Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement and kinetic analysis of the neutral detergent-soluble carbohydrate fraction of legumes and grasses.

The fermentation of the neutral detergent-soluble (NDS) fraction of two legumes (clover, alfalfa) and two grasses (timothy, guinea grass) was measured using a curve subtraction technique with in vitro gas production data from the whole forage and the isolated neutral detergent-extracted fiber. The NDF disappearance and VFA production also were measured. There were no significant differences between the VFA patterns from whole forage and NDF. There was a good linear correlation between the volume of gas produced and the mass of fiber digested in the NDF samples. Analysis of the gas curves with a dual-pool logistic model gave a lag value, digestion rates and pool sizes for the whole forage, the fiber component, and the NDS fraction. Rates for the NDS fraction ranged from . 152 h-1 for clover to . 191 h-1 for timothy. These rates are appreciably lower than values assumed in some models. Application of a triple-pool logistic model revealed the presence of faster-digesting material in the legumes. We discuss several different ways to measure the NDS pool size. The simplest method requires only a single gas measurement at the end of in vitro digestion of the whole forage coupled with an NDF disappearance measurement. The curve subtraction technique can provide information on the size and digestion kinetics of the NDS pool. This information is useful both for model studies and for agronomic research and may help us to understand the nutritional significance of this fast-digesting carbohydrate fraction.
Mixed Integer Evolution Strategies for Parameter Optimization

Evolution strategies (ESs) are powerful probabilistic search and optimization algorithms gleaned from biological evolution theory. They have been successfully applied to a wide range of real world applications. The modern ESs are mainly designed for solving continuous parameter optimization problems. Their ability to adapt the parameters of the multivariate normal distribution used for mutation during the optimization run makes them well suited for this domain. In this article we describe and study mixed integer evolution strategies (MIES), which are natural extensions of ES for mixed integer optimization problems. MIES can deal with parameter vectors consisting not only of continuous variables but also with nominal discrete and integer variables. Following the design principles of the canonical evolution strategies, they use specialized mutation operators tailored for the aforementioned mixed parameter classes. For each type of variable, the choice of mutation operators is governed by a natural metric for this variable type, maximal entropy, and symmetry considerations. All distributions used for mutation can be controlled in their shape by means of scaling parameters, allowing self-adaptation to be implemented. After introducing and motivating the conceptual design of the MIES, we study the optimality of the self-adaptation of step sizes and mutation rates on a generalized (weighted) sphere model. Moreover, we prove global convergence of the MIES on a very general class of problems. The remainder of the article is devoted to performance studies on artificial landscapes (barrier functions and mixed integer NK landscapes), and a case study in the optimization of medical image analysis systems. In addition, we show that with proper constraint handling techniques, MIES can also be applied to classical mixed integer nonlinear programming problems.
Emerging Therapies for Acute and Chronic Heart Failure

Although the period from 1953 to 2001 resulted in the approval of more than 30 medications currently used to treat heart failure (HF), few novel drugs have been approved in the last decade. However, the investigational pipeline for HF medications once again appears promising. In patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), ivabradine and valsartan/sucubitril (LCZ696) were recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Both agents have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and HF hospitalization. In the treatment of acute HF, serelaxin and ularitide are the farthest along in development. Both agents have demonstrated favorable effects on surrogate end points and preliminary data suggest a possible mortality benefit with serelaxin. Consequently, phase 3 trials are ongoing to evaluate the effect of serelaxin and ularitide on clinical outcomes. Given the poor history of recent investigational acute HF drugs that have advanced to phase 3/4 studies, enthusiasm for both serelaxin and ularitide must be tempered until these trials are completed.
Comparison of a semiquantitative point-of-care assay for the detection of canine microalbuminuria with routine semiquantitative methods for proteinuria.

