Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exchangeable Zinc Pool Size at Birth in Pakistani Small for Gestational Age and Appropriate for Gestational Age Infants Do Not Differ But Are Lower Than in US Infants

Copyright © ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN. All ri Received June 2, 2017; accepted September 9, 2017. From the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, and the ySection of Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Nancy F. Krebs, MD, MS, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center, 12700 East 19th Ave, MS C-225, Aurora, CO 80045 (e-mail: nancy.krebs@ucdenver.edu). This research was funded by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) research contract No. 14129/R and technical contract No. 14129/R1; supplemental grant support for N.F. K. was provided by NIH K24 DK083772. The authors report no conflicts of interest. Copyright # 2017 by European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000001778 496 JPGN Objectives: Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are more susceptible to infectious morbidity and growth faltering compared to their appropriate for gestational age (AGA) counterparts. Zinc supplementation of SGA infants may be beneficial but the underlying susceptibility to zinc deficiency of SGA infants has not been examined. Methods: In a community-based, observational, longitudinal study in a periurban settlement of Karachi, Pakistan, we compared the size of the exchangeable zinc pools (EZPs) in term SGA and AGA infants at birth and at 6 months of age, hypothesizing that the EZP would be lower in the SGA group. To measure EZP size, a zinc stable isotope was intravenously administered within 48 hours of birth (n1⁄4 17 and 22) at 6 months (n1⁄4 11 and 14) in SGA and AGA infants, respectively. Isotopic enrichment in urine was used to determine EZP. Results: No significant difference was detected in the mean ( standard deviation) EZP between SGA and AGA infants at birth, with values of 9.8 3.5 and 10.1 4.1 mg/kg, respectively (P1⁄4 0.86), or at 6 months. Longitudinal EZP measurements demonstrated a significant decline in EZP relative to body weight in both groups at 6 months (P< 0.001). Mean EZP (adjusted for body weight) size at birth for the combined Pakistani groups was significantly lower than AGA infants at birth in the United States (P1⁄4 0.017). Conclusions: These results did not support a difference in zinc endowment between SGA and AGA Pakistani infants. They, however, do suggest lower in utero zinc transfer to the fetus in a setting where poor maternal nutritional status may confer a high susceptibility to postnatal zinc deficiency.
A New Reliability Analysis Method Combining Adaptive Kriging With Weight Index Monte Carlo Simulation

In order to extend the application of reliability-based design optimization to engineering electromagnetic problems, the main contribution of this paper is to propose an efficient reliability analysis method: adaptive Kriging-assisted weight index Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The Kriging model is constructed to substitute for expensive finite-element analysis of engineering problem during optimization and reliability analysis. To improve the interpolation accuracy of Kriging, a learning function is adopted in adaptive sampling process. A weight index form of MCS method is proposed to enhance the efficiency of conventional MCS method. Finally, taking the result of conventional MCS as a reference, proposed reliability analysis method is compared with reliability index approach and sensitivity-assisted MCS methods.
The effect of dietary soy intake on weight loss, glycaemic control, lipid profiles and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary soy intake on weight loss and metabolic status of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS A randomised clinical trial was conducted among 60 women with PCOS. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups to receive either a test diet (n = 30) or a control diet (n = 30) for 8 weeks. Participants in the test group consumed a diet containing 0.8 g protein kg-1 body weight (35% animal proteins, 35% soy protein and 30% vegetable proteins) and participants in the control group consumed a similar diet containing 70% animal proteins and 30% vegetable proteins. RESULTS Adherence to the test diet, compared with the control diet, resulted in significant decreases [mean (SD)] in body mass index (BMI) [-0.3 (0.6) versus +0.1 (0.5) kg m-2 , P = 0.02], fasting plasma glucose [-0.2 (0.5) versus +0.1 (0.3) mmol L-1 , P = 0.01], total testosterone [-0.3 (0.7) versus +0.3 (0.3) mmol L-1 , P < 0.001], insulin [-15.0 (18.0) versus +4.8 (18.6) pmol L-1 , P < 0.001] and insulin resistance [-0.6 (0.6) versus +0.2 (0.7), P < 0.001], as well as a significant increase in quantitative insulin sensitivity check index [+0.01 (0.01) versus -0.002 (0.02), P = 0.01]. In addition, significant decreases in triglycerides [-0.1 (0.4) versus +0.2 (0.3) mmol L-1 , P = 0.01] and malondialdehyde (MDA) [-1.2 (1.0) versus +0.2 (1.2) μmol L-1 , P < 0.001] and significant increases in nitric oxide (NO) [+13.6 (14.1) versus +0.9 (24.3) μmol L-1 , P = 0.01] and glutathione (GSH) [+170.1 (175.5) versus +24.2 (168.7) μmol L-1 , P = 0.002] were seen in the test group compared to the control. CONCLUSIONS Adherence to test diet among subjects with PCOS significantly decreased BMI, glycaemic control, total testosterone, triglycerides and MDA, and significantly increased NO and GSH compared to the control diet.
Postpartum computed tomography angiography of the fetoplacental macrovasculature in normal pregnancies and in those complicated by fetal growth restriction

