Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using structural equation modelling to jointly estimate maternal and fetal effects on birthweight in the UK Biobank

Abstract Background To date, 60 genetic variants have been robustly associated with birthweight. It is unclear whether these associations represent the effect of an individual’s own genotype on their birthweight, their mother’s genotype, or both. Methods We demonstrate how structural equation modelling (SEM) can be used to estimate both maternal and fetal effects when phenotype information is present for individuals in two generations and genotype information is available on the older individual. We conduct an extensive simulation study to assess the bias, power and type 1 error rates of the SEM and also apply the SEM to birthweight data in the UK Biobank study. Results Unlike simple regression models, our approach is unbiased when there is both a maternal and a fetal effect. The method can be used when either the individual’s own phenotype or the phenotype of their offspring is not available, and allows the inclusion of summary statistics from additional cohorts where raw data cannot be shared. We show that the type 1 error rate of the method is appropriate, and that there is substantial statistical power to detect a genetic variant that has a moderate effect on the phenotype and reasonable power to detect whether it is a fetal and/or a maternal effect. We also identify a subset of birthweight-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have opposing maternal and fetal effects in the UK Biobank. Conclusions Our results show that SEM can be used to estimate parameters that would be difficult to quantify using simple statistical methods alone.
A Quantum Delayed-Choice Experiment

Delaying Quantum Choice Photons can display wavelike or particle-like behavior, depending on the experimental technique used to measure them. Understanding this duality lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. In two reports, Peruzzo et al. (p. 634) and Kaiser et al. (p. 637; see the Perspective on both papers by Lloyd) perform an entangled version of John Wheeler's delayed-choice gedanken experiment, in which the choice of detection can be changed after a photon passes through a double-slit to avoid the measurement process affecting the state of the photon. The original proposal allowed the wave and particle nature of light to be interchanged after the light had entered the interferometer. By contrast in this study, entanglement allowed the wave and particle nature to be interchanged after the light was detected and revealed the quantum nature of the photon, for example, it displays wave- and particle-like behavior simultaneously. Quantum entanglement is used to probe the nature of the photon. Quantum systems exhibit particle- or wavelike behavior depending on the experimental apparatus they are confronted by. This wave-particle duality is at the heart of quantum mechanics. Its paradoxical nature is best captured in the delayed-choice thought experiment, in which a photon is forced to choose a behavior before the observer decides what to measure. Here, we report on a quantum delayed-choice experiment in which both particle and wave behaviors are investigated simultaneously. The genuinely quantum nature of the photon’s behavior is certified via nonlocality, which here replaces the delayed choice of the observer in the original experiment. We observed strong nonlocal correlations, which show that the photon must simultaneously behave both as a particle and as a wave.
Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Hepatitis B Virus Among Homeless and Nonhomeless United States Veterans

Background Veterans are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Homeless veterans are at particularly high risk for HIV, HCV, and HBV due to a variety of overlapping risk factors, including high rates of mental health disorders and substance use disorders. The prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans nationally is currently unknown. This study describes national testing rates and prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans. Methods Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Corporate Warehouse Data from 2015, we evaluated HIV, HCV, and HBV laboratory testing and infection confirmation rates and diagnoses on the Problem List for nonhomeless veterans and for veterans utilizing homeless services in 2015. Results Among 242740 homeless veterans in VA care in 2015, HIV, HCV, and HBV testing occurred in 63.8% (n = 154812), 78.1% (n = 189508), and 52.8% (n = 128262), respectively. The HIV population prevalence was 1.52% (3684/242740) among homeless veterans, compared with 0.44% (23797/5424685) among nonhomeless veterans. The HCV population prevalence among homeless veterans was 12.1% (29311/242740), compared with 2.7% (148079/5424685) among nonhomeless veterans, while the HBV population prevalence was 0.99% (2395/242740) for homeless veterans and 0.40% (21611/5424685) among nonhomeless veterans. Conclusions To our knowledge this work represents the most comprehensive tested prevalence and population prevalence estimates of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans nationally. The data demonstrate high prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans, and reinforce the need for integrated healthcare services along with homeless programming.
Histological and immunohistochemical study of the effect of long period exposure to gold nanoparticles on the fundic mucosa of adult male albino rat

