Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resveratrol isolated from Polygonum cuspidatum root prevents tumor growth and metastasis to lung and tumor-induced neovascularization in Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring phytoalexine found in medicinal plants. We found that resveratrol, at doses of 2.5 and 10 mg/kg, significantly reduced the tumor volume (42%), tumor weight (44%) and metastasis to the lung (56%) in mice bearing highly metastatic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumors, but not at a dose of 0.6 mg/kg. Resveratrol did not affect the number of CD4(+), CD8(+) and natural killer (NK)1.1. (+) T cells in the spleen. Therefore, the inhibitory effects of resveratrol on tumor growth and lung metastasis could not be explained by natural killer or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activation. In addition, resveratrol inhibited DNA synthesis most strongly in LLC cells; its 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) was 6.8 micromol/L. Resveratrol at 100 micromol/L increased apoptosis to 20.6 +/- 1.35% from 12.1 +/- 0.36% (P < 0.05) in LLC cells, and decreased the S phase population to 22.1 +/- 1.03% and 29.2 +/- 0.27% from 35.2 +/- 1.72% (P < 0.05) at concentrations of 50 and 100 micromol/L, respectively. Resveratrol inhibited tumor-induced neovascularization at doses of 2.5 and 10 mg/kg in an in vivo model. Moreover, resveratrol significantly inhibited the formation of capillary-like tube formation from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) at concentrations of 10-100 micromol/L; the degree of the inhibition of capillary-like tube formation by resveratrol was 45.5% at 10 micromol/L, 50.2% at 50 micromol/L and 52.6% at 100 micromol/L. Resveratrol inhibited the binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to HUVEC at concentrations of 10-100 micromol/L, but not at concentrations of 1 and 5 micromol/L. The degree of inhibition of VEGF binding to HUVEC by resveratrol was 16.9% at 10 micromol/L, 53.2% at 50 micromol/L and 47.8% at 100 micromol/L. We suggest that the antitumor and antimetastatic activities of resveratrol might be due to the inhibition of DNA synthesis in LLC cells and the inhibition of LLC-induced neovascularization and tube formation (angiogensis) of HUVEC by resveratrol
From Nose to Memory: The Involuntary Nature of Odor-evoked Autobiographical Memories in Alzheimer’s Disease

Research suggests that odors may serve as a potent cue for autobiographical retrieval. We tested this hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and investigated whether odor-evoked autobiographical memory is an involuntary process that shares similarities with music-evoked autobiographical memory. Participants with mild AD and controls were asked to retrieve 2 personal memories after odor exposure, after music exposure, and in an odor-and music-free condition. AD participants showed better specificity, emotional experience, mental time travel, and retrieval time after odor and music exposure than in the control condition. Similar beneficial effects of odor and music exposure were observed for autobiographical characteristics (i.e., specificity, emotional experience, and mental time travel), except for retrieval time which was more improved after odor than after music exposure. Interestingly, regression analyses suggested executive involvement in memories evoked in the control condition but not in those evoked after music or odor exposure. These findings suggest the involuntary nature of odor-evoked autobiographical memory in AD. They also suggest that olfactory cuing could serve as a useful and ecologically valid tool to stimulate autobiographical memory, at least in the mild stage of the disease.
Lack of efficacy of a food-frequency questionnaire in assessing dietary macronutrient intakes in subjects consuming diets of known composition.

BACKGROUND We compared the validity of a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire in assessing intakes of macronutrients (absolute amounts and percentages of energy) by 19 subjects fed natural-food diets of known composition. In small subsets (n = 5 or 6), we also tested 3-d diet records. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of food-frequency questionnaires and diet records in subjects fed natural-food diets of known composition. DESIGN Each subject consumed 3 different diets for >/=6 wk and self-reported his or her food intake by using a food-frequency questionnaire and a diet record. The diets varied in their chemically analyzed contents of fat (15-35% energy), saturated fat (5-14%), monounsaturated fat (5-14.5%), polyunsaturated fat (2.5-10.5%), carbohydrate (49-68%), and cholesterol (108-348 mg/d). RESULTS The food-frequency questionnaire significantly underestimated fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and protein intakes and significantly overestimated carbohydrate intake with the high-fat diet. The percentage of energy from fat was significantly underestimated for the high-fat diet and significantly overestimated for the very-low-fat diet. Estimates from the food-frequency questionnaire differed significantly from actual intakes for fat (absolute and percentage), saturated fat (absolute and percentage), monounsaturated fat (absolute and percentage), and protein (percentage) in the high-fat diet and for polyunsaturated fat (absolute and percentage), saturated fat (percentage), fiber (absolute), and cholesterol (daily absolute; in mg/d) in the lower-fat diet. Estimates from the diet records better agreed with actual intakes than did estimates from the food-frequency questionnaire except for monounsaturated fat (absolute and percentage) in the high-fat diet and polyunsaturated fat (percentage) in the lower-fat diet and the very-low-fat diet. CONCLUSION Our data indicated that the food-frequency questionnaire did not provide reliable estimates of absolute amounts of dietary fats or cholesterol.
Mechanics of Asphalt Concrete: Analytical and Computational Studies

