Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glucose Sensing Using Capacitive Biosensor Based on Polyvinylidene Fluoride Thin Film

A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film-based capacitive biosensor was developed for glucose sensing. This device consists of a PVDF film sandwiched between two electrodes. A capacitive biosensor measures the dielectric properties of the dielectric layers at the interface between the electrolyte and the electrode. A glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme was immobilized onto the electrode to oxidize glucose. In practice, the biochemical reaction of glucose with the GOx enzyme generates free electron carriers. Consequently, the potential difference between the electrodes is increased, resulting in a measurable voltage output of the biosensor. The device was tested for various glucose concentrations in the range of 0.013 to 5.85 M, and various GOx enzyme concentrations between 4882.8 and 2.5 million units/L. We found that the sensor output increased with increasing glucose concentration up to 5.85 M. These results indicate that the PVDF film-based capacitive biosensors can be properly applied to glucose sensing and provide opportunities for the low-cost fabrication of glucose-based biosensors based on PVDF materials.
A new procedure for treating wood

Abstract A new procedure has been developed to treat wood with aqueous solutions, microemulsions or other fluids using a roller-press. Green lumber is used which eliminates the need for predrying before treatment. Compressing the green wood to 50–60% of its thickness in a roller-press submerged in a phenol formaldehyde solution resulted in weight gains of 40% resin with an antishrink efficiency of 80%. Specimen length, thickness, compression rate and feed speed were studied, and Japanese cedar, spruce and Douglas fir were successfully treated at different initial wood moisture contents.
Fruits and vegetables intake differentially affects estrogen receptor negative and positive breast cancer incidence rates.

Despite intensive research, the evidence for a protective effect of fruits and vegetables on breast cancer risk remains inconclusive. Other risk factors for breast cancer seem to vary with the estrogen receptor status of the breast tumor, and it is thus possible that the inconsistent results regarding a preventive effect of fruits and vegetables are due to lack of controlling for estrogen receptor status. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on postmenopausal breast cancer and explore whether the estrogen receptor status of the tumor modifies this relation. Postmenopausal women (n = 23,798; aged 50-64 y) provided information about diet and established risk factors for breast cancer in the cohort "Diet, Cancer and Health. " During follow-up, 425 cases were diagnosed with breast cancer. Associations between intake of fruits and vegetables and the breast cancer rate were analyzed using Cox's regression model. The association for all breast cancers was an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.02 (95% CI, 0.98-1.06) per 100 g/d increment of total intake of fruits, vegetables and juice. For estrogen receptor-positive (ER(+)) breast cancer, a borderline significant increase in the rate was seen, IRR: 1.05 (95% CI, 1.00-1.10), whereas a preventive effect was seen for estrogen receptor-negative (ER(-)) breast cancers, IRR: 0.90 (95% CI, 0.81-0.99). In conclusion, we did not find the overall breast cancer rate to be associated with the intake of fruits and vegetables, but there seemed to be different effects for ER(+) and ER(-) breast cancer.
Plasma lipid profiles in adults after prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine.

BACKGROUND Small body size at birth has been reported to be associated with an atherogenic lipid profile in humans, and animal experiments have shown that undernutrition during pregnancy permanently alters cholesterol metabolism in the offspring. There is no direct evidence in humans that maternal malnutrition during pregnancy affects the lipid profiles of the offspring. OBJECTIVES We assessed the effects of maternal malnutrition during specific periods of gestation on plasma lipid profiles in persons aged approximately 50 y. DESIGN This was a follow-up study of men and women born at term as singletons in a university hospital in Amsterdam between 1 November 1943 and 28 February 1947 around the time of a severe famine. RESULTS Persons exposed to famine in early gestation had a more atherogenic lipid profile than did those who were not exposed to famine in utero. Their LDL-HDL cholesterol ratios were significantly higher (by 13.9%; 95% CI: 2.6-26.4%). Additionally, their plasma HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A concentrations tended to be lower, and their plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B concentrations tended to be higher, although these differences were not statistically significant. The effect of famine was independent of size at birth and adult obesity. CONCLUSIONS An atherogenic lipid profile might be linked to a transition from poor maternal nutrition in early gestation to adequate nutrition later on. This suggests that maternal malnutrition during early gestation may program lipid metabolism without affecting size at birth.
Adaptive whole-body manipulation in human-to-humanoid multi-contact motion retargeting

