Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Rapid Weight Gain During Early Childhood With Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Japanese Adolescents

Background Because of the lack of relevant data, we investigated the association between rapid weight gain (RWG) during early childhood and cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese adolescents. Methods The source population comprised 2285 adolescents aged 13 to 14 years enrolled in any public school in Fukuroi City, Japan during 2008, 2009, or 2010. Since there are no private schools in this city, almost all adolescents who lived in the city went to 1 of these schools. We obtained data on blood pressure (BP), serum lipids, and anthropometry during adolescence, as well as anthropometry at birth, age 1.5 years, and age 3 years, from the Maternal and Child Health Handbook for 1624 children. RWG was defined as a change in body-weight standard deviation score greater than 0.67 from age 0 to 1.5 years or from age 1.5 to 3 years. Results After adjusting for confounding factors, adolescents who had RWG from 0 to age 1.5 years or from age 1.5 to 3 years were more likely to be overweight. Adolescents who had RWG during both periods were more likely to be overweight (odds ratio [OR], 6.37; 95% CI, 3.06–13.24), have unfavorable lipid concentrations (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.15–3.58), and have high BP (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.34–4.13). The associations with unfavorable lipid concentrations and high BP disappeared after further adjusting for current body mass index. Conclusions RWG during early childhood predicts unfavorable lipid concentrations and high BP in Japanese adolescents, and this relationship is mediated by body mass index in later life.
Serum N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen as an early marker of fracture nonunion in rabbits

The aim of the present study was to establish an experimental animal model of fracture nonunion, and to investigate the changes in serum biomarker concentrations in fracture nonunion. A total of 20 purebred New Zealand rabbits were divided into two group: A bone defect group and a bone fracture group. In the bone defect group, a 15-mm section of bone (including the periosteum) was removed from the mid-radius, and the medullary cavities were closed with bone wax. In the bone fracture group, the mid-radius was fractured. X-rays were taken and blood samples were collected preoperatively and at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 weeks after the surgical procedure. The serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) served as markers of bone formation, and those of C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP 5b) served as markers of bone resorption. The concentration levels of the markers were measured using a biotin double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the bone defect group, bone callus was observed on X-ray at 2 weeks in three rabbits and the bone calluses stabilized at 5 weeks; however, none of the bones had healed at 8 weeks. In the bone fracture group, the fracture line was distorted at 2 weeks and bone calluses formed at 6–8 weeks. In the bone defect group, the serum BSAP and TRACP 5b concentrations increased following the surgical procedure, peaked at 4 weeks, began to decrease at 5 weeks and stabilized after 6 weeks. The serum OC concentrations did not change significantly following the surgical procedure. The serum CTX concentrations fluctuated during the first 4 weeks, peaked at 5 weeks, then decreased and stabilized after 6 weeks. The serum NTX concentrations fluctuated during the first 4 weeks, were significantly lower at 5 weeks compared with the other time points and stabilized after 6 weeks. These results suggested that a bone nonunion model can be established in New Zealand rabbits by resecting a 15-mm section of bone from the mid-radius prior to bone wax blocking. Measurement of the serum BSAP, CTX, NTX, and TRACP 5b concentrations may be useful for the early detection of bone nonunion. The serum NTX concentrations changed significantly in rabbits with bone nonunion. Further studies are required in order to determine the feasibility of using serum NTX concentrations for the early diagnosis of bone nonunion.
Dividend Announcements Reconsidered: Dividend Changes versus Dividend Surprises

This paper reconsiders the issue of share price reactions to dividend announcements. Previous papers rely almost exclusively on a naive dividend model in which the dividend change is used as a proxy for the dividend surprise. We use the difference between the actual dividend and the analyst consensus forecast as obtained from I/B/E/S as a proxy for the dividend surprise. Using data from Germany, we find significant share price reactions after dividend announcements. Once we control for analysts’ expectations, the dividend change loses explanatory power. Our results thus suggest that the naive model should be abandoned. We use panel methods to analyze the determinants of the share price reactions. We find (weak) support in favor of the dividend signaling hypothesis and no support for either the free cash flow hypothesis or the rent extraction hypothesis.
Bioinformatics Applications Note Structural Bioinformatics 2struc: the Secondary Structure Server

