Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estradiol influences on pattern of gonadotropin secretion in bovine males during the period of changed responses to estradiol feedback in age-matched females.

When ovaries are removed prior to puberty, administration of exogenous 17 beta-estradiol (E2) decreases concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) below that of ovariectomized heifers receiving no E2. Subsequent to the time age-matched intact heifers reach puberty, exogenous E2 increases secretion of LH in ovariectomized heifers above that of ovariectomized heifers receiving no E2. The hypothesis that E2 would inhibit gonadotropin secretion in bovine males during the time E2 no longer inhibited gonadotropin secretion in age-matched bovine females was tested. Males (n = 12) and females (n = 12) were gonadectomized at 241 +/- 3 days of age, and half of each sex (6 males and 6 females) were administered a 27-cm E2 implant. An additional group of males (n = 6) and females (n = 6) remained intact and served as controls. Blood samples were collected (to quantify LH and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]) from all animals at 15-min intervals for 24 h at 1, 7, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, and 43 wk after gonadectomy. Additional blood samples were collected twice weekly from control females to monitor progesterone and onset of corpus luteum function (451 days of age). E2 inhibited frequency of pulses of LH (p less than 0.01) and decreased mean concentration of LH and FSH (p less than 0.01) at Week 1 in gonadectomized males treated with E2 compared to gonadectomized males not administered E2. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dealing with Renin-Angiotensin Inhibitors, Don’t Mind Serum Creatinine

tem (RAS) such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). A review of 1,102 CKD patients from 12 randomized clinical trials clearly showed that in these cases the initial serum creatinine increase associated with RAS inhibitor-based antihypertensive regimens is also followed by slower disease progression [3] . Note that larger shortterm increases were associated with slower GFR decline in the long term. Thus, as originally suggested by Apperloo et al. [1] , short-term serum creatinine increases associated with BP reduction ‘should be rewarded as an evidence of efficacy rather than an unwanted effect of treatment’. Despite the above findings, however, the very authors of the above review suggested that when serum creatinine increases exceed 30% within the first 2 months of RAS inhibition, treatment should be withdrawn [3] . This recommendation was also noted in the National Kidney Foundation K/DOQI clinical guidelines [4] . However, neither the review nor the K/DOQI guidelines provided any evidence that short-term serum creatinine increases exceeding the above threshold are associated with long-term accelerated renal function loss. In this issue of the American Journal of Nephrology, Hirsch et al. [5] strongly suggest that the opposite may be true regarding initial changes in serum creatinine and In 1997, Apperloo et al. [1] reported that in 40 patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD), antihypertensive treatment was associated with a short-term glomerular filtration rate (GFR) fall that inversely correlated with subsequent GFR decline. Patients with a larger fall eventually had a slower decline and even a GFR stabilization in some cases, whereas those with smaller or no short-term changes had the fastest renal function loss in the long run. Since the GFR fall was associated with a reduction in filtration fraction and fully recovered after treatment withdrawal, the authors guessed that their findings could be explained by a treatment-induced reduction of glomerular intracapillary pressure. Based on previous evidence that glomerular pressure reduction limited proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis in several experimental models of diabetic and non-diabetic CKD [2] , the authors hypothesized that a similar mechanism could explain the long-term renoprotective effect of antihypertensive treatment observed in their patients. In the following years, evidence accumulated that GFR and serum creatinine changes associated with blood pressure (BP) reduction are especially prominent in subjects with a long-lasting markedly elevated BP and renal insufficiency, in particular when the antihypertensive regimen includes inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin sysPublished online: October 30, 2012 Nephrology American Journal of
Isolation of Candida Species from the Oral Cavity and Fingertips of Complete and Partial Dentures Wearers