Current knowledge of the fetoplacental vasculature in fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to placental dysfunction focuses on the microvasculature rather than the macrovasculature. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of computed tomography angiography to analyze the fetoplacental macrovasculature in normal and FGR pregnancies.
Cardiovascular morbidity and the use of inhaled bronchodilators

We used the Manitoba Health database to examine the relationship between use of inhaled respiratory drugs in people with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases and cardiovascular hospitalizations from 1996 through 2000. The drugs examined were beta agonists [BA], ipratropium bromide IB, and inhaled steroids (ICS). End points were first hospitalizations for supraventricular tachycardia, myocardial infarction, heart failure or stroke. A nested case control analysis was employed comparing people with and without cardiovascular events. Cases and controls were matched for gender and age, and conditional logistic regression was used in multivariate analysis considering other respiratory drugs, respiratory diagnosis and visit frequency, non-respiratory, non-cardiac comorbidities, and receipt of drugs for cardiovascular disease. In univariate analyses, BA, IB and ICS were all associated with hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease, but in multivariate analyses ICS did not increase risk while both BA and IB did. There were interactions between respiratory and cardiac drugs receipt in that bronchodilator associated risks were higher in people not taking cardiac drugs; this was especially true for stroke. There were strong interactions with specific cardiac drugs; for example, both BA and IB substantially increased the risk of supraventricular tachycardia in patients not anti-arryhthmic agents, but not in the presence of such agents. We conclude that bronchodilator therapy for chronic obstructive diseases is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, especially in patients without previous cardiovascular diagnoses, and that this is unlikely due to the severity of the respiratory disease, since risk was not increased with ICS.
Relationship Among Economic Growth, Internet Usage and Publication Productivity: Comparison Among ASEAN and World's Best Countries

Publication productivity, as measured by the number of papers, has been regarded as one of the main indicators of reputation of countries and institutions. Nevertheless, the relationship among research publications, economic growth and World Wide Web in ASEAN countries is still unclear. The main intention of this study was to identify publication productivity among ASEAN and the world’s top ten countries in the last 16 years (1996-2011). This study also aimed at finding the relationship among publication, gross domestic product (GDP) and internet usage. Furthermore, the publication trend in the 10 first Malaysian universities was evaluated for the same periods. Scopus database was used to find the overall documents, overall citations, citations per document and international collaboration from 1996 to 2011 for each country. The World Bank database (World Data Bank) was used to collect the data for GDP and the number of internet users. Moreover, to evaluate 10 top Malaysian universities, the number of published articles, conferences, reviews, and letters for the same periods was collected. The results of this study showed significant differences among ASEAN and top 10 countries regarding publication productivity. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship was observed between indices, GDP and internet usage for these countries. Surprisingly, international collaboration had a significant and negative relationship with economic growth. Malaysia had fewer citations per document (7.64) and international collaboration (36.9%) among ASEAN countries. In conclusion, international collaboration between academic institutes and researchers is influenced by economic growth and access to internet in the countries. Furthermore, publication trends in ASEAN countries are promising. However, policy makers and science managers should try to find different ways to increase the quality of the research publication and to raise citation per document.
Homing of pelagic fish to fish aggregation devices (FADS): the role of sensory cues

We conducted a displacement experiment to determine the influence of sensory cues on homing of pelagic fish to fish aggregation devices (FADs). If pelagic fish use chemical cues to home to a FAD, and cues such as odours from fouling organisms and fish associated with the FAD only occur down-current, we hypothesised that fish released down-current from a FAD would return in higher proportions than fish released across-current. Coryphaena hippurus (n = 161) and Seriola lalandi (n = 31) were caught from January to May in 2000, 2001 and 2002 within 50 m of a FAD and displaced to release sites 20, 75, 275 or 500 m across- or down-current. Overall proportions of return of C. hippurus to FADs varied among the 3 yr, with returns highest in 2000 (48.3%), lowest in 2001 (7.6%) and intermediate in 2002 (33%). There was a strong relationship between abundance of C. hippurus around FADs and current speeds, possibly due to a behavioural shift towards closer association with FADs during strong currents. This may have affected the proportions of return in different years, as currents were strongest in 2000 (0.46 m s-1 ± 0.06), weakest in 2001 (0.13 m s-1 ± 0.02) and intermediate in 2002 (0.30 m s-1 ± 0.09). Both C. hippurus and S. lalandi returned in proportions significantly higher than could be expected if fish swam in a random direction from the point of release, indicating a directed homing behaviour. Returns from down- and across-current release sites were similar at all distances for C. hippurus and S. lalandi, providing no evidence to suggest that these species used only chemical cues to home to FADs. As fish returned from up to 275 m away, sensory processes other than vision and olfaction must operate. Sound or vibrations from associated fish and the FAD are possible cues for homing.
Adaptive neural network control of nonlinear systems by state and output feedback