We propose a controller for loco-manipulation motion retargeting from a human to a humanoid robot. Using this controller, the robot can track complex motions and automatically adapt to elements in the environment that have different physical properties from those that were used to provide the human's reference motion. The multi-contact loco-manipulation problem is formulated as a multi-robot quadratic program (MRQP), which optimizes over the combined dynamics of the robot and any manipulated element in the environment. Our approach maintains a dynamic partition of the robot's tracking links into fixed support contact links, manipulation contact links, and contact-free tracking links. The three sets are repartitioned and re-instantiated as objectives or constraints in the MRQP when contact events occur in the human motion. We present various experiments (bag retrieval, door opening, box lifting) using human motion data from an Xsens inertial motion capture system. We show in dynamics simulation that the robot is able to perform difficult single-stance motions as well as multi-contact-stance motions (including hand supports), while adapting to environment elements of varying inertial properties.
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and Teams: A Reflection

Teamwork has been at the core of human accomplishment across the millennia, and it was a focus of social psychological inquiry on small group behavior for nearly half a century. However, as organizations world-wide reorganized work around teams over the past two decades, the nature of teamwork and factors influencing it became a central focus of research in organizational psychology and management. In this article, I reflect on the impetus, strategy, key features, and scientific contribution of “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and Teams,” by Kozlowski and Ilgen, a review monograph published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest in 2006.
Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status.

BACKGROUND Brazil nuts provide a rich natural source of selenium, yet no studies have investigated the bioavailability of selenium in humans. OBJECTIVE We investigated the efficacy of Brazil nuts in increasing selenium status in comparison with selenomethionine. DESIGN A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 59 New Zealand adults. Participants consumed 2 Brazil nuts thought to provide approximately 100 mug Se, 100 mug Se as selenomethionine, or placebo daily for 12 wk. Actual intake from nuts averaged 53 mug Se/d (possible range: 20-84 mug Se). Plasma selenium and plasma and whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were measured at baseline and at 2, 4, 8, and 12 wk, and effects of treatments were compared. RESULTS Plasma selenium increased by 64.2%, 61.0%, and 7.6%; plasma GPx by 8.3%, 3.4%, and -1.2%; and whole blood GPx by 13.2%, 5.3%, and 1.9% in the Brazil nut, selenomethionine, and placebo groups, respectively. Change over time at 12 wk in plasma selenium (P < 0.0001 for both groups) and plasma GPx activity in the Brazil nut (P < 0.001) and selenomethionine (P = 0.014) groups differed significantly from the placebo group but not from each other. The change in whole blood GPx activity was greater in the Brazil nut group than in the placebo (P = 0.002) and selenomethionine (P = 0.032) groups. CONCLUSION Consumption of 2 Brazil nuts daily is as effective for increasing selenium status and enhancing GPx activity as 100 mug Se as selenomethionine. Inclusion of this high-selenium food in the diet could avoid the need for fortification or supplements to improve the selenium status of New Zealanders.
FADS genotypes and desaturase activity estimated by the ratio of arachidonic acid to linoleic acid are associated with inflammation and coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND The delta-5 and delta-6 desaturases, encoded by FADS1 and FADS2 genes, are key enzymes in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolism that catalyze the conversion of linoleic acid (LA) into arachidonic acid (AA) and that of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FADS1 and FADS2 have been associated with different concentrations of AA and LA, and those associations have possible functional consequences for desaturase activity. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the possible association among FADS genotypes, desaturase activity, inflammation, and coronary artery disease (CAD). DESIGN Thirteen FADS SNPs and the ratio of AA to LA (AA/LA) on red blood cell (RBC) membranes, a marker of desaturase activity, were evaluated in 876 subjects with (n = 610) or without (n = 266) angiographically documented CAD. RESULTS Both AA/LA and the ratio of EPA to ALA (EPA/ALA) were higher in patients with CAD than in those without CAD, but, in a multiple logistic regression model, only a higher AA/LA resulted an independent risk factor for CAD (odds ratio: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.61, 4.05 for higher compared with lower ratio tertile; P for trend < 0.001). Furthermore, concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein increased progressively across tertiles of AA/LA. Graded increases in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations and CAD risk were related to the carriership of FADS haplotypes, including the alleles associated with a higher ratio. CONCLUSION In populations following a Western diet, subjects carrying FADS haplotypes that are associated with higher desaturase activity may be prone to a proinflammatory response favoring atherosclerotic vascular damage.
Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index.

BACKGROUND Although international interest in classifying subject health status according to adiposity is increasing, no accepted published ranges of percentage body fat currently exist. Empirically identified limits, population percentiles, and z scores have all been suggested as means of setting percentage body fat guidelines, although each has major limitations. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine a potential new approach for developing percentage body fat ranges. The approach taken was to link healthy body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) guidelines established by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization with predicted percentage body fat. DESIGN Body fat was measured in subjects from 3 ethnic groups (white, African American, and Asian) who were screened and evaluated at 3 universities [Cambridge (United Kingdom), Columbia (United States), and Jikei (Japan)] with use of reference body-composition methods [4-compartment model (4C) at 2 laboratories and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at all 3 laboratories]. Percentage body fat prediction equations were developed based on BMI and other independent variables. RESULTS A convenient sample of 1626 adults with BMIs < or =35 was evaluated. Independent percentage body fat predictor variables in multiple regression models included 1/BMI, sex, age, and ethnic group (R: values from 0.74 to 0.92 and SEEs from 2.8 to 5.4% fat). The prediction formulas were then used to prepare provisional healthy percentage body fat ranges based on published BMI limits for underweight (<18.5), overweight (> or =25), and obesity (> or =30). CONCLUSION This proposed approach and initial findings provide the groundwork and stimulus for establishing international healthy body fat ranges.
Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons.

