Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retention of estradiol negative feedback relationship to LH predicts ovulation in response to caloric restriction and weight loss in obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

The present study tests the hypothesis that specific endocrine, metabolic, and anthropometric features distinguish obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who resume ovulation in response to calorie restriction and weight loss from those who do not. Fifteen obese (body mass index 39 +/- 7 kg/m(2)) hyperandrogenemic oligoovulatory patients undertook a very low calorie diet (VLCD), wherein each lost > or =10% of body weight over a mean of 6.25 mo. Body fat distribution was quantitated by magnetic resonance imaging. Hormones were measured in the morning at baseline, after 1 wk of VLCD, and after 10% weight loss. To monitor LH release, blood was sampled for 24 h at 10-min intervals before intervention and after 7 days of VLCD. Responders were defined a priori as individuals exhibiting two or more ovulatory cycles in the course of intervention, as corroborated by serum progesterone concentrations > or =18 nmol/l followed by vaginal bleeding. At baseline, responders had a higher sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) concentration but were otherwise indistinguishable from nonresponders. Body weight, the size of body fat depots, and plasma insulin levels declined to a similar extent in responders and nonresponders. Also, SHBG increased, and the free testosterone index decreased comparably. However, responders exhibited a significant decline of circulating estradiol concentrations (from 191 +/- 82 to 158 +/- 77 pmol/l, means +/- SD, P = 0.037) and a concurrent increase in LH secretion (from 104 +/- 42 to 140 +/- 5 U.l(-1). day(-1), P = 0.006) in response to 7 days of VLCD, whereas neither parameter changed significantly in nonresponders. We infer that evidence of retention of estradiol-dependent negative feedback on LH secretion may forecast follicle maturation and ovulation in obese patients with PCOS under dietary restriction.
Cardioprotective Actions by a Water‐Soluble Carbon nMonoxide‐Releasing Molecule

&NA; Carbon monoxide, which is generated in mammals during the degradation of heme by the enzyme heme oxygenase, is an important signaling mediator. Transition metal carbonyls have been recently shown to function as carbon monoxide‐releasing molecules (CO‐RMs) and to elicit distinct pharmacological activities in biological systems. In the present study, we report that a water‐soluble form of CO‐RM promotes cardioprotection in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, we found that tricarbonylchloro(glycinato)ruthenium(II) (CORM‐3) is stable in water at acidic pH but in physiological buffers rapidly liberates CO in solution. Cardiac cells pretreated with CORM‐3 (10 to 50 &mgr;mol/L) become more resistant to the damage caused by hypoxia‐reoxygenation and oxidative stress. In addition, isolated hearts reperfused in the presence of CORM‐3 (10 &mgr;mol/L) after an ischemic event displayed a significant recovery in myocardial performance and a marked and significant reduction in cardiac muscle damage and infarct size. The cardioprotective effects mediated by CORM‐3 in cardiac cells and isolated hearts were totally abolished by 5‐hydroxydecanoic acid, an inhibitor of mitochondrial ATP‐dependent potassium channels. Predictably, cardioprotection is lost when CORM‐3 is replaced by an inactive form (iCORM‐3) that is incapable of liberating CO. Using a model of cardiac allograft rejection in mice, we also found that treatment of recipients with CORM‐3 but not iCORM‐3 considerably prolonged the survival rate of transplanted hearts. These data corroborate the notion that transition metal carbonyls could be used as carriers to deliver CO and highlight the bioactivity and potential therapeutic features of CO‐RMs in the mitigation of cardiac dysfunction. The full text of this article is available online at http://www.circresaha. org. (Circ Res. 2003;93:e2‐e8.)
Interspecies Prediction of Human Drug Clearance Based on Scaling Data from One or Two Animal Species

