Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of different methods for detecting carbohydrate-deficient transferrin.

Different methods for detecting carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) were compared. In addition, their efficiency for detecting alcohol abuse among men not having clinical evidence of liver disease was studied in controls (n = 26), weekend (n = 16) and daily (n = 12) heavy drinkers, and alcoholics (n = 28). Comparisons were made between anion-exchange separation of iron-saturated transferrin (Tf) by microcolumns (CDTect) and by the Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC% and FPLC-MG), followed by double-antibody radioimmunoassay of collected fractions. Tf fractions with pl > or = 5.7 were also measured by two different isoelectric focusing (IEF) methods, followed by immunofixation (SA-IEF-CDT and IEF-CDT-TOT), the latter method being used also for detection of asialotransferrin (IEF-CDT-AS). The cut-off was 20 units/liter for CDTect, 4.4% of total Tf for SA-IEF-CDT, and the mean +2 sd of the control group for FPLC-MG (as mg/liter of Tf), FPLC-%, IEF-CDT-TOT, and IEF-CDT-AS (all as percentage of Tf). The overall accuracies (combining sensitivity and specificity) for detecting heavy drinkers of CDTect, FPLO (mg/liter), FPLC (%), SA-IEF-CDT, IEF-CDT-TOT, and IEF-CDT-AS were 63%, 59%, 61%, 74%, 57%, and 63%, respectively; for detecting alcoholics, 87%, 83%, 81%, 89%, 37%, and 76%, respectively. In conclusion, the methods were in rather good agreement with each other. Diagnostic characteristics among heavy drinkers and correlations between methods differed slightly, probably depending on the ability of different methods to separate and detect asialo-, monosialo-, and disialotransferrin. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Benefits of Decreased Mortality Risk from Reductions in Primary Mobile Source Fine Particulate Matter: A Limited Data Approach for Urban Areas Worldwide

We developed an approach to estimate the public health benefits resulting from transportation projects or environmental actions that reduce mobile source fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in select urban areas worldwide when input data are limited or when a rapid order‐of‐magnitude assessment is needed. For a given reduction in direct PM2.5 emissions, we can use this approach to quantify (1) the subsequent reduction in ambient primary PM2.5 concentration in the urban area; (2) the public health benefits associated with mortality risk reductions, measured in terms of avoided premature deaths; and (3) the economic value of the reduced mortality risk. To illustrate our approach, we estimated the impact of a 100‐metric‐ton reduction in primary PM2.5 mobile source emissions in the year 2010 for 42 large, global cities. Our estimates of public health benefits and their economic value varied by city, as did the sensitivity to key assumptions and inputs. The estimated number of premature deaths avoided per 100‐metric‐ton reduction in PM2.5 emissions ranged from 12 to 202. City‐level variability in these estimates was driven by the magnitude of the reduction in ambient PM2.5 concentration, the size of the urban population, and the baseline PM2.5 concentration. The economic value of mortality risk reductions per 100‐metric‐ton reduction in PM2.5 emissions ranged from $2 million to $328 million in 2010 U.S. dollars. Income per capita was the most important driver of the variability in the economic values across countries.
Please Scroll down for Article Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Ssb as an Organizer/mobilizer of Genome Maintenance Complexes

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Perceived Career Counselor Relational and Technical Behaviors and Outcomes Among Italian University Students

This study was designed to assess the relationship of the relational and technical skills of the career counselor to five different career counseling outcomes (Client Satisfaction, Placement Skills, Self-Awareness, Psychological Mobilization, and Environmental Knowledge). Two hundred fifty-three university students participated in a study designed to investigate these relationships. The results reveal that both perceived relational and technical behaviors of the career counselor explain four of the five outcomes. Counselor perceived technical behaviors, and not relational behaviors, was a significant predictor of client Psychological Mobilization.
Systematic review of randomized trials for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Chemoembolization improves survival

There is no standard treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Survival benefits derived from medical interventions are controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the evidence of the impact of medical treatments on survival. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were published as full papers assessing survival for primary treatments of HCC were included. MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, CANCERLIT, and a manual search from 1978 to May 2002 were used. The primary end point was survival, and the secondary end point was response to treatment. Estimates of effect were calculated according to the random effects model. Sensitivity analysis included methodological quality. We identified 61 randomized trials, but only 14 met the criteria to perform a meta‐analysis assessing arterial embolization (7 trials, 545 patients) or tamoxifen (7 trials, 898 patients). Arterial embolization improved 2‐year survival compared with control (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32‐0.89; P = .017). Sensitivity analysis showed a significant benefit of chemoembolization with cisplatin or doxorubicin (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.20‐0.88) but none with embolization alone (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.29‐1.20). Overall, treatment induced objective responses in 35% of patients (range, 16%‐61%). Tamoxifen showed no antitumoral effect and no survival benefits (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.36‐1.13; P = .13), and only low‐quality scale trials suggested 1‐year improvement in survival. In conclusion, chemoembolization improves survival of patients with unresectable HCC and may become the standard treatment. Treatment with tamoxifen does not modify the survival of patients with advanced disease.
Predicting genes expressed via −1 and +1 frameshifts

