Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between Dairy Intake and Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Purpose Observational studies have given inconsistent findings on the relationship between intake of dairy products and gastric cancer. We therefore conducted a systematic review with a meta-analysis of observational studies to summarize available evidence on this point. Methods We searched the electronic literature databases of PubMed (Medline), EMBASE and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database up until August 30, 2013. All studies were limited to the English language. Random-effects models were used to pool study results between dairy products consumption and the risk of gastric cancer. We also performed subgroup, publication bias and sensitivity analysis. Results Eight prospective studies and 18 case-control studies were included in our analysis, with a total number of 7272 gastric cancer cases and 223,355 controls. Pooled relative risks of all studies showed no significant association between dairy intake and gastric cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96–1.25). When study design was separately analyzed, population-based case-control studies showed a positive association between dairy intake and gastric cancer risk (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.07–1.74), whereas no associations were shown by hospital-based case-control studies (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.72–1.02) or cohort studies (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.91–1.13). Conclusions The meta-analysis shows that no clear association apparently exists between consumption of dairy products and gastric cancer risk. Further well-designed cohort and intervention studies should be conducted to verify this lack of association.
Emergence of New Project Teams from Open Source Software Developer Networks: Impact of Prior Collaboration Ties

Recent years have witnessed a surge in self-organizing voluntary teams collaborating online to produce goods and services. Motivated by this phenomenon, this research investigates how these teams are formed and how individuals make decisions about which teams to join in the context of open source software development (OSSD). The focus of this paper is to explore how the collaborative network affects developers' choice of newly initiated OSS projects to participate in. More specifically, by analyzing software project data from real-world OSSD projects, we empirically test the impact of past collaborative ties with and perceived status of project members in the network on the self-assembly of OSSD teams. Overall, we find that a developer is more likely to join a project when he has strong collaborative ties with its initiator. We also find that perceived status of the noninitiator members of a project influences its probability of attracting developers. We discuss the implications of our results with respect to self-organizing teams and OSSD.
Emergence of Oxacillinase-Mediated Resistance to Imipenem in Klebsiella pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 11978 was isolated in Turkey in 2001 and was found to be resistant to all β-lactams, including carbapenems. Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli identified five β-lactamases, including two novel oxacillinases. The β-lactamase OXA-48 hydrolyzed imipenem at a high level and was remotely related (less than 46% amino acid identity) to the other oxacillinases. It hydrolyzed penicillins and imipenem but not expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. The blaOXA-48 gene was plasmid encoded and not associated with an integron, in contrast to most of the oxacillinase genes. An insertion sequence, IS1999, was found immediately upstream of blaOXA-48. Another plasmid that encoded a second oxacillinase gene, blaOXA-47, located inside a class 1 integron was identified in K. pneumoniae 11978. OXA-47 had a narrow spectrum of hydrolysis activity and did not hydrolyze ceftazidime or imipenem, as is found for the β-lactamase (OXA-1) to which it is related. In addition, β-lactamases TEM-1 and SHV-2a were expressed from the same K. pneumoniae isolate. Analysis of the outer membrane proteins of this isolate revealed that it lacked a porin of ca. 36 kDa. Thus, the high-level resistance to β-lactams of this clinical isolate resulted from peculiar β-lactamases and modification of outer membrane proteins.
Knock down of Whitefly Gut Gene Expression and Mortality by Orally Delivered Gut Gene-Specific dsRNAs

