Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of an increase of protein intake on whole-body protein turnover in elderly women is tracer dependent.

To compare the response of whole-body protein turnover with variations in dietary protein level, whole-body protein turnover was measured by different stable isotope methods in six elderly women (69 +/- 5 y) consuming two levels of protein (10 and 20% of total energy, diets A and B, respectively). Protein turnover was measured during 12 h of overnight fasting with 15N-glycine with urea and ammonia as end products. During the last 4 h of the interval, protein turnover was also estimated by -[1-13C]-leucine infusion. Nitrogen balance [diet A, -0.040 +/- 0.015 g/(kg.d); diet B, 0.002 +/- 0.053 g/(kg.d); mean +/- ] did not differ significantly between the diet periods, although all subjects were in negative nitrogen balance at the end of diet A. Protein breakdown, as measured with 15N-glycine, did not differ from results obtained using -[1-13C]-leucine, whereas protein synthesis was found to be significantly lower using the former isotope. The 15N-glycine method indicated that protein turnover (both synthesis and breakdown) was higher in fasting elderly women when they consumed a 20% rather than a 10% protein diet, whereas the -[1-13C]-leucine method did not show significant differences between the diet periods in the last 4 h of the overnight fasting period. However, the relative increase in net protein breakdown when comparing diet B with diet A, was comparable for both tracers. These data indicate that care is needed with the choice of the tracer used in measuring the components of protein turnover in elderly women with the aim of understanding the physiological basis behind the adequacy of the level of protein intake.
Nutrient Requirements and Interactions Dietary Fructose vs. Glucose Stimulates Nephrocalcinogenesis in Female Rats

The effect of dietary fructose vs. glucose on kidney calcification (nephrocalcinosis) was studied in female rats. Fructose or glucose was incorporated into purifieddiets formulated either according to the nutrient requirements of rats or made nephrocalcinogenic by the addition of phosphorus (19.4 instead of 12.9 mmol/100 g diet) or by restriction of magnesium (0.8 instead of 1.6 mmol/100 g diet). Irrespective of the background composition of the diet, fructose consistently produced higher kidney calcium concentrations than did glucose. Fructose also raised kidney weight, expressed either as wet weight relative to body weight or as absolute dry weight; this greater kidney weight was not explained by the extra calcium. Fructose generally induced greater urinary concentrations of phosphorus and magnesium and lowered urinary pH compared with glucose. The greater urinary phosphorus concentrations in rats fed fructose may be responsible for the nephrocalcinogenic activity of this monosaccharide. Fructose stimulated the absorption of phosphorus and magnesium, which ex plains the higher concentrations of these minerals in the urine. J. Nutr. 123: 1320-1327, 1993.
Incumbent Repositioning with Decision Biases

Incumbent firms often reposition themselves in response to entrants, but when doing so they incur repositioning costs. Incumbent repositioning costs and the associated decision biases have been identified in the economics, operations and strategy literatures as critical aspects of the competitive interactions between incumbents and entrants, but they have received limited attention in game-theoretic treatments at the strategy level. To fill this gap, we develop a strategic mental model to analytically characterize the impacts of repositioning costs and decision biases on firms’ equilibrium strategies and profits. Including these costs and biases changes the nature of strategic dynamics as well as introduces new implications for strategic choice.
Carotenoid composition of human milk during the first month postpartum and the response to beta-carotene supplementation.

