Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nicotine replacement therapy for long-term smoking cessation: a meta-analysis

Objective: To assess if the effect of a single treatment episode with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) enhances smoking cessation over many years. Data sources: Meta-analysis of all randomised controlled trials of NRT with final follow-up more than one year after the start of treatment. Twelve eligible trials were identified, all placebo-controlled, having final follow-ups ranging from 2–8 years. All had earlier follow-ups at 12 months. They comprised 2408 active and 2384 placebo treatment participants. Data synthesis: The odds ratio (OR) in favour of NRT at final follow-up was 1.99 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50 to 2.64). There was no evidence that the effect varied according to length of final follow-up (β = 0.92, p = 0.28) or duration of initial NRT treatment (β = 0.99, p > 0.5). The overall relapse rate between the 12 months and final follow-up was 30.0% (95% CI 23.5% to 37.5%). This rate did not differ between NRT and control groups (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.59), or length of initial NRT treatment. There was also no evidence that it varied according to length of final follow up. Due to relapse, the overall efficacy of NRT treatment in terms of additional ex-smokers declined from 10.7% over and above placebo (6.6% to 14.8%) after one year to 7.2% (3.8% to 11.3%) at an average of 4.3 years follow up. Conclusions: The relative efficacy of a single course of NRT remains constant over many years. The majority of relapse after 12 months occurs within the first or second year and is not detectable thereafter, suggesting that NRT has a permanent effect on smoking cessation. However, initial relapse after one year has the effect of diminishing the number of ex-smokers that can be ultimately attributed to NRT. Results after only 6–12 months of follow-up, as used in existing reviews and treatment guidelines, will overestimate the lifetime benefit and cost-efficacy of NRT by about 30%. Because the long-term benefit of NRT is modest, tobacco dependence treatment might be better viewed as a chronic disorder, requiring repeated episodes of treatment.
Highly efficient protoplast transformation system for Streptococcus faecalis and a new Escherichia coli-S. faecalis shuttle vector

A highly efficient protoplast transformation system for Streptococcus faecalis has been developed by systematically optimizing different parameters. Up to 10(6) transformants per micrograms of DNA were consistently obtained within 3 days, and cell wall regeneration of protoplasts was virtually 100%. A systematic search for useful vectors showed that the broad-host-range plasmid pIP501 could transform S. faecalis at a high frequency (6.3 X 10(4) transformants per microgram). By combining a high-copy-number derivative of pIP501, designated pGB354, with the Escherichia coli vector pACYC184, we constructed a new E. coli-S. faecalis shuttle vector (pAM401) having nine unique restriction sites. In a shotgun cloning experiment, we ligated a tetracycline resistance determinant from Streptococcus sanguis chromosomal DNA into pAM401 by direct transformation of S. faecalis, establishing the utility of the protoplast transformation system and of the new shuttle vector.
Modulation of Zn‐induced hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance in Wistar rat fed modified poultry eggΨ

Excessive bioavailability of Zn causes Cu and Mg deficiencies resulting in hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance. These defects may ameliorate if the ionic imbalance in them is corrected. In view of this, three groups of rats were included in this study. Initially, they were fed on semi‐synthetic equicalories basal diet containing 20 mg Zn (control, group‐I), on 40 mg Zn (group‐II) and 80 mg Zn/kg diet (group‐III) respectively for 3 months. Thereafter, half of the rats in group‐II and III were shifted on Cu and Mg enriched modified poultry egg (MEΨ) mixed diets (groups‐IIME and IIIME) while the remaining were continued to feed on their respective diets for another 3 months completing a total of 6 months. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypercortisolemia, hyperzincemia, hypercupremia and hypermagnesaemia with corresponding increase of lipid droplets in the zona fasciculate of adrenal cortex and reduction in liver glycogen content in rats of groups‐II and III were recorded. These changes were linked with a rise in Zn and fall in Cu and Mg in their liver. The addition of MEΨ in their diets led to fall of Zn and rise in liver Cu and Mg, and fall in serum Zn, Cu and Mg resulting in the improvement of glucose disposal, increase in insulin sensitivity, reduction in lipid droplets in zona fasciculate and increase in glycogen content in the liver approaching closer to the control group‐I. The data suggest that these MEΨ can serve as non‐pharmacological dietary supplement to prevent insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia in populations who are at higher risk of diabetes mellitus either due to their genetic predisposition of excessive absorption and retention of Zn or due to higher Zn content in the food chain. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Awareness of colorectal cancer screening in primary care physicians.

