Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overweight and the feline gut microbiome - a pilot study.

Compared with lean humans, the gut microbiota is altered in the obese. Whether these changes are due to an obesogenic diet, and whether the microbiota contributes to adiposity is currently discussed. In the cat population, where obesity is also prevalent, gut microbiome changes associated with obesity have not been studied. Consequently, the aim of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of lean cats, with that of overweight and obese cats. Seventy-seven rescue-shelter cats housed for ≥3 consecutive days were included in the study. Faecal samples were obtained by rectal swab and, when available, by a paired litter box sample. Body condition was assessed using a 9-point scoring system. DNA was extracted, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with a high-throughput quantitative real-time PCR chip. Overweight and obese cats had a significantly different gut microbiota compared to lean cats (p < 0.05), but this finding could not be linked to differences in specific bacterial groups. The rectal samples obtained higher DNA concentration than litter box samples (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, overweight and obese cats seem to have an altered gut microbiome as compared to lean cats.
Modeling unobserved true position using multiple sources and information semantics

We present a modeling framework that supports semantically informed statistical inference about unobserved true location and positional uncertainty for geographic information spanning multiple sources. We demonstrate the use of a semantic representation of information sources to support construction of a Bayesian belief network that operationalizes the data integration process. Our approach allows for positional data, metadata, and other ancillary and derived information to inform inference regarding unobserved true position. In our application, we use two line feature datasets and a set of GPS data points describing a portion of the street network in Laramie, Wyoming. Using source metadata we inform prior distributions. Additionally, we use feature straightness to illustrate how form and process – gridded streets and the process of the Public Land Survey – can be used to improve inference for true position. The presented modeling framework is suitable for multiple data sources when the best data are not necessarily known and when the information semantics associated with the input data can be described in a systematic way.
Organizational Characteristics Influence Implementation of Worksite Health Protection and Promotion Programs: Evidence From Smaller Businesses

Objective: We explored associations between organizational factors (size, sector, leadership support, and organizational capacity) and implementation of occupational safety and health (OSH) and worksite health promotion (WHP) programs in smaller businesses. Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of human resource managers of 117 smaller businesses (<750 employees) and analyzed factors associated with implementation of OSH and WHP among these sites using multivariate analyses. Results: Implementation of OSH, but not WHP activities, was related to industry sector (P = 0.003). Leadership support was positively associated with OSH activities (P < 0.001), but negatively associated with WHP implementation. Organizational capacity (budgets, staffing, and committee involvement) was associated with implementation of both OSH and WHP. Size was related to neither. Conclusions: Leadership support and specifically allocated resources reflecting that support are important factors for implementing OSH and WHP in smaller organizations.
Impact of Worsening Renal Dysfunction on the Comparative Efficacy of Bivalirudin and Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors: Insights From Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium

Background—Use of bivalirudin has been associated with a reduction in the incidence of bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients with chronic kidney disease, a known predictor of post–percutaneous coronary intervention bleeding, are under-represented in clinical trials. Methods and Results—We evaluated the outcome of 64 052 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention from 2007 to 2009 at 33 hospitals in Michigan and were treated with bivalirudin (28 378) or with heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (35 674). Propensity-matched analysis was adjusted for the nonrandomized use of the 2 strategies. Patients treated with bivalirudin were older, had a lower glomerular filtration rate, and had more comorbidities. Use of bivalirudin was associated with fewer transfusions (2.8% versus 4.2%; P<0.0001), gastrointestinal bleeds (0.5% versus 1.3%; P<0.0001), and vascular complications (1.0% versus 2.5%; P<0.0001), with no difference in survival. Bleeding complications were more common with worsening renal function, but use of bivalirudin was associated with less bleeding across the continuum of renal dysfunction. Conclusions—The risk of bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention increases with worsening chronic kidney disease. Bivalirudin was associated with a dramatically reduced risk of bleeding across all categories of renal dysfunction. Our study findings suggest that bivalirudin monotherapy is an acceptable, if not the more appropriate alternative, to heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Gecko adhesion pad: a smart surface?

