Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations Between Diabetes and Cognitive Function in Socioeconomically Diverse African American and White Men and Women

Objectives To examine whether race and poverty (income <125% of the federal poverty limit), modifies associations between diabetes and cognition in a biracial, urban-dwelling sample. Methods Cross-sectional data for 2066 participants (mean age = 47.6 years, 56.8% women, 56.2% African American, 38.6% below poverty) from the first wave of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study were used for analyses. Eleven tests measured cognitive function. Interactions among diabetes, race, and poverty status with cognition were assessed in multiple regression analyses. Results Significant interactions among diabetes, race, and poverty status were observed. Among African Americans below poverty, diabetic individuals performed lower than nondiabetic individuals on California Verbal Learning Test Free Recall Short Delay (z = −0.444 [0.123] versus z = −0.137 [0.045]) and Long Delay (z = −0.299 [0.123] versus z = −0.130 [0.045]), Digit Span Backward (z = −0.347 [0.109] versus z = −0.072 [0.041]), and the Brief Test of Attention (z = −0.452 [−0.099] versus z = −0.099 [0.047]), and higher on Category Fluency (z = 0.114 [0.117] versus z = −0.118 [0.044]). No consistent differences between diabetic and nondiabetic individuals were found for African American and white participants above poverty. Conclusions Diabetes was associated with poorer verbal memory, working memory, and attention among African Americans living in poverty. Diabetic African Americans below poverty may have increased risk of cognitive deficit at a younger age. Improving health literacy, doctor-patient communication, and multidisciplinary medical care for impoverished individuals may reduce differences. Additional research is needed to clarify mechanisms underlying these associations.
A high‐order element‐based Galerkin method for the barotropic vorticity equation

A high‐order element‐based Galerkin method is developed to solve the non‐divergent barotropic vorticity equation (BVE). The solution process involves solving a conservative transport equation for the vorticity fields and a Poisson equation for the stream function fields. The discontinuous Galerkin method is employed for solving the transport equation and a spectral element method (continuous Galerkin) is used for the Poisson equation. A third‐order strong stability preserving explicit Runge–Kutta scheme is used for time integration.
Electrophysiology and dye-coupling are sexually dimorphic characteristics of individual laryngeal muscle fibers in Xenopus laevis

Sex differences at the laryngeal neuromuscular junction of Xenopus laevis were examined by recording intracellularly from muscle fibers in response to nerve stimulation. Male laryngeal muscle contains 2 physiologically distinct fiber types. Type I fibers generate postsynaptic potentials in response to low-magnitude stimulus pulses and action potentials in response to higher-magnitude stimulus pulses. Type II muscle fibers require repetitive stimulation for action potential production, probably because of facilitation. Subthreshold events in type I and II fibers suggest that these neuromuscular synapses have low safety factor junctions. Female laryngeal muscle contains one fiber type (III), which is physiologically distinct from those found in the male. Type III fibers produce an action potential in response to a single-stimulus pulse of suprathreshold voltage delivered to the laryngeal nerve; subthreshold events were not observed. Iontophoretic injection of Lucifer yellow into a single female muscle fiber resulted in as many as 43 labeled fibers. In males, only one fiber was labeled. Dye-coupling was not observed in adult females treated with the androgenic steroid hormone, testosterone. We have previously reported that laryngeal muscle fibers are recruited throughout a stimulus train presented to the laryngeal nerve in males, but are not recruited in females (Tobias and Kelly, 1987). Sex differences in the frequency of electrophysiological fiber types described here may account for sex differences in fiber recruitment. Synchronous activity of dye-coupled fibers may increase the effectiveness of muscle contraction in females.
Total dietary intake of mercury in the Canary Islands, Spain

