Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linkage of Chromosomal Markers on 4q With a Putative Gene Determining Maximal Insulin Action in Pima Indians

Insulin action in vivo varies widely in nondiabetic Pima Indians. Not all of this variance is attributable to individual differences in obesity, physical fitness, sex, or age, and after correcting for these co-variates, measures of insulin action aggregate in families. Insulin action at maximally stimulating insulin concentrations has a trimodal frequency distribution, particularly among obese individuals. This is consistent with the hypothesis that a codominantly inherited autosomal gene, unrelated to obesity, determines MaxM in the population. Preliminary sib-pair linkage analyses indicated the possibility of linkage between MaxM and the GYPA/B locus (encoding the MNSs red cell surface antigens) on chromosome 4q. To confirm and extend these findings, 10 additional loci on 4q were typed in 123 siblings and many of their parents from 46 nuclear families. The results indicate significant (P < 0.001) linkage of the FABP2 and ANX5 loci on 4q with MaxM, and of FABP2 with fasting insulin concentration. No linkage was found between the 4q markers and obesity. Our findings indicate that a gene on 4q, near the FABP2 and ANX5 loci, contributes to in vivo insulin action in Pima Indians.
Effects of feeding and body weight loss on the 1H-NMR-based urine metabolic profiles of male Wistar Han Rats: Implications for biomarker discovery

For almost two decades, 1H-NMR spectroscopy has been used as an ‘open’ system to study the temporal changes in the biochemical composition of biofluids, including urine, in response to adverse toxic events. Many of these in vivo studies have reported changes in individual metabolites and patterns of metabolites that correlated with toxicological changes. However, many of the proposed novel biomarkers are common to a number of different types of toxicity. These may therefore reflect non-specific effects of toxicity, such as weight loss, rather than a specific pathology. A study was carried out to investigate the non-specific effects on urinary metabolite profiles by administering four hepatotoxic compounds, as a single dose, to rats at two dose levels: hydrazine hydrate (0.06 or 0.08 g kg−1), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (0.1 or 0.3 g kg−1), α-napthylisothiocyanate (0.1 or 0.15 g kg−1) and carbon tetrachloride (1.58 or 3.16 g kg−1). The study included weight-matched control animals along with those that were dosed, which were then ‘pair-fed’ with the treated animals so they achieved a similar weight loss. The urinary metabolite profiles were investigated over time using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and compared with the pathology from the same animals. The temporal changes were analysed statistically using multivariate statistical data analysis including principal component analysis, partial least squares, parallel factor analysis and Fisher's criteria. A number of metabolites associated with energy metabolism or which are partially dietary in origin, such as creatine, creatinine, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, phenylacetylglycine, fumarate, glucose, taurine, fatty acids and N-methylnicotinamide, showed altered levels in the urine of treated and pair-fed animals. Many of these changes correlated well with weight loss. Interestingly, there was no increase in ketone bodies (acetate and β-hydroxybutyrate), which might be expected if energy metabolism was switched from glycolysis to fatty acid β-oxidation. In some instances, the metabolites that changed were considered to be non-specific markers of toxicity, but were also identified as markers of a specific type of toxicity. For example, taurine was raised significantly in carbon tetrachloride-treated animals but reduced in the pair-fed group. However, raised urinary bile acid levels were only seen after α-napthylisothiocyanate treatment. The methodology, statistical analysis used and the data generated will help improve the identification of specific markers or patterns of urinary markers of specific toxic effects.
Evaluation of preferential flow component of RZWQM in simulating water and atrazine transport to subsurface drains

