Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Dietary fiber consumption in an adult population].

OBJECTIVE The dietary fiber has emerged as a leading dietary factor in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. I was estimated the average consumption of total dietary fiber (DF), insoluble fiber (IF) and soluble fiber (SF) in the meals of both sex adults from the town of Cotia, a metropolitan area in S. Paulo State, Brazil. METHODS A population sample of Cotia country, S. Paulo (Brazil), consisted of 559 adults older than 20 years old, was studied. Food consumption was assessed by the dietary history habits. The amount of dietary fiber in each meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) was estimated by the serving size. The foods were classified according to their fiber content in Very High (7 g or more), High (4.5 to 6.9), Moderate (2.4 to 4.4) and Low (<2.4). RESULTS The average population's consumption of dietary fiber was of 24 g/day, with an average consumption of insoluble fiber of 17 g/day and soluble of 7 g/day. Among women, the average consumption was 20 g/day and among men 29 g/day (p<0.01). Most of the foods in their diet were classified as having a low content of dietary fiber. Beans were the most important dietary fiber source in the population diet. Lunch and dinner were the meal with a higher content of dietary fiber. CONCLUSIONS A low consumption of dietary fiber in the population sample could be detected. Their usual sources of dietary fiber were poor.
Left ventricular performance during continuous endotoxin-induced hyperdynamic endotoxemia in sheep.

Cardiac function was studied in an unanesthetized ovine model of hyperdynamic endotoxemia. Sixteen sheep were instrumented with ultrasonic crystals on the left ventricle to measure changes in its external diameter, a pressure transducer in the left ventricle, and aortic and Swan-Ganz catheters. The animals received either Escherichia coli endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 10 ng.kg-1.min-1; LPS group, n = 10] or an equivalent amount of 0.9% NaCl (sham group, n = 6). Between 1 and 8 h after LPS, a hypodynamic state with low cardiac output ensued (LPS 5.0 +/- 0.2 vs. sham 6.3 +/- 0.4 l.min-1.m-2). During this period, the end-systolic pressure-diameter relationship, a sensitive index of myocardial contractility, was reduced (LPS 10.4 +/- 1.2 vs. sham 17.2 +/- 0.8 mmHg/mm). After this first phase, the sheep developed a persistent hyperdynamic state characterized by a significant increase in cardiac output. By 24 h after LPS administration, the cardiac output was 10.1 +/- 0.5 l.min-1.m-2 (sham 6.3 +/- 0.3). Despite the marked elevation of cardiac output, the end-systolic pressure-diameter relationship had fallen to 8.5 +/- 0.9 mmHg/mm (sham 16.0 +/- 1.2). In a model of hyperdynamic state, an increased cardiac output occurs despite a significant depression in myocardial contractility.
An 11 kV steady state residential aggregate load model. Part 2: Microgeneration and demand-side management

This paper is part two of a two-part series on the development of improved aggregate load models for steady state power system analysis. Part one paper presented a general methodology for building component-based low voltage (LV) aggregate load models from statistical information on load structure and measurements of active/reactive power demands. The developed LV aggregate load models are then connected to typical LV and medium voltage (MV) network configurations, in order to obtain correct aggregate load models at higher voltage levels. This paper discusses how the presented LV and MV aggregate load models can be modified in order to include microgeneration technologies and demand-side management (DSM) functionalities in the analysis. Using the UK residential load sector as an example, it is shown that the assessment of microgeneration should be correlated both spatially and temporally with the aggregated load. The effects of DSM generally depend on the applied scenario, but may have a more pronounced effect on the aggregate demands.
The Rho protein exchange factor Vav3 regulates vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration.

AIMS Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Rho GEFs) are responsible for Rho protein activation by catalyzing the exchange of GDP for GTP. Although overactivation of Rho proteins is a common component of the pathogenesis of vascular disorders, the molecular mechanisms and the Rho GEFs regulating Rho protein activity and Rho-dependent functions in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are still unknown. The aim of this study was thus to identify Rho GEFs involved in the regulation of VSMC functions. METHODS AND RESULTS By a functional screening based on small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated silencing of 27 Rho GEFs, we found that only silencing of the Rho GEF Vav3 inhibited rat VSMC proliferation. Conversely, overexpression of Vav3 potentiated VSMC proliferation, whereas the catalytically inactive Vav3 mutant had no effect. The stimulatory effect of Vav3 on VSMC proliferation was inhibited by the Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU6656 and by co-expression of the dominant-negative Rac1-N17 mutant. In agreement with this observation, expression of Vav3 induced enrichment of Rac1 to the membrane, activation of its effector PAK, and stimulated VSMC migration. Increased levels of Vav3 transcripts were found in stented arteries and arteries from hypertensive rats. Furthermore, siRNA targeting Vav3 decreased arterial wall cell proliferation. CONCLUSION The Rho GEF Vav3 controls VSMC proliferation and migration through activation of Rac1/PAK signalling. Vav3 is a convergent point mediating Rac1 activation in response to different upstream mediators that promote VSMC proliferation and migration and thus appears to be a new potential therapeutic target that could be used to limit vascular proliferative diseases.
Evaluation of the morphological characteristic and sex differences of sternum by multi-detector computed tomography.