OBJECTIVE Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related death worldwide. Primary care physicians play an important role in colorectal cancer screening. However the awareness and knowledge on the methods for colorectal cancer screening are still lacking. The authors aimed to assess Thai primary care physicians' knowledge and practice regarding colorectal cancer screening. MATERIAL AND METHOD Between October and December 2010, questionnaires were distributed to 447 Thai physicians. The questionnaires included demographic data, self-responded knowledge, and practice. Their responses were analyzed. RESULTS Three hundred eighty seven physicians completed the questionnaires (86.5% response rate). Of these, 44.7% were internists, 27.4% general practitioners (GPs), 11.9% surgeons, and 16.0% other specialists. Two hundred forty of physicians (62%) routinely recommended colorectal cancer screening to asymptomatic, average-risk patients. Only 43% gave the correct recommendation for the correct starting age. Colonoscopy (47.5%) and fecal occult blood test (40.0%) were preferred by the majority of physicians, whereas flexible sigmoidoscopy, double contrast barium enema, and CT colonoscopy were chosen by 5.7%, 4.4%, and 1.8% of physicians respectively. Surgeons had more knowledge of test efficacy and frequency. They also were more aware of colorectal cancer screening than internists. Patient ignorance (66.1%), unavailability of the test (64.6%), unawareness of physicians (57.9%), and financial problems (41.1%) were determinedas barriers for colorectal cancer screening. CONCLUSION Although the majority of physicians are aware of colorectal cancer screening, the correct knowledge is lacking. Colonoscopy and FOBT are their most preferred tests. Patient ignorance, unavailability of the test, unawareness of physician, and financial problems are the main barriers for colorectal cancer screening. Improvement in academic support services and standard clinical practice guideline are needed to improve overall morbidity and mortality of colorectal cancer.
Annual Rhythmic and Non-Rhythmic Biological Variation of Magnesium and Ionized Calcium Concentrations

Abstract The annual inter- and intra-individual biological variation, including the circannual rhythmic variation, of the serum concentrations of magnesium and ionized calcium has been investigated in a group of 51 apparently healthy volunteers. Venous blood specimens were collected on intervals of once a month within a one-year period, using a standardized protocol. The inter-individual coefficients of variation were 5.12% for magnesium and 1.58% for ionized calcium. The medians of the intra-individual coefficients of variation were 1.93% for magnesium and 2.18% for ionized calcium. These data were used to determine the allowable imprecision, the allowable systematic error, the critical difference for significant change detection, and the usefulness of population reference values (index of individuality). Of the quantities studied, only the serum concentration of ionized calcium shows a significant annual rhythmic variation (amplitude 1.3%), although this result may be due to the between-run metrological variance, considering that the concentration of ionized calcium of the control material used during the study possesses a similar significant rhythmic variation.
A Statistical Method for Handling Unknown Words

Robust Natural Language Processing systems must be able to handle words that are not in their lexicon. We created a classifier that was trained on tagged text to find the most likely parts of speech for unknown words. The classifier uses a contingency table to count the observed features, and a loglinear model to smooth the cell counts. After smoothing, the contingency table is used to obtain the conditional probability distribution for classification. A number of features, determined by exploration (Tukey 1977), are used. For example, is the word capitalized? Does the word carry one of a number of known suffixes? We maximize the conditional probability of the proposed classification given the features to achieve minimum error rate classification (Duda & Hart 1973). The baseline results are provided by using only the prior probabilities P(c) (column Prior). (Weischedel et al. 1993) describe a probabilistic model with four features that are treated as independent, which we reimplemented (column 4 Indep). For comparison, we created a statistical classifier with the same four features (column 4 Class). Our best model was a classifier with nine features (column 9 Class).
The Path to Thioredoxin and Redox Regulation Beyond Chloroplasts