The defined secondary structure of proteins method is often considered the gold standard for assignment of secondary structure from three-dimensional coordinates. However, there are alternative methods. '2Struc: The Secondary Structure Server' has been created as a single point of access for eight different secondary structure assignment methods. It has been designed to enable comparisons between methods for analyzing the secondary structure content for a single protein. It also includes a second functionality, 'Compare-the-Protein' to enable comparisons of the secondary structure features from any one method to be made within a collection of nuclear magnetic resonance models, or between the crystal structures of two different proteins.
THE ISOLATION OF PROTOPLASTS FROM BACILLUS MEGATERIUM BY CONTROLLED TREATMENT WITH LYSOZYME

Certain bacteria are killed and rapidly lysed following exposure to the enzyme lysozyme. Lysozyme sensitivity resulting in extensive lysis occurs in a relatively restricted number of species: notably Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Sarcina lutea, and certain Bacillus spp. It was shown some years ago (Epstein and Chain, 1940; Meyer and Hahnel, 1946) that a mucopolysaccharide extractable from the cells of M. lysodeikticus could be depolymerized by the enzyme with liberation of reducing sugars. More recently, Salton (1952) has found that the isolated cell walls of M. lysodeikticus can be rapidly and completely dissolved by treatment with lysozyme. Tomesik and Guex-Holzer (1952), working with a Bacillus sp, have given cytological evidence for the specific action of lysozyme on the bacterial cell wall. It appears, therefore, that lysozyme is a polysaccharase and that its action on susceptible bacteria consists of a specific destruction of the fabric of the cell wall. This interpretation is supported by recent chemical analyses (Salton, 1953) on the isolated cell walls of a number of bacteria; the walls of lysozyme sensitive organisms are closely similar in composition and markedly different from the walls of lysozyme resistant species. Hence the treatment of susceptible bacteria with lysozyme should constitute a method of unrivalled specificity and gentleness for the isolation of the structural elements within the cells-a method which avoids the wholesale disorganization of cellular components which results from cell breakage by mechanical abrasion or sonic treatment. It will be shown in this paper that it is possible to isolate the bacterial protoplast as an entity
Can avoidance of complications lead to biased healthcare decisions?

Imagine that you have just received a colon cancer diagnosis and need to choose between two different surgical treatments. One surgery, the "complicated surgery," has a lower mortality rate (16% vs. 20%) but compared to the other surgery, the "uncomplicated surgery," also carries an additional 1% risk of each of four serious complications: colostomy, chronic diarrhea, wound infection, or an intermittent bowel obstruction. The complicated surgery dominates the uncomplicated surgery as long as life with complications is preferred over death.In our first survey, 51% of a sample (recruited from the cafeteria of a university medical center) selected the dominated alternative, the uncomplicated surgery, justifying this choice by saying that the death risks for the two surgeries were essentially the same and that the uncomplicated surgery avoided the risk of complications. In follow-up surveys, preference for the uncomplicated surgery remained relatively consistent (39%-51%) despite (a) presenting the risks in frequencies rather than percents, (b) grouping the 4 complications into a single category, or (c) giving the uncomplicated surgery a small chance of complications as well. Even when a pre-decision "focusing exercise" required people to state directly their preferences between life with each complication versus death, 49% still chose the uncomplicated surgery.People’s fear of complications leads them to ignore important differences between treatments. This tendency appears remarkably resistant to debiasing approaches and likely leads patients to make healthcare decisions that are inconsistent with their own preferences.
Morphological zinc stannate: synthesis, fundamental properties and applications