Recently, it has been shown that humidity can increase the adhesion of the spatula pads that form the outermost (adhesive) surface of the tokay gecko feet by 50% relative to the main adhesion mechanism (i.e. van der Waals adhesive forces), although the mechanism by which the enhancement is realized is still not well understood. A change in the surface hydrophobicity of a gecko setal array is observed when the array, which supports the spatulae, is exposed to a water drop for more than 20 min, suggesting a change in the hydrophilic–lyophilic balance (HLB), and therefore of the conformation of the surface proteins. A surface force apparatus (SFA) was used to quantify these changes, i.e. in the adhesion and friction forces, while shearing the setal array against a silica surface under (i) dry conditions, (ii) 100% humidity and (iii) when fully immersed in water. The adhesion increased in the humid environment but greatly diminished in water. Although the adhesion forces changed significantly, the friction forces remained unaffected, indicating that the friction between these highly textured surfaces is ‘load-controlled’ rather than ‘adhesion-controlled’. These results demonstrate that the gecko adhesive pads have the ability to exploit environmental conditions to maximize their adhesion and stabilize their friction forces. Future designs of synthetic dry adhesives inspired by the gecko can potentially include similar ‘smart’ surfaces that adapt to their environment.
Assessing the Safety of Adjuvanted Vaccines

Preclinical and clinical studies assess the risk of adverse events from vaccine adjuvants. Despite the very low risk-to-benefit ratio of vaccines, fear of negative side effects has discouraged many people from getting vaccinated, resulting in reemergence of previously controlled diseases such as measles, pertussis, and diphtheria. Part of this fear stems from the lack of public awareness of the many preclinical and clinical safety evaluations that vaccines must undergo before they are available to the general public, as well as from misperceptions of what adjuvants are or why they are used in vaccines. The resultant “black box” leads to a preoccupation with rare side effects (such as autoimmune diseases) that are speculated, but not proven, to be linked to some vaccinations. The focus of this review article is to open this black box and provide a conceptual framework for how vaccine safety is traditionally assessed. We discuss the strengths and shortcomings of tools that can be and are used preclinically (in animal studies), translationally (in biomarker studies with human sera or cells), statistically (for disease epidemiology), and clinically (in the design of human trials) to help ascertain the risk of the infrequent and delayed adverse events that arise in relation to adjuvanted vaccine administration.
Study on the outcome of a cetane improver on the emission characteristics of a diesel engine

ABSTRACT Dimethyl carbonate (DMC), a cetane improver, is used as a fuel additive to investigate the exhaust emission in diesel engine. Neem oil biodiesel (B100), neem oil biodiesel + dimethyl carbonate (B100+DMC) and diesel were used as test fuels. DMC is added 0.5% by volume to biodiesel. This research work was executed in a four-stroke, single-cylinder diesel engine. Owing to the percentage of DMC in biodiesel, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions were dropped corresponding to diesel. A considerable amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) is decreased when diesel is used, and by the addition of B100+DMC, NOx were slightly reduced compared to B100.
Adhesion of dual-polymerized luting cement on superficial and deep dentin using different one-step self-etch mild adhesive systems

Abstract This study evaluated adhesion of dual-polymerized resin cement to superficial dentin (SD) and deep dentin (DD) using one-step self-etch adhesives at varying pH. After smear layer was created on third molars (N = 60, n = 15 per group), adhesive resins, 1- Clearfil S3 Bond Plus-CBP (Kuraray) (pH: 2.3), 2- Bisco All Bond Universal-BAU (Bisco) (pH: 3.2), 3- Single Bond Universal Adhesive-SBU (3M ESPE) (pH: 2.7), 4- Nova Compo-B Plus-NCBP (Imicryl) (pH: 2.5–3), were applied on SD and DD. Resin cement (Variolink II, Ivoclar Vivadent) was adhered incrementally on the SD surfaces using polyethylene molds and photo-polymerized for 40 s from 5 directions (output: 1200 mw/cm2). After macroshear and microshear test, in order to achieve DD specimens, SD were removed 1 mm in the pulp direction and the same bonding and test procedures were performed. The specimens were kept at 37 °C for 24 h. The adhesion tests were conducted in the Universal Testing Machine and failure types were analyzed. The data were analyzed using Univariate ANOVA, Tukey`s, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (α = .05). Test method, dentin level and the adhesive resin significantly affected the results (MPa) (p < .05). After macroshear test, more incidences of cohesive failures in DD were observed with NCBP Plus. On SD, NCBP presented the highest results followed by BAU using macroshear test. On DD, NCBP presented the highest results followed by SBU. Not only the pH but the chemical composition affected adhesion especially to SD while in DD, the difference between the adhesive resins was less significant.
Towards Linear-Time Incremental Structure from Motion

The time complexity of incremental structure from motion (SfM) is often known as O(n^4) with respect to the number of cameras. As bundle adjustment (BA) being significantly improved recently by preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG), it is worth revisiting how fast incremental SfM is. We introduce a novel BA strategy that provides good balance between speed and accuracy. Through algorithm analysis and extensive experiments, we show that incremental SfM requires only O(n) time on many major steps including BA. Our method maintains high accuracy by regularly re-triangulating the feature matches that initially fail to triangulate. We test our algorithm on large photo collections and long video sequences with various settings, and show that our method offers state of the art performance for large-scale reconstructions. The presented algorithm is available as part of VisualSFM at http://homes.cs. washington.edu/~ccwu/vsfm/.
Cytoskeletal rearrangements and the functional role of T-plastin during entry of Shigella flexneri into HeLa cells

