Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance characteristics of cholesterol oxidase for kinetic determination of total cholesterol

The enzymatic method for cholesterol determination can use either an endpoint or a kinetic method. Not much is known concerning the properties (Km and Vmax) of the commercial enzyme for the kinetic method. We measured the Km and Vmax of Brevibacterium, Streptomyces, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Cellulomonas cholesterol oxidase. Brevibacterium gave the highest Km value (230.3×10−4 M), followed by Streptomyces (2.17×10−4 M), Cellulomonas (0.84×10−4 M), and Pseudomonas (0.61×10−4 M). The Km values and the linearity obtained from Streptomyces (2.6 mmol/L), Pseudomonas (2.1 mmol/L), or Cellulomonas (2.1 mmol/L) were too low. Dichlorophenol isomers, acting as inhibitors, increased the enzyme's Km. The addition of 3,4‐dichlorophenol raised the Km of Streptomyces from 2.17×10−4 to 24.89×10−4 M. The linearity was increased from 2.6 to 13.0 mmol/L. The high Km of Brevibacterium resulted in an insensitive reaction and low cholesterol linearity (7.8 mmol/L). An increase in the sample‐to‐reagent ratio from 1:100 to 1:10 enhanced the reaction rate and the linearity from 7.8 to 20.7 mmol/L. We suggest that Brevibacterium and Streptomyces cholesterol oxidase (with the addition of 3,4 dichlorophenol) are good sources for serum cholesterol determination by the kinetic method. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 19:247–252, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the Neurophysiology of Consciousness: Part II. Constraining the Semantic Problem

The main idea in this series of essays is that subjective awareness (more precisely, what I call C) depends upon the intralaminar nuclei of each thalamus (hereafter, ILN). This implies that the internal structure and external relations of ILN make subjective awareness possible. An array of material relevant to this proposal was briefly reviewed in Part I (Bogen, 1995). This Part II considers in more detail some semantic aspects and a bit of philosophic background as these pertain to propositions 0, 1, and 2 of Part I. Part II should be read in conjunction with Part I.
Soil respiration is driven by fine root biomass along a forest chronosequence in subtropical China

Aims Soil respiration (Rs) is a major process controlling soil carbon loss in forest ecosystems. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to variation in Rs along forest successional gradients are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on Rs along a forest successional gradient in southeast China. Methods We selected 16 plots stratified by forest age, ranging from 20 to 120 years. In each plot, six shallow collars and six deep collars were permanently inserted into the soil. Shallow and deep collars were used to measure Rs and heterotrophic respiration (Rh), respectively. Autotrophic soil respiration (Ra) was estimated as the difference between Rs and Rh. Litter layer respiration (RL) was calculated by subtracting soil respiration measured in collars without leaf litter layer (RNL) from Rs. Rs was measured every 2 months, and soil temperature (ST) and soil volumetric water content (SVWC) were recorded every hour for 19 months. We calculated daily Rs using an exponential model dependent on ST. Daily Rs was summed to obtain cumulative annual Rs estimates. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to identify the drivers of Rs during forest succession. Important Findings Rs showed significant differences among three successive stages, and it was the highest in the young stage. Ra was higher in the young stage than in the medium stage. Cumulative annual Rs and Ra peaked in the young and old stages, respectively. Cumulative annual Rh and respiration measured from soil organic matter (RSOM) decreased, whereas RL increased with forest age. The SEM revealed that cumulative annual Rs was influenced by fine root biomass and SVWC. Our results indicated that the dominant force regulating Rs on a seasonal scale is ST; however, on a successional scale, belowground carbon emerges as the dominant influential factor.
A 1-V 2.5-mW Transient-Improved Current-Steering DAC using Charge-Removal-Replacement Technique

A charge-removal-replacement (CRR) technique is proposed to realize a low-voltage low-power current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for minimizing transition time in current switching. Implemented in a 0.18-mum CMOS process, the 10-bit 120-MS/s DAC focused on WLAN applications consumes only 2.5 mW from a single 1-V supply. The simulated monotonic performances achieve a mean value of |INL| < 0.14 LSB and |DNL| < 0.18 LSB, respectively. The averaged SFDR obtains 67.23/62.45 dB with/without the CRR technique
Hyperoxic effects on alveolar sodium resorption and lung NaK-ATPase