Once the ferredoxin/thioredoxin system was established as a mechanism linking light to the post-translational regulation of chloroplast enzymes, I considered that plants might harbor a light-independent mechanism utilizing this same enzyme chemistry based on thiol-disulfide redox transitions. After reflection, it occurred to me that such a mechanism could be fundamental to seeds of cereals that undergo dramatic change following exposure to oxygen during maturation and drying. The pursuit of this idea led to the discovery of a family of extraplastidic thioredoxins, designated the h-type, that resemble animal and bacterial counterparts in undergoing enzymatic reduction with NADPH. Current evidence suggests that h-type thioredoxins function broadly throughout the plant. Here I describe how the thioredoxin h field developed, its current status and potential for contributing material benefits to society.
In vivo Regeneration of Elastic Lamina on Fibroin Biodegradable Vascular Scaffold

Purpose There is an increasing need for vascular grafts in the field of surgical revascularization. Artificial grafts offer alternative strategies to autologous tissue, however, small caliber (diameter <6 mm) vascular prosthesis are associated with a high incidence of thrombosis and early failure. Despite promising results, vascular tissue engineering is not yet a clinical reality due to the complexity of this approach. We aimed at investigating the use of fibroin, a biodegradable protein derived from silk, as an acellular vascular graft for in vivo recellularization. Methods We produced small caliber fibroin matrices by electrospinning to replace small arterial segments. Electrospun fibroin scaffolds were implanted into the abdominal aorta of Lewis rats by end-to-end anastomosis. Seven days after implantation, fibroin matrices were recovered and processed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Results Fibroin matrices allowed host cell infiltration, extracellular matrix remodeling, and ensured good patency of the grafts in the short term. Endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells were present in the explanted construct. Development of an elastic lamina adjacent to the lumen of the scaffold was observed with organization of intima and media layers. Vasa-vasorum were also present in the outer layer of the fibroin material. Conclusions Our results indicate that formation of vascular tissue containing elastin occurs already at 7 days after implantation on fibroin scaffold without in vitro cellularization. The use of an acellular electrospun silk fibroin tubular scaffold could be a promising strategy for in vivo regeneration of vascular tissue in the clinical reality.
Body mass index and disordered eating behaviors are associated with weight dissatisfaction in adolescent and young adult female military recruits.

OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with weight dissatisfaction, a risk factor for eating disorders, among female Marine recruits. METHODS A diverse adolescent/young adult sample of 2157 female recruits completed a questionnaire upon entering Marine Corps training. Weight dissatisfaction was the main variable of interest. RESULTS Body mass index (BMI), disordered eating history, and worry about meeting military "weight" were related highly to weight dissatisfaction. Women with BMIs near the upper limit of the Marine Corps weight standard (23.5 kg/m2) reported the highest rates of weight dissatisfaction. Those who reported vomiting, binging or pill use, or being worried about "making weight" were four and five times, respectively, more likely to report weight dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS New female Marine recruits with higher BMIs, disordered eating histories, and worries about "making weight" are significantly more likely to be weight dissatisfied. Such findings may identify those at risk for developing eating disorders when exposed to strict military weight standards.
Optimal Extraction of Irredundant Motif Bases

The problem of extracting a basis of irredundant motifs from a sequence is considered. In previous work such bases were built incrementally for all suffixes of the input string s in O(n3), where n is the length of s. Faster, non-incremental algorithms have been based on the landmark approach to string searching due to Fischer and Paterson, and exhibit respective time bounds of O(n2log n log|Σ|) and O(|Σ|n2log2 n log log n), with Σ denoting the alphabet. The algorithm by Fischer and Paterson makes crucial use of the FFT, which is impractical with long sequences. The present paper describes an off-line algorithm for binary strings that takes O(n2) time. The algorithm does not need to resort to the FFT and yet its performance is optimal for finite Σ.
NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): Local Scale Observation Site

