Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumption of Red Meat, but Not Cooking Oils High in Polyunsaturated Fat, Is Associated with Higher Arachidonic Acid Status in Singapore Chinese Adults

High arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4n-6) status may have adverse effects on inflammation and risk of cardiovascular diseases. Concerns about high intake of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are based on the premise that endogenous conversion from linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6) is an important source of AA, but few population-based studies have investigated dietary determinants of AA status. In this study, we examined habitual food consumption in relation to plasma concentrations of AA and other PUFAs in population-based studies. We used cross-sectional data from 269 healthy, ethnic Chinese participants (25–80 years old) with contrasting intakes of fish and red meat from the Singapore Prospective Study Program and 769 healthy participants (44–74 years old) from the Singapore Chinese Health Study as a validation set. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine PUFA intake (% energy) and food sources of PUFA (fish, red meat, poultry, soy and cooking oils) in relation to plasma PUFAs (AA, LA, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA; 20:3n-6), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3)) concentrations. Higher intake of red meat was associated with higher plasma AA concentrations. High intake of PUFA or PUFA-rich oils was associated with higher plasma ALA but not with plasma AA. Higher intakes of soy were associated with higher ALA and fish with higher DHA and EPA concentrations. These associations were statistically significant (p < 0.05) in both studies. Red meat consumption, but not PUFA or PUFA-rich cooking oil, was associated with circulating AA suggesting that intake of pre-formed AA rather than LA is an important determinant of AA status. A diet high in fish, soy products and polyunsaturated cooking oil, and low in red meat may be associated with an optimal plasma profile of PUFA in this Chinese population.
Relationship Between Ophthalmic Artery Blood Flow and Recanalizationof Occluded Carotid Artery. Ultrasonic Doppler Study

Ophthalmic artery blood flow in 5 patients with internal carotid artery occlusion of sudden onset was monitored by an ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter to investigate the possible relationship to spontaneous recanalization of the occluded artery. The occluded internal carotid arteries of 2 patients were confirmed angiographically to recanalize and the reversed flow of their ophthalmic arteries changed to physiological flow after the recanalization. The ophthalmic artery blood flow remained reversed in 2 patients whose occluded internalcarotid arteries did not recanalize on the follow up angiograms. In the other patient, whose ophthalmic artery blood flow was not detected by the ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter in the acute stage, physiological flow through the ophthalmic artery was detected later. The occluded internal carotid artery did not recanalize and this physiological ophthalmic artery blood flow was filled through the circle of Willis.
A fundamental study of shouted speech for acoustic-based security system

A speech processing system for ensuring safety and security, namely, acoustic-based security system is addressed. Focusing on indoor security such as school security, we study for an advanced acoustic-based system which can discriminate emergency shout from the other speech events based on the understanding of speech events. In this paper, we describe fundamental results of shouted speech
Document Retrieval Using SIFT Image Features

This paper describes a new approach to document classification based on visual features alone. Text-based retrieval systems perform poorly on noisy text. We have conducted series of experiments using cosine distance as our similarity measure, selecting varying numbers local interest points per page, and varying numbers of nearest neighbour points in the similarity calculations. We have found that a distance-based measure of similarity outperforms a rank-based measure except when there are few interest points. We show that using visual features substantially outperforms text- based approaches for noisy text, giving average precision in the range 0.4-0.43 in several experiments retrieving scientific papers. Information retrieval for text-based documents is a mature problem compared to image retrieval. Nevertheless many documents contain diagrams, images and other graphical elements which are not amenable to text-based retrieval. Fur- thermore text-based information retrieval and document classification systems rely heavily on having good quality machine-readable text and the quality of their results is significantly affected by noise. The goal of the work reported here is to investigate the potential of docu- ment retrieval and classification using visual features. Our experimental results clearly demonstrate that visual features can provide good retrieval performance. The precision obtained shows that visual features are capable of capturing suffi- cient of the semantics of the documents to enable useful retrieval systems to be constructed.
Psychological distress among evacuees of a volcanic eruption in Japan: A follow‐up study

Abstract Psychological distress in 248 evacuees from a volcanic eruption was evaluated using a 30‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐30) at four time points after evacuation: 6 months, 12 months, 24 months and 44 months. The proportion of evacuees with psychological distress (defined as a GHQ score ≥ 8) significantly decreased from 66.1% (6 months) to 45.6% (44 months). The GHQ mean score significantly improved from 12.6 to 8.9. Investigation of each factor on the GHQ showed progressive improvement over time in ‘anxiety, tension and insomnia’ and ‘anergia and social dysfunction’. However, ‘depression’ began to improve only after 44 months and ‘interpersonal dysfunction’ started to worsen after 12 months. The dysfunction in interpersonal relationships continued at 44 months. Examination of the relation between GHQ mean scores and age group showed that recovery from psychological distress was more difficult in middle‐aged and older evacuees than in younger evacuees.
Keratinocyte Migration in the Developing Eyelid Requires LIMK2

