Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Evolution of Seed Oils in Plants: Accounting for the Biogeographic Distribution of Saturated and Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Seed Oils

Structural, energetic, biochemical, and ecological information suggests that germination temperature is an important selective agent causing seed oils of higher‐latitude plants to have proportionately more unsaturated fatty acids than lower‐latitude plants. Germination temperature is predicted to select relative proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in seed oils that optimize the total energy stores in a seed and the rate of energy production during germination. Saturated fatty acids store more energy per carbon than unsaturated fatty acids; however, unsaturated fatty acids have much lower melting points than saturated fatty acids. Thus, seeds with lower proportions of saturated fatty acids in their oils should be able to germinate earlier and grow more rapidly at low temperatures even though they store less total energy than seeds with a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids. Seeds that germinate earlier and grow more rapidly should have a competitive advantage. At higher germination temperatures, seeds with higher proportions of saturated fatty acids will be selectively favored because their oils will provide more energy, without a penalty in the rate of energy acquisition. Macroevolutionary biogeographical evidence from a broad spectrum of seed plants and the genus Helianthus support the theory, as do microevolutionary biogeography and seed germination performance within species of Helianthus.
Association of Birthplace and Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Among US Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2006 to 2014

Background The proportion of foreign‐born US adults has almost tripled since 1970. However, less is known about the cardiovascular morbidity by birthplace among adults residing in the United States. This study's objective was to compare the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke among US adults by birthplace. Methods and Results We used data from the 2006 to 2014 National Health Interview Survey. Birthplace was categorized as United States or foreign born. Foreign born was then grouped into 6 birthplace regions. We defined CHD and stroke as ever being told by a physician that she or he had CHD or stroke. We adjusted for select demographic and health characteristics in the analysis. Of US adults, 16% were classified as foreign born. Age‐standardized prevalence of both CHD and stroke were higher among US‐ than foreign‐born adults (CHD: 8.2% versus 5.5% for men and 4.8% versus 4.1% for women; stroke: 2.7% versus 2.1% for men and 2.7% versus 1.9% for women; all P<0.05). Comparing individual regions with those of US‐ born adults, CHD prevalence was lower among foreign‐born adults from Asia and Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean. For stroke, although men from South America or Africa had the lowest prevalence, women from Europe had the lowest prevalence. Years of living in the United States was not related to risk of CHD or stroke after adjustment with demographic and health characteristics. Conclusions Overall, foreign‐born adults residing in the United States had a lower prevalence of CHD and stroke than US‐born adults. However, considerable heterogeneity of CHD and stroke risk was found by region of birth.
ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION OF ELECTROCHEMICAL NOISE TECHNOLOGYII.APPLICATION OF ELECTROCHEMICAL NOISE

Development and application status of electrochemical noise technology in material corrosion and protection,battery,electrodeposition and bio-electrochemistry were summarized.The newly achievements and the unsolved problems of electrochemical noise technology when using in material corrosion and protection,especially in local corrosion were reviewed in detail.The future of the application of electrochemical noise technology in industrial electrochemistry was forecasted.
Calcium intake influences the association of protein intake with rates of bone loss in elderly men and women.

BACKGROUND There is currently no consensus on the effect of dietary protein intake on the skeleton, but there is some indication that low calcium intakes adversely influence the effect of dietary protein on fracture risk. OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study was to determine whether supplemental calcium citrate malate and vitamin D influence any associations between protein intake and change in bone mineral density (BMD). DESIGN Associations between protein intake and change in BMD were examined in 342 healthy men and women (aged > or = 65 y) who had completed a 3-y, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Protein intake was assessed at the midpoint of the study with the use of a food-frequency questionnaire and BMD was assessed every 6 mo by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS The mean (+/-SD) protein intake of all subjects was 79.1 +/- 25.6 g/d and the mean total calcium intakes of the supplemented and placebo groups were 1346 +/- 358 and 871 +/- 413 mg/d, respectively. Higher protein intake was significantly associated with a favorable 3-y change in total-body BMD in the supplemented group (in a model containing terms for age, sex, weight, total energy intake, and dietary calcium intake) but not in the placebo group. The pattern of change in femoral neck BMD with increasing protein intake in the supplemented group was similar to that for the total body. CONCLUSION Increasing protein intake may have a favorable effect on change in BMD in elderly subjects supplemented with calcium citrate malate and vitamin D.
PGE2 hyperpolarizes gallbladder neurons and inhibits synaptic potentials in gallbladder ganglia.

