theoretical body of work that has shown the significance of regions for such property-preserving transformations, and describe a set of algorithms aimed at efficiently solving the encoding problem. The algorithms have been implemented in a software tool called petrify. Unlike many existing tools, petrify represents the encoded specification as an STG. This significantly improves the readability of the result (compared to a state-based description in which concurrency is represented implicitly by interleaving), and allows the designer to be more closely involved in the synthesis process. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated on a number of "difficult" examples.
A Finite-Element Simulation of Galvanic Coupling Intra-Body Communication Based on the Whole Human Body

Simulation based on the finite-element (FE) method plays an important role in the investigation of intra-body communication (IBC). In this paper, a finite-element model of the whole body model used for the IBC simulation is proposed and verified, while the FE simulation of the galvanic coupling IBC with different signal transmission paths has been achieved. Firstly, a novel finite-element method for modeling the whole human body is proposed, and a FE model of the whole human body used for IBC simulation was developed. Secondly, the simulations of the galvanic coupling IBC with the different signal transmission paths were implemented. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method was verified by using in vivo measurements within the frequency range of 10 kHz–5 MHz, whereby some important conclusions were deduced. Our results indicate that the proposed method will offer significant advantages in the investigation of the galvanic coupling intra-body communication.
Experimental Study of Machinability of GFRP Composites by End Milling

This article describes an experimental investigation on end milling of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites using uncoated tungsten carbide tool. A series of experiments were carried out to evaluate the machinability of GFRP composites in terms of tool wear, tool useful life, machining quality, and machining forces. Machinability data were evaluated in the form of Taylor's equation in order to predict the tool performance while machining this composite material. The useful life of the cutting tool was found to be well described by the Taylor's equations. The cutting speed was identified as the key parameter in influencing the tool life followed by feed rate and fiber orientation. Machining force variations were constantly monitored during end milling tests, which are mainly attributed to the growth of tool wear and fiber orientation.
Brain and Hepatic Mt mRNA Is Reduced in Response to Mild Energy Restriction and n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Deficiency in Juvenile Rats

Metallothioneins (MTs) perform important regulatory and cytoprotective functions in tissues including the brain. While it is known that energy restriction (ER) and dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deficiency impact postnatal brain growth and development, little data exist regarding the impact of undernutrition upon MT expression in growing animals. We tested the hypothesis that ER with and without dietary n-3 PUFA deficiency reduces MT expression in juvenile rats. ER rats were individually pair-fed at 75% of the ad libitum (AL) intake of control rats provided diets consisting of either soybean oil (SO) that is α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3) sufficient or corn oil (CO; ALA-deficient). Fatty acids (FA) and metal concentrations of liver and brain regions were analyzed. Tissue expression of MTs (Mt1-3) and modulators of MT expression including glucocorticoid receptors (Nr3c1 and Nr3c2) and several mediators of thyroid hormone regulation (Dio1-3, Mct8, Oatp1c1, Thra, and Thrb) were measured. Plasma corticosterone and triiodothyronine levels were also evaluated. ER, but not metal deficiency, reduced Mt2 expression in the cerebellum (50%) and cerebral cortex (23%). In liver, a reduction in dietary n-3 PUFA reduced Mt1, Mt2, Nr3c1, Mct8, and Thrb. ER elevated Nr3c1, Dio1, and Thrb and reduced Thra in the liver. Given MT’s role in cellular protection, further studies are needed to evaluate whether ER or n-3 PUFA deficiency may leave the juvenile brain and/or liver more susceptible to endogenous or environmental stressors.
Experimental inoculation of house flies Musca domestica with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Actinomycetales Corynebacteriaceae) infection in horses causes three different disease syndromes: external abscesses, infection of internal organs and ulcerative lymphangitis. The exact mechanism of infection in horses remains undetermined, but transmission by insect vectors is suspected. The present study first determined the optimal culture media for inoculation of house flies (Musca domestica L.) (Diptera Muscidae), with C. pseudotuberculosis biovar equi and the time required for fly inoculation. A second experiment determined the duration of bacterial survival on flies. Exposure of house flies to 3 different preparations of blood agar supplemented with dextrose and colonized with C. pseudotuberculosis determined that a 10 minute exposure to the bacteria was enough to inoculate the flies. C. pseudotuberculosis could be recovered for up to 24 hours after house flies were exposed for 30 minutes to a blood agar plate colonized with the bacteria and moistened with 10% dextrose. These findings support the hypothesis that the house fly is a potential vector of pigeon fever and aid in establishing a protocol for a future experimental model to demonstrate the role of house flies as mechanical vectors in C. Pseudotuberculosis infection.
A smooth muscle tone‐dependent stretch‐activated migrating motor pattern in isolated guinea‐pig distal colon

