Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maximal rates of excretion and synthesis of urea in normal and cirrhotic subjects.

When normal individuals eat 0.33 g protein N/kg body weight (BW)((3/4)) per day, they excrete 10-15 mg urea N/h per kg BW((3/4)). If they now ingest (at 0 h) 0.27 (dose A), 0.40 (dose B), 0.53 (dose C), 0.94 (dose D), or 1.33 (dose E) g protein N/kg BW((3/4)) (in the form of casein, ovalbumin, or lactalbumin), the rate of urea N excretion accelerates within 4 h. At dose C a maximal rate of urinary urea N excretion (MRUE) is reached, which averages 55 mg urea N/h per kg BW((3/4)) and which persists for 16 h. Higher doses of protein do not further accelerate urea excretion, but prolong the duration of MRUE to 28 h (after dose E). Blood urea N (BUN) rises by 7-20 mg/100 ml during the first 8 h after dose C to E, and remains stable within +/-5 mg/100 ml during the ensuing 8-28 h of MRUE. Each increment of protein above dose C causes a further increment in plasma alpha-amino N. During infusion of free amino acids at a rate of 110 or 165 mg amino acid N/h per kg BW((3/4)) for 12 h, rate of urea excretion increases to the MRUE value produced by dose C-E of oral protein.These findings indicate that MRUE corresponds to a period of maximal rate of urea synthesis (MRUS). MRUS is greater than MRUE because one fraction of newly formed urea is hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract, and another fraction may accumulate temporarily in body water during the MRUE period. Oral neomycin reduces the proportion of urea hydrolyzed in the gut to less than 20%; its extent is measured by recovery in the urine of a tracer dose of [(14)C]urea injected intramuscularly during determination of MRUE. Accumulation of urea in body water is estimated from increment in BUN during the period of MRUE measurement (8-24 h after dose E of casein) and from body water measured with (3)H(2)O. Then MRUS is calculated as: ([mg urea N excreted between 8 and 24 h after dose E] + [BUN at 24 h - BUN at 8 h] x [body water]) x (100/% recovery [(14)C]urea) x (1/kg BW((3/4))) x (1/16 h). MRUS in 10 normal subjects averaged 65 mg urea N/h per kg BW((3/4)) (range 55-76), and in 34 cirrhotics 27 mg urea N/h per kg BW((3/4)) (range 6-64). Among 19 cirrhotic patients fed 40, 60, 80, or 100 g protein daily for successive 10 day periods, the occurrences of hyperammonemia, hyperaminoacidemia, and encephalopathy at each level of protein intake were inversely related to MRUS value.
METABOLISM OF ALFENTANIL BY CYTOCHROME P4503A (CYP3A) ENZYMES

The synthetic opioid alfentanil is an analgesic and an in vivo probe for hepatic and first-pass CYP3A activity. Alfentanil is a particularly useful CYP3A probe because pupil diameter change is a surrogate for plasma concentrations, thereby affording noninvasive assessment of CYP3A. Alfentanil undergoes extensive CYP3A4 metabolism via two major pathways, forming noralfentanil and N-phenylpropionamide. This investigation evaluated alfentanil metabolism in vitro to noralfentanil and N-phenylpropionamide, by expressed CYP3A5 and CYP3A7 in addition to CYP3A4, with and without coexpressed or exogenous cytochrome b5. Effects of the CYP3A inhibitors troleandomycin and ketoconazole were also determined. Rates of noralfentanil and N-phenylpropionamide formation by CYP3A4 and 3A5 in the absence of b5 were generally equivalent, although the metabolite formation ratio differed, whereas those by CYP3A7 were substantially less. CYP3A4 and 3A5 were equipotently inhibited by troleandomycin, whereas ketoconazole was an order of magnitude more potent toward CYP3A4. Cytochrome b5 qualitatively and quantitatively altered alfentanil metabolism, with b5 coexpression having a greater effect than exogenous addition. Addition or coexpression of b5 markedly stimulated the formation of both metabolites and changed the formation of noralfentanil but not N-phenylpropionamide from apparent single-site to multisite Michaelis-Menten kinetics. These results demonstrate that alfentanil is a substrate for CYP3A5 in addition to CYP3A4, and the effects of the CYP3A inhibitors troleandomycin and ketoconazole are CYP3A enzyme-selective. Alfentanil is one of the few CYP3A substrates that is metabolized in vitro as avidly by both CYP3A4 and 3A5. Polymorphic CYP3A5 expression may contribute to inter-individual variability in alfentanil metabolism.
Dynamic Imaging of Pancreatic Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB) Activation in Live Mice Using Adeno-associated Virus (AAV) Infusion and Bioluminescence*

