Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of a High Fructose Diet on Physiology and Cognition in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Fructose consumption has increased exponentially during the past four decades. The physiological effects of a high fructose diet include obesity and insulin resistance. In animal models, the effects of a high fructose diet on fat distribution are inconclusive in that some studies find increases in body mass and lipids while others find no effect. Recent findings indicate that a high fructose diet causes hippocampal insulin resistance in hamsters, raising the possibility that the diet causes impairments in cognition. The following experiments tested the hypotheses that a high fructose diet alters fat distribution rather than total body mass and impairs hippocampaldependent memory. Results indicated that the high fructose diet did not affect fat distribution, but did increase plasma triacylglycerides. Interestingly, the diet also impaired spatial reference memory in the Morris water maze, and this effect was correlated with plasma triacylglycerides. These results indicate that a high fructose diet impairs brain function. INDEX WORDS: Fructose, Diet, Memory, Hippocampus, Triacylglycerides, Free fatty acids, Morris water maze EFFECTS OF A HIGH FRUCTOSE DIET ON PHYSIOLOGY AND COGNITION IN MALE SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS
Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Treatment of Localized Prostate Cancer and Risk of Second Primary Malignancies

Background: While androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a common treatment for prostate cancer, little is known regarding its long-term health effects, particularly as it relates to the development of second primary malignancies. Therefore, the goal of this study was to assess the association between ADT use and second primary malignancies among men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. Methods: We assessed whether use of ADT (specifically, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists) was associated with the development of second primary malignancies in a retrospective cohort of 24,038 men ages more than 18 years who were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 1998 and 2007, and followed through 2009. We used proportional hazards regression to estimate the risk of developing a second primary cancer among men who were treated with ADT compared with men who were not. Results: Men who were treated with ADT were not more likely to develop any second primary malignancy compared with those who were not treated with ADT after adjustment for age, race, date of diagnosis, utilization, clinical stage, Gleason score, and radiation therapy [HR, 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–1.22)]. Radiotherapy, diabetes, and obesity did not modify the association between ADT use and second primary cancer risk. Conclusion: Our results suggest that among men with localized prostate cancer, ADT is not associated with an increased risk of second primary malignancies. Impact: When evaluating the risks and benefits of using ADT as a treatment for localized prostate cancer, considering the risk of second primary malignancies may not be clinically important. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 313–6. ©2013 AACR.
Dynamic Measurement of a Head-Disk Spacing Variation for High Density FDD

A head-disk interface (HDI) analyzer for high-density floppy disk drives (FDDs) was improved. This equipment consists of a high-shutter-speed camera and a highly sensitive image processor. It makes possible the evaluation of dynamic spacing fluctuation by analysis of interference fringe patterns on both sides of a floppy disk (FD). With this equipment, the dynamic motions of an up-head slider and FD were observed. Moreover, it was shown that the surface roughness of the FD affects the head contact and that a smoother disk surface causes larger fluctuations in spacing. This result indicates that a surface of appropriate roughness is required of FDs so as to maintain reliability in high-density FDDs.
Thermal Dependence and Acclimation of Fast Start Locomotion and Its Physiological Basis in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Rainbow trout (family Salmonidae, Oncorhynchus mykiss) were acclimated to 5° and 20° C for 4 wk. The acclimatory response of the C-start (fast-escape swimming) and the molecular, biochemical, and contractile properties of fast-twitch muscle were investigated. With peptide mapping, no change was noted in the expression of myosin heavy chains in fast-twitch muscles with thermal acclimation. The myofibrillar ATPase activity of fast-twitch muscle isolated from individuals of each acclimation group was determined at 5° and 20° C The activity of myofibrillar ATPase was highly temperature dependent (Q10 = 2.9). Acclimation temperature had no significant effect on ATPase activity measured at 5° or 20° C The thermal stability of the myofibrillar ATPase, however, was significantly increased following a period of acclimation to a higher temperature. Fast-twitch muscle contraction time (force onset to 50% relaxation) decreased from 32 ms to 12 ms with an acute change in temperature from 5° to 20° C (Q10 = 1.9). Acclimation to low temperature resulted in only a small increase in twitch contraction speed (11%). After specimens were exposed to either 5° or 20° C, C-starts were elicited at both acclimation temperatures. The linear speed (m/s) and angular velocity (degrees/s) attained by the fish at each temperature were both temperature-dependent (Q10 = 1.2). The total distance moved in 40 ms and the angular velocity of the fish at 20° C increased slightly (24% and 15%, respectively) following a period of acclimation to the higher temperature. Acclimation temperature had no statistically significant effect on maximum linear velocity. Thus, trout are capable of only minor acclimatory adjustments in response to exposure to high temperature. Further, it appears that this acclimatory response has not been facilitated by the differential expression of temperature-specific myofibrillar protein isoforms, as has been previously found in other polyploid fish species.
Occurrence of the IS900 gene in Mycobacterium avium complex derived from HIV patients.