Introduction Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) offer great promise in biomedical applications, such as intracellular gene regulation, chemotherapy, and drug delivery. Aim of the work The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical and histological effects of the oral administration of 10 nm GNPs on the fundic mucosa of albino rats. Materials and methods A total of 30 adult male albino rats were used. They were divided into two groups. Group I (six animals) served as control. Group II, the experimental group (24 animals), received 100 &mgr;g/ml gold NPs daily by oral route. After 8 weeks, animals were sacrificed and the fundi of their stomachs were obtained for light and scanning electron microscopic studies. Results Examination of H&E-stained sections of group II revealed deposition of GNPs in the glandular epithelium and the lamina propria of the mucosa. Focal areas of ulceration, vacuolation of glandular epithelium, and mononuclear cellular infiltration were seen with increased PAS-positive material and collagen fibers. Immunohistochemical study displayed significant increase in the number of nuclear Bcl-2-positive cells and CD68-positive cells. SEM examination revealed loss of normal architecture of the fundic mucosa. Conclusion It could be concluded that long period exposure of adult albino rats to GNPs induced gold particle deposition in the fundic mucosa of the stomach, with histological and immunohistochemical changes.
Repeated and diverse losses of corolla bilateral symmetry in the Lamiaceae

Background and Aims Independent evolution of derived complex characters provides a unique opportunity to assess whether and how similar genetic changes correlate with morphological convergence. Bilaterally symmetrical corollas have evolved multiple times independently from radially symmetrical ancestors and likely represent adaptations to attract specific pollinators. On the other hand, losses of bilateral corolla symmetry have occurred sporadically in various groups, due to either modification of bilaterally symmetrical corollas in late development or early establishment of radial symmetry. Methods This study integrated phylogenetic, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based morphological, and gene expression approaches to assess the possible mechanisms underlying independent evolutionary losses of corolla bilateral symmetry. Key Results This work compared three species of Lamiaceae having radially symmetrical mature corollas with a representative sister taxon having bilaterally symmetrical corollas and found that each reaches radial symmetry in a different way. Higher core Lamiales share a common duplication in the CYCLOIDEA (CYC ) 2 gene lineage and show conserved and asymmetrical expression of CYC2 clade and RAD genes along the adaxial-abaxial floral axis in species having bilateral corolla symmetry. In Lycopus americanus , the development and expression pattern of La-CYC2A and La-CYC2B are similar to those of their bilaterally symmetrical relatives, whereas the loss of La-RAD expression correlates with a late switch to radial corolla symmetry. In Mentha longifolia , late radial symmetry may be explained by the loss of Ml-CYC2A , and by altered expression of two Ml-CYC2B and Ml-RAD genes . Finally, expanded expression of Cc-CYC2A and Cc-RAD strongly correlates with the early development of radially symmetrical corollas in Callicarpa cathayana . Conclusions Repeated losses of mature corolla bilateral symmetry in Lamiaceae are not uncommon, and may be achieved by distinct mechanisms and various changes to symmetry genes, including the loss of a CYC2 clade gene from the genome, and/or contraction, expansion or alteration of CYC2 clade and RAD -like gene expression.
Impact of Use of Smaller Volume, Smaller Vacuum Blood Collection Tubes on Hemolysis in Emergency Department Blood Samples

Objectives Hemolyzed blood samples commonly occur in hospital emergency departments (EDs). Our objective was to determine whether replacing standard large-volume/high-vacuum sample tubes with low-volume/low-vacuum tubes would significantly affect ED hemolysis. Methods This was a prospective intervention of the use of small-volume/vacuum collection tubes. We evaluated all potassium samples in ED patients and associated hemolysis. We used χ2 tests to compare hemolysis incidence prior to and following utilization of small tubes for chemistry collection. Results There were 35,481 blood samples collected during the study period. Following implementation of small-volume tubes, overall hemolysis decreased from a baseline of 11.8% to 2.9% (P < .001) with corresponding reductions in hemolysis with comment (8.95% vs 1.99%; P < .001) gross hemolysis (2.84% vs 0.90%; P < .007). Conclusions This work demonstrates that significant improvements in ED hemolysis can be achieved by utilization of small-volume/vacuum sample collection tubes.
Dry electrodes for electrocardiography