Background: NF-κB is an important signaling molecule in the development of acute pancreatitis. Results: Adeno-associated virus-NF-κB-luciferase-infused mice showed a 77- and 140-fold increase in pancreas-specific NF-κB bioluminescence following caerulein and caerulein + LPS pancreatitis, respectively. Conclusion: NF-κB activation can be examined in a live, dynamic fashion during pancreatic inflammation. Significance: This technique offers a valuable tool to study real-time activation of NF-κB in vivo. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is an important signaling molecule that plays a critical role in the development of acute pancreatitis. Current methods for examining NF-κB activation involve infection of an adenoviral NF-κB-luciferase reporter into cell lines or electrophoretic mobility shift assay of lysate. The use of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) has proven to be an effective method of transfecting whole organs in live animals. We examined whether intrapancreatic duct infusion of AAV containing an NF-κB-luciferase reporter (AAV-NF-κB-luciferase) can reliably measure pancreatic NF-κB activation. We confirmed the infectivity of the AAV-NF-κB-luciferase reporter in HEK293 cells using a traditional luciferase readout. Mice were infused with AAV-NF-κB-luciferase 5 weeks before induction of pancreatitis (caerulein, 50 μg/kg). Unlike transgenic mice that globally express NF-κB-luciferase, AAV-infused mice showed a 15-fold increase in pancreas-specific NF-κB bioluminescence following 12 h of caerulein compared with baseline luminescence (p < 0.05). The specificity of the NF-κB-luciferase signal to the pancreas was confirmed by isolating the pancreas and adjacent organs and observing a predominant bioluminescent signal in the pancreas compared with liver, spleen, and stomach. A complementary mouse model of post-ERCP-pancreatitis also induced pancreatic NF-κB signals. Taken together these data provide the first demonstration that NF-κB activation can be examined in a live, dynamic fashion during pancreatic inflammation. We believe this technique offers a valuable tool to study real-time activation of NF-κB in vivo.
Probiotic Lactobacilli in Breast Milk and Infant Stool in Relation to Oral Intake During the First Year of Life

Objectives:This is to identify factors affecting the prevalence of Lactobacillus reuteri in maternal faeces and breast milk and infant faeces after oral supplementation with L reuteri and to assess the influence on microbial ecology, particularly Clostridium difficile and Bifidobacterium colonization. Materials and Methods:In this double-blind trial, 232 mothers with a family history of atopic disease were randomized to a daily intake of either L reuteri American-type culture collection (ATCC) 55730 (1 × 108 colony-forming units [CFU]) or placebo for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. Their babies then continued with the same study product daily from birth until 12 months of age. Bacterial counts and prevalence were assessed in maternal breast milk and faeces and infant faeces, using conventional cultivation methods. Results:The prevalence of L reuteri was higher during the first year of life in the stool samples from infants in the active as compared with the placebo-treated group. The highest prevalence was recorded at 5 to 6 days of age (82% in the treated vs 20% in the placebo group, P < 0.001). Lactobacillus reuteri was isolated from 12% and 2%, respectively, in the colostrum samples (P < 0.05). Breast-feeding seemed to reduce faecal L reuteri counts, although antibiotics did not influence the levels of L reuteri. The administration of L reuteri did not affect bifidobacteria or C difficile colonization. Conclusion:Lactobacillus reuteri may be detected in breast milk after oral supplementation to the mother and in almost all infants after oral supplementation during the first year of life, as well as occasionally in many untreated infants.
Sickle cell disease-related organ damage occurs irrespective of pain rate: implications for clinical practice

