Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arterial Calci ¢ cation : A Review of Mechanisms , AnimalModels , andthe Prospects forTherapy

The causes of arterial calci®cation are beginning to be elucidated. Macrophages, mast cells, and smooth muscle cells are the primary cells implicated in this process. The roles of a variety of bone-related proteins including bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), matrix Gla protein (MGP), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin, and osteonectin in regulating arterial calci®cation are reviewed. Animals lacking MGP, OPG, smad6, carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme II, ®brillin-1, and klotho gene product develop varying extents of arterial calci®cation. Hyperlipidemia, vitamin D, nicotine, and warfarin, alone or in various combinations, produce arterial calci®cation in animal models. MGP has recently been discovered to be an inhibitor of bone morphogenetic protein-2, the principal osteogenic growth factor. Many of the forces that induce arterial calci®cation may act by disrupting the essential post-translational modi®cation of MGP, allowing BMP-2 to induce mineralization. MGP requires gamma-carboxylation before it is functional, and this process uses vitamin K as an essential cofactor. Vitamin K de®ciency, drugs that act as vitamin K antagonists, and oxidant stress are forces that could prevent the formation of GLA residues on MGP. The potential role of arterial apoptosis in calci®cation is discussed. Potential therapeutic options to limit the rate of arterial calci®cation are summarized. ß 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Med Res Rev, 21, No. 4, 274±301, 2001
Duración de la lactancia y producción de leche de vacas Holstein en el Estado de Yucatán, México.

Introduccion. Las condiciones del medio tropical afectan el comportamiento productivo de las vacas Holstein, limitando la expresion de su potencial genetico, esto se traduce en una produccion lactea que representa la cuarta parte de lo logrado en zonas templadas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el efecto de la epoca y numero de parto en la duracion de la lactancia y produccion de leche de vacas Holstein en el Estado de Yucatan, Mexico. Materiales y Metodos. Se analizaron los registros de produccion de 351 vacas Holstein que parieron de 1982 a 1993 en una unidad de produccion de la region Centro del Estado de Yucatan. Las vacas se ordenaban dos veces al dia a partir del dia ocho postparto, alimentadas bajo condiciones de pastoreo y suplemento con 14% de proteina. Los datos se analizaron con base en modelos estadisticos de efectos fijos y mixtos. Resultados. Los promedios generales y errores estandares para duracion de la lactancia (DL), produccion de leche durante la lactancia (PL) y produccion de leche hasta los 305 dias (PL305) fueron: 305 ± 6.4 dias, 2918 ± 67.6 kg y 2635 ± 51.9 kg, respectivamente. El ano de parto no afecto DL (p0.05) pero si la PL y PL305 (p0.05). La epoca de parto no tuvo influencia sobre DL, PL y PL305 (p0.05). No se encontro efecto de numero de parto en DL y PL (p0.05), pero si en PL305 (p0.05). Las repetibilidades estimadas para DL, PL y PL305 fueron 0.25 ± 0.04, 0.30 ± 0.05 y 0.26 ± 0.05, respectivamente. Conclusion. El ano de parto y numero de parto fueron fuentes de variacion importantes en la produccion de leche.
Development of a Flow Cytometric Method To Analyze Subpopulations of Bacteria in Probiotic Products and Dairy Starters

ABSTRACT Flow cytometry (FCM) is a rapid and sensitive technique that can determine cell numbers and measure various physiological characteristics of individual cells by using appropriate fluorescent probes. Previously, we developed an FCM assay with the viability probes carboxyfluorescein diacetate (cFDA) and TOTO-1 {1′-(4,4,7,7-tetramethyl-4,7-diazaundecamethylene)-bis-4-[3-methyl-2,3dihydro(benzo-1,3-oxazole)-2-methylidene]-1-(3′-trimethylammoniumpropyl)-pyridinium tetraiodide} for (stressed) lactic acid bacteria (C. J. Bunthof, K. Bloemen, P. Breeuwer, F. M. Rombouts, and T. Abee, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:2326-2335, 2001). cFDA stains intact cells with enzymatic activity, and TOTO-1 stains membrane-permeabilized cells. Here we used this assay to study the viability of bacterial suspensions in milk, dairy fermentation starters, and probiotic products. To facilitate FCM analysis of bacteria in milk, a commercially available milk-clearing solution was used. The procedure was optimized to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. FCM enumerations were accurate down to a concentration of 105 cells ml−1. The level of retrieval of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS 1 suspended in milk was high, and viability was not affected by the procedure. The plate counts for cleared samples of untreated cell suspensions were nearly as high as the total FCM counts, and the correlation was strong (r > 0.99). In dairy fermentation starters and in probiotic products the FCM total cell counts were substantially higher than the numbers of CFU. Three functional populations could be distinguished: culturable cells, cells that are intact and metabolically active but not culturable, and permeabilized cells. The proportions of the populations differed in the products tested. This FCM method provides tools to assess the functionality of different populations in fermentation starters and probiotic products.
Restoration of radiation injury by ginseng. III. Radioprotective effect of thermostable fraction of ginseng extract on mice, rats and guinea pigs.