This paper presents a novel control method for a general class of nonlinear systems using neural networks (NNs). Firstly, under the conditions of the system output and its time derivatives being available for feedback, an adaptive state feedback NN controller is developed. When only the output is measurable, by using a high-gain observer to estimate the derivatives of the system output, an adaptive output feedback NN controller is proposed. The closed-loop system is proven to be semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB). In addition, if the approximation accuracy of the neural networks is high enough and the observer gain is chosen sufficiently large, an arbitrarily small tracking error can be achieved. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the newly designed scheme and the theoretical discussions.
Couplage rhéologie - microstructure d'une suspension de particules dans un fluide à seuil

Numerous industrial and natural fluids, such as fresh concrete or debris flows, are made of coarse particles suspended in a yield stress fluid. Such suspensions exhibit complex rheological behaviours: elasto-plasticity, shear-thinning (non constant viscosity), normal stress differences, . , that result from the local behaviour of the suspension, and eventually from its microstructure (spatial organization of particles) [3]. In the light of results about shear-induced microstructure in concentrated suspensions of spheres in Newtonian fluids [1, 2], we experimentally addressed the role of the particle microstructure in this complex rheology. We use a model system made of non-Brownian spherical hard particles suspended in a concentrated emulsion. We associate rheological measurements to X-ray microtomography imaging techniques allowing for the determination of high resolution pair distribution functions in three dimensions. We characterize the rheological behavior and the microstructure for various shear histories (squeeze flow and rotational flow, transient and steady state, various low and high shear rates) and we relate it to their elastic and plastic properties. We show that the elastic and plastic properties of the suspensions depend strongly on shear history; in particular, for certain initial states, the materials display a strain hardening behavior. We relate all these complex properties to the observed shear-history-dependent microstructures. Mots clefs : Suspension, Fluide a seuil, Microstructure, Rheologie, Elasto-plasticite, Ecrouissage, Tomographie X, Fonction de distribution de paire 21 Congres Francais de Mecanique Bordeaux, 26 au 30 aout 2013
Body mass index and the risk of cancer in women compared with men: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Studies investigating the association between BMI and the risk of the common cancers in men or women have reported inconsistent results. We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library electronic databases for relevant articles published until April 2015. Overall, we analyzed 128 datasets (51 articles), including 154 939 incident cancer cases. The pooled relative risk ratio (RRR) (female to male) showed that the relative risk of overweight associated with colorectal [RRR: 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85–0.97] or rectal cancer (RRR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.88–0.99) was significantly lower in women than in men. However, the relative risk of overweight associated with lung (RRR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.06–1.22) or kidney cancer (RRR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.05–1.26) was significantly higher in women than in men. Furthermore, the relative risk of obesity associated with liver (RRR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51–0.99), colorectal (RRR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.75–0.93), colon (RRR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.68–0.0.78), rectal (RRR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76–0.92), and kidney cancer (RRR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.06–1.37) differed significantly between women and men. Finally, the relative risk of underweight associated with gastric (RRR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70–0.97), liver (RRR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71–0.97), and gallbladder cancer (RRR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.04–1.49) differed significantly according to sex. In conclusion, our study showed that the association between BMI and the risk of several cancers was significantly different between the sexes. For some cancer types, the sex difference was affected by country, sample size, follow-up duration, and study quality.
Molecular mechanisms of microtubule-dependent kinetochore transport toward spindle poles

In mitosis, kinetochores are initially captured by the lateral sides of single microtubules and are subsequently transported toward spindle poles. Mechanisms for kinetochore transport are not yet known. We present two mechanisms involved in microtubule-dependent poleward kinetochore transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, kinetochores slide along the microtubule lateral surface, which is mainly and probably exclusively driven by Kar3, a kinesin-14 family member that localizes at kinetochores. Second, kinetochores are tethered at the microtubule distal ends and pulled poleward as microtubules shrink (end-on pulling). Kinetochore sliding is often converted to end-on pulling, enabling more processive transport, but the opposite conversion is rare. The establishment of end-on pulling is partly hindered by Kar3, and its progression requires the Dam1 complex. We suggest that the Dam1 complexes, which probably encircle a single microtubule, can convert microtubule depolymerization into the poleward kinetochore-pulling force. Thus, microtubule-dependent poleward kinetochore transport is ensured by at least two distinct mechanisms.
Commonalities and Differences in the Substrates Underlying Consolidation of First- and Second-Order Conditioned Fear