This study shows that clinically relevant forms of organ damage occur irrespective of the frequency of painful crises in adults with sickle cell disease. In daily clinical practice, the frequency of painful crises (pain rate) is an important parameter of sickle cell disease severity. We assessed the prevalence of sickle cell disease-related organ damage and complications and their relation to pain rate. Organ damage and history of vaso-occlusive complications were obtained via systematic screening of consecutive patients and by chart review. In 104 adult sickle cell patients pain rate was related to a history of acute chest syndromes, avascular osteonecrosis, iron overload, priapism and cholelithiasis. However, major disease-related complications, such as microalbuminuria and pulmonary hypertension, were detected in 23% and 24% respectively of patients without painful crises in the study period underlining the importance of systematic screening for developing organ damage in sickle cell patients irrespective of pain rate.
Psychopathy and conduct problems in children: II. Implications for subtyping children with conduct problems.

OBJECTIVE To test whether the presence of callous and unemotional (CU) traits designates a unique subgroup of children with conduct problems that corresponds more closely to adult conceptualizations of psychopathy. METHOD A clinic-referred sample of 120 children between the ages of 6 and 13 years were assessed using parent and teacher ratings of CU traits, as well as parent and teacher report on a structured interview assessing oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms. RESULTS A cluster analysis of the ratings of CU traits and ODD/ CD symptoms revealed four clusters of children, two of which had high rates of ODD and CD symptoms. One of these conduct problem clusters also exhibited high levels of CU traits (n = 11). These children had a greater number and variety of conduct problems, a stronger history of police contacts, and a stronger parental history of antisocial personality disorder, despite being of higher intelligence than other children with significant conduct problems (n = 29). CONCLUSION The presence of CU traits with significant conduct problems seems to designate a unique subgroup of antisocial children who show a very severe pattern of antisocial behavior and who correspond more closely to adult conceptualizations of psychopathy.
THE MORPHOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY OF BESNOITIA SP. IN REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS TARANDUS)

Four of five reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) obtained from a Besnoitia sp. -infected herd at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in October 1989, had evidence of mild dermatitis over the articular surfaces of carpal and tarsal joints. Cysts of Besnoitia sp. , either surrounded by inflammatory reactions or without evident host response, were present within the dermis, submucosa of the nasal turbinates, periosteum, tendons, testes and hooves. The light microscopic and histochemical features of Besnoitia sp. from reindeer were indistinguishable from those of other Besnoitia spp. described in cattle, rodents and horses.The Besnoitia sp. cysts and organisms from reindeer were unique in that bradyzoite membrane micropores and cytoplasmic enigmatic bodies were not observed. Two cats were fed cysts of Besnoitia sp. but no oocysts were detected in feces for 90 days post-infection.
Advanced Democracies and the New Politics

The popular pressures for reforms of the democratic process have mounted across the OECD nations over the past generation. In response, democratic institutions are changing, evolving, expanding in ways that may alter the structure of the democratic process. These changes include reforms of representative democracy proceses, the expansion of direct democracy, and the introduction of new forms of advocacy democracy. Indeed, some observers claim that we are witnessing the most fundamental transformation of the democratic process since the creation of mass democracy in the early 20th Century. This essay first summarizes the institutional reforms that are occurring in advanced industrial democracies. Given these changes, we consider how each of the three modes fulfills Dahl's criteria for democracy, and how the shifting patterns of democratic access are transforming the relationship between citizens and their political system. This essay is adapted from their edited volume, Democracy Transformed? Expanding Political Opportunities in Advanced Industrial Democracies (Oxford University Press, 2003).
A 250mV 77dB DR 10kHz BW SC ΔΣ Modulator Exploiting Subthreshold OTAs

