Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating levels of visfatin/pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor 1 in relation to genotype, GFR, body composition, and survival in patients with CKD.

BACKGROUND Visfatin, also known as pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor 1 (PBEF-1), recently was shown to be secreted from adipocytes and have insulin-mimetic properties in mice. Because renal failure per se is associated with both increased levels of circulating peptides and marked insulin resistance, even in the absence of diabetes mellitus, we hypothesized that visfatin could be a factor linking inflammation, kidney disease, and insulin resistance in this patient group. METHODS Altogether, we studied 189 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), comprising 149 patients with CKD stage 5 (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] < 15 mL/min; mean, 7 +/- 2 mL/min [<0.25 mL/s; mean, 0.12 +/- 0.03 mL/s]; 61% men; mean age, 54 +/- 12 years) and 40 patients with CKD stages 3 to 4 (GFR, 15 to 60 mL/min; mean, 33 +/- 21 mL/min [0.25 to 1.00 mL/s; mean, 0.55 +/- 0.35 mL/s]; 72% men; age, 59 +/- 15 years). We compared these with 30 randomly selected population controls (mean GFR, 85 +/- 16 mL/min [1.42 +/- 0.27 mL/s]; 69% men; age, 64 +/- 11 years). Serum visfatin was measured by using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and we also performed genotyping of 3 verified polymorphisms in the visfatin gene (-423A/G, -1001T/G, and -1535C/T). Body fat was estimated by using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS Serum visfatin levels were greater in patients with CKD stage 5 (41.3 +/- 18.0 ng/mL) than in those with CKD stages 3 to 4 (34.0 +/- 9.8 ng/mL; P < 0.01 versus CKD stage 5) or healthy controls (29.3 +/- 8.1 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). However, there were no significant differences between patients with and without diabetes, and the significant differences in circulating visfatin levels between genotypes disappeared after adjustment for differences in age, sex, GFR, and serum albumin level. In univariate analysis, visfatin level correlated with levels of GFR (rho = -0.22; P = 0.001), interleukin 6 (IL-6; rho = 0.17; P = 0.01), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (rho = 0.14; rho < 0.05), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1; rho = 0.39; P < 0.0001), but not total or truncal fat mass, insulin resistance, or hemoglobin A(1c) level. High plasma visfatin level predicted mortality in patients with CKD, also after adjustment for age and sex (likelihood ratio, 18.2; P < 0.0001), but not after additional correction for GFR, sVCAM-1, serum albumin, and serum IL-6 levels. CONCLUSION Circulating levels of the cytokine visfatin/PBEF-1 are influenced by renal function, but are not associated with fat mass or surrogate markers of insulin resistance in patients with CKD. Visfatin was associated independently with level of sVCAM-1, a marker of endothelial damage.
Requirements for Traffic Engineering Over MPLS

This document presents a set of requirements for Traffic Engineering over Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). It identifies the functional capabilities required to implement policies that facilitate efficient and reliable network operations in an MPLS domain. These capabilities can be used to optimize the utilization of network resources and to enhance traffic oriented performance characteristics.
Parental origin of chromatin in human monopronuclear zygotes revealed by asymmetric histone methylation patterns, differs between IVF and ICSI