Gallbladder prostaglandin E2(PGE2) levels are significantly elevated in pathophysiological conditions, resulting in changes in gallbladder motility or secretion that may involve actions of the prostanoid in intramural ganglia. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of PGE2 on neurons of the intramural ganglia of the guinea pig gallbladder. Application of PGE2 by microejection or superfusion elicited a complex triphasic change in the resting membrane potential (RMP). For example, application of PGE2 by microejection (100 μM) resulted in a brief hyperpolarization (mean duration 11.1 ± 1.3 s), followed by a mid-phase repolarization toward or above RMP (mean duration 50.7 ± 8.1 s), and finally a long-lasting hyperpolarization (mean duration 157.3 ± 36.7 s). Associated with these PGE2-evoked alterations in RMP were changes in input resistance measured via injection of hyperpolarizing current pulses. An examination of the action potential afterhyperpolarization (AHP) during the PGE2-evoked response revealed an attenuation of both the amplitude and duration of the AHP. However, only a slight increase in excitability of gallbladder neurons in the presence of PGE2 was evident in response to depolarizing current pulses, and PGE2 did not cause the cells to fire spontaneous action potentials. Application of PGE2 reduced the amplitudes of both fast and slow excitatory synaptic potentials. These results suggest that increased prostaglandin production may decrease ganglionic output and therefore contribute to gallbladder stasis.
A comparative study for chest radiograph image retrieval using binary texture and deep learning classification

In this work various approaches are investigated for X-ray image retrieval and specifically chest pathology retrieval. Given a query image taken from a data set of 443 images, the objective is to rank images according to similarity. Different features, including binary features, texture features, and deep learning (CNN) features are examined. In addition, two approaches are investigated for the retrieval task. One approach is based on the distance of image descriptors using the above features (hereon termed the “descriptor”-based approach); the second approach (“classification”-based approach) is based on a probability descriptor, generated by a pair-wise classification of each two classes (pathologies) and their decision values using an SVM classifier. Best results are achieved using deep learning features in a classification scheme.
An increase in dietary protein improves the blood glucose response in persons with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND In single-meal studies, dietary protein does not result in an increase in glucose concentrations in persons with or without type 2 diabetes, even though the resulting amino acids can be used for gluconeogenesis. OBJECTIVE The metabolic effects of a high-protein diet were compared with those of the prototypical healthy (control) diet, which is currently recommended by several scientific organizations. DESIGN The metabolic effects of both diets, consumed for 5 wk each (separated by a 2-5-wk washout period), were studied in 12 subjects with untreated type 2 diabetes. The ratio of protein to carbohydrate to fat was 30:40:30 in the high-protein diet and 15:55:30 in the control diet. The subjects remained weight-stable during the study. RESULTS With the fasting glucose concentration used as a baseline from which to determine the area under the curve, the high-protein diet resulted in a 40% decrease in the mean 24-h integrated glucose area response. Glycated hemoglobin decreased 0.8% and 0.3% after 5 wk of the high-protein and control diets, respectively; the difference was significant (P < 0.05). The rate of change over time was also significantly greater after the high-protein diet than after the control diet (P < 0.001). Fasting triacylglycerol was significantly lower after the high-protein diet than after the control diet. Insulin, C-peptide, and free fatty acid concentrations were not significantly different after the 2 diets. CONCLUSION A high-protein diet lowers blood glucose postprandially in persons with type 2 diabetes and improves overall glucose control. However, longer-term studies are necessary to determine the total magnitude of response, possible adverse effects, and the long-term acceptability of the diet.
Using MRI cell tracking to monitor immune cell recruitment in response to a peptide‐based cancer vaccine

