Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tracking of a Dietary Pattern and Its Components over 10-Years in the Severely Obese

Understanding how dietary intake changes over time is important for studies of diet and disease and may inform interventions to improve dietary intakes. We investigated how a dietary pattern (DP) tracked over 10-years in the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study control group. Dietary intake was assessed at multiple time-points in 2037 severely obese individuals (BMI 41±4 kg/m2). Reduced rank regression was used to derive a dietary pattern using dietary energy density (kJ/g), saturated fat (%) and fibre density (mg/kJ) as response variables and score respondents at each follow-up. Tracking coefficients for the DP, its key foods and macronutrient response variables and corrected for time-dependent and time-independent covariates were calculated using generalised estimating equations to take into account all available data. The DP tracking coefficient was moderate for women (0.40; 95% CI: 0.38–0.42) and men (0.38; 95% CI: 0.35–0.41). Of the eleven foods key to this DP, fruit and vegetable intakes had the strongest tracking coefficient for both sexes. Fast food and candy had the lowest tracking coefficients for women and men respectively. Scores for an energy dense, high saturated fat, low fibre density DP appear moderately stable over a 10-year period in this severely obese population. Furthermore, some food groups appear more amenable to change while others, often the most healthful, appear more stable and may require intervention before adulthood.
Dealing with Chronic Illness: Experiences of Iranian Families of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis—A Qualitative Study

Background Today family members are providing care and support to each other during illness. In particular, in chronic illness, such as multiple sclerosis, the families are more involved in caring for and supporting their patients, so they use several strategies to cope with this situation. The purpose of this study was to explore the coping strategies in family caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis in Iran. Methods This is a qualitative study that was conducted through 18 family caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis. A purposeful sampling method was used. Data were collected through semistructured and in-depth interviews conducted in Multiple Sclerosis Society and hospitals of Tabriz in Iran. The collected data was analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. Results Five main categories were elicited from interviews: “using spirituality,” “living with hope,” “experiencing persistence and stability,” “seeking support,” and “seeking alternative treatments. ” Conclusion. The study findings can help to inform the support given to families to help them cope with the effects of caring for someone with multiple sclerosis. Health system managers and professionals by using these results are able to support patients and their families appropriately in order to improve their quality of life and alleviate the complications of disease.
The cuneiform nucleus may be involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle tone by motor pathway: a virally mediated trans-synaptic tracing study in surgically sympathectomized mice.

ARTICLE Sir, The review article entitled ‘The pedunculopontine nucleus area: critical evaluation of interspecies differences relevant for its use as a target for deep brain stimulation’ by Alam et al. (2011), addressed that the cuneiform nucleus, an adjacent region of the pedunculopontine nucleus, was the important area of the mesencephalic locomotor region and played a major role in the initiation of gait. It has been suggested by many studies that neurons in the cuneiform nucleus are involved in the generation of locomotion, and signals from the cuneiform nucleus activate central pattern generators in the spinal cord, mainly through the medullary reticulospinal tract (Takakusaki et al. , 2003). The understanding of neuroanatomical motor circuitry and neuronal connections from cuneiform nucleus to skeletal muscle is important for studying the possible mechanism of cuneiform nucleus involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle tone by motor pathway. We would like to further complete the discussion of Alam et al. (2011) by introducing a virally-mediated trans-synaptic tracing study. Deep brain stimulation has become a remarkable treatment option for several different movement disorders, such as neuropsychiatric disorders, intractable pain, epilepsy, restless legs syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease (Wichmann and Delong, 2006; Halpern et al. , 2007; Lyons, 2011; Thevathasan et al. , 2011). The mesencephalic pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus has been suggested as a target for deep brain stimulation, but the exact mechanism of deep brain stimulation in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus area is not fully understood. Because clinical data have demonstrated that the outcome of deep brain stimulation in the pedunculopontine nucleus area can be quite variable, there is great controversy about the …
How Can Vaccines Contribute to Solving the Antimicrobial Resistance Problem?

