Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 on endothelial function in type 2 diabetes patients with stable coronary artery disease.

GLP-1 stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon secretion, delays gastric emptying, and inhibits small bowel motility, all actions contributing to the anti-diabetogenic peptide effect. Endothelial dysfunction is strongly associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus and may cause the angiopathy typifying this debilitating disease. Therefore, interventions affecting both endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance may prove useful in improving survival in type 2 diabetes patients. We investigated GLP-1's effect on endothelial function and insulin sensitivity (S(I)) in two groups: 1) 12 type 2 diabetes patients with stable coronary artery disease and 2) 10 healthy subjects with normal endothelial function and S(I). Subjects underwent infusion of recombinant GLP-1 or saline in a random crossover study. Endothelial function was measured by postischemic FMD of brachial artery, using ultrasonography. S(I) [in (10(-4) dl.kg(-1). min(-1))/(muU/ml)] was measured by hyperinsulinemic isoglycemic clamp technique. In type 2 diabetic subjects, GLP-1 infusion significantly increased relative changes in brachial artery diameter from baseline FMD(%) (3.1 +/- 0.6 vs. 6.6 +/- 1.0%, P < 0.05), with no significant effects on S(I) (4.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 5.2 +/- 0.9, P = NS). In healthy subjects, GLP-1 infusion affected neither FMD(%) (11.9 +/- 0.9 vs. 10.3 +/- 1.0%, P = NS) nor S(I) (14.8 +/- 1.8 vs. 11.6 +/- 2.0, P = NS). We conclude that GLP-1 improves endothelial dysfunction but not insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease. This beneficial vascular effect of GLP-1 adds yet another salutary property of the peptide useful in diabetes treatment.
Finding Significant Fourier Transform Coefficients Deterministically and Locally

Computing the Fourier transform is a basic building block used in numerous applications. For data intensive applications, even the O(N log N) running time of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm may be too slow, and sub-linear running time is necessary. Clearly, outputting the entire F ourier transform in sub-linear time is infeasible, nevertheless, in many applications it suffices to find only the τ-significant Fourier transform coefficients, that is, the Fourier coefficients whose magnitude is at leas t τ-fraction (say, 1%) of the energy (i.e., the sum of squared Fourier coefficients). We call algorithm s achieving the latter SFT algorithms. In this paper we present a deterministic algorithm that finds the τ-significant Fourier coefficients of functions f over any finite abelian group G in time polynomial in log|G|, 1/τ and L1(b) (for L1(b) denoting the sum of absolute values of the Fourier coefficien ts of f ). Our algorithm is robust to random noise. Our algorithm is the first deterministic and efficient ( i.e., polynomial in log|G|) SFT algorithm to handle functions over any finite abelian groups, as well as th e first such algorithm to handle functions over ZN that are neither compressible nor Fourier-sparse. Our analysis is the first to show robustness to noise in the context of deterministic SFT algorithms. Using our SFT algorithm we obtain (1) deterministic (universal and explicit) algorithms for sparse Fourier approximation, compressed sensing and sketching; (2) an algorithm solving the Hidden Number Problem with advice, with cryptographic bit security implications; and (3) an efficient decoding algorithm in the random noise model for polynomial rate variants of Homomorphism codes and any other concentrated & recoverable codes.
A projective framework for radiometric image analysis

Different materials reflect light in different ways, and reflectance interacts with shape, lighting, and viewpoint to determine an object's image. Common materials exhibit diverse reflectance effects, and this is a significant source of difficulty for radiometric image analysis. One strategy for dealing with this diversity is to build computational tools that exploit reflectance symmetries, such as reciprocity and isotropy, that are exhibited by broad classes of materials. In this paper, we advocate the real projective plane as a tool for representing and exploiting these symmetries. In this approach, each point in the plane represents a surface normal that is visible from a fixed viewpoint, and reflectance symmetries are analyzed in terms of the geometric structures that they induce. We provide an overview of these structures and explore applications to both calibrated and uncalibrated photometric stereo.
Fracture distribution on the Swift Reservoir Anticline, Montana: Implications for structural and lithological controls on fracture intensity