The occurrence of the insertion sequence IS900 in Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium strains isolated from HIV infected patients has been investigated. In this study, genomic DNA from 62 mycobacterial isolates [31 strains of M. avium complex (MAC) consisting of 26 M. avium subsp. avium HIV-isolates and five non-HIV isolates and 31 additional Mycobacterium species] were analysed by an IS900 -based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and Southern hybridization using a non-radioactive-labelled 251 bp DNA fragment located at the 5'-region of the IS900 sequence. As expected, none of the 28 Mycobacterium species contained the IS900 in their genomic DNA. Of the 26 M. avium subsp. avium HIV-isolates, 15 (57.6%) were strongly positive for the IS900 or IS900 related sequence. The five pulmonary non-HIV MAC isolates were negative for the IS900. As expected, the three strains of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis were positive. This PCR guided study suggest that the IS900 gene is very common in clinical strains of M. avium subsp. avium especially those isolated from HIV patients. Ultimately the IS900 PCR-based assay may provide a useful tool for diagnostic and epidemiological studies related to MAC infections in HIV patients.
Identification of sperm morphometric subpopulations in the canine ejaculate: do they reflect different subpopulations in sperm chromatin integrity?

Summary A statistical approach using sequentially principal component analysis (PCA) clustering and discriminant analysis was developed to disclose morphometric sperm subpopulations. In addition, we used a similar approach to disclose subpopulations of spermatozoa with different degrees of DNA fragmentation. It is widely accepted that sperm morphology is a strong indicator of semen quality and since the sperm head mainly comprises the sperm DNA, it has been proposed that subtle changes in sperm head morphology may be related to abnormal DNA content. Semen from four mongrel dogs (five replicates per dog) were used to investigate DNA quality by means of the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), and for computerized sperm morphometry (ASMA). Each sperm head was measured for nine primary parameters: head area (A), head perimeter (P), head length (L), head width (W), acrosome area (%), midpiece width (w), midpiece area (a), distance (d) between the major axes of the head and midpiece, angle (θ) of divergence of the midpiece from the head axis; and four parameters of head shape: FUN1 (L/W), FUN2 (4π A/P2), FUN3 ((L – W)/(L + W)) and FUN 4 (π LW/4A). The data matrix consisted of 2361 observations, (morphometric analysis on individual spermatozoa) and 63 815 observations for the DNA integrity. The PCA analysis revealed five variables with Eigen values over 1, representing more than 79% of the cumulative variance. The morphometric data revealed five sperm subpopulations, while the DNA data gave six subpopulations of spermatozoa with different DNA integrity. Significant differences were found in the percentage of spermatozoa falling in each cluster among dogs (p < 0.05). Linear regression models including sperm head shape factors 2, 3 and 4 predicted the amount of denatured DNA within each individual spermatozoon (p < 0.001). We conclude that the ASMA analysis can be considered a powerful tool to improve the spermiogram.
beta -Po phase of sulfur at 162 GPa: X-ray diffraction study to 212 GPa.