Patient biopotentials are usually measured with conventional disposable Ag/AgCl electrodes. These electrodes provide excellent signal quality but are irritating for long-term use. Skin preparation is usually required prior to the application of electrodes such as shaving and cleansing with alcohol. To overcome these difficulties, researchers and caregivers seek alternative electrodes that would be acceptable in clinical and research environments. Dry electrodes that operate without gel, adhesive or even skin preparation have been studied for many decades. They are used in research applications, but they have yet to achieve acceptance for medical use. So far, a complete comparison and evaluation of dry electrodes is not well described in the literature. This work compares dry electrodes for biomedical use and physiological research, and reviews some novel systems developed for cardiac monitoring. Lastly, the paper provides suggestions to develop a dry-electrode-based system for mobile and long-term cardiac monitoring applications.
List coloring digraphs

The dichromatic number χ⃗(D) of a digraph D is the least number k such that the vertex set of D can be partitioned into k parts each of which induces an acyclic subdigraph. Introduced by Neumann‐Lara in 1982, this digraph invariant shares many properties with the usual chromatic number of graphs and can be seen as the natural analog of the graph chromatic number. In this article, we study the list dichromatic number of digraphs, giving evidence that this notion generalizes the list chromatic number of graphs. We first prove that the list dichromatic number and the dichromatic number behave the same in many contexts, such as in small digraphs (by proving a directed version of Ohba's conjecture), tournaments, and random digraphs. We then consider bipartite digraphs, and show that their list dichromatic number can be as large as Ω(log2n) . We finally give a Brooks‐type upper bound on the list dichromatic number of digon‐free digraphs.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln DigitalCommons @ University of Nebraska-Lincoln Papers in Natural Resources Natural Resources , School of 2014 Land cover changes and their biogeophysical effects on climate

Land cover changes (LCCs) play an important role in the climate system. Research over recent decades highlights the impacts of these changes on atmospheric temperature, humidity, cloud cover, circulation, and precipitation. These impacts range from the localand regional-scale to sub-continental and global-scale. It has been found that the impacts of regional-scale LCC in one area may also be manifested in other parts of the world as a climatic teleconnection. In light of these findings, this article provides an overview and synthesis of some of the most notable types of LCC and their impacts on climate. These LCC types include agriculture, deforestation and afforestation, desertification, and urbanization. In addition, this article provides a discussion on challenges to, and future research directions in, assessing the climatic impacts of LCC.
Eruca sativa seed extract: A novel natural product able to counteract neuroinflammation

Certain nutrients are able to exert health promoting effects. The consumption of Brassicaceae vegetables has increased given their reported beneficial effects on human health, due to their high content of nutraceutical compounds. The health benefits appear to be associated with the presence of glucosinolates and flavonoids. Certain nutraceutics have been revealed to have anti-inflammatory action. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory properties of Eruca sativa seed extract (ESE) were evaluated in NSC-34 motor neurons exposed to the cell culture medium of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Treatment with LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 medium induced apoptosis and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) in NSC-34 motor neurons. Additionally, the stimulation of NSC-34 motor neurons with the medium of LPS-treated macrophages triggered the expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome proteins and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Pre-treatment with ESE counteracted the apoptosis and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in NSC-34 motor neurons treated with the medium of LPS-treated RAW 264.7. It also eliminated COX2 and TLR4/NLRP3 inflammasome expression. In addition, pre-treatment with ESE was able to restore interleukin 10 expression in NSC-34 cells. These results demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of ESE.
The serotonin hypothesis in pulmonary hypertension revisited: targets for novel therapies (2017 Grover Conference Series)

Increased synthesis of serotonin and/or activity of serotonin in pulmonary arteries has been implicated in the pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The incidence of PAH associated with diet pills such as aminorex, fenfluramine, and chlorphentermine initially led to the “serotonin hypothesis of pulmonary hypertension. ” Over the last couple of decades there has been an accumulation of convincing evidence that targeting serotonin synthesis or signaling is a novel and promising approach to the development of novel therapies for PAH. Pulmonary endothelial serotonin synthesis via tryptophan hydroxlase 1 (TPH1) is increased in patients with PAH and serotonin can act in a paracrine fashion on underlying pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), In humans, serotonin can enter PASMCs via the serotonin transporter (SERT) or activate the 5-HT1B receptor; 5-HT1B activation and SERT activity cooperate to induce PASMC contraction and proliferation via activation of downstream proliferative and contractile signaling pathways. Here we will review the current status of the serotonin hypothesis and discuss potential and novel therapeutic targets.
Design and Evaluation of a Computer-Based 24-Hour Physical Activity Recall (cpar24) Instrument