Radiation protection/Ginseng extract/Rescue of irradiated mice, rats and guinea pigs Radiation protection by post-irradiation injection of a thermostable fraction of the ginseng extract in mice, rats and guinea pigs was studied. The thermostable fraction lost "by-effects" of decrease in body weight and splenic hyperplasia which were caused in injected mice by the original ginseng extract. The fraction protected mice (male) irradiated with 720 R of X-rays and rats (male) irradiated with 825 R with the dose about 6 mg per 100 g of body weight. The fraction also protected guinea pigs, both female and male, irradiated with 325 R with the dose about 80 mg per 300 g of body weight. The thermostable fraction stimulated recovery of thrombocyte and erythrocyte counts, but not leukocyte counts, in 550-R irradiated mice. Recovery of all the three blood cell counts was stimulated by the fraction in rats irra diated with 630 R and guinea pigs irradiated with 200 R. Comparison of stimulated recovery by the thermostable fraction of the ginseng extract among the three blood cell counts showed that restoring action was the most marked on thrombocyte counts, commonly in the three species of the animals.
Interaction of Transducin with Uncoordinated 119 Protein (UNC119)

The key visual G protein, transducin undergoes bi-directional translocations between the outer segment (OS) and inner compartments of rod photoreceptors in a light-dependent manner thereby contributing to adaptation and neuroprotection of rods. A mammalian uncoordinated 119 protein (UNC119), also known as Retina Gene 4 protein (RG4), has been recently implicated in transducin transport to the OS in the dark through its interaction with the N-acylated GTP-bound transducin-α subunit (Gαt1). Here, we demonstrate that the interaction of human UNC119 (HRG4) with transducin is dependent on the N-acylation, but does not require the GTP-bound form of Gαt1. The lipid specificity of UNC119 is unique: UNC119 bound the myristoylated N terminus of Gαt1 with much higher affinity than a prenylated substrate, whereas the homologous prenyl-binding protein PrBP/δ did not interact with the myristoylated peptide. UNC119 was capable of interacting with Gαt1GDP as well as with heterotrimeric transducin (Gt). This interaction of UNC119 with Gt led to displacement of Gβ1γ1 from the heterotrimer. Furthermore, UNC119 facilitated solubilization of Gt from dark-adapted rod OS membranes. Consistent with these observations, UNC119 inhibited rhodopsin-dependent activation of Gt, but had no effect on the GTP-hydrolysis by Gαt1. A model for the role of UNC119 in the IS→OS translocation of Gt is proposed based on the UNC119 ability to dissociate Gt subunits from each other and the membrane. We also found that UNC119 inhibited activation of Go by D2 dopamine receptor in cultured cells. Thus, UNC119 may play conserved inhibitory role in regulation of GPCR-G protein signaling in non-visual tissues.
Access to the Medical Home: New Findings From the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs

OBJECTIVE. This article reports new findings from the 2005–2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) regarding parental perceptions of the extent to which children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have access to a medical home. METHODS. Five criteria were analyzed to describe the extent to which CSHCN receive care characteristic of the medical home concept. Data on 40840 children included in the NS-CSHCN were used to assess the presence of a medical home, as indicated by achieving each of the 5 criteria. RESULTS. Results of the survey indicate that (1) approximately one half of CSHCN receive care that meets all 5 criteria established for a medical home; (2) access to a medical home is affected significantly by race/ethnicity, income, health insurance status, and severity of the child's condition; (3) parents of children who do have a medical home report significantly less delayed or forgone care and significantly fewer unmet needs for health care and family support services; and (4) limited improvements have occurred since success rates were first measured by using the 2001 NS-CSHCN. CONCLUSIONS. The findings suggest that, although some components of the medical home concept have been achieved for most CSHCN, care synonymous with the principles underlying the medical home is not yet in place for a significant number of CSHCN and their families.
Expression of the inlAB operon by Listeria monocytogenes is not required for entry into hepatic cells in vivo