The ARS Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM ver. 3.25) was used to simulate the effect of field measured macroporosity on atrazine transport to subsurface drain lines. Field data on atrazine concentrations in subsurface drain flow from corn fields, for modified no-till (mNT) and moldboard plow (MP) systems, were used to evaluate the performance of the RZWQM for the growing seasons of 1990, 1991 and 1992. The model was calibrated using field data from 1990 and data from 1991and 1992 were used to validate the model. Simulated subsurface drain flows and atrazine losses with and without macropore flow were compared with measured values. Although the preferential flow component slightly improved the predictions of peak subsurface drain flows for individual rain storms, it did not affect significantly the total annual flows. Simulated annual subsurface flows were within 11.6% of the observed values. Simulated atrazine concentrations in subsurface drain flows using mean values of macroporosity were in close agreement with the observed concentrations for 1990 (calibration year). Predicted total annual atrazine losses were also close to the observed values for 1990 (percentage difference = 17.6% for mNT and 34.8% for MP system). For 1991 and 1992 (evaluation years), with macropores, the simulated atrazine losses for mNT plots were within –9.9% of observed values and for MP plots were within +12.0% of observed values (combined for two years). The RZWQM predicted only trace amounts of atrazine in subsurface drain flows if macropores were not considered. The model showed sensitivity to lateral flow from macropores, Ksat of surface layer, and macroporosity in decreasing order in simulating atrazine losses to subsurface drain flows. Overall, the RZWQM showed good potential for simulating atrazine losses with subsurface drain water as affected by tillage practices.
STIM and Orai: Dynamic Intermembrane Coupling to Control Cellular Calcium Signals*

Ca2+ signals controlling a vast array of cell functions involve both Ca2+ store release and external Ca2+ entry. These two events are coordinated through a dynamic intermembrane coupling between two distinct membrane proteins, STIM and Orai. STIM proteins are endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal Ca2+ sensors that undergo a profound redistribution into discrete junctional ER domains closely juxtaposed with the plasma membrane (PM). Orai proteins are PM Ca2+ channels that migrate and become tethered by STIM within the ER-PM junctions, where they mediate exceedingly selective Ca2+ entry. We describe a new understanding of the nature of the proteins and how they function to mediate this remarkable intermembrane signaling process controlling Ca2+ signals.
To select or to combine? The inventory performance of model and expert forecasts

Demand forecasting is a crucial input of any inventory system. The quality of the forecasts should be evaluated not only in terms of forecast accuracy or bias but also with regards to their inventory implications, which include the impact on the total inventory cost, the achieved service levels and the variance of orders and inventory. Forecast selection and combination are two very widely applied forecasting strategies that have shown repeatedly to increase the forecasting performance. However, the inventory performance of these strategies remains unexplored. We empirically examine the effects of forecast selection and combination on inventory when two sources of forecasts are available. We employ a large data-set that contains demands and (statistical and judgmental) forecasts for multiple pharmaceutical stock keeping units. We show that forecast selection and simple combination increase simultaneously the forecasting and inventory performance.
Reciprocal exchange of minor components of type 1 and F1C fimbriae results in hybrid organelles with changed receptor specificities

Type 1 and F1C fimbriae are surface organelles of Escherichia coli which mediate receptor-specific binding to different host surfaces. Such fimbriae are found on strains associated with urinary tract infections. The specific receptor binding of the fimbriae is due to the presence of receptor recognition proteins present in the organelles as minor structural elements. The organization of the fim and foc gene clusters encoding these fimbriae, as well as the structures of the organelles, are very similar, although the actual sequence homology of the structural elements is not remarkable; notably, the sequence identity between the minor components of the type 1 and F1C fimbriae is only 34 to 41%. Type 1 fimbriae mediate agglutination of guinea pig erythrocytes, whereas F1C fimbriae do not confer agglutination of any types of erythrocytes tested. However, F1C fimbriae mediate specific adhesion to epithelial cells in the collecting ducts of the human kidney as well as to cells of various cell lines. This report addresses the question of fimbrial promiscuity. Our data indicate that minor fimbrial structural elements can be exchanged between the two fimbrial systems, resulting in hybrid organelles with changed receptor specificity. This is the first study on reciprocal exchange of structural components from two different fimbrial systems.
My Microbiome and Me

