Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-6 Receptor Gene Variations, Plasma Interleukin-6 Levels, and Type 2 Diabetes in U.S. Women

OBJECTIVE— To examine the associations between common variations in the IL6R gene and circulating interleukin (IL)-6 levels and diabetes risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— We determined 10 linkage disequilibrium (LD)-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (SNP1 to SNP10) for the IL6R gene in a nested case-control study of 672 diabetic and 1,058 healthy European Caucasian women (IL-6 levels were measured in a subgroup of 1,348 women). RESULTS— In both control and diabetic patients, polymorphisms within an LD block spanning ∼42 kb were significantly associated with plasma IL-6 levels. A missense variant SNP7 in exon 9 (rs8192284, Asp358Ala) showed the strongest association (P = 0.0005 in control and P = 0.004 in case subjects). The corresponding false-discovery rates, which accounts for multiple testing, were 0.008 and 0.02, respectively. We inferred five common haplotypes to capture 94% allele variance of the LD block using SNP5, -7, -8, -9, and -10. Compared with the most common haplotype 12111 (one codes the common and two codes the minor alleles), haplotypes 11211 [difference in log(IL-6) = −0.11 (95% CI −0.23 to −0.01); P = 0.01] and 21122 (−0.15 [−0.27 to −0.03]; P = 0.01) were associated with significantly lower IL-6 levels (global test, P = 0.01). However, IL6R genotypes were not significantly associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS— IL6R genetic variations, especially SNP7 (rs8192284, Asp358Ala), were significantly associated with plasma IL-6 levels but not with diabetes risk in women. The strong associations between IL6R genetic variability and IL-6 concentrations deserve further investigation.
Androgen Supplementation in Eugonadal Men with Osteoporosis: Effects of Six Months' Treatment on Markers of Bone Formation and Resorption

There is no established treatment for osteoporosis in men, a common and disabling condition the incidence of which is increasing rapidly. We conducted an open study to investigate the efficacy and mode of action of testosterone therapy in eugonadal men with osteoporotic vertebral crush fracture. Twenty‐one men, aged 34–73 (mean 58), were treated with intramuscular testosterone esters (Sustanon 250®) every 2 weeks for 6 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurement by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry was performed at baseline and 6 months. We also measured biochemical markers of bone turnover, testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and gonadotrophins at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Treatment was well tolerated, and side effects were uncommon. Lumbar spine BMD increased by 5% from 0.799 to 0.839 g/cm2 (p < 0.001). All bone markers decreased, indicating that treatment suppressed bone turnover. Although serum osteocalcin levels fell only slightly, there were large reductions in urinary deoxypyridinoline and N‐telopeptide (p < 0.05), which were correlated with the increase in spinal BMD. Interpretation of the findings with other markers, such as bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase and pyridinoline, was confounded by the wide scatter of values. Serum testosterone increased by 55%, while SHBG decreased by 20%, leading to a rise in free androgen of 90%. Serum estradiol also increased by 45%. The change in spine BMD was significantly correlated with a change in serum estradiol but not with a change in serum testosterone. We therefore conclude that testosterone is a promising treatment for men with idiopathic osteoporosis, acting to suppress bone resorption by a mechanism that may involve estrogen.
The involvement of calcium in the intestinal response to secretagogues in the rat.

