Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal seafood consumption and infant birth weight, length and head circumference in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Results from previous studies on associations between maternal fish and seafood intakes and fetal growth are inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate how maternal intakes of seafood, subtypes of seafood and supplementary n-3 fatty acids were associated with infant birth weight, length and head circumference in a prospective study in Norway. The study population included 62 099 participants in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The mothers answered an FFQ in mid pregnancy. The FFQ comprised detailed questions about intake of various seafood items and n-3 supplements. Data on infant birth weight, length and head circumference were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry. We used multivariable regression to examine how total seafood, various seafood subtypes and supplementary n-3 intakes were associated with birth size measures. Total seafood intake was positively associated with birth weight and head circumference. Lean fish was positively associated with all birth size measures; shellfish was positively associated with birth weight, while fatty fish was not associated with any birth size measures. Intake of supplementary n-3 was negatively associated with head circumference. The relative risk of giving birth to a small baby ( < 2500 g) in full-term pregnancies was significantly lower in women who consumed >60 g/d of seafood than in women who consumed ≤ 5 g/d (OR = 0·56 (95 % CI 0·35, 0·88). In conclusion, maternal seafood consumption was positively associated with birth size, driven by lean fish intake, while supplementary n-3 intake was negatively associated with infant head circumference.
Is it enough to be bright? Parental background, cognitive ability and educational attainment

ABSTRACT Do separate factors of the social background – parental education, social class, social status and earnings – affect educational attainment independently of each other and to what extent is the association between these background factors and educational attainment transmitted via cognitive ability? Close to 28,000 randomly selected Swedish school children participated in a test of cognitive ability at age 13. Information on the four origin factors and on the children’s highest level of education was collected from Swedish registers with few missing data. The data were analysed by means of ordinary least squares regression. Parental education and social class are more highly associated with educational attainment than parental status and earnings, but all four factors have an effect on level of education independently of each other and of cognitive ability at age 13. Between 16 and 19 percent of the variance in education is accounted for by the social origin factors. Around one third of the effects of the origin factors is transmitted via cognitive ability. The paper ends with a short discussion of possible mechanisms, other than cognitive ability, that link social background with education.
Evaluation and Improvement of the Software and Process Quality through Their Cross-Impact

The paper represents a PhD thesis proposal for the topic "Evaluation and improvement of the software and process quality through their cross impact". The initial problem, research questions and hypothesizes; the prior research in the area, as well as the limitations for the research, possible research methods to be used and expected outcomes are discussed
Plasma viral load of Epstein–Barr virus and risk of multiple sclerosis

Elevated antibody titers to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) have been found prior to the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) and EBV has been found in serum of patients with MS exacerbations. We conducted a prospective, nested case–control study in the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II cohorts to determine whether plasma EBV viral load in healthy adults predicts the risk of MS. MS cases with blood collected before onset (n = 18) or diagnosis (n = 13) and 62 healthy controls were matched by age and time of blood collection. EBV viral load in plasma was measured by real time polymerase chain reaction. Presence of EBV in plasma was associated with an increased risk of MS (relative risk = 2.5, 95% CI 0.78–7.8, P = 0.12). Adjusting for smoking, ancestry, and latitude of residence at birth did not materially change this result. However, no association was found between the EBV viral load and risk of MS. These results support a role for EBV in the etiology of MS, but need to be confirmed in a larger study.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Synoviocyte Survival Is Dependent on Stat31

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial fibroblasts (SFs) are relatively resistant to apoptosis and exhibit dysregulated growth secondary to production of autocrine-acting growth factors and the accumulation of cell-autonomous defects. Many of the cytokines and growth factors expressed during RA synovitis, including IL-6, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor, activate the transcription factor Stat3 that has been implicated in promoting cell growth and survival. We analyzed the role of Stat3 in mediating the abnormal growth and survival properties of RA synoviocytes using retroviral-mediated gene transfer of a dominant negative mutant of Stat3, termed Stat3-YF. Approximately 3- to 5-fold overexpression of Stat3-YF effectively blocked endogenous Stat3 activation and Stat3-dependent gene expression, including expression of the socs3 and myc genes. Stat3-YF-transduced RA synoviocytes failed to grow in culture, exhibited markedly diminished [3H]thymidine incorporation (>90% decreased), and died spontaneously. Cell death occurred by apoptosis, as confirmed by annexin V staining, propidium iodide exclusion, and identification of cells with subdiploid levels of DNA. In marked contrast to control cells, EGF accelerated death of Stat3-YF-transduced SFs, such that >90% of cells were dead within 24–48 h of transduction. These results indicate that ablation of Stat3 function converts EGF from a growth/survival factor for RA synoviocytes to a death factor. Stat3-YF also induced apoptosis in osteoarthritis synoviocytes, and levels of apoptosis were increased by exogenous EGF. Apoptosis in Stat3-YF-transduced osteoarthritis synoviocytes was suppressed when Stat1 activity was blocked using a dominant negative Stat1 mutant. Our results identify Stat3 as an important molecule for RA SF survival, and suggest that Stat3 may represent a good target for gene therapy.
Performance of parental history for the targeted screening of hypertension in children