Purpose: Removable denture wearers commonly use their fingers to take out their prostheses from their mouths and oral Candida, if present, may colonize their fingers and constitute a source of contamination. The aim of this study was to find out the difference in oral and fingertips Candida isolation before and after wearing the prostheses, and to investigate the association between oral and fingertip Candida colonization. Methods: Fifty healthy subjects, wearing removable complete or partial dentures for the first time were included. Oral Candida species were isolated using the concentrated oral rinse technique while fingertips Candida were isolated by pressing the fingers of both hands on a plate of Sabouraud’s dextrose agar. Candida species were identified using the VITEK 2® yeast identification system. Three samples were taken from each subject; one at the insertion of the prosthesis, after one month and after two months of the insertion visit. Results: The prevalence and density of oral Candida colonization were both higher after one and two months of the insertion of removable complete and partial dentures but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). No statistically significant difference was also found between the complete denture wearers (CDW’s) and partial denture wearers (PDW’s) regarding the mean candidal count (P > 0.05). Oral and fingertips Candida species presence among the same CDWs or PDWs at the initial, first and second visits was statistically insignificant.
MLFMA based on Improved Electric Field Integral Equation (IEFIE)

In this paper multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) based on an improved electric field integral equation (IEFIE) is developed to achieve fast solution of electromagnetic scattering from 3D open structures. The present method attains much faster convergence than traditional EFIE. And, a reasonable accuracy is also achieved in a few iterations. Numerical results demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the present method
Legal Enforcement, Public Supply of Liquidity and Sovereign Risk

Sovereign debt crises in emerging markets are usually associated with liquidity and banking crises within the economy. This connection is suggested by both anecdotical and empirical evidence. The conventional view is that the domestic financial turmoil is caused by foreign creditors' retaliation. Yet, there is no clear-cut evidence supporting the existence of 'classic' default penalties (e.g., trade sanctions or exclusion from international capital markets). This paper then proposes a novel mechanism linking sovereign defaults with liquidity and banking crises without any intervention of foreign creditors. The model considers a standard unwillingness-to-pay problem assuming that: (i) the enforcement of private contracts is limited and, as a result, public debt represents a source of liquidity; (ii) the government cannot discriminate between domestic and foreign agents. In this setting, the prospect of drying up the private sector's liquidity restores the ex-post incentive to pay of the government without any need to assume foreign penalties. Nonetheless, liquidity crises might arise when economic conditions deteriorate and the government chooses opportunistically to default in order to avoid the repayment of foreign agents. The interaction between the enforcement friction and sovereign risk is then exploited to study the implications on international capital flows and legal and institutional domestic reforms.
Effect of laser annealing on optical properties of ion-implanted ZnO nanorods

We report on the demonstration of the effectiveness of nanosecond laser annealing on optical properties of phosphorus ion (P)-implanted ZnO nanorods (NRs). Vertically-alligned ZnO NRs have been synthesized by nanoparticle-assisted pulsed laser deposition (NAPLD) on c-plane sapphire substrates. The pre-laser annealing was performed with the third harmonic (355 nm) of a Qwitched Nd:YAG laser at a fluence of 100mJ/cm for improving optical property and weakening ntype conduction of as-grown ZnO NRs. P-ions were implanted into the ZnO NRs followed by the post-laser annealing in the same way as the pre-laser annealing. The top part of the ZnO NRs were melted and recrystallized by laser annealing. The transitions of properties were investigated by the scanning electron microscope, the room temperature photoluminescence spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns, and I-V measurement. As a result, it turned out that laser annealing has potentiality for improving optical property and compensating donor-vacancies without reducing crystalline quality. Moreover, the effectiveness of post-laser annealing on recovering ion-implanted ZnO layer and activating acceptors was demonstrated. It is promising that straightforward and stable method of fabricating ZnO-based UV-LED is established by applications of nanosecond laser annealing process.
Radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: can subcapsular tumors be safely ablated?

