Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of partially replacing barley or corn with raw and micronised CDC SO-I oats on productive performance of lactating dairy cows

Recently, a new genotype of oat (cv. CDC SO-I, containing low-hull lignin and high-fat groat), has been developed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of partially replacing barley and corn with the new oat and its micronisation on lactating performance of dairy cows. In a double 4 × 4 Latin square design, eight lactating dairy cows (732 ± 46 kg body weight [BW]; parity 4 ± 2) received total mixed rations with a forage-to-concentrate ratio of 50:50 (DM basis). The four treatments were: T1, barley only (control); T2, raw oat, replacing 42% barley of T1; T3, micronised oat, replacing 42% barley of T1; and T4, raw oat and corn blend, replacing 100% barley of T1. The results showed that dairy cows fed the new oats (T2, T3) produced more fat (p < 0.05) and more fat corrected milk (p < 0.10) than cows fed barley only (T1). The performance of cows fed the new oat and corn blend (T4) was not significantly different from other treatments. The micronisation significantly reduced protein degradability (74 vs. 63%, p < 0.05), but increased starch degradability (87 vs. 93%, p < 0.05) of the new oat. However, the overall results suggested that micronisation did not show a significant impact on milk production. The newly developed CDC SO-I oat can replace 42% barley (in T1) as a concentrate supplement in dairy total mixed rations with an increased yield of milk fat and fat corrected milk.
Empirical Analysis on Economic Growth and Energy Consumption Relationship in Croatia¹

Abstract This paper investigates the causal relationship between economic growth and energy consumption in Croatia for the period 1952-2010. Using Chow breakpoint test we identified a structural break in the year 1989. Therefore, we have conducted our analysis on two sub-samples. The first one refers to the period 1952-1989 while the second one refers to the period 1993-2010. The years between 1990 and 1992 have been omitted from the analysis due to massive damage to the Croatian economy caused by the war at that time. Our findings suggest that there is a bidirectional feedback in the short-run and that causality runs from energy consumption to economic growth in the long-run in the first sub-sample. At that time, especially in mid 1970s, Croatia became a medium developed industrial country with the industry sector as the biggest consumer of energy so energy consumption played an important role in the growth process. After the structural break, we found a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to energy consumption. In this case, energy conservation policies together with the establishment of a competitive energy market may be feasible with little or no detrimental side effects to economic growth and employment.
Haemoglobin A2 analysis

Sir, We agree with the letter from Chapman, Ryan and Streetly [1] that when requesting Hb A2 analysis as part of thalassaemia screening of pregnant women in England, the correction of iron deficiency anaemia before repeating Hb A2 analysis may cause delay in undertaking DNA prenatal diagnosis. However, the International Council for the Standardisation of Haematology (ICSH) recommendations are recommendations for the international community. These analytical recommendations are not aimed at any one country and in many parts of the world where thalassaemia is common DNA prenatal diagnosis is either not available or is only available to a very small proportion of the population. Where such prenatal diagnosis is not available or if the person is not pregnant, any delay would not be a problem. Our paper [2] primarily discusses the laboratory methods available for analysing Hb A2 in general and how to interpret the analytical results. It does not attempt to give recommendations for screening pregnant women in England or to discuss the detailed approach to the DNA diagnosis of thalassaemia because for this, it would have required a detailed section on DNA methods. It may be that in the future family doctors will assess any thalassaemia risk prior to pregnancy or such screening may be undertaken in secondary schools such as the programmes now being undertaken in Jamaica and in Raipur in India.
A Quantitative Comparison of Simultaneous BOLD fMRI and NIRS Recordings during Functional Brain Activation

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to noninvasively monitor adult human brain function in a wide variety of tasks. While rough spatial correspondences with maps generated from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been found in such experiments, the amplitude correspondences between the two recording modalities have not been fully characterized. To do so, we simultaneously acquired NIRS and blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI data and compared Delta(1/BOLD) (approximately R(2)(*)) to changes in oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin concentrations derived from the NIRS data from subjects performing a simple motor task. We expected the correlation with deoxyhemoglobin to be strongest, due to the causal relation between changes in deoxyhemoglobin concentrations and BOLD signal. Instead we found highly variable correlations, suggesting the need to account for individual subject differences in our NIRS calculations. We argue that the variability resulted from systematic errors associated with each of the signals, including: (1) partial volume errors due to focal concentration changes, (2) wavelength dependence of this partial volume effect, (3) tissue model errors, and (4) possible spatial incongruence between oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentration changes. After such effects were accounted for, strong correlations were found between fMRI changes and all optical measures, with oxyhemoglobin providing the strongest correlation. Importantly, this finding held even when including scalp, skull, and inactive brain tissue in the average BOLD signal. This may reflect, at least in part, the superior contrast-to-noise ratio for oxyhemoglobin relative to deoxyhemoglobin (from optical measurements), rather than physiology related to BOLD signal interpretation.
Wisdom-Related Knowledge: Affective, Motivational, and Interpersonal Correlates