BACKGROUND Information is lacking regarding normal changes in milk carotenoid concentrations in healthy, well-nourished women during the first month of lactation. OBJECTIVES This study investigated milk carotenoid concentrations during days 4-32 postpartum and assessed the effects of maternal beta-carotene supplementation. DESIGN Subjects (n = 21; aged 19-39 y) were randomly assigned to receive beta-carotene (30 mg/d) or placebo from days 4 to 32 postpartum. Each subject provided 8 diet records and 8 milk samples during the study. Diet records were analyzed for energy, macronutrients, vitamins A and E, and carotenoids. Milk samples were analyzed with HPLC for concentrations of carotenoids, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol. Data were analyzed by using repeated-measures analysis and orthogonal contrasts. RESULTS No significant differences in average dietary intakes, body mass index, age, or parity were found between groups at baseline or after supplementation. Milk carotenoid concentrations decreased over time (P < 0.01), as did retinol and alpha-tocopherol concentrations (P < 0.003). Concentrations of most carotenoids decreased to those reported for mature milk by day 32 postpartum. Milk lutein concentrations remained elevated throughout the study compared with values reported for mature milk, whereas plasma lutein concentrations decreased significantly over time. beta-carotene supplementation did not significantly change the milk concentrations of beta-carotene, the other carotenoids, retinol, or alpha-tocopherol. CONCLUSIONS The lack of increase in milk beta-carotene despite supplementation suggests that transitional milk may be already nearly saturated with beta-carotene. The elevated milk lutein concentration and simultaneous decrease in plasma lutein suggest that lutein metabolism may be altered during early lactation.
Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women.

BACKGROUND Although increased consumption of dietary fiber and grain products is widely recommended to maintain healthy body weight, little is known about the relation of whole grains to body weight and long-term weight changes. OBJECTIVE We examined the associations between the intakes of dietary fiber and whole- or refined-grain products and weight gain over time. DESIGN In a prospective cohort study, 74,091 US female nurses, aged 38-63 y in 1984 and free of known cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes at baseline, were followed from 1984 to 1996; their dietary habits were assessed in 1984, 1986, 1990, and 1994 with validated food-frequency questionnaires. Using multiple models to adjust for covariates, we calculated average weight, body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)), long-term weight changes, and the odds ratio of developing obesity (BMI > or = 30) according to change in dietary intake. RESULTS Women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than did women who consumed less whole grains (P for trend < 0.0001). Over 12 y, those with the greatest increase in intake of dietary fiber gained an average of 1.52 kg less than did those with the smallest increase in intake of dietary fiber (P for trend < 0.0001) independent of body weight at baseline, age, and changes in covariate status. Women in the highest quintile of dietary fiber intake had a 49% lower risk of major weight gain than did women in the highest quintile (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.67; P < 0.0001 for trend). CONCLUSION Weight gain was inversely associated with the intake of high-fiber, whole-grain foods but positively related to the intake of refined-grain foods, which indicated the importance of distinguishing whole-grain products from refined-grain products to aid in weight control.
Type- and Subtype-Specific Influenza Forecast

Prediction of the growth and decline of infectious disease incidence has advanced considerably in recent years. As these forecasts improve, their public health utility should increase, particularly as interventions are developed that make explicit use of forecast information. It is the task of the research community to increase the content and improve the accuracy of these infectious disease predictions. Presently, operational real-time forecasts of total influenza incidence are produced at the municipal and state level in the United States. These forecasts are generated using ensemble simulations depicting local influenza transmission dynamics, which have been optimized prior to forecast with observations of influenza incidence and data assimilation methods. Here, we explore whether forecasts targeted to predict influenza by type and subtype during 2003-2015 in the United States were more or less accurate than forecasts targeted to predict total influenza incidence. We found that forecasts separated by type/subtype generally produced more accurate predictions and, when summed, produced more accurate predictions of total influenza incidence. These findings indicate that monitoring influenza by type and subtype not only provides more detailed observational content but supports more accurate forecasting. More accurate forecasting can help officials better respond to and plan for current and future influenza activity.
Ozone pollution will compromise efforts to increase global wheat production

