Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ModerateDrinking.Com and moderation management: outcomes of a randomized clinical trial with non-dependent problem drinkers.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based protocol, ModerateDrinking.com (MD; www.moderatedrinking.com) combined with use of the online resources of Moderation Management (MM; www.moderation.org) as opposed to the use of the online resources of MM alone. METHOD We randomly assigned 80 problem drinkers to either the experimental or control group with follow-ups at 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS Seventy-five participants (94%) had outcome data at 1 or more follow-up points, and 59 participants (73%) were assessed at all 3 follow-ups. Comparing baseline measures to the average outcomes at follow-ups indicated a significant overall reduction in both groups in alcohol-related problems and consumption variables. Compared with the control group, the experimental group had better outcomes on percent days abstinent. There was an interaction between intensity of drinking at baseline and treatment in determining outcomes assessing drinking. Less heavy drinkers in the experimental group had better outcomes on log mean blood alcohol content (BAC) per drinking day compared with the control group. Heavier drinkers did not differentially benefit from the MD program on this measure. Mixed model analyses in general corroborated these outcomes. CONCLUSION The outcome data provide partial evidence for the effectiveness of the MD web application combined with MM, compared with the effectiveness of the resources available online at MM by themselves.
Human cardiac 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7 tesla

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS) affords unique insight into cardiac energetics but has a low intrinsic signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in humans. Theory predicts an increased 31P‐MRS SNR at 7T, offering exciting possibilities to better investigate cardiac metabolism. We therefore compare the performance of human cardiac 31P‐MRS at 7T to 3T, and measure T1s for 31P metabolites at 7T.
Moving beyond Green: Exploring the Relationship of Environment Type and Indicators of Perceived Environmental Quality on Emotional Well-Being following Group Walks

Against the backdrop of increasing interest in the relationship between Nature and health, this study examined the effect of perceived environment type and indicators of perceived environmental quality on short-term emotional well-being following outdoor group walks. Participants (n = 127) of a national group walk program completed pre- and post-walk questionnaires for each walk attended (n = 1009) within a 13-week study period. Multilevel linear modelling was used to examine the main and moderation effects. To isolate the environmental from the physical activity elements, analyses controlled for walk duration and perceived intensity. Analyses revealed that perceived restorativeness and perceived walk intensity predicted greater positive affect and happiness following an outdoor group walk. Perceived restorativeness and perceived bird biodiversity predicted post-walk negative affect. Perceived restorativeness moderated the relationship between perceived naturalness and positive affect. Results suggest that restorative quality of an environment may be an important element for enhancing well-being, and that perceived restorativeness and naturalness of an environment may interact to amplify positive affect. These findings highlight the importance of further research on the contribution of environment type and quality on well-being, and the need to control for effects of physical activity in green exercise research.
Wideband tunable passively Q-switched fiber laser at 28  μm using a broadband carbon nanotube saturable absorber

We propose and demonstrate a widely tunable passively Q-switched Ho3+/Pr3+-codoped ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF fiber laser operating in the 2.8 μm mid-infrared (MIR) waveband based on a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) saturable absorber (SA). The SWCNTs have diameters ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 nm. The modulation depth and saturation intensity of the SWCNT SA measured at 2850 nm are 16.5% and 1.66 MW/cm2, respectively. Stable Q-switched pulses with the shortest pulse duration of 1.46 μs and the maximum pulse energy of 0.43 μJ are achieved at a launched pump power of 445.6 mW. The combined use of a broadband SWCNT SA and a plane ruled grating ensures a broad continuously tuning range of 55.0 nm from 2837.6 to 2892.6 nm. The output powers, emission spectra, repetition rates, and pulse durations at different tuning wavelengths are also characterized and analyzed. Our results indicate that SWCNTs can be excellent broadband SAs in the 3 μm MIR region. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a widely tunable carbon-nanotube-enabled passively Q-switched fiber laser operating in the 2.8 μm MIR waveband.
Use of e-journals by the scientists of CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, India: A study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of electronic journals (e-journals) by the scientists of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) – a center of excellence in the field of genomics and integrative biology situated in Delhi, India. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the results of a well-structured questionnaire administered to all the scientists of the institute for the purpose of data collection. Findings – The main findings are that the scientists are more attracted toward e-journals specially on those provided by CSIR-NISCAIR Consortia, NKRC than those available via direct subscription. From this survey, the investigator has been able to find out that almost all the scientists are consulting e-journals from their campus cabin, not only for research purposes but also to update their own knowledge. The infrastructure to use e-journals are superb and there is no technological problem specially hardware.
Soluble E-cadherin in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective. E-cadherin is a potent adherens junction molecule implicated in tissue morphogenesis, epithelial functioning, and immune regulation. Serum levels of soluble E-cadherin (sE-cadherin), an end product of proteolytic cleavage of E-cadherin, is increased in patients with cancer, infections, and inflammation-related diseases. The aim of our study was to measure serum levels of sE-cadherin in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to determine associations between serum levels of sE-cadherin and markers of inflammation and organ damage in female patients with SLE. Methods. Serum levels of sE-cadherin were analyzed by ELISA in 150 female patients with SLE and 31 healthy women. Simple and multiple regression analyses between sE-cadherin levels and disease-related variables were performed in patients with SLE. Results. Serum levels of sE-cadherin were elevated in patients with SLE compared with levels in healthy controls. sE-cadherin levels correlated positively with age, disease duration, SLE Collaborating Clinics Damage Index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), s-creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, interleukin 6, and matrix metalloproteinase-3. In multiple regression analysis, s-creatinine, age, ESR, and triglycerides remained determinants of sE-cadherin. Within the patients with SLE, higher sE-cadherin levels were found only in patients with renal damage, i.e., s-creatinine > 90 μmol/l, glomerular filtration rate < 50 ml/min, or renal involvement ever by SLE. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates significantly elevated serum levels of sE-cadherin in women with SLE compared with healthy women. The levels of sE-cadherin were positively correlated to s-creatinine, age, ESR, and triglycerides. Significantly elevated sE-cadherin levels were observed only in patients with renal damage.
Klebsiella pneumoniae Translocates across the Intestinal Epithelium via Rho GTPase- and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt-Dependent Cell Invasion

ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen that causes hospital-acquired septicemia and is associated with the recent emergence of community-acquired pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Clinical typing suggests that K. pneumoniae infections originate from the gastrointestinal reservoir. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we have sought to determine how K. pneumoniae penetrates the intestinal barrier. We identified that bacteremia and PLA clinical isolates adhered to and invaded intestinal epithelial cells. Internalization of K. pneumoniae in three different human colonic cell lines was visualized by confocal microscopy and three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Using a Transwell system, we demonstrated that these K. pneumoniae isolates translocated across a polarized Caco-2 monolayer. No disruptions of transepithelial electrical resistance and altered distribution of tight junction protein ZO-1 or occludin were observed. Therefore, K. pneumoniae appeared to penetrate the intestinal epithelium via a transcellular pathway. Using specific inhibitors, we characterized the host signaling pathways involved. Inhibition by cytochalasin D and nocodazole suggested that actin and microtubule cytoskeleton were both important for K. pneumoniae invasion. A Rho inhibitor, ML141, LY294002, and an Akt1/2 inhibitor diminished K. pneumoniae invasion in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that Rho family GTPases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling were required. By a mouse model of gastrointestinal colonization, in vivo invasion of K. pneumoniae into colonic epithelial cells was demonstrated. Our results present evidence to describe a possible mechanism of gastrointestinal translocation for K. pneumoniae. Cell invasion by manipulating host machinery provides a pathway for gut-colonized K. pneumoniae cells to penetrate the intestinal barrier and access extraintestinal locations to cause disease.
Inhibitory Modulation of Orbitofrontal Cortex on Medial Prefrontal Cortex–Amygdala Information Flow

The amygdala receives cortical inputs from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) that are believed to affect emotional control and cue-outcome contingencies, respectively. Although mPFC impact on the amygdala has been studied, how the OFC modulates mPFC-amygdala information flow, specifically the infralimbic (IL) division of mPFC, is largely unknown. In this study, combined in vivo extracellular single-unit recordings and pharmacological manipulations were used in anesthetized rats to examine how OFC modulates amygdala neurons responsive to mPFC activation. Compared with basal condition, pharmacological (N-Methyl-D-aspartate) or electrical activation of the OFC exerted an inhibitory modulation of the mPFC-amygdala pathway, which was reversed with intra-amygdala blockade of GABAergic receptors with combined GABAA and GABAB antagonists (bicuculline and saclofen). Moreover, potentiation of the OFC-related pathways resulted in a loss of OFC control over the mPFC-amygdala pathway. These results show that the OFC potently inhibits mPFC drive of the amygdala in a GABA-dependent manner; but with extended OFC pathway activation this modulation is lost. Our results provide a circuit-level basis for this interaction at the level of the amygdala, which would be critical in understanding the normal and pathophysiological control of emotion and contingency associations regulating behavior.
The Fluctuating Phenotype of the Lymphohematopoietic Stem Cell with Cell Cycle Transit