Carter, Ethan P., O. Douglas Wangensteen, Jordan Dunitz, and David H. Ingbar. Hyperoxic effects on alveolar sodium resorption and lung Na-K-ATPase. Am. J. Physiol. 273 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 17): L1191–L1202, 1997. — Active Na1 transport by the alveolar epithelium keeps alveoli relatively dry. Hyperoxia increases epithelial permeability, resulting in pulmonary edema. We sought to determine whether active Na1 resorption from the air spaces and Na-K-ATPase activity increased in rats exposed to . 95% O2 for 60 h. The permeability 3 surface area products for unidirectional resorption of alveolar [14C]sucrose (PSsucrose) and 22Na1 (PSNa1) were measured in isolated, perfused rat lungs immediately after hyperoxia and after 3 and 7 days of recovery in room air. At 60 h of hyperoxia, the mean PSsucrose and PSNa1 increased from 6.71 6 0.8 3 1025 to 12.6 6 1.6 3 1025 cm3/s (P 5 0.029) and from 23.6 6 1.1 3 1025 to 31.0 6 1.6 3 1025 cm3/s (P , 0.008), respectively. However, the values in individual rats ranged widely from no change to nearly a fourfold increase. Subgroup analysis revealed that benzamilor amiloride-sensitive (transcellular) PSNa1 was significantly reduced in the exposed lungs with normal PSsucrose but was maintained in the lungs with high PSsucrose. By day 3 of recovery, mean Na1 and sucrose fluxes returned to values similar to control. Na-K-ATPase membrane hydrolytic maximal velocity (Vmax) activity fell significantly immediately after hyperoxic exposure but recovered to normal values by day 3 of recovery. The Na-K-ATPase b1-subunit antigenic signal did not significantly change, whereas the a1-subunit levels increased during recovery. In summary, there was a heterogeneous response of different rats to acute hyperoxia. Hyperoxia led to complex, nonparallel changes in Na1 pump antigenic protein, hydrolytic activity, and unidirectional active Na1 resorption. Active Na1 transport was differentially affected, depending on degree of injury, but permeability and transport normalized by day 3 of recovery.
Role dilemmas among health-workers in cross-cultural patient encounters around dietary advice

Aim: The aim of this paper is to explore Norwegian health workers' experiences from cross-cultural patient encounters, and how they understand and enact their role when meeting patients with Pakistani background to whom they give dietary advice related to type 2 diabetes. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews have been performed with six hospital dietitians and six general practitioners in Oslo. Results: The health workers consider themselves to be patient-centred and stress the importance of the two dimensions, empathy and equality. However, they often experience that patients want them to be more authoritarian, a way of acting that would be totally in disagreement with their convictions, although some occasionally do adopt an authoritarian style. More striking is that some health workers' moral engagement to involve and empower patients actually leads them to be authoritarian. For others, a fear of insulting the patient results in their advice being too diffuse. Conclusions: A possible explanation for such ways of responding to the patient may be that the health workers, in their articulation of patient-centredness, draw on a repertoire of social conduct that involves an effort to level out, or tacitly deny, hierarchic structures, and that this becomes more pronounced in cross-cultural encounters. Patient-centredness and empowerment are results of long ongoing processes in Western countries, based on ideals of equality and individual freedom. The results from this study indicate that these approaches may pose intricate dilemmas for the health workers in their cross-cultural encounters, and need further attention.
COP 21 and Economic Theory: Taking Stock

The texts of the COP 21 Decision and its Annex are scrutinized from the particular point of view of the extent to which economic theoretic concepts can be considered to inspire them. While this is shown to be partially the case in some of the intentions, the texts themselves contain more diplomatically formulated promises than implementation of mainstream well established economic concepts.
Inhibition of Macrophage Ca-independent Phospholipase A by Bromoenol Lactone and Trifluoromethyl Ketones (*)

