Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ovariectomy disregulates osteoblast and osteoclast formation through the T-cell receptor CD40 ligand

The bone loss induced by ovariectomy (ovx) has been linked to increased production of osteoclastogenic cytokines by bone marrow cells, including T cells and stromal cells (SCs). It is presently unknown whether regulatory interactions between these lineages contribute to the effects of ovx in bone, however. Here, we show that the T-cell costimulatory molecule CD40 ligand (CD40L) is required for ovx to expand SCs; promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation; regulate the SC production of the osteoclastogenic factors macrophage colony-stimulating factor, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand, and osteoprotegerin; and up-regulate osteoclast formation. CD40L is also required for ovx to activate T cells and stimulate their production of TNF. Accordingly, ovx fails to promote bone loss and increase bone resorption in mice depleted of T cells or lacking CD40L. Therefore, cross-talk between T cells and SCs mediated by CD40L plays a pivotal role in the disregulation of osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis induced by ovx.
Differential sensitivity of Ca2+ wave and Ca2+ spark events to ruthenium red in isolated permeabilised rabbit cardiomyocytes

Spontaneous Ca2+ waves in cardiac muscle cells are thought to arise from the sequential firing of local Ca2+ sparks via a fire–diffuse–fire mechanism. This study compares the ability of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) blocker ruthenium red (RuR) to inhibit these two types of Ca2+ release in permeabilised rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes. Perfusing with 600 nm Ca2+ (50 μm EGTA) caused regular spontaneous Ca2+ waves that were imaged with the fluorescence from Fluo‐5F using a laser‐scanning confocal microscope. Addition of 4 μm RuR caused complete inhibition of Ca2+ waves in 50% of cardiomyocytes by 2 min and in 100% by 4 min. Separate experiments used 350 μm EGTA (600 nm Ca2+) to limit Ca2+ diffusion but allow the underlying Ca2+ sparks to be imaged. The time course of RuR‐induced inhibition did not match that of waves. After 2 min of RuR, none of the characteristics of the Ca2+ sparks were altered, and after 4 min Ca2+ spark frequency was reduced ∼40%; no sparks could be detected after 10 min. Measurements of Ca2+ within the SR lumen using Fluo‐5N showed an increase in intra‐SR Ca2+ during the initial 2–4 min of perfusion with RuR in both wave and spark conditions. Computational modelling suggests that the sensitivity of Ca2+ waves to RuR block depends on the number of RyRs per cluster. Therefore inhibition of Ca2+ waves without affecting Ca2+ sparks may be explained by block of small, non‐spark producing clusters of RyRs that are important to the process of Ca2+ wave propagation.
Aldosterone-Producing Cell Clusters in Normal and Pathological States

Abstract Primary aldosteronism (PA) significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular complications, and early diagnosis and targeted treatment based on its pathophysiology is warranted. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revealed recurrent somatic mutations in aldosterone-driving genes in aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). By applying CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) immunohistochemistry and NGS to adrenal glands from normal subjects and PA patients, we and others have shown that CYP11B2-positive cells make small clusters, termed aldosterone-producing cell clusters (APCC), beneath the adrenal capsule, and that APCC harbor somatic mutations in genes mutated in APA. We have shown that APCC are increased in CT-negative PA adrenals, while others showed potential progression from APCC to micro APA through mutations. These results suggest that APCC are a key factor for understanding the origin of PA, and further investigation on the relation between APCC and PA is highly needed.
Clinical practice guideline: diagnosis and management of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

To the Editor. — I have major reservations in respect to the recent clinical practice guideline on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). 1 Although it is important to alert pediatricians to the existence of this condition, the ramifications of following the guideline do not appear to have been given adequate consideration. The authors signed letters stating they did not have a conflict of interest. I assume this means they do not run polysomnography (PSG) labs, as an obvious consequence of the report will be a markedly increased demand for their use. One problem concerns children with primary snoring (PS). This can be seen, according to the report, in up to 12% of preschool-aged children. Furthermore, there is apparently no way to rule out OSAS in these children, without doing PSG. The unmistakable conclusion, therefore, is that up to 12% of preschool-aged children should be undergoing PSG. Do other pediatricians find this concept as ludicrous as I do? A second issue concerns those children with mild OSAS, mild meaning that they are not demonstrating obvious problems such as daytime somnolence or pulmonary hypertension. These children are diagnosed when their sleep studies are found to be abnormal (ie, at the tail end of the distribution curve). The guideline indicates, in one sentence in the section on research recommendations, that the natural history of these children is not known. That did not stop the committee from recommending that these children undergo adenotonsillectomy, however, even though it is not known whether mild OSAS is an actual disease or merely a statistical finding. In summary, I believe the guideline to be poorly thought out, and it …
Cisplatin-induced Apoptosis Proceeds by Caspase-3-dependent and -independent Pathways in Cisplatin-resistant and -sensitive Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines Proteolytic Degradation of Procaspase-3 Was Observed in Both the Cp70 and C30 Cells following Ic 50 Cisplatin Treatment, Whereas No Pro- Teolyze