Zinc stannate (ZnSnO3 and Zn2SnO4), which is generally called zinc tin oxide (ZTO), possesses unique physical and chemical properties that have received much attention in recent decades. Efforts have been devoted to exploration and investigation of morphological ZTO micro/nanostructures because of their high electron mobility, high electrical conductivity, attractive optical properties and good stability compared with their binary counterparts. Consequently, ZTO-based micro/nanostructures with well-tuned composite, crystalline phase and morphology have been rationally developed and used in the fields of solar cells, sensing, anode materials for lithium batteries, nanodevices and catalysts. However, a comprehensive review on morphological ZTO micro/nanostructure is lacking, and this is imperative to highlight progress in function-oriented ZTO micro/nanostructures. The present review highlights significant advancements in morphological ZTO micro/nanostructures, including synthetic strategies leading to growth of different ZTO micro/nanostructures, the fundamental properties, and their current applications. Several emerging issues and prospective research directions in this field are also discussed.
ANAC005 is a membrane‐associated transcription factor and regulates vascular development in Arabidopsis

Abstract Vascular tissues are very important for providing both mechanical strength and long‐distance transport. The molecular mechanisms of regulation of vascular tissue development are still not fully understood. In this study we identified ANAC005 as a membrane‐associated NAC family transcription factor that regulates vascular tissue development. Reporter gene assays showed that ANAC005 was expressed mainly in the vascular tissues. Increased expression of ANAC005 protein in transgenic Arabidopsis caused dwarf phenotype, reduced xylem differentiation, decreased lignin content, repression of a lignin biosynthetic gene and genes related to cambium and primary wall, but activation of genes related to the secondary wall. Expression of a dominant repressor fusion of ANAC005 had overall the opposite effects on vascular tissue differentiation and lignin synthetic gene expression. The ANAC005‐GFP fusion protein was localized at the plasma membrane, whereas deletion of the last 20 amino acids, which are mostly basic, caused its nuclear localization. These results indicate that ANAC005 is a cell membrane‐associated transcription factor that inhibits xylem tissue development in Arabidopsis.
A review of superior vena cava flow measurement in the neonate by functional echocardiography

Neonatologists have begun using superior vena cava flow as assessed by functional echocardiography to facilitate real‐time decision‐making on cardiovascular care. This review aims to describe the basis of the technique, summarise the evidence for its use and compare the technique to existing clinical, biochemical and radiological techniques for assessing neonatal circulatory status.
Cost-effectiveness of Pharmaceutical Interventions to Prevent Osteoporotic Fractures in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia

Background To assess the cost-effectiveness of drug therapy to prevent osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women with osteopenia in Korea. Methods A Markov cohort simulation was conducted for lifetime with a hypothetical cohort of postmenopausal women with osteopenia and without prior fractures. They were assumed to receive calcium/vitamin D supplements only or drug therapy (i.e., raloxifene or risedronate) along with calcium/vitamin D for 5 years. The Markov model includes fracture-specific and non-fracture specific health states (i.e. breast cancer and venous thromboembolism), and all-cause death. Published literature was used to determine the model parameters. Local data were used to estimate the baseline incidence rates of fracture in those with osteopenia and the costs associated with each health state. Results From a societal perspective, the estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for the base cases that had T-scores between -2.0 and -2.4 and began drug therapy at the age of 55, 60, or 65 years were $16,472, $6,741, and -$13,982 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, respectively. Sensitivity analyses for medication compliance, risk of death following vertebral fracture, and relaxing definition of osteopenia resulted in ICERs reached to $24,227 per QALY gained. Conclusions ICERs for the base case and sensitivity analyses remained within the World Health Organization's willingness-to-pay threshold, which is less than per-capita gross domestic product in Korea (about $25,700). Thus, we conclude that drug therapy for osteopenia would be a cost-effective intervention, and we recommend that the Korean National Health Insurance expand its coverage to include drug therapy for osteopenia.
Evaluation of Inertial Sensor Fusion Algorithms in Grasping Tasks Using Real Input Data: Comparison of Computational Costs and Root Mean Square Error

