Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-way selection for daily gain and feed conversion in a composite rabbit population.

We conducted a two-way selection experiment in a composite rabbit population to investigate the responses to selection for postweaning ADG and feed conversion (FC). Two generations of crossing, followed by four generations of random pair matings, preceded three generations of selection. Selection was practiced within four lines: high-feed conversion (HFC), low-feed conversion (LFC), high gain (HG), and low gain (LG). Data on 1,446 rabbits from the random mating and selection generations were fitted to an animal model to estimate heritabilities of and the genetic correlation between ADG and FC. The two-trait model included rabbit and common litter random effects and line, generation, and sex fixed effects. Estimates of heritability of ADG and FC were . 48 and . 29, respectively, and the genetic correlation between them was -. 82. Common litter environmental effects accounted for a proportion of . 11 and . 13 of the phenotypic variation of the two traits, respectively. For ADG (in g/d) the regressions of mean breeding values on generation number during the selection period were 1.23 +/- . 12 (P < .01) in the HG line and -. 86 +/- . 12 (P < .01) in the LG line; the regressions for FC (in g feed/g gain) were -. 07 +/- . 01 (P < .01) in the HFC line and . 03 +/- . 01 (P < .05) in the LFC line. Selection for ADG was effective in improving ADG and FC.
Brightness, contrast, and color balance of digital versus film retinal images in the age-related eye disease study 2.

PURPOSE To analyze brightness, contrast, and color balance of digital versus film retinal images in a multicenter clinical trial, to propose a model image from exemplars, and to optimize both image types for evaluation of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) is enrolling subjects from 90 clinics, with three quarters of them using digital and one quarter using film cameras. Image brightness (B), contrast (C), and color balance (CB) were measured with three-color luminance histograms. First, the exemplars (film and digital) from expert groups were analyzed, and an AMD-oriented model was constructed. Second, the impact of B/C/CB on the appearance of typical AMD abnormalities was analyzed. Third, B/C/CB in AREDS2 images were compared between film (156 eyes) and digital (605 eyes), and against the model. Fourth, suboptimal images were enhanced by adjusting B/C/CB to bring them into accord with model parameters. RESULTS Exemplar images had similar brightness, contrast, and color balance, supporting an image model. Varying a specimen image through a wide range of B/C/CB revealed greatest contrast of drusen and pigment abnormalities against normal retinal pigment epithelium with the model parameters. AREDS2 digital images were more variable than film, with lower correspondence to our model. Ten percent of digital were too dim and 19% too bright (oversaturated), versus 1% and 4% of film, respectively. On average, digital had lower green channel contrast (giving less retinal detail) than film. Overly red color balance (weaker green) was observed in 23% of digital versus 8% of film. About half of digital (but fewer film) images required enhancement before AMD grading. After optimization of both image types, AREDS2 image quality was judged as good as that in AREDS (all film). CONCLUSIONS A histogram-based model, derived from exemplars, provides a pragmatic guide for image analysis and enhancement. In AREDS2, the best digital images matched the best film. Overall, however, digital provided lower contrast of retinal detail. Digital images taken with higher G-to-R ratio showed better brightness and contrast management. Optimization of images in the multicenter study helps standardize documentation of AMD (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00345176).
Evaluation of in‐vivo topical anti‐inflammatory activity of indometacin from liposomal vesicles

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in‐vivo drug release profile of indometacin‐loaded liposomes into the skin. Large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs), composed of dipalmitoyl‐L‐α‐phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol (9:1), were obtained using the extrusion method and then incorporated in hydrogels (LUV‐A and LUV‐B). The delivery of indometacin from the liposomal system was evaluated by determining its in‐vivo local anti‐inflammatory activity after cutaneous application of liposomal gel formulations; the anti‐inflammatory activity is directly proportional to the amount of drug that actually crosses the skin. UVB‐induced erythema on healthy human volunteers was chosen as the inflammatory model and the extent of erythema was monitored by the non‐invasive technique of reflectance spectrophotometry. The results showed that LUV dispersions containing indometacin provided a high percentage of entrapped drug (∼84%). Furthermore, in‐vivo findings revealed that the anti‐inflammatory effect was more prolonged when indometacin was delivered from a liposomal gel formulation rather than from a gel formulation without liposomes. In particular, the indometacin‐loaded gel formulation LUV‐A showed a sustained effect, probably related to an interaction between LUV lipids and stratum corneum lipid structure. This interaction produces a depot in the stratum corneum that ensures sustained release of the drug to deeper skin layers.
Adaptations in Placental Phenotype Depend on Route and Timing of Maternal Dexamethasone Administration in Mice1