Introduction of high‐performing crop cultivars and crop/soil water management practices that increase the stomatal uptake of carbon dioxide and photosynthesis will be instrumental in realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of achieving food security. To date, however, global assessments of how to increase crop yield have failed to consider the negative effects of tropospheric ozone, a gaseous pollutant that enters the leaf stomatal pores of plants along with carbon dioxide, and is increasing in concentration globally, particularly in rapidly developing countries. Earlier studies have simply estimated that the largest effects are in the areas with the highest ozone concentrations. Using a modelling method that accounts for the effects of soil moisture deficit and meteorological factors on the stomatal uptake of ozone, we show for the first time that ozone impacts on wheat yield are particularly large in humid rain‐fed and irrigated areas of major wheat‐producing countries (e.g. United States, France, India, China and Russia). Averaged over 2010–2012, we estimate that ozone reduces wheat yields by a mean 9.9% in the northern hemisphere and 6.2% in the southern hemisphere, corresponding to some 85 Tg (million tonnes) of lost grain. Total production losses in developing countries receiving Official Development Assistance are 50% higher than those in developed countries, potentially reducing the possibility of achieving UN SDG2. Crucially, our analysis shows that ozone could reduce the potential yield benefits of increasing irrigation usage in response to climate change because added irrigation increases the uptake and subsequent negative effects of the pollutant. We show that mitigation of air pollution in a changing climate could play a vital role in achieving the above‐mentioned UN SDG, while also contributing to other SDGs related to human health and well‐being, ecosystems and climate change.
Expression of programmed death ligand 1 is associated with poor prognosis in myeloid sarcoma patients

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a rare condition and is an extramedullary tumour of immature myeloid cells. It is now known that the programmed death 1 (PD‐1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) pathway suppresses the host antitumor responses and that these products are expressed on both tumour cells and tumour‐infiltrating cells in various malignancies. However, little is known about the significance of PD‐1/PD‐L1 expression on tumour cells and tumour microenvironmental cells in MS. To investigate the clinicopathological significance of PD‐1/PD‐L1 expression in MS, we analyzed 98 patients by immunohistochemistry. Of these, 10.2% of cases had neoplastic tumour cells positive for PD‐L1 (nPD‐L1+). However, the rate of nPD‐L1+ was <5% (range: 0.27 to 2.97%). On the other hand, PD‐L1 expression on 1 or more of stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment (miPD‐L1+) was observed in 37.8% of cases. Because all nPD‐L1+ cases expressed PD‐1 on less than 5% of tumour cells, we compared the miPD‐L1+ and miPD‐L1− groups. There was a correlation between miPD‐L1+ status and the number of PD‐1‐expressing tumour ‐infiltrating lymphocytes (PD‐1+ TILs; P = .0229). miPD‐L1+ was found to be associated with poorer overall survival and progression‐free survival (P = .00392, P = .00261, respectively). Multivariate analysis also confirmed miPD‐L1+ to be an independent poor prognostic factor. In conclusion, our study indicated that the immunotherapy blocking the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway may improve the clinical outcome of MS.
Branched-chain amino acid interactions with reference to amino acid requirements in adult men: leucine metabolism at different valine and isoleucine intakes.

Recent estimates of the leucine requirement of adult men based on 13C-tracer studies are substantially higher than those proposed by FAO/WHO/UNU (1985). To explore whether leucine oxidation and requirements are affected by the dietary amount of valine. 11 healthy young adult men received, in random order, for 5 d, one of four L-amino acid diets providing 40 or 15 mg leucine.kg-1.d-1 together with variable amounts mg.kg-1.d-1 of valine and isoleucine in the following combinations (Val:Ile): 80:62 and 20:62 (six subjects; phase 1); 20:62 and 20:20 (five subjects, phase 2). On the morning of day 6, a continuous intravenous infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine was given for 7-8 h; the subject was in the fasting state for the initial 2.5 or 3 h and in the fed state for the remainder of the time. Also, [2H3]leucine was added to the diet. Leucine oxidation was similar for all diet groups in the fasted state. During the fed state, leucine oxidation was not affected by the Val:Ile pattern. Thus, changes in the pattern of branched-chain amino acid intake within a physiological range do not affect isotopically derived estimates of the leucine requirement.
Bioremediation of Paraffinic and Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons Using Laser irradiated Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