BACKGROUND It has been speculated that renal disease can be identified through the detection and quantification of microalbuminuria, however, reliable measurement of albuminuria in any quantity can be challenging. Recently, a new point-of-care immunoassay was validated for the specific detection of microalbuminuria and early renal disease in dogs. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to determine if measurement of microalbuminuria by the point-of-care immunoassay correlated with results from routine semiquantitative methods for detecting proteinuria in dogs. METHODS One hundred and thirty-eight urine samples, from 133 different dogs, submitted for urinalysis to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory at the University of Missouri-Columbia Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital were eligible for the study. Samples that contained >20 RBC/high power field (hpf) or >20 WBC/hpf were excluded, as were samples with insufficient volume to complete all tests. All samples were evaluated with a urinary dipstick with or without a sulfosalicylic acid turbidimetric test, a urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio, and the immunoassay for microalbuminuria. Data were analyzed by the Spearman rank order correlation. RESULTS Microalbuminuria results correlated significantly with those of the dipstick (r = 0.715), sulfosalicylic acid test (r = 0.742), and UPC ratio (r = 0.830). Correlation between the immunoassay and UPC ratio was the same (r = 0.830) when only samples with trace or 1+ proteinuria by dipstick were analyzed (n = 51). CONCLUSIONS The point-of-care immunoassay results for microalbuminuria correlated with the results of semiquantitative methods for detecting total proteinuria in dogs. Routine methods for canine proteinuria appear to be adequate for determining whether further testing for renal disease is warranted.
Disruption of Gammaherpesvirus 68 Gene 50 Demonstrates that Rta Is Essential for Virus Replication

ABSTRACT Gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis is dependent on the ability of these viruses to establish a lifelong latent infection and the ability to reactivate from latency. Immediate-early genes of theses viruses are thought to be critical regulators of lytic replication and reactivation from latency. The gene 50-encoded Rta is the only immediate-early gene product that appears to be conserved among all characterized gammaherpesviruses. Previous studies have demonstrated that, in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi's sarcoma-associated virus, and gammaherpesvirus 68 (γHV68, also referred to as murine gammaherpesvirus 68), ectopic expression of Rta in latently infected cell lines can lead to induction of the viral cycle. Recently, studies employing null mutants of EBV have provided a formal demonstration that both Rta and the BZLF1 gene product, Zta, the two EBV immediate-early gene products, are essential for EBV replication. Here we generate and characterize a gene 50-null mutant γHV68 and demonstrate that the gene 50 product Rta is essential for virus replication. Providing γHV68 Rta in trans was sufficient to restore replication of the gene 50-null virus. Notably, Rta expressed from the spliced form of the gene 50 transcript was sufficient to complement growth of the gene 50-null virus. In addition, we provide evidence that loss of Rta expression leads to a complete defect in viral DNA replication and a significant defect in late antigen expression. This work lays the foundation for characterizing the role of Rta in γHV68 chronic infection of mice.
Chronic kidney disease and albuminuria in children with sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Sickle cell nephropathy begins in childhood and may progress to renal failure. Albuminuria is a sensitive marker of glomerular damage that may indicate early chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS The aims of this study were to determine the cross-sectional prevalence and clinical correlates of albuminuria and CKD among children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Over a 10-year period (1995 to 2005) 410 pediatric SCD patients ages 2 to 21 years were enrolled: 261 with hemoglobin SS (HbSS) or HbSβ(0) thalassemia (HbSβ(0)) and 149 with HbSC or HbSβ(+) thalassemia (HbSβ(+)). The albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) of spot-urine specimens and serum creatinine were measured; abnormal albuminuria was defined as urinary ACR ≥ 30 mg/g. RESULTS The prevalence of abnormal albuminuria was 20.7% (23.0% in HbSS/HbSβ(0), 16.8% in HbSC/HbSβ(+)). Among HbSS/HbSβ(0), abnormal albuminuria was associated with increasing age and lower baseline hemoglobin. GFR, estimated in 189 patients using the updated Schwartz formula, correlated negatively with age (r = -0.27, P = 0.0002). CKD defined according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes study was present in 26.5% (50 of 189) of patients: stage 1 in 27 (14.8%) and stage 2 in 22 (11.6%). In multivariate analysis, age and HbSC/HbSβ(+) genotype were associated with CKD. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to stage CKD in children with SCD and highlights a high prevalence of albuminuria and glomerular injury early in life. Detecting CKD in childhood could allow for earlier intervention and prevention of renal failure in adulthood.
Transcript degradation and noise of small RNA-controlled genes in a switch activated network in Escherichia coli