Background Widespread access to the Internet and an increasing number of Internet users offers the opportunity of using Web-based recalls to collect detailed physical activity data in epidemiologic studies. Objective The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a computer-based 24-hour physical activity recall (cpar24) instrument with respect to the recalled 24-h period. Methods A random sample of 67 German residents aged 22 to 70 years was instructed to wear an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer for 3 days. Accelerometer counts per min were used to classify activities as sedentary (<100 counts per min), light (100-1951 counts per min), and moderate to vigorous (≥1952 counts per min). On day 3, participants were also requested to specify the type, intensity, timing, and context of all activities performed during day 2 using the cpar24. Using metabolic equivalent of task (MET), the cpar24 activities were classified as sedentary (<1.5 MET), light (1.5-2.9 MET), and moderate to vigorous (≥3.0 MET). The cpar24 was administered twice at a 3-h interval. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) was used as primary measure of concurrent validity and test-retest reliability. Results As compared with accelerometry, the cpar24 underestimated light activity by −123 min (median difference, P difference <.001) and overestimated moderate to vigorous activity by 89 min (P difference <.001). By comparison, time spent sedentary assessed by the 2 methods was similar (median difference=+7 min, P difference=.39). There was modest agreement between the cpar24 and accelerometry regarding sedentary (r=.54), light (r=.46), and moderate to vigorous (r=.50) activities. Reliability analyses revealed modest to high intraclass correlation coefficients for sedentary (r=.75), light (r=.65), and moderate to vigorous (r=.92) activities and no statistically significant differences between replicate cpar24 measurements (median difference for sedentary activities=+10 min, for light activities=−5 min, for moderate to vigorous activities=0 min, all P difference ≥.60). Conclusion These data show that the cpar24 is a valid and reproducible Web-based measure of physical activity in adults.
Neuroprotective Effects of Butanol Fraction of Cordyceps cicadae on Glutamate‐Induced Damage in PC12 Cells Involving Oxidative Toxicity

The current study was aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effects of the butanol fraction from Cordyceps cicadae (CBU), which was responsible for the anti‐aging effect of this medicine. Glutamate‐induced PC12 cells were used as a model to determine the neuroprotective effect against oxidative cell death. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, flow cytometry, mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were analyzed to assess neuronal cell survival or death. The results obtained from the above evaluations showed that CBU was the most effective fraction and even better than pure compounds present in C. cicadae in terms of suppressing glutamate‐induced damage in PC12 cells, increasing cell viability, decreasing lactase dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and reduction of apoptosis induced by exposure to glutamate. Furthermore, CBU protected cells against mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress as indicated by the suppression of ROS accumulation and up regulation of the levels of GSH‐Px and SOD. In summary, the above results showed that CBU exerted neuroprotective effect against oxidative damage, and this activity could be partly due to the action of nucleosides present in the CBU.
Altered white matter integrity in adults with autism spectrum disorder and an IQ >100: a diffusion tensor imaging study

White matter (WM) alterations have been reported in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In particular, impaired connectivity of limbic structures may be related to social deficits. Heterogeneous findings could be explained in terms of differences in sample characteristics and methodology. In this context, non‐syndromic forms might differ substantially in WM structure from secondary ASD forms.
Cortical Gyrification and Sulcal Spans in Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by an insidious onset of progressive cerebral atrophy and cognitive decline. Previous research suggests that cortical folding and sulcal width are associated with cognitive function in elderly individuals, and the aim of the present study was to investigate these morphological measures in patients with AD. The sample contained 161 participants, comprising 80 normal controls, 57 patients with very mild AD, and 24 patients with mild AD. From 3D T1-weighted brain scans, automated methods were used to calculate an index of global cortex gyrification and the width of five individual sulci: superior frontal, intra-parietal, superior temporal, central, and Sylvian fissure. We found that global cortex gyrification decreased with increasing severity of AD, and that the width of all individual sulci investigated other than the intra-parietal sulcus was greater in patients with mild AD than in controls. We also found that cognitive functioning, as assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, decreased as global cortex gyrification decreased. MMSE scores also decreased in association with a widening of all individual sulci investigated other than the intra-parietal sulcus. The results suggest that abnormalities of global cortex gyrification and regional sulcal span are characteristic of patients with even very mild AD, and could thus facilitate the early diagnosis of this condition.