Abstract Where primary porosity and permeability of a rock are unfavourable for hydrocarbon production, fractures can improve reservoir potential by enhancing permeability. Higher fracture intensity may create a better-connected fracture network, improving fractured-reservoir quality. Investigations into the controls on fracture intensity commonly conclude that either structural or lithological factors have the greatest influence on fracture abundance. We use the Swift Reservoir Anticline in northwestern Montana to investigate how fracture intensity varies throughout the structure and determine that although structural factors do influence fracture intensity, lithology is the main control at outcrop. The Swift Reservoir Anticline exposes bedding surfaces of the Mississippian Castle Reef Formation dolomite. Field data indicates that fracture intensity is highest in the fold forelimb, decreasing into the backlimb except in outcrops of coarse dolomite where fracture intensity is low, regardless of structural position. Field fracture intensity correlates with whole-rock quartz, kaolinite and porosity percentages. We suggest porosity and composition influence bulk-rock mechanical properties, which, in turn, control the fracture intensity at outcrop. Fracture intensity has a stronger relationship with lithological than structural factors, therefore we suggest that the key to predicting fracture intensity in the subsurface here is understanding how lithology varies spatially.
A Set of Highly Conserved RNA-binding Proteins, αCP-1 and αCP-2, Implicated in mRNA Stabilization, Are Coexpressed from an Intronless Gene and Its Intron-containing Paralog*

Gene families normally expand by segmental genomic duplication and subsequent sequence divergence. Although copies of partially or fully processed mRNA transcripts are occasionally retrotransposed into the genome, they are usually nonfunctional (“processed pseudogenes”). The two major cytoplasmic poly(C)-binding proteins in mammalian cells, αCP-1 and αCP-2, are implicated in a spectrum of post-transcriptional controls. These proteins are highly similar in structure and are encoded by closely related mRNAs. Based on this close relationship, we were surprised to find that one of these proteins, αCP-2, was encoded by a multiexon gene, whereas the second gene, αCP-1, was identical to and colinear with its mRNA. The αCP-1 and αCP-2 genes were shown to be single copy and were mapped to separate chromosomes. The linkage groups encompassing each of the two loci were concordant between mice and humans. These data suggested that the αCP-1 gene was generated by retrotransposition of a fully processed αCP-2 mRNA and that this event occurred well before the mammalian radiation. The stringent structural conservation of αCP-1 and its ubiquitous tissue distribution suggested that the retrotransposed αCP-1 gene was rapidly recruited to a function critical to the cell and distinct from that of its αCP-2 progenitor.
The interactions between cigarette smoking and reduced lung function on systemic inflammation.

BACKGROUND Low-grade systemic inflammation is commonly observed in conditions associated with reduced FEV(1). Active cigarette smoking, which is a leading risk factor for decreased FEV(1), can also independently induce systemic inflammation. STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine the independent contributions of active cigarette smoking and reduced FEV(1) (as well as their potential interactions) on systemic inflammation. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING The US general population. PARTICIPANTS A total of 7,685 adult participants, >/= 40 years of age, in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, who had acceptable data on spirometry and laboratory measurements such as serum C-reactive protein (CRP). MEASUREMENTS The participants were stratified into four equal groups (quartiles) based on the percent predicted FEV(1) values. Each group was further categorized as active smokers or nonsmokers according to serum cotinine level (ie, >/= 10 or < 10 ng/mL). Serum levels of CRP, plasma fibrinogen, blood leukocytes, and platelets were compared across the predicted FEV(1) quartile groups and across smoking status using multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS We found that active smoking by itself increased the odds of having elevated CRP levels by 63% (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.28 to 2.09). The adjusted OR for reduced FEV(1) was 2.27 (95% confidence interval, 1.92 to 2.70). Having both risk factors increased the OR to 3.31 (95% confidence interval, 2.73 to 4.02). Similar findings were observed for blood leukocytes and plasma fibrinogen. CONCLUSION These findings suggest an additive effect of active smoking and reduced FEV(1) on markers of systemic inflammation and suggest their potential interactions in the pathogenesis of systemic complications observed in patients with poor lung function.
Dropout as a Bayesian Approximation: Representing Model Uncertainty in Deep Learning