Post-transcriptional regulatory processes may change transcript levels and affect cell-to-cell variability or noise. We study small-RNA downregulation to elucidate its effects on noise in the iron homeostasis network of Escherichia coli. In this network, the small-RNA RyhB undergoes stoichiometric degradation with the transcripts of target genes in response to iron stress. Using single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization, we measured transcript numbers of the RyhB-regulated genes sodB and fumA in individual cells as a function of iron deprivation. We observed a monotonic increase of noise with iron stress but no evidence of theoretically predicted, enhanced stoichiometric fluctuations in transcript numbers, nor of bistable behavior in transcript distributions. Direct detection of RyhB in individual cells shows that its noise is much smaller than that of these two targets, when RyhB production is significant. A generalized two-state model of bursty transcription that neglects RyhB fluctuations describes quantitatively the dependence of noise and transcript distributions on iron deprivation, enabling extraction of in vivo RyhB-mediated transcript degradation rates. The transcripts’ threshold-linear behavior indicates that the effective in vivo interaction strength between RyhB and its two target transcripts is comparable. Strikingly, the bacterial cell response exhibits Fur-dependent, switch-like activation instead of a graded response to iron deprivation.
Responding to Shocks and Maintaining Stability in the West African Economic and Monetary Union

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), like other monetary unions, faces a number of challenges in dealing with macroeconomic shocks. The region experiences a large number of exogenous shocks: climate-related (e.g., droughts, floods), with a heavy toll on populations and agriculture, but also economic (e.g., terms of trade), with a large impact on key sectors and the cost of living. More generally business cycle synchronization within the WAEMU seems low. Addressing these shocks, while preserving the stability of the union, is therefore a critical issue in the WAEMU.This paper discusses these issues and suggests possible reforms.
Predicting Outcome in Colonoscopic High-risk Surveillance.

AIM Surveillance with colonoscopy in risk groups for colorectal cancer needs to be based on an adequate selection of individuals to examine and a well-devised timing. To stratify the risk of finding neoplasia at colonoscopy, a cohort with increased familial risk of colorectal cancer was studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS Based on family history, 1,203 individuals with at least two-fold increased risk of colorectal cancer were offered regular colonoscopies. The impact of different variables in the family history was assessed by logistic regression for the prevalence of adenoma and advanced adenoma. Findings at first colonoscopy were assessed regarding the association with risk of future lesions. RESULTS The prevalence of advanced lesions, when controlling for age, was associated with the number of first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer, with an age below 50 years for the youngest family member with colorectal cancer, but not with gender. Family history had a low impact on the prevalence of simple adenoma. The risk of future advanced lesions was only associated with the prevalence of advanced lesions at the screening colonoscopy, whereas a finding of subsequent adenoma was associated with advanced lesions, adenomas and hyperplastic polyps. CONCLUSION Adenomas and advanced lesions were not associated with the same risk factors. In the present study, the most important risk factors for advanced lesions, including cancer, were the number of first-degree relatives and a young family member with colorectal cancer. Findings of simple adenomas and hyperplastic polyps did not seem to be associated with subsequent advanced lesions.
Impact of gender diversity on social and environmental performance: evidence from Malaysia

