Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validity and reliability of the Block98 food-frequency questionnaire in a sample of Canadian women

Abstract Objective To assess the validity and reliability of the most recent adaptation of Block's full-diet food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) among a sample of Canadian women. Design Participants completed a self-administered FFQ (FFQ1), two unannounced 24-hour recalls (weekday and weekend) and a second FFQ (FFQ2) between October 2003 and February 2004. FFQs and recalls were analysed for 32 nutrients using Block Dietary Data Systems and the University of Minnesota's Nutrient Data System. Mean and median intakes were computed, along with crude and deattenuated Pearson correlation coefficients between FFQ1 and the average of two recalls (validity) and between FFQ1 and FFQ2 (reliability). Setting Ontario, Canada. Subjects A random population-based sample (n = 166) of women aged 25 to 74 years. Results One hundred and fifteen (69%) women completed FFQ1, 96 completed FFQ1 and both recalls, and 93 completed both FFQs, about 56 days apart. Mean intakes were similar for most nutrients. FFQ reliability was high, with Pearson correlation coefficients having a median of 0.75, ranging from 0.57 to 0.90 (macronutrients) and from 0.65 to 0.88 (micronutrients from supplements and food). FFQ validity was moderate to high, with deattenuated Pearson correlation coefficients having a median of 0.59, ranging from 0.11 to 0.73 (macronutrients) and from 0.50 to 0.76 (micronutrients from supplements and food). Our micronutrient correlations were similar to or higher than those of other studies that included supplements. Two correlations <0.40 were associated with fats. Conclusions The validity and reliability of this full-diet version of the Block FFQ were moderate to high, supporting its use in future studies among Canadian women.
The association of endogenous sex hormones, adiposity, and insulin resistance with incident diabetes in postmenopausal women.

CONTEXT In postmenopausal women, endogenous bioavailable testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) have been positively associated, and SHBG has been negatively associated, with incident type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Previous studies have not explored possible factors explaining these relationships. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to examine the association of endogenous sex hormones with incident T2DM in postmenopausal women and possible explanatory factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a prospective study that included 1612 postmenopausal women aged 45-84 yr, followed between the years 2000-2006, who were not taking hormone replacement therapy, had no prevalent cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and had complete ascertainment of sex hormones. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES T2DM was defined based on fasting glucose and/or treatment for diabetes. RESULTS There were 116 incident cases of diabetes during follow-up. Across higher quartiles of bioavailable T and E2 and lower quartiles of SHBG, we found significantly greater hazards of developing incident T2DM (all P for trend <or=0.001). After adjustment for body mass index and insulin resistance estimated by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, bioavailable T was no longer associated with incident T2DM. The associations of E2 and SHBG with incident T2DM were partially explained by body mass index and insulin resistance but persisted in fully adjusted models (both P for trend <0.02). Dehydroepiandrosterone had no relationship with incident T2DM. CONCLUSIONS Adiposity and insulin resistance explained most of the association of bioavailable T but only partially explained the associations of E2 and SHBG with incident T2DM among postmenopausal women.
Effect of conditional release from hospitalization on mortality risk.

OBJECTIVES This study considered the protective value provided by conditional release. It assessed the contribution of conditional release to mortality risk among patients with mental disorders severe enough to require psychiatric hospitalization during a mental health treatment span of 13.5 years in Victoria, Australia. METHODS Death records were obtained from the Australian National Death Index for a sample of 24,973 Victorian Psychiatric Case Register patients with a history of psychiatric hospitalizations: 8,879 had experienced at least one conditional release during community care intervals and 16,094 had not. Risk of death was assessed with standardized mortality ratios of the general population of Victoria. Relative risk of death among patients with and without past experience of conditional release was computed with risk and odds ratios. The contribution of conditional release to mortality, taking into account use of community care services, age, gender, inpatient experience, and diagnosis, as well as other controls, was assessed with logistic regression. RESULTS Patients who had been hospitalized showed higher mortality risk than the general population. Sixteen percent (4,034) died. Patients exposed to conditional release, however, had a 14 percent reduction in probability of non-injury-related death and a 24 percent reduction per day on orders in the probability of death from injury compared with those not offered such oversight throughout their mental health treatment, all other factors taken into account. CONCLUSIONS Conditional release can offer protective oversight for those considered dangerous to self or others and appears to reduce mortality risk among those with disorders severe enough to require psychiatric hospitalization.
Force Control Strategies While Driving Electric Powered Wheelchairs With Isometric and Movement-Sensing Joysticks

