Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response to Antenatal Cholecalciferol Supplementation Is Associated With Common Vitamin D–Related Genetic Variants

Context: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to vitamin D metabolism have been associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration, but these relationships have not been examined following antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation. Objective: To determine whether SNPs in DHCR7, CYP2R1, CYP24A1, and GC are associated with the response to gestational cholecalciferol supplementation. Design: Within-randomization group analysis of the Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study trial of antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation. Setting: Hospital antenatal clinics. Participants: In total, 682 women of white ethnicity (351 placebo, 331 cholecalciferol) were included. SNPs at rs12785878 (DHCR7), rs10741657 (CYP2R1), rs6013897 (CYP24A1), and rs2282679 (GC) were genotyped. Interventions: 1000 IU/d cholecalciferol from 14 weeks of gestation until delivery. Main Outcome Measure: 25(OH)D at randomization and 34 weeks of gestation were measured in a single batch (Liaison; Diasorin, Dartford, UK). Associations between 25(OH)D and the SNPs were assessed by linear regression using an additive model [β represents the change in 25(OH)D per additional common allele]. Results: Only rs12785878 (DHCR7) was associated with baseline 25(OH)D [β = 3.1 nmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0 to 5.2 nmol/L; P < 0.004]. In contrast, rs10741657 (CYP2R1) (β = −5.2 nmol/L; 95% CI, −8.2 to −2.2 nmol/L; P = 0.001) and rs2282679 (GC) (β = 4.2 nmol/L; 95% CI, 0.9 to 7.5 nmol/L; P = 0.01) were associated with achieved 25(OH)D status following supplementation, whereas rs12785878 and rs6013897 (CYP24A1) were not. Conclusions: Genetic variation in DHCR7, which encodes 7-dehyrocholesterol reductase in the epidermal vitamin D biosynthesis pathway, appears to modify baseline 25(OH)D. In contrast, the response to antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation was associated with SNPs in CYP2R1, which may alter 25-hydroxylase activity, and GC, which may affect vitamin D binding protein synthesis or metabolite affinity.
A New Contactless Method for Velocity Measurement of Bubble and Slug in Millimeter-Scale Pipelines

Combining C4D technique and cross-correlation velocity measurement technique, a new measurement method, which is suitable for the bubble/slug velocity measurement in millimeter-scale pipelines, is proposed. Based on the series resonance principle and the simulated inductor technique, a new C4D sensor is developed. With two conductance signals obtained by two new C4D sensors (the upstream sensor and the downstream sensor), the bubble/slug velocity measurement is implemented by the cross-correlation velocity measurement technique. Experiments are carried out in three pipelines with different inner diameters of 4.50, 5.46, and 6.44 mm, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed bubble/slug velocity measurement method is effective, the development of the new C4D sensor is successful, and the velocity measurement accuracy is satisfactory. The relative error of bubble velocity measurement is less than 5.41% and the relative error of slug flow velocity measurement is less than 4.90%.
Racial/Ethnic and Nativity Differences in Cognitive Life Expectancies Among Older Adults in the United States

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To document racial/ethnic and nativity differences by gender in cognitive life expectancies among older adults in the United States. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Sullivan-based life tables were used to estimate cognitively normal, cognitively impaired/no dementia (CIND), and dementia life expectancies by gender for White, Black, U.S.-born Hispanic, and foreign-born Hispanic adults 50 years and older in the Health and Retirement Study. RESULTS Among women, the number of years spent living with dementia for Whites, Blacks, U.S.-born Hispanics, and foreign-born Hispanics was 1.6, 3.9, 4.7, and 6.0 years, respectively. For men, Whites lived 1.1 years with dementia compared to 3.1 years for Blacks, 3.0 years for U.S.-born Hispanics and 3.2 years for foreign-born Hispanics. Similar patterns were observed for race/ethnic and nativity differences in CIND life expectancies. Blacks and Hispanics spend a larger fraction of their remaining years with CIND and dementia relative to Whites, regardless of gender. Foreign-born Hispanic men and women and Black men are particularly disadvantaged in the proportion of years spent after age 50 with CIND and/or dementia. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Disparities in cognitive life expectancies indicate that intervention strategies should target the specific needs of minority and immigrant older adults with dementia. Given that education is a strong predictor of cognitive health, improving access to the social and economic resources that delay dementia onset is key to improving the well-being of diverse older adults.
Sperm Length Variation as a Predictor of Extrapair Paternity in Passerine Birds

