Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Osteoporosis in a Chinese population due to occupational exposure to lead.

BACKGROUND Recent studies indicate that lead may exert actions both directly on osteoblast and osteoclast function, and indirectly via kidney dysfunction on bone turnover. The main focus of this study was to investigate whether occupational lead exposure is associated with low bone mass in a population working in a storage battery plant. METHODS Monophoton absorptiometry was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) in the population and the Z score was introduced to define osteoporosis (Z score <-2). Lead concentration of urine and blood was determined by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry as an exposure biomarker. A total of 249 persons (191 males and 58 females) participated and completed a questionnaire in order to obtain information on height, weight, age, medical and drug history, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, job position, work year, physical exercise, etc. RESULTS The BMD was significantly decreased in the groups of the high urinary lead (UPb) level compared with the low UPb level with a significant difference (P < 0.05) in both genders, but no such significant difference was observed in the relationship between blood lead (BPb) and BMD. The prevalence of osteoporosis would increase significantly with the increase of the UPb (P < 0.01) in the linear correlation manner (P < 0.01). There was also such a significant relationship between BPb and osteoporosis (P < 0.01). There was a dose-response relationship between lead exposure and prevalence of osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to BPb, UPb had a more close relationship with osteoporosis caused by lead. It was concluded that occupational exposure to lead is associated with osteoporosis.
Mathematical Skills in 3- and 5-Year-Olds with Spina Bifida and Their Typically Developing Peers: A Longitudinal Approach

Abstract Preschoolers with spina bifida (SB) were compared to typically developing (TD) children on tasks tapping mathematical knowledge at 36 months (n = 102) and 60 months of age (n = 98). The group with SB had difficulty compared to TD peers on all mathematical tasks except for transformation on quantities in the subitizable range. At 36 months, vocabulary knowledge, visual–spatial, and fine motor abilities predicted achievement on a measure of informal math knowledge in both groups. At 60 months of age, phonological awareness, visual–spatial ability, and fine motor skill were uniquely and differentially related to counting knowledge, oral counting, object-based arithmetic skills, and quantitative concepts. Importantly, the patterns of association between these predictors and mathematical performance were similar across the groups. A novel finding is that fine motor skill uniquely predicted object-based arithmetic abilities in both groups, suggesting developmental continuity in the neurocognitive correlates of early object-based and later symbolic arithmetic problem solving. Models combining 36-month mathematical ability and these language-based, visual–spatial, and fine motor abilities at 60 months accounted for considerable variance on 60-month informal mathematical outcomes. Results are discussed with reference to models of mathematical development and early identification of risk in preschoolers with neurodevelopmental disorder. (JINS, 2011, 17, 431–444)
The Trophoblast Model of Cancer

John Beard, the British embryologist and histologist, first proposed his trophoblast model of cancer in 1902. The model has subsequently been expanded by Kelley, and in current times, Gonzalez and Isaacs. The trophoblast model of cancer can be stated as a specified, scientifically testable model, including its core predictions that 1) adult stem cells are ectopic trophoblasts that have migrated to other tissues early in embryogenesis; 2) pancreatic enzymes are the key signal that converts the trophoblast into the stable placenta; 3) cancer arises from trophoblasts that have escaped regulatory control; and 4) pancreatic enzymes can be used to treat cancer. The author reviewed the literature on the trophoblast model of cancer and the use of pancreatic enzymes for the treatment of cancer and organized its key tenets into a set of specified scientific hypotheses. The trophoblast model of cancer can be stated as a set of 11 core predictions and 3 adjunctive or nonessential components. The trophoblast model of cancer is a detailed, testable model that should be investigated within an overlapping set of fields including oncology, histology, physiology, molecular biology, and embryology.
Use of Time-Aware Language Model in Entity Driven Filtering System

Abstract : Tracking entities, so that new or important information about that entities are caught is a real challenge and has many applications (e.g., information monitoring, marketing,.). We are interesting in how to represent an entity profile to fulfill two purposes 1. entity detection and disambiguation 2. novelty and importance quantification. We propose an entity profile, which uses two language models. First, the Reference Language Model (RLM), which is mainly used for disambiguation. Second, we propose a formalization of a Time-Aware Language Model, which is used for novelty detection. To rank documents, we propose a semi-supervised classification approach which uses meta-features computed on documents using entity profiles and time series.
Shp 2 Inhibits Proliferation of Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer via Dephosphorylation of Stat 3

