Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When Ideology Meets Conflict-Related Content: Influences on Emotion Generation and Regulation

Do rightists and leftists experience information about suffering and harm with differing emotional intensities, depending on the identity of target depicted? Do they consequently choose differently how to regulate or cope with these emotions? Research has identified ideological differences in emotional processes, but it has yet to identify what types of content lead to ideological differences in emotional intensity or whether these content-dependent differences relate to differing preferences for engaging versus disengaging emotion-regulation strategies. We posited that right–left differences in experienced emotional intensity would be context-dependent, emerging mostly in response to depictions of harm to the outgroup, in accordance with the centrality of intergroup attitudes to ideological self-placement in conflict. Study 1 (N = 83) supported this hypothesis, with leftists (vs. rightists) experiencing outgroup harm (but not ingroup harm or conflict-irrelevant harm) with greater emotional intensity. Study 2 (N = 101), which replicated this finding, additionally examined whether behavioral differences in regulatory choice consequently emerge mostly regarding outgroup harm. We tested 2 competing hypotheses as to the nature of these differences: (a) the intensity hypothesis, positing that leftists (more than rightists) would regulate their intensified reactions to outgroup harm through disengagement–distraction (vs. engagement–reappraisal) due to a documented greater preference for disengaging coping strategies as intensity increases, and (b) the motivation hypothesis, positing that leftists (more than rightists) would prefer engagement–reappraisal (vs. disengagement–distraction), consistent with leftists’ documented greater preference for intergroup empathy. Results exclusively supported the intensity hypothesis, and the significance of both studies is discussed.
Jaspine B induces nonapoptotic cell death in gastric cancer cells independently of its inhibition of ceramide synthase[S]

Sphingolipids (SLs) have been extensively investigated in biomedical research due to their role as bioactive molecules in cells. Here, we describe the effect of a SL analog, jaspine B (JB), a cyclic anhydrophytosphingosine found in marine sponges, on the gastric cancer cell line, HGC-27. JB induced alterations in the sphingolipidome, mainly the accumulation of dihydrosphingosine, sphingosine, and their phosphorylated forms due to inhibition of ceramide synthases. Moreover, JB provoked atypical cell death in HGC-27 cells, characterized by the formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles in a time and dose-dependent manner. Vacuoles appeared to originate from macropinocytosis and triggered cytoplasmic disruption. The pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD, did not alter either cytotoxicity or vacuole formation, suggesting that JB activates a caspase-independent cell death mechanism. The autophagy inhibitor, wortmannin, did not decrease JB-stimulated LC3-II accumulation. In addition, cell vacuolation induced by JB was characterized by single-membrane vacuoles, which are different from double-membrane autophagosomes. These findings suggest that JB-induced cell vacuolation is not related to autophagy and it is also independent of its action on SL metabolism.
Hardware Design and Mathematical Modeling for an Artificial Pneumatic Spine for a Biped Humanoid Robot

A key issue in developing walking machines is to ensure stability of the machine during gait. The complexity of this problem increases with a decreasing number of legs. Where hexapods can guarantee static stability for all the time, in quadrupeds this is limited to special gait patterns and in bipeds the dynamical stability is imminent, especially if the intention is to build humanoid robots. In this paper we introduce a new artificial spine driven by pneumatic actuators for a biped locomotion platform. It is described how the hardware is designed and how the components have been modeled mathematically to be able to test and develop different control strategies for body stabilization tasks.
Dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid, but not with other long-chain n-3 or n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, decreases natural killer cell activity in healthy subjects aged >55 y.