This study is guided by the upper echelon theory and argues that the role of females on boards of directors may differ between cultures. In a culture where the community has a significant humane orientation, female directors may pay much more attention to the social issues of corporate sustainability rather than environmental issues. Therefore, this study aims to differentiate between the social and environmental performances of companies to examine whether the presence of females on the boards of directors of Malaysian firms could affect social and environmental performances differently. ,This study uses a sample of firms listed in Bursa Malaysia and develops two disclosure indices to measure social and environmental performances. Three proxies of female directors are used in the empirical models. The ordinary least square model is used to test the hypothesis. ,The empirical results suggest a positive association between social performance and the presence of female directors on the board of directors of Malaysian firms. However, no association was found between environmental performance and the presence of female directors on those boards. These results confirm the prediction of this study that the female directors of Malaysian firms pay more attention to social issues than to environmental ones. ,This is the first study to examine the effects of the presence of female directors on Malaysian firms’ boards of directors on social and environmental performance. It also contributes to the upper echelon theory by illuminating the importance of gender diversity in influencing the social and environmental behaviors of corporate leaders. The results provide the important implication that the association between a firm’s social and environmental performance and gender diversity depends on the culture within which the company operates.
PRIMARY CUTANEOUS CD30 +ANAPLASTIC LARGE CELL LYMPHOMA; REPORT OF A SINGLE LARGE SCALP NODULE

Case Report A 93-year -old Caucasian female presented with a 2-month history of a single frontal scalp nodule. The lesion was non-tender however had grown rapidly and was eroded with intermittent bleeding. There were no other skin lesions, lymphadenopathy, or hepatosplenomegaly. Past medical history was significant for breast cancer and review of systems was unremarkable. Physical exam revealed a 10cm x12cm exophytic, fungating, and malodorous tumor of the right frontal scalp (Fig. 1). A biopsy was performed and revealed a dense diffuse CD30+ atypical lymphoid infiltrate, ulceration, and inflammation. Within the dermis there were sheets of large epithelioid and anaplastic lymphocytes with large vesicular nuclei, prominent one to few magenta nucleoli and ample cytoplasm (Figs. 2 and 3). A few dermal mitoses and numerous neutrophils were present. The large anaplastic lymphocytes were diffusely CD30+ (Fig. 4) and Vimentin positive. CD3 and lymphocyte common antigen were negative. CD4 and CD8 stained approximately 60% and 30% of the T-cells, respectively. Less than 1% B-cells were present and stained positively with CD20 and PAX-5. CD15 highlighted approximately 20-30% positivity on neutrophils and CD68 stained approximately 10% histiocytes within the dermis. These findings supported the diagnosis of CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma. The ALK-1 negativity favored primary cutaneous CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PCALCL). Evaluation for underlying systemic disease was advised and the patient declined. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) study to detect T-cell antigen Beta gene rearrangement showed one band consistent with the expansion of a single clonal T-cell proliferation. PCR was negative for immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement. The clinical, histologic, immunohistologic, and PCR findings support the diagnosis of PCALCL. The patient was notified of her diagnosis and treatment options including excision, chemotherapy, and local radiation were discussed. She opted for no treatment and passed away two weeks later. Although an evaluation for systemic disease was not achieved, we present and discuss this case based on our clinical and pathologic diagnosis of PCALCL. PRIMARY CUTANEOUS CD30 +ANAPLASTIC LARGE CELL LYMPHOMA; REPORT OF A SINGLE LARGE SCALP NODULE
A Single-blind, Randomized Comparison of Olanzapine at a Starting Dose of 5 mg Versus 20 mg in Acute Schizophrenia