ABSTRACT There is a growing appreciation for the role of vaccines in confronting the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Vaccines can reduce the prevalence of resistance by reducing the need for antimicrobial use and can reduce its impact by reducing the total number of cases. By reducing the number of pathogens that may be responsible for a particular clinical syndrome, vaccines can permit the use of narrower-spectrum antibiotics for empirical therapy. These effects may be amplified by herd immunity, extending protection to unvaccinated persons in the population. Because much selection for resistance is due to selection on bystander members of the normal flora, vaccination can reduce pressure for resistance even in pathogens not included in the vaccine. Some vaccines have had disproportionate effects on drug-resistant lineages within the target species, a benefit that could be more deliberately exploited in vaccine design. We describe the effects of current vaccines in controlling AMR, survey some vaccines in development with the potential to do so further, and discuss strategies to amplify these benefits. We conclude with a discussion of research and policy priorities to more fully enlist vaccines in the battle against AMR.
Biological therapies for psoriasis

Introduction: Biological therapies have revolutionized moderate-to-severe psoriasis treatment. Increased understanding of disease pathogenesis has yielded multiple therapeutic targets involving the IL-23/Th17 pathway, while current therapies continue to be monitored for long-term efficacy and safety. Areas covered: This review details current understanding of psoriasis immunopathogenesis specifically related to therapeutic targets. Approved and emerging biological psoriasis therapies targeting TNF-α, IL-12/23p40, IL-17 and IL-23p19 are covered. Biological agent uses in special circumstances are reviewed together with the emerging debate on biosimilar therapies and their potential future role in psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases. Expert opinion: Psoriasis treatment has expanded and has become more effective due to increased understanding of disease pathogenesis. However, lack of efficacy in select psoriasis patients, safety concerns and limited treatment efficacy in psoriasis variants (e.g., pustular) are areas which still need improvement. As such, pharmacogenomics will be of vital importance in future for individualized psoriasis care. Further, a better understanding of the multiple psoriasis comorbidities, especially cardiovascular disease, continues to be of significant interest in the psoriasis community. Last, the emergence of biosimilar agents has the potential to change psoriasis treatment, especially as it relates to better access for the psoriasis community worldwide.
UP-Growth: an efficient algorithm for high utility itemset mining

Mining high utility itemsets from a transactional database refers to the discovery of itemsets with high utility like profits. Although a number of relevant approaches have been proposed in recent years, they incur the problem of producing a large number of candidate itemsets for high utility itemsets. Such a large number of candidate itemsets degrades the mining performance in terms of execution time and space requirement. The situation may become worse when the database contains lots of long transactions or long high utility itemsets. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm, namely UP-Growth (Utility Pattern Growth), for mining high utility itemsets with a set of techniques for pruning candidate itemsets. The information of high utility itemsets is maintained in a special data structure named UP-Tree (Utility Pattern Tree) such that the candidate itemsets can be generated efficiently with only two scans of the database. The performance of UP-Growth was evaluated in comparison with the state-of-the-art algorithms on different types of datasets. The experimental results show that UP-Growth not only reduces the number of candidates effectively but also outperforms other algorithms substantially in terms of execution time, especially when the database contains lots of long transactions.
The Effects of a Symptom Management Intervention on Symptom Evaluation, Physical Functioning, and Physical Activity for Women After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

The purpose of this subset analysis was to examine the effect of a symptom management (SM) intervention on postoperative symptom evaluation, physical functioning, and physical activity among the female participants (N = 40) of the larger parent study of coronary artery bypass graft patients aged 65 years and older. The intervention group (n = 23) had significantly lower fatigue scores at 6 weeks (Z = 1.96, P < .05) and higher levels of physical activity (Z = −1.71, P < .05) reflected in the expended kcal · kg−1 · d−1, as measured by the activity diary at 3 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. At 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery, there were significant correlations between cardiac surgery-related recovery symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, depression, incision pain, and sleep problems) and physical functioning (physical, vitality, and bodily pain functioning subscale scores), with correlations ranging from 0.31 to 0.46. Given that this was a subset analysis of a larger study, significant differences were not expected for all variables. Study findings support the need for a targeted (women-focused) and tailored (self-management recovery) intervention to assist females in recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery to improve symptom management, thereby enhancing physical functioning and physical activity outcomes.
Prediction of structural and functional relationships of Repeat 1 of human interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) with other proteins.