We have assessed in detail the effect of cisplatin-activated programmed cell death in the cisplatin-sensitive human ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and two drug-resistant subclones, CP70 and C30. To determine whether the differential extent of apoptosis observed between the sensitive and resistant ovarian cancer cell lines was the result of dissimilar upstream signaling events, we assessed the execution of apoptotic events that precede target protein proteolysis and subsequent chromosomal DNA degradation .
Combination of intensity-based image registration with 3D simulation in radiation therapy

Modern techniques of radiotherapy like intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) make it possible to deliver high dose to tumors of different irregular shapes at the same time sparing surrounding healthy tissue. However, internal tumor motion makes precise calculation of the delivered dose distribution challenging. This makes analysis of tumor motion necessary. One way to describe target motion is using image registration. Many registration methods have already been developed previously. However, most of them belong either to geometric approaches or to intensity approaches. Methods which take account of anatomical information and results of intensity matching can greatly improve the results of image registration. Based on this idea, a combined method of image registration followed by 3D modeling and simulation was introduced in this project. Experiments were carried out for five patients 4DCT lung datasets. In the 3D simulation, models obtained from images of end-exhalation were deformed to the state of end-inhalation. Diaphragm motions were around −25 mm in the cranial–caudal (CC) direction. To verify the quality of our new method, displacements of landmarks were calculated and compared with measurements in the CT images. Improvement of accuracy after simulations has been shown compared to the results obtained only by intensity-based image registration. The average improvement was 0.97 mm. The average Euclidean error of the combined method was around 3.77 mm. Unrealistic motions such as curl-shaped deformations in the results of image registration were corrected. The combined method required less than 30 min. Our method provides information about the deformation of the target volume, which we need for dose optimization and target definition in our planning system.
The influence of masking words on the prediction of TRPs in a shadowed dialog

It is well known that listeners can ignore disturbances in speech and rely on context to interpolate the message. This fact is used to determine the importance of individual words for projecting Transition Relevance Places, TRPs. Subjects were asked to shadow manipulated pre-recorded dialogs with minimal responses, saying ‘ah’ when they feel it is appropriate. In these dialogs, at random, of each utterance, either one of the last four words was replaced by white noise (masked condition), or no word was replaced (non masked condition). The reaction times were analyzed for effects of masked words. The presence of masked words, even prominent words, did not affect the response times of our subjects unless the very last word of the utterance was masked. This indicates that listeners are able to seamlessly interpolate the missing words and only need the identity of the last word to determine the exact position of the TRP.
Socioeconomic Determinants of Iron-Deficiency Anemia Among Children Aged 6 to 59 Months in India

The extent of anemia and its socioeconomic determinants among the preschool children (6-59 months old) in India have been studied in this article. Relevant data are taken from the third round of the National Family Health Survey. The initial analysis reveals some interesting features. The most affected children are in the age-group of 6 to 23 months. Beyond this age a decreasing trend is observed up to the age of 48 to 59 months. The highest and the lowest prevalence of anemia have been found to be in the central and the northeast zones, respectively. The vulnerable groups are the children of illiterate parents and those belonging to the poor families in the rural areas. Categorical logistic regression also confirms that status of literacy and wealth of parents have strong negative association with the status of anemia of the children.
Brittle Fractures near Equilibrium

Conical indentation fractures in silicate glass are stable, so that the speed at which they spread can be controlled. The validity of the Griffith fracture condition (energy balance) has been tested for such fractures and confirmed, with qualifications. Measurements on cone fractures are a method for determining accurately the specific fracture energy of brittle materials under physical and chemical conditions that can be chosen at will.
A modeling tool to evaluate regional coral reef responses to changes in climate and ocean chemistry

We developed a spreadsheet‐based model for the use of managers, conservationists, and biologists for projecting the effects of climate change on coral reefs at local‐to‐regional scales. The COMBO (Coral Mortality and Bleaching Output) model calculates the impacts to coral reefs from changes in average SST and CO2 concentrations, and from high temperature mortality (bleaching) events. The model uses a probabilistic assessment of the frequency of high temperature events under a future climate to address scientific uncertainties about potential adverse effects. COMBO offers data libraries and default factors for three selected regions (Hawai'i, Great Barrier Reef, and Caribbean), but it is structured with user‐selectable parameter values and data input options, making possible modifications to reflect local conditions or to incorporate local expertise. Preliminary results from sensitivity analyses and simulation examples for Hawai'i demonstrate the relative importance of high temperature events, increased average temperature, and increased CO2 concentration on the future status of coral reefs; illustrate significant interactions among variables; and allow comparisons of past environmental history with future predictions.
Pharmacy Effect on Adherence to Antidiabetic Medications