This paper presents a high-resolution ΔΣ modulator which is capable of operation under supply voltage as low as 250mV. A novel subthreshold inverter-based OTA is proposed and exploited in the switched-capacitor (SC) integrators, permitting a satisfied noise-shaping performance in the 4th-order feed-forward topology. With each stage's coefficient optimized, the integrators' internal swings and the distortion power stemming from OTAs' gain nonlinearity are minimized. Implemented in a 0. 13μm CMOS with an OSR of 64 and a sampling frequency (fs) of 1.28MHz, this design achieves a measured DR of 77.0dB, SNDR of 73.3dB, and SFDR of 85.0dB over a 10kHz bandwidth. To the best of authors' knowledge, it appears to be the converter with highest SNDR observed among sub -0.5V designs.
Personality profiles and heart rate variability (vagal tone) in children with recurrent abdominal pain

The aim of the study was to explore psychological factors and autonomic activity in children with recurrent abdominal pain and to compare them with those in a control group of healthy children. The Personality Inventory for Children was used for assessment of developmental, emotional and psychosocial factors in 25 children with recurrent abdominal pain (age, 7–15 y). Parasympathetic and sympathetic functions in these children and in 23 healthy control subjects (age, 7–13 y) were also investigated, non‐invasively using a computerized polygraph. Vagal tone (parasympathetic function) was indexed by calculation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in beats/min. Skin conductance (sympathetic function) was recorded by the constant current method. On the Personality Inventory for Children, 16 patients had high scores on somatic concern. Several patients had scores in the clinical range for depression, withdrawal and anxiety, but the mean scores for these personality profile scales were well within the normal range of healthy children. Interestingly, there was a spike on the L (Lie)‐scale for most of the patients and 15 patients had scores above or close to the clinical cut‐off value. As compared with the scores in healthy children, vagal tone and sympathetic tone were normal.
Open Lateral Retinacular Lengthening Compared with Arthroscopic Release. A Prospective, Randomized Outcome Study*

A prospective, randomized study was performed to compare the results of arthroscopic lateral retinacular release (Group I) with those of open lateral retinacular lengthening (Group II). The study included eighty-six patients (eighty-six knees) who had had pain in the anterior peripatellar aspect of the knee and lateral patellar tilting (rotational malalignment), as seen on Merchant tangential patellofemoral radiographs, that had not improved after participation in a structured rehabilitation program for the quadriceps and the hamstrings for a minimum of six months. The mean duration of follow-up after the operative procedures was forty-six months (range, two to six years). At the time of the latest follow-up evaluation, forty (93 per cent) of the forty-three patients in Group I and all forty-three (100 per cent) of the patients in Group II had resumed the level of athletic activity that they had engaged in before the onset of symptoms (p = 0.08, analysis of variance). With the numbers available for study, no significant difference could be detected between the groups with regard to deficits in the range of motion, atrophy (the circumference) of the thigh, operative or postoperative complications, or the need for subsequent operative procedures. Additionally, no significant difference could be detected between the groups with regard to the results of open or closed-chain testing with an isokinetic dynamometer. According to the knee-rating system of Lysholm and Gillquist as modified by Tegner and Lysholm, thirty-three knees (77 per cent) in Group I had a score of 80 points or more compared with thirty-eight knees (88 per cent) in Group II. Six knees (14 per cent) in Group I had a score of less than 70 points compared with no knees in Group II. The difference in the knee ratings between the two groups was significant (p = 0.028, analysis of variance). Although there seemed to be a definite trend toward improved function of the knee in association with a longer duration of follow-up, no significant association could be detected between the duration of follow-up and improvement in the outcome measures in either group.
Measuring knowledge in organizations: a knowledge-in-practice approach