Consolidation of newly formed fear memories requires a series of molecular events within the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA). Once consolidated, new information can be assimilated into these established associative networks to form higher-order associations. Much is known about the molecular events involved in consolidating newly acquired fear memories but little is known about the events that consolidate a secondary fear memory. Here, we show that, within the male rat BLA, DNA methylation and gene transcription are crucial for consolidating both the primary and secondary fear memories. We also show that consolidation of the primary, but not the secondary, fear memory requires de novo protein synthesis in the BLA. These findings show that consolidation of a fear memory and its updating to incorporate new information recruit distinct processes in the BLA, and suggest that DNA methylation in the BLA is fundamental to consolidation of both types of conditioned fear. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our data provide clear evidence that a different set of mechanisms mediate consolidation of learning about cues that signal learned sources of danger (i.e., second-order conditioned fear) compared with those involved in consolidation of learning about cues that signal innate sources of danger (i.e., first-order conditioned fear). These findings carry important implications because second-order learning could underlie aberrant fear-related behaviors (e.g., in anxiety disorders) as a consequence of neutral secondary cues being integrated into associative fear networks established through first-order pairings, and thereby becoming potent conditioned reinforcers and predictors of fear. Therefore, our data suggest that targeting such second-order conditioned triggers of fear may require pharmacological intervention different to that typically used for first-order conditioned cues.
Bivariate flow cytometric analysis and sorting of different types of maize starch grains

Particle‐size distribution, granular structure, and composition significantly affect the physicochemical properties, rheological properties, and nutritional function of starch. Flow cytometry and flow sorting are widely considered convenient and efficient ways of classifying and separating natural biological particles or other substances into subpopulations, respectively, based on the differential response of each component to stimulation by a light beam; the results allow for the correlation analysis of parameters. In this study, different types of starches isolated from waxy maize, sweet maize, high‐amylose maize, pop maize, and normal maize were initially classified into various subgroups by flow cytometer and then collected through flow sorting to observe their morphology and particle‐size distribution. The results showed that a 0.25% Gelzan solution served as an optimal reagent for keeping individual starch particles homogeneously dispersed in suspension for a relatively long time. The bivariate flow cytometric population distributions indicated that the starches of normal maize, sweet maize, and pop maize were divided into two subgroups, whereas high‐amylose maize starch had only one subgroup. Waxy maize starch, conversely, showed three subpopulations. The subgroups sorted by flow cytometer were determined and verified in terms of morphology and granule size by scanning electron microscopy and laser particle distribution analyzer. Results showed that flow cytometry can be regarded as a novel method for classifying and sorting starch granules. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Effect of Wind Farm Noise on Local Residents’ Decision to Adopt Mitigation Measures

Wind turbines’ noise is frequently pointed out as the reason for local communities’ objection to the installation of wind farms. The literature suggests that local residents feel annoyed by such noise and that, in many instances, this is significant enough to make them adopt noise-abatement interventions on their homes. Aiming at characterizing the relationship between wind turbine noise, annoyance, and mitigating actions, we propose a novel conceptual framework. The proposed framework posits that actual sound pressure levels of wind turbines determine individual homes’ noise-abatement decisions; in addition, the framework analyzes the role that self-reported annoyance, and perception of noise levels, plays on the relationship between actual noise pressure levels and those decisions. The application of this framework to a particular case study shows that noise perception and annoyance constitutes a link between the two. Importantly, however, noise also directly affects people’s decision to adopt mitigating measures, independently of the reported annoyance.
Effects of the ammonium loading rate on nitrite-oxidizing activity during nitrification at a high dose of inorganic carbon

ABSTRACT In this study, the effects of the ammonium loading rate (ALR) and inorganic carbon loading rate (ILR) on the nitrification performance and composition of a nitrifying bacterial community were investigated in a moving bed biofilm reactor, using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) sponge cubes as a supporting carrier. Between the two ALRs of 0.36 and 2.16 kg-N m−1 d−1, stable partial nitritation was achieved at the higher ALR. Inorganic carbon was dosed at high levels: 33.1, 22.0, 16.4, 11.0, and 5.4 times the theoretical amount. Nonetheless, nitrification efficiency was not affected by the ILR at the two ALRs. Quantitative PCR analysis of ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria revealed that ALR is an important determinant of partial nitritation by accumulating ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the nitrification system. In comparison, two nitrite-oxidizing bacterial genera (Nitrobacter and Nitrospira) showed almost the same relative abundance at various ALRs and ILRs. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism targeting the gene of ammonia monooxygenase subunit A revealed that Nitrosomonas europaea dominated under all conditions.