Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of dietary supplementation with an expressed fusion peptide bovine lactoferricin–lactoferrampin on performance, immune function and intestinal mucosal morphology in piglets weaned at age 21 d

Lactoferrin has antimicrobial activity associated with peptide fragments lactoferricin (LFC) and lactoferrampin (LFA) released on digestion. These two fragments have been expressed in Photorhabdus luminescens as a fusion peptide linked to protein cipB. The construct cipB–LFC–LFA was tested as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters in pig production. Sixty piglets with an average live body weight of 5·42 (sem 0·59) kg were challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and randomly assigned to four treatment groups fed a maize–soyabean meal diet containing either no addition (C), cipB at 100 mg/kg (C+B), cipB–LFC–LFA at 100 mg/kg (C+L) or colistin sulfate at 100 mg/kg (C+CS) for 3 weeks. Compared with C, dietary supplementation with C+L for 3 weeks increased daily weight gain by 21 %, increased recovery from diarrhoea, enhanced serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx), peroxidase (POD) and total antioxidant content (T-AOC), liver GPx, POD, superoxide dismutase and T-AOC, Fe, total Fe-binding capacity, IgA, IgG and IgM levels (P < 0·05), decreased the concentration of E. coli in the ileum, caecum and colon (P < 0·05), increased the concentration of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the ileum, caecum and colon (P < 0·05), and promoted development of the villus–crypt architecture of the small intestine. Growth performance was similar between C+L- and C+CS-supplemented pigs. The present results indicate that LFC–LFA is an effective alternative to the feed antibiotic CS for enhancing growth performance in piglets weaned at age 21 d.
Two populations of corticothalamic and interareal corticocortical cells in the subgranular layers of the mouse primary sensory cortices

The subgranular layers (layers 5 and 6) of primary sensory cortex provide corticofugal output to thalamus and they also project to the appropriate secondary sensory cortices. Here we injected two combinations of different color retrograde fluorescent markers in the thalamic and cortical targets of these layers from the three primary sensory cortices (somatosensory, auditory, and visual) in mice to examine the degree of overlap between corticothalamic and interareal corticocortical cells in the subgranular layers. We found that, for all three primary sensory cortices, double‐labeled cells were extremely rare, indicating that corticothalamic and interareal corticocortical cells in the subgranular layers represent largely independent populations. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:1678–1686, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How fast are antidepressants?

BACKGROUND For years, investigators have tried to determine the speed of onset of antidepressant drugs. Claims that particular drugs may produce a faster response in patients than other agents have been made, but such claims have never been confirmed. METHOD The authors reviewed reports from studies of the speed of onset of antidepressant therapies and other studies that revealed information on this topic. We compiled a list of factors that can affect the results of such studies and interpretations of study results. In addition, we reviewed literature concerned with methods of speeding up antidepressant responses. RESULTS No antidepressant medication currently available has been shown conclusively to have a more rapid onset of action than any other. However, some methods of augmentation may have the potential to speed responses. Somatic therapies such as electroconvulsive therapy, phototherapy, and therapeutic sleep deprivation may be the fastest options available at this time. CONCLUSION All available antidepressant medications are usually taken for several weeks before future responders will display a significant therapeutic benefit. If a patient does not show at least a 20% improvement within the first 2 to 4 weeks of treatment, the treatment regimen should be altered. For patients who do show early benefits from a medication trial, one can expect additional benefits to accrue over an 8- to 12-week period and to improve overall outcome compared with those slower to respond. Future trials need to address methodological confounds, but a truly "faster antidepressant" will probably require new neuroscience technology.
A Critical Appraisal of the Anorexia Statistics in The Beauty Myth: Introducing Wolf's Overdo and Lie Factor (WOLF)

In her first book, The Beauty Myth the American feminist writer Naomi Wolf wrote about an epidemic of anorexia nervosa in Western countries. Today, her statistics are still cited in the media and in scientific publications. When compared to the relevant epidemiological reviews, however, 18 of the 23 statistics are inaccurate and overdone. On average, a statistic on anorexia by Naomi Wolf should be divided by eight to get close to the real figure. Implications of this finding are discussed.
Effects of dichloroacetate on VO2 and intramuscular 31P metabolite kinetics during high-intensity exercise in humans.