A data-driven approach was adopted to derive new one- and two-species-based methods for predicting human drug clearance (CL) using CL data from rat, dog, or monkey (n = 102). The new one-species methods were developed as CLhuman/kg = 0.152 · CLrat/kg, CLhuman/kg = 0.410 · CLdog/kg, and CLhuman/kg = 0.407 · CLmonkey/kg, referred to as the rat, dog, and monkey methods, respectively. The coefficient of the monkey method (0.407) was similar to that of the monkey liver blood flow (LBF) method (0.467), whereas the coefficients of the rat method (0.152) and dog method (0.410) were considerably different from those of the LBF methods (rat, 0.247; dog, 0.700). The new rat and dog methods appeared to perform better than the corresponding LBF methods, whereas the monkey method and the monkey LBF method showed improved predictability compared with the rat and dog one-species-based methods and the allometrically based “rule of exponents” (ROE). The new two-species methods were developed as CLhuman = arat-dog · W human0.628 (referred to as rat-dog method) and CLhuman = arat-monkey · W human0.650 (referred to as rat-monkey method), where arat-dog and arat-monkey are the coefficients obtained allometrically from the corresponding two species. The predictive performance of the two-species methods was comparable with that of the three-species-based ROE. Twenty-six Wyeth compounds having data from mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and human were used to test these methods. The results showed that the rat, dog, monkey, rat-dog, and rat-monkey methods provided improved predictions for the majority of the compounds compared with those for the ROE, suggesting that the use of three or more species in an allometrically based approach may not be necessary for the prediction of human exposure.
On the capacity loss due to separation of detection and decoding

The performance loss due to separation of detection and decoding on the binary-input additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel is quantified in terms of mutual information. Results are reported for both the code-division multiple-access (CDMA) channel in the large system limit and the intersymbol interference (ISI) channel. The results for CDMA rely on the replica method developed in statistical mechanics. It is shown that a previous result of Shamai and Verdu found for Gaussian input alphabet holds also for binary input alphabets. For the ISI channel, the performance loss is calculated via the Bahl-Cocke-Jelinek-Raviv (BCJR) algorithm. Comparisons are made to the capacity of separate detection and decoding using suboptimum detectors such as a decision-feedback equalizer.
Site-specific subtypes of macrophages recruited after peripheral nerve injury

After partial ligation of mouse sciatic nerve, the subtypes of macrophages were examined in the injured nerve and dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Many M1 macrophages, which were inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-positive and arginase-1 (Arg-1)-negative, and neutrophils infiltrated the injured nerve. In contrast, almost all macrophages infiltrating the ipsilateral side of DRGs after the nerve injury were iNOS−/Arg-1+, M2 type. The infiltration of M1 and M2 macrophages was first observed in the injured nerve and ipsilateral DRGs on days 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, the macrophage infiltration preceded the activation of microglia in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of spinal cord. Thus, infiltrating macrophages after peripheral nerve injury may play unique roles dependent on the location in the development of neuropathic pain.
Bedrock Topography of French Village Quadrangle, St. Clair County, Illinois

The Illinois State Geological Survey, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the State of Illinois make no guarantee, expressed or implied, regarding the correctness of the interpretations presented in this document and accept no liability for the consequences of decisions made by others on the basis of the information presented here. The geologic interpretations are based on data that may vary with respect to accuracy of geographic location, the type and quantity of data available at each location, and the scientific/technical qualifications of the data sources. Illinois Geologic Quadrangle Map IGQ French Village-BT
Evaluation of Sea Surface Temperature From the HY-2 Scanning Microwave Radiometer

Haiyang-2 (HY-2) is the first marine dynamic environmental satellite of China, which was launched on August 16, 2011. The scanning microwave radiometer (RM) onboard HY-2 has low-frequency channels with the capability of observing sea surface temperature (SST) from space. In this paper, the Level 2A (L2A) SST products of HY-2 RM are evaluated. The global HY-2 RM L2A SST products are compared with the buoy SST measurements, WindSat SST, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Optimum Interpolation (OI) weekly SST products for the period from January 2012 to December 2014. The collocations of HY-2 RM, WindSat, and buoy SST data are generated with the spatial window of 0.25° and the temporal window of 0.5 h. The biases are −0.45 °C (RM minus buoy) and −0.41 °C (RM minus WindSat) and the corresponding standard deviations are 1.73 °C and 1.72 °C. The comparisons of the weekly averaged HY-2 RM and OI SST show that the biases of each week difference are from −1.06 °C to 0.48 °C with the mean value of −0.30 °C. The standard deviations of the SST difference are from 0.83 °C to 1.47 °C with the mean value of 1.05 °C. The relationships between SST difference and the sea surface and atmospheric parameters, such as wind speed, wind direction, SST, and water vapor are investigated.
Responsiveness and Construct Validity of the Depression, Anxiety, and Positive Outlook Scale (DAPOS)