Shp2 (Src-homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2) was originally reported as an oncogene in kinds of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. However, recent studies indicated that Shp2 may act as tumor suppressors in several tumor types. We investigated the function of Shp2 in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). The expression level of Shp2 was analyzed in tumor tissues in comparison with adjacent normal tissues of ESCC patients by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Shp2 was knocked down by Short hairpin RNA to evaluate its function in ESCC cell lines. The relationship between Shp2 and p-Stat3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) in human ESCC tissues was statistically examined. A significant low expression of Shp2 was found in ESCC tissues. Low expression of Shp2 was related to poorer overall survival in patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Knockdown of Shp2 increased the growth of ESCC cell lines both in vivo and vitro. Activation of Stat3 (p-Stat3) was induced by Shp2 depletion. Expression of p-Stat3 was negatively correlated with Shp2 expression in ESCC tissues. Furthermore, knockdown of Shp2 attenuated cisplatin-sensitivity of ESCC cells. Shp2 might suppress the proliferation of ESCC by dephosphorylation of p-Stat3 and represents a novel research field for targeted therapy.
Ability to delay gratification at age 4 years and risk of overweight at age 11 years.

OBJECTIVES To determine if limited ability to delay gratification (ATDG) at age 4 years is independently associated with an increased risk of being overweight at age 11 years and to assess confounding or moderation by child body mass index z score at 4 years, self-reported maternal expectation of child ATDG for food, and maternal weight status. DESIGN Longitudinal prospective study. SETTING Ten US sites. PARTICIPANTS Participants in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Main Exposure Ability to delay gratification at 4 years, measured as pass or fail on a validated task. OUTCOME MEASURES Overweight at 11 years, defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to the 85th percentile based on measured weight and height. RESULTS Of 805 children, 47% failed the ATDG task. Using multiple logistic regression, children who failed the ATDG task were more likely to be overweight at 11 years (relative risk, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.58), independent of income to needs ratio. Body mass index z score at 4 years and maternal expectation of child ATDG for food did not alter the association, but maternal weight status reduced the association significantly. CONCLUSIONS Children with limited ATDG at age 4 years were more likely to be overweight at age 11 years, but the association was at least partially explained by maternal weight status. Further understanding of the association between the child's ATDG and maternal and child weight status may lead to more effective obesity intervention and prevention programs.
The Use of Supervenience in Dynamic-world Planning

This paper describes the use of supervenience in integrating planning and reaction in complex, dynamic environments. Supervenience is a form of abstraction with affinities both to abstraction in AI planning systems and to partitioning schemes in hierarchical control systems. The use of supervenience can be distilled to an easy-to-state constraint on the design of multilevel dynamic-world planning systems: world-knowledge up, goals down. We present the supervenience architecture which embodies this constraint, and contrast it to the subsumption architecture of Brooks. We describe the performance of an implementation of the supervenience architecture on a problem in the HomeBot domain, and we conclude with a discussion of the role that supervenience can play in future dynamic-world planning systems.
Identification of EnvC and Its Cognate Amidases as Novel Determinants of Intrinsic Resistance to Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides

ABSTRACT Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are an essential part of the innate immune system. Some Gram-negative enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica, show intrinsic resistance to CAMPs. However, the molecular basis of intrinsic resistance is poorly understood, largely due to a lack of information about the genes involved. In this study, using a microarray-based genomic technique, we screened the Keio collection of 3,985 Escherichia coli mutants for altered susceptibility to human neutrophil peptide 1 (HNP-1) and identified envC and zapB as novel genetic determinants of intrinsic CAMP resistance. In CAMP killing assays, an E. coli ΔenvCEc or ΔzapBEc mutant displayed a distinct profile of increased susceptibility to both LL-37 and HNP-1. Both mutants, however, displayed wild-type resistance to polymyxin B and human β-defensin 3 (HBD3), suggesting that the intrinsic resistance mediated by EnvC or ZapB is specific to certain CAMPs. A corresponding Salmonella ΔenvCSe mutant showed similarly increased CAMP susceptibility. The envC mutants of both E. coli and S. enterica displayed increased surface negativity and hydrophobicity, which partly explained the increased CAMP susceptibility. However, the ΔenvCEc mutant, but not the ΔenvCSe mutant, was defective in outer membrane permeability, excluding this defect as a common factor contributing to the increased CAMP susceptibility. Animal experiments showed that the Salmonella ΔenvCSe mutant had attenuated virulence. Taken together, our results indicate that the role of envC in intrinsic CAMP resistance is likely conserved among Gram-negative enteric bacteria, demonstrate the importance of intrinsic CAMP resistance for full virulence of S. enterica, and provide insight into distinct mechanisms of action of CAMPs.
Preparation of refractive-index-controlled silicone microspheres and their application in polycarbonate light diffusing materials

ABSTRACT Light-diffusing materials (LDMs) are essential for diffusing indoor light-emitting diode (LED) illumination to soft light. The size and refractive index of the light-diffusing agent are the two main parameters that influence the light-diffusing properties of LDMs. Modulation of silicone microspheres’ refractive index and their influence on the light-diffusing properties of LDMs were systematically explored. An environmentally friendly, dispersant-free polymerization method carried out in an aqueous solution was developed for the preparation of silicone microspheres with different refractive indices. The prepared microspheres and LDMs were characterized by scanning electron microcopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Results showed that the refractive index of the prepared microspheres can be regulated by adjusting the copolymerization composition. Prepared silicone microspheres could be uniformly dispersed in a polycarbonate (PC) matrix, and the refractive index had a marked influence on the light-diffusing properties of the resulting LDMs. The silicone microspheres and LDMs both exhibited excellent thermal stabilities. Graphical abstract
Lipopolysaccharide-induced gene expression in murine macrophages is enhanced by prior exposure to oxLDL Published, JLR Papers in Press, July 13, 2006.