The most primitive engrafting hematopoietic stem cell has been assumed to have a fixed phenotype, with changes in engraftment and renewal potential occurring in a stepwise irreversible fashion linked with differentiation. Recent work shows that in vitro cytokine stimulation of murine marrow cells induces cell cycle transit of primitive stem cells, taking 40 h for progression from G0 to mitosis and 12 h for subsequent doublings. At 48 h of culture, progenitors are expanded, but stem cell engraftment is markedly diminished. We have investigated whether this effect on engraftment was an irreversible step or a reversible plastic feature correlated with cell cycle progression. Long-term engraftment (2 and 6 mo) of male BALB/c marrow cells exposed in vitro to interleukin (IL)-3, IL-6, IL-11, and steel factor was assessed at 2–4-h intervals of culture over 24–48 h using irradiated female hosts; the engraftment phenotype showed marked fluctuations over 2–4-h intervals, with engraftment nadirs occurring in late S and early G2. These data show that early stem cell regulation is cell cycle based, and have critical implications for strategies for stem cell expansion and engraftment or gene therapy, since position in cell cycle will determine whether effective engraftment occurs in either setting.
Acquired resistance to Listeria monocytogenes is mediated by Lyt-2+ T cells independently of the influx of monocytes into granulomatous lesions

Facultative intracellular bacteria induce specific T cell responses of both the CD4+ and the CD8+ subsets. The immunohistological study of the tissue responses to Listeria monocytogenes in T cell subset-depleted, Listeria-primed mice revealed that CD4+ cells not only represent the predominant lymphocyte population in granulomatous lesions but mediate the attraction and accumulation of blood-borne monocytes into inflammatory foci. On the other hand, CD8+ T cells are able to mediate protection in the absence of CD4+ T cells, invading monocytes, and granulomatous inflammation, and therefore appear to activate resident macrophages for listericidal activity.
A framework for the design of flexible cross‐talk functions for spatial filtering of EEG/MEG data: DeFleCT

Brain activation estimated from EEG and MEG data is the basis for a number of time‐series analyses. In these applications, it is essential to minimize “leakage” or “cross‐talk” of the estimates among brain areas. Here, we present a novel framework that allows the design of flexible cross‐talk functions (DeFleCT), combining three types of constraints: (1) full separation of multiple discrete brain sources, (2) minimization of contributions from other (distributed) brain sources, and (3) minimization of the contribution from measurement noise. Our framework allows the design of novel estimators by combining knowledge about discrete sources with constraints on distributed source activity and knowledge about noise covariance. These estimators will be useful in situations where assumptions about sources of interest need to be combined with uncertain information about additional sources that may contaminate the signal (e.g. distributed sources), and for which existing methods may not yield optimal solutions. We also show how existing estimators, such as maximum‐likelihood dipole estimation, L2 minimum‐norm estimation, and linearly‐constrained minimum variance as well as null‐beamformers, can be derived as special cases from this general formalism. The performance of the resulting estimators is demonstrated for the estimation of discrete sources and regions‐of‐interest in simulations of combined EEG/MEG data. Our framework will be useful for EEG/MEG studies applying time‐series analysis in source space as well as for the evaluation and comparison of linear estimators. Hum Brain Mapp 35:1642–1653, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Various Boiling Conditions on Reduction of Phosphorus and Protein in Meat.

OBJECTIVE Dietary phosphorus restriction and intake adequate amount of protein play a prominent role in control of hyperphosphatemia and prevention of protein-energy malnutrition for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis patients. To reduce dietary phosphorus intake, we focused on boiling, which can affect the bioavailability of nutrients by changing mineral solubility and breaking down food structure. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of boiling on the phosphorus and protein content of beef. We boiled beef in differing fluid mediums, varied the size of the meat, method of boiling and cooking time, and compared the effects on phosphorus reduction. DESIGN AND METHODS We evaluated the retention values of phosphorus, protein, and phosphorus to protein ratio in beef before and after boiling. We used differing fluid mediums (soft water, hard water, 5% solution of acetate, and 0.5% sodium bicarbonate water), varied the size of the meat (block, sliced, and cubed), different boiling methods (normal pan and pressure cooker [PC]), and different cooking time (10 and 30 minutes). RESULTS The soft water sample had lower phosphorus to protein ratio compared with the hard water, 5% solution of acetate, and 0.5% sodium bicarbonate water sample. The phosphorus content of the sliced meat sample at 30 minutes was almost half the content of the uncut block of sample at 10 minutes. The block PC sample for 10 minutes had a phosphorus content almost equal to the block normal pan sample for 30 minutes. Moreover, the sliced PC sample at 30 minutes had the lowest phosphorus to protein ratio of all the samples. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that boiling with soft water, sliced food and a PC is the preferable cooking procedure for chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients because it allows for a reduction of the phosphorus content while preserving protein content, and it would bring the suppression of protein-energy malnutrition.
Increasing Smart Meter Privacy Through Energy Harvesting and Storage Devices