Deep learning tools have gained tremendous attention in applied machine learning. However such tools for regression and classification do not capture model uncertainty. In comparison, Bayesian models offer a mathematically grounded framework to reason about model uncertainty, but usually come with a prohibitive computational cost. In this paper we develop a new theoretical framework casting dropout training in deep neural networks (NNs) as approximate Bayesian inference in deep Gaussian processes. A direct result of this theory gives us tools to model uncertainty with dropout NNs -- extracting information from existing models that has been thrown away so far. This mitigates the problem of representing uncertainty in deep learning without sacrificing either computational complexity or test accuracy. We perform an extensive study of the properties of dropout's uncertainty. Various network architectures and non-linearities are assessed on tasks of regression and classification, using MNIST as an example. We show a considerable improvement in predictive log-likelihood and RMSE compared to existing state-of-the-art methods, and finish by using dropout's uncertainty in deep reinforcement learning.
Cardiovascular Autonomic Nervous System Function and Aerobic Capacity in Type 1 Diabetes

Impaired cardiovascular autonomic nervous system (ANS) function has been reported in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. ANS function, evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV), systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), has been linked to aerobic capacity (VO2peak) in healthy subjects, but this relationship is unknown in T1D. We examined cardiovascular ANS function at rest and during function tests, and its relations to VO2peak in T1D individuals. Ten T1D patients (34 ± 7 years) and 11 healthy control (CON; 31 ± 6 years) age and leisure-time physical activity-matched men were studied. ANS function was recorded at rest and during active standing and handgrip. Determination of VO2peak was obtained with a graded cycle ergometer test. During ANS recordings SBPV, BRS, and resting HRV did not differ between groups, but alpha1 responses to maneuvers in detrended fluctuation analyses were smaller in T1D (active standing; 32%, handgrip; 20%, medians) than in CON (active standing; 71%, handgrip; 54%, p < 0.05). VO2peak was lower in T1D (36 ± 4 ml kg−1 min−1) than in CON (45 ± 9 ml kg−1 min−1, p < 0.05). Resting HRV measures, RMSSD, HF, and SD1 correlated with VO2peak in CON (p < 0.05) and when analyzing groups together. These results suggest that T1D had lower VO2peak, weaker HRV response to maneuvers, but not impaired cardiovascular ANS function at rest compared with CON. Resting parasympathetic cardiac activity correlated with VO2peak in CON but not in T1D. Detrended fluctuation analysis could be a sensitive detector of changes in cardiac ANS function in T1D.
Biochemical Changes in Leaves and Physico-chemical Alterations in Rhizospheric soil of Selected Trees Exposed to Vehicular Pollution at Roadsides at Jabalpur, India

In many South-Asian countries like India, the metropolitan areas get exposed to high air-pollution due to emissions from vehicles driven by the fossil fuels. This research was aimed to detect the effect of dust and gases from automobile exhausts on foliar biochemical changes of roadside vegetation and in physico-chemical properties of soil at Jabalpur, India. Considering the samples collected from least polluted areas as control set with distinction from roadsides of higher air-pollution as experimental, biochemical analyses from tender leaves were done from five pollution-resistant trees viz. Pongamia pinnata, Dalbergia sissoo, Azadirachta indica, Ficus religiosa and Cassia siamea for total carbohydrate, nitrogen, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, ascorbic acid and phenol. Between the control and experimental samples, for few parameters like sodium and potassium assays, minimum differences in values were found, while for the others, remarkable differences were evident, which might have been happened due to physiological processes like damage-due-to-air-pollutants or resistance-and-protection-to-air-pollutants or for the both. For rhizospheric soil, physico-chemical analyses were done for pH, bulk density, electrical conductivity, cation-exchange capacity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, available potassium, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable sodium, exchangeable calcium and exchangeable calcium and magnesium. All results both for foliar and soil analyses were expressed as mean values in replicates of 3 samples. Amongst the interesting findings, the following were noted like the pH was found to be higher in Pongamia pinnata, Azadirachta indica and Ficus religiosa, the available nitrogen higher in Pongamia pinnata, Ficus religiosa and Cassia siamea in the polluted samples. For some important individual elements and compounds, the findings have provided a index-guideline indicating their absorption and assimilation with the nutrient molecules. The findings are significant in relating plantation-schedules and monitoring programs in many crowded and polluted cities in tropical South Asian countries.
Recognizing Complex, Asymmetric Functional Sites in Protein Structures Using a Bayesian Scoring Function

