Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calcium from dairy products, vitamin D intake, and blood pressure: the Tromso Study.

BACKGROUND The present epidemiologic study was conducted in Tromso, Northern Norway, in 1994-1995. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate the relation between calcium intake from dairy products and the intake of vitamin D on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. DESIGN Subjects who were taking drugs for hypertension or heart disease, those taking calcium tablets, subjects reporting cardiovascular disease, and pregnant women were excluded, leaving 7543 men and 8053 women aged 25-69 y for analysis. Calcium and vitamin D intakes were calculated from a food-frequency questionnaire. RESULTS After correction for age, body mass index, alcohol and coffee consumption, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and vitamin D intake, there was a significant linear decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure with increasing dairy calcium intake in both sexes (P < 0.05). However, the difference in blood pressure between subjects with the highest and those with the lowest calcium intake was </=1-3 mm Hg. Similarly, with increasing blood pressure there was a significant (P < 0.001) linear decrease in age-adjusted calcium intake from dairy sources; the difference between the highest and the lowest blood pressure groups was 3-10%. Vitamin D intake had no significant effect on blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS There is a negative association between calcium intake from dairy products and blood pressure. However, although the effect of calcium on blood pressure appears to be small, calcium could have a significant effect on primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Effect of the interaction between the fatty acid binding protein 2 gene Ala54Thr polymorphism and dietary fatty acids on peripheral insulin sensitivity: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND The intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (FABP2) is involved in the intracellular transport and metabolism of fatty acids and may affect insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. OBJECTIVE The objective was to study the effect of interaction between the Ala54Thr polymorphism of the FABP2 gene (FABP2) and the type of dietary cooking oil used on peripheral insulin sensitivity in a population from southern Spain. DESIGN The study was cross-sectional. Anthropometric measurements were obtained for 1226 persons aged 18-65 y selected randomly from the municipal census of Pizarra, Spain. An oral-glucose-tolerance test was given to 1020 of these persons. Insulin resistance was measured by homeostasis model assessment. Samples of the cooking oil being used were taken from the kitchens of a random subset of 538 persons. RESULTS Persons who consumed sunflower oil and who also had the Thr54 variant had higher insulin resistance than did those who consumed olive oil (P = 0.01). We detected an interaction between the Ala54Thr polymorphism and the type of oil consumed that accounted for the variance in insulin resistance (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS The effect of dietary fatty acids on the populational pattern of insulin resistance is not independent of the Ala54Thr polymorphism of FABP2. An interaction existed between this polymorphism and the intake of dietary fats in a population with a high intake of monounsaturated fatty acids.
Interleukin-15-Stimulated Natural Killer Cells Clear HIV-1-Infected Cells following Latency Reversal Ex Vivo

ABSTRACT Current efforts toward human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) eradication include approaches to augment immune recognition and elimination of persistently infected cells following latency reversal. Natural killer (NK) cells, the main effectors of the innate immune system, recognize and clear targets using different mechanisms than CD8+ T cells, offering an alternative or complementary approach for HIV clearance strategies. We assessed the impact of interleukin 15 (IL-15) treatment on NK cell function and the potential for stimulated NK cells to clear the HIV reservoir. We measured NK cell receptor expression, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), cytotoxicity, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production, and antiviral activity in autologous HIV replication systems. All NK cell functions were uniformly improved by IL-15, and, more importantly, IL-15-treated NK cells were able to clear latently HIV-infected cells after exposure to vorinostat, a clinically relevant latency-reversing agent. We also demonstrate that NK cells from HIV-infected individuals aviremic on antiretroviral therapy can be efficiently stimulated with IL-15. Our work opens a promising line of investigation leading to future immunotherapies to clear persistent HIV infection using NK cells. IMPORTANCE In the search for an HIV cure, strategies to enhance immune function to allow recognition and clearance of HIV-infected cells following latency reversal are being evaluated. Natural killer (NK) cells possess characteristics that can be exploited for immunotherapy against persistent HIV infection. We demonstrate that NK cells from HIV-positive donors can be strongly stimulated with IL-15, improving their antiviral and cytotoxic potential and, more importantly, clearing HIV-infected cells after latency reversal with a clinically relevant drug. Our results encourage further investigation to design NK cell-based immunotherapies to achieve HIV eradication.
Pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension: on the eve of growing up