ABSTRACT Synthetic glucocorticoids, like dexamethasone (dex), restrict growth of the fetus and program its adult physiology, in part by altering placental phenotype. The route and timing of dex administration determine the fetal and adult outcomes, but whether these factors affect placental phenotype remains unknown. This study compared placental morphology, amino acid transport, and gene expression in mice given dex orally or by subcutaneous injection over the periods of most rapid placental (Days [D] 11–16) or fetal (D14–19) growth (term is D21). Compared with untreated and saline-injected controls, both dex treatments reduced placental weight at D16 and 19 and fetal weight and total labyrinthine volume at D19 to a similar extent. Only oral dex treatment from D11 to D16 reduced labyrinthine fetal capillary volume on D16 and increased placental 14C-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB) clearance at D19, 3 days after treatment ended. Neither route of dex treatment altered placental expression of Slc38a, Hsd11b, or the glucocorticoid receptor, Nr3c1, at D16. In contrast, both routes of dex treatment from D14 to D19 increased placental Hsd11b2 expression and labyrinthine maternal vessel volume. Furthermore, injection per se altered placental expression of Nr3c1, Hsd11b1, and specific Slc38a isoforms in an age-related manner. Overall, MeAIB clearance was not related to Slc38a transporter expression but was correlated inversely with maternal corticosterone concentrations when dex was undetectable in maternal plasma at D19. The effects of dex on placental phenotype, therefore, depend on both the route and timing of administration and may relate to local glucocorticoid availability during and after the treatment period.
The Binding Characteristics and Intracellular Localization of Temoporfin (mTHPC) in Myeloid Leukemia Cells: Phototoxicity and Mitochondrial Damage ¶

The state of aggregation of the photosensitizer meso‐tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC) in both cell free and intracellular environment was elucidated by comparing its absorption and excitation spectra. In methanol, mTHPC existed as monomers and strongly fluoresced. In aqueous solutions such as phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS), mTHPC formed nonfluorescent aggregates. Some portion of mTHPC monomerized in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum PBS. In murine myeloid leukemia M1 and WEHI‐3B (JCS) cells, cytoplasmic mTHPC were monomeric. By using organelle‐specific fluorescent probes, it was found that mTHPC localized preferentially at the mitochondria and the perinuclear region. Photodynamic treatment of mTHPC‐sensitized leukemia cells caused rapid appearance of the apoptogenic protein cytochrome c in the cytosol. Results from flow cytometric analysis showed that the release of cytochrome c was especially pronounced in JCS cells, and well correlated with the extent of apoptotic cell death as reported earlier. Electron microscopy revealed the loss of integrity of the mitochondrial membrane and the appearance of chromatin condensation as early as 1 h after light irradiation. We conclude that rapid release of cytochrome c from photodamaged mitochondria is responsible for the mTHPC‐induced apoptosis in the myeloid leukemia JCS and M1 cells.
Contrasting weed species composition in perennial alfalfas and six annual crops: implications for integrated weed management