In mouse zygotes, many post‐translational histone modifications are asymmetrically present in male and female pronuclei. We investigated whether this principle could be used to determine the genetic composition of monopronuclear human zygotes in conventional IVF and ICSI. First we determined whether male female asymmetry is conserved from mouse to human by staining polypronuclear zygotes with antibodies against a subset of histone N‐tail post‐translational modifications. To analyze human monopronuclear zygotes, a modification, H3K9me3, was selected that is present in the maternal chromatin. After IVF a total of 45 monopronuclear zygotes were obtained. In 39 (87%) of zygotes a nonuniform staining pattern was observed, proof of a bi‐parental origin and assumed to result into a diploid conception. Two zygotes showed no staining for the modification, indicating that the single pronucleus was of paternal origin. Four zygotes contained only maternally derived chromatin. ICSI‐derived monopronuclear zygotes (n = 33) could also be divided into three groups based on the staining pattern of their chromatin: (1) of maternal origin (n = 15), (2) of paternal origin (n = 8) or (3) consisting of two chromatin domains as dominating in IVF (n = 10). Our data show that monopronuclear zygotes originating from IVF generally arise through fusion of parental chromatin after sperm penetration. Monopronuclear zygotes derived from ICSI in most cases contain uni‐parental chromatin. The fact that chromatin was of paternal origin in 24% of ICSI and in 4% of the IVF zygotes confirms earlier results obtained by FISH on cleavage stages. Our findings are of clinical importance in IVF and ICSI practice. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 101–108, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Market Access and Structural Transformation: Evidence from Rural Roads in India∗

More than one billion people worldwide live in rural areas without access to the paved road network. How does the lack of such infrastructure affect rural employment and economic outcomes? We construct a comprehensive, high spatial resolution dataset of 825 million individuals in rural India to estimate the impact of a national rural road construction program that has built paved roads to over 100,000 villages since 2000. Program rules provide discontinuities in the probability of treatment at multiple village population thresholds, which we exploit using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design. Road construction to previously unconnected villages leads to a 10 percentage point reduction in the share of households and workers in agriculture, with an equivalent increase in wage labor market participation. This sectoral reallocation is concentrated among males and households with low levels of land, precisely those groups who have the lowest costs and highest returns to sectoral reallocation. Labor reallocation to wage labor is strongest in locations close to major cities, suggesting the importance of access to urban markets in the process of structural transformation. Rather than facilitating growth of nonfarm firms in treated villages, rural roads enable workers to access external labor markets. We also provide evidence for gains to multiple measures of economic outcomes. Our results suggest that poor rural transportation infrastructure is a major constraint on the sectoral allocation of labor in low income countries. JEL Codes: O12/O18/J43. ∗First version March 2013. We are thankful for useful discussions with Abhijit Banerjee, Lorenzo Casaburi, Melissa Dell, Ed Glaeser, Doug Gollin, Ricardo Hausmann, Rick Hornbeck, Clement Imbert, Lakshmi Iyer, Radhika Jain, Asim Khwaja, Michael Kremer, Sendhil Mullainathan, Rohini Pande, Simon Quinn, Gautam Rao, Andrei Shleifer, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Andre Veiga, Tony Venables and David Yanagizawa-Drott. We are indebted to Taewan Roh and Kathryn Nicholson for exemplary research assistance. This project received financial support from the Center for International Development and the Warburg Fund (Harvard University) and the IGC. All errors are our own. †University of Oxford and Harvard University, samuel.asher@economics.ox. ac.uk ‡Dartmouth College
Visceral leishmaniasis-associated hemophagocytosis: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND Kala-azar is a multisystem infection of the reticuloendothelial system. Various hematologic abnormalities have been described in kala-azar including hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS). METHODS We reviewed bone marrow aspirate smears from 18 documented cases of kala-azar complicated by HPS. RESULTS The bone marrow smears were hypercellular with erythroid hyperplasia. Megaloblastic changes, foamy macrophages, activated macrophages with cytoplasmic vacuoles and elongated cytoplasmic process, intra- and extracellular amastigotes, cytoplasmic fragments (blue bodies), plasma cells with inclusions and hemophagocytic cells were seen. Leishman bodies (amastigotes) were also found in some hemophagocytic cells. CONCLUSION Kala-azar should be considered as an etiology of HPS, particularly in endemic areas.
Reliable and geo-localized content search in mobile networks

The current trend for wireless tactical networks is to employ ad hoc approaches, in which a network infrastructure is not needed and nodes are self-organized, for improved reliability and reduced setup time. However, this creates the need for new or modified protocols from the medium access control (MAC)layer and above. In this paper we propose a transport-layer service for data distribution, suitable for mobile and delay-tolerant networks. Our solution is based on a pure peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay, in which we embedded two features which are important for practical applications: i) reliability, i.e., multiple copies of the same content are disseminated to make the data available even when some nodes are temporarily unreachable; ii) support to geo-localized searches, i.e., nodes can request data relevant to a given geographical area efficiently and without relying on an external/centralized server. The proposed solution is shown to be effective through numerical simulations.
Taiwanese Middle School Students' Materialistic Concepts of Sound.