Acute psychotic episodes represent critical situations during the course of schizophrenia. Olanzapine (OLZ), a second-generation antipsychotic, is efficacious in acute settings at dosages of 5 to 20 mg/d, and it can be considered a first-line treatment for patients with an acute episode of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of OLZ at a starting dose of 5 mg versus 20 mg in acute schizophrenic patients and to compare titration versus nontitration. Fifty-one schizophrenic inpatients were randomly assigned to receive OLZ at 5 mg/d (26 patients, group 1) or 20 mg/d (25 patients, group 2) as a starting dosage during an exacerbation phase. In group 1, the OLZ dosage was increased to a mean dosage of 10.55 (± 4.00) mg/d. Group 2 received OLZ at a fixed dose of 20 mg throughout the hospitalization period. Olanzapine was significantly and clinically effective on Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS positive symptoms, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression in both groups. There were no significant differences between groups 1 and 2 in the percent improvement in BPRS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS positive symptoms, PANSS negative symptoms, or Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; but group 2 was significantly superior in the mean percent improvement in the BPRS items of anxiety (P < 0.001) and suspiciousness (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the higher doses evidence more efficacy on anxiety and suspiciousness, so it seems to be useful to begin therapy with a full dose of the drug to obtain the maximum effect without any significant side effects.
Relationship between antimicrobial protein levels in whole saliva and periodontitis.

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial proteins are abundant in saliva. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the amounts of two types of antibacterial protein, cystatin and lysozyme, in saliva between healthy persons and subjects with periodontitis. METHODS Forty subjects with periodontitis visiting Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital, Chiba, Japan, and 27 healthy persons were evaluated. Whole saliva was collected by requiring all subjects to expectorate into a sterile tube. Salivary levels of cystatin SA, cystatin C, and lysozyme were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or immunoblot assay. RESULTS Cystatin SA levels in saliva from the periodontally diseased group showed a mean value of 0.063 +/- 0.026 mg/ml, statistically lower than that in the healthy group (P <0.05). The average cystatin C level in the periodontally diseased group was 2.27 +/- 1.20 ng/ml, markedly lower than that in the healthy group (3.79 +/- 1.28 ng/ml; P <0.05). Average lysozyme levels in the periodontitis and healthy groups were 16.75 +/- 15.31 microg/ml and 30.03 +/- 15.03 microg/ml, respectively. The lysozyme level in the periodontitis group was significantly lower than in the healthy group (P <0.05). CONCLUSION Specific monoclonal antibodies are useful for the detection of family 2 cystatins in saliva samples, and the amount of antibacterial protein in saliva offers a potential indicator of the risk for periodontitis.
Outcome in systemic AL amyloidosis in relation to changes in concentration of circulating free immunoglobulin light chains following chemotherapy

Summary. Monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains are deposited as amyloid fibrils in systemic AL (primary) amyloidosis, but the underlying plasma cell dyscrasias are often difficult to detect or unquantifiable. The relationships between circulating monoclonal light chains, amyloid load and clinical outcome, and the relative efficacies of chemotherapy regimens aimed at suppressing monoclonal immunoglobulin production, have not been determined. Circulating free immunoglobulin light chain (FLC) concentration was measured with a sensitive nephelometric immunoassay in 262 patients with AL amyloidosis, and followed serially in 137 patients who received either high‐dose chemotherapy or one of two intermediate‐dose cytotoxic regimens. Amyloid load was quantified by serum amyloid P component scintigraphy. A monoclonal excess of FLC was identified at diagnosis in 98% of patients. Among 86 patients whose abnormal FLC concentration fell by more than 50% following chemotherapy, 5‐year survival was 88% compared with only 39% among those whose FLC did not fall by half (P < 0·0001). Amyloid deposits regressed in 58 patients. The magnitude and duration of the FLC responses to intermediate‐ and high‐dose chemotherapy regimens were similar. The FLC assay enabled the circulating fibril precursor protein in AL amyloidosis to be quantified and monitored in most patients. Reduction of the amyloidogenic FLC by more than 50% was associated with substantial survival benefit, regardless of the type of chemotherapy used. Clinical improvement following chemotherapy in AL amyloidosis is delayed, but treatment strategies can be guided by their early effect on serum FLC concentration.