Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutation rate and dominance of genes affecting viability in Drosophila melanogaster.

Spontaneous mutations were allowed to accumulate in a second chromosome that was transmitted only through heterozygous males for 40 generations. At 10-generation intervals the chromosomes were assayed for homozygous effects of the accumulated mutants. From the regression of homozygous viability on the number of generations of mutant accumulation and from the increase in genetic variance between replicate chromosomes it is possible to estimate the mutation rate and average effect of the individual mutants. Lethal mutations arose at a rate of 0.0060 per chromosome per generation. The mutants having small effects on viability are estimated to arise with a frequency at least 10 times as high as lethals, more likely 20 times as high, and possibly many more times as high if there is a large class of very nearly neutral mutations. -The dominance of such mutants was measured for chromosomes extracted from a natural population. This was determined from the regression of heterozygous viability on that of the sum of the two constituent homozygotes. The average dominance for minor viability genes in an equilibrium population was estimated to be 0.21. This is lower than the value for new mutants, as expected since those with the greatest heterozygous effect are most quickly eliminated from the population. That these mutants have a disproportionately large heterozygous effect on total fitness (as well as on the viability component thereof) is shown by the low ratio of the genetic load in equilibrium homozygotes to that of new mutant homozygotes.
Intake of dietary fiber, especially from cereal foods, is associated with lower incidence of colon cancer in the HELGA cohort

The role of dietary fiber on the risk of colon and rectal cancer has been investigated in numerous studies, but findings have been inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between intake of dietary fiber and risk of incident colon (including distal and proximal colon) and rectal cancer in the prospective Scandinavian HELGA cohort and to determine if fiber source (vegetables, fruits, potatoes, cereals) impacted the association. We included 1,168 incident cases (691 colon, 477 rectal cancer), diagnosed during a median of 11.3 years, among 108,081 cohort members. Sex‐specific incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of colon and rectal cancer were related to intake of total or specific fiber source using Cox proportional hazards models. For men, an inverse association was observed between intake of total fiber and the risk of colon cancer per an incremental increase of 10 g day−1, IRR (95% CI): 0.74 (0.64–0.86). Intake of cereal fiber per 2 g day−1 was associated with an IRR of 0.94 (0.91–0.98), which was also seen for intake of cereal fiber from foods with high fiber content (≥5 g per 100 g product), where the IRR per 2 g day−1 was 0.94 (0.90–0.98). In women, intake of cereal fiber per 2 g day−1 was also associated with lower risk of colon cancer, 0.97 (0.93–1.00). No clear associations were seen for rectal cancer. Our data indicate a protective role of total and cereal fiber intake, particularly from cereal foods with high fiber content, in the prevention of colon cancer.
Mechanisms underlying H(2)O(2)-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal slices.

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) inhibits the population spike (PS) evoked by Schaffer collateral stimulation in hippocampal slices. Proposed mechanisms underlying this effect include generation of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) and inhibition of presynaptic Ca(2+) entry. We have examined these possible mechanisms in rat hippocampal slices. Inhibition of the evoked PS by H(2)O(2) was sharply concentration-dependent: 1.2 mM H(2)O(2) had no effect, whereas 1.5 and 2.0 mM H(2)O(2) reversibly depressed PS amplitude by roughly 80%. The iron chelator, deferoxamine (1 mM), and the endogenous.OH scavenger, ascorbate (400 microM), prevented PS inhibition, confirming.OH involvement. Isoascorbate (400 microM), which unlike ascorbate is not taken up by brain cells, also prevented PS inhibition, indicating an extracellular site of.OH generation or action. We then investigated whether H(2)O(2)-induced PS depression could be overcome by prolonged stimulation, which enhances Ca(2+) entry. During 5-s, 10-Hz trains under control conditions, PS amplitude increased to over 200% during the first three-four pulses, then stabilized. In the presence of H(2)O(2), PS amplitude was initially depressed, but began to recover after 2.5 s of stimulation, finally reaching 80% of the control maximum. In companion experiments, we assessed the effect of H(2)O(2) on presynaptic Ca(2+) entry by monitoring extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) during train stimulation in the presence of postsynaptic receptor blockers. Evoked [Ca(2+)](o) shifts were apparently unaltered by H(2)O(2), suggesting a lack of effect on Ca(2+) entry. Taken together, these findings suggest new ways in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) might act as signaling agents, specifically as modulators of synaptic transmission.
Thyroid profile and autoantibodies in Type 1 diabetes subjects: A perspective from Eastern India