Using diamond anvil cell techniques and powerful synchrotron sources, we carried out an energy dispersive x-ray diffraction study on sulfur to 212 GPa and detected a transition to a new phase at 162±5 GPa. This new phase has been indexed as the β-Po structure based on agreement with the d spacings and the measured diffraction peaks. This is consistent with the published results on high pressure phases of Se and Te. The Raman spectra of the fully recovered sulfur indicate permanent changes in the molecular structure. This paper represents the first experimental results in which a structural determination has been made for the low-atomic-number materials above 100 GPa
The toxicity of methotrexate in male fertility and paternal teratogenicity

ABSTRACT Introduction: There is a high prevalence of methotrexate (MTX) use in males of reproductive age. The scope of this paper reviews what is known regarding risks to fertility and partners’ pregnancy outcomes with regard to MTX use in men. Areas covered: This paper reviews the evidence for current recommendations for MTX use and male fertility and aims to educate professionals regarding MTX use in reproducing males so that patients may be counseled appropriately. A literature search included peer-reviewed sources from PubMed searches and the literature referenced within. Expert opinion: There is a lack of evidence regarding effects of MTX on male fertility. The recommendation to stop MTX three months prior to conception is safe, but is not evidenced by an understanding of the impact of MTX on spermatogenesis or paternal-mediated teratogenicity but rather the timeframe of spermatogenesis. Given the unclear evidence, patients treated with MTX must be counseled on the likelihood of adverse effects of MTX and role of sperm cryopreservation. Future studies are needed to help elucidate the unclear evidence of MTX effects on male fertility and pregnancy outcomes.
Immune electron microscopy of cross-reactions between Mycoplasma pneumoniae and human erythrocytes

Respiratory infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae evokes immunoglobulin M autoantibody which agglutinates human erythrocytes at 4 degrees C (cold agglutinin) and is specific for I antigen. Cross-reactions between surface antigens of M. pneumoniae and human erythrocytes, previously examined by serological analysis, were examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Ferritin-labeled human antimycoplasmal and rabbit antisera to erythrocyte membrane components reacted with antigens on the surface of both M. pneumoniae and erythrocytes. Adsorption of human erythrocytes to M. pneumoniae was blocked by the same antisera without ferritin label. It is proposed that the cross-reactive specificity lies in peripheral areas of the mycoplasmal cell, probably in a surface carbohydrate which has antigenic identity with erythrocyte glycoprotein.
Effects of egg yolk testosterone on growth and immunity in a precocial bird

In oviparous vertebrates, maternal steroid allocation to eggs can have important fitness consequences for the offspring. However, elevated testosterone levels are not only associated with beneficial postnatal effects, such as enhanced growth and high social status, but may also entail costs by suppressing the immune system. In this study, testosterone levels in eggs of Chinese painted quail (Coturnix chinensis) were experimentally manipulated to evaluate its effects on growth and immunocompetence. Testosterone did not affect embryonic development, body size or growth during the first 20 days. However, elevated testosterone levels during embryonic development were immunosuppressive for chicks with inherently higher growth rate. Adaptive scenarios where only beneficial effects of increased testosterone levels are considered may therefore need to be re‐evaluated.
The many faces of empathy, between phenomenology and neuroscience

Massimiliano Aragona1, Georgios D. Kotzalidis2, Antonella Puzella3: 1Crossing Dialogues Association, Rome, Italy; 2Sapienza University, School of Medicine and Psychology, NESMOS Department (Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs), Sant’Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy; 3Studio Multiverso, ATC-SITCC, Rome, Italy. Corresponce address: massimiliano.aragona@uniroma1.it The many faces of empathy, between phenomenology and neuroscience
Entamoeba histolytica under Oxidative Stress: What Countermeasure Mechanisms Are in Place?

Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of human amoebiasis; it affects 50 million people worldwide and causes approximately 100,000 deaths per year. Entamoeba histolytica is an anaerobic parasite that is primarily found in the colon; however, for unknown reasons, it can become invasive, breaching the gut barrier and migrating toward the liver causing amoebic liver abscesses. During the invasive process, it must maintain intracellular hypoxia within the oxygenated human tissues and cellular homeostasis during the host immune defense attack when it is confronted with nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species. But how? This review will address the described and potential mechanisms available to counter the oxidative stress generated during invasion and the possible role that E. histolytica’s continuous endoplasmic reticulum (Eh-ER) plays during these events.
Findings of the 2010 Joint Workshop on Statistical Machine Translation and Metrics for Machine Translation

This paper presents the results of the WMT10 and MetricsMATR10 shared tasks, which included a translation task, a system combination task, and an evaluation task. We conducted a large-scale manual evaluation of 104 machine translation systems and 41 system combination entries. We used the ranking of these systems to measure how strongly automatic metrics correlate with human judgments of translation quality for 26 metrics. This year we also investigated increasing the number of human judgments by hiring non-expert annotators through Amazon's Mechanical Turk.
Court rulings involving individuals with dementia in Israel: A qualitative perspective

Background Individuals with dementia may appear before the courts in different roles. Despite the growing interest in the rights of older persons with dementia, relatively little empirical data exist regarding their actual interactions and experiences in court. Methods This study used a qualitative, textual analysis methodology. A total of 281 Israeli legal court cases, which addressed issues relating to dementia, were analyzed. Results Four key themes were found in the legal texts: (1) The legal construction of dementia and its relationships to old age; (2) The importance of procedural justice; (3) The implications and outcomes of the legal process; and (4) The legal implications to the society as a whole. Conclusions The legal narratives, which surround legal cases that deal with dementia in Israel, reveal an internal tension between stigmatic and anti-stigmatic narratives. This complex reality raises the need for further research and for a clearer judicial policy.
Multiple Branchial Cleft‐like Cysts in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

We report two cases of multiple intrathyroidal cysts in women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The cysts were lined by squamous and focally columnar epithelium, and they were surrounded by follicular lymphoid tissue and a fibrous capsule. They appeared similar to branchial cleft cysts of the lateral neck and were distinct from previously reported types of thyroid cysts. Although the histogenesis of these lesions is unclear, they are probably derived from developmental rests. A relationship between the cystic enlargement of these rests and the Hashimoto's disease seems likely.
Rescue of CF airway epithelial cell function in vitro by a CFTR potentiator, VX-770

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal genetic disease caused by mutations in the gene encoding the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a protein kinase A (PKA)-activated epithelial anion channel involved in salt and fluid transport in multiple organs, including the lung. Most CF mutations either reduce the number of CFTR channels at the cell surface (e.g., synthesis or processing mutations) or impair channel function (e.g., gating or conductance mutations) or both. There are currently no approved therapies that target CFTR. Here we describe the in vitro pharmacology of VX-770, an orally bioavailable CFTR potentiator in clinical development for the treatment of CF. In recombinant cells VX-770 increased CFTR channel open probability (Po) in both the F508del processing mutation and the G551D gating mutation. VX-770 also increased Cl− secretion in cultured human CF bronchial epithelia (HBE) carrying the G551D gating mutation on one allele and the F508del processing mutation on the other allele by ≈10-fold, to ≈50% of that observed in HBE isolated from individuals without CF. Furthermore, VX-770 reduced excessive Na+ and fluid absorption to prevent dehydration of the apical surface and increased cilia beating in these epithelial cultures. These results support the hypothesis that pharmacological agents that restore or increase CFTR function can rescue epithelial cell function in human CF airway.
Research synthesis methods and library and information science: Shared problems, limited diffusion