Shigella flexneri is an enteroinvasive bacterium which causes bacillary dysentery in humans. A major feature of its pathogenic potential is the capacity to invade epithelial cells. Shigella entry into epithelial cells is considered a parasite-induced internalization process requiring polymerization of actin. Here we describe the cytoskeletal rearrangements during S. flexneri invasion of HeLa cells. After an initial contact of the bacterium with the cell surface, distinct nucleation zones of heavy chain actin polymerization appear in close proximity to the contact site underneath the parasite with long filaments being polymerized. These structures then push cellular protrusions that rise beside the entering bacterium, being sustained by tightly bundled long actin filaments organized in parallel orientation with their positive ends pointing to the cytoplasmic membrane. Finally, the cellular projections coalesce above the bacterial body, leading to its internalization. In addition, we found the actin-bundling protein plastin to be concentrated in these protrusions. Since plastin is known to bundle actin filaments in parallel orientation, colocalization of parallel actin filaments and plastin in the cellular protrusions strongly suggested a functional role of this protein in the architecture of parasite-induced cellular projections. Using transfection experiments, we show the differential recruitment of the two plastin isoforms (T- and L-) into Shigella entry zones. By transient expression of a truncated T-plastin which is deprived of one of its actin-binding sites, we also demonstrate the functional role of T-plastin in Shigella entry into HeLa cells.
Fact or artefact: an item response theory analysis of median split based repressor classification.

OBJECTIVE Many studies have investigated the phenomenon of repression. Repressors are defined as individuals who deny or avoid the experience of negative affect. A common method for the identification of repressors is a median split approach using questionnaires that measure anxiety and social desirability. The present study aimed to evaluate this most frequently used procedure using a psychometric model. DESIGN We applied item response theory using model assumptions comparable with those of the median split approach to detect repressors and examine the appropriateness of the median split procedure. METHODS A mixed sample of 655 students and members of the general public completed the two scales usually used to identify repressors, namely the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. RESULTS Employing item response theory mixture-model analyses, we were unable to replicate the median split solution on a latent level. CONCLUSIONS Our results did not support the identification of repressors via dichotomization of the two scales. The median split approach does not appear to detect repressors satisfactorily. The implications of the results for the conceptualization and assessment of repressors are discussed.
Circulating 25OHD, dietary vitamin D, PTH, and calcium associations with incident cardiovascular disease and mortality: the MIDSPAN Family Study.

CONTEXT Observational studies relating circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and dietary vitamin D intake to cardiovascular disease (CVD) have reported conflicting results. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to investigate the association of 25OHD, dietary vitamin D, PTH, and adjusted calcium with CVD and mortality in a Scottish cohort. DESIGN AND SETTING The MIDSPAN Family Study is a prospective study of 1040 men and 1298 women from the West of Scotland recruited in 1996 and followed up for a median 14.4 yr. PARTICIPANTS Locally resident adult offspring of a general population cohort were recruited from 1972-1976. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES CVD events (n = 416) and all-cause mortality (n = 100) were evaluated. RESULTS 25OHD was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in available plasma (n = 2081). Median plasma 25OHD was 18.6 ng/ml, and median vitamin D intake was 3.2 μg/d (128 IU/d). Vitamin D deficiency (25OHD <15 ng/ml) was present in 689 participants (33.1%). There was no evidence that dietary vitamin D intake, PTH, or adjusted calcium were associated with CVD events or with mortality. Vitamin D deficiency was not associated with CVD (fully adjusted hazard ratio = 1.00; 95% confidence interval = 0.77-1.31). Results were similar after excluding patients who reported an activity-limiting longstanding illness at baseline (18.8%) and those taking any vitamin supplements (21.7%). However, there was some evidence vitamin D deficiency was associated with all-cause mortality (fully adjusted hazard ratio = 2.02; 95% confidence interval = 1.17-3.51). CONCLUSION Vitamin D deficiency was not associated with risk of CVD in this cohort with very low 25OHD. Future trials of vitamin D supplementation in middle-aged cohorts should be powered to detect differences in mortality outcomes as well as CVD.
Field‐induced surface modification on the atomic scale by scanning tunneling microscopy