BACKGROUND Sternum is one of the skeleton parts which have frequently congenital anomalies and variations are commonly used by researchers in determining sex. We evaluated the morphological characteristics and sex-related changes of the sternum in adult individuals using multidetector computed tomography in our study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two hundred adults (103 female and 97 male) aged between 18 and 87 years were evaluated. Utilising the morphological characteristics of the sternum based on the multislice images; length, width and the thickness of manubrium, length, width and the thickness of corpus sterni, total length of sternum, sternal angle, sternal index (SI), length of the xiphoid process, the thickness of xiphoid process, the number of indents of xiphoid process were measured and a total of 20 parameters were evaluated by adding age, height and weight to these variables. RESULTS The mean length of the manubrium, the length of corpus sterni, the length of total sternum, SI, sternal angle were found in females 46.7 ± 5.1, 86.6 ± 9.7, 133.1 ± 1.1, 54.47 ± 10.0 and 163.75 ± 5.79; in males 51.2 ± 6,102.4 ± 13.3, 154.1 ± 13.1, 50.11 ± 10.02 and 162.21 ± 6.17, respectively. We found that Hyrtl's Law and SI did not provide adequate accuracy for sex determination in our patients. It has been detected that the length of the manubrium alone is not helpful for individual samples. Total length of the sternum was found to be more reliable than the length of the manubrium and the length of corpus sterni. We determined sternal cleft and sternal foramen as 0.5% and 3.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that the morphometric standards cannot be universally applied and can demonstrate individual differences. The standard rules must be implemented for every population.
WHERE DO RISKS IN SHRIMP FARMING COME FROM? EMPIRICAL RESULTS FROM SMALL FARMERS IN EAST JAVA, INDONESIA

This study was conducted to explore small-scaleshrimp farmers’ perception of risk and risk management. Thedata used originated from a field survey in the southern andnorthern coasts of East Java, Indonesia. According to the results,there are 32 risk sources, including shrimp price volatilityand high mortality due to shrimp diseases as the mostimportant ones. The exploratory factor analysis showed thatthe risks in small-scale shrimp farming derived from 8 factors:input and pond preparation; finance and credit access; production;personal aspects; harvesting and marketing; weather andenvironment; policy and institutional aspects; and businessenvironment. The results also revealed that the shrimp farmers’perception of risk could significantly influence their riskmanagement behavior. Furthermore, nine factors were identifiedfor risk management strategies, including disease prevention;education and technology improvement; productioninputs; farm management; government support; risk sharingand insurance; financial aspects; household adjustment; andalternative income sources.
Oil Prices and Urban Housing Demand

We develop a model of a monocentric, oil-exporting city. The model predicts a "twist" (rotation combined with a level shift) of the house price gradient with an oil price change due to the combined producer price and transportation cost effects. Using ZIP code level house price indices between 1975 and 2015, we show the slope of the house price gradient steepens in all cities when the price of oil is high and flattens when the price of oil is low. Areas specialized in oil and gas-related industries have house price changes that are positively linked with the price of oil. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions, and they quantify the large and differential risks to house prices associated with oil price changes both within and across all cities.
Creative Destruction: How monetary policy could help bringing the economic system to a more efficient plan.

In this paper we show how a contraction in monetary policy affects the process of creative destruction. Thereby we use a rise in the Federal Reserve’s policy interest rate as a proxy. We find that firms in the United States on average reduce their long-term debts and that average firm-level productivity increases as a result of a monetary contraction. With the first finding serving as a confirmation of prior research, our second finding validates the theory of creative destruction as firm-level productivity improves after a rise in the policy interest rate. This finding demonstrates a fundamental aspect of the theory of creative destruction. As unproductive firms are not able to meet rising interest expenses anymore, substantial dismissals of employees, divestitures of assets and ultimately liquidations result in a higher average firm-level productivity.
Norepinephrine Facilitates Inhibitory Transmission in Substantia Gelatinosa of Adult Rat Spinal Cord (Part 2): Effects on Somatodendritic Sites of GABAergic Neurons