Computational identification of ribosomal frameshift sites in genomic sequences is difficult due to their diverse nature, yet it provides useful information for understanding the underlying mechanisms and discovering new genes. We have developed an algorithm that searches entire genomic or mRNA sequences for frameshifting sites, and implements the algorithm as a web-based program called FSFinder (Frameshift Signal Finder). The current version of FSFinder is capable of finding −1 frameshift sites on heptamer sequences X XXY YYZ, and +1 frameshift sites for two genes: protein chain release factor B (prfB) and ornithine decarboxylase antizyme (oaz). We tested FSFinder on ∼190 genomic and partial DNA sequences from a number of organisms and found that it predicted frameshift sites efficiently and with greater sensitivity and specificity than existing approaches. It has improved sensitivity because it considers many known components of a frameshifting cassette and searches these components on both + and − strands, and its specificity is increased because it focuses on overlapping regions of open reading frames and prioritizes candidate frameshift sites. FSFinder is useful for discovering unknown genes that utilize alternative decoding, as well as for analyzing frameshift sites. It is freely accessible at http://wilab.inha. ac.kr/FSFinder/.
Rigid and non-smoothable Schubert classes

A Schubert class in the Grassmannian is rigid if the only proper subvarieties representing that class are Schubert varieties. The hyperplane class σ1 is not rigid because a codimension one Schubert cycle can be deformed to a smooth hyperplane section. In this paper, we show that this phenomenon accounts for the failure of rigidity in Schubert classes. More precisely, we prove that a Schubert class in G(k, n) is not rigid if and only if the partition λ = (λ1, . . . , λk) defining the class has a part λi such that n− k ≥ λi−1 > λi and λi = λi+1 + 1. Under these assumptions on λ, the parts λi and λi+1 determine a partial flag isomorphic to one defining a hyperplane class in another Grassmannian G(k′, n′). Using a deformation of the hyperplane in G(k′, n′), we can deform the Schubert cycle Σλ. Otherwise, the Schubert class σλ is rigid. We also show that if the partition λ contains the partition defining a rigid and singular Schubert cycle in some Grassmannian as a sub-partition, then σλ cannot be represented by a smooth subvariety of G(k, n). More precisely, if λ does not have the form λ1 = · · · = λj1 = n− k, λi = λi+1 + 1 for j1 < i < j2 and λi = λj2 for i ≥ j2, then the Schubert class σλ cannot be represented by a smooth subvariety of G(k, n).
Binge Drinking Effects on EEG in Young Adult Humans

Young adult (N = 96) university students who varied in their binge drinking history were assessed by electroencephalography (EEG) recording during passive viewing. Groups consisted of male and female non-binge drinkers (>1 to 5/4 drinks/ounces in under two hours), low-binge drinkers (5/4–7/6 drinks/ounces in under two hours), and high-binge drinkers (≥ 10 drinks/ounces in under two hours), who had been drinking alcohol at their respective levels for an average of 3 years. The non- and low-binge drinkers exhibited less spectral power than the high-binge drinkers in the delta (0–4 Hz) and fast-beta (20–35 Hz) bands. Binge drinking appears to be associated with a specific pattern of brain electrical activity in young adults that may reflect the future development of alcoholism.
Meiotic mapping of yeast ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid on chromosome XII

We have used meiotic mapping techniques to locate the position of the repeating ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that the rDNA genes are located on the right arm of chromosome XII, approximately 45 map units centromere distal to the gene gal2. Together with mapping data from previous studies, this result suggests that the tandem array of rDNA genes contains at least two junctions with the non-rDNA of the yeast chromosome. In addition, we observed segregation patterns of the rDNA genes consistent with meiotic recombination within the rDNA gene tandem array in 3 of the 59 tetrads examined.
For a Sociological Marxism: The Complementary Convergence of Antonio Gramsci and Karl Polanyi

The postcommunist age calls for a Sociological Marxism that gives pride of place to society alongside but distinct from state and economy. This Sociological Marxism can be traced to the writings of Gramsci and Polanyi. Hailing from different social worlds and following different Marxist traditions, both converged on a similar critique and transcendence of Classical Marxism. For Gramsci advanced capitalism is marked by the expansion of civil society, which, with the state, acts to stabilize class relations and provide a terrain for challenging capitalism. For Polanyi expansion of the market threatens society, which reacts by (re)constituting itself as active society, thereby harboring the embryo of a democratic socialism. This article appropriates “society” as a Marxist concept and deploys it to interpret the rise and fall of communist orders, the shift from politics of class to politics of recognition, the transition from colonialism to postcolonialism, and the development of an emergent transnationalism.
Obstacle clearance and prevention from falling in the bipedally walking Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata.