Sensor fusion is an important computation step for acquiring reliable orientation information from inertial sensors. These sensors are very attractive in order to achieve a mobile capturing of human movements, which is desired for application in sports or rehabilitation. Commercial inertial sensors with small form factors and low power consumption can be used for capturing without any interference. There are several common techniques for calculating orientation data based on RAW sensor data. This paper gives an overview of the computational effort and achievable accuracy of integration algorithms, vector observation algorithms and Kalman filter algorithms for inertial sensor fusion. The sensor data were compared against an optical motion capturing system. The considered application is the capturing of arm movements during grasping tasks in stroke rehabilitation. Therefore, the algorithms are evaluated based on corresponding real world input data. The provided benchmark compares the sensor fusion algorithms in terms of computational cost and orientation estimation error.
Scalable 3D Tracking of Multiple Interacting Objects

We consider the problem of tracking multiple interacting objects in 3D, using RGBD input and by considering a hypothesize-and-test approach. Due to their interaction, objects to be tracked are expected to occlude each other in the field of view of the camera observing them. A naive approach would be to employ a Set of Independent Trackers (SIT) and to assign one tracker to each object. This approach scales well with the number of objects but fails as occlusions become stronger due to their disjoint consideration. The solution representing the current state of the art employs a single Joint Tracker (JT) that accounts for all objects simultaneously. This directly resolves ambiguities due to occlusions but has a computational complexity that grows geometrically with the number of tracked objects. We propose a middle ground, namely an Ensemble of Collaborative Trackers (ECT), that combines best traits from both worlds to deliver a practical and accurate solution to the multi-object 3D tracking problem. We present quantitative and qualitative experiments with several synthetic and real world sequences of diverse complexity. Experiments demonstrate that ECT manages to track far more complex scenes than JT at a computational time that is only slightly larger than that of SIT.
Osteogenic Oxysterol, 20(S)-Hydroxycholesterol, Induces Notch Target Gene Expression in Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

We previously reported that specific oxysterols stimulate osteogenic differentiation of pluripotent bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) through activation of hedgehog (Hh) signaling and may serve as potential future therapies for intervention in osteopenia and osteoporosis. In this study we report that the osteogenic oxysterol 20(S)‐hydroxycholesterol (20S) induces the expression of genes associated with Notch signaling. Using M2‐10B4 (M2) MSCs, we found that 20S significantly induced HES‐1, HEY‐1, and HEY‐2 mRNA expression compared with untreated cells, with maximal induction after 48 hours, whereas the nonosteogenic oxysterols did not. Similar observations were made when M2 cells were treated with sonic hedgehog (Shh), and the specific Hh pathway inhibitor cyclopamine blocked 20S‐induced Notch target gene expression. 20S did not induce Notch target genes in Smo−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts, further confirming the role of Hh signaling in 20S‐induced expression of Notch target genes. Despite the inability of liver X‐receptor (LXR) synthetic ligand TO901317 to induce Notch target genes in M2 cells, LXR knockdown studies using siRNA showed inhibition of 20S‐induced HEY‐1 but not HES‐1 expression, suggesting the partial role of LXR signaling in MSC responses to 20S. Moreover, 20S‐induced Notch target gene expression was independent of canonical Notch signaling because neither 20S nor Shh induced CBF1 luciferase reporter activity or NICD protein accumulation in the nucleus, which are hallmarks of canonical Notch signaling activation. Finally, HES‐1 and HEY‐1 siRNA transfection significantly inhibited 20S‐induced osteogenic genes, suggesting that the pro‐osteogenic effects of 20S are regulated in part by HES‐1 and HEY‐1. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Clinical analysis of emergency liver transplantation: the role of living donor liver transplantation