Purpose of review Current recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) during childhood are expert opinion based, because of lacking pediatric data. In recent years, however, important pediatric data have emerged on PAH. Recent findings PAH in children shows similarities as well as differences compared to adults. Neonates and children know specific clinical presentations and a hemodynamic profile that differs from adults with PAH. Children identified as acute vasodilator responders according to the criteria proposed for adults rather than the pediatric criteria have better outcome when treated with calcium channel blockers. For nonresponders, combination PAH-targeted therapy leads to improved outcome compared to monotherapy. In pediatric PAH, WHO functional class, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion were identified as surrogates for survival and therefore qualify to be treatment goals in a goal-oriented treatment strategy. Summary In order to refine current pediatric treatment guidelines, data on efficacy of specific treatment regiments and strategies are needed. The recently validated composite endpoint of clinical worsening allows for trials that will provide these data. For the first time, evidence-based treatment goals have been identified that will allow for a goal-oriented treatment strategy. Furthermore, various prognostic predictors have been identified that may prove treatment goals in future.
Accumulated motion energy fields estimation and representation for semantic event detection

In this paper, a motion-based approach for detecting high-level semantic events in video sequences is presented. Its main characteristic is its generic nature, i.e. it can be directly applied to any possible domain of concern without the need for domain-specific algorithmic modifications or adaptations. For realizing event detection, the video is initially segmented into shots and for every resulting shot appropriate motion features are extracted at fixed time intervals, thus forming a motion observation sequence. Then, Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are employed for associating each shot with a semantic event based on its formed observation sequence. Regarding the motion feature extraction procedure, a new representation for providing local-level motion information to HMMs is presented, while motion characteristics from previous frames are also exploited. The latter is based on the observation that motion information from previous frames can provide valuable cues for interpreting the semantics present in a particular frame. Experimental results as well as comparative evaluation from the application of the proposed approach in the domains of tennis and news broadcast video are presented.
Exploiting Weak Supermodularity for Coalition-Proof Mechanisms

Under the incentive-compatible Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanism, coalitions of participants can influence the auction to obtain higher collective profit. These manipulations were proven to be eliminated if and only if the market objective is supermodular. Nevertheless, several auctions do not satisfy the stringent conditions for supermodularity. These auctions include electricity markets, which are the main motivation of our paper. To address this issue, we introduce the supermodularity ratio and the weak supermodularity. We show that these concepts provide us with tight bounds on the profitability of collusion and shill bidding. We then derive an analytical lower bound on the supermodularity ratio. Our results are verified with case studies based on the IEEE test systems.
Effects of altering the ratio of dietary n-6 to n-3 fatty acids on insulin sensitivity, lipoprotein size, and postprandial lipemia in men and postmenopausal women aged 45-70 y: the OPTILIP Study.