MRI cell tracking can be used to monitor immune cells involved in the immunotherapy response, providing insight into the mechanism of action, temporal progression of tumor growth, and individual potency of therapies. To evaluate whether MRI could be used to track immune cell populations in response to immunotherapy, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells, and myeloid‐derived suppressor cells were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles.
Daclatasvir plus asunaprevir in treatment-naïve patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b infection

AIM To assess daclatasvir plus asunaprevir (DUAL) in treatment-naïve patients from mainland China, Russia and South Korea with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b infection. METHODS Patients were randomly assigned (3:1) to receive 24 wk of treatment with DUAL (daclatasvir 60 mg once daily and asunaprevir 100 mg twice daily) beginning on day 1 of the treatment period (immediate treatment arm) or following 12 wk of matching placebo (placebo-deferred treatment arm). The primary endpoint was a comparison of sustained virologic response at posttreatment week 12 (SVR12) compared with the historical SVR rate for peg-interferon plus ribavirin (70%) among patients in the immediate treatment arm. The first 12 wk of the study were blinded. Safety was assessed in DUAL-treated patients compared with placebo patients during the first 12 wk (double-blind phase), and during 24 wk of DUAL in both arms combined. RESULTS In total, 207 patients were randomly assigned to immediate (n = 155) or placebo-deferred (n = 52) treatment. Most patients were Asian (86%), female (59%) and aged < 65 years (90%). Among them, 13% had cirrhosis, 32% had IL28B non-CC genotypes and 53% had baseline HCV RNA levels of ≥ 6 million IU/mL. Among patients in the immediate treatment arm, SVR12 was achieved by 92% (95% confidence interval: 87.2-96.0), which was significantly higher than the historical comparator rate (70%). SVR12 was largely unaffected by cirrhosis (89%), age ≥ 65 years (92%), male sex (90%), baseline HCV RNA ≥ 6 million (89%) or IL28B non-CC genotypes (96%), although SVR12 was higher among patients without (96%) than among those with (53%) baseline NS5A resistance-associated polymorphisms (at L31 or Y93H). During the double-blind phase, aminotransferase elevations were more common among placebo recipients than among patients receiving DUAL. During 24 wk of DUAL therapy (combined arms), the most common adverse events (≥ 10%) were elevated alanine aminotransferase and upper respiratory tract infection; emergent grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities were infrequently observed, and all grade 3-4 aminotransferase abnormalities (alanine aminotransferase, n = 9; aspartate transaminase, n = 6) reversed within 8-11 d. Two patients discontinued DUAL treatment; one due to aminotransferase elevations, nausea, and jaundice and the other due to a fatal adverse event unrelated to treatment. There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION DUAL was well-tolerated during this phase 3 study, and SVR12 with DUAL treatment (92%) exceeded the historical SVR rate for peg-interferon plus ribavirin of 70%.
Sarcolemmal glucose transport and GLUT-4 translocation during exercise are diminished by endurance training.