Weed communities are most strongly affected by the characteristics and management of the current crop. Crop rotation may thus be used to prevent the repeated selection of particular weed species. While weed communities are frequently compared among annual crops, little is known about the differences between annual and perennial crops that may be included in the rotations. Moreover, nearly all existing studies (17 articles reviewed) are based on local field experiments rather than commercial fields. We compared the weed composition in perennial alfalfas (Medicago sativa) and six annual crops: winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), oilseed rape (Brassica napus), pea (Pisum sativum), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), maize (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) using data from 632 commercial fields in western France. Weed species composition showed the strongest dissimilarities between perennial alfalfas and all annual crops, followed by the well-known differences between autumn- and spring/summer-sown annual crops. Indicator Species Analysis showed that most weed species either preferred perennial alfalfas (including Taraxacum officinale, Veronica persica, Crepis spp., Poa trivialis, Silene latifolia, Capsella bursapastoris and Picris spp.) or annual crops (including Mercurialis annua, Galium aparine, Fallopia convolvulus, Chenopodium album and Cirsium arvense). Perennial alfalfas thus suppressed many weeds that are widespread (and sometimes problematic) in annual crops while favouring other species. Shifted weed composition and reduced frequency of several noxious weeds suggest that perennial alfalfas may be used as a valuable part of integrated weed management, reducing the need for herbicides and sustaining plant and animal diversity in agricultural landscapes.
Unfinished business: putting motivation theory to the “classroom test”

Translating motivational research to classroom instruction may be so difficult because the two enterprises of psychological research and teaching are inherently different in goals and assumptions. Whereas psychological theory is meant to be broad and generalizable, educational practice must attend to individual and situational differences. For instance, a great deal of research suggests that mastery goal structures are related to desirable beliefs and behaviors. However, knowing that this is so does not help teachers know how to foster mastery goals in their classrooms and whether or how practices might vary given differences among students, developmental levels, and content areas. As Patrick (2004) noted, the theoretical notion of mastery goal structure as it is currently conceptualized was not developed in classrooms and does not address how a mastery goal structure is either manifested or communicated to students. Although it makes theoretical sense to provide “appropriate challenge” to students, how a teacher adapts that principle to students with a range of abilities and attitudes, from challenge seekers to avoiders, is not obvious. Research can provide only a general theoretical heuristic for understanding tendencies and does not necessarily explain individuals' behavior over time (Turner & Patrick, 2004). For motivational research to be meaningful and useful to educators, it needs to help them interpret student behavior as specific responses to specific sets of circumstances. Pajares (2007) expressed this well when he noted:Research findings … drawn from educational psychology broadly, and motivation theory and research in particular are bounded by a host of situated, cultural factors that must be attended to if the constructs themselves are to have any, as William James (1907/1975) termed it, practical, or cash, value. (p. 30)Therefore, in its present form, theory may not appear useful to teachers because of its seeming lack of specificity. These issues apply to all current theories of motivation.
Risk factors for breast cancer according to estrogen and progesterone receptor status.

BACKGROUND Evaluations of epidemiologic risk factors in relation to breast cancer classified jointly by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status have been inconsistent. To address this issue, we conducted a prospective evaluation of risk factors for breast cancer classified according to receptor status. METHODS During 1 029 414 person-years of follow-up of 66 145 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study from 1980 through 2000, we identified 2096 incident cases of breast cancer for which information on ER/PR status was available: 1281 were ER+/PR+, 318 were ER+/PR-, 80 were ER-/PR+, and 417 were ER-/PR-. We fit a log-incidence model of breast cancer and used polychotomous logistic regression to compare coefficients for breast cancer risk factors in patients with different ER/PR status. To test for differences in risk factor odds ratios based on marginal ER/PR categories, we evaluated ER status controlling for PR status and vice versa. The predictive ability of our log-incidence model to discriminate between women who would develop ER+/PR+ breast cancer and those who would not (and similarly for ER-/PR- breast cancer) was evaluated by using receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS We observed statistically significant heterogeneity among the four ER/PR categories for some risk factors (age, menopausal status, body mass index [BMI] after menopause, the one-time adverse effect of first pregnancy, and past use of postmenopausal hormones) but not for others (benign breast disease, family history of breast cancer, alcohol use, and height). The one-time adverse association of first pregnancy with incidence was present for PR- but not for PR+ tumors after controlling for ER status (P =.007). However, the association of BMI after menopause with incidence was present for PR+ but not PR- tumors (P =.005). Statistically significant differences in the incidence of ER+ and ER- tumors were seen with age, both before and after menopause (P =.003), and with past use of postmenopausal hormones (P =.01). Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve, adjusted for age, was 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63 to 0.66) for ER+/PR+ tumors and 0.61 (95% CI = 0.58 to 0.64) for ER-/PR- tumors. CONCLUSIONS Incidence rates and risk factors for breast cancer differ according to ER and PR status. Thus, to accurately estimate breast cancer risk, breast cancer cases should be divided according to the ER and PR status of the tumor.
HER-2 Analysis in Tissue Microarrays of Archival Human Breast Cancer: Comparison of Immunohistochemistry and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

