Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant supplementation enhances neutrophil oxidative burst in trained runners following prolonged exercise.

The influence of an antioxidant vitamin supplement on immune cell response to prolonged exercise was determined using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Twelve healthy endurance subjects (n = 6 male, n = 6 female; mean +/- SD for age, 30.1 +/- 6.2 yr; height, 1.76 +/- 7 m; body mass, 72.2 +/- 10.2 kg; VO2max, 63.7 +/- 12 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) participated in the study. Following a 3-week period during which subjects ingested a multivitamin and -mineral complex sufficient to meet the recommended daily allowance, they took either a placebo or an antioxidant vitamin supplement (containing 18 mg beta-carotene, 900 mg vitamin C, and 90 mg vitamin E) for 7 days prior to a 2-h treadmill run at 65% VO2max. Blood samples were drawn prior to and immediately following exercise. These were analyzed for neutrophil oxidative burst activity, cortisol and glucose concentrations, and white blood cell counts, as well as serum anti-oxidant vitamin concentrations. Plasma vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene concentrations significantly increased following 7-day supplementation (p < .05). In comparison to the placebo group, neutrophil oxidative burst was significantly higher following exercise (p < .05), but no differences were found in any other parameter following the 7-day supplementation period. Although the impact of exercise on neutrophil function is multifactorial, our data suggest that antioxidant supplementation may be of benefit to endurance athletes for the maintenance of this particular function of the innate immune system following the 7-day supplementation period.
Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Anderson River N.W.T.

Vertebrate remains have been recovered from two horizons in late Cretaceous strata along the east bank of the Anderson River at latitude 69 °N. The lower horizon has produced a fauna very similar to that of the Niobrara Chalk in western Kansas, including mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and abundant toothed birds. The upper horizon has yielded a moderately short-necked plesiosaur of cimoliasaurian affinities. These vertebrates lived in or near a strait linking the Arctic Ocean with the interior sea in very late Cretaceous time.
Impact of surveillance for Barrett's oesophagus on tumour stage and survival of patients with neoplastic progression

Objective Endoscopic surveillance for Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is under discussion given the overall low incidence of neoplastic progression and lack of evidence that it prevents advanced oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of endoscopic BO surveillance on tumour stage and survival of patients with neoplastic progression. Design 783 patients with BO of at least 2 cm were included in a multicentre prospective cohort and followed during surveillance according to the American College of Gastroenterology guidelines. Cases of high-grade dysplasia and OAC were identified during follow-up. OAC staging was performed according to the 7th UICC-AJCC classification. Survival data were collected and crosschecked using death and municipal registries. Data from patients with OAC in the general population were obtained from the Dutch cancer registry. We compared survival of patients with BO with neoplastic progression during surveillance with those of patients without neoplastic progression and patients with OAC in the general population. Results 53 patients with BO developed high-grade dysplasia or OAC during surveillance. Thirty-five (66%) were classified as stage 0, 14 (26%) as stage 1 and 4 (8%) as stage 2. OAC was diagnosed at an earlier stage during BO surveillance than in the general population (p<0.001). Survival of patients with BO with neoplastic progression was not significantly worse than those of patients without neoplastic progression and similar to survival of patients with stage 0 or stage 1 OAC in the general population. Conclusions OAC is detected at an earlier stage during BO surveillance than in the general population with good survival rates.
On-line heart beat recognition using hermite polynomials and neuro-fuzzy network

The paper presents the neuro-fuzzy approach to the recognition and classification of heart rhythms on the basis of ECG waveforms. The important part in recognition fulfills the Hermite characterization of the QRS complexes. The Hermite coefficients serve as the features of the process. These features are applied to the fuzzy neural network for the recognition. The results of numerical experiments have confirmed the very good performance of such a solution.
Sequential fixed width confidence intervals

We consider the problem of constructing confidence intervals of fixed width d and confidence level γ for the success probability p in Bernoulli trials. Algorithms are given for calculating numerical lower bounds on the average expected sample size required and an asymptotic lower bound is obtained as d -> 0. Sequential and two-stage procedures are proposed that attain the asymptotic lower bounds and nearly attain the numerical lower bounds. Asymptotically optimal sequential and two-stage confidence intervals of fixed width and confidence level are proposed for the mean in a general (non-Bernoulli) context.
Effect of changing tillage practices after four years of continuous reduced tillage