Innovations to control interfaces for electric powered wheelchairs (EPWs) could benefit 220 000 current users and over 125 000 individuals who desire mobility but cannot use a conventional motion sensing joystick (MSJ). We developed a digital isometric joystick (IJ) with sophisticated signal processing and two control functions. In a prior study, subjects' driving accuracy with our IJ was comparable to using an MSJ. However, we observed subjects using excessive force on the IJ possibly because its rigid post provides no positional feedback. Thus, this paper examines the time-series data recorded in the previous study to characterize subjects' force control strategies since weakness is a concern. Eleven EPW users with upper limb impairments drove an EPW using an IJ with two different control functions and an MSJ in a Fitts' law paradigm. Subjects relied upon positional feedback from the MSJ and used appropriate force. In contrast, subjects using the IJ with either control function applied significantly higher force than necessary (p<0.0001 and p=0.0058). Using higher average force was correlated with quicker trial times but not associated with accuracy. Lack of positional feedback may result in use of excess isometric force. Modifying control functions, adjusting gain, or providing additional training or feedback might address this problem
Habitat, Succession, Attachment, and Morphology of Segmented, Filamentous Microbes Indigenous to the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract

Some indigenous microorganisms localize on epithelial surfaces in various areas of the digestive tracts of animals. One of these, a segmented, filamentous microbe, localizes on the epithelium in the small bowels of mice and rats. These filamentous microbes colonize mice at weaning time and persist in adult animals for at least 2 months. Results of the study of light and electron micrographs suggest that the microorganisms are procaryotic, and that they interact with small bowel epithelial cells to form an attachment site. This site consists of modified epithelial cell membrane and apical cytoplasm adjacent to the attached bacterium. The microbe fills the site with part of its first segment. This segment has a nipple-like appendage on the end inserted into the epithelial cell. The other segments, which compose the rest of the filament, are usually separated by septa. Many of the individual segments contain intrasegmental bodies that appear to be procaryotic cells. Some of these intrasegmental bodies are similar in morphology to the first segment of each filament inserted into an epithelial cell. These intracellular bodies may be components in the life cycle of the microorganism. The organism has not yet been cultured in recognizable form. Therefore, such a hypothesis cannot be proved as yet, nor can the microbe be classified with certainty. Because it localizes in an epithelial habitat in the small bowel, however, it may be a particularly important microbial type in the gastrointestinal ecosystem of laboratory rodents.
Disentangling the Information Content of Government Bonds and Credit Default Swaps: An Empirical Analysis on Sovereigns and Banks

We propose a multi-factor Gaussian model to analyze the dynamics of sovereign bond yields, as well as sovereign and banks CDS quotes. This paper has three objectives (all of them with relevant implications from a supervisory perspective): (1) disentangling the credit risk component of sovereign bonds from the interest rate component; (2) exploring the sovereign CDS-bond basis, i.e. the di□erence between sovereign CDS quotes and the corresponding bond yields; (3) inferring from CDS quotes the idiosyncratic component of a bank credit risk and analyzing its relation with sovereign risk. We cast the model in a state-space form with linear measurement function. To calibrate the model we consider a maximum likelihood estimation together with a Kalman □lter method in which both the gradient vector and the Hessian matrix to be used in the optimization can be computed in closed form.
Natural infection of Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda: Fasciolidae) in Bulinus truncatus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in northern Tunisia