A novel Ca-independent phospholipase A2 (PLA2) has recently been purified from the murine macrophage-like cell line P388D1 (Ackermann, E. J., Kempner, E. S., and Dennis, E. A.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 9227-9233). This enzyme is now shown to be inhibited by palmitoyl trifluoromethyl ketone (PACOCF3), arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3), and a bromoenol lactone (BEL). Both PACOCF3 and AACOCF3 were found to inhibit the macrophage PLA2 in a concentration-dependent manner. PACOCF3 was found to be 4-fold more potent than AACOCF3, with IC values of 3.8 μM (0.0075 mol fraction) and 15 μM (0.028 mol fraction), respectively. Reaction progress curves in the presence of either inhibitor were found to be linear, and the PACOCF3•PLA2 complex rapidly dissociated upon dilution. BEL was also found to inhibit the macrophage PLA2 in a concentration-dependent manner, with half-maximal inhibition observed at 60 nM after a 5-min preincubation at 40°C. Inhibition was not reversed after extensive dilution of the enzyme into assay buffer. Treatment of the PLA2 with BEL resulted in a linear, time-dependent inactivation of activity, and the rate of this inactivation was diminished in the presence of PACOCF3. In addition, PLA2 treated with [3H]BEL resulted in the covalent labeling of a major band at Mr 80,000. Inactivation of the PLA2 by 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) prior to treatment with [3H]BEL resulted in the near complete lack of labeling consistent with covalent irreversible suicide inhibition of the enzyme. The labeling of a Mr 80,000 band rather than a Mr 40,000 band upon treatment with [3H]BEL distinguishes the macrophage Ca-independent PLA2 from a previously identified myocardial Ca-independent PLA2 and provides strong evidence that the Mr 80,000 protein is the catalytic subunit.
Image quality in a low radiation exposure protocol for retrospectively ECG-gated coronary CT angiography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to systematically compare the image quality of dual-source CT coronary angiography using 100 kV instead of 120 kV. SUBJECTS AND METHODS One hundred patients with a body weight </= 85 kg were included. A dual-source CT scanner was used (330-milliseconds rotation, 0.6-mm collimation, 56 +/- 7 mL of IV contrast agent at 5 mL/s). Each patient was randomized either to scanning protocol group 1 (120 kV and 330 mAs) or protocol group 2 (100 kV and 330 mAs). ECG pulsing was used for all patients. Data sets were assessed by two independent observers for image quality, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise-ratio. Effective dose was determined based on dose-length product. RESULTS There were no significant differences in body weight or heart rate between the two groups (70 +/- 10 kg and 57 +/- 8 bpm [beats per minute] vs 70 +/- 9 kg and 59 +/- 8 bpm). Use of 100 kV led to significant reduction of radiation exposure (group 1: 12.7 +/- 1.7 mSv; volume CT dose index [CTDI(vol)], 47.8 +/- 6.1 mGy and group 2: 7.8 +/- 2.0 mSv; CTDI(vol), 28.6 +/- 6.3 mGy; p < 0.001). Interobserver agreement in assessing image quality (kappa = 0.71) was close. Mean patient-based image quality scores were not significantly different (group 1, 2.7 +/- 0.5 and group 2, 2.6 +/- 0.4; p = 0.75). Also, vessel-based scores showed no significant differences. Beyond the level of significance, group 1 and group 2 showed one and two nonassessable patients and two and three nonassessable vessels, respectively. Mean intraluminal attenuation, contrast enhancement, and image noise were significantly higher for 100 kV, whereas signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise-ratios were not different between the two scanning protocols. CONCLUSION The use of lower tube voltage leads to significant reduction in radiation exposure in noninvasive coronary CT angiography. Image quality in nonobese patients is not negatively influenced.
The functional effects of a c‐kit tyrosine inhibitor on guinea‐pig and human detrusor

To describe the effect of a specific c‐kit receptor inhibitor (imatinib mesylate) on human detrusor strips in vitro and guinea‐pig cystometry in vivo, and to show histological data suggesting differences in the distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC)‐like cells in ‘normal’ and overactive human detrusor, as these cells have been identified as possible mediators of spontaneous activity and excitability in bladder smooth muscle.
Verapamil inhibits tumor protease production, local invasion and metastasis development in murine carcinoma cells