BACKGROUND Insulin resistance is associated with elevated plasma triacylglycerol, low HDL concentrations, elevated postprandial lipemia, and a predominance of small, dense LDLs (sdLDLs). It has been hypothesized that the dietary ratio of n-6 to n-3 (n-6:n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may have favorable effects on these risk factors by increasing insulin sensitivity. OBJECTIVE The objective was to measure changes in insulin sensitivity, lipoprotein size, and postprandial lipemia after a 6-mo alteration in n-6:n-3. DESIGN In a randomized, parallel design in 258 subjects aged 45-70 y, we compared 4 diets providing 6% of energy as PUFAs with an n-6:n-3 between 5:1 and 3:1 with a control diet that had an n-6:n-3 of 10:1. The diets were enriched in alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or both. Insulin sensitivity was assessed with the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity test. RESULTS Dietary intervention did not influence insulin sensitivity or postprandial lipase activities. Fasting and postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations were lower, and the proportion of sdLDLs decreased (by 12.7%; 95% CI: -22.9%, 2.4%), with an n-6:n-3 of approximately 3:1, which was achieved by the addition of long-chain n-3 PUFAs (EPA and DHA). CONCLUSIONS Decreasing the n-6:n-3 does not influence insulin sensitivity or lipase activities in older subjects. The reduction in plasma triacylglycerol after an increased intake of n-3 long-chain PUFAs results in favorable changes in LDL size.
GENETICALLY BASED PHENOTYPE‐ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION FOR SWIMMING BEHAVIOR IN LAKE WHITEFISH ECOTYPES (COREGONUS CLUPEAFORMIS MITCHILL)

Abstract. — Studies of phenotype‐environment associations in adaptive radiation have focused largely on morphological traits related to resource‐based phenotypic differences. The genetic basis of adaptive behaviors implicated in population divergence remains poorly understood, as few studies have tested the hypothesis of behavioral phenotype‐environment associations. We provide evidence of a phenotype‐environment association for differential adaptive swimming behaviors through experiments conducted on dwarf, normal, and hybrid lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). Highly significant differences were observed for depth selection, directional changes, and burst swimming, implicating a genetic basis for these behaviors. Hybrid crosses revealed that depth selection is under additive genetic control, while dominance effects were suggested for directional changes and burst swimming. Estimates for the genetic basis of behavioral differentiation from an animal model were consistent with these observations. Comparative estimates of behavioral differentiation (QST) against neutral expectations (FST) revealed pronounced departures from neutral expectations in all three behavioral phenotypes, consistent with the hypothesis that directional selection has driven the divergence of behavior in dwarf and normal lake whitefish ecotypes.
Body composition and fat distribution influence systemic hemodynamics in the absence of obesity: the HyperGEN Study.

BACKGROUND We have shown that increased cardiac output is related to both fat-free mass and fat mass in obesity. OBJECTIVE We studied the association of body fat distribution and body composition with flow-resistance relations in overweight. DESIGN We studied 521 overweight, nonobese participants in the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) Study-a component of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Blood Pressure Program, designed to assess the genetic basis of hypertension. Participants had normal ventricular function and no cardiovascular disease: 261 with central fat distribution (CFD) (waist girth >88 cm in women and >102 cm in men) and 260 with peripheral fat distribution (PFD). Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) were measured by bioelectric impedance. Body composition was estimated as FM/FFM. Echocardiographic stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) were measured. RESULTS Hypertension was present in 73% of the subjects with PFD and in 78% with CFD. Overweight with CFD was associated with greater FM/FFM in both normotensive and hypertensive participants. After FFM, age, sex, and race were controlled for, SV and CO were higher in subjects overweight with CFD than in those with PFD, whereas peripheral resistance was not significantly different. Differences in CO between CFD and PFD were reduced after further adjustment for FM. After the covariates were controlled for, hypertensive subjects had higher peripheral resistance and lower arterial compliance than did normotensive participants, but cardiac output was not significantly different. CONCLUSION CFD is associated with more severe abnormalities in body composition and with higher CO independently of FFM in overweight, nonobese subjects.
Molecular and functional evidence for Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter expression in rat skeletal muscle.

Doubt has been raised about the expression of a functional Na+-K+-2Cl-cotransporter in rat skeletal muscle. In this study we present molecular and functional evidence for expression of a protein having the characteristics of a cotransporter. RT-PCR of RNA isolated from rat soleus muscle with primers to a conserved putative membrane-spanning domain resulted in a single product of predicted size. Sequencing of the product showed that it bears >90% homology with known rodent NKCC1 (BSC2) cotransporters. RNase protection assay of RNA isolated from the rat soleus muscle also identified this sequence. Immunologic detection of the cotransporter with two different antibodies indicated the presence of cotransporter protein, perhaps more than one, in blots of total muscle protein. Immunohistochemical detection by confocal microscopy localized the majority of expression of the protein to the muscle fibers. Functional studies of cotransport activity also indicate the appropriate sensitivity to inhibitors and ion dependence. Taken together, these data support the presence and function of Na+-K+-2Cl-cotransporter activity in the soleus muscle of the rat.
Low-dose vitamin B-6 effectively lowers fasting plasma homocysteine in healthy elderly persons who are folate and riboflavin replete.