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to retrospectively evaluate percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of unifocal subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in comparison with nonsubcapsular tumors with regard to the technical and clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 42 patients (23 men and 18 women; age range, 22-83 years) with unifocal HCC underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation as their sole interventional treatment between May 1998 and August 2003. Subcapsular tumors were selected for ablation if there was no large exophytic component, and they were ablated through an indirect puncture, a gradual increase in radiofrequency power output, and needle track ablation. Technical effectiveness after single-session radiofrequency ablation, complications, local tumor progression, overall survival, and event-free survival rates were compared between the two groups. RESULTS There were 15 patients with subcapsular HCC and 27 patients with nonsubcapsular HCC. The technical effectiveness was 93% (14/15) in the subcapsular HCC group and 96% (26/27) in the nonsubcapsular group (p > 0.99), complication rates were 0% (0/15) and 7.4% (2/27) (p = 0.53), and rates of local tumor progression were 21% (3/14) and 15% (4/26) (p = 0.68), respectively. No needle track or peritoneal seeding was found in either group. No significant differences were found in overall survival (3 years: 60% vs 56%; p = 0.78) and event-free survival rates (3 years: 59% vs 48%; p > 0.99) between the two groups. CONCLUSION Radiofrequency ablation of subcapsular HCC can be comparable to that of nonsubcapsular HCC with regard to the technical and clinical outcomes when there is proper patient selection and an optimized technique is used.
Prognostic Significance of Cyclooxygenase-2 Overexpression in Glottic Cancer

Purpose: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression has been associated with a poor prognosis in many cancers. However, the role of COX-2 overexpression in head and neck cancers remains undetermined. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether COX-2 is a prognostic factor in glottic cancer. Experimental Design: This study was part of a phase III placebo-controlled randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of α-tocopherol in reducing second primary cancers (SPC) in head and neck cancer patients. Immunohistochemical analyses were conducted on pretreatment biopsies of 301 patients with early-stage glottic cancer treated by radiotherapy. The median value of 50% of positive tumor cells was the cutoff point used to define COX-2 overexpression. Outcomes considered in the statistical analysis were recurrence, SPC, and death. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: The HR associated with COX-2 overexpression was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.55-1.62) for recurrence. The HR associated with SPC was 2.63 (95% CI, 1.32-5.23) for the first 3.5 years of follow-up and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.22-1.32) for the following 3.5 years. The HR associated with COX-2 overexpression was 1.57 (95% CI, 1.01-2.45) for overall mortality. Conclusions: COX-2 overexpression in glottic cancer was associated with increased overall mortality and an increased risk of SPC during the early follow-up period. Future studies are needed to explain observed effects on SPC. COX-2 expression may prove helpful in defining an individual patient's prognosis.
Stability of Noor iterations with errors for generalized nonlinear complementarity problems.

In this paper, we introduce and study a class of generalized nonlinear complementarity problems and construct an iterative algorithm, called the Noor iterations with errors, by using the change of variables technique. We establish the existence and uniqueness of solution of the generalized nonlinear complementarity problem and the convergence and stability of iterative sequence generated by the algorithm.
A multidimensional examination of correlates of fatigue during radiotherapy

Cancer‐related fatigue can be measured as both a unidimensional and a multidimensional construct. Unidimensional fatigue and its symptom correlates have undergone some previous investigation; however, minimal research has considered the differential effect of correlates on individual dimensions of fatigue. The objective of the current study was to investigate cancer‐related fatigue in a radiotherapy sample using a multidimensional conceptualization to determine whether correlates of fatigue are consistent across all dimensions or whether each fatigue dimension has its own unique pattern of correlates.
Prediction of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Using Artificial Neural Networks