In vitro studies have identified LIMK2 as a key downstream effector of Rho GTPase-induced changes in cytoskeletal organization. LIMK2 is phosphorylated and activated by Rho associated coiled-coil kinases (ROCKs) in response to a variety of growth factors. The biochemical targets of LIMK2 belong to a family of actin binding proteins that are potent modulators of actin assembly and disassembly. Although numerous studies have suggested that LIMK2 regulates cell morphology and motility, evidence supportive of these functions in vivo has remained elusive. In this study, a knockout mouse was created that abolished LIMK2 biochemical activity resulting in a profound inhibition of epithelial sheet migration during eyelid development. In the absence of LIMK2, nascent eyelid keratinocytes differentiate and acquire a pre-migratory phenotype but the leading cells fail to nucleate filamentous actin and remain immobile causing an eyes open at birth (EOB) phenotype. The failed nucleation of actin was associated with significant reductions in phosphorylated cofilin, a major LIMK2 biochemical substrate and potent modulator of actin dynamics. These results demonstrate that LIMK2 activity is required for keratinocyte migration in the developing eyelid.
Corporate Ownership Structure and Bank Loan Syndicate Structure

Using a novel data set on corporate ownership and control, we show that the divergence between the control rights and cash-flow rights of a borrowing firm's largest ultimate owner has a significant impact on the concentration and composition of the firm's loan syndicate. When the control-ownership divergence is large, lead arrangers form syndicates with structures that facilitate enhanced due diligence and monitoring efforts. These syndicates tend to be relatively concentrated and composed of domestic banks that are geographically close to the borrowing firms and that have lending expertise related to the industries of the borrowers. We also examine factors that influence the relation between ownership structure and syndicate structure, including lead arranger reputation, prior lending relationship, borrowing firm informational opacity, presence of multiple large owners, laws and institutions, and financial crises.
SUCCESSFUL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF CHROMOLAENA ODORATA IN GHANA: THE POTENTIAL FOR A REGIONAL PROGRAMME IN AFRICA

Biological control of Siam weed, Chromolaena odorata, was revived in Ghana in 1989 after an initial failure in the 1970s. The arctiid moth Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata was imported from Guam, USA in 1989 and, after quarantine studies, released in a pilot project in Kumasi in 1991. Establishment of P. pseudoinsulata was confirmed in Ghana in 1994. By 1999, the insect had spread to cover an area of about 81 501km 2 , representing about 57.9% of the total area infested by C. odorata in Ghana. In areas defoliated by P. pseudoinsulata, the C. odorata cover has decreased from a mean of 85.0% to 37.0% within a decade. Correspondingly, there is an increase in density of grass and other broad-leafed weed populations from 2 and 13.0% to 26.6 and 36.4%, respectively, thus increasing the fodder base for domestic and game animals. Plant species diversity following control of C. odorata increased from three to six species per unit area. Results obtained in 1999 indicate that P. pseudoinsulata causes significant damage in about 57.5% of the present distribution area of the insect. Considering the continued spread of C. odorata through many parts of Africa and the similarity of the threats posed by it there, the success achieved in Ghana raises hope for a regional programme for biological control of C. odorata.
Endoscopic surgery for inverted papilloma originating from the sphenoid sinus and related clinical characteristics

Conclusions. Bony changes on CT imaging of inverted papilloma (IP) are useful for predicting tumor origin and recurrence sites. Because the lateral wall and floor of the sphenoid sinus are the most common origin and recurrence sites, the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus should be opened as wide as the lateral wall and inferiorly to the level of the floor, especially in deeply pneumatized sphenoid sinuses. Objectives. The incidence of isolated sphenoid IP is exceedingly low. So far, there have not been studies on the usual origin and recurrence sites of the sphenoid sinus. We sought to identify the sites of origin and recurrence and describe clinical characteristics, radiological features, and proper endoscopic management. Patients and methods. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with IP of the sphenoid sinus. Data collection included clinical presentations, origin and recurrent sites, radiological features, and surgical methods. Results. Seven patients were identified. The most common symptoms were headache and nasal obstruction. Radiological findings showed that most tumors extended into the nasal cavity or ethmoid sinus combined frequently with erosion of the lateral wall or intersinus septum. We noted simultaneous attachment to multiple walls in five subjects, including both lateral wall and floor attachment in three subjects.
Coupling and decoupling of crust and mantle in convergent orogens: Implications for strain partitioning in the crust