Conservation tillage research indicated that continuous use of no-tillage or shallow tillage causes an increase in soil dry bulk density, in weed infestation and reduced yields. In a four-year experiment in Greece in a clay loam soil, five tillage methods using plough, heavy cultivator, rotary cultivator, disk harrow and no-tillage for primary tillage were compared. The adverse effects of conservation tillage mentioned were observed. During the experiment all crop residues were incorporated into the soil. In order to study the effect of using deep soil loosening in conservation tillage plots a change in tillage was made such that plots with continuous five yearof a tillage system can be compared to plots with four years of each studied treatment and for the fifth combination of all others. The results of the experiment showed that conservation tillage methods increased weed infestations. Ploughing for a year decreased weed populations. Five years of no tillage caused an increase of soil dry bulk density to 1.60 g/cm3 compared to 1.12 g/cm3 for conventional tillage. Deep soil loosening after four years reduced dry bulk density considerably. Soil organic matter at a depth 0-10 cm increased after five years of no tillage to 2.78 % compared to 1.56% of conventional tillage and around 1.2 % at the beginning of the experiment. At depth 10-20 cm conventional tillage had 1.77% organic matter compared to 1.33% for no tillage. Year 2001 was a very dry one and reduced tillage methods had the best plant emergence with ploughing and no tillage giving the lower emergence rates. But at the end of the period ploughing gave the best yields.
Freshwater stream ecosystems of James Ross Island, Antarctica

The freshwater streams of James Ross Island share many of the features common to other Antarctic streams. There is a diel variation in temperature and discharge, which follows the daily insolation cycle; catchments are barren; stream vegetation is predominantly algal, comprising mat-forming cyanobacteria and filamentous chlorophytes; and physical factors, particularly turbidity and bed stability are important in determining biomass and composition of algal assemblages. Nutrient concentrations vary from stream to stream and over a diel cycle, with minimum dissolved N in late afternoon. Biomass attained and photosynthetic and respiratory rates are also comparable to those recorded in other Antarctic streams, with low productivity/biomass ratios in perennial assemblages.
Effect of age upon the induction and maintenance of anticoagulation with warfarin.

We aimed to examine the effect of age upon the control of anticoagulation with warfarin in ordinary clinical practice, using a retrospective examination of routine anticoagulation clinic records from the University Hospital, Nottingham. Considerable over-anticoagulation (international normalisation ratio (INR) > 6.0) during induction occurred in 54 (11%) of 495 patients and was more likely in older patients (p < 0.05). Lesser degrees of over-anticoagulation during induction (INR > 4.0) were also more common in older patients, occurring in 58% of those aged 75 or above. Loading doses of warfarin were not reduced in older patients. INR in the maintenance phase rose with age (p < 0.001) despite lower maintenance doses of warfarin (p < 0.001). An INR > 6.0 in the maintenance phase was noted in 24 (3%) of 739 patients and again was more likely in older patients (p < 0.05). Patients using ambulance transport to the clinic were older than those who did not (p < 0.01) and those aged over 75 had shorter intervals between clinic visits (p < 0.01). We conclude that doctors using warfarin therapy do not take sufficient account of the increased sensitivity of older people to warfarin. Hospital anticoagulant policies need implementation and evaluation.
Anticipation boosts forgetting of voluntarily suppressed memories

The role of anticipatory mechanisms in human memory control is poorly understood. Addressing the issue we investigated whether the presence of an anticipatory phase can enhance effects of cognitive control, as they occur during voluntary suppression of episodic memories. Using the Think/No-Think task, participants first learned several face–word associations, and thereafter were asked to either recall (think) or suppress (no-think) the word when provided with the word's face cue. In the one condition participants performed the Think/No-Think task in the presence of an anticipatory phase, giving participants the chance to prepare for memory suppression. In the other condition participants performed the task without such an anticipatory phase. On the final cued recall test participants were asked to recall all of the previously studied words. The results showed stronger forgetting of to-be-suppressed items in the presence than absence of the anticipatory phase. The finding is first evidence for the effectiveness of anticipatory mechanisms in human memory suppression.
Pathologic Support for Limited Hepatectomy in the Treatment of Liver Metastases from Colorectal Cancer

ObjectiveThe authors determined an appropriate surgical treatment for liver metastases from colorectal cancers. Clinicopathologic features of metastatic lesions of colorectal cancers were studied. Summary Background DataMajor hepatic resection is the usual procedure for treatment of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancers. MethodsForty consecutive patients who underwent hepatic resections were prospectively studied, for a total of 89 metastatic liver tumors. ResultsMetastatic tumor often extended along Glisson's capsule, including invasion to the portal vein (9 cases), the hepatic vein (3 cases), the bile duct (16 cases), and the nerve (6 cases). The main tumor had small satellite nodules in only one patient, and there were no microscopic deposits in the parenchyma, even within 10 mm from the metastatic tumors. Fibrous pseudocapsule formation was observed in 28 patients. DiscussionThe rarity of intrahepatic metastasis from metastatic tumor supports nonanatomic limited hepatic resection as the procedure of choice for metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver. The spread via Glisson's capsule should be taken into consideration for complete tumor clearance.
High Bandwidth Tunability in a Smart Vibration Absorber