by DINESH PANNEERSELVAM Permanent deformation under repeated loading (rutting) is the most prominent distress mechanism in pavements. In properly compacted pavements shear flow is considered to be the primary rutting mechanism. Also the mix exhibits volumetric/deviatoric coupling behavior which is observed when the mix dilates under shear loading. A new multi-dimensional hyperelastic-viscoelastic-viscoplastic-damage model is developed to describe the permanent deformations and coupling behavior of asphalt concrete. The elastic component of the asphalt concrete response is modeled by a second order hyperelastic model. Asphalt concrete mix exhibits volumetric/deviatoric coupling behavior even at very small strain values and hence an elastic model is used to capture this phenomenon. The viscoelastic model developed in this study is based on a new viscoelastic model which has been recently developed by Panoskaltsis and co-workers (Panoskaltsis, V.P., et al. “The Generalized Kuhn model of Viscoelasticity”, submitted for Publication). In the work presented here, the Generalized Kuhn model is applied for the description and prediction of asphalt behavior. The response of the material for frequency sweep test is captured and the model predicts the loss tangent for asphalt concrete very well.
Vitamin D is necessary for reproductive functions of the male rat.

The effect of vitamin D deficiency on the fertility and reproductive capacity of male rats was investigated. Male weanling rats were fed vitamin D-deficient or vitamin D-replete diets until maturity, and mated to age-matched, vitamin D-replete females. Vitamin D-deficient males were capable of reproduction. However, successful matings, i.e., presence of sperm in the vaginal tract of the female, by vitamin D-deficient males were reduced by 45% when compared to matings by vitamin D-replete males. Fertility (successful pregnancies in sperm-positive females) was reduced by 73% in litters from vitamin D-deficient male inseminations when compared to litters from females inseminated by vitamin D-replete males. These results demonstrate that vitamin D and its metabolites are necessary for normal reproductive functions in the male rat.
Substance‐use initiation moderates the effect of stress on white‐matter microstructure in adolescents

BACKGROUND While childhood stress may contribute risk to substance-use initiation and differences in brain white-matter development, understanding of the potential impact of substance-use initiation on the relationship between experienced stress and white-matter microstructure remains limited. OBJECTIVES This study examined whether substance-use initiation moderated the effect of perceived stress on white-matter differences using measures of primary white-matter fiber anisotropy. METHODS Forty adolescents (age 14.75 ± .87 years) were assessed on the Perceived Stress Scale, and 50% were determined to have presence of substance-use initiation. White-matter microstructure was examined using primary-fiber orientations anisotropy, which may reflect white-matter integrity, modeled separately from other fiber orientations in the same voxels. Analyses were conducted on regions of interest previously associated with childhood stress and substance use. RESULTS Lower perceived stress and presence of substance-use initiation were related to greater right cingulum primary-fiber measures. Substance-use-initiation status moderated the association between perceived stress and right cingulum primary-fiber measures, such that higher perceived stress was associated with lower right cingulum primary-fiber anisotropy in adolescents without substance-use initiation, but not in those with substance-use initiation. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Findings in primary-fiber anisotropy suggest differences in right cingulum white-matter integrity is associated with substance-use initiation in higher-stress adolescents. This reflects a possible pre-existing risk factor, an impact of early substance use, or a combination thereof. Examination of potential markers associated with substance-use initiation in white-matter microstructure among stress-exposed youth warrant additional investigation as such biomarkers may inform efforts relating to tailored interventions. (Am J Addict 2018;27:217-224).
Anticlastic Stability Modeling for Cross-ply Composites

A viable aspect of fiber-reinforced composites is their elastic tailoring ability. Anticlastic curvature is one example of elastic tailoring that occurs with an unsymmetric cross-ply layup. Residual stresses resulting from differences in coefficients of thermal expansion and elastic properties in each lamina can cause large out-of-plane deformations. In the case of thin unsymmetric cross-ply laminates under thermal curing load, a cylindrical shape is observed because of this inherent geometrical nonlinearity as opposed to the saddle shape that classical lamination theory predicts. In this article, a finite element approach, using ABAQUS™, is implemented in order to predict the unsymmetric cross-ply laminate shapes under thermal curing stresses and understand the underlying limit point instability. Numerical results for curvatures of the predicted shapes are in agreement with published experimental and analytical data. The stability of the cylindrical laminates is also investigated. Depending on the aspect ratio of the rectangular laminate, a cylindrical shape may snap-through from its current stable configuration to another stable cylindrical shape with a different curvature. In particular, both the critical aspect ratio where snap-through will cease to occur and the buckling load are reported.
Nutrient Requirements and Optimal Nutrition Bread Fortified with Cholecalciferol Increases the Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration in Women as Effectively as a Cholecalciferol Supplement