The involvement of Ca2+ in the regulation of intestinal secretion was investigated in stripped sheets of rat mid‐intestine. Removal of serosal Ca2+ together with the addition of EGTA at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 mM inhibited the rise in short‐circuit current (s.c.c.) induced by both acetylcholine and theophylline, a similar degree of inhibition being observed with both secretagogues. Ca2+‐free serosal fluid with 0.5 mM‐EGTA added reduced significantly the rises in s.c. c. induced by A23187, acetylcholine, 5‐hydroxytryptamine, theophylline, dibutyryl cyclic AMP and prostaglandin E2, but not the increased s.c. c. associated with glucose absorption. The Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil produced similar results. The calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine inhibited secretagogue action while its sulphoxide derivative was without effect at the same concentration. The intracellular Ca2+ antagonist TMB‐8 reduced the increased s.c. c. observed with acetylcholine and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The net Cl‐ secretion, but not the decreased mucosal‐to‐serosal Na+ flux, induced by acetylcholine was abolished in Ca2+‐free conditions. There was no consistent effect on the reduction in the residual ion flux caused by acetylcholine. Absence of Ca2+ converted the stimulation of Cl‐ secretion induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP observed under control conditions to an enhancement of net Na+ and Cl‐ absorption. It is concluded that intestinal secretagogues, whether they act through cyclic AMP or not, require both internal and external sources of Ca2+ if they are to produce their full effects. Moreover, it appears that the nature of the response to dibutyryl cyclic AMP depends on the prevailing Ca2+ concentration.
Cardiac myxoma cells exhibit embryonic endocardial stem cell features

The origin of myxoma, the most frequent tumour of the heart, remains uncertain. Previous phenotypic characterizations have shown heterogeneous results and the most recent hypothesis suggests that cardiac myxoma originates from a primitive pluripotential cardiogenic cell. We investigated the expression of actin isoforms in 30 left atrial myxomas by immunohistochemistry and in eight consecutive tumours by RT‐PCR. α‐Smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) protein and/or transcripts were detected in all cases, whereas α‐cardiac actin was observed in few cases and α‐skeletal actin was always absent. Besides classical features, vessel‐like structures were characterized by cells expressing CD34 and, less frequently, α‐SMA. Confocal microscopy showed focal co‐expression of CD34 and α‐SMA in myxoma cells, suggesting a gradual loss of stem endothelial markers and the acquisition of myocytic antigens. In order to confirm this hypothesis, early cardiac differentiation markers were also investigated. RT‐PCR documented the presence of transcripts for Sox9 (100%), Notch1 (87.5%), NFATc1 (37.5%), Smad6, metalloproteinases 1 and 2 alone or in variable combinations and the absence of ErbB3 and WT1. Myxoma cells maintained phenotypic heterogeneity in vitro, including the expression of α‐SMA and the presence of stress fibres. These findings document in cardiac myxoma cells phenotypic markers of the embryonic endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transformation that precedes terminal differentiation of endocardial cushions, supporting the hypothesis that cardiac myxoma cells may derive from adult developmental remnants. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cardiovascular reactivity in Black South-African males of different age groups: the influence of urbanization.

