Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Maternal Obesity on Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion in Offspring

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of maternal obesity on insulin sensitivity and secretion in offspring. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Fifty-one offspring of both sexes of obese (Ob group) and 15 offspring of normal-weight (control group) mothers were studied. Plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were measured during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Insulin sensitivity was calculated using the oral glucose insulin sensitivity index, and insulin secretion and β-cell glucose sensitivity were computed by a mathematical model. Fasting leptin and adiponectin were also measured. Body composition was assessed by dual-X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS—No birth weight statistical difference was observed in the two groups. Of the Ob group, 69% were obese and 19% were overweight. The Ob group were more insulin resistant than the control group (398.58 ± 79.32 vs. 513.81 ± 70.70 ml−1 · min−1 · m−2 in women, P < 0.0001; 416.42 ± 76.17 vs. 484.242 ± 45.76 ml−1 · min−1 · m−2 in men, P < 0.05). Insulin secretion after OGTT was higher in Ob group than in control group men (63.94 ± 21.20 vs. 35.71 ± 10.02 nmol · m−2, P < 0.01) but did not differ significantly in women. β-Cell glucose sensitivity was not statistically different between groups. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that maternal obesity and offspring sex concurred together with BMI and β-cell glucose sensitivity to determine the differences in insulin sensitivity and secretion observed in offspring. CONCLUSIONS—Obese mothers can give birth to normal birth weight babies who later develop obesity and insulin resistance. The maternal genetic/epigenetic transmission shows a clear sexual dimorphism, with male offspring having a higher value of insulin sensitivity (although not statistically significant) associated with significantly higher insulin secretion than female offspring.
Robust noise estimation using minimum correction with harmonicity control

In this paper a new noise spectrum estimation algorithm is described for single-channel acoustic noise suppression systems. To achieve fast convergence during abrupt change of noise floor, the proposed algorithm uses a minimum correction module to adjust an adaptive noise estimator. The minimum search duration is controlled by a harmonicity module for improved noise tracking under continuous voicing condition. Objective test results show that the proposed algorithm consistently outperforms competitive noise estimation methods.
Firm Financial Condition and Airline Price Wars

A firm that knows that cutting price may trigger a price war must weigh present versus future gains and losses when considering such a move. The firm's financial situation can affect how it values such tradeoffs. Using data on 14 major airlines between 1985 and 1992, I test the hypothesis that firms in worse financial condition are more likely to start price wars. Empirical results suggest that this is true, particularly for highly leveraged firms. The article also explores which firms join existing price wars and finds that a firm is more likely to enter a price war the greater the share of its traffic on routes served by the price-war leader.
Pulmonary haemodynamics after single-lung transplantation for end-stage pulmonary parenchymal disease.

In a prospective study, we investigated the effect of single-lung transplantation (SLT) on pulmonary haemodynamics and the relationship between pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the fraction of perfusion to the transplant in patients with end-stage pulmonary parenchymal disease. Twenty four SLT recipients were included in the study, 19 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), two with sarcoidosis and three with fibrosing alveolitis. Spirometry, determination of arterial blood gas values, perfusion scintigraphy and right heart catheterization were performed before and 1, 6, 12 and 24 months after transplantation. Patients with a mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) > or = 20 mmHg before transplantation were defined as having PH (PH group, 15 patients) and the remainder (9 patients) constituted the non-PH group. In the PH group, Ppa and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were significantly decreased after transplantation: 28 +/- 2 to 18 +/- 1 mmHg and 288 to 161 +/- 11 dyne.s-1.cm-5, respectively (mean +/- SEM). In the non-PH group, the haemodynamic parameters were unchanged after transplantation. Over the 2 year follow-up period, no significant change was found in Ppa and PVR, nor any difference between the PH and non-PH group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of pulmonary perfusion to the graft. In conclusion, patients with pulmonary hypertension obtain pulmonary haemodynamics within the normal range after single-lung transplantation. Presence or absence of pulmonary hypertension before transplantation does not influence perfusion to the graft. These findings persist up to 2 yrs, despite the coexistence of an "end-stage" native lung and a lung transplant.
Gender differences of health behaviors and quality of life of Koreans with asthma