Topographic relief, strain partitioning and crust-mantle coupling within convergent orogens may be systematically related to the distribution of strength as a function of depth within continental crust. This result is obtained by solving analytically for basally driven three-dimensional flow within an idealized crust with a laterally invariant, depth-dependent Newtonian viscosity. Two end-member flow states are shown to occur. In the first, crustal flow is directly coupled to the underlying mantle and is controlled by stresses transmitted vertically through the crust. In the second, upper crustal to midcrustal flow is decoupled from the underlying mantle and is controlled by stresses transmitted horizontally through the crust. This model is applied to deformation of continental crust above “plate-like” mantle that undergoes oblique convergence across a narrow “suture. ” If no significant low-viscosity zone develops within the crust, crustal deformation is coupled to motion of the underlying mantle, and a triangular mountain range develops. Surface shortening occurs at the foot of the mountains, normal to the trend of the range, while strike slip and extension are partitioned along the axis of the orogen. If a low-viscosity zone is initially absent but develops during crustal thickening, a steep-sided, flat-topped plateau forms. Crustal deformation is coupled to mantle motions on the plateau flanks but may be strongly decoupled beneath the plateau. Surface shortening normal to the plateau occurs at the foot of the plateau, while surface extension normal to the plateau occurs at the plateau edge. If a low-viscosity zone is present in the lower crust prior to convergence, a wide orogen with low topographic relief develops. Crustal deformation is decoupled from the mantle except at the edges of the deforming region, and surface shortening is partitioned uniformly across the belt. This study shows that horizontal and vertical partitioning of strain occur even in the absence of lateral strength variations and that shortening and extension may exist simultaneously in different parts of an orogen. Similar morphology and strain partitioning can be observed in many real orogenic belts, including: the Eastern Alps, the Tibetan plateau, and the Lachlan (Tasman) fold belt.
Anaerobic bacteria commonly colonize the lower airways of intubated ICU patients.

OBJECTIVES To investigate respiratory tract colonization by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in mechanically ventilated patients. METHODS Bacterial colonization of the stomach and the respiratory tract was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed over time in 41 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients in a Swedish intensive care unit (ICU), with special emphasis on elucidation of the role of anaerobic bacteria in the lower respiratory tract. Samples were taken from the oropharynx, gastric juice, subglottic space and trachea within 24 h (median 14 h) of intubation, and then every third day until day 18 and every fifth day until day 33. RESULTS The patients were often heavily colonized with microorganisms not considered to belong to a healthy normal oropharyngeal and gastric flora on admission to the ICU. A majority harbored enterococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci and Candida spp. in at least one site on day 1. Anaerobic bacteria, mainly peptostreptococci and Prevotella spp. , were isolated from subglottic and/or tracheal secretions in 59% of the patients. Different routes of tracheal colonization for different groups of microorganisms were found. Primary or concomitant colonization of the oropharynx with staphylococci, enterococci, enterobacteria and Candida was often seen, while Pseudomonas spp. , other non-fermenting Gram-negative rods and several anaerobic species often primarily colonized the trachea, indicating exogenous or direct gastrointestinal routes of colonization. CONCLUSIONS Mechanically ventilated patients were heavily colonized in their lower airways by potential pathogenic microorganisms, including a high load of anaerobic bacteria. Different routes of colonization were shown for different species.
Abrupt transition in H2O activity in the melt-present zone of a thermal aureole: Evidence from H2O contents of cordierites

The water content of cordierite was analyzed in seven samples of pelitic hornfels from successive contact-metamorphic zones in the Etive thermal aureole, Scotland, using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Together with independent estimates of peak metamorphic pressure and temperature, these results were used to calculate an H 2 O activity ( a H 2 O) in each sample. The calculated a H 2 O values are considered to reflect peak metamorphic conditions. In the middle aureole calculated a H 2 O values are high, close to unity, suggesting fluid-present conditions. In the innermost aureole they are low, a H 2 O appears to be abrupt and occurs at higher grade than the melt-in isograd. The results are compatible with the operation of an up-temperature sequence of reactions in pelitic and semipelitic rocks involving, progressively, (1) dehydration, followed by (2) fluid-present partial melting, followed by (3) fluid-absent partial melting. The consumption of H 2 O by fluid-present melting reactions provides a mechanism for reducing a H 2 O at the transition. A xenolith within the Quarry Diorite appears to have crystallized in the presence of magmatically derived hydrous fluid, but wall-rock hornfels as close as 15 m from the contact have not.
Targeted Delivery of Erythropoietin by Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Neuroprotection against Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Neuronal Injury: A Long-Term and Short-Term Study