Abstract Monthly samples of Bulinus truncatus were collected during a year from a cattle-breeding farm located in the region of Sejnane (North Tunisia) to detect natural infections with Fasciola hepatica and determine seasonal variations of the prevalence throughout a year. Of the 163 adult bulinids, larval forms of F. hepatica were found in 39% of snails. Two peaks in prevalence, the first in June and the second in October, were also noted. Bulinus truncatus can be added to the list of potential intermediate hosts of F. hepatica.
Insights into the mechanisms of RNA secondary structure destabilization by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein

The mature HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein NCp7 (NC) plays a key role in reverse transcription facilitating the two obligatory strand transfers. Several properties contribute to its efficient chaperon activity: preferential binding to single-stranded regions, nucleic acid aggregation, helix destabilization, and rapid dissociation from nucleic acids. However, little is known about the relationships between these different properties, which are complicated by the ability of the protein to recognize particular HIV-1 stem–loops, such as SL1, SL2, and SL3, with high affinity and without destabilizing them. These latter properties are important in the context of genome packaging, during which NC is part of the Gag precursor. We used NMR to investigate destabilization of the full-length TAR (trans activating response element) RNA by NC, which is involved in the first strand transfer step of reverse transcription. NC was used at a low protein:nucleotide (nt) ratio of 1:59 in these experiments. NMR data for the imino protons of TAR identified most of the base pairs destabilized by NC. These base pairs were adjacent to the loops in the upper part of the TAR hairpin rather than randomly distributed. Gel retardation assays showed that conversion from the initial TAR–cTAR complex to the fully annealed form occurred much more slowly at the 1:59 ratio than at the higher ratios classically used. Nevertheless, NC significantly accelerated the formation of the initial complex at a ratio of 1:59.
Radio sources in the 6dFGS: local luminosity functions at 1.4 GHz for star-forming galaxies and radio-loud AGN

We have identified 7824 radio sources from the 1.4 GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) with galaxies brighter than K = 12.75 mag in the Second Incremental Data Release of the 6 degree Field Galaxy Survey (6dFGS DR2). The resulting sample of redshifts and optical spectra for radio sources over an effective sky area of 7076 deg 2 (about 17 per cent of the celestial sphere) is the largest of its kind ever obtained. NVSS radio sources associated with galaxies in the 6dFGS span a redshift range 0.003 < z < 0.3 and have median ˜ z = 0.043. Through visual examination of 6dF spectra we have identified the dominant mechanism for radio emission from each galaxy. 60 per cent are fuelled by star formation and 40 per cent are fuelled by an active galactic nucleus (AGN) powered by a supermassive black hole. We have accurately determined the local radio luminosity function (RLF) at 1.4 GHz for both classes of radio source and have found it to agree well with other recent determinations. From the RLF
Oral delivery system prolongs blood circulation of docetaxel nanocapsules via lymphatic absorption

Significance Oral drug delivery is the most convenient administration route for patients. Docetaxel, a potent anticancer drug, elicits severe side effects following intravenous administration. Furthermore, oral docetaxel absorption is prevented by biochemical barriers in the intestine. An oral formulation of docetaxel nanocapsules (NCs) embedded in microparticles was developed and elicited higher plasma docetaxel concentrations than intravenous administration of the commercial product. These unexpected results were explained by the penetration of the docetaxel NCs within the enterocytes, circumventing the barriers, where their coating was reinforced prior reaching, intact, the circulation via the lymphatic system. The oral formulation significantly improves docetaxel anticancer efficacy. This delivery concept has potential for clinical translation, allowing docetaxel chemotherapy to be switched from intravenous to oral delivery. An original oral formulation of docetaxel nanocapsules (NCs) embedded in microparticles elicited in rats a higher bioavailability compared with the i.v. administration of the commercial docetaxel solution, Taxotere. In the present study, various animal studies were designed to elucidate the absorption process of docetaxel from such a delivery system. Again, the docetaxel NC formulation elicited a marked enhanced absorption compared with oral Taxotere in minipigs, resulting in relative bioavailability and Cmax values 10- and 8.4-fold higher, respectively, confirming the previous rat study results. It was revealed that orally absorbed NCs altered the elimination and distribution of docetaxel, as shown in the organ biodistribution rat study, due to their reinforced coating, while transiting through the enterocytes by surface adsorption of apoproteins and phospholipids. These findings were demonstrated by the cryogenic-temperature transmission electron microscopy results and confirmed by the use of a chylomicron flow blocker, cycloheximide, that prevented the oral absorption of docetaxel from the NC formulation in an independent pharmacokinetic study. The lipoproteinated NCs reduced the docetaxel release in plasma and its distribution among the organs. The improved anticancer activity compared with i.v. Taxotere, observed in the metastatic lung cancer model in Severe Combined Immune Deficiency-beige (SCID-bg) mice, should be attributed to the extravasation effect, leading to the lipoproteinated NC accumulation in lung tumors, where they exert a significant therapeutic action. To the best of our knowledge, no study has reported that the absorption of NCs was mediated by a lymphatic process and reinforced during their transit.
Camera Motion from Group Synchronization