Fortification of foods is a feasible way of preventing low vitamin D status. Bread could be a suitable vehicle for fortification because it is a common part of diets worldwide. The bioavailability of cholecalciferol from bread is not known. We studied cholecalciferol stability, the concentration of the added cholecalciferol, the dispersion of cholecalciferol in bread, and the bioavailability of cholecalciferol from fortified bread. Three batches of fortified lowfiber wheat and high-fiber rye breads were baked; from each batch, 3 samples of dough and bread were analyzed for their cholecalciferol content. In a single-blind bioavailability study, 41 healthy women, 25–45 y old, with mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration 29 nmol/L (range 12–45 nmol/L), were randomly assigned to 4 study groups. Each group consumed fortified wheat bread, fortified rye bread, regular wheat bread (control), or regular wheat bread and a cholecalciferol supplement (vitamin D control) daily for 3 wk. The daily dose of vitamin D was 10 mg in all groups except the control group. The vitamin dispersed evenly in the breads and was stable. Both fortified breads increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration as effectively as the cholecalciferol supplement. Supplementation or fortification did not affect serum intact parathyroid hormone concentration or urinary calcium excretion. In conclusion, fortified bread is a safe and feasible way to improve vitamin D nutrition. J. Nutr. 136: 123–127, 2006.
Comparison of home-based therapy with ready-to-use therapeutic food with standard therapy in the treatment of malnourished Malawian children: a controlled, clinical effectiveness trial.

BACKGROUND Childhood malnutrition is common in Malawi, and the standard treatment, which follows international guidelines, results in poor recovery rates. Higher recovery rates have been seen in pilot studies of home-based therapy with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). OBJECTIVE The objective was to compare the recovery rates among children with moderate and severe wasting, kwashiorkor, or both receiving either home-based therapy with RUTF or standard inpatient therapy. DESIGN A controlled, comparative, clinical effectiveness trial was conducted in southern Malawi with 1178 malnourished children. Children were systematically allocated to either standard therapy (186 children) or home-based therapy with RUTF (992 children) according to a stepped wedge design to control for bias introduced by the season of the year. Recovery, defined as reaching a weight-for-height z score > -2, and relapse or death were the primary outcomes. The rate of weight gain and the prevalence of fever, cough, and diarrhea were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS Children who received home-based therapy with RUTF were more likely to achieve a weight-for-height z score > -2 than were those who received standard therapy (79% compared with 46%; P < 0.001) and were less likely to relapse or die (8.7% compared with 16.7%; P < 0.001). Children who received home-based therapy with RUTF had greater rates of weight gain (3.5 compared with 2.0 g . kg(-1) . d(-1); difference: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0, 2.0 g . kg(-1) . d(-1)) and a lower prevalence of fever, cough, and diarrhea than did children who received standard therapy. CONCLUSION Home-based therapy with RUTF is associated with better outcomes for childhood malnutrition than is standard therapy.
Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation improves fasting and postprandial lipid profiles in hypertriglyceridemic men.

BACKGROUND The effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the mean size and concentrations of VLDL, LDL, and HDL subclasses have not been previously studied. OBJECTIVE We determined the effects of DHA supplementation on the concentrations of apoproteins; large, medium, and small VLDL, LDL, and HDL particles; and the mean diameters of these particles in fasting and postprandial plasma. DESIGN Hypertriglyceridemic men aged 39-66 y (n = 34) participated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel study. They received no supplements for the first 8 d and received either 7.5 g DHA oil/d (3 g DHA/d) or olive oil (placebo) for the last 90 d. Lipoprotein particle diameters and concentrations were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS DHA supplementation for 45 d significantly (P < 0.05) decreased concentrations of fasting triacylglycerol (24%), large VLDL (92%), and intermediate-density lipoproteins (53%) and the mean diameter of VLDL particles (11.1 nm). It elevated concentrations of LDL cholesterol (12.6%), small VLDL particles (133%), and large LDL particles (120%) and the mean diameter of LDL particles (0.6 nm) in fasting plasma. Similar changes were observed for area under the curve for postprandial samples (0-6 h); however, the number of small dense LDL particles decreased significantly (21%), and the change in LDL cholesterol was not significant. Continued supplementation with DHA beyond 45 d caused no further changes; placebo treatment altered none of the responses tested. CONCLUSION DHA supplementation may improve cardiovascular health by lowering concentrations of triacylglycerols and small, dense LDL particles.
Biochemical effects of a diet containing foods enriched with n-3 fatty acids.