HER-2 gene alterations have been shown to have prognostic and predictive value for the treatment of breast cancer with therapeutic agents. As a result, the accurate evaluation of HER-2 status is crucial. HER-2 status is assessed at the protein level by immunohistochemistry and at the DNA level by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Although the best approach is to combine immunohistochemistry and FISH assays, doing so is not practical or cost-effective for routine histopathologic laboratories. The recent development of tissue microarray technology has allowed large-scale studies using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material. We used this technique to assess HER-2 status in a cohort of 54 invasive breast cancer cases by immunohistochemistry and FISH assays to determine whether the results obtained were representative of the protein and gene expression patterns of the original whole tissue section. Concordance for HER-2 immunohistochemistry between the tissue microarray and full sections was 93%. Concordance for HER-2 FISH between the tissue microarray and full sections was 91%. Concordance between HER-2 FISH and HER-2 immunohistochemistry on the tissue microarray was 98%. We conclude that tissue microarrays provide highly comparable results in the assessment of HER-2 protein levels and allow large-scale analysis of the HER-2 gene by FISH.
LAT1 is a putative therapeutic target in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma

l‐type amino acid transporters (LAT1‐4) are expressed in various cancer types and are involved in the uptake of essential amino acids such as leucine. Here we investigated the expression of LAT1‐4 in endometrial adenocarcinoma and evaluated the contribution of LATs to endometrial cancer cell growth. Analysis of human gene expression data showed that all four LAT family members are expressed in endometrial adenocarcinomas. LAT1 was the most highly expressed, and showed a significant increase in both serous and endometrioid subtypes compared to normal endometrium. Endometrioid patients with the highest LAT1 levels exhibited the lowest disease‐free survival. The pan‐LAT inhibitor BCH led to a significant decrease in cell growth and spheroid area in four endometrial cancer cell lines tested in vitro. Knockdown of LAT1 by shRNA inhibited cell growth in HEC1A and Ishikawa cells, as well as inhibiting spheroid area in HEC1A cells. These data show that LAT1 plays an important role in regulating the uptake of essential amino acids such as leucine into endometrial cancer cells. Increased ability of BCH compared to LAT1 shRNA at inhibiting Ishikawa spheroid area suggests that other LAT family members may also contribute to cell growth. LAT1 inhibition may offer an effective therapeutic strategy in endometrial cancer patients whose tumours exhibit high LAT1 expression.
HLA‐DRB1 shared epitope alleles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: relation to autoantibodies and disease severity in a south Indian population

To investigate the presence of the ‘shared epitope’ (SE) in the HLA‐DRB1 alleles in patients with RA and to ascertain the frequency of the HLA‐DRB1 alleles with autoantibodies (anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide [anti‐CCP] rheumatoid factor [RF]) and disease severity.
Oral cancer in Australia 1982-2008: a growing need for opportunistic screening and prevention.