Context: There has been a rise in the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in India. The prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies and thyroid dysfunction is common in T1DM. Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of thyroid dysfunction and thyroid autoantibodies in T1DM subjects, without any history of thyroid disease, and the prevalence of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody, Islet antigen-2 antibody (IA2), thyroid peroxidase (TPO), and thyroglobulin autoantibodies (Tg-AB) in T1DM subjects. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional clinical-based study. Subjects and Methods: Fifty subjects (29 males, 31 females) with T1DM and without any history of thyroid dysfunction were included in the study. All subjects were tested for GAD antibody, IA2 antibody, TPO antibody, thyroglobulin antibody, free thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Statistical Analysis Used: A Chi-square/pooled Chi-square test was used to assess the trends in the prevalence of hypothyroidism. A two-tailed P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 23.50 years. 9.8% of subjects were below the age of 12 years, 27.45% of subjects were of age 12–18 years, 37.25% of subjects were of age 19–30 years, and 25.49% of subjects were above 30 years. 78% were positive autoantibody for GAD, 30% for IA-2, 24% for TPO, and 16% were positive for Tg-AB. A total of 6.0% of T1DM subjects had evidence of clinical hypothyroidism, but the prevalence of subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCH) varied from 32% to 68.0% for we considered different definitions of SCH as advocated by different guidelines. All subjects with overt hypothyroidism had positive GAD and thyroid autoantibodies. One (2%) subject had clinical hyperthyroidism with strongly positive GAD, TPO, and Tg-AB. Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of GAD, IA2, TPO, and Tg-AB in our T1DM subjects. A substantial proportion of our subjects had undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction with a preponderance of subclinical hypothyroidism. All T1DM subjects with overt hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism had positive GAD and thyroid autoantibodies. The high prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction highlights the importance of regular thyroid screening in T1DM subjects.
Diffusional properties of zein membranes and matrices

Introduction: Zein is a hydrophobic corn protein, rich in leucine, proline, and alanine, that has been investigated as an excipient in pharmaceutical formulations, maybe used as a biodegradable/biocompatible material for controlled release formulations. Zein's swelling behaviors under different conditions (e.g., pH, ionic strength, and permeant's charge) were investigated in a previous study and it showed that swelling indeed influenced zein's permeation. Methods: The diffusional behavior of model drugs through or from zein systems was investigated. Diffusional parameters such as effective diffusion coefficients, porosities, and tortuosities were calculated from release and membrane diffusion profiles for zein matrices and membranes. In addition, an alternative method of calculating porosity and tortuosity was proposed. Results: The diffusional properties of zein systems appear to be primarily through aqueous channels that form during hydration and swelling in aqueous media. Permeation and release results show that the amount of diffused or released drug depends on permeant solubility and matrix/membrane permeability parameters (i.e., porosity and tortuosity). Discussion: Calculated diffusional parameters for zein matrices and membranes support the aqueous channel model. Conclusions: Zein membranes and matrices hydrate and swell to form aqueous channels that are the dominant diffusional pathways.
Is there a role for pelvic irradiation in localized prostate adenocarcinoma? Preliminary results of GETUG-01.