OBJECTIVE Blacks in an urban environment seem to be more vulnerable to excessive increases in blood pressure during daily life events. This greater cardiovascular reactivity during acute stress situations in urban Blacks may lead to the development of hypertension in their later lives. Because Blacks in South Africa are involved in a massive process of urbanization, which may lead to chronic diseases of lifestyle like hypertension and diabetes, this study was undertaken to compare the cardiovascular reactivity patterns of urbanized and rural Black males in the North-West province of South Africa. DESIGN Two hundred twenty-three Black males of different age groups, Group 1: younger than 25 years of age; Group 2: between 25 and 44 years of age; and Group 3: 45 years of age and older. Participants were randomly selected from rural and urbanized settlements. METHODS After resting blood pressure was recorded with a Finapres apparatus, and cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, and total peripheral vascular resistance had been obtained, an acute laboratory stressor (hand dynamometer exercise) was applied and the above measurements repeated. RESULTS The SBP, DBP, and MAP increased 28% and 42% in both the rural and the urbanized groups. There was a shift from a central reactivity pattern (increased cardiac output) in the young rural group (< 25 years) to a peripheral reactivity pattern (increased total peripheral resistance) in the > or = 45 years old urbanized males after applying the stressor. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular reactivity differs between Black males from a rural area compared to urbanized Black males. The urbanized males > or = 45 years of age were at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease because their total peripheral resistance reactivity increased the most during application of the stressor.
The influence of smoking on vitamin C status during the third trimester of pregnancy and on vitamin C levels in maternal milk.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present investigation was to determine the differences in vitamin C status of 57 Spanish women smokers (S) and nonsmokers (N) in their third trimester of pregnancy, and the concentrations of vitamin C in their milk. METHODS Vitamin C intake during the third trimester was determined by recording the consumption of foods over a 5-day period (including a Sunday) and by registering vitamin C provided by dietary supplements. Vitamin C levels in maternal serum during this stage of pregnancy and in transition (days 13 to 14 of lactation) and mature milk (day 40 of lactation) were determined colorimetrically. Subjects also answered a questionnaire on their smoking habits during pregnancy. RESULTS S subjects (n = 16) showed a lower intake of fruits, vegetables and vitamin C than did N subjects (n = 41), though these differences were not significant (17.1% of N subjects and 31.2% of S subjects took less than 80 mg of vitamin C per day). Neither were any differences found between the two groups in serum vitamin C levels. However, N subjects showed significantly greater vitamin C levels in both transition and mature milk (431.6 +/- 296.5 mumol/L and 496.1 +/- 325.6 mumol/L, respectively for N subjects, and 233.7 +/- 202.9 mumol/L and 241.3 +/- 293.1 mumol/L for S subjects). Further investigations are necessary to determine the clinical consequences of these observations, though it is already known that maternal smoking favors peroxidation events in newborn infants. CONCLUSIONS If the concentration of antioxidants (vitamin C) in smokers' breast milk is also lower, this might aggravate the peroxidation problems of their newborn.
Action Potential-induced Quantal Secretion of Catecholamines from Rat Adrenal Chromaffin Cells (*)

Using single rat adrenal chromaffin cells, we examined the coupling of action potential activity to quantal release of catecholamines by combining perforated patch current-clamp recording with electrochemical microcarbon fiber amperometry. Chromaffin cells display steeper dependence of quantal release on action potential frequency than many nerve terminals, as well as more desynchronized release following an action potential. Also in contrast to neurons, in chromaffin cells, a major chemical secretagogue (acetylcholine) triggers potent quantal release even in the absence of electrical activity. These findings are consistent with an hypothesis that a major component of exocytosis from chromaffin cells involves diffusion of Ca to secretion sites which are less well co-localized with Ca channels than those in nerve terminals.
Exploring consumers' use behavior on internet finance in China: From the perspective of the financial products similar to Yu'e Bao

The purpose of this paper is to explore the key factors affecting consumer's use behavior on financial products similar to Yu'e Bao. Considering the financial market and policy environment in China, theoretical model is founded based on extending Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the hypotheses are put forward. Then, to test the model and hypotheses, 199 valid data is collected by online survey and analyzed with the help of software SPSS 19.0 and AMOS 17.0. The results show that performance expectancy, social influence, trust, government e-readiness and facilitating conditions have positive effects on user's usage intention towards financial products similar to Yu'e Bao. Then the corresponding countermeasures and advices are put forward. The findings will not only help Chinese internet financial companies to improve their service, but also provide specific directions to regularize the industry of internet finance in China.
The case for positive emotions in the stress process

Abstract For many decades, the stress process was described primarily in terms of negative emotions. However, robust evidence that positive emotions co-occurred with negative emotions during intensely stressful situations suggested the need to consider the possible roles of positive emotions in the stress process. About 10 years ago, these possibilities were incorporated into a revision of stress and coping theory (Folkman, 1997). This article summarizes the research reported during the intervening 10 years that pertains to the revised model. Evidence has accumulated regarding the co-occurrence of positive and negative emotions during stressful periods; the restorative function of positive emotions with respect to physiological, psychological, and social coping resources; and the kinds of coping processes that generate positive emotions including benefit finding and reminding, adaptive goal processes, reordering priorities, and infusing ordinary events with positive meaning. Overall, the evidence supports the propositions set forth in the revised model. Contrary to earlier tendencies to dismiss positive emotions, the evidence indicates they have important functions in the stress process and are related to coping processes that are distinct from those that regulate distress. Including positive emotions in future studies will help address an imbalance between research and clinical practice due to decades of nearly exclusive concern with the negative emotions.
Nitrogen yield advantage from grass–legume mixtures is robust over a wide range of legume proportions and environmental conditions