Objectives: Several guidelines recommend universal screening for hypertension in childhood and adolescence. Targeted screening to children with parental history of hypertension could be a more efficient strategy than universal screening. Therefore, we assessed the association between parental history of hypertension and hypertension in children, and estimated the sensitivity, specificity, negative, and positive predictive values of parental history of hypertension for hypertension in children. Methods: The present study was a school-based cross-sectional study including 5207 children aged 10–14 years from all public 6th grade classes in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Children had hypertension if they had sustained elevated blood pressure over three separate visits. Results: In children, the prevalence of hypertension was 2.2%. Some 8.5% of mothers and 12.9% of fathers reported to be hypertensive. Maternal history of hypertension (odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.2–3.3) and paternal history of hypertension (odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.4–3.6) were independent risk factors for hypertension in children. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of parental history of hypertension for the identification of hypertension in children was low (from 4% for both parents’ positive history up to 41% for at least one parent's positive history). Positive predictive values were also low (between 4 and 5%). Conclusion: Children with hypertensive parents were at higher risk of hypertension. Nevertheless, parental history of hypertension helped only marginally to identify hypertension in offspring. Targeting screening only toward children with a parental history of hypertension may not be a substantially better strategy to identify hypertension in children compared with universal screening.
Correlative study of bone related Biochemical parameters in normal postmenopausal women and hyperglycemic postmenopausal women

Described and treated since ancient times, diabetes is an incurable chronic disease that affects almost every organ and system of the body. The present study comprised a total of 78 postmenopausal women out of which 40 women had diabetes mellitus type 2 and all these women had attained menopause for average five years. The remaining 38 were normal, non-diabetic, and post-menopausal women. Data regarding bone related parameters like calcium, phosphorus, hydroxyproline, bone formation marker alkaline phosphatase, HbA1c and blood sugar levels were estimated. The results obtained showed that in postmenopausal diabetic women the serum alkaline phosphatase tends to be higher, while serum calcium and phosphorus levels are decreased, moreover an increase in level of urinary calcium and hydroxyproline is seen. Therefore, our findings suggest that hyperglycemia in postmenopausal women affect the bone related biochemical parameters.
Zebrafish: An Animal Model for Toxicological Studies

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been extensively studied and well described for environmental toxicity studies. Molecular biology and genetics have recently been used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of toxicity in zebrafish and to predict effects in mammals. The versatile zebrafish is now incorporated in many areas of toxicological programs for assessing human risk and for preclinical drug discovery and screening.
Emergency splenic arterial embolization for massive variceal bleeding in liver recipient with left‐sided portal hypertension

Splenic vein thrombosis with gastric variceal bleeding is difficult to manage, and splenectomy may be necessary to stop variceal bleeding. The authors report the case of a post–orthotopic liver transplant patient with bleeding gastric varices secondary to splenic vein thrombosis treated by partial splenic artery embolization. Successful embolization was performed via transcatheter approach depositing Gianturco coils into the intrasplenic artery resulting in immediate cessation of variceal bleeding. No recurrence of bleeding was noted postembolization. In conclusion, splenic artery embolization can be used as treatment for postliver transplant variceal bleeding with hypersplenism. (Liver Transpl 2005;11:1136–1139.)
Variations in a University Subject Pool as a Function of Earlier or Later Participation and Self-Report: A Replication and Extension