BackgroundThe Depression, Anxiety, and Positive Outlook Scale (DAPOS) was designed to measure mood in pain populations without contamination from somatic items. AimsThe current study examined responsiveness, internal consistency, and construct validity in pain patients. MethodA questionnaire survey before and after a multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention was completed by chronic pain patients, the majority of whom had back pain. ResultsThe DAPOS showed excellent internal consistency (N=222, Cronbach α=0.86 for the Depression subscale, 0.90 for the Anxiety subscale, and 0.74 for the Positive Outlook subscale) and construct validity (N=82) in comparison with a variety of measures (SF-36; Pain Catastrophizing Scale; Zung Depression). Responsiveness was acceptable (ranging between 0.5 and 0.7, for both the mean change in score after treatment to the variability in patients at baseline, and the standardized response mean), although considerably lower than the Zung Depression Inventory. However, reanalysis without somatic items rendered the responsiveness of the Zung inadequate, indicating that change on this measure was due almost entirely to change in somatic symptoms without change in mood. ConclusionsResponsiveness of the DAPOS should be reassessed in treatment targeting mood change explicitly. The DAPOS scales show acceptable clinimetric and psychometric properties, and add a measurement of positive outlook to create a more balanced indication of mood in pain patients.
Vertebral Pneumaticity in the Ornithomimosaur Archaeornithomimus (Dinosauria: Theropoda) Revealed by Computed Tomography Imaging and Reappraisal of Axial Pneumaticity in Ornithomimosauria

Among extant vertebrates, pneumatization of postcranial bones is unique to birds, with few known exceptions in other groups. Through reduction in bone mass, this feature is thought to benefit flight capacity in modern birds, but its prevalence in non-avian dinosaurs of variable sizes has generated competing hypotheses on the initial adaptive significance of postcranial pneumaticity. To better understand the evolutionary history of postcranial pneumaticity, studies have surveyed its distribution among non-avian dinosaurs. Nevertheless, the degree of pneumaticity in the basal coelurosaurian group Ornithomimosauria remains poorly known, despite their potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the early evolution of pneumatic bones along the lineage leading to birds. Historically, the identification of postcranial pneumaticity in non-avian dinosaurs has been based on examination of external morphology, and few studies thus far have focused on the internal architecture of pneumatic structures inside the bones. Here, we describe the vertebral pneumaticity of the ornithomimosaur Archaeornithomimus with the aid of X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. Complementary examination of external and internal osteology reveals (1) highly pneumatized cervical vertebrae with an elaborate configuration of interconnected chambers within the neural arch and the centrum; (2) anterior dorsal vertebrae with pneumatic chambers inside the neural arch; (3) apneumatic sacral vertebrae; and (4) a subset of proximal caudal vertebrae with limited pneumatic invasion into the neural arch. Comparisons with other theropod dinosaurs suggest that ornithomimosaurs primitively exhibited a plesiomorphic theropod condition for axial pneumaticity that was extended among later taxa, such as Archaeornithomimus and large bodied Deinocheirus. This finding corroborates the notion that evolutionary increases in vertebral pneumaticity occurred in parallel among independent lineages of bird-line archosaurs. Beyond providing a comprehensive view of vertebral pneumaticity in a non-avian coelurosaur, this study demonstrates the utility and need of CT imaging for further clarifying the early evolutionary history of postcranial pneumaticity.
Sustaining water easing scarcity: a second update.

