Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nut consumption and blood lipid levels: a pooled analysis of 25 intervention trials.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have consistently associated nut consumption with reduced risk for coronary heart disease. Subsequently, many dietary intervention trials investigated the effects of nut consumption on blood lipid levels. The objectives of this study were to estimate the effects of nut consumption on blood lipid levels and to examine whether different factors modify the effects. METHODS We pooled individual primary data from 25 nut consumption trials conducted in 7 countries among 583 men and women with normolipidemia and hypercholesterolemia who were not taking lipid-lowering medications. In a pooled analysis, we used mixed linear models to assess the effects of nut consumption and the potential interactions. RESULTS With a mean daily consumption of 67 g of nuts, the following estimated mean reductions were achieved: total cholesterol concentration (10.9 mg/dL [5.1% change]), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration (LDL-C) (10.2 mg/dL [7.4% change]), ratio of LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration (HDL-C) (0.22 [8.3% change]), and ratio of total cholesterol concentration to HDL-C (0.24 [5.6% change]) (P < .001 for all) (to convert all cholesterol concentrations to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0259). Triglyceride levels were reduced by 20.6 mg/dL (10.2%) in subjects with blood triglyceride levels of at least 150 mg/dL (P < .05) but not in those with lower levels (to convert triglyceride level to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0113). The effects of nut consumption were dose related, and different types of nuts had similar effects on blood lipid levels. The effects of nut consumption were significantly modified by LDL-C, body mass index, and diet type: the lipid-lowering effects of nut consumption were greatest among subjects with high baseline LDL-C and with low body mass index and among those consuming Western diets. CONCLUSION Nut consumption improves blood lipid levels in a dose-related manner, particularly among subjects with higher LDL-C or with lower BMI.
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AMARANTH PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION IN UGANDA TO FIGHT MALNUTRITION

Malnutrition is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Easy-to-grow nutrient rich foods can help to improve nutrition and food security among communities that heavily depend on subsistence agriculture. In this chapter, efforts to promote grain amaranth in Uganda are described. Grain amaranth was introduced in Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda by VEDCO, a non-governmental organization, in 2005. Makerere University provided technical support to this initiative with Makerere University scientists undertaking studies to determine the nutrition profile of the grain; developing protocols for production of amaranth-based value-added food products; and evaluating the effect of dietary incorporation of grain amaranth on the nutrition status of children. Results show that amaranth grains are high in protein and the proteins are of high quality. The grains are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, and contain substantial levels of essential micronutrients. Grain amaranth was also found to make acceptable soups, fried and baked products. Feeding trials so far show that grain amaranth leads to improved growth among children. Results from these studies show that grain amaranth has the potential to contribute to improvement of the nutritional status of communities with high levels of malnutrition. The results have been used by extension staff to design evidence-based promotional messages for grain amaranth production and consumption.
Hippocampal theta‐driving cells revealed by Granger causality

The two‐dipole model of theta generation in hippocampal CA1 suggests that the inhibitory perisomatic theta dipole is generated by local GABAergic interneurons. Various CA1 interneurons fire preferentially at different theta phases, raising the question of how these theta‐locked interneurons contribute to the generation of theta oscillations. We here recorded interneurons in the hippocampal CA1 area of freely behaving mice, and identified a unique subset of theta‐locked interneurons by using the Granger causality approach. These cells fired in an extremely reliable theta‐burst pattern at high firing rates (∼90 Hz) during exploration and always locked to ascending phases of the theta waves. Among theta‐locked interneurons we recorded, only these cells generated strong Granger causal influences on local field potential (LFP) signals within the theta band (4–12 Hz), and the influences were persistent across behavioral states. Our results suggest that this unique type of theta‐locked interneurons serve as the local inhibitory theta dipole control cells in shaping hippocampal theta oscillations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simvastatin attenuates vascular hypercoagulability in cardiac transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors have been shown to reduce cardiac allograft failure and to lower the incidence of transplant coronary artery disease. These effects result from as yet unknown mechanisms not clearly attributable to lipid lowering. We here report that low-dose simvastatin treatment inhibits excessive expression of monocyte tissue factor (TF) and reduces the persistent hypercoagulability state seen in cardiac transplant recipients. METHODS Fifteen consecutive heart transplant recipients receiving standard oral immunosuppression were newly assigned to a 10 mg daily simvastatin therapy. Levels of TF activity in both unstimulated and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells drawn from transplant recipients before and under simvastatin therapy were evaluated by one-stage clotting assay. RESULTS Monocyte TF activity was found to be significantly increased in cardiac transplant recipients when compared with healthy controls. Excessive monocyte procoagulant activity was reduced in cardiac transplant recipients during simvastatin treatment. This effect occurred independently of the reduction of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. As demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, monocyte TF reduction by simvastatin, observed in 13 of the 15 transplant recipients investigated, could be ascribed to an inhibition of monocyte TF gene transcription. The reduction of monocyte TF activity during treatment with simvastatin paralleled with the normalization of elevated levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex, prothrombin fragment F1+2, and D-dimer, which are markers of thrombin and fibrin formation indicating coagulation activation after cardiac transplantation. CONCLUSION Inhibition of monocyte TF expression and attenuation of the persistent hypercoagulable state observed in cardiac transplant recipients during treatment with simvastatin may represent an important mechanism by which HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors protect against the development of transplant coronary artery disease.
Health information, an area for competition in Swedish pharmacies