The present study replicated and extended earlier research on temporal sampling effects in university subject pools. Data were obtained from 236 participants, 79 men and 157 women, in a university subject pool during a 15-wk. semester. Without knowing the purpose of the study, participants self-selected to participate earlier (Weeks 4 and 5; n = 105) or later (Weeks 14 and 15; n = 131). Three hypotheses were investigated: (1) that the personality patterns of earlier and later participants on the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised and the Personality Research Form differ significantly, with earlier participants scoring higher on the latter scales reflecting social responsibility and higher on former Conscientiousness and Neuroticism scales; (2) that there are similar significant differences between participants in the earlier and later groups compared to the male and female college normative samples for the two tests; and (3) that earlier participants will have higher actual Scholastic Assessment Test scores and Grade Point Averages. Also investigated was whether participants' foreknowledge that their actual Scholastic Assessment Test scores and Grade Point Averages would be obtained would affect their accuracy of self-report. In contrast to prior research, neither the first nor second hypothesis was supported by the current study; there do not appear to be consistent differences on personality variables. However, the third hypothesis was supported. Earlier participants had higher actual high school Grade Point Average, college Grade Point Average, and Scholastic Assessment Test Verbal scores. Foreknowledge that actual Scholastic Assessment Test scores and Grade Point Averages would be obtained did not affect the accuracy of self-report. In addition, later participants significantly over-reported their scores, and significantly more women than men and more first-year than senior-year subjects participated in the early group.
MODULATION OF PITUITARY RESPONSIVENESS TO EXOGENOUS LHRH BY AN OESTROGENIC AND AN ANTI‐OESTROGENIC COMPOUND IN THE NORMAL MALE

The effect of clomiphene (100 mg daily for 10 days) and ethinyl oestradiol (100 μg daily for 10 days) on the gonadotrophin response to synthetic LHRH has been investigated in two groups of five normal males. A third group of five men served as control group. LHRH, 25 μg, was injected intravenously on days 0, 4, 7 and 10 and the response of serum LH and FSH was monitored by radioimmunoassay. In contrast to the wide inter‐individual variation of the response pattern, the intraindividual variation of the response to LHRH in the control group was small. Clomiphene induced a significant elevation of the baseline levels of LH and FSH after a few days of treatment; the pituitary responsiveness to LHRH, however, was significantly reduced. Oestrogen treatment resulted in a uniform suppression of both basal gonadotrophin levels and pituitary responsiveness. The decreased gonadotrophin response to LHRH during clomiphene treatment is thought to be caused by a relative and temporary pituitary depletion of the releasable gonadotrophin content. Although the suppression of LH and FSH response during oestrogen treatment may point to a direct inhibitory effect of oestrogen on pituitary gonadotrophin release, an indirect hypothalamic pathway, through suppression of endogenous LHRH, cannot be ruled out.
Wedelolactone disrupts the interaction of EZH2-EED complex and inhibits PRC2-dependent cancer

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which is responsible for the trimethylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3), plays a part in tumorigenesis, development and/or maintenance of adult tissue specificity. The pivotal role of PRC2 in cancer makes it a therapeutic target for epigenetic cancer therapy. However, natural compounds targeting the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) - embryonic ectoderm development (EED) interaction to disable PRC2 complex are scarcely reported. Here, we reported the screening and identification of natural compounds which could disrupt the EZH2-EED interaction. One of these compounds, wedelolactone, binds to EED with a high affinity (KD = 2.82 μM), blocks the EZH2-EED interaction in vitro, induces the degradation of PRC2 core components and modulates the expression of detected PRC2 downstream targets and cancer-related genes. Furthermore, some PRC2-dependent cancer cells undergone growth arrest upon treatment with wedelolactone. Thus, wedelolactone and its derivatives which target the EZH2-EED interaction could be candidates for the treatment of PRC2-dependent cancer.
Wild game as a reservoir of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in north-western Poland.

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to determine the role of game animals as reservoirs of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a bacteria species transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, from north-western Poland (Zachodniopomorskie vovoidship). The area under question is endemic for A. phagocytophilum. MATERIAL AND METHODS Blood and spleen samples were taken from 72 roe deer between April and December 2003. Animals culled during winter did not harbour ticks, on the other hand 155 individuals of Ixodes ricinus were collected from 35 of 43 animals taken during spring. We tested all samples for A. phagocytophilum by PCR amplification of the msp2 gene. An individual was considered infected if pathogens were detected in at least one isolate (blood or a tissue sample). RESULTS DNA from A. phagocytophilum was not found in isolates from ticks collected from the animals. The general level of infection for the roe deer was 31.94% (23/72). DNA of A. phagocytophilum was most commonly detected in blood samples; only in three cases was anaplasma DNA detected in spleen and not in blood. Ruminants seem to be the most competent reservoir for A. phagocytophilum in north-western Poland.
The desirable qualities of future doctors – A study of medical student perceptions