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in health-behaviors and quality of life (QOL) in Koreans with asthma. Methods: Participants, selected from the 2009 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey VI, included 305 individuals (men = 128, women = 177) with asthma and over 19 years old. Health behaviors were measured by questions about disease management, health choices, and functional and psychological status. QOL was measured with the European Quality of Life-5D (EQ-5D). Results: In health behaviors, 51.3% of women and 37.7% of men suffered from wheezing at rest. About 41% of men and 10% of women were smokers. One half of the participants were not taking medication and this was not significantly different by gender. The number of women with symptoms of depression was significantly higher than men. The EQ-5D index score of women was significantly lower than that of men. Conclusion: Women with asthma were more likely to have psychological problems and discomfort than men. Understanding gender differences in asthma is important to the development of effective, tailored asthma management strategies to cope with symptoms and improve health behaviors and QOL for people with asthma.
End-to-End service provisioning in multigranularity multidomain optical networks

In this paper, we propose a multisegment optical network framework as a tool to solve a generalized category of problems related to end-to-end provisioning over interconnected optical networks. Based on the multisegment framework, we developed routing schemes for multigranularity multidomain optical networks. For examples of regional all-optical networks interconnected over an all-optical WDM backbone under a variety of traffic conditions, we present and compare numerical results. The performance results demonstrated the ability of our schemes to handle various network conditions under different control plane architectures.
Rhinosinusitis: prevention strategies

Risk factors of recurrent sinusitis involve upper respiratory infections, bacterial load of the adenoids, day care attendance and exposure to tobacco smoke as well as sinonasal abnormalities, including septal deviation, choanal atresia, polyps and hypoplasia of sinuses. Furthermore, several systemic disorders can facilitate the development of chronic sinusitis, such as allergic rhinitis, gastro‐esophageal reflux disease (GER), cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and immunodeficiency diseases. A clinical practice guideline for the management of sinusitis is available only for the acute disease, but does not include for the management of the chronic form (i.e. chronic/recurrent sinusitis) and even less for the prevention strategies. As several studies indicate that the majority of children respond to sequential medical followed by surgical interventions, when needed, the best prevention of recurrence or chronicity is to properly treat acute sinusitis; in addition, children should be removed from larger and crowded day care whenever possible and should not be exposed to cigarette smoke. If allergic rhinitis co‐exists, it can be managed with nasal steroids sprays and anti‐histamines, although the long‐term results are controversial. In case of chronic sinusitis, the strategy of prevention is to assess and to cure the associated conditions.
Increase of Th17 Cell Phenotype in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Chronic Allograft Dysfunction

This study was performed to determine the association of Th17 cell phenotype with chronic allograft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). We compared the expression of Th17 cell phenotype in KTRs with chronic allograft dysfunction group (CAD, n = 52) with four control groups (long-term stable KTRs (LTS, n = 67), early stable KTRs (ES, n = 28), end stage renal disease (ESRD, n = 45), and healthy control (HC, n = 26). We also performed in vitro study using human proximal renal tubular epithelial cell line (HPRTEpiC) to evaluate the effect of IL-17 on human renal tubular epithelial cells. The CAD group showed increased percentage of Th17 cells out of CD4+ T cells and also increased proportion of IL-17 producing cells out of effector memory T cells or out of CCR4+CCR6+/CD4+ T cells compared to the LTS group and other control groups. Also, the serum level of IL-17, IL-33, and RAGE, and the expression of IL-1beta, RAGE, and HMGB1 mRNA showed an increase in the CAD group compared to the LTS group. In vitro study revealed that IL-17 increased production of IL-6 and IL-8 and up-regulated profibrotic gene expression such as ACTA-2 and CTGF in HPRTEpiC in a dose-dependent manner, which suggests that IL-17 has a role in the development of renal tubular cell injury. The results of our study may suggest that increase of Th17 cell phenotype could be a marker for the chronic allograft injury; hence there is a need to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools targeting the Th17 cells pathway.
Effects of the Fourth Ventricle Compression in the Regulation of the Autonomic Nervous System: A Randomized Control Trial