This study investigated if and to what extent grade 8 and 9 students in Taiwan attributed materialistic properties to sound concepts, and whether they hold scientific views in parallel with materialistic views. Taiwanese middle school students are a special population since their scores in international academic comparison tests such as TIMSS and PISA are among the highest in the world. The “Sound Concept Inventory Instrument” with both materialistic and scientific statements of sound concepts was applied to explore Taiwanese students’ ideas and corresponding confidence. The results showed that although the subject of sound is taught extensively in grade 8 in Taiwan, students still hold materialistic views of sound. The participants agreed, on average, with 41% of the statements that associate sound with materialistic properties. Moreover, they were quite confident in their materialistic answers (mean 1⁄4 3.27 on a 5-point Likert scale). In parallel, they also agreed with 71% of the scientific statements in the questions. They were also confident of their scientific answers (mean 1⁄4 3.21). As for the difference between grade 8 and 9 students, it seems that in grade 9, when students do not learn about sound, there is a kind of regression to a more materialistic view of sound. The girls performed better than the boys (t 1⁄4 3.59, p < 0.001). The paper uses Vosniadou and Brewer’s [Cogn. Sci. 18, 123 (1994). ] framework theory to explain the results, and suggests some ideas for improving the teaching of sound.
Dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials in the diagnosis of lumbosacral spinal stenosis: Comparison with imaging studies

Dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials (DSEPs) and computerized tomography/magnetic resonance (CT and/or MR) images were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate their relationship in the diagnosis of lumbosacral spinal stenosis (SS). Of 155 patients referred for DSEPs with a clinical suspicion of lumbosacral SS, 58 met the inclusion criteria. DSEP abnormality was defined as: (1) N1 latency absent or >2.5 SD; (2) side‐to‐side latency difference >2 SD; (3) amplitudes > 2 SD below the mean; or (4) amplitude ratio >2 SD. Involvement of two or more DSEP levels by any of the above criteria was labeled multiple root disease (MRD). Involvement of one level was labeled single root disease (SRD). Images were reviewed independently by a neuroradiologist. Results revealed 54 subjects with SS by imaging; 42 had MRD and 8 had SRD by DSEPs. Sensitivity for MRD and SS was 78% and for MRD plus SRD and SS was 93%. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Investigation into possible DNA damaging effects of ultrasound in occupationally exposed medical personnel — the alkaline comet assay study

In the present paper the possible DNA damaging effects of ultrasound in occupationally exposed medical personnel were investigated using the alkaline comet assay. The extent of DNA migration in peripheral blood leucocytes was measured. Parameters of the comet assay were studied in 30 medical workers occupationally exposed to ultrasound and in 30 corresponding unexposed control subjects. It was found that the subjects who were occupationally exposed to ultrasound for various periods of time showed a highly significant increase in levels of DNA damage compared with the control. The results obtained have confirmed the usefulness of the alkaline comet assay as a sensitive biodosimetric method, reflecting the current level of DNA damage and[sol ]or repair in peripheral blood leucocytes of ultrasound‐exposed subjects. In spite of their limitations, the results of the present investigation indicate that individuals occupationally exposed to ultrasound may experience an increased genotoxic risk, emphasizing the need for more research into the nature and extent of the biological consequences to medical personnel working with ultrasonic equipment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coadministration of the Campylobacter jejuni N-Glycan-Based Vaccine with Probiotics Improves Vaccine Performance in Broiler Chickens