The invasion and metastasis process involves degradation of the extracellular matrix mediated by tumor‐ and host‐produced proteolytic enzymes. The main enzymes involved in this process are urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA) and the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Calcium is a main co‐factor in the signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation and protease production. We have studied here the effect of verapamil, a calcium channel blocker widely used to treat hypertensive diseases, on local tumor growth, spontaneous and experimental metastasis development, tumor‐associated protease production and circulating MMP activity in tumor‐bearing mice. BALB/c mice treated for 45 days with verapamil showed no toxic effects. Oral administration of verapamil to mice injected with F3II tumor cells, either pre‐treated or not with verapamil, showed a significant decrease of local tumor invasion and both spontaneous and experimental metastasis development (51.3% inhibition of metastasis in both cases, p < 0.01). uPA and MMP‐9 production by tumor cells in vitro was significantly inhibited by verapamil in a dose‐dependent manner, showing a long‐term inhibition after removal of the drug. Verapamil also exhibited a marked cytostatic effect on F3II cell proliferation in vitro. In addition, circulating MMP activity, usually enhanced in tumor‐bearing mice, diminished significantly with all verapamil treatments. Our results suggest that modulation of the calcium‐dependent signaling pathways that regulate tumor‐ or host‐dependent production of proteases and tumor cell proliferation could contribute to the inhibition of metastasis development. Finally, we describe the inhibitory effects of a commonly used hypotensor in humans, verapamil, on the invasive and metastatic capacity of mammary tumor cells. Int. J. Cancer 78:727–734, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and Image Database Resource Initiative (IDRI): a completed reference database of lung nodules on CT scans.

PURPOSE The development of computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) methods for lung nodule detection, classification, and quantitative assessment can be facilitated through a well-characterized repository of computed tomography (CT) scans. The Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and Image Database Resource Initiative (IDRI) completed such a database, establishing a publicly available reference for the medical imaging research community. Initiated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), further advanced by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), and accompanied by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through active participation, this public-private partnership demonstrates the success of a consortium founded on a consensus-based process. METHODS Seven academic centers and eight medical imaging companies collaborated to identify, address, and resolve challenging organizational, technical, and clinical issues to provide a solid foundation for a robust database. The LIDC/IDRI Database contains 1018 cases, each of which includes images from a clinical thoracic CT scan and an associated XML file that records the results of a two-phase image annotation process performed by four experienced thoracic radiologists. In the initial blinded-read phase, each radiologist independently reviewed each CT scan and marked lesions belonging to one of three categories ("nodule > or =3 mm," "nodule <3 mm," and "non-nodule > or =3 mm"). In the subsequent unblinded-read phase, each radiologist independently reviewed their own marks along with the anonymized marks of the three other radiologists to render a final opinion. The goal of this process was to identify as completely as possible all lung nodules in each CT scan without requiring forced consensus. RESULTS The Database contains 7371 lesions marked "nodule" by at least one radiologist. 2669 of these lesions were marked "nodule > or =3 mm" by at least one radiologist, of which 928 (34.7%) received such marks from all four radiologists. These 2669 lesions include nodule outlines and subjective nodule characteristic ratings. CONCLUSIONS The LIDC/IDRI Database is expected to provide an essential medical imaging research resource to spur CAD development, validation, and dissemination in clinical practice.
An appraisal of methods for the analysis of longitudinal categorical data with MAR drop‐outs

A number of methods for analysing longitudinal ordinal categorical data with missing‐at‐random drop‐outs are considered. Two are maximum‐likelihood methods (MAXLIK) which employ marginal global odds ratios to model associations. The remainder use weighted or unweighted generalized estimating equations (GEE). Two of the GEE use Cholesky‐decomposed standardized residuals to model the association structure, while another three extend methods developed for longitudinal binary data in which the association structures are modelled using either Gaussian estimation, multivariate normal estimating equations or conditional residuals. Simulated data sets were used to discover differences among the methods in terms of biases, variances and convergence rates when the association structure is misspecified. The methods were also applied to a real medical data set. Two of the GEE methods, referred to as Cond and ML‐norm in this paper and by their originators, were found to have relatively good convergence rates and mean squared errors for all sample sizes (80, 120, 300) considered, and one more, referred to as MGEE in this paper and by its originators, worked fairly well for all but the smallest sample size, 80. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HER2‐positivity rates in breast cancer: no variation over time when clinicopathological features and testing are stable