Objective To investigate the views and expectations of a selected group of customers regarding health information in Swedish pharmacies. Methods A repeated cross sectional, questionnaire study carried out in 2004 and 2005. Customers buying calcium products answered questions on osteoporosis and general questions on health promotion and information. Results Respondents had a positive attitude towards receiving health information from the pharmacies and towards the pharmacies’ future role in health promotion. However, only 30% of the respondents expected to get information on general health issues from the pharmacy. In spite of this, 76% (2004) and 72% (2005) of the respondents believed that the pharmacies could influence people’s willingness to improve their health. Conclusion There is a gap between the respondents’ positive attitudes towards the Swedish pharmacies and their low expectations as regards the pharmacies’ ability to provide health information. In the light of the upcoming change to the state monopoly on medicine sales, this gap could be an important area for competition between the actors in the new situation for medicine sales in Sweden.
On MIMO Detection Under Non-Gaussian Target Scattering

In this paper, we consider a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) detection problem with M widely spaced transmit antennas and L widely spaced receive antennas, and we study the problem of designing the signal waveforms transmitted by each source node under non-Gaussian target scattering and temporally correlated Gaussian clutter. Two figures of merit are investigated for space-time code (STC) optimization under a semidefinite rank constraint: 1) the lower Chernoff bound (LCB) to the detection probability for fixed probability of false alarm, and 2) the mutual information (MI) between the observations available at the receive nodes and the “channel response” generated by a point-like target, assumed present tout court. Both receive and transmit power constraints are discussed. If the scattering distribution possesses some suitably defined properties of unitary invariance (see ? ), both MI-optimal and LCB-optimal STCs have a simple canonical structure: the same set of (clutter dependant) temporal codewords are employed at the transmit nodes, the only difference among the many solutions being the amount of power radiated by each antenna. Such a spatial power allocation critically depends upon the adopted figure of merit, the specified power constraint, and the underlying scattering model. Sufficient conditions to determine the optimal power allocation for all design criteria are provided. Asymptotic power distributions are also derived in the limit of vanishingly small and increasingly large signal-to-clutter ratios, proving that assuming Gaussian scattering at the design stage is a robust choice. A case study of relevant practical interest is examined in depth so as to compare the proposed design criteria and to assess the impact of signal non-Gaussianity on the system performances.
Live Donor Liver Transplantation Without Blood Products: Strategies Developed for Jehovah's Witnesses Offer Broad Application

Objective:Developing strategies for transfusion-free live donor liver transplantation in Jehovah's Witness patients. Summary Background Data:Liver transplantation is the standard of care for patients with end-stage liver disease. A disproportionate increase in transplant candidates and an allocation policy restructuring, favoring patients with advanced disease, have led to longer waiting time and increased medical acuity for transplant recipients. Consequently, Jehovah's Witness patients, who refuse blood product transfusion, are usually excluded from liver transplantation. We combined blood augmentation and conservation practices with live donor liver transplantation (LDLT) to accomplish successful LDLT in Jehovah's Witness patients without blood products. Our algorithm provides broad possibilities for blood conservation for all surgical patients. Methods:From September 1998 until June 2001, 38 LDLTs were performed at Keck USC School of Medicine: 8 in Jehovah's Witness patients (transfusion-free group) and 30 in non-Jehovah's Witness patients (transfusion-eligible group). All transfusion-free patients underwent preoperative blood augmentation with erythropoietin, intraoperative cell salvage, and acute normovolemic hemodilution. These techniques were used in only 7%, 80%, and 10%, respectively, in transfusion-eligible patients. Perioperative clinical data and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. Data from both groups were statistically analyzed. Results:Preoperative liver disease severity was similar in both groups; however, transfusion-free patients had significantly higher hematocrit levels following erythropoietin augmentation. Operative time, blood loss, and postoperative hematocrits were similar in both groups. No blood products were used in transfusion-free patients while 80% of transfusion-eligible patients received a median of 4.5+/− 3.5 units of packed red cell. ICU and total hospital stay were similar in both groups. The survival rate was 100% in transfusion-free patients and 90% in transfusion-eligible patients. Conclusions:Timely LDLT can be done successfully without blood product transfusion in selected patients. Preoperative preparation, intraoperative cell salvage, and acute normovolemic hemodilution are essential. These techniques may be widely applied to all patients for several surgical procedures. Chronic blood product shortages, as well as the known and unknown risk of blood products, should serve as the driving force for development of transfusion-free technology.
Imatinib Alleviates Neurological Deficits and Brain Injury After Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia Associated With Comorbid Type 2 Diabetes