This Population Action International report re-estimates projected water supplies by 2050 in accordance with revised 1996 UN population projections. The report summarizes the causes and consequences of water scarcity and explains the importance of slower population growth. Water scarcity issues will depend in part on how rapidly population grows. Current estimates update a 1993 report. 400 million to 1.5 billion fewer people will live in water shortage countries by 2050 than had been previously projected. The improved scenario does not eliminate the concern about renewable freshwater scarcity for many millions. Currently over 430 million people live in countries experiencing water stress. By 2050 the percentage of people living in water-stressed countries will increase three- to five-fold. Data on population growth were obtained from "UN World Population Prospects: the 1996 Revision"; data on water supplies from "World Resources 1996-97: A Guide to the Global Environment. " This revision is necessary because world population growth is slowing more dramatically than previously expected. Larger population size is the most significant human influence on the availability of fresh water. A Swedish hydrologist established a water stress index that indicates that humans require an estimated 100 liters/person/day for basic drinking bathing and cooking. 5-20 times this amount is needed to meet the demands of agriculture industry and energy. Countries with over 1700 cu. meters of renewable fresh water per person per year will experience intermittent or localized water shortages. Chronic and widespread water scarcity occurs under 1000 cu. meters. The figures refer to renewable fresh water. Figures do not account for nonrenewable groundwater timing or seasonality or adaptability of nations. Amounts above 1700 cu. meters do not assure an abundant freshwater supply at all times and in all places.
The Arabidopsis thaliana ABC Protein Superfamily, a Complete Inventory*

We describe the first complete inventory of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins from a multicellular organism, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. By the application of several search criteria,Arabidopsis was found to contain a total of 129 open reading frames (ORFs) capable of encoding ABC proteins, of which 103 possessed contiguous transmembrane spans and were identified as putative intrinsic membrane proteins. Fifty-two of the putative intrinsic membrane proteins contained at least two transmembrane domains (TMDs) and two nucleotide-binding folds (NBFs) and could be classified as belonging to one of five subfamilies of full-molecule transporters. The other 51 putative membrane proteins, all of which were half-molecule transporters, fell into five subfamilies. Of the remaining ORFs identified, all of which encoded proteins lacking TMDs, 11 could be classified into three subfamilies. There were no obvious homologs in other organisms for 15 of the ORFs which encoded a heterogeneous group of non-intrinsic ABC proteins (NAPs). Unrooted phylogenetic analyses substantiated the subfamily designations. Notable features of the Arabidopsis ABC superfamily was the presence of a large yeast-like PDR subfamily, and the absence of genes encoding bona fide cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), sulfonylurea receptor (SUR), and heavy metal tolerance factor 1 (HMT1) homologs. Arabidopsis was unusual in its large allocation of ORFs (a minimum of 0.5%) to members of the ABC protein superfamily.
Stronger Wireless Signals Appear More Poisson

Keeler et al. recently derived approximation and convergence results, which imply that the point process formed from the signal strengths received by an observer in a wireless network under a general statistical propagation model can be modeled by an inhomogeneous Poisson point process on the positive real line. The basic requirement for the results to apply is that there must be a large number of transmitters with different locations and random propagation effects. The aim of this letter is to apply some of the main results in a less general but more easily applicable form to illustrate how the results can be applied in practice. New results are derived that show, it is the strongest signals, after being weakened by random propagation effects, that behave like a Poisson process, which supports recent experimental work.
The Stick-e Document: a Framework for Creating Context-aware Applications

SUMMARY There is increasing interest in computer applications that are aware of the user’s context. Currently these applications are normally hand-crafted. A lot of them consist of presenting information to users as they enter a given context, for example a tourist nearing a site within a city or a visitor moving round a building. The paper presents a new form of document, and the supporting software, which allows such applications to be created simply by building a new document. The motivation is to make the creation and use of these applications as easy as creating and using web pages.
Dynamics and Wisdom under Conformity