PURPOSE To assess the benefit and toxicity and quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes of pelvic nodes irradiation in nonmetastatic prostate carcinoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between December 1998 and June 2004, 444 patients with T1b-T3, N0 pNx, M0 prostate carcinoma were randomly assigned to either pelvic and prostate radiotherapy or prostate radiotherapy only. Patients were stratified according to the prognostic factor of lymph node involvement (LNI). Short-term 6-month neoadjuvant and concomitant hormonal therapy was allowed only for patients in the high-risk group. The pelvic dose was 46 Gy. The total dose recommended to the prostate was changed during the course of the study from 66 Gy to 70 Gy. Criteria for progression-free survival (PFS) included biologic prostate-specific antigen recurrences or a local or metastatic evolution. Acute and late toxicities were recorded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and Late Effects in Normal Tissues Subjective, Objective, Management, and Analytic scales, respectively. The QOL outcome was recorded with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30, the International Prostatic Symptom Score, and the Sexual Function Index scales. RESULTS With a 42.1-month median follow-up time, the 5-year PFS and overall survival were similar in the two treatment arms for the whole series and for each stratified group. On multivariate analysis, low LNI risk and hormonal therapy were statistically associated with increased PFS. However, subgroup analyses based on these factors did not show any benefit for pelvic irradiation. There were no significant differences in acute and late digestive toxicities and in QOL outcomes. CONCLUSION Pelvic node irradiation was well tolerated but did not improve PFS.
Capacitance Requirements for Isolated Self Excited Induction Generators

Capacitance requirements for isolated self excitd induction generators are discussed. It is shown that numerical methods based upon the steady state as well as operational equivalent circuit give similar predicted values. An analytical method is proposed to compute, Cmin, the minimun capacitance value required for self excitation under no load conditons. It is shown that Cmin is inversely proportional to the square of the speed. Furthermore, it is inversely proportional to the maximum saturated magnetizing reactance. The theoretical results are verified experimentally for a number of test machines and a good agreement is observed between the theoretical and the experimental values. The influence of load impedance and its power factor on the terminal capacitance required to maintain self excitation under steady state is also examined and it is shown that when machine is loaded, the terminal capacitance should be several times that required at no load. Furthermore, the influence of terminal capacitor upon the maximum available output power fron isolated induction generators is also examined.
Incidence of vertebral artery thrombosis in cervical spine trauma: correlation with severity of spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The incidence of blunt traumatic vertebral artery dissection/thrombosis varies widely in published trauma series and is associated with spinal trauma. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of traumatic vertebral artery thrombosis (VAT) in cervically injured patients by using routine MR angiography (MRA) and MR imaging and identify associations with the severity of neurologic injury. METHODS A retrospective review of 1283 patients with nonpenetrating cervical spine fractures with or without an associated spinal cord injury (SCI) was performed. Imaging consisted of routine cervical MR imaging and 2D time-of-flight MRA of the neck. The cervical injury level, neurologic level of injury, and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade were recorded. RESULTS In this study, 632 patients met the inclusion criteria, 83 (13%) of whom had VAT on the admission MR imaging/MRA. Fifty-nine percent (49/83) of VAT patients had an associated SCI. VAT was significantly more common in motor-complete patients (ASIA A and B, 20%) than in neurologically intact (ASIA E, 11%) cervical spine-injured patients (P = .019). VAT incidence was not significantly different between motor-incomplete (ASIA C and D, 10%) and neurologically intact (ASIA E, 11%) cervical spine-injured patients (P = .840). CONCLUSION The absence of neurologic symptoms in a patient with cervical spine fracture does not preclude VAT. VAT associated with cervical spinal injury occurs with similar frequency in both neurologically intact (ASIA E) and motor-incomplete patients (ASIA C and D) but is significantly more common in motor-complete SCI (ASIA A and B).
From nonprofit organization to social enterprise