Background The rate of extrapair paternity is a commonly used index for the risk of sperm competition in birds, but paternity data exist for only a few percent of the approximately 10400 extant species. As paternity analyses require extensive field sampling and costly lab work, species coverage in this field will probably not improve much in the foreseeable future. Recent findings from passerine birds, which constitute the largest avian order (∼5 900 species), suggest that sperm phenotypes carry a signature of sperm competition. Here we examine how well standardized measures of sperm length variation can predict the rate of extrapair paternity in passerine birds. Methodology/Principal Findings We collected sperm samples from 55 passerine species in Canada and Europe for which extrapair paternity rates were already available from either the same (n = 24) or a different (n = 31) study population. We measured the total length of individual spermatozoa and found that both the coefficient of between-male variation (CVbm) and within-male variation (CVwm) in sperm length were strong predictors of the rate of extrapair paternity, explaining as much as 65% and 58%, respectively, of the variation in extrapair paternity among species. However, only the CVbm predictor was independent of phylogeny, which implies that it can readily be converted into a currency of extrapair paternity without the need for phylogenetic correction. Conclusion/Significance We propose the CVbm index as an alternative measure to extrapair paternity for passerine birds. Given the ease of sperm extraction from male birds in breeding condition, and a modest number of sampled males required for a robust estimate, this new index holds a great potential for mapping the risk of sperm competition across a wide range of passerine birds.
The Elusive Third Subunit IIa of the Bacterial B-Type Oxidases: The Enzyme from the Hyperthermophile Aquifex aeolicus

The reduction of molecular oxygen to water is catalyzed by complicated membrane-bound metallo-enzymes containing variable numbers of subunits, called cytochrome c oxidases or quinol oxidases. We previously described the cytochrome c oxidase II from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus as a ba 3-type two-subunit (subunits I and II) enzyme and showed that it is included in a supercomplex involved in the sulfide-oxygen respiration pathway. It belongs to the B-family of the heme-copper oxidases, enzymes that are far less studied than the ones from family A. Here, we describe the presence in this enzyme of an additional transmembrane helix “subunit IIa”, which is composed of 41 amino acid residues with a measured molecular mass of 5105 Da. Moreover, we show that subunit II, as expected, is in fact longer than the originally annotated protein (from the genome) and contains a transmembrane domain. Using Aquifex aeolicus genomic sequence analyses, N-terminal sequencing, peptide mass fingerprinting and mass spectrometry analysis on entire subunits, we conclude that the B-type enzyme from this bacterium is a three-subunit complex. It is composed of subunit I (encoded by coxA2) of 59000 Da, subunit II (encoded by coxB2) of 16700 Da and subunit IIa which contain 12, 1 and 1 transmembrane helices respectively. A structural model indicates that the structural organization of the complex strongly resembles that of the ba 3 cytochrome c oxidase from the bacterium Thermus thermophilus, the IIa helical subunit being structurally the lacking N-terminal transmembrane helix of subunit II present in the A-type oxidases. Analysis of the genomic context of genes encoding oxidases indicates that this third subunit is present in many of the bacterial oxidases from B-family, enzymes that have been described as two-subunit complexes.
Risk assessment for vitamin D 1,2