BACKGROUND Animal studies showed that dietary flaxseed oil [rich in the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)], evening primrose oil [rich in the n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)], and fish oil [rich in the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] can decrease natural killer (NK) cell activity. There have been no studies of the effect on NK cell activity of adding these oils to the diet of humans. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with oil blends rich in ALA, GLA, arachidonic acid (AA), DHA, or EPA plus DHA (fish oil) on the NK cell activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. DESIGN A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study was conducted. Healthy subjects aged 55-75 y consumed 9 capsules/d for 12 wk; the capsules contained placebo oil (an 80:20 mix of palm and sunflower seed oils) or blends of placebo oil and oils rich in ALA, GLA, AA, DHA, or EPA plus DHA. Subjects in these groups consumed 2 g ALA, 770 mg GLA, 680 mg AA, 720 mg DHA, or 1 g EPA plus DHA (720 mg EPA + 280 mg DHA) daily, respectively. Total fat intake from the capsules was 4 g/d. RESULTS The fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids changed significantly in the GLA, AA, DHA, and fish oil groups. NK cell activity was not significantly affected by the placebo, ALA, GLA, AA, or DHA treatment. Fish oil caused a significant reduction (mean decline: 48%) in NK cell activity that was fully reversed by 4 wk after supplementation had ceased. CONCLUSION A moderate amount of EPA but not of other n-6 or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can decrease NK cell activity in healthy subjects.
Food glycemic index, as given in glycemic index tables, is a significant determinant of glycemic responses elicited by composite breakfast meals.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have concluded that the carbohydrate content and glycemic index (GI) of individual foods do not predict the glycemic and insulinemic effects of mixed meals. We hypothesized that these conclusions may be unwarranted because of methodologic considerations. OBJECTIVE The aim was to ascertain whether the GI and carbohydrate content of individual foods influence glucose and insulin responses elicited by realistic mixed meals in normal subjects. DESIGN With the use of a crossover design, we determined the glucose and insulin responses of 6 test meals in 16 subjects in Sydney and the glucose responses of 8 test meals in 10 subjects in Toronto and then the results were pooled. The 14 different test meals varied in energy (220-450 kcal), protein (0-18 g), fat (0-18 g), and available carbohydrate (16-79 g) content and in GI (35-100; values were rounded). RESULTS The glucose and insulin responses of the Sydney test meals varied over a 3-fold range (P < 0.001), and the glucose responses of the Toronto test meals varied over a 2.4-fold range (P < 0.001). The glucose responses were not related to the fat or protein content of the test meal. Carbohydrate content (P = 0.002) and GI (P = 0.022) alone were related to glucose responses; together they accounted for 88% of the variation in the glycemic response (P < 0.0001). The insulin response was significantly related to the glucose response (r = 0.94, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS When properly applied in realistic settings, GI is a significant determinant of the glycemic effect of mixed meals in normal subjects. For mixed meals within the broad range of nutrient composition that we tested, carbohydrate content and GI together explained approximately 90% of the variation in the mean glycemic response, with protein and fat having negligible effects.
Association of low 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with elevated parathyroid hormone concentrations and low cortical bone density in early pubertal and prepubertal Finnish girls.

BACKGROUND Very few studies have evaluated both parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and their effects on bone mass in children. OBJECTIVE We studied the associations of serum 25(OH)D and intact PTH (iPTH) with bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) at different bone sites and the relation between serum 25(OH)D and iPTH in early pubertal and prepubertal Finnish girls. DESIGN The subjects were 10-12-y-old girls (n = 193) at Tanner stage 1 or 2, who reported a mean (+/- SD) dietary calcium intake of 733 +/- 288 mg/d. 25(OH)D, iPTH, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP 5b), urinary calcium excretion, BMC, areal BMD, and volumetric BMD were assessed by using different methods. RESULTS Thirty-two percent of the girls were vitamin D deficient [serum 25(OH)D < or = 25 nmol/L], and 46% of the girls had an insufficient concentration (26-40 nmol/L). iPTH and TRAP 5b concentrations were significantly higher in the deficient group than in the insufficient and sufficient groups [iPTH: 43.9 +/- 15.7 compared with 38.6 +/- 11.2 pg/L (P = 0.049) and 32.7 +/- 12.1 pg/L (P < 0.001), respectively; TRAP 5b: 12.2 +/- 2.9 compared with 11.0 +/- 2.8 U/L (P = 0.009) and 10.9 +/- 1.9 U/L (P = 0.006), respectively]. The girls in the deficient group also had significantly lower cortical volumetric BMD of the distal radius (P < 0.001) and tibia shaft (P = 0.002). High iPTH concentrations were also associated with low total-body apparent mineral density and urinary calcium excretion (P < 0.007). CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D-deficient girls have low cortical BMD and high iPTH concentrations, which are consistent with secondary hyperparathyroidism. A low vitamin D concentration accompanied by high bone resorption (TRAP 5b) may limit the accretion of bone mass in young girls.
trans fatty acids and systemic inflammation in heart failure.