Uptake of modified lipoproteins by macrophages results in the formation of foam cells. We investigated how foam cell formation affects the inflammatory response of macrophages. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages were treated with oxidized LDL (oxLDL) to induce foam cell formation. Subsequently, the foam cells were activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the expression of lipid metabolism and inflammatory genes was analyzed. Furthermore, gene expression profiles of foam cells were analyzed using a microarray. We found that prior exposure to oxLDL resulted in enhanced LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene expression, whereas the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and interferon-β was decreased in foam cells. Also, LPS-induced cytokine secretion of TNF, IL-6, and IL-12 was enhanced, whereas secretion of IL-10 was strongly reduced after oxLDL preincubation. Microarray experiments showed that the overall inflammatory response induced by LPS was enhanced by oxLDL loading of the macrophages. Moreover, oxLDL loading was shown to result in increased nuclear factor-κB activation. In conclusion, our experiments show that the inflammatory response to LPS is enhanced by loading of macrophages with oxLDL. These data demonstrate that foam cell formation may augment the inflammatory response of macrophages during atherogenesis, possibly in an IL-10-dependent manner.
Identification of elastic-plastic and phase transition characteristics for relaxor ferroelectric PMN-PT anisotropic single crystals using nanoindentation technique

ABSTRACT As one kind of important ferroelectric ceramics, relaxor ferroelectric PMN-PT single crystals have triggered a revolution in electromechanical devices owing to their giant piezoelectric properties and ultra-high electromechanical coupling factors. The present study focused on the mechanical responses of [100]- and [110]-oriented poled PMN-PT ferroelectric single crystals under an indenter loading. The hardness and Young’s modulus with different crystallographic orientations of the crystals were measured by using the continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) with nanoindentation technique. Using a spherical indenter pressured at different indentation depths, the typical quasi-static nanoindentation tests with displacement-controlled mode were performed on the PMN-PT single crystal samples. Load–displacement curves of indentations were recorded to reveal the yielding or inelasticity behaviour in [100]- and [110]-oriented PMN-PT through a pop-in event. It was further verified by the stress–strain curves evaluated from the corresponding load–displacement curves, to show the similar characteristic on the elastic–inelastic transition. When a Berkovich indenter was employed for mechanical response testing, another pop-in event was observed at a smaller indentation depth compared to the one for elastic–inelastic transition, which may indicate a pressure-induced phase transition from rhombohedral (R) to tetragonal (T) of the PMN-PT single crystals.
Glutathione reductase is not required for maintenance of reduced glutathione in Escherichia coli K-12

Seven independently isolated glutathione reductase-deficient (gor) Escherichia coli mutants were found to have an in vivo glutathione redox state that did not significantly differ from that of the parental strain, 98 to 99% reduced. Strains containing both a gor mutation and either a trxA mutation (thioredoxin deficient) or a trxB mutation (thioredoxin reductase deficient) were able to maintain a 94 to 96% reduced glutathione pool, suggesting that glutathione can be reduced independently of glutathione reductase and thioredoxin reductase.
3d discrete wavelet transform for computer aided diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using t1‐weighted brain MRI