This study investigated the connection between wisdom as a body of expert knowledge about the meaning and conduct of life and indicators of affective, motivational, and interpersonal functioning. Structural equation analyses showed that individuals higher on wisdom-related knowledge reported (a) higher affective involvement combined with lower negative and pleas-ant feelings, (b) a value orientation that focused conjointly on other-enhancing values and personal growth combined with a lesser tendency toward values revolving around a pleasurable life, and (c) a preference for cooperative conflict management strategies combined with a lower tendency to adopt submissive, avoidant, or dominant strategies. These findings corroborate the theoretical notion that wisdom involves affective modulation and complexity rather than the predominant seeking of pleasure and also a joint motivational commitment to developing the potential of oneself and that of others.
Tanshinone I inhibits tumor angiogenesis by reducing STAT3 phosphorylation at TYR705 and hypoxia-induced HIF-1α accumulation in both endothelial and tumor cells

Tanshinone I (Tanshinone-1), a major active principle of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), has been shown to overcome tumor drug resistance and metastasis. Here we report that tanshinone-1 inhibits angiogenesis. Tanshinone-1 inhibited proliferation, migration and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells, rat aortic ring sprouting and the neovascularization of the chick chorioallantoic membrane in a concentration-dependent manner. In endothelial cells, tanshinone-1 almost completely inhibited phosphorylation of Stat3 at Tyr705 regardless of hypoxia or normoxia but only slightly decreased the hypoxia-induced HIF-1α accumulation. In tumor cells, contrastively, tanshinone-1 could not only make phosphorylation of Stat3 at Tyr705 disappear but also reduce the hypoxia-induced accumulation of HIF-1α to its baseline levels at normoxia. Consequently, VEGF secretion from tumor cells was reduced, which could potentiate the direct inhibition of tanshinone-1 on endothelial cells. Together with its overcoming tumor drug resistance and metastasis, our results reveal unique characteristics of tanshinone-1 and its improved derivatives as promising angiogenesis inhibitors.
Using Numbers to Structure Space

We investigated the claim that relational language promotes the development of relational reasoning (Gentner, 2003). Prior research has shown the benefit of spatial relational language (e.g. top, middle, bottom) in preschoolers’ performance in spatial mapping (Loewenstein and Gentner, 2005), suggesting that spatial relational language invites a delineated relational representation. We generalized this conclusion by testing the benefit of using nonspatial relational language in a spatial analogical task. Preschool children were presented with two identical three-tiered boxes, in which they watched an item being hidden in one box and were then asked to search for a similar item in the corresponding location at the second box. Half of the children heard a set of systematic terms conveying monotonic structure (1 2 3), whereas the other half of the children heard non-systematic terms consisting of names of familiar animals. Both sets of terms are familiar to preschoolers and neither directly denotes spatial locations. We found that preschool children who heard the 123 labels performed better than those who heard animal names. The results are evidence of young children’s sensitivity to the relational structure conveyed by language, and to their ability to apply this structure into a different domain.
Characterization of a silent sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic pathway in Streptomyces avermitilis controlling epi‐isozizaene albaflavenone biosynthesis and isolation of a new oxidized epi‐isozizaene metabolite

The genome‐sequenced, Gram‐positive bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis harbours an orthologue (SAV_3032) of the previously identified epi‐isozizaene synthase (SCO5222) in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). The sav3032 is translationally coupled with the downstream sav3031 gene encoding the cytochrome P450 CYP170A2 analogous to SCO5223 (CYP170A1) of S. coelicolor A3(2), which exhibits a similar translation coupling. Streptomyces avermitilis did not produce epi‐isozizaene or any of its oxidized derivatives, albaflavenols and albaflavenone, under in any culture conditions examined. Nonetheless, recombinant SAV_3032 protein expressed in Escherichia coli catalysed the Mg2+‐dependent cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate to epi‐isozizaene. To effect the production of epi‐isozizaene in S. avermitilis, the sav3032 gene was cloned and placed under control of a copy of the native S. avermitilis promoter rpsJp (sav4925). The derived expression construct was introduced by transformation into a large‐deletion mutant of S. avermitilis SUKA16 and the resulting transformants accumulated epi‐isozizaene. The previously characterized oxidized epi‐isozizaene metabolites (4R)‐ and (4S)‐albaflavenols and albaflavenone, as well as a previously undescribed doubly oxidized epi‐isozizaene derivative were isolated from cultures of S. avermitilis SUKA16 transformants in which sav3032 was coexpressed with the P450‐encoding sav3031. This new metabolite was identified as 4β,5β‐epoxy‐2‐epi‐zizaan‐6β‐ol which is most likely formed by oxidation of (4S)‐albaflavenol.
Professional Forecasters and the Real-time Forecasting Performance of an Estimated New Keynesian Model for the Euro Area