Estimating the risk associated with dietary intake of heavy metals by consumers is a vital and integral part of regulatory processes. The assessment of exposure to mercury shown in this paper has been performed by means of a study on the whole diet. Total mercury (Hg) levels were determined by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in 420 samples of regularly consumed food and drink. The total Hg concentrations measured in the different groups of food ranged from non-detectable to 119 µg kg−1 w/w. The fish group had the highest concentrations of total Hg. All groups of food with regulated Hg content showed levels that were lower than the legally set values. The food consumption data used in the analysis were taken from the latest nutritional survey made in the Canary Islands, Spain. The estimated total Hg intake of local population (5.7 µg/person day−1) did not exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) limit of 0.3 mg week−1 of total mercury (43 µg/person day−1) fixed by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives. Fishery products contributed 96% of the total Hg intake. The mean Hg intake for each island in this archipelago, formed by seven, has also been calculated. Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro are the islands with the highest level of Hg intake (7.0, 7,0 and 6.1 µg/person day−1, respectively). La Palma Island, due to its low fish consumption, had the lowest level of Hg intake (4.5 µg/person day−1), followed by La Gomera (5.4 µg/person day−1), Tenerife (5.5 µg/person day−1) and Gran Canaria (5.6 µg/person day−1). A comparison has been made of the results obtained in this study with those found for other national and international communities.
O/Fe in metal-poor main sequence and subgiant stars ?

A study of the O/Fe ratio in metal-poor main sequence and subgiant stars is presented using the (Oi) 6300 A line, the Oi 7774 A triplet, and a selection of weak Feii lines observed on high-resolution spectra acquired with the VLT UVES spectrograph. The (Oi) line is detected in the spectra of 18 stars with 2:4< (Fe/H)< 0:5, and the triplet is observed for 15 stars with (Fe/H) ranging from 1: 0t o 2:7. The abundance analysis was made first using standard model atmospheres taking into account non-LTE eects on the triplet: the (Oi) line and the triplet give consistent results with (O/Fe) increasing quasi-linearly with decreasing (Fe/H) reaching (O/Fe)'+0: 7a t (Fe/H)= 2:5. This trend is in reasonable agreement with other results for (O/Fe) in metal-poor dwarfs obtained using standard atmospheres and both ultraviolet and infrared OH lines. There is also broad agreement with published results for (O/Fe) for giants obtained using standard model atmospheres and the (Oi) line, and the OH infrared lines, but the Oi lines give higher (O/Fe) values which may, however, fall into place when non-LTE eects are considered. When hydrodynamical model atmospheres representing stellar granulation in dwarf and subgiant stars replace standard models, the (O/Fe) from the (Oi )a nd Feii lines is decreased by an amount which increases with decreasing (Fe/H). These 3D eects on (O/Fe) is compounded by the opposite behaviour of the (Oi) (continuous opacity eect) and Feii lines (excitation eect). The (O/Fe) vs. (Fe/H) relation remains quasi-linear extending to (O/Fe)'+0.5 at (Fe/H)= 2:5, but with a tendency of a plateau with (O/Fe)'+0.3 for 2:0< (Fe/H)< 1:0, and a hint of cosmic scatter in (O/Fe) at (Fe/H)' 1:0. Use of the hydrodynamical models disturbs the broad agreement between the oxygen abundances from the (Oi), Oi and OH lines, but 3D non-LTE eects may serve to erase these dierences. The (O/Fe) values from the (Oi) line and the hydrodynamical model atmospheres for dwarfs and subgiant stars are lower than the values for giants using standard model atmospheres and the (Oi )a nd Oi lines.
Assessment of the usefulness of sputum Gram stain and culture for diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization.