ABSTRACT Source attribution studies report that the consumption of contaminated poultry is the primary source for acquiring human campylobacteriosis. Oral administration of an engineered Escherichia coli strain expressing the Campylobacter jejuni N-glycan reduces bacterial colonization in specific-pathogen-free leghorn chickens, but only a fraction of birds respond to vaccination. Optimization of the vaccine for commercial broiler chickens has great potential to prevent the entry of the pathogen into the food chain. Here, we tested the same vaccination approach in broiler chickens and observed similar efficacies in pathogen load reduction, stimulation of the host IgY response, the lack of C. jejuni resistance development, uniformity in microbial gut composition, and the bimodal response to treatment. Gut microbiota analysis of leghorn and broiler vaccine responders identified one member of Clostridiales cluster XIVa, Anaerosporobacter mobilis, that was significantly more abundant in responder birds. In broiler chickens, coadministration of the live vaccine with A. mobilis or Lactobacillus reuteri, a commonly used probiotic, resulted in increased vaccine efficacy, antibody responses, and weight gain. To investigate whether the responder-nonresponder effect was due to the selection of a C. jejuni “supercolonizer mutant” with altered phase-variable genes, we analyzed all poly(G)-containing loci of the input strain compared to nonresponder colony isolates and found no evidence of phase state selection. However, untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics identified a potential biomarker negatively correlated with C. jejuni colonization levels that is possibly linked to increased microbial diversity in this subgroup. The comprehensive methods used to examine the bimodality of the vaccine response provide several opportunities to improve the C. jejuni vaccine and the efficacy of any vaccination strategy. IMPORTANCE Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of human diarrheal disease worldwide and is listed by the World Health Organization as a high-priority pathogen. C. jejuni infection typically occurs through the ingestion of contaminated chicken meat, so many efforts are targeted at reducing C. jejuni levels at the source. We previously developed a vaccine that reduces C. jejuni levels in egg-laying chickens. In this study, we improved vaccine performance in meat birds by supplementing the vaccine with probiotics. In addition, we demonstrated that C. jejuni colonization levels in chickens are negatively correlated with the abundance of clostridia, another group of common gut microbes. We describe new methods for vaccine optimization that will assist in improving the C. jejuni vaccine and other vaccines under development.
Limited genetic exchanges between populations of an insect pest living on uncultivated and related cultivated host plants

Habitats in agroecosystems are ephemeral, and are characterized by frequent disturbances forcing pest species to successively colonize various hosts belonging either to the cultivated or to the uncultivated part of the agricultural landscape. The role of wild habitats as reservoirs or refuges for the aphid Sitobion avenae that colonize cultivated fields was assessed by investigating the genetic structure of populations collected on both cereal crops (wheat, barley and oat) and uncultivated hosts (Yorkshire fog, cocksfoot, bulbous oatgrass and tall oatgrass) in western France. Classical genetic analyses and Bayesian clustering algorithms indicate that genetic differentiation is high between populations collected on uncultivated hosts and on crops, revealing a relatively limited gene flow between the uncultivated margins and the cultivated part of the agroecosystem. A closer genetic relatedness was observed between populations living on plants belonging to the same tribe (Triticeae, Poeae and Aveneae tribes) where aphid genotypes appeared not to be specialized on a single host, but rather using a group of related plant species. Causes of this ecological differentiation and its implications for integrated pest management of S. avenae as cereals pest are discussed.
Evidence-based scientific responses to Jeanne Bergman re House of Numbers

Howard Temin, the father of modern retrovirology: “when an experiment is challenged no matter who it is challenged by, it’s your responsibility to check. That is an ironclad rule of science, that when you publish something you are responsible for it.even the most senior professor, if challenged by the lowliest technician or graduate student, is required to treat them seriously and consider their criticisms. It is one of the most fundamental aspects of science” (emphasis in original).
Model Reduction Via Aggregation for Markovian Models with Application to Occupancy Estimation