The present study was planned to investigate the effects of imatinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes (T2D). Focal cerebral I/R injury was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h followed by 22 h of reperfusion in T2D rats. These diabetic rats were treated with imatinib (10 and 30 mg/kg, i.p.) after MCAO and evaluated for functional (neurological score, rota rod and grip strength) and histological (cerebral infarct and edema volume) outcomes. TUNEL and immunohistochemistry assays were also performed for detecting the apoptotic DNA fragmentation and in-situ induction of CHOP, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress specific pro-apoptotic factor, respectively. Imatinib (10 and 30 mg/kg) significantly alleviated various neurological deficits and reduced the brain infarct volume. Imatinib also significantly decreased TUNEL positive cells and CHOP immunoreactivity. These findings demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of imatinib in diabetic stroke model which may partly be due to attenuation of ER stress and apoptotic cell death. J Physiol Pharmacol 2017; 61(2) : 191–201 *Corresponding author : Prof. S.S. Sharma, Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,Nat ional Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector 67, S.A. S. Nagar (Mohali) 160 062, Punjab (INDIA) Ph. : 91-172-2214682-88 Extn: 2040, E-mail: sssharma@niper.ac. in 1Contributed equally to this work. (Received on January 12, 2017) Introduction Stroke remains the second leading cause of mortality and major cause of permanent disability worldwide (1). Presently, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) remains the only US-FDA approved reperfusion drug therapy for acute ischemic stroke (2). Several neuroprotective agents found to be ef fec t ive in p rec l in ica l s t roke mode ls have subsequently met with translational failures in human trials (3, 4). Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Round Table (STAIR) have recently recommended that the experiments should also be performed in animal models of stroke along with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia for improving the chance of translational success of therapeutic agents from the bench to bed side (5). The pathophysiology of ischemic stroke is very complex and is associated with early and late phase processes such as blood brain barr ier (BBB) d is rup t ion , neuro in f lammat ion , apoptos is , neurovascular repair and regeneration. Recent investigations have highlighted the role of different 192 Sachan, Srinivasan and Sharma Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2017; 61(2) via many apoptotic signaling pathways including the induction of proapoptotic transcription factor such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) (23). ER-stress mediated apoptosis plays a major role in pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia associated with or without comorbid
Enhanced removal of Enterococcus faecalis biofilms in the root canal using sodium hypochlorite plus photon-induced photoacoustic streaming: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of laser-activated irrigation by photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) using Er:YAG laser energy in decontaminating heavily colonized root canal systems in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS Extracted single-rooted human teeth (n=60) were mechanically and chemically prepared, sterilized, inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis for 3 weeks, and randomly assigned to four groups (n=15): Group I (control, no decontamination), Group II (PIPS+6% NaOCl), Group III (PIPS+saline), and Group IV (6% NaOCl). PIPS settings were all preset to 50 μsec pulse, 20 mJ, 15 Hz, for an average power of 0.3 W. After decontamination, the remaining live microbes from all specimens were collected and recovered via plate counting of the colony-forming units (CFUs). Randomized root canal surfaces were examined with scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser microscopy. Mean variance and Dunnett's t test (post-hoc test) comparisons were used to compare mean scores for the three groups with the control group. RESULTS The CFU analysis showed the following measurements (mean±SE): Group I (control), 336.8±1.8; Group II (PIPS+NaOCl), 0.27±0.21; Group III (PIPS+saline), 225.0±21; and Group IV (NaOCl), 46.9±20.29. Group II had significantly lower CFUs than any other groups (p<0.05). Both imaging analyses confirmed levels of remaining bacteria on examined root surfaces. CONCLUSIONS The use of the PIPS system along with NaOCl showed the most efficient eradication of the bacterial biofilm. It appears that laser-activated irrigation (LAI) utilizing PIPS may enhance the disinfection of the root canal system.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide particles transactivator protein-fluorescein isothiocyanate particle labeling for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging detection of cell migration: uptake and durability