BACKGROUND The usefulness of sputum Gram stain and culture in guiding microbiological diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is controversial. We evaluated the role of sputum examination at a university teaching hospital. MATERIAL/METHODS Three hundred forty-seven adult patients with CAP were enrolled in this study. Before administering antibiotic therapy, sputum was collected and its quality evaluated. Samples were gram stained and those of good quality were assessed for a predominant morphotype. RESULTS Sputum samples were obtained from 216 patients (62%), and of these 124 (57%) samples were good quality and 80 (65%) showed a predominant morphotype. Sputum culture yielded a causative organism in 70 (88%) of the 80 samples with a predominant morphotype. In the cases of patients who had received previous antibiotic treatment, a good quality samples showing a predominant morphotype and positive culture was less frequently obtained from than from those who had not (p<0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity of the gram-positive diplococci identification in the sputum culture of S. pneumoniae were 68.2% and 93.8%, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of the gram-negative coccobacilli identification in the sputum culture of H. influenzae were 76.2% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Gram stain of sputum samples was useful in guiding microbiological diagnosis of CAP in 23% of patients. The Gram stain and culture of sputum samples obtained from patients who have received antibiotic treatment was unreliable. The presence of gram-positive diplococci and gram-negative coccobacilli was highly specific for the culture of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, respectively.
Leiomodin 3 and tropomodulin 4 have overlapping functions during skeletal myofibrillogenesis

ABSTRACT Precise regulation of thin filament length is essential for optimal force generation during muscle contraction. The thin filament capping protein tropomodulin (Tmod) contributes to thin filament length uniformity by regulating elongation and depolymerization at thin filament ends. The leiomodins (Lmod1–3) are structurally related to Tmod1–4 and also localize to actin filament pointed ends, but in vitro biochemical studies indicate that Lmods act instead as robust nucleators. Here, we examined the roles of Tmod4 and Lmod3 during Xenopus skeletal myofibrillogenesis. Loss of Tmod4 or Lmod3 resulted in severe disruption of sarcomere assembly and impaired embryonic movement. Remarkably, when Tmod4-deficient embryos were supplemented with additional Lmod3, and Lmod3-deficient embryos were supplemented with additional Tmod4, sarcomere assembly was rescued and embryonic locomotion improved. These results demonstrate for the first time that appropriate levels of both Tmod4 and Lmod3 are required for embryonic myofibrillogenesis and, unexpectedly, both proteins can function redundantly during in vivo skeletal muscle thin filament assembly. Furthermore, these studies demonstrate the value of Xenopus for the analysis of contractile protein function during de novo myofibril assembly.
Improving Identification of Key Players in Aging via Network De-Noising and Core Inference

Current “ground truth” knowledge about human aging has been obtained by transferring aging-related knowledge from well-studied model species via sequence homology or by studying human gene expression data. Since proteins function by interacting with each other, analyzing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks in the context of aging is promising. Unlike existing <italic>static</italic> network research of aging, since cellular functioning is <italic>dynamic</italic>, we recently <italic>integrated</italic> the static human PPI network with aging-related gene expression data to form <italic>dynamic</italic>, age-specific networks. Then, we predicted as key players in aging those proteins whose network topologies significantly changed with age. Since current networks are <italic>noisy </italic>, here, we use <italic>link prediction</italic> to <italic>de-noise</italic> the human network and predict <italic>improved</italic> key players in aging from the de-noised data. Indeed, de-noising gives <italic>more significant</italic> overlap between the predicted data and the “ground truth” aging-related data. Yet, we obtain <italic>novel</italic> predictions, which we validate in the literature. Also, we improve the predictions by an alternative strategy: removing “redundant” edges from the age-specific networks and using the resulting age-specific network “cores” to study aging. We produce new knowledge from dynamic networks encompassing multiple data types, via network de-noising or core inference, complementing the existing knowledge obtained from sequence or expression data.
Structural specialties, curiosities, and record‐breaking features of crustacean reproduction

Crustaceans are a morphologically, physiologically, and ecologically highly diverse animal group and correspondingly diverse are their reproductive characteristics. They have evolved structural specialties with respect to penis construction, sperm form, sperm storage, fertilization, and brood care. Unique in the animal kingdom are safety lines that safeguard hatching and first molting. Further curiosities are dwarf males in parasitic and sessile crustaceans and bacteria‐induced feminization and gigantism of crustacean hosts. Record‐breaking features are relative penis length, sperm size, clutch size, chromosome number, viability of dormant eggs, and fossil ages of penis, sperm, and brooded embryos. These examples from a single invertebrate subphylum and a single life history aspect illustrate that morphological solutions to functional requirements can be as spectacular as behavioral adaptations. They may provide valuable sources for comparative morphologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and applied biologists to advance topical issues such as sperm competition, posthumous paternity, evolution of brood care, adaptation to freshwater, infectious feminization, sustainable male‐based fishery, maintenance of genetic diversity under conditions of limited mating opportunity, and long‐term impact of pollution on genotype and phenotype. J. Morphol. 277:1399–1422, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Apoptosis in snowflake yeast: novel trait, or side effect of toxic waste?