Glucose utilization during exercise of a given submaximal power output is decreased after endurance training. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanisms behind this phenomenon by utilizing the sarcolemmal giant vesicle technique. Eight healthy young untrained men endurance trained one thigh for 3 wk. They then exercised both thighs simultaneously at the same work load (77% of peak O2 uptake of the untrained thigh) for 40 min. Training increased muscle GLUT-4 protein by 70% ( P < 0.05). Glucose uptake during exercise was 38% lower ( P < 0.05) in the trained (T) thigh than in the untrained (UT) thigh because of both a lower ( P < 0.05) glucose extraction and blood flow in T. During exercise, sarcolemmal GLUT-4 protein content and glucose transport capacity increased significantly less in T than in UT muscle, and muscle glucose concentration was lower in T compared with UT ( P < 0.05) at the end of exercise. It is concluded that, despite a large increase in muscle GLUT-4 with endurance training, exercise of a given submaximal power output increases muscle glucose uptake less in T than in UT muscle. It is suggested that the mechanism behind this phenomenon is blunted exercise-induced translocation of GLUT-4 to the sarcolemma, resulting in a blunted increase in sarcolemmal glucose transport in T muscle.
Folate Deﬁciency-Induced Hyperhomocysteinemia Attenuates, and Folic Acid Supplementation Restores, the Functional Activities of Rat Coagulation Factors XII, X, and II 1,2

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HH) constitutes a risk marker for thrombosis, but the pathophysiological mechanisms in thrombus formation are still unresolved. We investigated the inﬂuence of HH on single coagulation factor functions and evaluated the platelet GpIIb/IIIa receptor function in HH-induced changes in whole-blood coagulation proﬁles (WBCP). Three groups of 12 rats were investigated: control rats, folate deﬁcient-HH (FD-HH) rats, and treated rats. Plasma total homocysteine was 7.1 (cid:1) mol/L in controls, 31.3 (cid:1) mol/L in FD-HH rats, and 7.6 (cid:1) mol/L in treated rats. Factor (F) II:C, FX:C, and FXII:C were reduced in FD-HH rats compared with controls and normalized in treated rats ( P (cid:1) 0.05). FVII:C activity did not differ among the groups. Factor VIII:C activity was greater in FD-HH rats than in controls ( P (cid:1) 0.05). Blockage of the platelet GpIIb/IIIa receptor by Integrilin (Schering-Plough A/S) did not abolish the FD-HH–induced increase in whole-blood coagulation velocity, irrespective of the dosage of Integrilin. In conclusion, FD-HH reduced the functional activities of FXII:C, FX:C and FII:C, whereas FVII:C was unchanged and FVIII:C increased. These ﬁndings may partially explain the prolonged initiation phase of WBCP in FD-HH rats. The changes in single coagulation factor functions and WBCPs in FD-HH rats were reversed by treatment with folic acid. J. Nutr. 135: 1836–1840, 2005. control diet for 28 d, and 12 rats who were fed the folic acid–deﬁcient diet for 28 d to induce HH and then fed the control diet for 28 d to normalize the homocysteine level. All rats were weighed at random- ization and subsequently every 7 d. The animal experiments were carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Scientiﬁc and Standardization Committee of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (11), and the study protocol was approved by the Danish Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation. mg Integrilin (Schering-Plough A/S). Integrilin (Eptiﬁbatid) is a speciﬁc and re- versible inhibitor of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor. Integrilin CT was shorter in the FD-HH rats compared with controls or treated rats, P (cid:1) 0.05. a dose of 0.1 Integrilin, the groups did not differ, and at 0.4 mg Integrilin, the CT was shorter in controls than in the 2 other groups.
Aortic elongation part II: the risk of acute type A aortic dissection