We study a dynamic model of opinion formation in social networks where individuals repeatedly engage in discussion (similarly to the DeGroot model). As our main contribution, we allow agents to misrepresent their opinion in a conforming or counter-conforming way. Conformity of all agents is a sufficient condition for convergence of opinions. Studying these long-run opinions in detail, we show that an agent’s social influence on the group opinion is increasing in network centrality and decreasing in the degree of conformity. Moreover, assuming that the initial opinion is a noisy signal about some true state of the world, we study how conformity affects the efficiency of information aggregation or the “wisdom” of the society. We provide the optimal distribution of conformity levels in the society and show which agents should be more conforming in order to increase wisdom.
Proteinuria and Fusion of Podocyte Foot Processes in Rats after Infusion of Cytokine from Patients with Idiopathic Minimal Lesion Nephrotic Syndrome

Background/Aims: We report on the isolation of a factor secreted by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with idiopathic minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome (IMLNS) in relapse and its effect on proteinuria and podocyte morphology in the rat. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with IMLNS (in relapse and in remission) and patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were cultured for 72 h. Supernatants from 20 × 106 cultured cells were separated by liquid chromatography into three fractions according to markers (bovine serum albumin, β-amylase, and apoferritin). Each supernatant fraction was infused into rats for 5 days using an osmotic pump. Proteinuria, 24-hour albumin excretion or albumin/creatinine ratio in a 24-hour urine collection, was measured daily starting 3 days prior to fraction infusion. Renal tissue was obtained for electron microscopy studies. The β-amylase fraction underwent electrophoresis using isoelectric focusing gel. Results: When protein excretion was compared prior to and during supernatant fraction infusion, a significant increase in proteinuria was observed only when β-amylase fraction from IMLNS patients in relapse was infused (p < 0.05). Protein electrophoresis of the β-amylase fraction showed a single band at pH 6.0 only in samples from IMLNS patients in relapse. The band was composed of two proteins, β-amylase and a 100-kDa glycoprotein. Fusion of foot processes was observed only when the β-amylase fraction from IMLNS patients in relapse was infused. Conclusions: The infusion of the β-amylase fraction containing a 100-kDa glycoprotein from IMLNS patients in relapse induced proteinuria and effacement of foot processes in the rat. This protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of IMLNS.
High Risk of ART Non-Adherence and Delay of ART Initiation among HIV Positive Double Orphans in Kigali, Rwanda

Background To reduce HIV/AIDS related mortality of children, adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is critical in the treatment of HIV positive children. However, little is known about the association between ART adherence and different orphan status. The aims of this study were to assess the ART adherence and identify whether different orphan status was associated with the child’s adherence. Methods A total of 717 HIV positive children and the same number of caregivers participated in this cross-sectional study. Children’s adherence rate was measured using a pill count method and those who took 85% or more of the prescribed doses were defined as adherent. To collect data about adherence related factors, we also interviewed caregivers using a structured questionnaire. Results Of all children (N = 717), participants from each orphan category (double orphan, maternal orphan, paternal orphan, non-orphan) were 346, 89, 169, and 113, respectively. ART non-adherence rate of each orphan category was 59.3%, 44.9%, 46.7%, and 49.7%, respectively. The multivariate analysis indicated that maternal orphans (AOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.12–0.80), paternal orphans (AOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14–0.89), and non-orphans (AOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21–0.99) were less likely to be non-adherent compared to double orphans. Double orphans who had a sibling as a caregiver were more likely to be non-adherent. The first mean CD4 count prior to initiating treatment was 520, 601, 599, and 844 (cells/ml), respectively (p<0.001). Their mean age at sero-status detection was 5.9, 5.3, 4.8, and 3.9 (year old), respectively (p<0.001). Conclusions Double orphans were at highest risk of ART non-adherence and especially those who had a sibling as a caregiver had high risk. They were also in danger of initiating ART at an older age and at a later stage of HIV/AIDS compared with other orphan categories. Double orphans need more attention to the promote child’s adherence to ART.