Zhao Liping combines traditional Chinese medicine and studies of gut microbes to understand and fight obesity. In 2004, microbiologists showed a link between obesity and gut microbiota in mice. To find out whether that link extended to humans, microbiologist Zhao Liping adopted a regimen involving Chinese yam and bitter melon—fermented prebiotic foods that are believed to change the growth of bacteria in the digestive system—and monitored not just his weight loss but also the microbes in his gut. When he combined these prebiotics with a diet based on whole grains, he lost 20 kilograms in 2 years. His blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol level came down. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii—a bacterium with anti-inflammatory properties—flourished, increasing from an undetectable percentage to 14.5% of his total gut bacteria. The changes persuaded him to focus on the microbiome's role in his transformation. He started with mice but has since expanded his research to humans.
Hepatitis B and C virus infections in hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in Mongolia

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Mongolia is far higher than that of any other cancer in the country, and among the highest worldwide. The relative importance of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unclear. We reviewed (i) medical records for 963 patients with HCC and 941 patients with cirrhosis admitted for the first time to the National Cancer Center of Mongolia and the National Center for Communicable Diseases, respectively, from 2000 to 2009, and (ii) articles published from 1990 to 2010 on the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) among individuals with and without liver disease. Among those with HCC, the seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV and dual infections was 50, 27 and 21%, respectively. Corresponding percentages among the patients with cirrhosis were 40, 39, and 20%. In both diseases, HCV infection was relatively more prevalent in women than in men and, in cirrhosis, in patients older than 45 years of age. In healthy individuals, from published articles, anti-HCV seroprevalence steadily increased with age (from 3% at age 0–5 years to 34% at age ≥50 years), whereas HBsAg seroprevalence stayed constant at about 8%. The future benefit of childhood vaccination against HBV in Mongolia will be undermined by the consequences of a severe HCV epidemic and a uniquely high burden of dual infections.
Spectral Entropy Monitoring Is Associated with Reduced Propofol Use and Faster Emergence in Propofol–Nitrous Oxide–Alfentanil Anesthesia

Background:This multicenter study evaluated the effect of a new depth of anesthesia–monitoring device based on time-frequency–balanced spectral entropy of electroencephalogram monitoring (GE Healthcare Finland, Helsinki, Finland) on consumption of anesthetic drugs and recovery times after anesthesia. Methods:The study was a prospective, randomized, single-blind study performed in six hospitals in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. After institutional review board approval and written informed consent from each patient, the patients were randomly allocated to anesthesia with entropy values either shown (entropy group) or not shown (control group). Anesthesia was maintained with propofol, nitrous oxide, and alfentanil. In the entropy group, propofol was given to keep the state entropy value between 45 and 65, and alfentanil was given to keep the state entropy–response entropy difference below 10 units and heart rate and blood pressure within ±20% of the baseline values. The control group patients were anesthetized to keep heart rate and blood pressure within ±20% of the baseline values. Statistical methods included Mann–Whitney U test and unpaired t tests. Results:A total of 368 patients were studied. In the entropy group, entropy values were higher during the whole operation and especially during the last 15 min (P < 0.001). Consequently, propofol consumption was smaller in the entropy group during the whole anesthesia period (P < 0.001) and especially during the last 15 min (P < 0.001). This shortened the time delay in the early recovery parameters in the entropy group. Conclusion:Entropy monitoring assisted titration of propofol, especially during the last part of the procedures, as indicated by higher entropy values, decreased consumption of propofol, and shorter recovery times in the entropy group.
A pedometer-based physical activity intervention for patients entering a maintenance cardiac rehabilitation program: a pilot study.