BACKGROUND trans fatty acid (TFA) intake increases systemic inflammation in healthy persons. However, the effect in patients with established heart disease is unknown. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to determine whether TFAs are associated with systemic inflammation in patients with established heart disease. DESIGN Red blood cell membrane TFAs, a biomarker of dietary intake, and inflammatory marker concentrations were ascertained in 86 ambulatory patients with established heart failure. Associations between TFA levels and inflammatory markers were evaluated by linear regression. RESULTS Mean (+/-SD) TFA levels were 1.8 +/- 0.4% of membrane fatty acids (range: 0.7-2.9%). For each inflammatory marker, associations are presented as the absolute difference and percentage difference from the mean for each 1% higher membrane TFA level. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, smoking, ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, ischemic etiology, statin use, and serum glucose, TFA levels were positively associated with interleukin (IL) 1beta (difference from mean: 0.38 pg/mL; percentage difference from mean: 66%; P=0.04), IL-1 receptor antagonist (4033 pg/mL; 297%; P=0.006), IL-6 (9.5 pg/mL; 123%; P=0.006), IL-10 (241 pg/mL; 183%; P=0.02), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha (256 pg/mL; 249%; P=0.02), TNF receptor 1 (537 pg/mL; 41%; P=0.03), TNF receptor 2 (39 242 pg/mL; 247%; P=0.001), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (117 pg/mL; 119%; P=0.004), and brain natriuretic peptide (40 pg/mL; 57%; P=0.04). Further adjustments for other patient characteristics did not significantly alter the results. CONCLUSION TFAs are strongly associated with systemic inflammation in patients with heart disease, which suggests that attention to TFA intake may be important for secondary prevention efforts.
Consolidating SNOMED CT's ontological commitment

SNOMED CT is a clinical terminology that uses logical axioms to provide terms with meaning. This enforces precise agreements about the ontological nature of the entities denoted by the terms, commonly described as ontological commitment. We demonstrate that SNOMED CT implicitly supports at least three different kinds of ontological commitments: (i) commitments to independently existing entities, (ii) commitments to representational artifacts and (iii) commitments to clinical situations. Our analysis shows how the truth-value of a sentence changes according to one of these perspectives. We argue that a clear understanding of to what kind of entities SNOMED CT terms denote is crucial for the proper use and maintenance of SNOMED CT. We argue that the three kinds of commitment can co-exist but need to be clearly distinguished.
Alcohol intake, drinking patterns, and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction in Costa Rica.