Control of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) agricultural pest and plant virus vector relies on the use of chemical insecticides. RNA-interference (RNAi) is a homology-dependent innate immune response in eukaryotes, including insects, which results in degradation of the corresponding transcript following its recognition by a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that shares 100% sequence homology. In this study, six whitefly ‘gut’ genes were selected from an in silico-annotated transcriptome library constructed from the whitefly alimentary canal or ‘gut’ of the B biotype of B. tabaci, and tested for knock down efficacy, post-ingestion of dsRNAs that share 100% sequence homology to each respective gene target. Candidate genes were: Acetylcholine receptor subunit α, Alpha glucosidase 1, Aquaporin 1, Heat shock protein 70, Trehalase1, and Trehalose transporter1. The efficacy of RNAi knock down was further tested in a gene-specific functional bioassay, and mortality was recorded in 24 hr intervals, six days, post-treatment. Based on qPCR analysis, all six genes tested showed significantly reduced gene expression. Moderate-to-high whitefly mortality was associated with the down-regulation of osmoregulation, sugar metabolism and sugar transport-associated genes, demonstrating that whitefly survivability was linked with RNAi results. Silenced Acetylcholine receptor subunit α and Heat shock protein 70 genes showed an initial low whitefly mortality, however, following insecticide or high temperature treatments, respectively, significantly increased knockdown efficacy and death was observed, indicating enhanced post-knockdown sensitivity perhaps related to systemic silencing. The oral delivery of gut-specific dsRNAs, when combined with qPCR analysis of gene expression and a corresponding gene-specific bioassay that relates knockdown and mortality, offers a viable approach for functional genomics analysis and the discovery of prospective dsRNA biopesticide targets. The approach can be applied to functional genomics analyses to facilitate, species-specific dsRNA-mediated control of other non-model hemipterans.
Evaluating Lost Person Behavior Models

US wilderness search and rescue consumes thousands of person‐hours and millions of dollars annually. Timeliness is critical: the probability of success decreases substantially after 24 hours. Although over 90% of searches are quickly resolved by standard “reflex” tasks, the remainder require and reward intensive planning. Planning begins with a probability map showing where the lost person is likely to be found. The MapScore project described here provides a way to evaluate probability maps using actual historical searches. In this work we generated probability maps the Euclidean distance tables in (Koester ), and using Doke's ( ) watershed model. Watershed boundaries follow high terrain and may better reflect actual barriers to travel. We also created a third model using the joint distribution using Euclidean and watershed features. On a metric where random maps score 0 and perfect maps score 1, the Euclidean distance model scored 0.78 (95%CI: 0.74–0.82, on 376 cases). The simple watershed model by itself was clearly inferior at 0.61, but the Combined model was slightly better at 0.81 (95%CI: 0.77–0.84).
Carbenoxolone Blocks the Light-Evoked Rise in Intracellular Calcium in Isolated Melanopsin Ganglion Cell Photoreceptors

Background Retinal ganglion cells expressing the photopigment melanopsin are intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGCs). These ganglion cell photoreceptors send axons to several central targets involved in a variety of functions. Within the retina ipRGCs provide excitatory drive to dopaminergic amacrine cells via glutamatergic signals and ipRGCs are coupled to wide-field GABAergic amacrine cells via gap junctions. However, the extent to which ipRGCs are coupled to other retinal neurons in the ganglion cell layer via gap junctions is unclear. Carbenoxolone, a widely employed gap junction inhibitor, greatly reduces the number of retinal neurons exhibiting non-rod, non-cone mediated light-evoked Ca2+ signals suggesting extensive intercellular coupling between ipRGCs and non-ipRGCs in the ganglion cell layer. However, carbenoxolone may directly inhibit light-evoked Ca2+ signals in ipRGCs independent of gap junction blockade. Methodology/Principal Findings To test the possibility that carbenoxolone directly inhibits light-evoked Ca2+ responses in ipRGCs, the light-evoked rise in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) was examined using fura-2 imaging in isolated rat ipRGCs maintained in short-term culture in the absence and presence of carbenoxolone. Carbenoxolone at 50 and 100 µM concentrations completely abolished the light-evoked rise in [Ca2+]i in isolated ipRGCs. Recovery from carbenoxolone inhibition was variable. Conclusions/Significance We demonstrate that the light-evoked rise in [Ca2+]i in isolated mammalian ganglion cell photoreceptors is inhibited by carbenoxolone. Since the light-evoked increase in [Ca2+]i in isolated ipRGCs is almost entirely due to Ca2+ entry via L-type voltage-gated calcium channels and carbenoxolone does not inhibit light-evoked action potential firing in ipRGCs in situ, carbenoxolone may block the light-evoked increase in [Ca2+]i in ipRGCs by blocking L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The ability of carbenoxolone to block evoked Ca2+ responses must be taken into account when interpreting the effects of this pharmacological agent on retinal or other neuronal circuits, particularly if a change in [Ca2+]i is the output being measured.
Properties of Mortars with Natural Pozzolana and Limestone-Based Blended Cements