Background:There have been a number of studies relating medication adherence to patient characteristics. There is less research on influence of health care providers on patients’ medication-taking behavior. Objectives:To evaluate the pharmacy-level effect on medication adherence for patients receiving antidiabetic medications. Research Design:This was a hypothesis-driven retrospective study using cross-sectional design and insurance claims data. The main analytical interest was the pharmacy-level effect on proportion of days covered as the measure of medication adherence. Multilevel random and mixed-effect models were used to tease out the pharmacy-level effect on patient outcomes. Subjects:The study population consisted individuals aged 18–64 years, insured under employer-sponsored private health plans. Results:We estimated models with and without covariates. In both models, pharmacy cluster effect was statistically significant (P<0.001). In the model without covariates, pharmacy cluster effect accounted for 12.8% (95% confidence interval, 12.4%–13.1%) of total variance in adherence, whereas in the model with covariates pharmacies accounted for 12.1% (95% confidence interval, 11.6%–12.4%) of total variance. Covariates associated significantly with adherence were age, sex, mail order pharmacy, and prescription drug copay. Conclusions:The results suggest significant variation in medication adherence attributable to pharmacy factor, independent of other effects. The underlying reason could be varying level of influence from pharmacies’ efforts to inform or influence patients to take medications in prescribed manners. More research is necessary to better understand the effect of specific pharmacy characteristics and practice styles differences.
Crystal dissolution and precipitation in porous media : $L^1$-contraction and uniqueness

In this note we continue the analysis of the pore-scale model for crystal dissolution and precipitation in porous media proposed in [C. J. van Duijn and I. S. Pop, Crystal dissolution and precipitation in porous media: pore scale analysis, J. Reine Angew. Math. 577 (2004), 171–211]. There the existence of weak solutions was shown. We prove an L1-contraction property of the pore-scale model. As a direct consequence we obtain the uniqueness of (weak) solutions.
Pathologic analyses of non‐overt necrotizing type Kikuchi and Fujimotos disease

Twenty‐eight cases of non‐overt necrotizing type Kikuchi‐Fujimoto disease (KF disease, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis) were investigated clinicopathologically, immu‐nohistochemically and electron microscopically in order to analyze the nature of this disease. In addition, investigations to detect the presence of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) were also performed as a high incidence of positive serum immunoreactivity to EBV had been revealed in the cases examined. The clinical features were an equal male to female ratio, mean age of 26 years, mild leukopenia and about 40% association with fever over 38°C. The major particular pathologic features were: (i) varying amounts of nuclear debris in the pathologic areas, identified as apopto‐sis by electron microscopy; (ii) presence of medium to large sized transformed lymphocytes (immunoblasts), a very small number of them positive for both UCHL1 and L26, and plasmacytoid cells, some of them positive for UCHL1; and (iii) characteristically shaped histiocytes predominant in the pathologic areas, with irregular nuclei and strongly positive for anti‐lysozyme and anti‐α1‐antitrypsin antibodies. Investigations with PCR and ISH revealed a complete absence of EBV in these cases despite excellent results for positive controls. It was therefore considered that EBV was not a causative virus for KF disease.
Effect of wall material on the antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties of Rubus fruticosus juice microcapsules

Abstract Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) juice possesses compounds with antioxidant activity, which can be protected by different biopolymers used in the microencapsulation. Therefore, the effects of cell wall material including maltodextrin (MD), Arabic gum (GA) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) were evaluated on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of encapsulated blackberries using a spray-drying technique. Anthocyanin concentration, polymeric colour, total polyphenols, radical scavenging activity of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazil radical, reducing power and the stability at different storage conditions were evaluated. GA and MD conferred a similar protection to the antioxidant compounds when the microcapsules were stored at low water activities (aw < 0.515) in contrast to at a high moisture content (aw > 0.902), whereas WPC presented a high protection. Therefore, the selection of the best wall material for blackberry juice encapsulation depends of the conditions of storage of the powder.
Predicting the Standard Fire Behavior of Composite Steel Beams