River Nile is considered as one of the most important rivers in the world, it suffers from severe increase in pollutants' levels due to the direct discharge of industrial effluents into its water body. In an effort at developing active microbial strains that could be relevance in the bioremediation of these pollutants, eighteen hydrocarbon degrading bacterial isolates were purified from five sites along the river's main stream. The most potent bacterial isolate was identified according to the BioLog TM microplate assay as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. In a trial to promote its degradation potentiality it was subjected to different He-Ne laser (7.3 mW, 632.8nm) irradiation doses. The chromatographic analysis of the residual substrates revealed that the irradiated isolate was able to degrade 98.12% of the paraffinic fraction and completely degrade the polynuclear aromatic fraction after 30hrs of incubation, these results supports its future usage in the bioremediation strategy of industrial effluents. (Journal of American Science 2010;6(10):661-670). (ISSN: 1545-1003).
Modeling biochemical aspects of energy metabolism in mammals.

A framework representing the major biochemical pathways of nutrient metabolism is developed allowing quantification of the energy efficiency of different nutritional scenarios. The model is based on a number of carbon chain pivots (glucose, pyruvate, acetyl coenzyme A, alpha-ketoglutarate, oxaloacetate and serine) and cofactors involved in metabolism. Excess pivots yield acetyl coenzyme A, which may be used for ATP or lipid synthesis. In contrast to previous work of this kind, the framework was constructed so that new insights in nutrient metabolism can be easily incorporated. Traditionally, integral values have been used to quantify mitochondrial ATP synthesis from cofactors (i.e., 3 ATP/NADH and 2 ATP/FADH(2)), but current estimates are approximately 0.20 lower than previously assumed. Based on the latter, the energy expenditure for ATP synthesis from glucose was 91.0 kJ/ATP. For lipid (tripalmitin), 96.3 kJ/ATP was required whereas for amino acids energy expenditures varied between 99.2 (glutamate) and 153.2 kJ/ATP (cysteine). Energy derived from amino acid catabolism is stored and transferred either via carbon chain pivots or cofactors. It is hypothesized that this may affect the ultimate utilization of this energy (e.g., for ATP or lipid synthesis). The energy cost of nitrogen transport appeared relatively modest for most nonessential amino acids. Likewise, the net cost of using dietary glutamate and glutamine for ATP synthesis (e.g., in the viscera) and de novo synthesis of these amino acids in muscle is relatively minor and of similar magnitude as the cost of storing glucose energy as glycogen.
Branched-chain amino acid interactions with reference to amino acid requirements in adult men: valine metabolism at different leucine intakes.

We explored whether the oxidation of valine and by implication the physiological requirement for this amino acid are affected by changes in leucine intake over a physiological range. Six young adult men received, in random order, four L-amino acid-based diets for 5 d supplying either 20 or 10 mg valine.kg body wt-1.d-1, each in combination with 80 or 40 mg leucine.kg-1.d-1. On day 6 subjects were studied with an 8-h continuous intravenous infusion of [1-13C]valine (and [2H3]leucine) to determine valine oxidation in the fasted state (first 3 h) and fed state (last 5 h). Valine oxidation in the fasted state was similar among all diets but was lower (P less than 0.05) in the fed state for the 10 vs 20 mg valine.kg-1.d-1 intake. Leucine intake did not affect valine oxidation. Mean daily valine balance approximated +1.3 mg.kg-1.d-1 for the 20-mg intake and -1.6 mg.kg-1.d-1 for the 10-mg intake. These findings support our previously suggested mean valine requirement estimate of approximately 20 mg.kg-1.d-1.
LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES WITH THE SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY. II. COMPARING THE CO (3–2) SIZES AND LUMINOSITIES OF LOCAL AND HIGH-REDSHIFT LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