The increase in known three-dimensional protein structures enables us to build statistical profiles of important functional sites in protein molecules. These profiles can then be used to recognize sites in large-scale automated annotations of new protein structures. We report an improved FEATURE system which recognizes functional sites in protein structures. FEATURE defines multi-level physico-chemical properties and recognizes sites based on the spatial distribution of these properties in the sites' microenvironments. It uses a Bayesian scoring function to compare a query region with the statistical profile built from known examples of sites and control nonsites. We have previously shown that FEATURE can accurately recognize calcium-binding sites and have reported interesting results scanning for calcium-binding sites in the entire Protein Data Bank. Here we report the ability of the improved FEATURE to characterize and recognize geometrically complex and asymmetric sites such as ATP-binding sites and disulfide bond-forming sites. FEATURE does not rely on conserved residues or conserved residue geometry of the sites. We also demonstrate that, in the absence of a statistical profile of the sites, FEATURE can use an artificially constructed profile based on a priori knowledge to recognize the sites in new structures, using redoxin active sites as an example.
Therapeutic effects of nucleoside analogues on psychomotor slowing in HIV infection

ObjectiveSince psychomotor slowing predicts the development of HIV-1-associated dementia, AIDS and death independently of the immune status, there is urgent need for a neurological therapeutic rationale. MethodsThe therapeutic efficacy of nucleoside analogues with different abilities to penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid was assessed in 410 HIV-1-seropositive patients using the results of detailed fine motor tests, which detect minor motor deficits. Patients were selected who showed pathological psychomotor slowing as signs of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction before therapy onset and who were then treated only with nucleoside analogues for at least 6 months. ResultsBoth zidovudine and didanosine improve CNS function to an equal degree when given as monotherapy. Adding a second nucleoside analogue (didanosine, lamivudine, zalcitabine) to zidovudine does not further improve psychomotor performance. However, adding a second nucleoside after a period of zidovudine monotherapy does result in a second but less remarkable therapeutic effect. Combinations containing stavudine are as effective as those including zidovudine when given as first antiretroviral treatment. Furthermore, stavudine effectively improves motor performance even after pretreatment with zidovudine.
Report on the TREC 11 Experiment: Arabic, Named Page and Topic Distillation Searches

This year we took part in the Arabic cross-language information retrieval track (for us limited to monolingual Arabic retrieval) and also in both named page and topic distillation searches. In the last two tasks, we made use of link anchor information and document content in order to construct Web page representatives. This document representation uses multi-vectors in order to highlight the importance of both link anchor information and document content.
Preoperative prediction of long‐term outcome following laparoscopic fundoplication

Background: Although long‐term outcomes following laparoscopic fundoplication for gastro‐oesophageal disease have now been reported as very satisfactory, a small, but important, minority of patients are unhappy with the outcome, often due to recurrent reflux symptoms or new‐onset dysphagia. In this study, we sought to establish whether various parameters that can be determined before surgery, can predict the long‐term outcome of surgery.
Robust MACCs ? The Topography of Abatement by Fuel Switching in the European Power Sector