Purpose This paper aims to develop a reliable and valid scale for measuring the underlying knowledge involved in work. To do so, it builds on the knowledge-in-practice (KIP) framework that suggests different types of work have different underlying knowledge characteristics. This allows us to answer two important questions: What are the underlying characteristics of KIP that are important to effectively manage a firm’s knowledge resources? How do we measure these characteristics? The answers help to build theoretical and empirical understanding of the construct of KIP. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a discovery-oriented survey design methodology to design the survey instrument, followed by a mixed-methods approach to validate the scale. Findings A new scale is developed for measuring the tacitness and learnability of the knowledge involved in work. It allows work units to be evaluated based on the underlying knowledge involved in different types of work. Research limitations/implications The KIP scale can be used for measuring the type of knowledge characteristics in organizations. Academics can use this study as a basic model to explore knowledge across different contexts and focus on the different characteristics within and across work contexts. Practical implications The study provides a clearer and more granular understanding of knowledge in organizations that can be used as a guideline to refer to when measuring and assessing knowledge requirements. Originality/value Scholars have pushed to understand work from a knowledge and collaboration perspective. A measurement scale for the KIP framework provides a critical first step towards this outcome.
The C/EBPβ Isoform 34-kDa LAP Is Responsible for NF-IL-6-Mediated Gene Induction in Activated Macrophages, but Is Not Essential for Intracellular Bacteria Killing1

The C/ebpb gene is translated into three different protein isoforms, two transcriptional activating proteins (38-kDa Full and 34-kDa liver-enriched transcriptional activation protein (LAP)) and one transcriptional inhibitory protein, by alternative use of different AUG initiation codons within the same open reading frame. The isoform 34-kDa LAP is thought to be the most transcriptionally active form of C/EBPβ in macrophages. To assess the function of the 34-kDa LAP in vivo, we generated knock-in mice, in which methionine 20 of C/EBPβ, the start site for the 34-kDa LAP is replaced with an alanine. The expression of the 34-kDa LAP was abolished in C/ebpbM20A/M20A mice. The induction of C/EBPβ target genes, such as inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, prostanoid synthetase, and antimicrobial peptides, was abolished in C/ebpbM20A/M20A macrophages, and C/ebpbM20A/M20A mice were susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes infection. Furthermore, the heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes-induced Th1 response, granuloma formation, and LPS shock were severely impaired. Nevertheless, impairment of intracellular bacteria killing, which is the most prominent phenotype in C/EBPβ-deficient mice, was not observed in C/ebpbM20A/M20A mice. Collectively, we demonstrated that 34-kDa LAP is responsible for NF-IL6-mediated gene induction, but not essential for intracellular bacteria killing in activated macrophages.
An Array Antenna for Both Long- and Medium-Range 77 GHz Automotive Radar Applications

A novel array antenna with a flat-shoulder shaped radiation pattern is proposed as the transmitting antenna for 77 GHz automotive radar application. When it is used in an automotive radar comprising one transmitter and multiple identical receivers, it can meet the demands of both long-range and medium-range detections without switching the operation mode back and forth between the long-range radar scenario and the medium-range radar scenario. The proposed antenna concept is fully introduced to explain its mechanism. An unconventional array was synthesized to achieve the desired flat-shoulder shaped radiation pattern. Prototype of the proposed array antenna was also designed according to the array synthesis result, which consists of several linear series-fed patch arrays and a substrate-integrated waveguide power and phase distributing network. Fabrication and measurement of the prototype array antenna were completed, showing a good agreement between the measured data and the synthesized as well as the simulation results, thereby validating the design.
Smotifs as structural local descriptors of supersecondary elements: classification, completeness and applications

Abstract Protein structures are made up of periodic and aperiodic structural elements (i.e., α-helices, β-strands and loops). Despite the apparent lack of regular structure, loops have specific conformations and play a central role in the folding, dynamics, and function of proteins. In this article, we reviewed our previous works in the study of protein loops as local supersecondary structural motifs or Smotifs. We reexamined our works about the structural classification of loops (ArchDB) and its application to loop structure prediction (ArchPRED), including the assessment of the limits of knowledge-based loop structure prediction methods. We finalized this article by focusing on the modular nature of proteins and how the concept of Smotifs provides a convenient and practical approach to decompose proteins into strings of concatenated Smotifs and how can this be used in computational protein design and protein structure prediction.