We present a detailed comparison of the CO (3–2) emitting molecular gas between a local sample of luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) and a high-redshift sample that comprises submm selected galaxies (SMGs), quasars, and Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs). The U/LIRG sample consists of our recent CO (3–2) survey using the Submillimeter Array while the CO (3–2) data for the high-redshift population are obtained from the literature. We find that the and LFIR relation is correlated over five orders of magnitude, which suggests that the molecular gas traced in CO (3–2) emission is a robust tracer of dusty star formation activity. The near unity slope of 0.93 ± 0.03 obtained from a fit to this relation suggests that the star formation efficiency is constant to within a factor of 2 across different types of galaxies residing in vastly different epochs. The CO (3–2) size measurements suggest that the molecular gas disks in local U/LIRGs (0.3–3.1 kpc) are much more compact than the SMGs (3–16 kpc), and that the size scales of SMGs are comparable to the nuclear separation (5–40 kpc) of the widely separated nuclei of U/LIRGs in our sample. We argue from these results that the SMGs studied here are predominantly intermediate stage mergers, and that the wider line widths arise from the violent merger of two massive gas-rich galaxies taking place deep in a massive halo potential.
Ferritin concentrations in dried serum spots from capillary and venous blood in children in Sri Lanka: a validation study.

BACKGROUND Assessing iron status continues to be challenging in field situations. Spot methods developed for analyzing ferritin from serum or plasma samples that are spotted and dried on filter paper have been shown to provide reliable and accurate iron-status assessments. However, the spot methods are based on samples from venous serum or plasma and have not been evaluated in field settings. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the validity of analyzing ferritin to assess iron status by using venous and capillary dried-serum-spot (DSS) samples by the spot method compared with using serum ferritin by the traditional method in a field setting. DESIGN Venous and capillary blood was obtained from healthy schoolchildren (n = 100; +/- SD age: 8.9 +/- 0.3 y) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. To prepare DSS samples, we aliquoted precisely 20 microL serum per spot on filter paper, air-dried the spots, and placed them in airtight plastic bags until analysis by the spot ferritin method with the use of cellulase from Trichoderma reesei at 2 wk after collection. Venous serum (100 microL) was frozen until ferritin determination by traditional radioimmunoassay. RESULTS Venous and capillary DSS ferritin values correlated strongly with traditional serum ferritin values (r = 0.88 and 0.86, respectively; P = 0.0001). The geometric means (+/- 1 SD) for venous and capillary DSS ferritin and traditional ferritin were 26.9 (15.3-47.4), 33.9 (20.9-54.8), and 33.1 (18.6-58.8) microg/L, respectively, and were not significantly different. Venous and capillary DSS methods on average (+/- SD) yielded ferritin values that were 5.8 +/- 10.1 microg/L lower and 0.1 +/- 9.4 microg/L higher, respectively, than serum ferritin values obtained with the traditional method. CONCLUSIONS Capillary and venous DSS methods for analyzing ferritin provide accurate tools for assessing iron status. Furthermore, capillary DSS ferritin is a practical means of detecting iron deficiency in field settings.
Vitamin K, circulating cytokines, and bone mineral density in older men and women.

BACKGROUND Vitamin K modulates cytokines involved in bone turnover, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and osteoprotegerin in vitro. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess 1) associations between measures of vitamin K status [plasma phylloquinone and serum percentage of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (%ucOC)] and IL-6, osteoprotegerin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and 2) the effect of daily 500 mug phylloquinone supplementation for 3 y on cytokine concentrations. DESIGN Concentrations of IL-6, osteoprotegerin, and CRP and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured at baseline and after 3 y of follow-up in 379 healthy men and women (60-81 y; 58.5% women) participating in a randomized trial that studied the effect of vitamin K supplementation on bone loss. RESULTS Cross-sectionally, plasma phylloquinone was inversely associated with IL-6 and CRP, whereas serum %ucOC was inversely associated with IL-6. Osteoprotegerin was associated positively with plasma phylloquinone and inversely with %ucOC. No differences were observed in the 3-y change in IL-6, osteoprotegerin, and CRP concentrations between participants who received phylloquinone supplementation and those who did not. Overall, no association was observed between the 3-y changes in circulating cytokines and BMD. CONCLUSIONS Poor vitamin K status was associated with high concentrations of cytokines involved in bone turnover, but vitamin K supplementation did not confer a decrease in cytokine concentrations. The healthy status of this cohort may explain a lack of effect of vitamin K supplementation on cytokine concentrations. This trial was registered with www.clinicaltrials. gov as NCT00183001.