PURPOSE We compared the structure and function of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) related proteins and predicted domain and secondary structure within each repeat of IRBP and its relatives. We tested whether tail specific protease (Tsp), which bears sequence similarity to IRBP Domain B, binds fatty acids or retinoids, and whether IRBP possessed protease activity resembling Tsp's catalytic function. These tests helped us to learn whether the primary sequence similarities of family members extended to higher order structural and functional levels. METHODS Predictions derived from multiple sequence alignments among IRBP and Tsp family members and secondary structure computer programs were carried out. The first repeat of human IRBP (EcR1) and Tsp were expressed, purified, and tested for binding properties. Tsp was examined for fluorescence enhancement of retinol or 16-anthroyloxy-palmitic acid (16-AP) to test for ligand binding. IRBP was tested for protease activity. RESULTS Tsp did not exhibit fluorescence enhancement with retinol or 16-AP. IRBP did not exhibit protease activity. The positions of critical residues needed for the ligand binding properties of retinol were predicted. Primary sequence and three-dimensional similarity was found between Domain A of IRBP Repeat 3 and eglin c. CONCLUSIONS The sequence similarity of Tsp and IRBP raised the possibility that each might share the function of the other protein: IRBP might possess protease activity or Tsp might possess retinoid or fatty acid binding activity. Our studies do not support such a shared function hypothesis, and suggest that the sequence similarity is the result of maintenance of structure. The finding of similarity to eglin c in Domain A suggests the possibility of a tight interaction between Domain A and Domain B, possibly implying the need for Domain A in retinoid-binding, and suggesting that both Domains should be present in testing mutations. The positions of predicted critical amino acids suggest models in which a large binding pocket holds the retinoid or fatty acid ligand. These predictions are tested in a companion paper.
Heads or tails: staged diversification in vertebrate evolutionary radiations

Adaptive radiations, bouts of morphological divergence coupled with taxonomic proliferation, underpin biodiversity. The most widespread model of radiations assumes a single round, or ‘early burst’, of elevated phenotypic divergence followed by a decline in rates of change or even stasis. A vertebrate-specific model proposes separate stages: initial divergence in postcranial traits related to habitat use, followed by diversification in cranial morphology linked to trophic demands. However, there is little empirical evidence for either hypothesis. Here, we show that, contrary to both models, separate large-scale radiations of actinopterygian fishes proceeded through distinct cranial and later postcranial stages of morphological diversification. Early actinopterygians and acanthomorph teleosts dispersed in cranial morphospace immediately following the end-Devonian extinction and the Cretaceous origin of the acanthomorph clade, respectively. Significant increases in postcranial morphological variation do not occur until one interval after cranial diversification commenced. Therefore, our results question the universality of the ‘general vertebrate model’. Based on the results of model-fitting exercises and application of the divergence order test, we find little evidence that the early onset of cranial diversification in these two radiations is due to elevated rates of cranial change relative to postcranial change early in their evolutionary histories. Instead, postcranial and cranial patterns are best fit by an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model, which is characterized by constant evolutionary rates coupled with a strong central tendency. Other groups have been reported to show early saturation of cranial morphospace or tropic roles early in their histories, but it is unclear whether these patterns are attributable to dynamics similar to those inferred for our two model radiations.
Predominant intragenic methylation is associated with gene expression characteristics in a bivalve mollusc

Characterization of DNA methylation patterns in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, indicates that this epigenetic mechanism plays an important functional role in gene regulation and may be involved in the regulation of developmental processes and environmental responses. However, previous studies have been limited to in silico analyses or characterization of DNA methylation at the single gene level. Here, we have employed a genome-wide approach to gain insight into how DNA methylation supports the regulation of the genome in C. gigas. Using a combination of methylation enrichment and high-throughput bisulfite sequencing, we have been able to map methylation at over 2.5 million individual CpG loci. This is the first high-resolution methylome generated for a molluscan species. Results indicate that methylation varies spatially across the genome with a majority of the methylated sites mapping to intra genic regions. The bisulfite sequencing data was combined with RNA-seq data to examine genome-wide relationships between gene body methylation and gene expression, where it was shown that methylated genes are associated with high transcript abundance and low variation in expression between tissue types. The combined data suggest DNA methylation plays a complex role in regulating genome activity in bivalves.
Multipath Transmission for the Internet: A Survey

Smart devices equipped with multiple network interfaces are becoming commonplace. Nevertheless, even though multiple interfaces can be used to connect to the Internet, their capabilities have not been fully utilized yet because the default TCP/IP stack supports only a single interface for communication. This situation is now changing due to the emergence of multipath protocols on different network stack layers. For example, many IP level approaches have been proposed utilizing tunneling mechanisms for hiding multipath transmission from the transport protocols. Several working groups under IEEE and IETF are actively standardizing multipath transmission on the link layer and transport layer. Application level approaches enable multipath transmission capability by establishing multiple transport connections and distributing data over them. Given all these efforts, it is beneficial and timely to summarize the state-of-the-art, compare their pros and cons, and discuss about the future directions. To that end, we present a survey on multipath transmission and make several major contributions: 1) we present a complete taxonomy pertaining to multipath transmission, including link, network, transport, application, and cross layers; 2) we survey the state-of-the-art for each layer, investigate the problems that each layer aims to address, and make comprehensive assessment of the solutions; and 3) based on the comparison, we identify open issues and pinpoint future directions for multipath transmission research.
AccuLoc: practical localization of performance measurements in 3G networks