HER2 status is essential for breast cancer subtyping and for systemic treatment decisions as patients with HER2-positive tumours can benefit from anti-HER2 targeted therapies. However, few data are available on the current HER2-positive breast cancers rate and its evolution across years. Using data from the Côte d'Or breast cancer registry, we identified, between 1998 and 2011, 3220 women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed in the same laboratory which carries out regular internal quality controls and participates in multiannual international quality control programmes. Throughout the studied period of time, despite an increase of annual breast cancer cases, HER2 positivity rate remained stable (13.1%; P = 0.495), as did the proportion of tumours with positive hormone receptor status (P = 0.467) and the proportion of SBR grade II/III tumours (P = 0.747). Other characteristics, less strongly associated with HER2-positive status, showed either no annual variation (nodal and metastatic status, tumour size) or an annual positive trend (mean age, lobular carcinomas) or an annual negative trend (ductal carcinomas). These data reveal that in a population with stable clinical and pathological characteristics, and with the use of standardised assays, HER2 positivity rate remains stable over time. These results also emphasise that current HER2 positivity rate is lower than initially reported.
Lack of association of LRP5 and LRP6 polymorphisms with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Japanese population.

AIMS A missense mutation in the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 gene (LRP6) was recently shown to be responsible for a disorder characterized by early-onset coronary artery disease as well as diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Mice deficient in LRP5, a closely related paralog of LRP6, manifest a marked impairment in glucose tolerance. The aim of the present study was to examine whether common variants of LRP5 and LRP6 are associated with Type 2 DM or dyslipidemia in Japanese individuals. METHODS Thirteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of LRP6 and nine SNPs of LRP5 were genotyped in a total of 608 Type 2 DM patients and 366 nondiabetic control subjects (initial study). An association analysis was then performed for each SNP and for haplotypes. For some of the SNPs, we provided another sample panel of 576 cases and 576 controls for the replication study. The relation to clinical characteristics was also examined in diabetic subjects. RESULTS In the initial study, three SNPs of LRP6 were found to be associated with susceptibility to Type 2 DM. However, this association was not detected in the replication panel. None of SNPs in LRP5 were associated with Type 2 DM in the initial panel. Neither LRP6 nor LRP5 was associated with body mass index, HOMA-beta, HOMA-IR or serum lipid concentrations. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence for a substantial effect of LRP5 or LRP6 SNPs on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes or clinical characteristics of diabetic subjects in Japanese population.
Reduced stroke distance of the left ventricular outflow tract is independently associated with long‐term mortality, in patients hospitalized due to heart failure

Reduced blood circulation is an important feature of heart failure, and Doppler stroke distance of the left ventricular outflow tract is a measure of forward stroke volume. Several echocardiographic parameters have known prognostic implications in heart failure, but the prognostic implications of stroke distance in relation to other parameters are insufficiently known. The aim was therefore to test the hypothesis that stroke distance is associated with five‐year all‐cause mortality, independently of other echocardiography variables, and that stroke distance has added long‐term prognostic value.
Formal verification for Web service composition: A model-checking approach

Formal methods are an effective way for modeling and verifying concurrent systems. In this paper, labeled transition systems are proposed as an approach to deal with the modeling of the composition of Web services. The presented model represents a Web service as a couple consisting of a representation of the Web service and a set of its states. We argue that notions that have been used in the modeling of compound Web services including Petri nets and process calculus can be described in the same formal framework namely labeled transition systems. We use the model-checking approach in order to verify this composition and a set of properties written in temporal logic. Unlike previous work, our approach allows to model and verify not only the composition of Web services, but also the internal activities for each invocated service. Finally, a case study is carried out and the validity of a compound Web service is verified.