BACKGROUND studies are needed which consider CNS-controlled strategies for accommodating perturbed bipedal (Bp) posture and walking. OBJECTIVE to demonstrate the suitability of the Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, for the above purpose. SETTING AND SUBJECTS three adult monkeys were operantly trained to use Bp-walking on a moving treadmill belt. On one side of the belt, a rectangular adjustable-height obstacle confronted the ipsilateral leg every 4-6 steps, as determined by belt speed. METHODS animal posture and walking patterns were captured and digitized by two high-speed video systems. Frame-by-frame analyses of side- and back-view kinematics were obtained. RESULTS the monkeys learned quickly to proactively clear the in-coming obstacles by use of a flexible hip-knee-ankle flexion strategy. This featured an appropriate postural adjustment and leg trajectory. In cases where a monkey failed to clear the obstacle, it promptly adopted a defensive posture to avoid falling. There was then a quick return to a posture that allowed the resumption of a Bp gait. CONCLUSIONS when Bp posture and gait are perturbed in a non-human primate model, the prompt adjustment of a flexible hip-knee-ankle flexion strategy and a defensive postural adjustment act together to prevent a fall and enable the speedy resumption of normal Bp posture and gait.
Discovery of two gravitationally lensed quasars in the Dark Energy Survey

We present spectroscopic confirmation of two new gravitationally lensed quasars, discovered in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) based on their multiband photometry and extended morphology in DES images. Images of DES J0115-5244 show a red galaxy with two blue point sources at either side, which are images of the same quasar at zs = 1.64 as obtained by our long-slit spectroscopic data. The Einstein radius estimated from the DES images is 0.51 arcsec. DES J2146-0047 is in the area of overlap between DES and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Two blue components are visible in the DES and SDSS images. The SDSS fibre spectrum shows a quasar component at zs = 2.38 and absorption by Mg II and Fe II at zl = 0.799, which we tentatively associate with the foreground lens galaxy. Our long-slit spectra show that the blue components are resolved images of the same quasar. The Einstein radius is 0.68 arcsec, corresponding to an enclosed mass of 1.6 × 1011 Ms. Three other candidates were observed and rejected, two being low-redshift pairs of starburst galaxies, and one being a quasar behind a blue star. These first confirmation results provide an important empirical validation of the data mining and model-based selection that is being applied to the entire DES data set.
Adipokines and their Relation to Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

INTRODUCTION Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability is a key element in connecting kidney disease to endothelial dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular (CV) complications. Further, inflammation is implicated in ED in CKD. Besides these, adipose tissue factors were thought to have a role in inflammation and ED in CKD. AIM It is proposed to evaluate the concentration changes of adipokines, inflammatory and ED markers in CKD patients compared to healthy controls. Further, to assess the associations between adipokines, inflammation and ED in CKD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 120 CKD patients were included and classified into 3 groups based on Glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Group I (n=40) patients had a GFR between 60-119 ml/min/1.73m(2) (stage I, II), group II (n=40) had 15-59 ml/min/1.73m(2) (stage III, IV) and group III (n=40) had <15 ml/min/1.73m(2) (stage V). Forty healthy subjects served as controls. Adiponectin, Leptin, Interleukin-10 (IL-10), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were estimated by ELISA. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was estimated by immunoturbidimetry and NO by Griess method. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the difference in variables between controls and CKD patients. One-way ANOVA Kruskalwallis test was used for comparison of variables between groups in CKD patients. Spearman's rank correlation was used to explore the associations between variables. Simple univariate linear regression analysis was used to predict the value of variable from another variable. RESULTS A significant increase in leptin, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-6/IL-10 ratio, hsCRP and decrease in adiponectin, IL-10, NO was observed in CKD patients compared to controls (p<0.05). In CKD patients, adiponectin, leptin, IL-6, IL-6/IL-10 ratio, TNF-α were significantly increased and IL-10 levels were decreased from group I to group III (p<0.05). In group III CKD patients IL-6 showed a significant negative correlation with NO (r=-0.557; p=0.005). In linear regression analysis also, IL-6 showed a significant negative association with NO (B±SE=-0.038±0.11; p=0.002) in CKD patients. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrates that adipokine levels are altered from initial to final stages of CKD due to renal dysfunction which in association with an exaggerated inflammation may contribute to the ED and CV events.
DESIGN OF RESEARCH WELLFIELD FOR CALIBRATING GEOPHYSICAL METHODS AGAINST HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS

A wellfield (Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site or BHRS) is being developed in Boise, Idaho, for hydrologic and geophysical research in a shallow, coarse (cobble-and-sand), alluvial aquifer. Our goal is to develop cost-effective methods for quantitatively characterizing the distribution of permeability in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers using hydrologic and geophysical techniques. Responses to surface geophysical techniques (e.g., seismic, radar, and transient electromagnetics) will be calibrated against a highly characterized volume (the wellfield) with determined three-dimensional distributions of geologic, hydrologic, and geophysical properties. Well coring and construction methods, and the well arrangement in the field, are designed to provide detailed control on lithology (facies distribution and sediment properties), and to support a variety of single-well tests (e.g., borehole geophysical logging, permeability logging, and vertical seismic and radar profiling), crosshole tests (e.g., seismic, radar, and resistivity tomography), and multiwell tests (e.g., pumping and tracer tests). The wellfield has a central well surrounded by two rings of six wells each, and five outer iboundaryi wells. Wells are screened through the cobble-and-sand aquifer to a clay that underlies the BHRS at about 20 m depth. Permeability will be measured with the flowmeter and pumping method in each well, and with a series of tests where successive discrete intervals will be pumped in a given well while multiple zones will be monitored in surrounding wells. Wellfield dimensions (e.g., ~20 m diameter of central well cluster) and design specifics are based on experience at the nearby Capital Station remediation site in the same aquifer material, and are designed to provide detailed control on the variation of properties over a range of volume scales (<1 m 3 to ~6000 m 3 ). A Monte Carlo search was used to refine the wellfield design to optimize well-pair distances and azimuths for determination of geostatistical parameters and anisotropy.
Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies Two Novel TTN Mutations in Chinese Families with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Objectives: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death. So far, only 127 mutations of Titin(TTN) have been reported in patients with different phenotypes such as isolated cardiomyopathies, purely skeletal muscle phenotypes or complex overlapping disorders of muscles. Methods: We applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) to investigate cardiomyopathy patients and a cardiomyopathy-related gene-filtering strategy was used to analyze the disease-causing mutations. Sanger sequencing was applied to confirm the mutation cosegregation in the affected families. Results: A nonsense mutation (c.12325C>T/p.R4109X) and a missense mutation (c.17755G>C/p.G5919R) of TTN were identified in 2 Chinese DCM families, respectively. Both mutations were cosegregated in all affected members of both families. The nonsense mutation is predicted to result in a truncated TTN protein and the missense mutation leads to a substitution of glycine by arginine. Both variants may cause the structure changes of titin protein. Conclusions: We employed WES to detect the mutations of DCM patients and identified 2 novel mutations. Our study expands the spectrum of TTN mutations and offers accurate genetic testing information for DCM patients who are still clinically negative.
The Normalization Principle and Its Human Management Implications

for the mentally retarded in the Scandinavian countries, as well as in some other parts of the world. The normalization principle underlies demands for standards, facilities, and programs for the retarded as expressed by the Scandinavian parent movement. The papers by Scandinavian contributors Bank-Mikkelsen and Grunewald in this monograph provide specific descriptions of functioning programs which incorporate normalization principles. To discuss human endeavors to create wholesome programs, facilities, and life conditions for other human beings in terms of one unifying principle might seem preposterous, especially when the mentally retarded are involved, a group which is characterized by wide variations in age, degree of handicap, complicating physical and emotional disorders, social backgrounds, and educational and personality profiles. Nevertheless, in the Scandinavian countries, a general principle which expresses the aims, attitudes, and norms implied in quality work for and with the mentally retarded has been found of value. As expressed by N.E. Bank-Mikkelsen of Denmark, this principle is given in the formula "to let the mentally retarded obtain an existence as close to the normal as possible. " Thus, as I see it, the normalization principle means making available to the mentally retarded patterns and conditions of everyday life which are as close as possible to the norms and patterns of the mainstream of society. This principle should be applied to all the retarded, regardless whether mildly or profoundly retarded, or whether living in the homes of their parents or in group homes with other retarded. The principle is useful in every society, with all age groups, and adaptable to social changes and individual developments. Consequently, it should serve as a guide for medical, educational, psychological, social, and political work in this field, and decisions and actions made according to the principle should turn out more often right than wrong. Some of the many facets and implications of the normalization principle are discussed below. 1. Normalization means a normal rhythm of day for the retarded. It means getting out of bed and getting dressed even when you are profoundly retarded and physically disabled. It means eating under normal circumstances: sometimes, during the span of the day, you may eat in large groups, but mostly eating is a family situation which implies rest, harmony, and satisfaction. A normal daily rhythm also means not having to go to bed earlier than your younger sisters and brothers, or not too early because of lack of personnel. Facilities must also give consideration to the individual's need for a personal rhythm, allowing him to break away occasionally from the routine of the group. 2. The normalization principle also implies a normal routine of life. Most people live in one place, work or attend