This paper deals with the problem of estimating camera motion in the context of structure-from-motion. We describe a pipeline that consumes relative orientations and produces absolute orientations (i.e. camera position and attitude in an absolute reference frame). This pipeline exploits the concept of "group synchronization" in most of its stages, all of which entail direct solutions such as eigenvalue decompositions or linear least squares. A comprehensive introduction to the group synchronization problem is provided, and the proposed pipeline is evaluated on standard real datasets.
Herceptin Down-Regulates HER-2/neu and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression and Enhances Taxol-Induced Cytotoxicity of Human Ewing's Sarcoma Cells In vitro and In vivo

We have previously shown that high levels of HER-2/neu protein were overexpressed in human Ewing's sarcoma cells (TC71, SK-ES1) relative to normal human osteoblasts. The purpose of this study was to determine whether herceptin alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents could inhibit the growth of Ewing's sarcoma in vitro and in vivo. Western blot analysis showed that the protein levels of HER-2/neu were decreased following herceptin treatment. Cell growth was also inhibited by herceptin in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 4 mg/mL in TC71 and SK-ES1 cell line, whereas human immunoglobin had no effect. Northern blot and ELISA showed the RNA expression and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor were also inhibited by herceptin treatment with no alteration in HIF-1α protein and topoisomerase IIα expression. Furthermore, Ewing's sarcoma tumor growth was significantly delayed by 100 mg/kg herceptin treatment in our Ewing's sarcoma xenograft mouse model. Combining taxol with herceptin resulted in additive cytotoxicity, whereas herceptin-etoposide, doxorubicin, and 9-nitrocamptothecin combinations did not. Taxol-herceptin enhanced growth inhibition in TC71 cells in vitro compared with either agent alone. Ewing's sarcoma growth was also delayed in vivo and mean tumor size was significantly lower in mice treated with herceptin plus taxol than in those receiving taxol or herceptin alone. These data suggest that herceptin in combination with taxol may be a therapeutic option in the treatment of Ewing's sarcoma.
PROGRESS TOWARD A GENERAL SPECIES CONCEPT

New insights in the speciation process and the nature of “species” that accumulated in the past decade demand adjustments of the species concept. The standing of some of the most broadly accepted or most innovative species concepts in the light of the growing evidence that reproductive barriers are semipermeable to gene flow, that species can differentiate despite ongoing interbreeding, that a single species can originate polyphyletically by parallel evolution, and that uniparental organisms are organised in units that resemble species of biparental organisms is discussed. As a synthesis of ideas in existing concepts and the new insights, a generalization of the genic concept is proposed that defines species as groups of individuals that are reciprocally characterized by features that would have negative fitness effects in other groups and that cannot be regularly exchanged between groups upon contact. The benefits of this differential fitness species concept are that it classifies groups that keep differentiated and keep on differentiating despite interbreeding as species, that it is not restricted to specific mutations or mechanisms causing speciation, and that it can be applied to the whole spectrum of organisms from uni‐ to biparentals.
CYP3A5*3 Genotype Associated With Intrasubject Pharmacokinetic Variation Toward Tacrolimus in Bioequivalence Study