This paper analyses the real-time forecasting performance of the New Keynesian DSGE model of Gali, Smets, and Wouters (2012) estimated on euro area data. It investigates to what extent forecasts of inflation, GDP growth and unemployment by professional forecasters improve the forecasting performance. We consider two approaches for conditioning on such information. Under the “noise” approach, the mean professional forecasts are assumed to be noisy indicators of the rational expectations forecasts implied by the DSGE model. Under the “news” approach, it is assumed that the forecasts reveal the presence of expected future structural shocks in line with those estimated over the past. The forecasts of the DSGE model are compared with those from a Bayesian VAR model and a random walk. JEL Classification: E24, E31, E32
Monensin and Brefeldin A Inhibit High Density Lipoprotein- mediated Cholesterol Efflux from Cholesterol-enriched Cells

Mechanisms and pathways of excess cholesterol removal from intracellular sites of accumulation to extracellular cholesterol acceptors remain poorly defined. To gain further insights, compounds known to affect cellular protein transport pathways were tested for their effects on high density lipoprotein (HDL)-mediated cholesterol efflux from cultured cells enriched with cholesterol. Monensin, nigericin, and brefeldin A inhibited the ability of HDL to decrease cellular cholesterol esterification, stimulate sterol biosynthesis, and promote the efflux of labeled cholesterol and cholesterol mass from fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. HDL-mediated decrease in cell cholesterol esterification was inhibited up to 80% by these compounds compared with control incubations over an HDL concentration of 5-100 μg/ml and up to 18 h of incubation. Up-regulation of sterol biosynthesis after depletion of cell cholesterol by HDL increased over 10-fold; however, inclusion of monensin or brefeldin A during the incubation completely prevented the increase of sterol biosynthesis by HDL. Efflux of [3H]cholesterol to HDL from prelabeled cells was inhibited up to 40% by these compounds, and this effect persisted when cholesterol esterification was blocked. Similarly, monensin and brefeldin A inhibited up to 50% of HDL-mediated cholesterol mass efflux relative to controls. Treatment of cells with cholesterol oxidase demonstrated an increase of intracellular cholesterol after exposure to monensin or nigericin and to a lesser extent with brefeldin A. These data show that monensin, nigericin, and brefeldin A sequester cholesterol from sites normally available for efflux by HDL. Since these compounds act by disruption of Golgi complex structure and function, a role for this intracellular organelle in transport of cholesterol between intracellular sites and the plasma membrane for eventual removal by extracellular acceptors such as HDL is suggested.
Vascular Aging and Hemodynamic Stability in the Intraoperative Period

The proportion of elderly people in the population is steadily increasing, and the inevitable consequence is that this subpopulation is more frequently represented in common medical procedures and surgeries. Understanding the circulatory changes that accompany the aging process is therefore becoming increasingly timely and relevant. In this short review, we discuss aspects of vascular control in aging that are particularly relevant in the maintenance of intraoperative hemodynamic stability. We subsequently review the effects of certain notable anesthetic agents with respect to the aging vasculature.
Communication between GPs and psychiatrists: the long and short of it

Good communication between general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists is important. An audit of new patient referral letters from GPs and the first assessment letter in reply from psychiatrists found that GP letters were short (mean 106 words) with limited information which increased with letter length. Psychiatrist9s letters were longer (mean 849 words), of a high quality but with a negative relationship between length and information score. Use of the ‘preferred’ format derived from previous research was associated with shorter letters of higher quality. Communication between GPs and psychiatrists might be improved if GPs wrote more and psychiatrists wrote less.
On the Fit and Forecasting Performance of New Keynesian Models