Conjugation of dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles with transactivator protein (Tat)-peptide and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) allows cells to readily uptake SPIO particles. This makes possible high-resolution, real-time imaging of these cells by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). First, we need to understand how various subpopulations take up and maintain SPIO particles. In this report, we have focused on differences in T cells, B cells, and macrophages with respect to cross-linked (CL)-SPIO Tat-FITC particle uptake over 72 hours. We have found that cells quickly take up the particles and that the bead loss that does occur is not related to cell death or apoptosis. In contrast with reports in the literature, we have observed migration of the Tat-peptide conjugates primarily to the cytoplasm rather than the nucleus.
Nothing at Stake in Knowledge

Nothing at Stake in Knowledge∗ DAVID ROSE Rutgers University EDOUARD MACHERY University of Pittsburgh STEPHEN STICH Rutgers University MARIO ALAI University of Urbino ADRIANO ANGELUCCI University of Urbino RENATAS BERNIŪNAS Vilnius University EMMA E. BUCHTEL The Education University of Hong Kong AMITA CHATTERJEE Jadavpur University HYUNDEUK CHEON Ewha Womans University IN-RAE CHO Seoul National University DANIEL COHNITZ Utrecht University FLORIAN COVA University of Geneva
Effect of intravenous administration of sodium-lactate on retinal blood flow in healthy subjects.

PURPOSE The present study was designed to investigate the effect of intravenously administered sodium lactate on ocular blood flow. METHODS Twelve healthy male volunteers received either sodium lactate (0.6 mol/L) or physiologic saline solution in a randomized, double-masked, two-way crossover study. Sodium lactate or placebo were administered at an infusion speed of 500 and 1000 mL/h for 30 minutes each. Blood flow measurements were performed in the last 10 minutes of the infusion periods. Retinal blood flow was calculated based on the measurement of maximum erythrocyte velocity, assessed with bidirectional laser Doppler velocimetry, and retinal vessel diameter obtained with a retinal vessel analyzer. Choroidal blood flow was assessed with laser Doppler flowmetry and laser interferometric measurement of fundus pulsation amplitude. RESULTS Administration of lactate increased blood lactate concentration from 1.3 +/- 0.4 to 3.9 +/- 0.7 mmol/L (P < 0.001) and to 7.1 +/- 1.4 mmol/L (P < 0.001) at infusion speeds of 500 and 1000 mL/h, respectively. At these blood lactate concentrations, retinal blood flow increased by 15% +/- 20% and by 24% +/- 37% (ANOVA, P = 0.01). Fundus pulsation amplitude increased by 3% +/- 6% and 10% +/- 5% (ANOVA, P = 0.04) at the two plasma lactate concentrations. Subfoveal choroidal blood flow measured with laser Doppler flowmetry tended to increase by 10% +/- 15% and 13% +/- 20% (ANOVA, P = 0.19), but this effect was not significant. Infusion of sodium lactate induced alkalosis in arterial blood taken from the earlobe (7.41 +/- 0.03 at baseline; 7.50 +/- 0.03 during lactate infusion; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The data indicate that intravenously administered sodium lactate increases retinal blood flow. Whether this is related to a cytosolic redox impairment or to other hitherto unidentified mechanism remains to be clarified. Further studies are needed to determine whether lactate plays a role in regulation of choroidal blood flow.
Stretch‐induced inhibition of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in mineralizing osteoblasts

Wnt signaling is important for bone formation and osteoblastic differentiation. Recent findings indicate a stimulating role of Wnt signaling in bone mechanotransduction. However, negative effects of Wnt signaling on osteoblast differentiation and mineralization have been described as well. We conducted in vitro stretch experiments using human pre‐osteoblasts to study short‐ and long‐term effects of mechanical loading on Wnt/β‐catenin signaling. As the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is known to be involved in mechanotransduction in osteoblasts, we also evaluated its role in Wnt/β‐catenin signaling. Stretch experiments up to 21 days (using stretch episodes of 15 min, alternated with 90 min rest) resulted in higher mineralization compared to static control cultures. We found that 15 min of stretch initially increased nuclear β‐catenin, but ultimately resulted in significant decrease at 12 and 40 h after stretch. Downregulation of Wnt‐responsive element activity 16 h after stretch, using a luciferase construct, further supported these findings. The presence of the ERK inhibitor U0126 did not alter the stretch‐induced decrease of β‐catenin levels. Our data indicate a biphasic effect of mechanical loading on β‐catenin in mineralizing human differentiating osteoblasts, which is independent of the ERK pathway. The osteogenic potential of our loading regime was confirmed by an increase in osteogenic differentiation markers such as alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition after 3 weeks of culture. We conjecture that the biphasic aspect of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling with a strong decrease up to 40 h after the stretch induction, is important for the anabolic effects of mechanical stretch on bone. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:390–396, 2010