Scanning tunneling microscopy has been used to study the modification of tin diselenide (SnSe2) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum. We have shown that there are positive bias voltage pulse thresholds that must be exceeded to remove material from the surfaces of SnSe2 and MoS2. The voltage threshold for modification of SnSe2(+1.4 V) is significantly smaller in magnitude than the threshold for modification of MoS2(+3.5 V). These threshold results and tip‐sample distance dependence data suggest that modification occurs by field evaporation. Additionally, near threshold pulses create stable atomic sizes defects that can be erased by high voltage scanning.
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis of PCR-Amplified gki Genes: a New Technique for Tracking Streptococci

ABSTRACT Viridans group streptococci (VGS) are a well-known cause of infections in immunocompromised patients, accounting for severe morbidity and mortality. Streptococcusmitis group species (Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus oralis) are among the VGS most often encountered in clinical practice. Identifying the portal of entry for S. mitis group strains is crucial for interventions preventing bacterial translocation. Unfortunately, tracking the source of S. mitis group strains is dependent on a combination of extremely laborious and time-consuming cultivation and molecular techniques (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR [ERIC-PCR]). To simplify this procedure, a PCR analysis with newly designed primers targeting the household gene glucose kinase (gki) was used in combination with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). This gki-PCR-DGGE technique proved to be specific for S. mitis group strains. Moreover, these strains could be detected in samples comprised of highly diverse microbiota, without prior cultivation. To study the feasibility of this new approach, a pilot study was performed. This confirmed that the source of S. mitis group bacteremia in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia could be tracked back to the throat in five out of six episodes of bacteremia, despite the fact that throat samples are polymicrobial samples containing multiple S. mitis group strains. In contrast, using the classical combination of cultivation techniques and ERIC-PCR, we could detect these strains in only two out of six cases, showing the superiority of the newly developed technique. The new gki-PCR-DGGE technique can track the source of S. mitis group strains in polymicrobial samples without prior cultivation. Therefore, it is a valuable tool in future epidemiological studies.
Branch-specific plasticity of a bifunctional dopamine circuit encodes protein hunger

The drive to eat protein is mediated by plastic changes in a dedicated neuronal circuit in Drosophila. Give us our daily protein Protein is an essential component of our food, and protein intake thus must be actively regulated. Liu et al. identified a neural circuit that encodes protein-specific hunger in fruit flies. In protein-deprived animals, this circuit acted to simultaneously promote protein consumption and restrict sugar intake. Lack of protein induced changes in the protein-specific, but not sugar-specific, branch of this circuit. Science, this issue p. 534 Free-living animals must not only regulate the amount of food they consume but also choose which types of food to ingest. The shifting of food preference driven by nutrient-specific hunger can be essential for survival, yet little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We identified a dopamine circuit that encodes protein-specific hunger in Drosophila. The activity of these neurons increased after substantial protein deprivation. Activation of this circuit simultaneously promoted protein intake and restricted sugar consumption, via signaling to distinct downstream neurons. Protein starvation triggered branch-specific plastic changes in these dopaminergic neurons, thus enabling sustained protein consumption. These studies reveal a crucial circuit mechanism by which animals adjust their dietary strategy to maintain protein homeostasis.
Reproductive phase‐related variations in cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript (CART) in the olfactory system, forebrain, and pituitary of the female catfish, Clarias batrachus (Linn.)

The annual sexual cycle of Clarias batrachus is divisible into resting (December–January), preparatory (February–April), prespawning (May–June), spawning (July– August), and postspawning (September–November) phases. The gonosomatic indices rose steadily through the preparatory and prespawning phases, peaked in the spawning phase, and were greatly reduced during the postspawning and resting phases. A clear pattern of change was also identified in the immunocytochemical profile of the luteinizing hormone (LH) cells in the pituitary. These changes were correlated with the cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript (CART)‐immunoreactive system in the forebrain and pituitary. In the olfactory bulb, CART immunoreactivity in the terminal fields of the mitral cell layer, granule cells, and medial olfactory tracts gradually decreased during the resting through prespawning phases. However, it was considerably augmented during spawning (P < 0.001) and showed highest activity in the postspawning phase (P < 0.001). A different pattern was noticed in the fibers and/or neurons of the lateral part of ventral telencephalic area, the entopeduncular nucleus, and the dorsal part of the nucleus preopticus periventricularis. In these areas, intense immunoreactivity seen in preparatory phase, declined during prespawning (P < 0.01) then through spawning, and was partially augmented during the postspawning and resting phases (P < 0.05). A similar pattern was also seen in the nucleus preglomerulosus lateralis and medialis, nucleus dorsalis posterioris of thalamus, lobobulbar nucleus, and the nucleus of posterior recess. CART was transiently expressed in LH cells in the pituitary during the preparatory period. We suggest that the CART system may play a role in triggering the brain–pituitary–ovary axis at the onset of the preparatory phase. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:2503–2524, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.