Background: There is a lack of consensus regarding the qualities possessed by the ideal doctor, and very limited research regarding the views of medical students on these qualities. Aims: To investigate the views of commencing medical students regarding the desirable qualities of doctors. Methods: A survey containing a set of proposed desirable qualities of doctors identified from the existing literature was completed by 158 first-year medical students. Results: The survey had a 75% response rate. Students rated the individual qualities of empathy, motivation to be a doctor, good verbal communication, ethically sound, integrity and honesty as the most important. A factor analysis identified six categories of qualities: methodical processing, cognitive capacity, people skills, generic work ethic, role certainty and warmth. Significant differences in factor scores were found across subgroups of students (international and domestic students, with and without prior tertiary studies) on the following factors: methodical processing, which was scored highest by domestic students with prior tertiary studies, cognitive capacity, which was scored highest by domestic students without prior tertiary studies and generic work ethic, which was scored highest by international students. Conclusions: Medical students identified a range of desirable personal qualities of a doctor which varied according to student characteristics, including their prior educational experience. Future research aiming to define such desirable qualities should include a broader range of stakeholders, including students at different training levels and institutions.
Neurotoxicological Evaluation of Methyl Tertiary‐butyl Ether in Rats

Methyl tertiary‐butyl ether (MTBE) is an oxygenate that is added to gasoline to boost octane and enhance combustion, thereby reducing carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon tailpipe emissions. The acute and subchronic neurotoxicity of MTBE were evaluated in rats using a functional observation battery (FOB), measures of motor activity (MA) and a neuropathological evaluation. In the acute study, rats were exposed once to 0, 800, 4000 or 8000 ppm MTBE by inhalation for 6 h and then evaluated three times over a 24‐h period. In the FOB evaluations, treatment‐related effects were seen at the 1‐h session immediately following exposure and were indicative of transient central nervous system (CNS) depression. Effects were most apparent in the high‐dose group (8000 ppm) but were also evident to a lesser extent in the mid‐dose (4000 ppm) group. Labored respiration, ataxia, duck‐walk gait and decreases in muscle tone, hind‐limb grip strength and treadmill performance were the most frequently noted findings. No significant effects were observed in the FOB when testing was conducted at 6 h and 24 h post‐exposure. The pattern of motor activity measured in the different dose groups following exposure was also in keeping with a reversible CNS‐depressant effect of MTBE. In the subchronic study, rats were exposed to 0, 800, 4000 or 8000 ppm MTBE for 6 h a day, 5 days per week, for 13 weeks. No persistent or cumulative effects on neurobehavioral function were found. Body weights and absolute brain weights were reduced in the 8000 ppm group, however there were no differences among groups when brain weight was expressed relative to body weight. No histopathological changes were noted in the brains or peripheral nervous tissues of MTBE‐exposed animals. In summary, MTBE produced signs of acute reversible CNS depression following exposure to 8000 ppm and, to a lesser extent, to 4000 ppm vapor. The no‐observed‐adverse‐effect level for these effects was 800 ppm in the present study. No persistent or cumulative neurotoxic effects were observed following exposure to MTBE at concentrations up to 8000 ppm for 13 weeks. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rice Plastidial N-Glycosylated Nucleotide Pyrophosphatase/Phosphodiesterase Is Transported from the ER-Golgi to the Chloroplast through the Secretory Pathway[W]

A nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (NPP) activity that catalyzes the hydrolytic breakdown of ADP-glucose (ADPG) has been shown to occur in the plastidial compartment of both mono- and dicotyledonous plants. To learn more about this enzyme, we purified two NPPs from rice (Oryza sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) seedlings. Both enzymes are glycosylated, since they bind to concanavalin A, stain with periodic acid–Schiff reagent, and are digested by Endo-H. A complete rice NPP cDNA, designated as NPP1, was isolated, characterized, and overexpressed in transgenic plants displaying high ADPG hydrolytic activity. Databank searches revealed that NPP1 belongs to a functionally divergent group of plant nucleotide hydrolases. NPP1 contains numerous N-glycosylation sites and a cleavable hydrophobic signal sequence that does not match with the N-terminal part of the mature protein. Both immunocytochemical analyses and confocal fluorescence microscopy of rice cells expressing NPP1 fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) revealed that NPP1-GFP occurs in the plastidial compartment. Brefeldin A treatment of NPP1-GFP–expressing cells prevented NPP1-GFP accumulation in the chloroplasts. Endo-H digestibility studies revealed that both NPP1 and NPP1-GFP in the chloroplast are glycosylated. Collectively, these data demonstrate the trafficking of glycosylated proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi system to the chloroplast in higher plants.