Smart meters are key elements for the operation of smart grids. By providing near realtime information on the energy consumption of individual users, smart meters increase the efficiency in generation, distribution and storage of energy in a smart grid. The ability of the utility provider to track users' energy consumption inevitably leads to important threats to privacy. In this paper, privacy in a smart metering system is studied from an information theoretic perspective in the presence of energy harvesting and storage units. It is shown that energy harvesting provides increased privacy by diversifying the energy source, while a storage device can be used to increase both the energy efficiency and the privacy of the user. For given input load and energy harvesting rates, it is shown that there exists a trade-off between the information leakage rate, which is used to measure the privacy of the user, and the wasted energy rate, which is a measure of the energy-efficiency. The impact of the energy harvesting rate and the size of the storage device on this trade-off is also studied.
Development of the correction procedure for High Volume Instrument elongation measurement

Cotton spinning mills need high-quality fibers to maintain their manufacturing efficiency. Machinery throughput is increasing and it could translate into more processes with higher breaking stress. Consequently, more fibers are susceptible to breaking or damage. To face this problem, breeders must develop new varieties whose fibers can better withstand this mechanical stress. The main tool utilized in cotton breeding programs is the High Volume Instrument (HVI), which reports in a short time measurements such as micronaire, length, color, and strength. This instrument can also determine fiber elongation, but there is no current correction method for it. Both elongation and strength factor into the work-to-break of fibers, which plays a direct role in fiber breakage and spinning performance. The objective of this work was to develop cotton elongation standards, devise a correction procedure for HVI lines, evaluate measurement stability, and validate these results with a set of independent samples. Two commercial bales, one with low and one with high HVI elongation, were identified as potential elongation standards. The potential standards were produced and evaluated. After validation, they were used to correct HVI lines against Stelometer (STrength-ELOngation-METER) measurements. An independent set of samples was tested on corrected HVIs to confirm the effectiveness of the elongation corrected measurements. The HVI data were at least as good as the Stelometer data, with increased data acquisition speed and precision. This research can help cotton breeders to improve fiber elongation and strength at the same time, resulting in better fibers for yarn spinning.
Activated T–cell-mediated Immunotherapy With a Chimeric Receptor Against CD38 in B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

T–cell-mediated immunotherapy with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is expected to become a powerful treatment for cancer. CD38, highly expressed in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) cells, is an attractive target in immunotherapy for B-NHL. We retrovirally transduced a T-cell line, Hut78, expressing little CD38, with an anti-CD38-CAR. Hut78 cells with the anti-CD38-CAR were cocultured with B-NHL cell lines bearing CD38 and also B-NHL cells from patients. Four days later most of the lymphoma cells were killed (the level of cytotoxicity was >95%). By contrast, there was undetectable cytotoxicity against CD38-negative cell lines. Then, we introduced the anti-CD38-CAR into human peripheral T cells. However, the recovery of viable cells was very low, presumably because of an autolytic reaction caused by the association of the anti-CD38-CAR with CD38 on the cell surface. The addition of an anti-CD38 antibody increased the yield of viable transduced T cell probably by blocking the autolytic reaction. We cocultured human peripheral T cells bearing anti-CD38-CAR with B-NHL cells. The median specific cytotoxicity was greater than 90%. These cells were injected 4 times into NOD/SCID mice, which were inoculated with B-NHL cells luciferase. Luciferase activity was not detectable even 30 days after the inoculation in 5 of 6 mice injected. By contrast, it increased in all of the mice injected with the mock vector-transduced T cell. In conclusion, T cell with the anti-CD38-CAR showed powerful cytotoxicity against B-NHL cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings may provide an important clue for improving the methodology of T–cell-mediated immunotherapy.
Constitutively CD40–Activated B Cells Regulate CD8 T Cell Inflammatory Response by IL-10 Induction

B cells are exposed to high levels of CD40 ligand (CD40L, CD154) in chronic inflammatory diseases. In addition, B cells expressing both CD40 and CD40L have been identified in human diseases such as autoimmune diseases and lymphoma. However, how such constitutively CD40–activated B cells under inflammation may impact on T cell response remains unknown. Using a mouse model in which B cells express a CD40L transgene (CD40LTg) and receive autocrine CD40/CD40L signaling, we show that CD40LTg B cells stimulated memory-like CD4 and CD8 T cells to express IL-10. This IL-10 expression by CD8 T cells was dependent on IFN-I and programmed cell death protein 1, and was critical for CD8 T cells to counterregulate their overactivation. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of naive CD8 T cells in RAG-1−/− mice normally induces colitis in association with IL-17 and IFN-γ cytokine production. Using this model, we show that adoptive cotransfer of CD40LTg B cells, but not wild-type B cells, significantly reduced IL-17 response and regulated colitis in association with IL-10 induction in CD8 T cells. Thus, B cells expressing CD40L can be a therapeutic goal to regulate inflammatory CD8 T cell response by IL-10 induction.