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the consistency, compressive strength, water sorptivity, chloride ion permeability, electrical resistivity, and sulfate resistance of mortars made with plain and blended cements. Plain (CEM I 42.5 R) and blended cements, including portland pozzolana cements (CEM II A-P 42.5 R and CEM II B-P 32.5 R) and portland limestone cements (CEM II A-LL 42.5 and CEM II B-LL 32.5 R), were used in this study. Mortars with three different water-cement ratios (w/c) of 0.420, 0.485, and 0.550 were produced by using the plain and blended cements. In all the mixtures, the cement:sand ratio was kept constant at 1:2.75 by weight. The compressive strengths of the mortar specimens were tested at 1, 3, 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. Moreover, the water sorptivity, chloride ion permeability, and electrical resistivity of the mortar specimens were measured at 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. The sulfate resistance of the mortars was evaluated by the length change of the mortar specimens up to 30 weeks of exposure. The test results revealed that the use of blended cements decreased the water sorptivity and chloride ion permeability while increasing the electrical resistivity and sulfate resistance of the mortars at later ages compared to the normal portland cements
Normal secretion of the incretin hormones glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 during gestational diabetes mellitus

Background and aim. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) are suggested to be caused by the same metabolic disorder. Defects in gut hormone-dependent regulation of β-cell function (entero-insular axis) have been proposed to contribute to the pathogenesis of DM2. The aim of study was to evaluate whether an impaired secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and/or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) could play a role in the development of carbohydrate disorders during pregnancy. Subjects and methods. The study group (GDM) consisted of 13 gestational women with diabetes mellitus in whom GDM was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization criteria (75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)). The control group consisted of 13 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), matched according to age and duration of pregnancy. For all patients, plasma glucose, insulin, GLP-1 and GIP concentrations were evaluated after an OGTT, i.e. at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after glucose load. Results. Fasting plasma glucose concentrations were similar in both groups, but the 0–120 min area under the curve (AUC) for glucose was significantly greater in the GDM group than in the NGT group (p < 0.0005). Fasting insulin concentration was higher (p < 0.05) and the 2-h insulin response (AUCtotal) was significantly greater (p = 0.01) in the GDM group than in the NGT group. Insulin resistance was significantly higher in GDM compared with control women (homeostasis model assessment, p = 0.003). Fasting GLP-1 concentrations were higher in the GDM group (p = 0.05), but no differences were observed in GLP-1 response (AUC) between the studied groups. Fasting and stimulated GIP response did not differ between groups at any time of the study (p > 0.05). Positive correlations were observed between fasting GLP-1 and insulin concentration (r = 0.56, p < 0.004) and between fasting GLP-1 and insulin resistance (r = 0.43, p < 0.029). Conclusion. An impaired secretion of GLP-1 and GIP does not seem to play a major role in the pathogenesis of GDM.
DoubleDecker: a cooperative disk caching framework for derivative clouds