The objective of this review was to apply the risk assessment methodology used by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) to derive a revised safe Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for vitamin D. New data continue to emerge regarding the health benefits of vitamin D beyond its role in bone. The intakes associated with those benefits suggest a need for levels of supplementation, food fortification, or both that are higher than current levels. A prevailing concern exists, however, regarding the potential for toxicity related to excessive vitaminDintakes.TheULestablishedbytheFNBforvitaminD(50 g, or 2000 IU) is not based on current evidence and is viewed by many as being too restrictive, thus curtailing research, commercial development,andoptimizationofnutritionalpolicy.Humanclinical trial data published subsequent to the establishment of the FNB vitamin D UL published in 1997 support a significantly higher UL. We present a risk assessment based on relevant, well-designed humanclinicaltrialsofvitaminD.Collectively,theabsenceoftoxicity in trials conducted in healthy adults that used vitamin D dose 250 g/d(10 000IUvitaminD3)supportstheconfidentselectionofthis value as the UL. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:6–18.
The use of stem cells in aesthetic dermatology and plastic surgery procedures. A compact review of experimental and clinical applications

The aim of this paper was to collect currently available data related to the use of stem cells in aesthetic dermatology and plastic surgery based on a systemic review of experimental and clinical applications. We found that the use of stem cells is very promising but the current state of art is still not effective. This situation is connected with not fully known mechanisms of cell interactions, possible risks and side effects. We think that there is a big need to create and conduct different studies which could resolve problems of stem cells use for implementation into aesthetic dermatology and plastic surgery.
Demands and Needs for Psycho-Oncological eHealth Interventions in Women With Cancer: Cross-Sectional Study

Background Over the last decade, a growing body of studies regarding the application of eHealth and various digital interventions has been published and are widely used in the psycho-oncological care. However, the effectiveness of eHealth applications in psycho-oncological care is still questioned due to missing considerations regarding evidence-based studies on the demands and needs in cancer-affected patients. Objective This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the cancer-affected women’s needs and wishes for psycho-oncological content topics in eHealth applications and whether women with cancer differ in their content topics and eHealth preferences regarding their experienced psychological burden. Methods Patients were recruited via an electronic online survey through social media, special patient Internet platforms, and patient networks (both inpatients and outpatients, University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany). Participant demographics, preferences for eHealth and psycho-oncological content topics, and their experienced psychological burden of distress, quality of life, and need for psychosocial support were evaluated. Results Of the 1172 patients who responded, 716 were included in the study. The highest preference for psycho-oncological content topics reached anxiety, ability to cope, quality of life, depressive feelings, and adjustment toward a new life situation. eHealth applications such as Web-based applications, websites, blogs, info email, and consultation hotline were considered to be suitable to convey these content topics. Psychological burden did not influence the preference rates according to psycho-oncological content and eHealth applications. Conclusions Psycho-oncological eHealth applications may be very beneficial for women with cancer, especially when they address psycho-oncological content topics like anxiety, ability to cope, depressive feelings, self-esteem, or adjustment to a new life situation. The findings of this study indicate that psycho-oncological eHealth applications are a promising medium to improve the psychosocial care and enhance individual disease management and engagement among women with cancer.
Effective anti-thrombotic therapy without stenting: intravascular optical coherence tomography-based management in plaque erosion (the EROSION study)

Aims Plaque erosion, compared with plaque rupture, has distinctly different underlying pathology and therefore may merit tailored therapy. In this study, we aimed to assess whether patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) caused by plaque erosion might be stabilized by anti-thrombotic therapy without stent implantation. Methods and results This was a single-centre, uncontrolled, prospective, proof-of concept study. Patients with ACS including ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were prospectively enrolled. If needed, aspiration thrombectomy was performed. Patients diagnosed with plaque erosion by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and residual diameter stenosis <70% on coronary angiogram were treated with anti-thrombotic therapy without stenting. OCT was repeated at 1 month and thrombus volume was measured. The primary endpoint was >50% reduction of thrombus volume at 1 month compared with baseline. The secondary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, recurrent ischaemia requiring revascularization, stroke, and major bleeding. Among 405 ACS patients with analysable OCT images, plaque erosion was identified in 103 (25.4%) patients. Sixty patients enrolled and 55 patients completed the 1-month follow-up. Forty-seven patients (47/60, 78.3%; 95% confidence interval: 65.8-87.9%) met the primary endpoint, and 22 patients had no visible thrombus at 1 month. Thrombus volume decreased from 3.7 (1.3, 10.9) mm3 to 0.2 (0.0, 2.0) mm3. Minimal flow area increased from 1.7 (1.4, 2.4) mm2 to 2.1 (1.5, 3.8) mm2. One patient died of gastrointestinal bleeding, and another patient required repeat percutaneous coronary intervention. The rest of the patients remained asymptomatic. Conclusion For patients with ACS caused by plaque erosion, conservative treatment with anti-thrombotic therapy without stenting may be an option.
Adaptive Control of Exoskeleton Robots for Periodic Assistive Behaviours Based on EMG Feedback Minimisation