Background It has been reported previously that norepinephrine, when applied to the spinal cord dorsal horn, excites a subpopulation of dorsal horn neurons, presumably inhibitory interneurons. In the current study, the authors tested whether norepinephrine could activate inhibitory interneurons, specifically those that are “GABAergic. ” Methods A transverse slice was obtained from a segment of the lumbar spinal cord isolated from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from substantia gelatinosa neurons using the blind patch-clamp technique. The effects of norepinephrine on spontaneous GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents were studied. Results In the majority of substantia gelatinosa neurons tested, norepinephrine (10–60 &mgr;M) significantly increased both the frequency and the amplitude of GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents. These increases were blocked by tetrodotoxin (1 &mgr;M). The effects of norepinephrine were mimicked by the &agr;1-receptor agonist phenylephrine (10–80 &mgr;M) and inhibited by the &agr;1-receptor antagonist WB-4101 (0.5 &mgr;M). Primary-afferent–evoked polysynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials or excitatory postsynaptic currents in wide-dynamic-range neurons of the deep dorsal horn were also attenuated by phenylephrine (40 &mgr;M). Conclusion The observations suggest that GABAergic interneurons possess somatodendritic &agr;1 receptors, and activation of these receptors excites inhibitory interneurons. The &agr;1 actions reported herein may contribute to the analgesic action of intrathecally administered phenylephrine.
Health disparities are associated with gastric cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios in 57 countries

AIM To evaluate the association between mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs) and health disparities. METHODS In this study, we used the GLOBOCAN 2012 database to obtain the cancer incidence and mortality data for 57 countries, and combined this information with the World Health Organization (WHO) rankings and total expenditures on health/gross domestic product (e/GDP). The associations between variables and MIRs were analyzed by linear regression analyses and the 57 countries were selected according to their data quality. RESULTS The more developed regions showed high gastric cancer incidence and mortality crude rates, but lower MIR values than the less developed regions (0.64 vs 0.80, respectively). Among six continents, Oceania had the lowest (0.60) and Africa had the highest (0.91) MIR. A good WHO ranking and a high e/GDP were significantly associated with low MIRs (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION The MIR variation for gastric cancer would predict regional health disparities.
Purification and Characterization of Bacillus subtilis PyrR, a Bifunctional pyr mRNA-binding Attenuation Protein/Uracil Phosphoribosyltransferase*

Bacillus subtilis PyrR has been shown to mediate transcriptional attenuation at three separate sites within the pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthetic (pyr) operon. Molecular genetic evidence suggests that regulation is achieved by PyrR binding to pyr mRNA. PyrR is also a uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRTase). Recombinant PyrR was expressed inEscherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, physically and chemically characterized, and examined with respect to both of these activities. Mass spectroscopic characterization of PyrR demonstrated a monomeric mass of 20,263 Da. Gel filtration chromatography showed the native mass of PyrR to be dependent on protein concentration and suggested a rapid equilibrium between dimeric and hexameric forms. The UPRTase activity of PyrR has a pH optimum of 8.2. TheK m value for uracil is very pH-dependent; the K m for uracil at pH 7.7 is 990 ± 114 μm, which is much higher than for most UPRTases and may account for the low physiological activity of PyrR as a UPRTase. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, PyrR was shown to bind pyr RNA that includes sequences from its predicted binding site in the second attenuator region. Binding of PyrR to pyr RNA was specific and UMP-dependent with apparent K d values of 10 and 220 nm in the presence and absence of UMP, respectively. The concentration of UMP required for half-maximal stimulation of binding of PyrR to RNA was 6 μm. The results support a model for the regulation ofpyr transcription whereby termination is governed by the UMP-dependent binding of PyrR to pyr RNA and provide purified and characterized PyrR for detailed biochemical studies of RNA binding and transcriptional attenuation.
A Biosecurity Response to Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Auckland, New Zealand

ABSTRACT A biosecurity response was triggered by the detection of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) at the Port of Auckland, New Zealand, Ae. albopictus does not occur in New Zealand and is the most significant mosquito threat to this country, The possibility that a founding population had established, resulted in a large-scale biosecurity surveillance and control program. The response was initiated in early March 2007 and completed by mid-May 2007. No further exotic mosquitoes were detected, The response surveillance program consisted of larval habitat surveys and high density ovi- and light trapping. It was coordinated with a habitat modification and S-methoprene treatment control program, The response policies were guided by analysis of surveillance and quality assurance data, population modeling, and trace-back activities. Mosquito habitat and activity close to port were both more abundant than expected, particularly in storm water drain sumps, Sumps are difficult to treat, and during the response some modification was required to the surveillance program and the control regime. We were assured of the absence or eradication of any Ae. albopictus population, as a result of nil detection from surveillance, backed up by four overlapping rounds of insecticide treatment of habitat. This work highlights the importance of port surveillance and may serve as a guide for responses for future urban mosquito incursions.
Mechanisms of Short-Term Training-Induced Reaching Improvement in Severely Hemiparetic Stroke Patients