Abstract The local scale observation site (LSOS) is the smallest study site (0.8 ha) of the 2002/03 Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) and is located within the Fraser mesocell study area. It was the most intensively measured site of the CLPX, and measurements here had the greatest temporal component of all CLPX sites. Measurements made at the LSOS were designed to produce a comprehensive assessment of the snow, soil, and vegetation characteristics viewed by the ground-based remote sensing instruments. The objective of the ground-based microwave remote sensing was to collect time series of active and passive microwave spectral signatures over snow, soil, and forest, which is coincident with the intensive physical characterization of these features. Ground-based remote sensing instruments included frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars operating over multiple microwave bandwidths; the Ground-Based Microwave Radiometer (GBMR-7) operating at channels 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89 GHz; and in 2003, a.
Machine intelligence and intelligent machines

Since the word mechatronics was created in 1960s, the connection in physical level of mechanical and electronic subsystems and power driving had been gradually realized. By the end of 1980s, it was emphasized that the control of mechatronics systems was based on sensor information, scilicet the concept of information-driven. At the turn of the century, more and more researches and applications concentrated on direct-drive. Thus it was fairly perfect that mechanical and electronic subsystems combined organically. With the development of artificial intelligence and computer science, information and symbol processing could solve some intelligence problems, so that machine intelligence appeared. However, only when the motion characteristics (e.g. kinematical and kinetic models, etc) of machines were fully considered, the intelligent machines could be built by machine intelligence. This paper intended to introduce some new developments of mechatroincs in the world and our research results.
Cloning , renal distribution , and regulation of the rat Na 1-HCO 3 2 cotransporter

Burnham, Charles E. , Michael Flagella, Zhaohui Wang, Hassane Amlal, Gary E. Shull, and Manoocher Soleimani. Cloning, renal distribution, and regulation of the rat Na-HCO3 2 cotransporter. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Renal Physiol. 43): F1119–F1126, 1998. —We recently reported the cloning and expression of a human kidney Na-HCO3 2 cotransporter (NBC-1) (C. E. Burnham, H. Amlal, Z. Wang, G. E. Shull, and M. Soleimani. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 19111– 19114, 1997). To expedite in vivo experimentation, we now report the cDNA sequence of rat kidney NBC-1. In addition, we describe both the organ and nephron segment distributions and the regulation of NBC-1 mRNA under three models of pH stress: chloride-depletion alkalosis (CDA), metabolic acidosis, and bicarbonate loading. Rat NBC-1 cDNA encodes an open reading frame of 1,035 amino acids, with 96 and 87% identity to human and salamander NBC-1, respectively. Rat NBC-1 mRNA is expressed at high levels in kidney and brain, with lower levels in colon, stomach, and heart. None appears in liver. In the kidney, NBC-1 is expressed mainly in the proximal tubule, with traces found in medullary thick ascending limb and papilla. HCO3 2 loading decreased NBC-1 mRNA levels, which were unchanged either by metabolic acidosis or by CDA.
Minor Sounds of Major Importance

Prosody plays a big role in the human speech and is used for expressing emotions and attitudes in addition to the lexical words. This study looks at the possibility to use prosody in expressing attitudes with backchannels, such as /oh/, /m/, /uhu/ etc. In the study, two monosyllabic backchannels, /a/ and /m/, were chosen, created synthetically and manipulated systematically with regards to the prosodic properties pitch, peak position, and duration. Each stimulus was put in a context, and the task was for the participants to choose among five answer alternatives a suitable interpretation of the backchannel. The results show that the meaning of a backchannel mainly changes with the peak position property, but interaction effects of the combination with pitch and duration could also be seen. Some stimuli have received fairly unambiguous results, which is an indication that they sound natural and are easy to interpret. This is a positive result for the continuous research of usage of backchannels in spoken dialogue systems.
Balloon dilation and bougienage of a urethral stricture in a cat.