This paper employs a simulation model of the European power sector to analyze the abatement response to a CO2 price through fuel switching, one of principal means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in any economy. Abatement is shown to depend not only on the price of allowances, but also and more importantly on the load level of the system and the ratio between natural gas and coal prices. The interplay of these different determinants vitiates any simple relation between a CO2 price and abatement and requires the development of a more than two dimensional graphics to illustrate these complex relationships. In the terms of the literature on the use of marginal abatement cost curves (MACCs), we find that these MACCs are not robust as usually defined and we suggest that the more complex topography developed in this paper may be more helpful in visualizing this abatement response to a CO2 price.
Persistent Barriers of the Gluten-Free Basic Food Basket: Availability, Cost, and Nutritional Composition Assessment

Gluten-related disorders are treated with a gluten-free diet. The “basic food basket” (BFB) consists of a list of basic foods consumed by low-income groups in society, including those lowest-cost versions within each food category. To evaluate the cost, availability, and nutritional quality of the BFB and gluten-free BFB (GF-BFB), foods were photographed, registering their cost, availability, and nutritional characteristics, in high quality and mid-range supermarkets, wholesalers, health shops, and corner shops, matching each regular BFB product with a gluten-free equivalent. Of the 1177 potential products, the selection of lowest-cost foods yielded 55 and 47 products (BFB and GF-BFB, respectively). Breads/cereals and drinks showed the highest differences (279% and 146%, respectively) while meats and sausages showed the lowest ones (18.6%). The GF-BFB cost represents 30.1% of the minimum wage, which covers the cost of 5.2 and 3.3 of the BFB and GF-BFB per month, respectively. Availability ranged between 22.7 and 42.4%. Lower availability was associated with poorer nutritional quality in the GF-BFB, which provides 5% less energy, 26% more fat, and 25% less protein than the BFB. Only 47% of gluten-free products declared their “gluten-free” condition. The results strongly suggest that the GF-BFB must be redesigned to be both gluten-free and nutritionally adequate.
Characterization of the basic charge variants of a human IgG1

We report a case study of an IgG1 with a unique basic charge variant profile caused by C-terminal proline amidation on either one or two heavy chains. The proline amidation was sensitive to copper ion concentration in the production media during cell culture: the higher the Cu2+ ion concentration, the higher the level of proline amidation detected. This conclusion was supported by the analysis of samples that revealed direct correlation between the proline amidation level observed from peptide maps and the level of basic peaks measured by imaged capillary isoelectric focusing and a pH gradient ion-exchange chromatography method. The importance of these observations to therapeutic antibody production is discussed.
Locally isolated yeasts from Malaysia: identification, phylogenetic study and characterization.

Yeasts are a convenient platform for many applications. They have been widely used as the expression hosts. There is a need to have a new yeast expression system to contribute the molecular cloning demands. Eight yeast isolates were screened from various environment sources and identified through ribosomal DNA (rDNA) Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS). Full sequence of the rDNA ITS region for each isolate was BLASTed and phylogenetic study was constructed by using MEGA4. Among the isolates, isolate WB from 'ragi' (used to ferment carbohydrates) could be identified as a new species in order Saccharomycetales according to rDNA ITS region, morphology and biochemical tests. Isolate SO (from spoiled orange), RT (rotten tomato) and RG (different type of 'ragi') were identified as Pichia sp. Isolates R1 and R2, S4 and S5 (from the surrounding of a guava tree) were identified as Issatchenkia sp. and Hanseniaspora sp. , respectively. Geneticin, 50 µg/mL, was determined to be the antibiotic marker for all isolates excepted for isolates RT and SO which used 500 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL Zeocin, respectively. Intra-extracellular proteins were screened for lipolytic activity at 30°C and 70°C. Thermostable lipase activity was detected in isolates RT and R1 with 0.6 U/mg and 0.1 U/mg, respectively. In conclusion, a new yeast-vector system for isolate WB can be developed by using phleomycin or geneticin as the drugs resistance marker. Moreover, strains RT and R1 can be investigated as a novel source of a thermostable lipase.