Derivative clouds, light weight application containers provisioned in virtual machines, are becoming viable and cost-effective options for infrastructure and software-based services. Ubiquitous dynamic memory management techniques in virtualized systems are centralized at the hypervisor and are ineffective in nested derivative cloud setups. In this paper, we highlight the challenges in management of memory resources in derivative cloud systems. Hypervisor caching, an enabler of centralized disk cache management, provides flexible memory or non-volatile memory management at the hypervisor to improve the resource usage efficiency and performance of applications. Existing hypervisor caching solutions have limited effectiveness in nested setups due to their nesting agnostic design, centralized management model and lack of holistic view of memory management. We propose DoubleDecker, a decentralized disk caching framework, realized through guest OS and hypervisor cooperation, with support for efficient memory management in derivative clouds. The DoubleDecker hypervisor caching framework, an integral part of our proposed solution, provides interfaces for differentiated cache partitioning and management in nested setups and is equipped to handle both memory and SSD based caching stores. We demonstrate the flexibility of DoubleDecker to handle dynamic and changing memory provisioning requirements and its capability to simultaneously provision memory across multiple levels. Such multi-level configurations cannot be explored by centralized designs and are a key feature of DoubleDecker. Our experimentation with DoubleDecker demonstrates that application performance can be consistently improved due to the flexible policy framework for disk caching. With our setup, we report an average performance improvement of 4x and a maximum of 11x.
Veterinarni Medicina , 54 , 2009 ( 10 ) : 483 – 490 484 Faecal sample preparation

Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) is the causative agent of acute hemorrhagic enteritis and myocarditis in dogs. In this study the nucleotide sequence of the VP1/VP2 gene of a CPV isolate from India was analyzed and the phylogenetic relationship with other CPV isolates was established. Out of 36 samples analyzed, 16 were found positive for CPV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the 16 positive samples, five were inoculated in MDCK cells for isolation out of which one adapted successfully to the cell culture system. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the VP-1/VP-2 gene revealed that the Indian isolate closely resembled a CPV-2b Italian strain, showing 98.4% nucleotide sequence homology indicating very little genetic divergence since it was first identified in 1978.
“Upwelling” and “cyclonic” regimes of the near‐surface circulation in the Santa Barbara Channel

The observed near-surface circulation in the Santa Barbara Channel indicates in particular two patterns: a dominant cyclonic circulation mode and a less frequent upwelling flow mode. To explain the dynamics that may govern these two flow regimes, momentum balance from a hindcast model of currents in the channel, forced by observed hourly winds and hydrographic data, was calculated. The along-channel balance was found to be between wind, which was eastward (i.e., equatorward), sea level tilt, which was westward (i.e., poleward), and Coriolis, which was westward if the wind was (1) intense west and east of the channel and was eastward if the wind was (2) weaker in the east. Wind condition 1 produced southward cross-channel flow in the midchannel, connected by eastward currents upstream (downstream) along the northern (southern) coast of the channel, while wind condition 2 produced northward cross-channel flow connected by cyclonic recirculation in the west and westward inflow in the east. It is suggested that the former corresponds to the dynamical balance that may occur in the upwelling flow mode, while the latter corresponds to the cyclonic circulation mode.
Neural field simulator: two-dimensional spatio-temporal dynamics involving finite transmission speed

Neural Field models (NFM) play an important role in the understanding of neural population dynamics on a mesoscopic spatial and temporal scale. Their numerical simulation is an essential element in the analysis of their spatio-temporal dynamics. The simulation tool described in this work considers scalar spatially homogeneous neural fields taking into account a finite axonal transmission speed and synaptic temporal derivatives of first and second order. A text-based interface offers complete control of field parameters and several approaches are used to accelerate simulations. A graphical output utilizes video hardware acceleration to display running output with reduced computational hindrance compared to simulators that are exclusively software-based. Diverse applications of the tool demonstrate breather oscillations, static and dynamic Turing patterns and activity spreading with finite propagation speed. The simulator is open source to allow tailoring of code and this is presented with an extension use case.
A Gravity Balancing Passive Exoskeleton for the Human Leg