Received: Revised: Accepted: September 14, 2014 April 24, 2015 June 20, 2015 A 3-year-old male cat was referred to the Konkuk University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital with a urethral stricture following the performance of a perineal urethrostomy. A surgical revision was performed, but the stricture recurred. To dilate the urethra, balloon dilation and bougienage were performed. No clinical signs of urethral stricture and no complications were observed after bougienage following 12 months. ©2015 PVJ. All rights reserved
Propofol-Ketamine and Propofol-Fentanyl Combinations for Nonanesthetist-Administered Sedation

Objectives: There is a need to compare propofol requirement between propofol-ketamine (PK) and propofol-fentanyl (PF) given as nonanesthetist-administered propofol sedation during pediatric esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Methods: The study was a parallel-group, randomized, double-blind comparison of the need for additional doses of propofol in the first minute after sedation induction between PK and PF, administered by rotating trainees in pediatrics for sedation during pediatric EGD. A total of 95 children with American Society of Anesthesiologists class I to III between 3 and 12 years undergoing EGD were included and randomized to either of the groups. After midazolam premedication, children received either 0.5 mg/kg ketamine (PK) or 1 &mgr;g/kg of fentanyl (PF) followed by a mandatory 1 mg/kg of propofol. Additional doses of propofol of 0.5 mg/kg each were given to achieve sedation induction (modified Ramsay scale level 6), and further doses were administered during the procedure as required. A total of 92 children (PK, n = 47; PF, n = 45) were analyzed. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no difference in the propofol dose required for successful scope introduction and also in the need for additional propofol doses and the total additional propofol doses required in the first minute after sedation induction. Propofol injection pain was higher in the PF group (odds ratio 1.78). The adverse events and recovery time were similar. There was no escalation of care, airway intubations, death, or disability. Conclusions: Nonanesthetist-administered propofol sedation is feasible in teaching hospitals. Propofol requirement is similar in both PK and PF combination regimens, but the lower frequency of propofol injection pain may favor the use of PK.
Phosphorylation of Serine 13 Is Required for the Proper Function of the Hsp90 Co-chaperone, Cdc37*

The Hsp90 co-chaperone Cdc37 provides an essential function for the biogenesis and support of numerous protein kinases. In this report, we demonstrate that mammalian Cdc37 is phosphorylated on Ser13 in situ in rabbit reticulocyte lysate and in cultured K562 cells and that casein kinase II is capable of quantitatively phosphorylating recombinant Cdc37 at this site. Mutation of Ser13 to either Ala or Glu compromises the recruitment of Cdc37 to Hsp90-kinase complexes but has only modest effects on its basal (client-free) binding to Hsp90. Furthermore, Cdc37 containing the complementing Ser to Glu mutation showed altered interactions with Hsp90-kinase complexes consistent with compromised Cdc37 modulation of the Hsp90 ATP-driven reaction cycle. Thus, the data indicate that phosphorylation of Cdc37 on Ser13 is critical for its ability to coordinate Hsp90 nucleotide-mediated conformational switching and kinase binding.
The Ubiquitin-Specific Protease USP34 Regulates Axin Stability and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

ABSTRACT Wnt proteins control multiple cell behaviors during development and tissue homeostasis. However, pathological activation of Wnt signaling is the underlying cause of various human diseases. The ubiquitin-proteasome system plays important regulatory functions within the Wnt pathway by regulating the activity of several of its core components. Hence, multiple E3 ubiquitin ligases have been implicated in its regulation. Less is known, however, about the role of ubiquitin-specific proteases in Wnt signaling. Analysis of purified axin-containing protein complexes by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry revealed the presence of the ubiquitin protease USP34. Our results indicate that USP34 functions downstream of the β-catenin destruction complex to control the stability of axin and opposes its tankyrase-dependent ubiquitination. Reflecting on the requirement for tight control of axin homeostasis during Wnt signaling, interfering with USP34 function by RNA interference leads to the degradation of axin and to the inhibition of β-catenin-mediated transcription. Given the numerous human diseases exhibiting spurious Wnt pathway activation, the development of USP34 inhibitors may offer a novel therapeutic opportunity.