This paper presents the development and verification of an analytical approach based on the finite element method for modeling and predicting the standard fire behavior of composite steel beams. This approach consists of two sequentially coupled numerical analysis steps. The first step conducts nonlinear heat transfer analysis of the composite beam for the thermal loading applied using the gas furnace. The analysis was conducted using a detailed 3D finite element model of the composite beam inside the furnace. The results included the complete thermal response (nodal temperature histories) of the beam. The second step conducts nonlinear stress analysis of the composite beam for the applied structural loading and the thermal response from the first step. This analysis was conducted using two types of models: ( i ) detailed models using solid and shell elements, and ( ii ) simplified models using shell and beam elements for the concrete slab and steel beam, respectively. This two-step analytical approach was used to model and predict the standard fire behavior (thermal and structural) of ten composite beam specimens tested by other researchers. The comparisons of the experimental and analytical results are presented in this paper. These comparisons indicate that the analytical approach (using either SS or SB models) predicts the standard fire behavior of composite steel beam with reasonable accuracy. The verified approach is recommended for conducting parametric studies, and for evaluating the realistic fire behavior of composite beams with restraints.
Outage probability comparison of CP-OFDM and TDS-OFDM for broadcast channels

The time domain synchronous orthogonal frequency division multiplex (TDS-OFDM) modulation scheme has recently been proposed in a new digital television (DTV) system. The European DTV standard DVB-T, on the other hand, uses the cyclic prefix (CP) OFDM modulation. In this paper, TDS-OFDM and CP-OFDM for nonergodic broadcast inter-symbol-interference channels are compared from an information theoretical perspective. The outage probability expressions are derived for both schemes and evaluated numerically under various system configurations and channel distributions.
Intracellular Bicarbonate Regulates Action Potential Generation via KCNQ Channel Modulation

Bicarbonate (HCO3−) is an abundant anion that regulates extracellular and intracellular pH. Here, we use patch-clamp techniques to assess regulation of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cell excitability by HCO3− in acute brain slices from C57BL/6 mice. We found that increasing HCO3− levels enhances action potential (AP) generation in both the soma and axon initial segment (AIS) by reducing Kv7/KCNQ channel activity, independent of pH (i.e., at a constant pH of 7.3). Conversely, decreasing intracellular HCO3− leads to attenuation of AP firing. We show that HCO3− interferes with Kv7/KCNQ channel activation by phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate. Consequently, we propose that, even in the presence of a local depolarizing Cl− gradient, HCO3− efflux through GABAA receptors may ensure the inhibitory effect of axoaxonic cells at the AIS due to activation of Kv7/KCNQ channels.
A Two‐Part Measure of Degree of Invasion for Cross‐Community Comparisons

Abstract: Invasibility is a critical feature of ecological communities, especially for management decisions. To date, invasibility has been measured in numerous ways. Although most researchers have used the richness (or number) of exotic species as a direct or indirect measure of community invasibility, others have used alternative measures such as the survival, density, or biomass of either a single or all exotic species. These different measures, even when obtained from the same communities, have produced inconsistent results and have made comparisons among communities difficult. Here, we propose a measure of the degree of invasion (DI) of a community as a surrogate for community invasibility. The measure is expressed as 2 independent components: exotic proportion of total species richness and exotic proportion of total species abundance (biomass or cover). By including richness and abundance, the measure reflects that the factors that control invasibility affect both of these components. Expressing exotic richness and abundance relative to the richness and abundance of all species in a community makes comparisons across communities of different sizes and resource availability possible and illustrates the importance of dominance of exotic species relative to natives, which is a primary management concern associated with exotic species.
Prostate cancer incidence among American Indian and Alaska Native men, US, 1999–2004

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) men experience lower incidence of prostate cancer than other race/ethnic populations in the US, but racial misclassification of AI/AN men threatens the validity of these estimates. To the authors' knowledge, little is known concerning prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) testing in AI/AN men.
Usability of an innovative and interactive electronic system for collection of patient-reported data in axial spondyloarthritis: comparison with the traditional paper-administered format.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the validity, in terms of the patients' acceptance, preference, feasibility and reliability of an innovative, interactive computerized system for collection of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data on axial SpA against the paper-and-pencil version. METHODS Fifty-five patients with axial SpA completed both the touch screen and the paper-and-pencil set of questionnaires. A computerized touch-screen system, SPEAMonitor, was developed to capture PRO data. Variables recorded included demographic data, patient's assessment of general health status, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI and acute-phase reactant levels. In order to assess the patient's acceptance of, preference for and feasibility of computer-based questionnaires, the participants filled in an additional questionnaire. The time taken to complete both formats was measured. In a further test-retest study, 25 patients were re-evaluated. RESULTS The agreement between the paper-administered and computer touch-screen format of the BASFI, BASDAI questionnaires and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Scores was excellent. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between data ranged from 0.90 to 0.96. Additionally the test-retest study showed a very good agreement between the scores for the two administrations (ICC ≥ 0.90). Age, computer experience and education level had no significant impact on the results. The computerized questionnaires were reported to be easier to use. The mean time spent completing the questionnaires on a touch screen was 5.1 min and on paper 7.9 min. CONCLUSION Our newly developed computer-assisted touch-screen questionnaires for PRO in axial SpA were well accepted by patients, with good data quality, reliability and score agreement.