Listeria monocytogenes injected intravenously into mice is taken up in the liver, where hepatocytes serve as the principal site of intracellular replication. The factors effecting entry of L. monocytogenes into hepatic cells remain to be determined. Others have shown that the protein products of the inlAB (internalin) operon are required for maximum entry of L. monocytogenes into a number of cell lines in vitro. Likewise, we report here that expression of the inlAB operon was required for maximum uptake of L. monocytogenes by primary cultures of mouse hepatocytes. Uptake of an inlAB mutant strain of L. monocytogenes was approximately 10-fold less than that of the isogenic wild-type control. In contrast, inlAB expression was not a factor in (i) clearance of L. monocytogenes injected intravenously into mice and taken up in the liver, (ii) the distribution of L. monocytogenes among hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells in the liver, or (iii) internalization of L. monocytogenes by hepatic cells in vivo. These latter findings suggest that infection of hepatic cells by L. monocytogenes in vivo does not require the protein products of the inlAB operon.
“Foreign Brides” Meet Ethnic Politics in Taiwan

A great number of women from China, Vietnam, and Indonesia recently arrived in Taiwan to marry men of lower social strata. Such an unusual pattern of migration has stimulated debates about the status and the citizenship of the new arrivals. This study analyzes Taiwanese responses toward these marriage migrants by using a national survey conducted in 2004. Three aspects of restrictive attitudes were tapped concerning these newcomers: (1) rights to work; (2) access to public health insurance; and (3) full citizenship. Immigrants from China were most opposed, compared to women with other origins (Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe, and the US). The seemingly unrelated regression estimation regression results do not support the split labor market hypotheses, as marriage migrants do not appear to be economic threats toward members of the lower classes. In contrast, ethnic nationalism plays a key role in determining the natives’ restrictive attitudes. The case of Taiwan represents a special genre, where ethnic politics selectively arouses the social rejection of women immigrants of certain origins.
Probability of parenthood after early onset cancer: A population‐based study

We evaluated in a population‐based setting the postdiagnosis parenthood among survivors compared with the fertility patterns of siblings. Cancer patients aged 0–34 years at diagnosis were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry (N = 25,784), and their siblings (N = 44,611) by registry linkage. Further linkage identified the offspring of the patient and sibling cohorts. The relative probabilities of parenthood for first and second births separately were estimated for male and female survivors in different diagnostic age‐groups and subsites using a Cox proportional hazards model, with age as the time variable and adjusting for the birth cohort of parents. In addition, estimates were calculated for 5 diagnostic eras in all subsites combined. Compared to siblings, both female and male cancer survivors were less likely to parent at least 1 child (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.44–0.48 and RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.54–0.60, respectively). The relative probability of parenthood was especially low in male childhood cancer survivors and female young adult cancer survivors. However, cancer patients were only slightly less likely than siblings to parent a second child, with RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.97 and RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.89–1.01 for females and males, respectively. The relative probability of parenthood increased over calendar time among young adult cancer patients. The relative probability of parenthood following early onset cancer was overall significantly reduced by ∼50%. Parenting a second child, however, was not reduced among pediatric and adolescent survivors, and only slightly reduced among early adulthood cancer survivors compared to siblings. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Behavior Analysis of Ants from Video Sequences

The movement of small animals in well-defined environments is increasingly studied in many areas; including ecotoxicology, learning, and behavioural ecology. Here we de- scribe an algorithm designed to analyze individual foraging ants from a colony of Lasius niger. The inputs to the algorithm were images from a video sequence. The algorithm performed a series of pre-processing steps to identify the ants from the pixels, measurements were extracted and individual ants were tracked in time. The location of the ants in position and time were recorded as heat maps denoting the favorite locations of the ants. The ants were videoed in a foraging experiment on a T-maze a single trail bifurcation.
Reliability and validity of the System for Observing Children's Activity and Relationships during Play (SOCARP).

BACKGROUND Children frequently engage in diverse activities that are broadly defined as play, but little research has documented children's activity levels during play and how they are influenced by social contexts. Assessing potentially modifiable conditions that influence play behavior is needed to design optimal physical activity interventions. METHODS System for Observing Children's Activity and Relationships during Play (SOCARP) was developed to simultaneously assess children's physical activity, social group sizes, activity type, and social behavior during play. One hundred and fourteen children (48 boys, 66 girls; 42% overweight) from 8 elementary schools were observed during recess over 24 days, with 12 days videotaped for reliability purposes. Ninety-nine children wore a uni-axial accelerometer during their observation period. RESULTS Estimated energy expenditure rates from SOCARP observations and mean accelerometer counts were significantly correlated (r = .67; P < .01), and interobserver reliabilities (ie, percentage agreement) for activity level (89%), group size (88%), activity type (90%) and interactions (88%) met acceptable criteria. Both physical activity and social interactions were influenced by group size, activity type, and child gender and body weight status. CONCLUSIONS SOCARP is a valid and reliable observation system for assessing physical activity and play behavior in a recess context.
Comparing diagnostic tests: trials in people with discordant test results