BACKGROUND Results of many studies indicate that consumption of n-3 fatty acids can benefit persons with cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis. However, encapsulated fish oil is unlikely to be suited to lifetime daily use and recommendations to increase fish intake have not been effective. OBJECTIVE The objective was to examine the effectiveness of a diet that incorporates foods rich in n-3 fatty acids in elevating tissue concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid and in suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators. DESIGN Healthy male volunteers were provided with foods that were enriched in alpha-linolenic acid (cooking oil, margarine, salad dressing, and mayonnaise) and eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (sausages and savory dip) and with foods naturally rich in n-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed meal and fish. Subjects incorporated these products into their food at home for 4 wk. Fatty acid intakes, cellular and plasma fatty acid concentrations, and monocyte-derived eicosanoid and cytokine production were measured. RESULTS Analyses of dietary records indicated that intake of eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid averaged 1.8 g/d and intake of alpha-linolenic acid averaged 9. 0 g/d. These intakes led to an average 3-fold increase in eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma, platelet, and mononuclear cell phospholipids. Thromboxane B(2), prostaglandin E(2), and interleukin 1beta synthesis decreased by 36%, 26%, and 20% (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Foods that are strategically or naturally enriched in n-3 fatty acids can be used to achieve desired biochemical effects without the ingestion of supplements or a change in dietary habits. A wide range of n-3-enriched foods could be developed to support large-scale programs on the basis of the therapeutic and disease-preventive effects of n-3 fatty acids.
Neonatal oxytocin and vasopressin manipulation alter social behavior during the juvenile period in Mongolian gerbils

Oxytocin and vasopressin are important modulators of a wide variety of social behaviors, and increasing evidence is showing that these neuropeptides are important organizational effectors of later-life behavior as well. We treated day-old gerbil pups with oxytocin, vasopressin, an oxytocin receptor antagonist, a vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist, or saline control, and then measured received parental responsiveness during the early postnatal period and juvenile social behavior during weaning. Neonatal vasopressin treatment enhanced sociality in males, but not females, at both developmental time points. When pups were individually placed outside the nest, parents were more responsive to male pups treated with vasopressin compared with littermates, and vasopressin treated male pups exhibited increased play with littermates as juveniles. These results show that vasopressin during very early life can enhance social interactions throughout early development.
Recent advances in methods of assessing dietary amino acid requirements for adult humans.

The requirements for the indispensable amino acids have been determined by a number of different methods. Historically, descriptive or gross measures like growth and nitrogen balance have been used. However, technological advancements in recent years have resulted in the use of more precise and mechanistic metabolic approaches (i.e., plasma amino acid concentrations, amino acid oxidation, indicator amino acid oxidation) to examine requirement. Nevertheless, the current recommendations are still based on nitrogen balance studies. Requirement estimates based on other methodologies, such as plasma amino acid concentrations and direct amino acid oxidation, suggest that the requirement estimates derived from nitrogen balance experiments are too low. However, these higher estimates have also been criticized on conceptual and methodological grounds, resulting in considerable controversy in the area of indispensable amino acid requirements. A new technique, indicator amino acid oxidation, addresses many of the criticisms directed toward the alternative methods and the proposed higher requirement estimates. This paper reviews the current knowledge of amino acid requirements and makes recommendations in light of new information that has been provided from recent indicator amino acid oxidation research. It is concluded that the nitrogen balance-based estimates of amino acid requirement are too low.
Effect of zinc supplementation on growth and body composition of Ugandan preschool children: a randomized, controlled, intervention trial.

BACKGROUND Despite ample food supplies, the incidence of childhood underweight and stunting remains high in Uganda. Many factors contribute to this situation, but the role of low zinc intakes has not been adequately explored. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to study the effect of zinc supplementation on growth and body composition of preschool children by using the outcome measures of weight, height, and midupper arm circumference (MUAC). DESIGN The study was randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, and 8 mo long, and incorporated 6 mo of zinc supplementation. Children (n = 153) aged 55.8 +/- 11.2 mo from 3 randomly selected nursery schools of medium, low, and very low socioeconomic status in a suburb of Kampala took part. The intervention comprised 10 mg Zn (as ZnSO4) or placebo daily in freshly prepared fruit juice, Monday to Friday inclusive. RESULTS Zinc supplementation increased MUAC by the end of the study (P = 0.029) and led to greater weight gain in children from the school of medium socioeconomic status at 3 and 8 mo (P = 0.019 and P = 0.038, respectively). There was no effect on weight gain of the children from the other schools. Zinc supplementation had no influence on height. Infection rates (of which 82% were recorded as malaria) were lower in the zinc-supplemented group than in control subjects (P = 0.063). CONCLUSIONS Zinc supplementation may counter the age-related decrease in MUAC often observed in preschool children in developing countries. The study provides evidence that zinc may not be the most limiting nutrient for weight gain in children of poor nutritional status, but may become so as nutritional status improves.