A gravity balancing lower extremity exoskeleton is a simple mechanical device composed of rigid links, joints and springs, which is adjustable to the geometry and inertia of the leg of a human subject wearing it. This passive exoskeleton does not use any motors or controllers, yet can still unload the human leg joints of the gravity load over the full range of motion of the leg. The underlying principle of gravity balancing consists of two steps: (i) Locate the combined system center of mass of the human leg and the exoskeleton, (ii) Add springs to the exoskeleton, one between the center of mass of the combined system and the fixed frame representing the trunk, the others within the links of the exoskeleton so that the potential energy of the combined system is invariant with configuration of the leg. Additionally, parameters of the exoskeleton can be changed to achieve a prescribed level of partial balancing, between 0-gravity and 1-gravity. The goals of this paper are as follows: (i) briefly review the theory for gravity balancing and present laboratory prototypes of gravity balanced machines, (ii) describe the design of a lower extremity exoskeleton that was fabricated using this principle, and (iii) show the performance of the exoskeleton on both healthy human subjects and a stroke patient by comparison of leg muscle EMG recordings, joint range of motion, and measured joint torques. These results strongly suggest that human joints can be unloaded from gravity using these exoskeletons and the human joint range of motion can be significantly increased. Potential applications of gravity balancing exoskeletons include: (i) gait training of stroke patients, (ii) characterization of long-term effects of zero gravity on the human musculature, (iii) human performance augmentation during assembly tasks.
Sustainable Fiscal Policy with Rising Public Debt-To-Gdp Ratios

In financial and economic policy circles concerned with public debt in developing countries, a rising debt-GDP ratio is interpreted as a signal of overborrowing, warning of debt defaults if strong fiscal corrections are not adopted in time. This paper shows why this interpretation is incorrect by building a simple model of fiscal policy in which upward-sloping debt paths are observed even though the probability of default is ``almost surely" equal to zero.
Was South Georgia covered by an ice cap during the Last Glacial Maximum?

Abstract The behaviour of ice caps and glaciers on sub-Antarctic islands during previous periods of warming provide key empirical evidence for understanding the behaviour of marine ice sheets in the future. However, the extent of ice on sub-Antarctic islands during the last 100 kyr is poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the past glacial extents on South Georgia, where previous Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) reconstructions vary between small fjord-terminating glaciers and a large marine-based ice sheet. To help resolve this uncertainty, we apply Schmidt hammer relative-age dating to measure rock hardness and, thus, exposure age of a range of glacial deposits. Applying a hardness–age calibration curve constructed from well-dated Holocene, late-glacial deposits and terminal LGM deposits, we determine that deglaciation of the approximately 600 m-high peaks on the outer Lewin Peninsula occurred during the latter half of the last glacial stage, and probably the end of the LGM. We infer that South Georgia was covered by a marine-based ice cap during the latter part of the last glacial stage.
Value of a rigid collar in addition to head blocks: a proof of principle study

Background All trauma patients with a cervical spinal column injury or with a mechanism of injury with the potential to cause cervical spinal injury should be immobilised until a spinal injury is excluded. Immobilisation of the entire patient with a rigid cervical collar, backboard, head blocks with tape or straps is recommended by the Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines. However there is insufficient evidence to support these guidelines. Objective To analyse the effects on the range of motion of the addition of a rigid collar to head blocks strapped on a backboard. Method The active range of motion of the cervical spine was determined by computerised digital dual inclinometry, in 10 healthy volunteers with a rigid collar, head blocks strapped on a padded spine board and a combination of both. Maximal opening of the mouth with all types of immobiliser in place was also measured. Results The addition of a rigid collar to head blocks strapped on a spine board did not result in extra immobilisation of the cervical spine. Opening of the mouth was significantly reduced in patients with a rigid collar. Conclusion Based on this proof of principle study and other previous evidence of adverse effects of rigid collars, the addition of a rigid collar to head blocks is considered unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Therefore the use of this combination of cervical spine immobilisers must be reconsidered.