Diagnostic tests are traditionally compared for accuracy against a gold standard but can also be compared prospectively in a trial. A conventional trial comparing two tests would randomize each participant to a testing strategy, but a more efficient alternative is to give both tests to all participants and follow up those with discordant results. Participants could be randomized before or after testing. The statistical analysis of such a trial has not previously been described. We investigated two estimates of the risk difference for a binary outcome: one based on analysing outcomes as if from a conventional trial and one combining estimates of different parameters in the manner of a decision analysis. We show that the trial estimate and decision analysis estimate are both unbiased and derive approximate formulae for their standard errors. By using the decision analysis estimate (but not the trial estimate), the same precision can be achieved by randomizing before testing as by randomizing after. To avoid destroying equipoise, and to allow consenting and randomizing to be carried out at the same visit, we recommend randomizing before testing. Giving both tests to all participants means fewer need to be recruited: in one example from the literature, the proposed design was nearly four times more efficient in this sense than a conventional trial design. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ON EVOLUTION UNDER SEXUAL AND VIABILITY SELECTION: A TWO‐LOCUS DIPLOID MODEL

A two‐locus diploid model of sexual selection is presented in which the two loci govern, respectively, a trait limited in expression in one sex (generally male) and the mating preferences of the other sex (generally female). The viability of a male depends on its genotype at the trait locus. In contrast, all females are equally viable and all individuals are equally fertile with respect to the two loci. Near fixation at both loci, evolution at the mating locus is neutral and hence a new mating preference allele will increase only through random genetic drift or through a correlated response to the increase of a new advantageous trait allele. If, however, a polymorphism is already maintained at the trait locus through overdominance in fitness then the increase of a rare preference allele depends only on the recombination rate between the loci and not on the new preference scheme.
Enhanced Expression of Duffy Antigen in the Lungs During Suppurative Pneumonia

Duffy antigen is a chemokine binding protein expressed on the surface of erythrocytes and postcapillary venular endothelial cells. It binds selective CXC and CC chemokines with high affinity. Although Duffy antigen is present in the normal pulmonary vascular bed, it is not known whether its expression is altered by innate inflammatory responses in the lungs. We studied Duffy antigen expression by immunohistochemistry in autopsy lung specimens from 16 cases of suppurative pneumonia, 11 cases of acute lung injury, and seven normal lungs. In lungs with suppurative pneumonia, Duffy antigen was expressed in higher numbers of pre- and postcapillary parenchymal vessels compared to normal specimens or specimens with acute lung injury (p<0.03 and p<0.02, respectively). Lungs with suppurative pneumonia also showed Duffy antigen expression on the alveolar septa, whereas this was a rare finding in normal specimens or in acute lung injury (p<0.02). Furthermore, Duffy antigen labeling of the alveolar septa localized to regions with airspace accumulation of neutrophil-rich exudates. In summary, Duffy antigen expression is increased in the vascular beds and alveolar septa of the lung parenchyma during suppurative pneumonia, suggesting that Duffy antigen may have a functional role in the lung parenchyma during inflammation.
Survey of Current Practice Patterns in the Treatment of Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer

Objectives Our aim was to assess current surgical practices and use of adjuvant therapy in the treatment of FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer. Methods A 19-question survey was developed and sent to all Society of Gynecologic Oncologist members by e-mail. Data were collected anonymously using Internet-based survey software. Respondents were asked questions regarding preoperative evaluation, surgical approach, lymph node dissection (LND), and adjuvant therapy. Results A total of 1399 surveys were distributed, 320 (23%) members completed the survey. Ninety-seven percent of respondents were gynecologic oncologists or fellows, and 87% treat 30 or more endometrial cancer patients yearly. Respondents were more likely to order preoperative tests such as computed tomography abdomen/pelvis and CA-125 for biopsy-proven grade 3 disease versus grade 1 (82% vs 29%). Robot-assisted laparoscopy was the preferred surgical approach (66%), followed by conventional laparoscopy (21%). Twenty-six percent of respondents perform LND in all cases. Forty-eight percent describe their LND as complete, to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery. Adjuvant therapy was recommended more often with increasing myometrial invasion, tumor grade, and lymphovascular space invasion. Vaginal brachytherapy was the most commonly recommended adjuvant therapy for stage IA. For stage IB, grade 3, positive lymphovascular space invasion disease, respondents were more likely to combine vaginal brachytherapy with external beam radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Older patients were more likely to have adjuvant therapy in earlier stages of disease than younger patients. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that respondents are individualizing care based on preoperative, intraoperative, and pathologic findings. As expected, adjuvant treatment is recommended for patients with higher stage and grade disease. Robot-assisted hysterectomy and chemotherapy are now commonly used in the management of this disease. We anticipate that new trends will continue to emerge as results from additional studies become available.