Tacrolimus is metabolized by CYP3A and has highly variable pharmacokinetics. To study the factors contributing to this high variability in pharmacokinetics and to investigate the possibility of genotype-specific clinical applications, the effect of differing CYP3A5 genotypes on the intrasubject coefficients of variation for tacrolimus was investigated. Genotyping for CYP3A5*3 was performed in healthy volunteers who had previously participated in the pharmacokinetic study of 2 tacrolimus formulations with a 2 × 2 cross-over design. Intrasubject coefficients of variation calculated from analysis of variation in CYP3A5*1/*1+*1/*3 (n = 16) and CYP3A5*3/*3 (n = 13) groups were compared. The intrasubject CVs of AUClast and Cmax in the CYP3A5*3/*3 group were about 41.1% and 52.4% greater than those in the CYP3A5*1*1+*1/*3 group. The estimated total sample size for the bioequivalence study of tacrolimus with a 2 × 2 cross-over design was increased by 93.3% for AUClast (n = 30 versus 58) and 121.4% for Cmax (n = 28 versus 62) in the CYP3A5*3/*3 group compared with the CYP3A5*1/*1+*1/*3 group. The intraindividual variability of tacrolimus PK parameters may be associated with the CYP3A5 genotype. We propose that genotyping for CYP3A5 will provide a more efficient approach for bioequivalence designs and therapeutic drug monitoring.
Galaxy Clusters in the Line of Sight to Background Quasars. I. Survey Design and Incidence of Mg II Absorbers at Cluster Redshifts

We describe the first optical survey of absorption systems associated with cluster galaxies at z = 0.3–0.9. We have cross-correlated quasars from the third data release of the SDSS with high-redshift cluster/group candidates from the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey. We have found 442 quasar-cluster pairs for which the Mg II λλ2796, 2803 doublet might be detected at a transverse (physical) distance d < 2 h−171 Mpc from the cluster centers. To investigate the incidence dN/dz and equivalent width distribution n(W) of Mg II systems at cluster redshifts, two statistical samples were drawn out of these pairs: one made of high-resolution spectroscopic quasar observations (46 pairs), and one made of quasars used in Mg II searches found in the literature (375 pairs). The results are (1) the population of strong Mg II systems (W02796 > 2.0 Å ) near cluster redshifts shows a significant (>3 σ) overabundance (up to a factor of 15) when compared with the “field” population; (2) the overabundance is more evident at d < 1 h71−1 Mpc than at d < 2 h71−1 Mpc , and more evident in a subsample of the most massive clusters; and (3) the population of weak Mg II systems (W02796 < 0.3 Å ) near cluster redshifts conforms to the field statistics. Unlike in the field, this dichotomy makes n(W) in clusters appear flat and well fitted by a power law in the entire W range. Since either the absorber number density or the filling factor/cross section affects the absorber statistics, an interesting possibility is that we have detected the signature of truncated halos due to environmental effects. Thus, the excess of strong systems is due to a population of absorbers in an overdense galaxy region, and the lack of weak systems to a different population, that got destroyed in the cluster environment.
Social networking, hardiness and immigrant's mental health.

Previous investigations of immigrant mental hospitalization rates have accumulated inconclusive evidence in regard to native-foreign differentials. We attempt to examine factors that protect voluntary immigrants from psychological impairment. Unlike existing studies, which tend to regard immigrants as merely reactive to stressful life changes accompanying immigration, we assume immigration can be used as a vehicle for personal advancement. We hypothesize that the immigrant's activism in cultivating social networks in the receiving society, and hardiness in the personality repertoire, are the chief means of ameliorating strain. Also examined are issues related to (/) the nature of social networks, (2) ties to the immigrant community and to the host society, and (3) how these ties influence adaptation.