PURPOSE To compare the effects of an individualized pedometer-driven physical activity (PA) intervention with the usual time-based PA recommendations given to patients entering a maintenance cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program. METHODS A total of 18 subjects entering a maintenance CR program were recruited and completed the study. Subjects were randomized into pedometer feedback [PF: n=10 (2 women), 53.3±8.1 yrs] and usual care [UC: n=8 (2 women), 59.4±9.9 yrs] groups. New Lifestyles NL-1000 pedometers were used to monitor ambulatory PA. Subjects in both groups participated in the same maintenance CR program for a total of 8 weeks and all were encouraged to obtain a minimum of 30-40 min/d of moderate-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), on days they did not attend CR. Subjects in the PF group were given individualized daily stepcount goals (increase 10% of baseline steps/d each week) for weeks 2-8. Ambulatory PA was measured with pedometers, recording both total number of steps/d and min/d of MVPA. Measures were obtained during the first week of the maintenance CR program and during the 8th week. Data were also compared between days subjects attended and on days they did not attend. RESULTS By the 8th week of CR, PF subjects increased daily stepcounts by 42% (2,297±1,606 steps/d, P=0.001), with a 36% increase on CR days (2,654±2,089 steps/d, P=0.003) and a 45% increase on days they did not attend CR (1,872±2,026 steps/d, P=0.017). There were no changes observed in the UC group. CONCLUSIONS Providing pedometers with individualized stepcount goals to patients entering a CR program was superior to the usual time-based PA recommendations for increasing PA.
Small pitch separation and the selective-attention effect on the ERP.

In conditions demanding selective attention, the stimuli to be attended elicit an event-related brain potential (ERP) component called the processing negativity (PN). However, some previous results might be interpreted as suggesting that even the stimuli to be ignored elicit some PN, at least if they physically resemble those to be attended. This “generalization’ of PN was studied by presenting three equiprobable tones differing in pitch in random order, one of the tones at a time being the target to be counted. The small pitch separation between the three tones was of different magnitude in different blocks. A PN was observed in the ERPs to the counted stimuli but was even elicited, though with a smaller amplitude, by the nontargets, at least by those which physically resembled the targets. The latter, “generalized’ PN was larger in amplitude with a smaller pitch separation between the nontarget and target stimulus. These results support the interpretation that PN reflects a cerebral matching process between the sensory input and a voluntarily maintained neuronal representation of the stimulus to be attended, the “attentional trace. ’ Moreover, these results indicate rather high discrimination accuracy of this stimulus-selection mechanism underlying PN.
Chronic Administration of the Mutagenic Heterocyclic Amine 2-Amino-1-Methyl-6-Phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine Induces Cardiac Damage with Characteristic Mitochondrial Changes in Fischer Rats

Fischer-344 rats of both sexes were administered the heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b]pyridine (PhIP) for 52 wk at the dietary level of 400 ppm. Light microscopic and ultrastructural investigation of the myocardium revealed prominent changes in all PhIP-treated male and female animals investigated. These were characterized by a diffuse proliferation of markedly enlarged mitochondria, with abundant cristae and often containing lamellar bodies as inclusions. PhIP is well known to cause DNA adducts in the rat heart, and there are numerous reports of mutations in mitochondrial DNA in both humans and experimental animals being associated with very similar lesions to those observed in the present study. The results thus suggest that this heterocyclic amine induces cardiac damage by the same mechanism.
U.v.-induced nuclear accumulation of p53 is evoked through DNA damage of actively transcribed genes independent of the cell cycle.

Induction of p53 in u.v. -irradiated primary human fibroblasts was monitored by immunostaining and Western blotting. Minimum u.v. doses required for induction of nuclear accumulation of p53 (minimum response dose: MRD) were estimated in various cells with different DNA repair capacities. The MRD in repair deficient xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) group A cells is eightfold lower than in normal cells, indicating that nuclear accumulation of p53 is related to DNA repair capacity. Cells from patients with another u.v. -sensitive disorder, Cockayne syndrome (CS), which have normal repair capacity for the overall genome but have a specific defect in preferential repair of lesions in active genes, have the same low MRD as of XP-A cells. Furthermore, the MRD in XP-C cells, which have normal preferential repair but have defects in overall genome repair, is as high as that of normal cells. DNA damage induced by X-ray is repaired at similar rates in normal, XP and CS cells. In contrast to u.v. -irradiation, the minimum dose of X-rays that induces nuclear accumulation of p53 is the same in these cells. Inhibition of transcription with alpha-amanitin evokes nuclear accumulation of p53 both in normal cells and in XP cells. These results strongly suggest that u.v. -induced nuclear accumulation of p53 is evoked through DNA damage of actively transcribed genes. Nuclear accumulation of p53 is observed in any phase of the cell cycle at both low and high u.v. doses.
Evaluation of a new automated, rapid, colorimetric culture system using solid medium for laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis and determination of anti-tuberculosis drug susceptibility.