Current challenges to global food security require sustainable intensification of agriculture through initiatives that include more efficient use of nitrogen (N), increased protein self‐sufficiency through homegrown crops, and reduced N losses to the environment. Such challenges were addressed in a continental‐scale field experiment conducted over 3 years, in which the amount of total nitrogen yield (Ntot) and the gain of N yield in mixtures as compared to grass monocultures (Ngainmix) was quantified from four‐species grass–legume stands with greatly varying legume proportions. Stands consisted of monocultures and mixtures of two N2‐fixing legumes and two nonfixing grasses. The amount of Ntot of mixtures was significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) than that of grass monocultures at the majority of evaluated sites in all 3 years. Ntot and thus Ngainmix increased with increasing legume proportion up to one‐third of legumes. With higher legume percentages, Ntot and Ngainmix did not continue to increase. Thus, across sites and years, mixtures with one‐third proportion of legumes attained ~95% of the maximum Ntot acquired by any stand and had 57% higher Ntot than grass monocultures. Realized legume proportion in stands and the relative N gain in mixture (Ngainmix/Ntot in mixture) were most severely impaired by minimum site temperature (R = 0.70, P = 0.003 for legume proportion; R = 0.64, P = 0.010 for Ngainmix/Ntot in mixture). Nevertheless, the relative N gain in mixture was not correlated to site productivity (P = 0.500), suggesting that, within climatic restrictions, balanced grass–legume mixtures can benefit from comparable relative gains in N yield across largely differing productivity levels. We conclude that the use of grass–legume mixtures can substantially contribute to resource‐efficient agricultural grassland systems over a wide range of productivity levels, implying important savings in N fertilizers and thus greenhouse gas emissions and a considerable potential for climate change mitigation.
Kinetics of Growth and Amylase Production of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera on Potato Processing Wastewater

The kinetics of growth and amylase production of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera were studied in a chemostat on a synthetic potato processing blancher water. Dilution rates (D) from 0.101 to 0.480 h−1 were examined. A mathematical model based on the Monod equation was developed. The yield of cell mass from carbohydrates was constant and equal to 0.84. The maximum specific growth rate and the Monod constant were determined to be 0.596 h−1 and 0.226 mg/ml, respectively. An equation for the steady-state starch concentrations was empirically derived. The steady-state noncarbohydrate carbon levels rose linearly with D. Reducing sugars were the growth-limiting substrate, and their steady-state levels conformed to Monod kinetics. The yield of amylase from the cell mass (Yz) declined as D rose and was described by the equation Yz = (−8.005D + 4.076). The model predicted that the maximum production of cell mass should occur at D = 0.35 h−1 and the maximum production of amylase should occur at D = 0.22 h−1. The mathematical model presented agreed with the experimental results in its prediction of the steady-state level of reducing sugar, starch, cell mass, and amylase concentrations as well as the productivity of amylase.
Teacher’s professional agency – a relational approach to teacher learning

ABSTRACT The study aims to gain a better understanding of the complexity of teacher learning by exploring the elements of teachers’ sense of professional agency in the two primary contexts of teachers’ work: the professional community and the classroom. Moreover, the relationship with agentic learning in these contexts is studied. A total of 2310 primary and secondary school teachers completed the survey and the resulting data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results confirmed that teacher learning in terms of professional agency is a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon that cannot be reduced, and hence cannot be explained by a single behavioural attribute. The findings also indicated that the objects of learning and teachers’ approaches to their learning determined the contextual variation in terms of professional agency. The results also showed that experienced agency in the classroom is dependent on teacher learning in the professional community. This implies that engaging teachers in learning outside their classrooms provides an effective strategy for improving instructional practices, and further, student learning.
Turnover of Plasma Cholesteryl Esters and its Relationship to Other Parameters of Lipid Metabolism in Man 1

