Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
subclinical Eating Disorders and Glycemic Control in Adolescents with Type I Diabetes

Several recent case reports have shown that anorexia nervosa and bulimia negatively affect glycemic control in diabetic patients. However, there have been no systematic studies to assess the prevalence of clinical or subclinical eating disorders among diabetic patients or to determine the impact of such disturbances on glycemic control. This study reports a survey of 202 adolescents, aged 12–18 yr, seen in the Diabetes Clinic, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, who were asked to complete the Binge Eating Scale (BES) and the EAT-26 questionnaire. Responses of diabetic patients to the EAT-26 questionnaire were compared with those of a nondiabetic control group and were related to measures of glycemic control. Diabetic subjects scored higher on the total EAT-26 than nondiabetic control subjects, ordinarily indicative of more eating pathology. However, diabetic subjects scored higher only on the dieting subscale of this questionnaire, probably reflecting adherence to the diabetes dietary regimen. Subjects with diabetes scored lower, or did not differ significantly, from nondiabetic control subjects on measures of oral control and bulimia. Among diabetic subjects, self-reported bulimic behaviors were related to poorer glycemic control. Patients with the highest scores on the BES had an average HbA1 of 13.1% compared with 11.8% for age- and sex-matched patients at the 50th percentile, and 10.8% for patients in the lowest 10th percentile. Further studies are needed to determine whether modification of these eating behaviors would improve glycemic control.
Changes in wave reflection with advancing age in normal subjects.

To the Editor: From their study of a small selected group (521 of 2640 persons) within the Framingham cohort, Mitchell et al1 conclude that increase in central aortic stiffness rather than wave reflection is responsible for the increase in pulse pressure with advancing age in healthy men and women. The authors state that changes in wave reflection with advancing age are consistent with the hypothesis that a marked increase in elastic artery pulse wave velocity (PWV) with little change in muscular artery PWV leads to impedance matching between central aorta and proximal muscular arteries, which reduces proximal wave reflection and shifts reflecting sites distally. This view runs counter to classic studies that say the characteristic feature of the pressure pulse waveform with aging is attributable to early wave reflection resulting from increased elastic artery PWV and shifts of reflecting sites closer to (not further from) the heart.2 Mitchell’s calculation of reflection wave transit time (RWTT) was based on identification of an inflection point (or foot of the reflected wave) on the rising limb of the carotid pressure wave. RWTT duration (129 SD28 ms) was consistently lower than time to the end of systole (312 to 320 …
Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits the development of atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. , a local soft drink material and medicinal herb, is usually used effectively in native medicines against hypertension, pyrexia, and liver disorders. Here, we report an extract, HSE (H. sabdariffa extract), which is designed to exhibit hypolipidemia and antiatherosclerotic effects in rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis. New Zealand White rabbits were fed with a normal diet, high cholesterol (1.3%), lard oil (3%) diet (HCD) with or without 0.5 or 1% HSE for 10 weeks. The levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were lower in the serum of rabbits fed HCD plus HSE than in the serum of rabbits fed HCD. Feeding HSE (0.5 and 1% in the diet) to rabbits significantly reduced severe atherosclerosis in the aorta. Histopathological examination showed that HSE reduced foam cell formation and inhibited smooth muscle cell migration and calcification in the blood vessel of rabbits. These results suggest that HSE inhibits serum lipids and shows an antiatherosclerotic activity.
Is a Thorough QTc Study Necessary? The Role of Modeling and Simulation in Evaluating the QTc Prolongation Potential of Drugs