Purpose This study aims to examine the development of a social enterprise in China’s tourism industry by analyzing the coevolution of the social entrepreneur and the social system. Design/methodology/approach Purposeful sampling was used to select 1kg.org as a single-case study. Semistructured in-depth interviews of three informants were conducted to obtain organization-specific insights. Interview data were analyzed following structuration theory. Secondary data and interviews of other social entrepreneurs and experts were used to support the findings. Research findings were validated using triangulation and member-checking methods. Findings Because of the institutional environment, most nonprofit organizations in China do not have resource independence and clear legal identity. Meanwhile, social enterprise has emerged as a new organizational form with the objective of creating social value through profitable business operations. Practical implications Social enterprise is still in its infancy in China, particularly in the tourism field. This study reveals an innovative and sustainable model for nonprofit organizations in China facing institutional challenges and competitive funding environments. It provides recommendations to policymakers for improving mechanisms to increase social services through social enterprises. Originality/value This study proposes a new conceptual framework for studying social entrepreneurship by adapting structuration theory to address contemporary social and business issues.
New Reprogrammable and Non-Volatile Radiation Tolerant FPGA: RTA3P

Heavy-ion and proton test results utilizing novel test methodologies of reprogrammable and non-volatile flash-based FPGAs are presented and discussed. The 5 programmable architectures in the A3P FPGA-family were tested: I/O structures, FPGA Core, PLL, FROM and SRAM. Furthermore, the circuitry used for the programming and the erase of the A3P product was exercised in proton beams. The data shows no major concern or disruption to all of the circuit features for fluences lower than 1011 particles or TID higher than 15 Krad.
Carboxyl Ester Lipase Deficiency Exacerbates Dietary Lipid Absorption Abnormalities and Resistance to Diet-induced Obesity in Pancreatic Triglyceride Lipase Knockout Mice*

This study evaluated the contributions of carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) and pancreatic triglyceride lipase (PTL) in lipid nutrient absorption. Results showed PTL deficiency has minimal effect on triacylglycerol (TAG) absorption under low fat dietary conditions. Interestingly, PTL–/– mice displayed significantly reduced TAG absorption compared with wild type mice under high fat/high cholesterol dietary conditions (80.1 ± 3.7 versus 91.5 ± 0.7%, p < 0.05). Net TAG absorption was reduced further to 61.1 ± 3.8% in mice lacking both PTL and CEL. Cholesterol absorption was 41% lower in PTL–/– mice compared with control mice (p < 0.05), but this difference was not exaggerated in PTL–/–, CEL–/– mice. Retinyl palmitate absorption was reduced by 45 and 60% in PTL–/– mice (p < 0.05) and PTL–/–, CEL–/– mice (p < 0.01), respectively. After 15 weeks of feeding, the high fat/high cholesterol diet, wild type, and CEL–/– mice gained ∼24 g of body weight. However, body weight gain was 6.2 and 8.6 g less (p < 0.01) in PTL–/– and PTL–/–, CEL–/– mice, respectively, despite their consumption of comparable amounts of the high fat/high cholesterol diet. The decrease body weight gain in PTL–/– and PTL–/–, CEL–/– mice was attributed to their absorption of fewer calories from the high fat/high cholesterol diet, thereby resulting in less fat mass accumulation than that observed in wild type and CEL–/– mice. Thus, this study documents that PTL and CEL serve complementary functions, working together to mediate the absorption of a major portion of dietary fat and fat-soluble vitamin esters. The reduced lipid absorption efficiency due to PTL and CEL inactivation also resulted in protection against diet-induced obesity.
Hydration status in adolescent judo athletes before and after training in the heat.