Operators of 3G data networks need to distinguish the performance of each geographic area in their 3G networks to detect and resolve local network problems. This is because the quality of the "last mile" radio link between 3G base stations and end-user devices is a crucial factor in the end-to-end performance that each user experiences. It is relatively straightforward to measure the performance of all IP traffic in the 3G network from a small number of vantage points in the core network. However, the location information available about each mobile device (e.g., the cell sector/site that it is in) is often too stale to be accurate because of user mobility. Moreover, very costly infrastructure deployment and maintenance of custom equipment would be required to collect fine-grained location information about all mobile devices on an on-going basis in large 3G networks. Thus, it is a challenge to accurately assign IP performance measurements to fine-grained geographic regions of the 3G network using existing standard network components. Fortunately, previous studies have observed that human mobility patterns are very predictable. In this paper, we exploit this predictability to develop a novel clustering algorithm grouping related cell sectors that accurately assigns IP performance measurements to fine-grained geographic regions. We present results from a prototype in a real 3G network that shows our approach provides more accurate performance localization than existing approaches. Eventually, we can either narrow down individual IP performance measurements into only 4 candidate cell sectors consistently with the accuracy of 70% over one week based on a one-day snapshot of fine-grained 3GPP events, or increase the accuracy 20% comparing with site-level accuracy through lightweight handover statistics hourly collected at RNCs. Using our approach, we improve anomaly detection based on IP performance measurements by reducing the number of false positives and false negatives. Our study also sheds light on the mobility patterns of 3G devices.
Evaluation of a respirometer for neonates.

SUMMARY The adult (Wright) respirometer has been redesigned for neonates. A calibrated Krogh spirometer has been used to check the accuracy and a regression relationship derived over a range of minute volumes 0.4–2.8 l. /min. The added resistance of 29 cm H2O/l. /sec lowered minute volume according to a second regression line which was also experimentally derived. Combining the two regressions allows true minute volume to be predicted from the respirometer reading. This respirometer is potentially useful in ventilator and anaesthetic circuits.
G2 block in Chinese hamster cells induced by x-irradiation, hyperthermia, cycloheximide, or actinomycin-D.

The entry of cells into mitosis was monitored by shaking off mitotic cells from monolayer cultures. The location in G/sub 2/ of the x-ray transition point (TP), beyond which the cells were not delayed by x irradiation moved closer to mitosis as the dose was increased, i.e., at 10 min before prophase for 100 to 200 rad, and at 19 min for 30 to 60 rad. Treatment with cycloheximide (CH, 20 .mu.g/ml) at the time of irradiation (50 to 100 rad) shifted the TP for x irradiation by 5 to 9 min toward mitosis. Calculations from these shifts in TP with radiation dose indicated that the logarithm of both the fraction of cells in G/sub 2/ not delayed by irradiation and the fraction beyond the TP for CH (located at 26 min before phophase for 5 to 50 .mu.g/ml) not delayed by irradiation decreased linearly with dose (anti D/sub 0/ of 30 rad). Furthermore, inhibition of protein synthesis by CH, with or without a simultaneous treatment with actinomycin D (AMD), prevented repair of damage causing mitotic delay for a period of time equal to the duration of the CH treatment. (auth)
Endothelial Claudin

Tight junctions (TJs) in endothelial cells are thought to determine vascular permeability. Recently, claudin-1 to -15 were identified as major components of TJ strands. Among these, claudin-5 (also called transmembrane protein deleted in velo-cardio-facial syndrome [TMVCF]) was expressed ubiquitously, even in organs lacking epithelial tissues, suggesting the possible involvement of this claudin species in endothelial TJs. We then obtained a claudin-6–specific polyclonal antibody and a polyclonal antibody that recognized both claudin-5/TMVCF and claudin-6. In the brain and lung, immunofluorescence microscopy with these polyclonal antibodies showed that claudin-5/TMVCF was exclusively concentrated at cell–cell borders of endothelial cells of all segments of blood vessels, but not at those of epithelial cells. Immunoreplica electron microscopy revealed that claudin-5/TMVCF was a component of TJ strands. In contrast, in the kidney, the claudin-5/TMVCF signal was restricted to endothelial cells of arteries, but was undetectable in those of veins and capillaries. In addition, in all other tissues we examined, claudin-5/TMVCF was specifically detected in endothelial cells of some segments of blood vessels, but not in epithelial cells. Furthermore, when claudin-5/TMVCF cDNA was introduced into mouse L fibroblasts, TJ strands were reconstituted that resembled those in endothelial cells in vivo, i.e., the extracellular face–associated TJs. These findings indicated that claudin-5/TMVCF is an endothelial cell–specific component of TJ strands.