Objectives Prophylactic surgery for prevention of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is reserved for patients with an ascending aortic aneurysm ≥55 mm. Identification of additional risk predictors is warranted since over 70% of patients presenting with ATAAD have a non-dilated aorta or an aneurysm that would not have met the diameter criterion for preventative surgery. Aim of the study was to evaluate ascending aortic elongation as a risk factor for ATAAD and to compare aortic lengths between ATAAD patients and healthy controls. Methods Aortic lengths and diameters of ATAAD patients were measured on three-dimensional modelled computed tomography and adjusted to predissection dimensions in this cross-sectional single-centre study. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relation between ATAAD and aortic dimensions. Lengths of different aortic segments were compared with a healthy control group using propensity score matching. Results Two-hundred and fifty patients were included in the study (ATAAD, n=40; controls, n=210). Ascending aortic length and diameter proved to be independent predictors for ATAAD (OR=5.3, CI 2.5 to 11.4, p<0.001 and OR=8.6, CI 2.4 to 31.0, p=0.001). Eighty patients were matched based on propensity scores (ATAAD n=40, controls n=40). The ascending aorta was longer and more dilated in ATAAD patients compared with healthy controls (78.6±8.8 mm vs 68.9±7.2 mm, p<0.001, 34.4 mm ±3.2. vs 39.4 mm ±5.7, p<0.001, respectively). No differences were found in lengths of the aortic arch and descending aorta. Conclusions Ascending aortic length could serve as an independent predictor for ATAAD. Future studies addressing indications for prophylactic surgery should also investigate aortic length.
Individual carotenoid concentrations in adipose tissue and plasma as biomarkers of dietary intake.

BACKGROUND Plasma and adipose tissue concentrations of carotenoids are thought to reflect short- and long-term intakes of carotenoids, respectively. The ability of adipose tissue carotenoid concentrations to reflect dietary intake in population studies is unknown. OBJECTIVE We examined the relation between intakes of the major dietary carotenoids and their concentrations in plasma and adipose tissue. DESIGN A blood sample and an adipose tissue biopsy sample were collected from 115 women and 344 men in Costa Rica after they had fasted overnight, and a dietary interview based on a 135-item food-frequency questionnaire was administered. After carotenoid intake was adjusted for total energy intake and plasma concentrations were adjusted for HDL-, LDL-, and VLDL-cholesterol concentrations, we calculated partial Spearman correlation coefficients that were adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and body mass index. RESULTS In women, the correlations (r) between intakes and concentrations of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein+zeaxanthin were 0.25, 0.29, 0.44, and 0.17, respectively (P < 0.05 for r > or = 0.19), in adipose tissue and 0.26, 0.13, 0.55, and 0.22 in plasma. In men, these values were 0.04, 0.07, 0.23, and 0.06 in adipose tissue and 0.24, 0.22, 0.44, and 0.20 in plasma. In women and men, correlations for lycopene were higher in plasma (r = 0.19 and 0.35, respectively) than in adipose tissue (r = 0.14 and 0.26). The relative abundance of each carotenoid in the diet was similar to its distribution in plasma but not in adipose tissue. CONCLUSION The usefulness of adipose tissue and plasma carotenoids as biomarkers of intake is similar, although correlations for individual carotenoids vary substantially.
Impact of chromium and boron compounds on the reproductive function in rats

The purpose of this research is to study the process of mutagenesis and the reproductive function in male rats under separate and combined exposure to chromium and boron compounds. The experiment was conducted on two groups of animals. The first group was used to assess the ability of potassium dichromate and boric acid to induce mutation in germ and somatic cells under isolated and combined administration with the use of the dominant lethal mutations test and the micronuclei test in the polychromatophilic erythrocytes of the bone marrow. The second group was used to test the combined and separate effect of the compounds under consideration on the reproductive function of male rats during the spermatogenesis cycle. When used in specific doses, boron compounds are a promising means of preventing and correcting chromium-induced effects in chromium production facility workers and people who live in ecologically adverse regions.
Linking Psychological Strain and Suicide Ideation: A Test of the Mediating Effect of Self-Determination Among Chinese Workers

Abstract Psychosocial causes of suicidal ideation among those who do not have diagnosable mental illnesses remain largely unexplored. Synthesizing the strain theory of suicide and self-determination theory, this research tested a multiple mediator model linking psychological strain with suicidal ideation via three basic psychological need satisfaction. Data from 750 professional employees in China support for the partially mediated effects of psychological strain via need satisfaction of competence and relatedness. These findings contribute to understanding Chinese employees' suicidal ideation from positive psychology perspective that is distinct from what is known from psychopathology.