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a neuroprotective agent against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced brain injury. However, its crossing of blood-brain barrier is limited. Focused ultrasound (FUS) sonication with microbubbles (MBs) can effectively open blood-brain barrier to boost the vascular permeability. In this study, we investigated the effects of MBs/FUS on extending the therapeutic time window of EPO and its neuroprotective effects in both acute and chronic phases. Male Wistar rats were firstly subjected to two common carotid arteries and right middle cerebral artery occlusion (three vessels occlusion, 3VO) for 50 min, and then the rats were treated with hEPO (human recombinant EPO, 5000 IU/kg) with or without MBs/FUS at 5 h after occlusion/reperfusion. Acute phase investigation (I/R, I/R+MBs/FUS, I/R+hEPO, and I/R+hEPO+MBs/FUS) was performed 24 h after I/R; chronic tests including cylinder test and gait analysis were performed one month after I/R. The experimental results showed that MBs/FUS significantly increased the cerebral content of EPO by bettering vascular permeability. In acute phase, both significant improvement of neurological score and reduction of infarct volume were found in the I/R+hEPO+MBs/FUS group, as compared with I/R and I/R+hEPO groups. In chronic phase, long-term behavioral recovery and neuronal loss in brain cortex after I/R injury was significantly improved in the I/R+hEPO+MBs/FUS group. This study indicates that hEPO administration with MBs/FUS sonication even at 5 h after occlusion/reperfusion can produce a significant neuroprotection.
Salinity transport in a finite-volume sigma -layer three-dimensional model

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Chemical changes and influences of rapeseed antinutritional factors on lamb physiology and performance 1 . Animal performance and thyroid histology

Sixty six Texel, Suffolk or crossbred lambs allocated to three groups were used. From the end of their first month of age till slaughtering, they were fed ad libitum with concentrates containing 0% (Control) or 25% of rapeseed meal obtained from either Samourai (Samourai) or Honk (Honk) variety. The Samourai and Honk concentrates contained 1.95 and 4.22 mmoles/g DM of glucosinolates, respectively. Lambs were weaned at 88 8 days of age and 24 5 kg of live weight and were slaughtered when their fattening state was estimated to be optimal. Apart from low concentrate intake for suckling lambs at the beginning of the experiment in the Honk, no negative effect of low glucosinolates (LG)-rapeseed meal was noted concerning animal performance. The quality of perirenal fat was better for lambs which received rapeseed meal since lower (P < 0.5) proportions of saturated fatty acids (C10 : 0, C12 : 0, C14 : 0) and higher contents (P < 0.05) of some unsaturated fatty acids (C18 : 1trans, C22 : 2) were determined. The thyroid weight was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for the Honk (3.04 0.8 g) than in the Control (2.6 0.5 g) and the Samourai (2.7 0.6 g). Moreover, the percentages of small thyroid follicles were lower (P < 0.05) in the Honk than in the Control and Samourai groups. Conversely, the percentages of large thyroid follicles were higher (P < 0.05) in the Honk than in the two other groups. These results suggest that rapeseed meal can be used as the only protein supplement for fattening lambs despite the Animal Feed Science and Technology 81 (1999) 81±91 * Corresponding author. Tel. : +32-81724377; fax: +32-81724420 E-mail address: robert.mandiki@fundp.ac. be (S.N.M. Mandiki) 0377-8401/99/$ ± see front matter # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 3 7 7 8 4 0 1 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 7 5 9 modification of thyroid histology by high glucosinolate content. # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Testicular adrenal rest tumors in adult males with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: evaluation of pituitary-gonadal function before and after successful testis-sparing surgery in eight patients.

CONTEXT In male patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), testicular adrenal rest tumors (TART) are frequently present. These tumors can interfere with testicular function. Intensifying glucocorticoid therapy does not always lead to tumor regression and improvement of testicular function. Recently, testis-sparing surgery was introduced for treatment of TART. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate tumor volume, symptoms, and pituitary-gonadal function in male patients with CAH caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency and bilateral TART before and after testis-sparing surgery. SETTING This study was conducted at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands. PATIENTS Eight adult male CAH patients with bilateral TART and infertility were included. INTERVENTIONS Evaluation of testicular magnetic resonance imaging, symptoms, fasting serum concentrations of ACTH, LH, FSH, inhibin B, 17-OH progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, and estrone, and semen analysis (six of eight patients) was performed before and 6 and 22 months after testis-sparing surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures were absence of residual tumor and improvement of symptoms and pituitary-gonadal function. RESULTS Residual tumors were not found on any of the patients' magnetic resonance imaging after surgery. Two patients reported testicular pain and discomfort that disappeared after surgery. Parameters of pituitary-gonadal function did not improve after surgery: semen analysis showed azoospermia (five patients) or oligospermia (one patient) without improvement, and all patients had persistently low inhibin B concentrations. CONCLUSION Testis-sparing surgery did not improve pituitary-gonadal function despite successful removal of the tumors. Further studies are needed to investigate whether surgery at an earlier stage in the natural history of TART can prevent permanent testicular damage.