Background. Artificial neural networks (ANN) have been used in the prediction of several medical conditions but have not been previously used to predict pneumonia. The authors used ANN to predict the presence or absence of pneumonia among patients presenting to the emergency department with acute respiratory complaints and compared the results with those obtained using logistic regression modeling. Methods. Feed-forward back-propagation ANN were trained on sociodemographic, symptom, sign, comorbidity, and radiographic outcome data among 1044 patients from the University of Illinois (the training cohort) and were applied to 116 patients from the University of Nebraska (the testing cohort). ANN trained using different strategies were compared to each other and to main-effects logistic regression. Calibration accuracy was measured as mean square error and discrimination accuracy as the area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results. A 1 hidden-layer ANN trained using oversampling of pneumonia cases had an ROC area in the training cohort of 0.895, which was greater than the area of 0.840 for logistic regression (P = 0.026). This ANN had an ROC area in the testing cohort of 0.872, not significantly different from its area in the training cohort (P = 0.597). Operating at a threshold of 0.25, the ANN would have detected 94% to 95% of patients with pneumonia in the 2 cohorts while correctly excluding 39% to 50% of patients with other conditions. ANN trained using other strategies discriminated equally in the 2 cohorts but no better than did logistic regression. Conclusions. Among adults presenting with acute respiratory illness, ANN accurately discriminated patients with and without pneumonia and, under some circumstances, improved on the accuracy of logistic regression.
Transcriptome Analysis of the Spodoptera frugiperda Ascovirus In Vivo Provides Insights into How Its Apoptosis Inhibitors and Caspase Promote Increased Synthesis of Viral Vesicles and Virion Progeny

ABSTRACT Ascoviruses are double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses that attack caterpillars and differ from all other viruses by inducing nuclear lysis followed by cleavage of host cells into numerous anucleate vesicles in which virus replication continues as these grow in the blood. Ascoviruses are also unusual in that most encode a caspase or caspase-like proteins. A robust cell line to study the novel molecular biology of ascovirus replication in vitro is lacking. Therefore, we used strand-specific transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) to study transcription in vivo in third instars of Spodoptera frugiperda infected with the type species, Spodoptera frugiperda ascovirus1a (SfAV-1a), sampling transcripts at different time points after infection. We targeted transcription of two types of SfAV-1a genes; first, 44 core genes that occur in several ascovirus species, and second, 26 genes predicted in silico to have metabolic functions likely involved in synthesizing viral vesicle membranes. Gene cluster analysis showed differences in temporal expression of SfAV-1a genes, enabling their assignment to three temporal classes: early, late, and very late. Inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP-like proteins; ORF016, ORF025, and ORF074) were expressed early, whereas its caspase (ORF073) was expressed very late, which correlated with apoptotic events leading to viral vesicle formation. Expression analysis revealed that a Diedel gene homolog (ORF121), the only known “virokine,” was highly expressed, implying that this ascovirus protein helps evade innate host immunity. Lastly, single-nucleotide resolution of RNA-Seq data revealed 15 bicistronic and tricistronic messages along the genome, an unusual occurrence for large dsDNA viruses. IMPORTANCE Unlike all other DNA viruses, ascoviruses code for an executioner caspase, apparently involved in a novel cytopathology in which viral replication induces nuclear lysis followed by cell cleavage, yielding numerous large anucleate viral vesicles that continue to produce virions. Our transcriptome analysis of genome expression in vivo by the Spodoptera frugiperda ascovirus shows that inhibitors of apoptosis are expressed first, enabling viral replication to proceed, after which the SfAV-1a caspase is synthesized, leading to viral vesicle synthesis and subsequent extensive production of progeny virions. Moreover, we detected numerous bicistronic and tricistronic mRNA messages in the ascovirus transcriptome, implying that ascoviruses use other noncanonical translational mechanisms, such as internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs). These results provide the first insights into the molecular biology of a unique coordinated gene expression pattern in which cell architecture is markedly modified, more than in any other known eukaryotic virus, to promote viral reproduction and transmission.
Xylo-oligosaccharides alone or in synbiotic combination with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis induce bifidogenesis and modulate markers of immune function in healthy adults: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, factorial cross-over study

Prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics are dietary ingredients with the potential to influence health and mucosal and systemic immune function by altering the composition of the gut microbiota. In the present study, a candidate prebiotic (xylo-oligosaccharide, XOS, 8 g/d), probiotic (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bi-07, 109 colony-forming units (CFU)/d) or synbiotic (8 g XOS+109 CFU Bi-07/d) was given to healthy adults (25–65 years) for 21 d. The aim was to identify the effect of the supplements on bowel habits, self-reported mood, composition of the gut microbiota, blood lipid concentrations and immune function. XOS supplementation increased mean bowel movements per d (P= 0·009), but did not alter the symptoms of bloating, abdominal pain or flatulence or the incidence of any reported adverse events compared with maltodextrin supplementation. XOS supplementation significantly increased participant-reported vitality (P= 0·003) and happiness (P= 0·034). Lowest reported use of analgesics was observed during the XOS+Bi-07 supplementation period (P= 0·004). XOS supplementation significantly increased faecal bifidobacterial counts (P= 0·008) and fasting plasma HDL concentrations (P= 0·005). Bi-07 supplementation significantly increased faecal B. lactis content (P= 0·007), lowered lipopolysaccharide-stimulated IL-4 secretion in whole-blood cultures (P= 0·035) and salivary IgA content (P= 0·040) and increased IL-6 secretion (P= 0·009). XOS supplementation resulted in lower expression of CD16/56 on natural killer T cells (P= 0·027) and lower IL-10 secretion (P= 0·049), while XOS and Bi-07 supplementation reduced the expression of CD19 on B cells (XOS × Bi-07, P= 0·009). The present study demonstrates that XOS induce bifidogenesis, improve aspects of the plasma lipid profile and modulate the markers of immune function in healthy adults. The provision of XOS+Bi-07 as a synbiotic may confer further benefits due to the discrete effects of Bi-07 on the gut microbiota and markers of immune function.
How Does Ambient Air Temperature Affect Diabetes Mortality in Tropical Cities?

Diabetes is well-known as one of the many chronic diseases that affect different age groups. Currently, most studies that evaluated the effects of temperature on diabetes mortality focused on temperate and subtropical settings, but no study has been conducted to assess the relationship in a tropical setting. We conducted the first multi-city study carried out in tropical cities, which evaluated the temperature–diabetes relationship. We collected daily diabetes mortality (ICD E10–E14) of four Philippine cities from 2006 to 2011. Same period meteorological data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We used a generalized additive model coupled with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) in determining the relative risks. Results showed that both low and high temperatures pose greater risks among diabetics. Likewise, the study was able to observe the: (1) high risk brought about by low temperature, aside from the largely observed high risks by high temperature; and (2) protective effects in low temperature percentile. These results provide significant policy implications with strategies related to diabetes risk groups in relation to health service and care strategies.
Percent voluntary inactivation and peak force predictions with the interpolated twitch technique in individuals with high ability of voluntary activation

The purpose of this study was to examine the sensitivity and peak force prediction capability of the interpolated twitch technique (ITT) performed during submaximal and maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) in subjects with the ability to maximally activate their plantar flexors. Twelve subjects performed two MVCs and nine submaximal contractions with the ITT method to calculate percent voluntary inactivation (%VI). Additionally, two MVCs were performed without the ITT. Polynomial models (linear, quadratic and cubic) were applied to the 10–90% VI and 40–90% VI versus force relationships to predict force. Peak force from the ITT MVC was 6.7% less than peak force from the MVC without the ITT. Fifty-eight percent of the 10–90% VI versus force relationships were best fit with nonlinear models; however, all 40–90% VI versus force relationships were best fit with linear models. Regardless of the polynomial model or the contraction intensities used to predict force, all models underestimated the actual force from 22% to 28%. There was low sensitivity of the ITT method at high contraction intensities and the predicted force from polynomial models significantly underestimated the actual force. Caution is warranted when interpreting the % VI at high contraction intensities and predicted peak force from submaximal contractions.