The current liver allocation system requires reevaluation because of the advancements in peri‐transplantation care and surgical techniques. And, the role of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in an emergency has not been determined yet. Retrospective review of all patients undergoing emergency liver transplantation (LT) from January 2000 to June 2010 was conducted, and clinical data were analyzed. Of the total 505 LTs, 69 patients (13.7%) underwent an emergency LT. Of these, 54 patients (78.3%) underwent LDLT using a right liver, and 15 patients (21.7%) underwent deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). The overall hospital mortality was 21.7% (15/69). The leading cause of death after transplantation was sepsis (60.0%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that a model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) >33 [hazard ratio (HR), 16.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.443–191.632; p = 0.024] and existence of pre‐transplantation intubation (HR, 18.2; 95% CI, 1.463–225.483; p = 0.024) were independent factors associated with poor survival after emergency LT. LDLT group and DDLT group showed no difference in hospital mortality (p = 0.854) and graft survival (p = 0.861). Thus, MELD score and respiratory insufficiency could be parameters predicting post‐transplant survival. And, LDLT using the right liver could be an appropriate alternative to DDLT in an emergency.
Src-mediated coupling of focal adhesion kinase to integrin αvβ5 in vascular endothelial growth factor signaling

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes vascular permeability (VP) and neovascularization, and is required for development. We find that VEGF-stimulated Src activity in chick embryo blood vessels induces the coupling of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to integrin αvβ5, a critical event in VEGF-mediated signaling and biological responsiveness. In contrast, FAK is constitutively associated with β1 and β3 integrins in the presence or absence of growth factors. In cultured endothelial cells, VEGF, but not basic fibroblast growth factor, promotes the Src-mediated phosphorylation of FAK on tyrosine 861, which contributes to the formation of a FAK/αvβ5 signaling complex. Moreover, formation of this FAK/αvβ5 complex is significantly reduced in pp60c-src-deficient mice. Supporting these results, mice deficient in either pp60c-src or integrin β5, but not integrin β3, have a reduced VP response to VEGF. This FAK/αvβ5 complex was also detected in epidermal growth factor-stimulated epithelial cells, suggesting a function for this complex outside the endothelium. Our findings indicate that Src can coordinate specific growth factor and extracellular matrix inputs by recruiting integrin αvβ5 into a FAK-containing signaling complex during growth factor–mediated biological responses.
Repetition related changes in activation and functional connectivity in hippocampus predict subsequent memory

Using fMRI, this study examined the relationship between repetition‐related changes in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) activation during encoding and subsequent memory for similarity of repetitions. During scanning, subjects classified pictures of objects as natural or man‐made. Each object‐type was judged twice with presentations of either identical pictures or pictures of different exemplars of the same object. After scanning, a surprise recognition test required subjects to decide whether a probe word corresponded to pictures judged previously. When a subject judged the word as “old,” a second judgment was made concerning the physical similarity of the two pictures. Repetition related changes in MTL activation varied depending on whether or not subjects could correctly state that pictures were different. Moreover, psychophysiological interactions analyses showed that accuracy in recalling whether the two pictures were different was predicted by repetition‐related changes in the functional connectivity of MTL with frontal regions. Specifically, correct recollection was predicted by increased connectivity between the left posterior hippocampus and the right inferior frontal gyrus, and also by decreased connectivity between the left posterior hippocampus and the left precentral gyrus on the second stimulus presentation. The opposite pattern was found for trials that were incorrectly judged on the nature of the repetition. These results suggest that successful encoding is predicted by a combination of increases and decreases in both the MTL activation and functional connectivity, and not merely by increases in activation and connectivity as suggested previously. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Annotation: from paper books to the digital library

Readers annotate paper books as a routine part of their engagement with the materials; it is a useful practice, manifested through a wide variety of markings made in service of very different purposes. This paper examines the practice of annotation in a particular situation: the markings students make in university-level textbooks. The study focuses on the form and function of these annotations, and their status within a community of fellow textbook readers. Using this study as a basis, I discuss issues and implications for the design of annotation tools for a digital library setting.