We have investigated the tone dependence of the intrinsic nervous activity generated by localized wall distension in isolated segments of guinea‐pig distal colon using mechanical recordings and video imaging of wall movements. A segment of colon was threaded through two partitions, which divided the colon for pharmacological purposes into oral, stimulation and anal regions. An intraluminal balloon was located in the stimulation region between the two partitions (12 mm apart). Maintained colonic distension by an intraluminal balloon or an artificial faecal pellet held at a fixed location generated rhythmic (frequency 0.3 contractions min−1; duration ˜60 s) peristaltic waves of contraction. Video imaging of colonic wall movements or the selective application of pharmacological agents suggested that peristaltic waves originated just oral (≤ 4 mm) to the pellet and propagated both orally (˜11 mm s−1) and anally (˜1 mm s−1). Also, during a peristaltic wave the colon appears to passively shorten in front of a pellet, as a result of an active contraction of the longitudinal muscle oral to the pellet. Faecal pellet movement only occurred when a rhythmic peristaltic wave was generated. Rhythmic peristaltic waves were abolished in all regions by the smooth muscle relaxants isoproterenol (1 μM), nicardipine (1 μM) or papavarine (10 μM), and by the neural antagonists tetrodotoxin (TTX; 0.6 μM), hexamethonium (100 μM) or atropine (1 μM), when added selectively to the stimulation region. Nicardipine, atropine, TTX, or hexamethonium (100 μM) also blocked the evoked peristaltic waves when selectively added to the oral region. Nω‐nitro‐L‐arginine (L‐NA; 100 μM) added to the anal region reduced the anal relaxation but increased the anal contraction, leading to an increase in the apparent conduction velocity of each peristaltic wave. In conclusion, maintained distension by a fixed artificial pellet generates propulsive, rhythmic peristaltic waves, whose enteric neural activity is critically dependent upon smooth muscle tone. These peristaltic waves usually originate just oral to the pellet, and their apparent conduction velocity is generated by activation of descending inhibitory nerve pathways.
Primary pulmonary lymphangiectasia in infancy and childhood

Primary pulmonary lymphangiectasia (PPL) is a rare disorder of unknown aetiology characterised by dilatation of the pulmonary lymphatics. PPL is widely reported to have a poor prognosis in the neonatal period and little is known about the clinical features of patients who survive the newborn period. The current authors report the outcome in nine patients diagnosed in infancy with PPL over a 15-yr period at a single university-based hospital clinic and followed for a median of 6 yrs. Although all of the patients initially experienced respiratory distress, respiratory symptoms improved in most patients after infancy and were notably better by the age of 6 yrs. Many patients had poor weight gain in the first years of life, which eventually improved. Radiological scans showed progressive resolution of neonatal infiltrates, but were characterised by hyperinflation and increased interstitial markings in older children. Most patients had evidence of bronchitis and grew pathogenic organisms from quantitative bronchoalveolar lavage culture. Pulmonary function tests showed predominantly obstructive disease that did not deteriorate over time. In conclusion, these results suggest that primary pulmonary lymphangiectasia does not have as dismal a prognosis as previously described and symptoms and clinical findings improve after the first year of life.
Genome-Wide Identification and Transcriptional Expression Analysis of Cucumber Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Family in Response to Various Abiotic Stresses

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) proteins are widely present in the plant kingdom and play important roles in different biological processes. However, little is known about the SOD genes in cucumber. In this study, night SOD genes were identified from cucumber (Cucumis sativus) using bioinformatics-based methods, including 5 Cu/ZnSODs, 3 FeSODs, and 1 MnSOD. Gene structure and motif analysis indicated that most of the SOD genes have relatively conserved exon/intron arrangement and motif composition. Phylogenetic analyses with SODs from cucumber and several other species revealed that these SOD proteins can be traced back to two ancestral SODs before the divergence of monocot and dicot plants. Many cis-elements related to stress responses and plant hormones were found in the promoter sequence of each CsSOD gene. Gene expression analysis revealed that most of the CsSOD genes are expressed in almost all the tested tissues. qRT-PCR analysis of 8 selected CsSOD genes showed that these genes could respond to heat, cold, osmotic, and salt stresses. Our results provide a basis for further functional research on SOD gene family in cucumber and facilitate their potential applications in the genetic improvement of cucumber.
Nutritional anaemias

Nutritional problems in the tyopics 213 Platt, R. S. & Stewart, R. J. C. (1967~). 3’. Endow. 38, IZI. Platt, B. S. & Stewart, R. J. C . (19676). Maternal and Child Care 3, 539. Platt, B. S. & Stewart, R. J. C. (1968). Deul. Med. Child Neurol. 10, 3. Platt, B. S. & Stewart, R. J. C. (1969). Devl. Med. Child Neurol. 11, 174. Platt, H. S. , Stewart, R. J. C. & Platt, B. S. (1963). Proc. Nutr. SOC. 22, xxix. Scrimshaw, N. S. (1964). In Mammalian Protein Metaboli.wz 1101. 2, p. 569 [H. N. Munro and J. B.
Toughening of PP/EPDM blend by compatibilization

To improve the mechanical properties of blends of polypropylene (PP) and terpolymer of ethylene–propylene–diene (EPDM), a triblock copolymer, (PP-g-MAH)-co-[PA-6,6]-co-(EPDM-g-MAH), was synthesized by coupling reaction of maleic anhydride (MAH)-grafted PP (PP-g-MAH), EPDM-g-MAH, and PA-6,6. The newly prepared block copolymer brought about a physical interlocking between the blend components, and imparted a compatibilizing effect to the blends. Introducing the block copolymer to the blends up to 5 wt % lead to formation of a β-form crystal. The wide-angle X-ray diffractograms measured in the region of 2θ between 10° and 50° ascertained that incorporating the block copolymer gave a new peak at 2θ = 15.8°. The new peak was assigned to the (300) plane spacings of the β-hexagonal crystal structure. In addition, the block copolymer notably improved the low-temperature impact property of the PP/EPDM blends. The optimum usage level of the compatibilizer proved to be 0.5 wt %. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 1267–1274, 2000