Studies on plasma cholesteryl esters were made in 32 normal and hyperlipidaemic subjects in an attempt to elucidate further the metabolic relationships between cholesterol and other plasma lipids and lipoproteins. Fractional and net turnover rates of plasma cholesteryl esters were measured using two independent (in vivo and in vitro) methods, both of which determined the prevailing activity of plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase in the ambiance of the patients own plasma. The results obtained by the two methods were in excellent agreement.
Embryonic Expression of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) and VIP Receptor Genes

Abstract: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) exhibits pronounced effects on the growth rate of cultured mouse embryonic day (E) 9.5 embryos and acts in tissue culture as a potent glial mitogen and neuron survival factor. However, previous studies using immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization in the rat have not revealed the presence and location of VIP or VIP mRNA in the early developing embryo CNS. Using a sensitive in situ hybridization assay with a 33P‐labeled riboprobe, we show here that the VIP gene is expressed at least as early as E11 in the mouse hindbrain. Northern blot analysis on RNA from brain dissected from mouse embryos beginning at E14 confirmed that a correct‐size mRNA for VIP was present by E14 and at later time points. Expression of the VIP2 receptor gene was also detected by northern analysis in E14 mouse brains. These studies support the hypothesis that VIP produced by the embryo exerts important effects on embryonic nervous system development.
A review on node activity detection, selfish & malicious behavioral patterns using watchdog algorithm

In the existing system, the node may sometimes behave selfishly. To act selfishly means that nod sometimes is unwilling to forward the packets to the further node as prescribed in route from source to destination in order to save their resources and this may seriously affect the performance of the network. In the proposed system, the network is distributed into clusters and every cluster has their own cluster head that helps the nodes to transmit and receive the packets more prominently. Every node in the cluster assigns themselves with the set of friends and enemies. Basically, the cluster is a combination of both nodes (i.e., selfish nodes and normal nodes). As described above, every node has a set of friend nodes and enemy nodes so if the node is selfish node then it will transmit the packet to the friend list node. Selfish node doesn't send a packet to the enemy nodes and this shows that selfish node always takes the greedy decisions. However, the detection of selfish node done by the watchdog process and sometimes it may fail in the complex network, by generating false negative and false positive decision and that leads in performing wrong operations. To make the process more complex we add up another group of nodes known as malicious nodes. Malicious nodes by nature will accept a packet from all the nodes but transmit those packet to wrong nodes that leads to losing of resources of many nodes in the network. Malicious node sometimes alters the data in the packet or corrupt the data. To identify the behavior pattern of a node by two neighborhood node we thought of applying chord algorithm.
The relationships between technique variability and performance in discus throwing

Abstract Discus throwing performance is associated with technique variables. However, the relationships between technique variability and performance in discus throwing are unknown. Video clips of three throws each by 18 male and 15 female discus throwers were collected during a competition. Two-dimensional coordinate data were manually digitised and transferred into three-dimensional coordinates of body landmarks. Eight joint angles were calculated and their values were time-normalised to 101 frames from the initiation to the end of a throw. The mean standard deviations of 101 frames for eight joint angles among the three throws were calculated as the variability measurement. The best official distance of three throws was used as the performance measurement. For male throwers, the canonical correlations between technique variability and performance were significant (P < 0.1). Pearson correlations showed that the performance was significantly negatively correlated with the mean standard deviations of arm-shoulder separation angle (r = −0.57, P = 0.02), hip-shoulder separation angle (r = −0.63, P < 0.01), left hip flexion angle (r = −0.5, P = 0.03), and trunk forward-backward tilt angle (r = −0.57, P = 0.02). For female throwers, the canonical correlations between technique variability and performance were not significant (P > 0.1). Male discus throwers with a longer throwing distance had smaller variability in reproducing techniques. Reducing motion variability may be an important goal for discus training in males.