BACKGROUND Globally, a decline in the incidence of oral cancer has been noted, while the mortality rates have remained relatively stable. The aim of this study was to provide an update on the incidence and mortality of oral cancer in Australia on a national and state level. METHODS Data regarding new cases and deaths associated with cancer of the lip, oral cavity and oropharynx were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for the period 1982-2008. Crude- and age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated for all of Australia and for each state and territory. RESULTS A total of 60 826 cases of lip, oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer were diagnosed in Australia. Between 1992 and 2008, a decline in the annual percentage change of age-standardized incidence was noted. The lip, followed by the tongue, continue to represent the most common sites of new oral cancer cases. There was no significant change in the rates of mortality for oral cancer over the time period. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that the oral cancer mortality rate remains high despite a decline in incidence over the past three decades, highlighting a greater need for dental practitioners to undertake preventive strategies and opportunistic screening for patients.
Successful immunologic and virologic outcomes in elderly HIV-infected patients.

To the Editors: The life expectancy of HIV-infected patients has increased with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and in 2005, 24% of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the United States were aged 50 years and older. It is projected that by 2015, more than half of the HIV-infected adults in the United States will be >50 years old. With increasing life expectancy in developed nations, the United Nations currently defines elderly as older than 60 years of age. Only a few studies have reported on older HIV-infected adults and there are sparse data reported on HIV infection in patients 60 years of age or older. The Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center (CORE Center) provides comprehensive outpatient care to individuals with HIV/AIDS, and of the more than 4500 HIV-infected adults who receive care at the CORE center, 27% are over the age of 50. In a small study published from our group in 2003, we identified 83 patients $60 years of whom 56 (65%) were still active in care and included in this study. The objectives of the present study were to describe the immunologic and virologic long-term outcomes of patients aged 60 years or older and to determine if these outcomes differed by age at HIV diagnosis.
Molecular characterization of a small Haemophilus influenzae plasmid specifying beta-lactamase and its relationship to R factors from Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

The ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae strain Ve445 which caused purulent meningitis and septicaemia in a newborn child in Germany contained a 4.4 megadalton (Mdal) plasmid (pVe445) and produced a TEM type beta-lactamase. The transformation to ampicillin resistance of a sensitive Escherichia coli strain with isolated pVe445 DNA proved that the structural gene for the beta-lactamase resided on this plasmid genome. Molecular DNA-DNA hybridization studies and electron microscope DNA heteroduplex analysis indicated that pVe445 probably contained 38 to 41% of the ampicillin translocation DNA segment (TnA) found on R factors of enteric origin. The TnA fragment present in pVe445 most likely does not contain both of the inverted repeat sequences of TnA. DNA-DNA polynucleotide sequence studies indicated that the 4.4 Mdal plasmid pVe445 was unrelated to the 30 to 38 Mdal H. influenzae R plasmids but was closely related to the 4.1 Mdal ampicillin resistance specifying H. influenzae plasmid RSF0885 isolated in the U.S.A. The H. influenzae plasmid pVe445 shared 91% of its base sequences with the beta-lactamase specifying Neisseria gonorrhoeae plasmid pMR0360 (4.4 Mdal) and had 85% of its base sequences in common with the beta-lactamase specifying N. gonorrhoeae plasmid pMR0200 (3.2 Mdal). All of the four 3.2 to 4.4 Mdal beta-lactamase specifying R plasmids of H. influenzae and N. gonorrhoeae investigated probably have a common evolutionary origin.
UFeed: Refining Web Data Integration Based on User Feedback

One of the main challenges in large-scale data integration for relational schemas is creating an accurate mediated schema, and generating accurate semantic mappings between heterogeneous data sources and this mediated schema. Some applications can start with a moderately accurate mediated schema and mappings and refine them over time, which is referred to as the pay-as-you-go approach to data integration. Creating the mediated schema and mappings automatically to bootstrap the pay-as-you-go approach has been extensively studied. However, refining the mediated schema and mappings is still an open challenge because the data sources are usually heterogeneous and use diverse and sometimes ambiguous vocabularies. In this paper, we introduce UFeed, a system that refines relational mediated schemas and mappings based on user feedback over query answers. UFeed translates user actions into refinement operations that are applied to the mediated schema and mappings to improve their quality. We experimentally verify that UFeed improves the quality of query answers over real heterogeneous data sources extracted from the web.