In this paper we propose an exoskeleton control method for adaptive learning of assistive joint torque profiles in periodic tasks. We use human muscle activity as feedback to adapt the assistive joint torque behaviour in a way that the muscle activity is minimised. The user can then relax while the exoskeleton takes over the task execution. If the task is altered and the existing assistive behaviour becomes inadequate, the exoskeleton gradually adapts to the new task execution so that the increased muscle activity caused by the new desired task can be reduced. The advantage of the proposed method is that it does not require biomechanical or dynamical models. Our proposed learning system uses Dynamical Movement Primitives (DMPs) as a trajectory generator and parameters of DMPs are modulated using Locally Weighted Regression. Then, the learning system is combined with adaptive oscillators that determine the phase and frequency of motion according to measured Electromyography (EMG) signals. We tested the method with real robot experiments where subjects wearing an elbow exoskeleton had to move an object of an unknown mass according to a predefined reference motion. We further evaluated the proposed approach on a whole-arm exoskeleton to show that it is able to adaptively derive assistive torques even for multiple-joint motion.
Dosage Sensitivity Shapes the Evolution of Copy-Number Varied Regions

Dosage sensitivity is an important evolutionary force which impacts on gene dispensability and duplicability. The newly available data on human copy-number variation (CNV) allow an analysis of the most recent and ongoing evolution. Provided that heterozygous gene deletions and duplications actually change gene dosage, we expect to observe negative selection against CNVs encompassing dosage sensitive genes. In this study, we make use of several sources of population genetic data to identify selection on structural variations of dosage sensitive genes. We show that CNVs can directly affect expression levels of contained genes. We find that genes encoding members of protein complexes exhibit limited expression variation and overlap significantly with a manually derived set of dosage sensitive genes. We show that complexes and other dosage sensitive genes are underrepresented in CNV regions, with a particular bias against frequent variations and duplications. These results suggest that dosage sensitivity is a significant force of negative selection on regions of copy-number variation.
Dataset Optimization for Real-Time Pedestrian Detection

This paper tackles the problem of data selection for training set generation in the context of near real-time pedestrian detection through the introduction of a training methodology: FairTrain. After highlighting the impact of poorly chosen data on detector performance, we introduce a new data selection technique utilizing the expectation-maximization algorithm for data weighting. FairTrain also features a version of the cascade-of-rejectors enhanced with data selection principles. Experiments on the INRIA and CALTECH data sets prove that, when finely trained, a simple HoG-based detector can outperform most of its near real-time competitors.
Postprandial Metabolism and Appetite Do Not Differ between Lean Adults that Eat Breakfast or Morning Fast for 6 Weeks