Concentration‐QT (C‐QT) modeling has been conducted for multiple compounds at various stages of development in different therapeutic areas. Data from available single and multiple ascending‐dose (SAD/MAD) studies were pooled to construct population C‐QT models, with post hoc predictions of concentration from a pharmacokinetic model. All SAD and MAD studies employed a customized robust QTc assessment with time‐matched triplicate electrocardiograms and centralized manual QTc reading. Sources of variability were characterized, and the relationship between covariates and model parameters was explored, with a particular emphasis on correction for heart rate and diurnal variation. The results of population prediction of QTc prolongation were compared to available thorough QTc (TQT) study results, and the C‐QT model was evaluated to determine whether it could establish the QTc prolongation relationship without the TQT results. Negative TQT study results confirmed negative simulation results from phase I/II C‐QT models. Simulations were undertaken to characterize the ability of pooled C‐QT modeling to obviate the need for a TQT. C‐QT modeling should be implemented as a standard part of modeling and simulation at different phases of drug development and used in conjunction with other data that influence the need and/or the timing of a TQT study.
The Characteristics of Postprandial Proximal Gastric Acid Pocket in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Background Postprandial proximal gastric acid pocket (PPGAP) plays important roles in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of PPGAP in GERD. Material/Methods There were 17 normal participants and 20 GERD patients who completed a gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GerdQ) and underwent a gastroscopy, a high-resolution manometry, an esophageal 24-hour pH monitoring, and a station pull-through pH monitoring to assess their symptomatic degree, endoscopic change, acid exposure, and PPGAP. Results PPGAP was present in all participants. Compared with normal participants, the PPGAP in GERD patients was significantly different, thus the disappearing time was significantly later (p<0.001), the lasting time was significantly longer (p<0.001), the length was significantly longer (p<0.001), and the lowest pH and the mean pH were significantly lower (p<0.001). The length of PPGAP in GERD patients was positively correlated with GerdQ score (p<0.05). The disappearing time, the lasting time, and the length of PPGAP in GERD patients was positively correlated with the DeMeester score (p<0.01). The lowest pH and the mean pH of PPGAP in GERD patients was negatively correlated with the DeMeester score (p<0.001). Conclusions PPGAP was generally present. PPGAP in GERD patients had characteristics of long time period, long length, and high acidity. Its length was positively correlated with subjective symptomatic degree. Its period, length, and acidity were positively correlated with the objective acid exposure. PPGAP seems to be the originator of acid reflux events and plays important roles in GERD.
Lightning Shielding Analysis on Ships

Calculations of the expected number of lightning strikes on three ship models are presented with comparative application of various lightning attachment models and stroke current distributions. Depending on the ship structure, on coastal areas, a lightning strike on a ship is expected approximately every two years. Application of the rolling sphere method highlighted as regions exposed to lightning strikes not only high masts but also lower structures in the cases of ships with less dense geometry. A new method for the lightning protection of critical masts that combines a shielding analysis procedure and a statistical lightning interception model was also proposed and applied to specific masts of the ship models in order to evaluate whether shielding from nearby higher masts is achieved and to define the proper height and installation position of a new rod. Proximity effects, interception probability, and choice of the ground reference level arise as parameters that affect the results of the shielding analysis, especially when the equipment under protection is the highest structure on the ship.
The Effect of Culture on Two Information-Processing Speed Tests

The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) has been proposed to replace the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test-3 (PASAT-3) in the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite because it has the same validity but easy and shorter administration. However, among the two tests, the one that is most affected by culture is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of Argentinian and North American populations on the SDMT and PASAT-3. The SDMT and PASAT-3 were administered to 137 healthy volunteers from Buffalo, NY, and 137 healthy participants from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Participants were matched by gender, age (±2), and education (±1). Significant differences were found on the SDMT but not on the PASAT-3. Significant and low correlations were found between the tests and years of education. The SDMT is more affected by culture than is the PASAT-3. Possible interpretations of this result are presented.
Complement component 3 polymorphisms interact with polyunsaturated fatty acids to modulate risk of metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND Complement component 3 (C3) is a novel determinant of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Gene-nutrient interactions with dietary fat may affect MetS risk. OBJECTIVES The objectives were to determine the relation between C3 polymorphisms and MetS and whether interaction with plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), a biomarker of dietary PUFA, modulate this relation. DESIGN C3 polymorphisms (rs11569562, rs2250656, rs1047286, rs2230199, rs8107911, rs344548, rs344550, rs2241393, rs7257062, rs163913, and rs2230204), biochemical measurements, and plasma fatty acids were measured in the LIPGENE-SUpplementation en VItamines et Minéraux AntioXydants (SU.VI.MAX) study in MetS cases and matched controls (n = 1754). RESULTS Two single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with MetS. rs11569562 GG homozygotes had decreased MetS risk compared with minor A allele carriers [odds ratio (OR): 0.53; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.82; P = 0.009], which was augmented by high plasma PUFA status (OR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.93; P = 0.04). GG homozygotes had lower C3 concentrations than those in AA homozygotes (P = 0.03) and decreased risk of hypertriglyceridemia compared with A allele carriers (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.92; P = 0.02), which was further ameliorated by an increase in long-chain n-3 (omega-3) PUFAs (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.97; P = 0.04) or a decrease in n-6 PUFAs (OR: 0.32; CI: 0.16, 0.62; P = 0.002). rs2250656 AA homozygotes had increased MetS risk relative to minor G allele carriers (OR: 1.78; CI: 1.19, 2.70; P = 0.02), which was exacerbated by low n-6 PUFA status (OR: 2.20; CI: 1.09, 4.55; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION Plasma PUFAs may modulate the susceptibility to MetS that is conferred by C3 polymorphisms, which suggests novel gene-nutrient interactions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00272428.
Responses of isolated Golgi tendon organs of the cat to muscle contraction and electrical stimulation.