BACKGROUND Numerous studies indicate that flavanols may exert significant vascular protection because of their antioxidant properties and increased nitric oxide bioavailability. In turn, nitric oxide bioavailability deeply influences insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and vascular tone. Thus, flavanols may also exert positive metabolic and pressor effects. OBJECTIVE The objective was to compare the effects of either dark or white chocolate bars on blood pressure and glucose and insulin responses to an oral-glucose-tolerance test in healthy subjects. DESIGN After a 7-d cocoa-free run-in phase, 15 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to receive for 15 d either 100 g dark chocolate bars, which contained approximately 500 mg polyphenols, or 90 g white chocolate bars, which presumably contained no polyphenols. Successively, subjects entered a further cocoa-free washout phase of 7 d and then were crossed over to the other condition. Oral-glucose-tolerance tests were performed at the end of each period to calculate the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI); blood pressure was measured daily. RESULTS HOMA-IR was significantly lower after dark than after white chocolate ingestion (0.94 +/- 0.42 compared with 1.72 +/- 0.62; P < 0.001), and QUICKI was significantly higher after dark than after white chocolate ingestion (0.398 +/- 0.039 compared with 0356 +/- 0.023; P = 0.001). Although within normal values, systolic blood pressure was lower after dark than after white chocolate ingestion (107.5 +/- 8.6 compared with 113.9 +/- 8.4 mm Hg; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Dark, but not white, chocolate decreases blood pressure and improves insulin sensitivity in healthy persons.
Iron bis-glycine chelate competes for the nonheme-iron absorption pathway.

BACKGROUND The enterocytic absorption pathway of the food fortificant iron bis-glycine chelate has been the subject of controversy because it is not clear whether that substance uses the classic nonheme-iron absorption pathway or a pathway similar to that of heme absorption. OBJECTIVE The objective was to study the absorption pathway of iron bis-glycine chelate in human subjects. DESIGN Eighty-five healthy adult women were selected to participate in 1 of 6 iron-absorption studies. Study A involved the measurement of the dose-response curve of the absorption of ferrous sulfate (through a nonheme-iron absorption pathway); study B involved the competition of iron bis-glycine chelate with ferrous sulfate for the nonheme-iron absorption pathway; study C involved the measurement of the dose-response curve of heme-iron absorption; study D involved the competition of iron bis-glycine chelate with hemoglobin for the heme-iron absorption pathway; and studies E and F were the same as studies A and B, except that the iron bis-glycine chelate was encapsulated in enteric gelatin capsules so that it would not be processed in the stomach. RESULTS Iron from the bis-glycine chelate competed with ferrous sulfate for the nonheme-iron absorption pathway. Iron from the bis-glycine chelate also competed with ferrous sulfate for absorption when liberated directly into the intestinal lumen. Iron from the bis-glycine chelate did not compete with heme iron for the heme-iron absorption pathway. CONCLUSION The iron from iron bis-glycine chelate delivered at the level of the stomach or duodenum becomes part of the nonheme-iron pool and is absorbed as such.
Effect of multivitamin and vitamin A supplements on weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-1-infected women.

BACKGROUND The pattern of weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-infected women is largely unknown. Multivitamin supplementation was shown to be effective in preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes among HIV-positive women. These protective effects could be mediated in part by an improvement in the pattern of gestational weight gain. OBJECTIVE We examined the effects of multivitamin and vitamin A supplements on weight gain during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy among HIV-infected women. DESIGN We enrolled 1075 pregnant, HIV-1-positive women from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Using a 2-by-2 factorial design, we assigned each woman to 1 of 4 regimens: multivitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and vitamins B-6, B-12, C, and E), vitamin A, multivitamins including vitamin A, or placebo. The women took these oral supplements daily and were weighed monthly until the end of pregnancy. RESULTS The mean rate of weight gain was 306 g/wk during the second trimester and 247 g/wk during the third trimester. During the third trimester, average weight gain was significantly greater (by 304 g; 95% CI: 17, 590; P = 0.04) and the risk of low rate of weight gain (<or= 100 g/wk) was significantly lower (relative risk: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.93) in women who received multivitamins than in women who did not. Multivitamins including vitamin A were protective against low weight gain during the second trimester compared with multivitamins alone. CONCLUSION Multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy improves the pattern of weight gain among HIV-infected women.
Advanced ODS FeCrAl alloys for accident-tolerant fuel cladding