Introduction. Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system is an important factor in the development of chronic pain. Fourth ventricle compression (CV-4) has been shown to influence autonomic activity. Nevertheless, the physiological mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear. Objectives. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of fourth ventricle compression on the autonomic nervous system. Methods. Forty healthy adults were randomly assigned to an intervention group, on whom CV-4 was performed, or to a control group, who received a placebo intervention (nontherapeutic touch on the occipital bone). In both groups, plasmatic catecholamine levels, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before and immediately after the intervention. Results. No effects related to the intervention were found. Although a reduction of norepinephrine, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate was found after the intervention, it was not exclusive to the intervention group. In fact, only the control group showed an increment of dopamine levels after intervention. Conclusion. Fourth ventricle compression seems not to have any effect in plasmatic catecholamine levels, blood pressure, or heart rate. Further studies are needed to clarify the CV-4 physiologic mechanisms and clinical efficacy in autonomic regulation and pain treatment.
Adolescent Brain Maturation and Cortical Folding: Evidence for Reductions in Gyrification

Evidence from anatomical and functional imaging studies have highlighted major modifications of cortical circuits during adolescence. These include reductions of gray matter (GM), increases in the myelination of cortico-cortical connections and changes in the architecture of large-scale cortical networks. It is currently unclear, however, how the ongoing developmental processes impact upon the folding of the cerebral cortex and how changes in gyrification relate to maturation of GM/WM-volume, thickness and surface area. In the current study, we acquired high-resolution (3 Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 79 healthy subjects (34 males and 45 females) between the ages of 12 and 23 years and performed whole brain analysis of cortical folding patterns with the gyrification index (GI). In addition to GI-values, we obtained estimates of cortical thickness, surface area, GM and white matter (WM) volume which permitted correlations with changes in gyrification. Our data show pronounced and widespread reductions in GI-values during adolescence in several cortical regions which include precentral, temporal and frontal areas. Decreases in gyrification overlap only partially with changes in the thickness, volume and surface of GM and were characterized overall by a linear developmental trajectory. Our data suggest that the observed reductions in GI-values represent an additional, important modification of the cerebral cortex during late brain maturation which may be related to cognitive development.
Detection of change : event-related potential and fMRI findings

Contributors. Introduction. - Mismatch Negativity. 1. Auditory environment and change detection as indexed by the mismatch negativity (MMN) A. Kujala, R. Natanen. 2. Event-related brain potential indices of involuntary attention to auditory stimulus changes K. Alho, C. Escera, E. Schroger. 3. Visual mismatch negativity D.J. Heslenfeld. 4. Change detection in complex auditory environment: beyond the oddball paradigm I. Winkler. - P3A and P3B. 5. Theoretical overview of P3A and P3B J. Polich. 6. Lateral and orbital prefrontal cortex contributions to attention K.M. Hartikainen, R.T. Knight. 7. ERP and fMRI correlates of target and novelty processing B. Opitz. - EEG, Memory and Gamma. 8. EEG and ERP imaging of brain function A. Gevins, M. Smith, L.K. McEvoy. 9. EEG theta, memory and sleep W. Klimesch. 10. Gamma activity in the human EEG C.S. Herrmann. Index.
Cold storage as a method for the long-term preservation of tropical dissolved organic carbon (DOC)