Recent experiments evolving de novo multicellularity in yeast have found that large-cluster forming genotypes also exhibit higher rates of programmed cell death (apoptosis). This was previously interpreted as the evolution of a simple form of cellular division of labor: apoptosis results in the scission of cell-cell connections, allowing snowflake yeast to produce proportionally smaller, faster-growing propagules. Through spatial simulations, Duran-Nebreda and Solé (2015) develop the novel null hypothesis that apoptosis is not an adaptation, per se, but is instead caused by the accumulation of toxic metabolites in large clusters. Here we test this hypothesis by synthetically creating unicellular derivatives of snowflake yeast through functional complementation with the ancestral ACE2 allele. We find that multicellular snowflake yeast with elevated apoptosis exhibit a similar rate of apoptosis when cultured as single cells. We also show that larger snowflake yeast clusters tend to contain a greater fraction of older, senescent cells, which may explain why larger clusters of a given genotype are more apoptotic. Our results show that apoptosis is not caused by side effects of spatial structure, such as starvation or waste product accumulation, and are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated apoptosis is a trait which co-evolves with large cluster size.
Consumer valuations on digital product innovation

This research aims to empirically investigate consumer valuations on digital product innovation. For the initial appreciation, we attempt to evaluate how hardware-, software-, and design-related innovative improvements in smartphones (i.e., iPhones) have different impacts on consumer valuations on the products. Text-mining techniques are adopted for identifying and classifying consumer valuations on hardware-feature, hardware-design, and software-feature components from 6,970 customer reviews on Apple iPhones. The classification information is utilized in the empirical analysis to assess the distinctive impacts of different product innovation approaches on consumer valuations. Our preliminary outcomes suggest that a consumer's perception on digital product innovation is associated with the scope (single vs. multiple features) and degree (minor vs. major improvements) of a product innovation. While minor single-factor improvements in a product lead consumers to value easily observable innovation components only (e.g., product design), major multi-factor improvements make consumers appreciate its actual functionalities and features made from the innovation.
Genetic Aspects of Preeclampsia and the HELLP Syndrome

Both preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome have their origin in the placenta. The aim of this study is to review genetic factors involved in development of preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome using literature search in PubMed. A familial cohort links chromosomes 2q, 5q, and 13q to preeclampsia. The chromosome 12q is coupled with the HELLP syndrome. The STOX1 gene, the ERAP1 and 2 genes, the syncytin envelope gene, and the −670 Fas receptor polymorphisms are involved in the development of preeclampsia. The ACVR2A gene on chromosome 2q22 is also implicated. The toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and factor V Leiden mutation participate both in development of preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome. Carriers of the TT and the CC genotype of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism seem to have an increased risk of the HELLP syndrome. The placental levels of VEGF mRNA are reduced both in women with preeclampsia and in women with the HELLP syndrome. The BclI polymorphism is engaged in development of the HELLP syndrome but not in development of severe preeclampsia. The ACE I/D polymorphism affects uteroplacental and umbilical artery blood flows in women with preeclampsia. In women with preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome several genes in the placenta are deregulated. Preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome are multiplex genetic diseases.
Linear and cyclic radio k-labelings of trees