Background. The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying improved upper-extremity motor skills have been partially investigated in patients with good motor recovery but are poorly understood in more impaired individuals, the majority of stroke survivors. Objective. The authors studied changes in primary motor cortex (M1) excitability (motor evoked potentials [MEPs], contralateral and ipsilateral silent periods [CSPs and ISPs] using transcranial magnetic stimulation [TMS]) associated with training-induced reaching improvement in stroke patients with severe arm paresis (n = 11; Upper-Extremity Fugl-Meyer score (F-M) = 27 ± 6). Methods. All patients underwent a single session of reaching training focused on moving the affected hand from a resting site to a target placed at 80% of maximum forward reaching amplitude in response to a visual “GO” cue. Triceps contribute primarily as agonist and biceps primarily as antagonist to the trained forward reaching movement. Response times were recorded for each reaching movement. Results. Preceding training (baseline), greater interhemispheric inhibition (measured by ISP) in the affected triceps muscle, reflecting inhibition from the nonlesioned to the lesioned M1, was observed in patients with lower F-M scores (more severe motor impairment). Training-induced improvements in reaching were greater in patients with slower response times at baseline. Increased MEP amplitudes and decreased ISPs and CSPs were observed in the affected triceps but not in the biceps muscle after training. Conclusion. These results indicate that along with training-induced motor improvements, training-specific modulation of intrahemispheric and interhemispheric mechanisms occurs after reaching practice in chronic stroke patients with substantial arm impairment.
Taxon‐specific PCR for DNA barcoding arthropod prey in bat faeces

The application of DNA barcoding to dietary studies allows prey taxa to be identified in the absence of morphological evidence and permits a greater resolution of prey identity than is possible through direct examination of faecal material. For insectivorous bats, which typically eat a great diversity of prey and which chew and digest their prey thoroughly, DNA‐based approaches to diet analysis may provide the only means of assessing the range and diversity of prey within faeces. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of DNA barcoding in determining the diets of bat species that specialize in eating different taxa of arthropod prey. We designed and tested a novel taxon‐specific primer set and examined the performance of short barcode sequences in resolving prey species. We recovered prey DNA from all faecal samples and subsequent cloning and sequencing of PCR products, followed by a comparison of sequences to a reference database, provided species‐level identifications for 149/207 (72%) clones. We detected a phylogenetically broad range of prey while completely avoiding detection of nontarget groups. In total, 37 unique prey taxa were identified from 15 faecal samples. A comparison of DNA data with parallel morphological analyses revealed a close correlation between the two methods. However, the sensitivity and taxonomic resolution of the DNA method were far superior. The methodology developed here provides new opportunities for the study of bat diets and will be of great benefit to the conservation of these ecologically important predators.
Building a Phylogenomic Pipeline for the Eukaryotic Tree of Life - Addressing Deep Phylogenies with Genome-Scale Data

Background Understanding the evolutionary relationships of all eukaryotes on Earth remains a paramount goal of modern biology, yet analyzing homologous sequences across 1.8 billion years of eukaryotic evolution is challenging. Many existing tools for identifying gene orthologs are inadequate when working with heterogeneous rates of evolution and endosymbiotic/lateral gene transfer. Moreover, genomic-scale sequencing, which was once the domain of large sequencing centers, has advanced to the point where small laboratories can now generate the data needed for phylogenomic studies. This has opened the door for increased taxonomic sampling as individual research groups have the ability to conduct genome-scale projects on their favorite non-model organism. Results Here we present some of the tools developed, and insights gained, as we created a pipeline that combines data-mining from public databases and our own transcriptome data to study the eukaryotic tree of life. The first steps of a phylogenomic pipeline involve choosing taxa and loci, and making decisions about how to handle alleles, paralogs and non-overlapping sequences. Next, orthologs are aligned for analyses including gene tree reconstruction and concatenation for supermatrix approaches. To build our pipeline, we created scripts written in Python that integrate third-party tools with custom methods. As a test case, we present the placement of five amoebae on the eukaryotic tree of life based on analyses of transcriptome data. Our scripts available on GitHUb and may be used as-is for automated analyses of large scale phylogenomics, or adapted for use in other types of studies. Conclusion Analyses on the scale of all eukaryotes present challenges not necessarily found in studies of more closely related organisms. Our approach will be of relevance to others for whom existing third-party tools fail to fully answer desired phylogenetic questions.