BACKGROUND Current data suggest that physiologic doses of vitamin B-6 have no significant homocysteine-lowering effect. It is possible that an effect of vitamin B-6 was missed in previous trials because of a much greater effect of folic acid, vitamin B-12, or both. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-dose vitamin B-6 supplementation on fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in healthy elderly persons who were made replete with folate and riboflavin. DESIGN Twenty-two healthy elderly persons aged 63-80 y were supplemented with a low dose of vitamin B-6 (1.6 mg/d) for 12 wk in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial after repletion with folic acid (400 microg/d for 6 wk) and riboflavin (1.6 mg/d for 18 wk); none of the subjects had a vitamin B-12 deficiency. RESULTS Folic acid supplementation lowered fasting tHcy by 19.6% (P < 0.001). After folic acid supplementation, baseline tHcy concentrations ranged from 6.22 to 23.52 micromol/L and 10 subjects had suboptimal vitamin B-6 status (plasma pyridoxal-P < 20 nmol/L). Two-way analysis of variance showed that the significant improvement in vitamin B-6 status in response to vitamin B-6 supplementation (on the basis of both pyridoxal-P: and the erythrocyte aspartate aminotransferase activation coefficient) was reflected in a significant reduction in plasma tHcy of 7.5%. CONCLUSIONS Low-dose vitamin B-6 effectively lowers fasting plasma tHcy in healthy subjects who are both folate and riboflavin replete. This suggests that any program aimed at the treatment or prevention of hyperhomocysteinemia should include vitamin B-6 supplementation.
Epoxide hydrolases regulate epoxyeicosatrienoic acid incorporation into coronary endothelial phospholipids.

Cytochrome P-450-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are avidly incorporated into and released from endothelial phospholipids, a process that results in potentiation of endothelium-dependent relaxation. EETs are also rapidly converted by epoxide hydrolases to dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (DHETs), which are incorporated into phospholipids to a lesser extent than EETs. We hypothesized that epoxide hydrolases functionally regulate EET incorporation into endothelial phospholipids. Porcine coronary artery endothelial cells were treated with an epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, 4-phenylchalcone oxide (4-PCO, 20 μmol/l), before being incubated with 3H-labeled 14,15-EET (14,15-[3H]EET). 4-PCO blocked conversion of 14,15-[3H]EET to 14,15-[3H]DHET and doubled the amount of radiolabeled products incorporated into cell lipids, with >80% contained in phospholipids. Moreover, pretreatment with 4-PCO before incubation with 14,15-[3H]EET enhanced A-23187-induced release of radiolabeled products into the medium. In contrast, 4-PCO did not alter uptake, distribution, or release of [3H]arachidonic acid. In porcine coronary arteries, 4-PCO augmented 14,15-EET-induced potentiation of endothelium-dependent relaxation to bradykinin. These data suggest that epoxide hydrolases may play a role in regulating EET incorporation into phospholipids, thereby modulating endothelial function in the coronary vasculature.
Multipath routing with adaptive playback scheduling for Voice over IP in Service Overlay Networks

Voice over IP (VoIP) quality of service provision over the best effort Internet remains a challenging task since an interactive level conversation has strict delay, loss and delay jitter requirements. The ITU-T E-model [1] defines R-factor to measure the subjective quality of VoIP phone calls. Multipath routing and adaptive playback scheduling have been proposed to improve the quality of VoIP phone calls. However, it is still not clear how to select a multipath at the sender so that the best quality is achieved for voice signals. We propose a novel mechanism to select the optimal multipath that provides the best R-factor for VoIP phone calls with adaptive playback scheduling being applied at the receiver. We evaluate the VoIP quality for the proposed mechanism by comparing the R-factor of the VoIP calls sent through the optimal multipath with that of the VoIP calls sent through the direct path (the shortest hop path decided by the underlying network). The results show that the proposed method can raise the VoIP quality and provide much more stable quality for VoIP calls.
Availability of intestinal microbial lysine for whole body lysine homeostasis in human subjects.