Early and antemortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) may help in the development of appropriate treatment and in slowing down the disease progression. In this work, a three‐phase computer aided approach is suggested for classification of AD patients and controls using T1‐weighted MRI. In the first phase, smoothed modulated gray matter (GM) probability maps are obtained from T1‐weighted MRIs. In the second phase, 3D discrete wavelet transform is applied on GM of five brain regions, which are well‐documented regions affected in AD, to construct features. In the third phase, a minimal set of relevant and nonredundant features are obtained using Fisher's discriminant ratio and minimum redundancy maximum relevance feature selection methods. To check the efficacy of the proposed approach, experiments were carried out on three datasets derived from the publicly available OASIS database, using three commonly used classifiers. The performance of the proposed approach was evaluated using three performance measures namely sensitivity, specificity and classification accuracy. Further, the proposed approach was compared with the existing state‐of‐the‐art techniques in terms of three performance measures, ROC curves, scoring and computation time. Irrespective of the datasets and the classifiers, the proposed method outperformed the existing methods. In addition, the statistical test also demonstrated that the proposed method is significantly better in comparison to the other existing methods. The appreciable performance of the proposed method supports that it will assist clinicians/researchers in the classification of AD patients and controls.
Aortic Stiffness and Diastolic Flow Abnormalities in End-Stage Renal Disease Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: Arterial stiffness is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, particularly in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). One mechanism linking arterial stiffness with cardiovascular events may be the changes in pressure wave reflection on ventricular ejection and coronary perfusion during diastole. We illustrate this using MRI to describe aortic elastic properties and alterations of diastolic flow in comparison to derived central pressure characteristics. Methods: Ten patients with ESRD and ten control subjects were studied. Transverse images of the ascending aorta were obtained by cardiac MRI. Aortic distensibility was calculated using brachial pulse pressure. MRI flow maps were obtained from the ascending aorta and aortic pressure was calculated using SphygmoCor™. Results: ESRD patients had reduced aortic distensibility compared to the controls (median 0.00464 mm Hg–1 vs. 0.00152 mm Hg–1, p = 0.0057). Furthermore, in diastole, normal subjects show net reversal of blood flow in the ascending aorta, with a mean of –19.6 versus +7.6 ml/min in the ESRD group; p = 0.045. Conclusions: Using non-invasive methods we have demonstrated a marked reduction in aortic distensibility along with disturbances in aortic flow, providing insight into the pathophysiology of ventricular–vascular interaction. The normal group showed reversal of diastolic blood flow, which may have a direct relationship with coronary perfusion parameters, which was absent in the ESRD group.
An innovative WebRTC solution for e-Health services

Solutions and services for e-Health and telemedicine are constantly spreading and becoming increasingly important in the health area thanks to last innovations in electronics, informatics and telecommunications. This work proposes an innovative service for the e-Health oriented to the maximum ease of use and to the sharing of vital signs. The proposal consists in a tele-counseling service based on the WebRTC technology that allows any person residing remotely from medical staff or hospital to directly interact with them. Our solution provides all the common functions of the WebRTC, such as real-time video and audio streams, instant messaging, and file sharing with the only requirement of a traditional web browser. Beyond that, we implemented the real-time transmission and visualization of vital signs and parameters acquired by biomedical sensors connected to the patient's personal device through the RTCDataChannel. Currently our solution involves the installation of a browser extension, but this operation is very simple and may be avoided when WebRTC APIs and browsers will support media streams coming from sensors at the same way as audio and video streams. Our solution demonstrates how web technologies can be applied in the health sector providing very effective services to patients and users which for various reasons have difficulties to travel to hospitals in order to have medical support.
Experimental Evaluation of Transmit Antenna Selection Implemented in FPGA for MIMO-OFDM

This paper describes the experimental performance of transmit antenna selection in a multiple-input multiple-output with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system as measured in a testbed implemented with field programmable gate array (FPGA); it also targets wireless LANs. In this experimental verification, we employ the determinant-based transmit antenna selection approach based on the estimated instantaneous MIMO channel matrix to reduce the computational complexity. The measured packet error rate (PER) performance confirms that the antenna selection scheme provides an approximately 3.5 dB improvement in the required carrier-to-noise power ratio (CNR) of 16 QAM/MIMO-OFDM. Furthermore, with regard to the impact of Doppler frequency fd, we focus on the transmission interval between the MIMO channel estimation and data transmission. To suppress the degradation in required CNR to within 1.0 dB, a transmission interval of approximately 13.3 ms is permitted without using the re-estimation procedure in fd=5 Hz, QPSK/MIMO-OFDM.
Metabolic engineering to improve 5-aminolevulinic acid production

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has recently attracted significant attentions due to its potential applications in many diverse fields. The majority of engineered ALA producers are based on the whole cell catalysis, supplemented with succinate and glycine as precursors. Recently, we succeeded in producing ALA directly from inexpensive glucose, through re-constructing the native C5 pathway of ALA synthesis in Escherichia coli. Herein，we further discuss ALA production by manipulating the C5 and C4 pathways in Escherichia coli through the strategy of metabolic engineering.
A method to generate writing-brush-style Japanese Hiragana character calligraphy

We propose a method to generate writing-brush-style Japanese Hiragana characters. The information obtained while inputing characters with an electronic pen, such as the pen position, pen pressure and pen speed, are used as input. Since such information is different from person to person, the generated results of our method can reflect a user's individuality. A fuzzy spline curve is used for the selection of control points. This enables us to use only a few control points to obtain the curve with the a very approximate shape of the sampling point queue. Moreover we propose a wielding-pen-style migration rule by analyzing the process of calligraphic writing by hand. The experimental results show that the proposed method is a reasonable and effective method for generating writing-brush-style Hiragana calligraphy using an electronic pen.