SETTING Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey, a tertiary referral hospital in a region endemic for tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of the Dio-TK Culture System (CS), a new, rapid, automated colorimetric culture system. DESIGN Dio-TK CS results were compared with routinely used Löwenstein Jensen (LJ) medium and Bactec 460 TB. RESULTS In this study, 449 specimens, mostly sputum samples obtained from 348 patients, were evaluated. Mycobacteria were isolated from 31 (6.9%), 23 (5.1%), 18 (4.0%) and 21 (4.7%) of the specimens using Bactec 12B, LJ, Dio-TK Medium and Dio-TK SLC (selective), respectively. The mean time to detection of growth of 13 isolates by Bactec 12B, Dio-TK Medium, Dio-TK SLC and LJ medium was respectively 8.9, 15.1, 17.0 and 26.1 days. CONCLUSION Dio-TK may be a practical and rapid culture system for daily use. However, the manufacturer should improve the system to minimise the effects of manipulation errors. Comparative studies with a larger number of isolates are needed to standardise drug concentrations used in anti-tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing.
Library homepage design at medium-sized universities: A comparison to commercial homepages via Nielsen and Tahir

Purpose – Website design guidelines which have proven effective throughout the commercial sector could be adapted for library homepage design. Acceptance of industry standards for homepage usability, specifically Nielsen and Tahir's criteria, would give library users recognizable features and increase their confidence and comfort levels when using library websites. The paper aims to present a comparison of library homepages with these criteria to provide an assessment of how libraries fare in comparison with the commercial sector.Design/methodology/approach – Little research has been undertaken to evaluate the appeal and efficacy of homepages of libraries associated with medium‐sized universities, which have different audiences than do larger universities. The dataset of 80 academic libraries associated with medium‐sized universities (8,000‐13,000 students) was compiled with data from the National Center for Education Statistics and Peterson's College Bound. Data on 14 variables derived from Nielsen and T.
Effects of Low- vs. High-Cadence Interval Training on Cycling Performance

Paton, CD, Hopkins, WG, and Cook, C. Effects of low- vs. high-cadence interval training on cycling performance. J Strength Cond Res 23(6): 1758-1763, 2009-High-resistance interval training produces substantial gains in sprint and endurance performance of cyclists in the competitive phase of a season. Here, we report the effect of changing the cadence of the intervals. We randomized 18 road cyclists to 2 groups for 4 weeks of training. Both groups replaced part of their usual training with 8 30-minute sessions consisting of sets of explosive single-leg jumps alternating with sets of high-intensity cycling sprints performed at either low cadence (60-70 min−1) or high cadence (110-120 min−1) on a training ergometer. Testosterone concentration was assayed in saliva samples collected before and after each session. Cycle ergometry before and after the intervention provided measures of performance (mean power in a 60-s time trial, incremental peak power, 4-mM lactate power) and physiologic indices of endurance performance (maximum oxygen uptake, exercise economy, fractional utilization of maximum oxygen uptake). Testosterone concentration in each session increased by 97% ± 39% (mean ± between-subject SD) in the low-cadence group but by only 62% ± 23% in the high-cadence group. Performance in the low-cadence group improved more than in the high-cadence group, with mean differences of 2.5% (90% confidence limits, ±4.8%) for 60-second mean power, 3.6% (±3.7%) for peak power, and 7.0% (±5.9%) for 4-mM lactate power. Maximum oxygen uptake showed a corresponding mean difference of 3.2% (±4.2%), but differences for other physiologic indices were unclear. Correlations between changes in performance and physiology were also unclear. Low-cadence interval training is probably more effective than high-cadence training in improving performance of well-trained competitive cyclists. The effects on performance may be related to training-associated effects on testosterone and to effects on maximum oxygen uptake.