ODS FeCrAl alloys are being developed with optimum composition and properties for accident tolerant fuel cladding. Two oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe-15Cr-5Al+Y2O3 alloys were fabricated by ball milling and extrusion of gas atomized metallic powder mixed with Y2O3 powder. To assess the impact of Mo on the alloy mechanical properties, one alloy contained 1%Mo. The hardness and tensile properties of the two alloys were close and higher than the values reported for fine grain PM2000 alloy. This is likely due to the combination of a very fine grain structure and the presence of nano oxide precipitates. The nano oxide dispersion was however not sufficient to prevent grain boundary sliding at 800 C and the creep properties of the alloys were similar or only slightly superior to fine grain PM2000 alloy. Both alloys formed a protective alumina scale at 1200 C in air and steam and the mass gain curves were similar to curves generated with 12Cr-5Al+Y2O3 (+Hf or Zr) ODS alloys fabricated for a different project. To estimate the maximum temperature limit of use for the two alloys in steam, ramp tests at a rate of 5 C/min were carried out in steam. Like other ODS alloys, the two alloysmore » showed a significant increase of the mas gains at T~ 1380 C compared with ~1480 C for wrought alloys of similar composition. The beneficial effect of Yttrium for wrought FeCrAl does not seem effective for most ODS FeCrAl alloys. Characterization of the hardness of annealed specimens revealed that the microstructure of the two alloys was not stable above 1000 C. Concurrent radiation results suggested that Cr levels <15wt% are desirable and the creep and oxidation results from the 12Cr ODS alloys indicate that a lower Cr, high strength ODS alloy with a higher maximum use temperature could be achieved. « less
Nutrient Requirements and Interactions Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Reductions in Food Intake Do Not Decrease the Efficiency of Lysine and Threonine Utilization for Protein Accretion in Chickens

Exposure of animals to infectious agents induces immune responses that result in reductions in food consumption and weight gain. The effect of these changes on amino acid requirements and utilization remains unclear. Three assays were conducted with young chicks with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) used to stimulate the immune system. An initial study was conducted to evaluate the effects of LPS on animal performance. In a daily or alternate day injection regimen for 9 d, chicks were given intraperitoneal injections of sterile saline containing 0, 100 or 400 mg LPS. Administration of 100 or 400 mg LPS daily, or every other day, decreased both weight gain and food consumption. In two subsequent growth assays, chicks were fed graded levels of lysine or threonine and injected with either 0 or 400 mg LPS every other day to evaluate the effect of LPS administration on the efficiency of amino acid utilization. At the three lowest amino acid doses, whole-body protein accretion was a linear function of supplemental lysine or threonine intake, and slopes of the accretion curves were not altered by LPS administration. The dietary lysine concentration required to maximize protein accretion was unaffected by LPS, but the absolute lysine intake required to maximize chick performance was lower in LPS-injected chicks than in saline-injected chicks. These results show that LPS administration reduces weight gain, food intake, efficiency of food utilization and the absolute quantity of lysine required to maximize these criteria. However, LPS administration does not affect the efficiency of amino acid utilization, nor does it affect the concentration of dietary lysine required to maximize performance. J. Nutr. 128: 1760–1766, 1998.
You Don’t Need to Talk to Throw a Ball! Children’s Inclusion of Language-Outgroup Members in Behavioral and Hypothetical Scenarios

To investigate children’s inclusion of language-outgroup members, English-speaking children (8–9 years and 10–11 years of age, N = 57) made inclusion decisions while playing a simulated ball-tossing game, Cyberball, and while evaluating hypothetical scenarios involving language-outgroup members who wanted to play with their group. In the Cyberball game, the group norm was to exclude non-English-speaking peers, and participant tosses to a language-outgroup member (i.e., Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic speaking) were coded as a measure of behavioral inclusion. In the hypothetical scenarios, participants made prescriptive and descriptive judgments about their expectations regarding the inclusion of a language-outgroup member. They also evaluated their own and their group’s inclusion likelihood. Results revealed that participants’ evaluations of how acceptable exclusion was predicted their behavioral inclusion in the Cyberball game. Further, participants were more likely to think that the language-outgroup member should be included and less likely to think that the outgroup member would be included. They also differentiated between their own and their group’s likelihood of including a language-outgroup member and reasoned about this decision by focusing on group functioning and language. In addition, there were age-related differences, with participants demonstrating greater inclusivity with age. The findings suggest the complexity of children’s social cognition and the importance of providing them with a rich array of opportunities to play with language-outgroup members.