Motivated by problems in radio channel assignments, we consider radio k-labelings of graphs. For a connected graph G and an integer k ≥ 1, a linear radio k-labeling of G is an assignment f of nonnegative integers to the vertices of G such that |f(x)−f(y)| ≥ k+1−dG(x,y), for any two distinct vertices x and y, where dG(x,y) is the distance between x and y in G. A cyclic k-labeling of G is defined analogously by using the cyclic metric on the labels. In both cases, we are interested in minimizing the span of the labeling. The linear (cyclic, respectively) radio k-labeling number of G is the minimum span of a linear (cyclic, respectively) radio k-labeling of G. In this paper, linear and cyclic radio k-labeling numbers of paths, stars and trees are studied. For the path Pn of order n ≤ k+1, we completely determine the cyclic and linear radio k-labeling numbers. For 1 ≤ k ≤ n−2, a new improved lower bound for the linear radio k-labeling number is presented. Moreover, we give the exact value of the linear radio k-labeling number of stars and we present an upper bound for the linear radio k-labeling number of trees.
Mono and Dual Cofactor Dependence of Human Cystathionine β-Synthase Enzyme Variants In Vivo and In Vitro

Any two individuals differ from each other by an average of 3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Some polymorphisms have a functional impact on cofactor-using enzymes and therefore represent points of possible therapeutic intervention through elevated-cofactor remediation. Because most known disease-causing mutations affect protein stability, we evaluated how the in vivo impact caused by single amino acid substitutions in a prototypical enzyme of this type compared with physical characteristics of the variant enzymes in vitro. We focused on cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) because of its clinical relevance in homocysteine metabolism and because some variants of the enzyme are clinically responsive to increased levels of its B6 cofactor. Single amino-acid substitutions throughout the CBS protein caused reduced function in vivo, and a subset of these altered sensitivity to limiting B6-cofactor. Some of these B6-sensitive substitutions also had altered sensitivity to limiting heme, another CBS cofactor. Limiting heme resulted in reduced incorporation of heme into these variants, and subsequently increased protease sensitivity of the enzyme in vitro. We hypothesize that these alleles caused a modest, yet significant, destabilization of the native state of the protein, and that the functional impact of the amino acid substitutions caused by these alleles can be influenced by cofactor(s) even when the affected amino acid is distant from the cofactor binding site.
Usefulness of Danaparoid sodium in patients with Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia after cardiac surgery

Objective: Thrombocytopenia is a common problem in cardiovascular surgery patients. However, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but life-threatening complication of prophylaxis or treatment with heparin. Prompt management of HIT with an alternative anticoagulant is necessary due to the extreme risk of thrombotic complications. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of danaparoid in the treatment of HIT in patients with cardiac surgery who are at moderate to high risk of HIT. Methods: A prospective observational study involving 418 postcardiac surgery patients who received unfractionated heparin and low-molecular weight heparin was conducted in an educational tertiary cardiac care hospital in Iran. All patients were assessed for HIT type II based on thrombocytopenia and pretest clinical scoring system, the "4T′s" score. HIT patients were treated with 1500-2500 units intravenous bolus danaparoid sodium followed by 200-400 units/h for a mean of 5 days. Successful response to danaparoid therapy, defined as augmentation in platelet count and improvement of thrombotic events was assessed in all patients treated with danaparoid. Findings: According to pretest clinical score (4T′s), the probability of HIT was high in 14 (3.3%) patients and intermediate in three ones (0.7%). 15 patients with HIT were treated with danaparoid. One death occurred in danaparoid-treated group due to persistent thrombocytopenia. The rest of patients were treated successfully with danaparoid without any major thrombotic complication. Conclusion: According to our data and the previous studies′, HIT can be managed prosperously with danaparoid in postcardiac surgery patients. However, with the absence of any increase in platelet count after 3-5 days of danaparoid therapy and/or the occurrence of a new thrombotic event, danaparoid cross-reactivity with heparin should be suspected.
Learning by Forgetful Players

Abstract A product set of pure strategies is said to be closed under best replies if all best replies against all possible mixtures of these strategies are contained in the set. Minimal sets with this property are called minimal curb sets. This paper presents a dynamic learning process that has two main characteristics: Players have a bounded memory and they play best replies against beliefs, formed on the basis of strategies used in the recent past. It is shown that this learning process leads the players to playing strategies from a minimal curb set. Several variations of the process are considered. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C70, C72.