This paper is concerned with model reduction methods for large Markovian models. The motivation here arises from applications involving estimation problems for a random walk on large graph. The model reduction objective is to aggregate states into super-states to obtain a Markov model on the aggregated state space. Motivated by the succes s of Hankel norm ideas from linear systems, the proposed methodology is based on the concept of the potential matrix that may be regarded as a generalization of the Lyapunov equation used in linear systems theory. For model reduction, the entropy metric is proposed as a counterpart forl2 energy for the linear systems. Several examples are discussed together with an application of reduced order models for estimation.
Phenotypic effects of calorie restriction and insulin-like growth factor-1 treatment on body composition and bone mineral density of C57BL/6 mice: implications for cancer prevention.

BACKGROUND Calorie restriction (CR) inhibits carcinogenesis and delays aging. Some anti-carcinogenic effects of CR are mediated by decreased circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1); however, IGF-1 also plays an important role in regulating growth and bone density. MATERIALS AND METHODS We quantified tradeoffs involving the CR/IGF-1 axis in C57BL/6 mice by examining body composition and bone characteristics in ad libitum fed, 20, 30 or 40% CR mice that received placebo or recombinant murine IGF-1 delivered with a time-release pellet. After 26 days, carcasses were scanned with a PIXImus II dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer. RESULTS CR reduced body weight and percent body fat and had non-linear effects on bone density. IGF-1 restored bone density to control levels or greater in the CR mice. CONCLUSION Cancer prevention efforts based on CR and down-regulation of the IGF-1 pathway will require consideration of deleterious effects on bone.
Landing differences between men and women in a maximal vertical jump aptitude test.

AIM The aim of this study was to analyze the gender differences in the vertical ground reaction forces and the position of the center of gravity during the landing phase of a maximal vertical jump aptitude test. METHODS The push-off, flight and landing phases of the jumps of 291 males (age = 19.6+/-2.8 years) and 92 females (age = 19.2+/-2.6 years), applicants to a Spanish faculty of sports sciences, were analyzed with a force platform. RESULTS The greatest differences between men and women were found in the jump performance (women = 25.6+/-3.5 cm; men = 35.5+/-4.5 cm) and second peak vertical force value of the landing phase (women = 5.89+/-2.06 times body weight; men = 7.51 +/-2.38 times body weight), the values being greater in the men's group (P < 0.001). Correlation coefficients showed that the women utilized a different landing pattern than the one utilized by the men. CONCLUSION Contrary to the authors' expectations, women showed lower second peak vertical force values during the landing. Taking into account only a kinetic point of view, they would have a lower risk of injury during the landing movement of maximal jumps. The lower values in the peak force, the delay of the impact of the calcaneus and the longer path of the center of gravity during the landing phase found in the women's group were related to a landing technique that is different from that of men.
Effects of hiking downhill using trekking poles while carrying external loads.

UNLABELLED Hiking is a recreational activity shown to offer significant positive effects on the human body. However, walking downhill and external load carriage have both been shown to increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain and injury. The use of hiking poles has been demonstrated to be successful in reducing forces placed on the lower extremities. However, whether these effects can be observed with load carriage has not been examined. PURPOSE The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of pole use in hiking downhill while carrying different external loads. METHODS Fifteen experienced male hikers volunteered. Conditions included hiking with and without the use of hiking poles for each of three backpack conditions (no pack, day pack (15% BW), and large expedition pack (30% BW). Ten trials were completed for each condition, for a total of 60 trials per participant. All conditions were performed in a random order. The net joint moments and power at the ankle, knee, and hip, as well as the net joint forces at the knee were examined statistically using a 2 x 3 (poles x packs) repeated-measures ANOVA, with a family wise alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS A significant reduction was observed for the sagittal plane moment at each of the joints in the lower extremity with pole use. Reductions were also observed in the peak power absorption for the ankle and knee. These results held true across pack conditions, as packs only resulted in a larger power generation at the hip. CONCLUSION A reduction in the forces, moments, and power around the joint, with the use of poles, will help reduce the loading on the joints of the lower extremity.