BACKGROUND Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Whether alcohol is truly protective or whether the amount, type, or pattern of intake is the most important is still under debate. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether alcohol intake and drinking patterns are associated with plasma lipids and the risk of MI in Costa Ricans, a population with a low intake of wine. DESIGN We conducted a study of 2090 cases of a first nonfatal acute MI and 2090 population-based controls matched by age, sex, and residence in Costa Rica, a country with diet and lifestyles different from those of Western countries. Alcohol and dietary intakes were assessed by using validated questionnaires. RESULTS In a multivariate conditional regression model that controlled for other cardiovascular disease risk factors, the lowest risk of MI [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.61] was observed for those who drank on average 3 drinks/wk (compared with lifelong abstainers). When we looked at the frequency of consumption, we found that the risk of MI among daily drinkers (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.41, 1.01) was not significantly different (P = 0.23) from that of weekend drinkers (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.98) regardless of the amount consumed. HDL cholesterol increased with the amount and frequency of alcohol intake. Similar to a few other populations, apparent protection was observed at very low alcohol intakes. CONCLUSION Low to moderate consumption of alcohol 1-2 d/wk is independently associated with a reduced risk of MI.
Hepatic de novo lipogenesis in normoinsulinemic and hyperinsulinemic subjects consuming high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low-fat, high-carbohydrate isoenergetic diets.

BACKGROUND Hypertriglyceridemia is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Until recently, the importance of hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in contributing to hypertriglyceridemia was difficult to assess because of methodologic limitations. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the extent of the contribution by DNL to different conditions associated with hypertriglyceridemia. DESIGN After 5 d of an isoenergetic high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, fasting DNL was measured in normoinsulinemic (<or= 85 pmol/L) lean (n = 9) and obese (n = 6) and hyperinsulinemic (>or= 115 pmol/L) obese (n = 8) subjects. Fasting DNL was measured after a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet in normoinsulinemic lean (n = 5) and hyperinsulinemic obese (n = 5) subjects. Mass isotopomer distribution analysis was used to measure the fraction of newly synthesized fatty acids in VLDL-triacylglycerol. RESULTS With the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, hyperinsulinemic obese subjects had a 3.7-5.3-fold higher fractional DNL (8.5 +/- 0.7%) than did normoinsulinemic lean (1.6 +/- 0.5%) or obese (2.3 +/- 0.3%) subjects. With the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, normoinsulinemic lean and hyperinsulinemic obese subjects had similarly high fractional DNL (13 +/- 5.1% and 12.8 +/- 1.4%, respectively). Compared with baseline, consumption of the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet did not affect triacylglycerol concentrations. However, after the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, triacylglycerols increased significantly and DNL was 5-6-fold higher than in normoinsulinemic subjects consuming a high-fat diet. The increase in triacylglycerol after the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet was correlated with fractional DNL (P < 0.01), indicating that subjects with high DNL had the greatest increase in triacylglycerols. CONCLUSIONS These results support the concept that both hyperinsulinemia and a low-fat diet increase DNL, and that DNL contributes to hypertriglyceridemia.
Influence of self-esteem on perceived orthodontic treatment need and oral health-related quality of life in children: the Generation R Study

Background Self-esteem (SE) is suggested to influence the relationship between orthodontic treatment need and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), but evidence lacks. The aim of the present study was to investigate SE in the relationship between subjective orthodontic need and OHRQoL in children. Methods This cross-sectional study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a multi-ethnic population-based cohort. In total, 3796 10-year old children participated in the present study. OHRQoL, measured with the Child Oral Health Impact Profile-ortho, and subjective orthodontic need were assessed within parental questionnaires. SE was measured with a modified version of the Harter's self-perception profile rated by the children. The role of SE in the association between SOT and OHRQoL was evaluated with linear regression models. Furthermore, the difference in this association between children with high and low SE was investigated. Results Higher subjective orthodontic need was associated with lower OHRQoL scores (borderline: β [95% CI] = -0.55 [-0.77, -0.33]; definite: -1.65 [-1.87, -1.54]). Children with lower SE scores showed a stronger relationship between borderline and definite subjective orthodontic need with OHRQoL (β [95% CI] = -0.56 [-0.81, -0.31] respectively -1.68 [-1.94, -1.42]) than children with higher SE scores did (β [95% CI] = -0.51 [-0.97, -0.04] respectively -1.43 [-1.90, -0.95]). Conclusion The relationship between subjective orthodontic need and OHRQoL is not based on the SE of children. However, SE modifies the relationship between subjective orthodontic need and OHRQoL. Work still needs to be done to find an explanation for the effect modification by SE in the relationship between subjective health perceptions and OHRQoL.
Bioavailability of lutein from vegetables is 5 times higher than that of beta-carotene.