The paper provides new tools for the evaluation of DSGE models and applies them to a large-scale New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model with price and wage stickiness and capital accumulation. Specifically, we approximate the DSGE model by a vector autoregression (VAR) and then systematically relax the implied cross-equation restrictions. Let --denote the extent to which the restrictions are being relaxed. We document how the in- and out-of-sample fit of the resulting specification (DSGE-VAR) changes as a function of --. Furthermore, we learn about the precise nature of the misspecification by comparing the DSGE model’s impulse responses to structural shocks with those of the best-fitting DSGE-VAR. We find that the degree of misspecification in large-scale DSGE models is no longer so large as to prevent their use in day-to-day policy analysis, yet it is not small enough that it cannot be ignored.
Adoptive Transfer of TRAIL-Expressing Natural Killer Cells Prevents Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Partial Hepatectomy

Background. Antitumor activity of the liver natural killer (NK) cells reportedly decreases after partial hepatectomy, suggesting that patients with such depressed immune status are susceptible to the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We hypothesize that adoptive immunotherapy using activated NK cells can be a novel strategy to improve the depressed immune status in patients with HCC after hepatectomy or partial liver transplantation. In the present study, we have tested this hypothesis by using a mouse model. Methods. Intraportal injection of 1–5×106 Hepa1-6 cells (hepatoma cell line) did not result in liver metastases in untreated B6 mice, but led to the growth of liver metastases after extensive partial hepatectomy. Utilizing this murine HCC metastasis model, we investigated the antitumor activity of both remnant liver and exogenously transferred NK cells. Results. The anti-HCC activity of liver NK cells significantly decreased after partial hepatectomy. The expression of CD69 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on liver NK cells was temporarily downregulated. The adoptive transfer of NK cells, including a TRAIL-expressing fraction, extracted from the liver perfusates of poly I:C-stimulated B6 mice inhibited the growth of liver metastasis in B6 or (B6×BALB/c) F1 (B6CF1) mice that underwent hepatectomy and received intraportal Hepa1-6 injection. Conclusions. These findings indicate that adoptive immunotherapy using activated NK cells extracted from normal liver perfusates may be a novel technique for reconstituting the depressed immune status in cases of living donor liver transplantation involving HCC patients, recipients of a partial liver graft.
Attentional demands and postural recovery: the effects of aging.

BACKGROUND Cognitive demands associated with balance and locomotion may contribute to the incidence of falling among older adults. This study addressed issues related to the effects of aging on the attentional demands of recovering from an external disturbance to balance. This research also investigated whether performing a secondary cognitive task differentially affects postural recovery in young versus older adults. METHOD Fifteen young and 10 healthy older adults were exposed to a series of balance disturbances. Attentional demands were assessed using a dual task paradigm where postural recovery served as the primary task, and counting backwards served as a concurrent secondary cognitive task. The effect of the counting task was assessed by comparing kinematic variables related to feet-in-place and stepping recovery strategies. RESULTS Recovering upright stance was found to be attentionally demanding in both age groups. The type of recovery strategy did not influence attentional demands in young adults; however, a hierarchy of increasing attentional demands between the ankle strategy and compensatory stepping was apparent among older adults. In addition, stepping appears to be more attentionally demanding for older adults than for younger adults. Counting backwards did not affect the type of strategy used; however, it did affect the kinematics of stepping. For both age groups, steps occurred when the center of mass was located in a more central location within the base of support when the secondary task was added. CONCLUSIONS The ability to recover a stable posture following an external perturbation is more attentionally demanding for older adults than for younger adults. This would suggest that for some older adults, an increased risk for loss of balance and falls may result if sufficient attentional resources are not allocated to the task of postural recovery.
Radiographic examination and outcome in consecutive feline trauma patients

Summary Using univariate analysis, the correlation between signalment, history, outcome and radiographic diagnosis made on whole-body radiographs was investigated in 100 consecutive feline trauma patients of an urban clinic. The radiographic findings included: 53 thoracic injuries, 39 abdominal injuries, 34 pelvic injuries, 28 soft tissue injuries, 26 spinal injuries, and 19 cases with signs of hypovolemia. Only four radiographs were considered normal. Surgical intervention was carried out in 51 cases. Of the 100 cases, 73 survived, 23 were euthanatized, and four died. A significant positive correlation with euthanasia was found when compared to patient age (p=0.0059), abdominal trauma (P=0.0500), spinal fractures (P=0.0468), and soft tissue injuries (P=0.0175). A significant negative correlation with survival was found when compared to patient age (P=0.0358), abdominal trauma (P=0.0439), intraperitoneal free air (P=0.0041), and soft tissue injury (P=0.0288). The results of this study indicate that whole-body radiographs are useful in detecting injury in the thorax, abdomen, spine, pelvis and soft tissues, and are valuable in the diagnostic work-up of feline trauma patients.