1. Responses of Golgi tendon organs isolated from cat tail muscles to contraction of muscle fibers inserting directly into the receptor (GTO‐muscle fibres) as well as to pulses of electrical current applied extracellularly through the sensory axon were studied. 2. Analysis of the responses to GTO‐muscle fibre contraction indicated that the active force developed by each muscle fibre constituted an equally potent input to the receptor in proportion to the developed force. 3. The sensitivity of a Golgi tendon organ remained almost constant with changes in muscle length up to a length where maximum active tension was developed (lo). Beyond lo, the sensitivity tended to decrease. 4. The absolute force threshold (passive + active) at 1o for initiating an impulse in the afferent nerve was estimated for five preparations to be 4.5‐14 mg. It was also demonstrated that the contraction of a single GTO‐muscle fibre may initiate impulse discharge from the receptor. 5. A constant depolarizing current applied extracellularly to a GTO through its axon initiated a train of impulses, probably originating from a site near or within the receptor capsule. Analysis of responses to constant currents of various intensities suggested that a single impulse initiation site was involved. 6. During combined stimulation, responses of a tendon organ to GTO‐muscle fibre contraction simply added to the response initiated by a constant current pulse, suggesting that the impulse initiation sites activated by each mode of stimulation were identical, or situated very close to each other in the nerve terminal.
Health-related quality of life in type 2 diabetes (TARDIS-2).

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is now recognized as a major public health concern but its burden on society is under-researched. METHODS T(2)ARDIS was a postal survey of 1578 people with type 2 diabetes across four UK centres, incorporating measures of resource use, treatment satisfaction and health-related quality of life (HrQoL). The findings included data on the EQ-5D that enabled the HrQoL burden of the disease to be established by comparison with equivalent data for the general population and the diabetic population as a whole from the 1996 Health Survey of England. RESULTS The results indicate a significant deficit experienced by people with type 2 diabetes vs. their age group peers in the general population. The proportion of T(2)ARDIS respondents reporting problems increases in relation to the presence of complications, and microvascular complications appear to have more impact than macrovascular complications. CONCLUSIONS This confirms the need for treatment policies to focus on reducing the risk of such complications and hence improve patients' HrQoL.
A GENERAL MEASUREMENT ERROR FRAMEWORK FOR TWO-STAGE DESIGNS OF GENETIC ASSOCIATION STUDIES

We consider two-stage case-control designs for testing associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and disease, in which a subsample of subjects is used to select a panel of ‘‘tagging’’ SNPs that will be considered in the main study. We propose a pseudolikelihood [Pepe and Flemming, 1991: JASA 86:108–113] that combines the information from both the main study and the substudy to test the association with any polymorphism in the original set. SNP-tagging [Chapman et al., 2003: Hum Hered 56:18–31] and haplotype-tagging [Stram et al., 2003a; Hum Hered 55:27–36] approaches are compared. We show that the cost-efficiency of such a design for estimating the relative risk associated with the causal polymorphism can be considerably better than for a single-stage design, even if the causal polymorphism is not included in the tag-SNP set. We also consider the optimal selection of cases and controls in such designs and the relative efficiency for estimating the location of a causal variant in linkage disequilibrium mapping. Nevertheless, as the cost of high-volume genotyping plummets and haplotype tagging information from the International HapMap project [Gibbs et al., 2003; Nature 426:789–796] rapidly accumulates in public databases, such two-stage designs may soon become unnecessary. Genet. Epidemiol. & 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A More Complex Isoleucine Aptamer with a Cognate Triplet*

The simplest RNA that can meet a column affinity selection for isoleucine was previously defined using selection amplification with decreasing numbers of randomized nucleotides. This simplest UAUU motif was a small asymmetric internal loop. Conserved positions of the loop include isoleucine codon and anticodon triplets (Lozupone C., Changayil, S., Majerfeld, I., and Yarus, M. (2003) RNA (N. Y.) 9, 1315–1322). Using new primer sequences, we now select a somewhat more complex isoleucine binding RNA, requiring 4.7 more bits of information to describe. The newly selected structure is a terminal or hairpin loop of 20 nucleotides, 15 being invariant. An information profile shows that the new binding site contains five short functional loop regions joined by less significant single nucleotide positions. Among the important nucleotides is a conserved isoleucine anticodon, supporting the escaped triplet theory, which posits a stereochemical genetic code originating in RNA amino acid binding sites.
Opitimal control for a class of differential linear repetitive processes

S. Dymkou, E. Rogers, M. Dymkov, K. Ga lkowski, D. H. Owens 1 ITMS, Ballarat University, Australia. 2 Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. etar@ecs.soton. ac.uk 3 Institute of Mathematics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus. 4 Institute of Control and Computation Engineering, University of Zielona Gora, Poland. 5 Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK.
Yinon Shafrir and Gabor Forgacs Mechanotransduction through the cytoskeleton

[PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , August 1, 2004; 24 (2): 238-246. Eur. Respir. J. M. Kotani, T. Kotani, Z. Li, R. Silbajoris, C.A. Piantadosi and Y-C.T. Huang Reduced inspiratory flow attenuates IL-8 release and MAPK activation of lung overstretch [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , December 1, 2004; 287 (6): C1527-C1536. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol A. M. Sorkin, K. C. Dee and M. L. Knothe Tate mechanobiological investigations "Culture shock" from the bone cell's perspective: emulating physiological conditions for [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , June 15, 2005; 171 (12): 1328-1342. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. N. E. Vlahakis and R. D. Hubmayr Cellular Stress Failure in Ventilator-injured Lungs [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , October 1, 2005; 26 (10): 1687-1697. Carcinogenesis V. Thamilselvan and M. D. Basson malignant colonocyte focal adhesion signaling and cell adhesion The role of the cytoskeleton in differentially regulating pressure-mediated effects on
Cross Talk among the Glycoproteins Involved in Herpes Simplex Virus Entry and Fusion: the Interaction between gB and gH/gL Does Not Necessarily Require gD

ABSTRACT The gD, gB, and gH/gL glycoprotein quartet constitutes the basic apparatus for herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry into the cell and fusion. gD serves as a receptor binding glycoprotein and trigger of fusion. The conserved gB and gH/gL execute fusion. Central to understanding HSV entry/fusion has become the dissection of how the four glycoproteins engage in cross talk. While the independent interactions of gD with gB and gD with gH/gL have been documented, less is known of the interaction of gB with gH/gL. So far, this interaction has been detected only in the presence of gD by means of a split green fluorescent protein complementation assay. Here, we show that gB interacts with gH/gL in the absence of gD. The gB-gH/gL complex was best detected with a form of gB in which the endocytosis and phosphorylation motif have been deleted; this form of gB persists in the membranes of the exocytic pathway and is not endocytosed. The gB-gH/gL interaction was detected both in whole transfected cells by means of a split yellow fluorescent protein complementation assay and, biochemically, by a pull-down assay. Results with a panel of chimeric forms of gB, in which portions of the glycoprotein bracketed by consecutive cysteines were replaced with the corresponding portions from human herpesvirus 8 gB, favor the view that gB carries multiple sites for interaction with gH/gL, and one of these sites is located in the pleckstrin-like domain 1 carrying the bipartite fusion loop.
Spontaneous cardiac baroreflex in humans. Comparison with drug-induced responses.

We compared two methods of assessment of baroreflex sensitivity in eight supine healthy volunteers during repeated baseline measurements and various conditions of cardiac autonomic blockade. The spontaneous baroreflex method involved computer scanning of recordings of continuous finger arterial pressure and electrocardiogram to locate sequences of three or more beats in which pressure spontaneously increased or decreased, with parallel changes in pulse intervals. The mean regression slope of all these sequences during each study condition was considered to represent the mean spontaneous baroreflex slope. In the drug-induced method, sigmoidal curves were constructed from data obtained by bolus injections of phenylephrine and nitroprusside; the tangents taken at the resting pressure of each of these curves were compared with the mean spontaneous baroreflex slopes. The two methods yielded slopes that were highly correlated (r = .96, P < .001), with significant but similar intraindividual baseline variability. Atropine virtually eliminated the baroreflex slope; subsequent addition of propranolol did not alter it further. Propranolol or clonidine alone increased average baroreflex slope to the extent that they increased resting pulse interval (r = .69 to .83). The spontaneous baroreflex method provides a reliable, noninvasive assessment of human vagal cardiac baroreflex sensitivity within its physiological operating range.
Arachidonic acid metabolites after excimer laser corneal surgery.

OBJECTIVE We investigated early mediators of inflammation following excimer laser ablation in a rabbit cornea model. The ability of topical anti-inflammatory agents to influence these responses was also examined. METHODS Adult New Zealand white rabbits were subjected to photorefractive keratectomy with a 193-nm argon fluoride excimer laser. Prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay, and leukocyte infiltration was determined histologically. RESULTS Prostaglandin E2 production was rapid and sustained, but we were unable to detect the presence of leukotriene B4. Relative to control, postoperative topical diclofenac sodium treatment caused a significant decrease in prostaglandin E2 levels and a significant increase in corneal leukocytes at 10 hours. Fluorometholone treatment did not significantly alter prostaglandin E2 levels but markedly depressed leukocyte ingress. CONCLUSIONS Diclofenac reduces prostaglandin E2 levels but not leukocyte infiltration in the cornea following photorefractive keratectomy and thus may be useful clinically to reduce postsurgical pain.