BACKGROUND To gain more insight into the relation between vegetable consumption and the risk of chronic diseases, it is important to determine the bioavailability of carotenoids from vegetables and the effect of vegetable consumption on selected biomarkers of chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE To assess the bioavailability of beta-carotene and lutein from vegetables and the effect of increased vegetable consumption on the ex vivo oxidizability of LDL. DESIGN Over 4 wk, 22 healthy adult subjects consumed a high-vegetable diet (490 g/d), 22 consumed a low-vegetable diet (130 g/d), and 10 consumed a low-vegetable diet supplemented with pure beta-carotene (6 mg/d) and lutein (9 mg/d). RESULTS Plasma concentrations of vitamin C and carotenoids (ie, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin) were significantly higher after the high-vegetable diet than after the low-vegetable diet. In addition to an increase in plasma beta-carotene and lutein, the pure carotenoid-supplemented diet induced a significant decrease in plasma lycopene concentration of -0.11 micromol/L (95% CI: -0.21, -0.0061). The responses of plasma beta-carotene and lutein to the high-vegetable diet were 14% and 67%, respectively, of those to the pure carotenoid- supplemented diet. Conversion of beta-carotene to retinol may have attenuated its plasma response compared with that of lutein. There was no significant effect on the resistance of LDL to oxidation ex vivo. CONCLUSIONS Increased vegetable consumption enhances plasma vitamin C and carotenoid concentrations, but not resistance of LDL to oxidation. The relative bioavailability of lutein from vegetables is higher than that of beta-carotene.
Acquisition of Character Translation Rules for Supporting SNOMED CT Localizations

Translating huge medical terminologies like SNOMED CT is costly and time consuming. We present a methodology that acquires substring substitution rules for single words, based on the known similarity between medical words and their translations, due to their common Latin / Greek origin. Character translation rules are automatically acquired from pairs of English words and their automated translations to German. Using a training set with single words extracted from SNOMED CT as input we obtained a list of 268 translation rules. The evaluation of these rules improved the translation of 60% of words compared to Google Translate and 55% of translated words that exactly match the right translations. On a subset of words where machine translation had failed, our method improves translation in 56% of cases, with 27% exactly matching the gold standard.
Comparison of different methods for telomere length measurement in whole blood and blood cell subsets: Recommendations for telomere length measurement in hematological diseases

Different methods of telomere length measurement are used to identify patients with telomeropathies. In our lab, we established four different methods for telomere length measurement, terminal restriction fragment (TRF) analysis by Southern blot analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR), quantitative telomere/centromere fluorescence in situ hybridization (T/C‐FISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with flow cytometry (FlowFISH). The methods each have distinct properties and apart from this—according to our experience and data—may have an impact on the individual result. In this study, we therefore compared and validated these methods measuring 154 healthy individuals of different age groups (newborn—81 years). A linear decline was found for every method (Southern blotting 64 bp per year; qPCR 31 bp per year; T/C‐FISH 36 bp per year; FlowFISH 50 bp per year). With the equation of the regression line the values of each method (T/S ratio, T/C value, RTL value) can be expressed in absolute kb. All methods showed acceptable accuracy. The analysis indicated good agreement between all methods, with the best agreement between T/C‐FISH and FlowFISH. Here, FlowFISH was the most precise, accurate, and reproducible method compared to the other methods. Based on our data, we emphasize the influence of expertise and experience that is required to produce robust and reliable telomere length analyses. Furthermore, we want to provide the scientific community working in diagnostics and research with data‐funded advice on how to choose the appropriate method to safely discriminate between natural variability and pathological telomere shortening in individual cases.