We have investigated whether there is a net contribution of lysine synthesized de novo by the gastrointestinal microflora to lysine homeostasis in six adults. On two separate occasions an adequate diet was given for a total of 11 days, and a 24-h (12-h fast, 12-h fed) tracer protocol was performed on the last day, in which lysine turnover, oxidation, and splanchnic uptake were measured on the basis of intravenous and oral administration ofl-[1-13C]lysine andl-[6,6-2H2]lysine, respectively. [15N2]urea or15NH4Cl was ingested daily over the last 6 days to label microbial protein. In addition, seven ileostomates were studied with15NH4Cl. [15N]lysine enrichment in fecal and ileal microbial protein, as precursor for microbial lysine absorption, and in plasma free lysine was measured by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Differences in plasma [13C]- and [2H2]lysine enrichments during the 12-h fed period were observed between the two15N tracer studies, although the reason is unclear, and possibly unrelated to the tracer form per se. In the normal adults, after15NH4Cl and [15N2]urea intake, respectively, lysine derived from fecal microbial protein accounted for 5 and 9% of the appearance rate of plasma lysine. With ileal microbial lysine enrichment, the contribution of microbial lysine to plasma lysine appearance was 44%. This amounts to a gross microbial lysine contribution to whole body plasma lysine turnover of between 11 and 130 mg ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ day-1, depending on the [15N]lysine precursor used. However, insofar as microbial amino acid synthesis is accompanied by microbial breakdown of endogenous amino acids or their oxidation by intestinal tissues, this may not reflect a net increase in lysine absorption. Thus we cannot reliably estimate the quantitative contribution of microbial lysine to host lysine homeostasis with the present paradigm. However, the results confirm the significant presence of lysine of microbial origin in the plasma free lysine pool.
Early protein intake and later obesity risk: which protein sources at which time points throughout infancy and childhood are important for body mass index and body fat percentage at 7 y of age?

BACKGROUND A high early protein intake has been proposed to increase obesity risk. OBJECTIVE We examined whether a critical period of protein intake for later obesity may exist early in childhood and investigated the relation between protein intake from different sources and body mass index SD score and body fat percentage (BF%) at 7 y of age. DESIGN The study population included 203 participants of the Dortmund Nutritional and Longitudinally Designed Study with information on diet at 6 mo, 12 mo, 18-24 mo, 3-4 y, and 5-6 y. Life-course plots were constructed to assess when protein intake (% of energy) was associated with body mass index SD score and BF% at 7 y. Mean values were then compared among tertiles (T1-T3) of protein from different sources at the important time points. RESULTS The ages of 12 mo and 5-6 y were identified as critical ages at which higher total and animal, but not vegetable, protein intakes were positively related to later body fatness. In fully adjusted models, animal protein intake at 12 mo was associated with BF% at 7 y as follows [x (95% CI) BF%]: T1, 16.20 (15.23, 17.25); T2, 17.21 (16.24, 18.23); T3, 18.21 (17.12, 19.15); P for trend = 0.008. With respect to food groups, dairy, but not meat or cereal protein intake, at 12 mo was related to BF% at 7 y (P for trend = 0.07). Animal protein at 5-6 y yielded similar results (P for trend = 0.01), but food group associations were less consistent. CONCLUSION A higher animal, especially dairy, protein intake at 12 mo may be associated with an unfavorable body composition at 7 y. The age of 5-6 y might represent another critical period of protein intake for later obesity risk.