Abstract Background It remains unknown whether sustained daily feeding-fasting patterns modify the acute response to specific feedings on a given day. Objective We conducted a randomized controlled trial to establish if daily breakfast consumption or fasting until noon modifies the acute metabolic and appetitive responses to a fixed breakfast and ad libitum lunch. Methods With the use of a parallel group design, we randomly assigned 31 healthy, lean men and women (22–56 y) to 6 wk of either consuming ≥700 kcal of self-selected items before 1100 or fasting (0 kcal) until 1200 daily. Following 48 h of diet and physical activity standardization, we examined metabolic and appetite responses to a standardized breakfast and ad libitum lunch before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using 3- and 2-way ANCOVA. Results Systemic concentrations of energy balance regulatory hormones total and acylated ghrelin, leptin, and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine) responded similarly to breakfast and lunch before and after 6 wk of either morning fasting or regular breakfast, with the exception of a tendency for increased glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations from baseline to follow-up in the Breakfast Group compared with a decrease over that period in the Fasting Group [P = 0.06, partial eta squared value (ƞ2) = 0.16]. Subjective appetite sensations also did not differ over the course of the day, and ad libitum energy intake at lunch was not systematically affected by either intervention, decreasing by 27 kcal (95% CI: −203, 149 kcal) with fasting and by 77 kcal (95% CI: −210, 56 kcal) with breakfast. Similarly, glycemic, insulinemic, lipemic, and thermogenic responses to breakfast and lunch were very stable at baseline and follow-up and, thus, did not differ between treatment groups. Conclusions Our results indicate that a sustained period of either extended morning fasting or eating a daily breakfast has minimal effect upon acute metabolic and appetite responses in lean adults. This trial was registered at www.isrctn. org as ISRCTN31521726.
YouTube Videos Related to Skin Cancer: A Missed Opportunity for Cancer Prevention and Control

Background Early detection and treatment influence the mortality risk of skin cancer. Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the content of the most viewed professional and consumer videos uploaded to YouTube related to skin cancer. Methods A total of 140 professional and consumer videos uploaded between 2007 and 2014 were identified and coded. Coding involved identifying and sorting followed by gathering descriptive information, including length of the video, number of views, and year uploaded. A dichotomous coding scheme (ie, yes or no) was used in coding specific aspects of video content, including provision of information, type of skin cancer, age group, family history, risk reduction, risk factors, fear, and home remedies for skin cancer treatment. Results The majority of videos provided information related to screening. Many consumer videos conveyed information related to the use of a black salve as a home remedy for skin cancer, despite the fact that there is no evidence that it is an effective treatment. Conclusions Research is needed to identify characteristics of videos that are most likely to be viewed to inform the development of credible communications.
Prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in ovarian clear cell carcinoma

Objective Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was expressed in various tumors and antibodies targeting its receptor programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) are emerging cancer therapeutics. This study was designed to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 and its correlation with clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). Methods The PD-L1 expression was measured by tissue-microarray-based immunohistochemistry from 122 eligible patients diagnosed with OCCC. The associations of clinicopathologic features with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analysis was further performed by Cox regression model. Results Overall, high PD-L1 expression (PD-L1high) was observed in 44.7% (55/123) of OCCC patients, and was strongly associated with advanced stages (p=0.020), positive ascitic fluid (p=0.016), platinum-resistant (PR) disease (p=0.045), and recurrence (p=0.038). Moreover, patients with PD-L1high were associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio [HR]=2.877; p=0.001) and PFS (HR=1.843; p=0.021) than those with low PD-L1 expression (PD-L1low). In subgroup analysis, PD-L1high patients experienced a poorer PFS (HR=1.926; p=0.044) and OS (HR=2.492; p=0.021) than PD-L1low cases among advanced stages (III–IV), but this difference was not observed in stage I–II patients. Meanwhile, PD-L1high was associated with poorer prognosis than PD-L1low in PR patients (OS, HR=2.253; p=0.037; PFS, HR=1.448; p=0.233). Multivariate analysis revealed that PD-L1high and advanced stages (III–IV) were adverse independent prognosticators for both PFS (HRPD-L1=2.0; pPD-L1=0.038; HRstage=10.2; pstage<0.001) and OS (HRPD-L1=3.0; pPD-L1=0.011; HRstage=14.3; pstage<0.001). Conclusion PD-L1high might serve as a risk factor for PFS and OS in patients with OCCC. It is possible that immunotherapy targeting PD-L1 pathway could be used in OCCC.