Fluvial fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may represent an important loss for terrestrial carbon stores in the tropics. However, there is currently limited guidance on the preservation of tropical water samples for DOC analysis. Commonly employed preservation techniques such as freezing or acidification can limit degradation but may also alter sample properties, complicating DOC analysis. We examined the effects of cold storage at 4 °C on DOC concentration and quality in water samples collected from a tropical peat catchment. Samples were stored in the dark at 4 °C for periods of 6–12 weeks. Freeze/thaw experiments were also made. Mean DOC concentrations in samples stored for six weeks at 4 °C were 6.1 % greater than in samples stored at ambient room temperature (33 °C) over the same period. Changes in DOC concentrations, in two sample sets, during cold storage were 2.25 ± 2.9 mg L-1 (8 %) to 2.69 ± 1.4 mg L-1 (11 %) over a 12-week period. Freeze/thaw resulted in alterations in the optical properties of samples, and this in turn altered the calculated DOC concentrations by an average of 10.9 %. We conclude that cold storage at 4 °C is an acceptable preservation method for tropical DOC water samples, for moderate time periods, and is preferable to freezing or storage at ambient temperatures.
Adiponectin gene therapy of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic mice using hydrodynamic injection

Adiponectin (Adipo), an adipocyte hormone involved in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, has already been identified as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes. However, successful delivery of Adipo to the receptors is difficult due to their peptide characteristics. Receptors for Adipo are abundantly expressed in the liver and skeletal muscle.
Plasma Bullet as a Plasma Diffusion Wave-Packet in Plasma Jets

The propagation of a plasma bullet in a plasma jet is described under the base of plasma fluid theory in terms of the plasma drift, the gas flow, and the plasma diffusion. The analysis reveals that the plasma bullet originates from the electrostatic diffusion wave in plasma propagating in the plasma column of jets. The plasma diffusion waves, electron waves, and ion waves propagate in the form of a wave-packet modulated by the operation frequency of the voltage pulse. The waves have the dispersion relation of ω ~ <i>ku</i><sub>αφ</sub>, and the wavelength has the order of Debye length λ<i>D</i> ~ 10<sup>-4</sup> m as <i>k</i><sup>2</sup> λ<i>D</i><sup>2</sup> ~ 1. The phase velocity is <i>u</i><sub>αφ</sub> ~ (<i>u</i><sub>α</sub><i>d</i> +<i>ub</i>+<i>un</i>+κ<sub>α</sub><i>un</i>) with the mobility ratio of κ<i>e</i>=|μ<i>e</i>/μ<i>i</i>| for electrons (α = <i>e</i>) and κ<i>i</i>=1 for ions (α = <i>i</i>). The terms <i>ued</i>, <i>uid</i>, <i>ub</i>, and <i>un</i> represent the electron drift velocity, the ion drift velocity, the gas blowing velocity, and the plasma diffusion velocity, respectively. The waves are modulated to be the wave-packet of <i>d</i>ω ~ <i>ugdk</i> with the group velocity of <i>ug</i> ~ <i>cs</i><sup>2</sup>/<i>un</i> ~ (10<sup>4</sup>-10<sup>5</sup>)m/s, where the acoustic velocity is <i>cs</i> ~ 10<sup>3</sup> m/s and the diffusion velocity is <i>un</i> ~ (10-10<sup>2</sup>)m/s estimated in a plasma jet device.
SPECULATIONS ON THE IMMUNOLOGY OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL INFECTIONS *

Eight years ago increasing problems with human staphylococcal disease led to a New York Academy of Science conference on staphylococcal infections. ' In comparing the papers presented a t that time and the titles submitted for the present conference,2 it is encouraging to note that a considerable amount of new information has accumulated during this interval. More is known about the epidemiology of staphylococcal disease, the ways in which newborns acquire initial infection, and the circumstances in which staphylococcal infections arise in adults. New biochemical and ultramicroscopic information on the structure of the staphylococcal cell wall has emerged. Certain of the biochemical components which may play a role in virulence have been characterized; there is additional information on some of the peculiarities of staphylococcalhost cell interactions. The development of new antimicrobial agents, particularly the penicillinase-resistant penicillins, has altered and simplified therapy, and the prognosis in life threatening staphylococcal disease has been improved. Even location of the conference itself suggests increasing sophistication. The 1956 conference was held in the basement of another hotel which will remain nameless. The 1964 conference was held in the Waldorf Astoria. I hope that this is additional evidence of progress! There is, however, one aspect of staphylococcal disease which has remained confusing and poorly understood. This is the problem of the nature of immunity or acquired resistance to staphylococcal infections in man. This lack of understanding does not stem from a paucity of experimental studies in this area-the literature dealing with various aspects of staphylococcal immunity is enormous. With certain outstanding exceptions, however, these studies have not clarified the broad problem of human resistance to staphylococcal infection. Most studies have dealt with isolated facets of the immune process, and the over-all problem has received scant attention. Like the blind men in Tolstoi's fable, conclusions have often been drawn from narrow evidence based on immunologic dogma acquired from study of other infections quite different from those produced by staphylococci. Review of these studies in preparation for this conference has strengthened
Hail the Independent Thinker: The Emergence of Public Debate Culture on the Chinese Internet