An electrically tunable vibration absorber based on the strong δE effect of Terfenol-D has been developed. A general description of tuned vibration absorbers is presented along with a description of the magnetostrictive effects that make an electrically tunable Terfenol-D vibration aborber function. It is emphasized that the large modulus changes achievable with the proposed magnetostrictive vibration absorber arise as a consequence of the stiffening of the crystal lattice as the magnetic field is increased from the demagnetized state to magnetic saturation. This is in contrast to the small modulus changes often reported in the literature which are achieved by operating smart materials between their open- and short-circuit states. Experimental results are presented that show agreement with prior art and demonstrate control of a magnetostrictive actuator resonant frequency between 1375 Hz and 2010 Hz by electrically varying the elastic modulus of a magnetostrictive material. This operating principle is then implemented to obtain high bandwidth tunability in a Terfenol-D vibration absorber.
Systems-Based Practice Learning Opportunities in Student-Run Clinics: A Qualitative Analysis of Student Experiences

Purpose Student-run clinics (SRCs) provide preclerkship medical students with systems-based practice (SBP) experiences as they engage in patient care and manage clinic operations. This study explored the types and context of SBP activities students participate in at SRCs. Method Between November 2011 and February 2012, the authors conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of medical students who served as volunteers and coordinators (student leadership role) at four independently run SRCs within the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. They also interviewed SRC faculty advisors. Interviews focused on student roles in SRCs, SBP learning opportunities in SRCs, and comparisons of SBP experiences in SRCs with those in the formal preclerkship curriculum. The authors used thematic analysis techniques to code and synthesize data. Results Data from interviews with 8 volunteers, 14 coordinators, and 4 faculty suggested six major domains related to SBP learning opportunities in SRCs: interprofessional roles and collaboration; clinic organization; patient factors affecting access to care; awareness of the larger health care system and continuity of care; resource acquisition and allocation; and systems improvement. Coordinators, who managed SRCs, demonstrated greater depth of SBP understanding than volunteers, who provided patient care. Students and faculty agreed that SRCs provided students with SBP learning opportunities beyond those available in the formal curriculum. Conclusions Preclerkship students’ participation in SRCs provides opportunities for in-depth learning of SBP, particularly among students who take on leadership roles. SRCs may model ways to effectively introduce key components of SBP to early medical learners.
Molecular Weight Distribution of Proteins Synthesized in Single, Identified Neurons of Aplysia

Parietovisceral ganglia from Aplysia californica were incubated in medium containing leucine-3H. Single, identified nerve cell somas were isolated from the ganglia, and their proteins extracted and separated by electrophoresis on 5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The distribution of total or newly synthesized proteins from the single neurons was determined by staining or slicing and liquid scintillation counting of the gels. Experiments showed that: (a) a number of proteins were being synthesized in abundance in the nerve cells; (b) different, identified neurons showed reproducibly different labeling patterns in the gels; (c) cells R2 and R15, which showed different distributions of radioactivity in the gels, had similar staining patterns; and (d) there was significant incorporation into material of high (>75,000) molecular weight in most of the cells.
Decadal time scale trends and variability in the tropospheric circulation over the South Pole

This paper documents significant long-term changes in the tropospheric circulation and progression of the seasonal cycle over the South Pole and relates aspects of the changes to the enhanced springtime stratospheric ozone depletion of recent decades. During the winter-to-summer transition over Antarctica, the formation of the thermal tropopause above 150 hPa is now delayed by a month compared to the early 1960s. A similar delay occurs in the breakdown of the winter polar stratospheric vortex, a prerequisite to the formation of the strong summertime tropopause near 300 hPa. A delay in tropopause formation implies delays in those aspects of the transition from winter to summer in the dynamics of the troposphere that are sensitive to its upper boundary condition, including the contraction of the Rossby radius of deformation during the shallow troposphere phase of summer. Consistent with this expectation, the normal springtime decline of baroclinic-eddy activity in the lower troposphere now occurs later by a month. Similar delays occur in the time of an early summer minimum in total cloud fraction that coincides with the time of the maximum stratification between 150 and 100 hPa. In addition, the analyses reveal (1) an increase of 15 to 20% in spring and summer cloud fraction over the last four decades; (2) a separation of spring and summer cloudiness into two transport regimes with a distinct intervening minimum in cloud fraction; (3) a decadal modulation of springtime cloudiness that is coincident with decadal shifts in the directional mode of 300-hPa winds following solar minima; (4) a long-term increase in total inversion strength, inversion depth, and 650- to 300-hPa thickness; and (5) a long-term decrease in wintertime surface wind speed, surface temperature, and near-surface lapse rate. The study also introduces a covariance technique that exploits the control by continental-scale orography of synoptic and surface flow regimes, increasing the value of lower tropospheric observations for the study of climate change over Antarctica. Finally, a cautionary note arises from the apparent effect of the Weddell Polynyas and the reduction of the maximum extent of sea ice of the middle to late 1970s, with increased tropospheric and lower stratospheric temperatures and an earlier time of formation of the tropopause. This observation suggests that the occurrence of decadal and subdecadal variability in the ocean and the atmosphere of the Southern Hemisphere may obscure the detection of long-term trends in the circulation over Antarctica.
Face, eye, and body selective responses in fusiform gyrus and adjacent cortex: an intracranial EEG study