Interests of researchers who engage with research synthesis methods (RSM) intersect with library and information science (LIS) research and practice. This intersection is described by a summary of conceptualizations of research synthesis in a diverse set of research fields and in the context of Swanson's (1986) discussion of undiscovered public knowledge. Through a selective literature review, research topics that intersect with LIS and RSM are outlined. Topics identified include open access, information retrieval, bias and research information ethics, referencing practices, citation patterns, and data science. Subsequently, bibliometrics and topic modeling are used to present a systematic overview of the visibility of RSM in LIS. This analysis indicates that RSM became visible in LIS in the 1980s. Overall, LIS research has drawn substantially from general and internal medicine, the field's own literature, and business; and is drawn on by health and medical sciences, computing, and business. Through this analytical overview, it is confirmed that research synthesis is more visible in the health and medical literature in LIS; but suggests that, LIS, as a meta‐science, has the potential to make substantive contributions to a broader variety of fields in the context of topics related to research synthesis methods.
PRICE COMPETITION AND CONCENTRATION IN DECENTRALIZED MARKETS : EVIDENCE FROM A MERGER BETWEEN CANADIAN MORTGAGE LENDERS

This paper examines the impact of bank consolidation on price competition in mortgage markets. Mortgage markets are decentralized and so rates are determined through a search and negotiation process. The primary effect of consolidation is therefore to reduce the number of partners available with whom to negotiate, although it can also change the characteristics of the product, and impact the search effort of consumers. Using a Canadian merger as a case study, we find that consolidation had a small, but statistically significant effect on mortgage interest rates. A decomposition of this aggregate effect reveals important heterogeneity in the impact of the merger. We find that consumers able to negotiate sizeable discounts were adversely affected by the merger, while consumers at the top of the conditional price distribution were unaffected. These results suggest that, on average, the mortgage market is fairly competitive, despite the presence of a small number of banks in the Canadian market. However, not all consumers benefit from this competition, and our results suggest that banks enjoy substantial market power over consumers with large search costs. Date: This version: March 7, 2012. First version: January 14, 2010. Correspondence: Jason Allen: Bank of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0G9; Phone: (613) 782-8712; Email: jallen@bankofcanada.ca, Robert Clark: HEC Montréal, CIRANO and CIRPÉE, Montreal, Quebec; Phone: (514) 3407034; Email: robert.clark@hec.ca, Jean-François Houde: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin and CIRANO; Phone: (608) 262-3805; Email: houdejf@ssc.wisc. edu. Jason Allen thanks UW-Madison and HEC Montreal for their hospitality while writing this paper. Robert Clark thanks the FQRSC and HEC Montréal for funding. JeanFrancois Houde thanks the UW Graduate School research grant program and NSF (SES-1024840) for funding. We thank the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for providing us with the data. We also thank Allan Crawford, Walter Engert, and Ron Morrow for their consistent effort on this project. We thank seminar participants at the Bank of Canada, FTC, DePaul University, Boston University, Duke University, New York University, the IIOC (Vancouver), Invitational Choice Symposium (Miami), SEDs (Montréal), AEA (Denver and Chicago) for their comments. We thank Peter Newberry for research assistance. We greatly benefited from discussions with Dan Ackerberg, Jean Boivin, Michèle Bourque, Liran Einav, Gautam Gowrisankaran, Kim Huynh, Ken Hendricks, Jack Porter, Matt Shum, Alan Sorensen, and Chris Taber. The views in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bank of Canada. All errors are our own.
Expression of HSP72 after ELF‐EMF exposure in three cell lines

It has been reported that magnetic fields with flux densities ranging from µT to mT are able to induce heat shock factor, HSP72 mRNA or heat shock proteins in various cells. In this study we investigated changes in the HSP72 mRNA transcription level in three cell lines (HL‐60, H9c2, and Girardi heart cells) and in the intracellular HSP72 protein content in two cell lines (HL‐60 and Girardi heart cells) after treatment schemes using electromagnetic fields with a flux density of 2 µT to 4 mT, a frequency of 50 Hz and exposure times from 15 to 30 min. None of the treatments or modalities showed any significant effect on the HSP72 protein level, although HSP72 mRNA could be induced, at least to some extent, with one of the parameter combinations in all cell lines tested. Obviously, HSP72 mRNA transcription and translation are not necessarily coupled in certain cells. This leads to the conclusion that electromagnetic field effects on HSP72 mRNA levels are not indicative for downstream effects unless increased mRNA levels can be correlated with increased HSP72 protein levels as well. Bioelectromagnetics 28:509–518, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.