UNLABELLED Adolescent judo athletes who train in tropical climates may be in a persistent state of dehydration because they frequently restrict fluids during daily training sessions to maintain or reduce their body weight and are not given enough opportunities to drink. PURPOSE Determine the body hydration status of adolescent judo athletes before, immediately after, and 24 h after (24H) a training session and document sweat Na+ loss and symptoms of dehydration. METHODS Body mass and urine color and specific gravity (USG) were measured before, after, and 24 h after a training session in a high-heat-stress environment (29.5 ± 1.0°C; 77.7 ± 6.1% RH) in 24 adolescent athletes. Sweat sodium loss was also determined. A comparison was made between mid-pubertal (MP) and late pubertal (LP) subjects. RESULTS The majority of the subjects started training with a significant level of dehydration. During the training session, MP subjects lost 1.3 ± 0.8% of their pretraining body mass whereas LP subjects lost 1.9 ± 0.5% (P < .05). Sweat sodium concentration was 44.5 ± 23.3 mmol/L. Fluid intake from a water fountain was minimal. Subjects reported symptoms of dehydration during the session, which in some cases persisted throughout the night and the next day. The 24H USG was 1.028 ± 0.004 and 1.027 ± 0.005 g/mL for MP and LP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent judo athletes arrive to practice with a fluid deficit, do not drink enough during training, and experience symptoms of dehydration, which may compromise the quality of training and general well-being.
The Evolution of Organizational Diversity in Banking: Savings Banks’ Consolidation and Sector Coordination in France and Italy, 1980–2012

Savings banks were a key component of the banking industry in Western European countries in the early 1980s – a distinct, not-for-profit form of banking organizations existing alongside joint-stock banks. After 1980, three decades of banking consolidation and pro-market regulatory reforms were widely expected to make savings banks disappear. Yet, in some countries at least, savings banks have survived, as persistently distinct organizational forms. Moreover, in countries as similar as France and Italy, organizational diversity as epitomized by the survival of savings banks has taken two apparently diverse routes. To solve this double puzzle, this article builds on the “new organizational synthesis” in organizational theory and on the comparative neo-institutional literature, and draws on a comparative case study analysis of savings banks consolidation in France and Italy, from 1980 to 2012. The study contributes to the literature on the co-evolution of institutions and organizations by focusing on meso-level coordination and fully incorporating the relevance of state actors and policies in the analysis of organizational change.
What Do the Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights Tell About Property Rights Across Europe?

Despite the important role that institutions play in explaining economic growth, there exist few objective quantitative measures of institutional quality. We propose a new quantitative index that allows comparing the strength of property rights across the member states of the Council of Europe. To construct the index, we analyzed all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) related to property rights for all member states and identified whether the ECtHR had found a violation of property rights in the domestic courts’ decisions. The resulting data were used to calculate the likelihood of finding violation in the judgments of national courts. Assuming that the ECtHR is impartial and unbiased, higher probability of overruling the judgments of local courts from a given country implies that the level of property rights protection is low. Our constructed measure is highly correlated with a number of indices of property rights protection used in the literature and serves as a strong objective foundation for these indices. Furthermore, we found that the ECtHR had received more applications from countries with higher likelihood of national court judgments violating property rights.
Conventional, molecular methods and biomarkers molecules in detection of septicemia

Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide and based on studies, 30-40% of all cases of severe sepsis and septic shock results from the blood stream infections (BSIs). Identifying of the disease, performing laboratory tests, and consequently treatment are factors that required for optimum management of BSIs. In addition, applying precise and immediate identification of the etiologic agent is a prerequisite for specific antibiotic therapy of pathogen and thereby decreasing mortality rates. The diagnosis of sepsis is difficult because clinical signs of sepsis often overlap with other noninfectious cases of systemic inflammation. BSIs are usually diagnosed by performing a series of techniques such as blood cultures, polymerase chain reaction-based methods, and biomarkers of sepsis. Extremely time-consuming even to take up to several days is a major limitation of conventional methods. In addition, yielding false-negative results due to fastidious and slow-growing microorganisms and also in case of antibiotic pretreated samples are other limitations. In comparison, molecular methods are capable of examining a blood sample obtained from suspicious patient with BSI and gave the all required information to prescribing antimicrobial therapy for detected bacterial or fungal infections immediately. Because of an emergency of sepsis, new methods are being developed. In this review, we discussed about the most important sepsis diagnostic methods and numbered the advantage and disadvantage of the methods in detail.