Functional MRI (fMRI) studies have investigated the degree to which processing of whole faces, face-parts, and bodies are differentially localized within the fusiform gyrus and adjacent ventral occipitotemporal cortex. While some studies have emphasized the spatial differentiation of processing into discrete areas, others have emphasized the overlap of processing and the importance of distributed patterns of activity. Intracranial EEG (iEEG) recorded from subdural electrodes provides excellent temporal and spatial resolution of local neural activity, and thus provides an alternative method to fMRI for studying differences and commonalities in face and body processing. In this study we recorded iEEG from 12 patients while they viewed images of novel faces, isolated eyes, headless bodies, and flowers. Event-related potential analysis identified 69 occipitotemporal sites at which there was a face-, eye-, or body-selective response when contrasted to flowers. However, when comparing faces, eyes, and bodies to each other at these sites, we identified only 3 face-specific, 13 eye-specific, and 1 body-specific electrodes. Thus, at the majority of sites, faces, eyes, and bodies evoked similar responses. However, we identified ten locations at which the amplitude of the responses spatially varied across adjacent electrodes, indicating that the configuration of current sources and sinks were different for faces, eyes, and bodies. Our results also demonstrate that eye-sensitive regions are more abundant and more purely selective than face- or body-sensitive regions, particularly in lateral occipitotemporal cortex.
Aberrant proteins in the saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Confirmation of oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) currently relies on histological analysis, which does not provide clear indication of cancer development from precancerous lesions. In the present study, whole saliva proteins of patients with OSCC (n = 12) and healthy subjects (n = 12) were separated by 2DE to identify potential candidate biomarkers that are much needed to improve detection of the cancer. The OSCC patients’ 2DE saliva protein profiles appeared unique and different from those obtained from the healthy subjects. The patients’ saliva α1‐antitrypsin (AAT) and haptoglobin (HAP) β chains were resolved into polypeptide spots with increased microheterogeneity, although these were not apparent in their sera. Their 2DE protein profiles also showed presence of hemopexin and α‐1B glycoprotein, which were not detected in the profiles of the control saliva. When subjected to densitometry analysis, significant altered levels of AAT, complement C3, transferrin, transthyretin, and β chains of fibrinogen and HAP were detected. The increased levels of saliva AAT, HAP, complement C3, hemopexin, and transthyretin in the OSCC patients were validated by ELISA. The strong association of AAT and HAP with OSCC was further supported by immunohistochemical staining of cancer tissues. The differently expressed saliva proteins may be useful complementary biomarkers for the early detection and/or monitoring of OSCC, although this requires validation in clinically representative populations.
An Active Role of the ΔN Isoform of p63 in Regulating Basal Keratin Genes K5 and K14 and Directing Epidermal Cell Fate

Background One major defining characteristic of the basal keratinocytes of the stratified epithelium is the expression of the keratin genes K5 and K14. The temporal and spatial expression of these two genes is usually tightly and coordinately regulated at the transcriptional level. This ensures the obligate pairing of K5 and K14 proteins to generate an intermediate filament (IF) network that is essential for the structure and function of the proliferative keratinocytes. Our previous studies have shown that the basal-keratinocyte restricted transcription factor p63 is a direct regulator of K14 gene. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we provide evidence that p63, specifically the ΔN isoform also regulates the expression of the K5 gene by binding to a conserved enhancer within the 5′ upstream region. By using specific antibodies against ΔNp63, we show a concordance in the expression between basal keratins and ΔNp63 proteins but not the TAp63 isoforms during early embryonic skin development. We demonstrate, that contrary to a previous report, transgenic mice expressing ΔNp63 in lung epithelium exhibit squamous metaplasia with de novo induction of K5 and K14 as well as transdifferentiation to the epidermal cell lineage. Interestingly, the in vivo epidermal inductive properties of ΔNp63 do not require the C-terminal SAM domain. Finally, we show that ΔNp63 alone can restore the expression of the basal keratins and reinitiate the failed epidermal differentiation program in the skin of p63 null animals. Significance ΔNp63 is a critical mediator of keratinocyte stratification program and directly regulates the basal keratin genes.