Investigating the Internet’s political consequences in China, current scholarship focuses predominantly on some individuals’ ready contention against state apparatuses and unjustifiably ignores how Internet use may bring about cultural changes with political implications among a larger population. This study examines the emerging Chinese online debate culture from early 2006 to mid–2011. Taking the sociology of knowledge approach to discourse, it is based on online ethnography and discourse analysis. It presents a trajectory of the “independent thinking”–centered normative discourses on debate in Chinese cyberspace and how varied social actors interacted with these discourses. The findings suggest that the indigenous public debate culture that has arisen from Internet communication in China entailed certain behavioral and attitudinal changes supportive of democratic governing.
Exon as well as intron sequences are cis-regulating elements for the mutually exclusive alternative splicing of the beta tropomyosin gene

The beta tropomyosin gene contains two internal exons which are spliced in a mutually exclusive manner. Exon 6B is specifically included in the mature transcripts expressed in skeletal muscle or cultured myotubes, while exon 6A is a myoblast- or smooth muscle-specific exon. The intron between them, which is never spliced in normal conditions, contains two characteristic features: first, the unusual location of the branch point at position -105 from the acceptor, and second, the presence of a very long pyrimidine stretch upstream of the skeletal muscle exon. In this study we designed a number of sequence modifications to investigate the role of these two elements and of a computer-predicted secondary structure in the mutually exclusive splicing of the two exons. We found that mutations in the skeletal exon as well as in the upstream intron could change in vivo the tissue-specific pattern as well as the mutually exclusive character of the two exons. Our results suggest that the unusual position of the branch point does not prevent the utilization of exon 6B in myoblasts and that the region around the acceptor site of exon 6B and the polypyrimidine tract have an important role in this control. Last, we discuss the possible implications of secondary structures.
Impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from Europe and rural Africa

Gut microbial composition depends on different dietary habits just as health depends on microbial metabolism, but the association of microbiota with different diets in human populations has not yet been shown. In this work, we compared the fecal microbiota of European children (EU) and that of children from a rural African village of Burkina Faso (BF), where the diet, high in fiber content, is similar to that of early human settlements at the time of the birth of agriculture. By using high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical analyses, we found significant differences in gut microbiota between the two groups. BF children showed a significant enrichment in Bacteroidetes and depletion in Firmicutes (P < 0.001), with a unique abundance of bacteria from the genus Prevotella and Xylanibacter, known to contain a set of bacterial genes for cellulose and xylan hydrolysis, completely lacking in the EU children. In addition, we found significantly more short-chain fatty acids (P < 0.001) in BF than in EU children. Also, Enterobacteriaceae (Shigella and Escherichia) were significantly underrepresented in BF than in EU children (P < 0.05). We hypothesize that gut microbiota coevolved with the polysaccharide-rich diet of BF individuals, allowing them to maximize energy intake from fibers while also protecting them from inflammations and noninfectious colonic diseases. This study investigates and compares human intestinal microbiota from children characterized by a modern western diet and a rural diet, indicating the importance of preserving this treasure of microbial diversity from ancient rural communities worldwide.