Traditional control theories of muscle O2 consumption are based on an "inertial" feedback system operating through features of the ATP splitting (e.g., [ADP] feedback, where brackets denote concentration). More recently, however, it has been suggested that feedforward mechanisms (with respect to ATP utilization) may play an important role by controlling the rate of substrate provision to the electron transport chain. This has been achieved by activation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex via dichloroacetate (DCA) infusion before exercise. To investigate these suggestions, six men performed repeated, high-intensity, constant-load quadriceps exercise in the bore of an magnetic resonance spectrometer with each of prior DCA or saline control intravenous infusions. O2 uptake (Vo2) was measured breath by breath (by use of a turbine and mass spectrometer) simultaneously with intramuscular phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration ([PCr]), [Pi], [ATP], and pH (by 31P-MRS) and arterialized-venous blood sampling. DCA had no effect on the time constant (tau) of either Vo2 increase or PCr breakdown [tauVo2 45.5 +/- 7.9 vs. 44.3 +/- 8.2 s (means +/- SD; control vs. DCA); tauPCr 44.8 +/- 6.6 vs. 46.4 +/- 7.5 s; with 95% confidence intervals averaging < +/-2 s]. DCA, however, resulted in significant (P < 0.05) reductions in 1). end-exercise [lactate] (-1.0 +/- 0.9 mM), intramuscular acidification (pH, +0.08 +/- 0.06 units), and [Pi] (-1.7 +/- 2.1 mM); 2). the amplitude of the fundamental components for [PCr] (-1.9 +/- 1.6 mM) and Vo2 (-0.1 +/- 0.07 l/min, or 8%); and 3). the amplitude of the Vo2 slow component. Thus, although the DCA infusion lessened the buildup of potential fatigue metabolites and reduced both the aerobic and anaerobic components of the energy transfer during exercise, it did not enhance either tauVo2 or tau[PCr], suggesting that feedback, rather than feedforward, control mechanisms dominate during high-intensity exercise.
The role of the hippocampus in mnemonic integration and retrieval: complementary evidence from lesion and inactivation studies

Two forms of account have been proposed for how animals form integrated memories for patterns of stimulation: the elemental account holds that the elements that make up the pattern become directly linked to one another, whereas the configural account holds that these elements become bound together through their capacity to activate a separate, shared configural memory. The hippocampus and perirhinal cortex have been linked to both elemental and configural processes. Here, we assessed the role of the rat hippocampus and perirhinal cortex in these distinct ways of processing patterns of sensory stimulation involving auditory, visual context and temporal information. Using selective lesions and inactivation techniques we identified a specific role for the hippocampus in the retrieval of configural memories but not of those that could be encoded elementally; we also identified a role for the rat perirhinal cortex in visual contextual learning. These results, using a novel combination of behavioural assays, provide clear support for the view that patterns of stimulation can be encoded either elementally or configurally, and that disruption of hippocampal function leaves rats reliant on elemental processes.
Arabidopsis Homologs of Retinoblastoma-Associated Protein 46/48 Associate with a Histone Deacetylase to Act Redundantly in Chromatin Silencing

RNA molecules such as small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and antisense RNAs (asRNAs) trigger chromatin silencing of target loci. In the model plant Arabidopsis, RNA–triggered chromatin silencing involves repressive histone modifications such as histone deacetylation, histone H3 lysine-9 methylation, and H3 lysine-27 monomethylation. Here, we report that two Arabidopsis homologs of the human histone-binding proteins Retinoblastoma-Associated Protein 46/48 (RbAp46/48), known as MSI4 (or FVE) and MSI5, function in partial redundancy in chromatin silencing of various loci targeted by siRNAs or asRNAs. We show that MSI5 acts in partial redundancy with FVE to silence FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), which is a crucial floral repressor subject to asRNA–mediated silencing, FLC homologs, and other loci including transposable and repetitive elements which are targets of siRNA–directed DNA Methylation (RdDM). Both FVE and MSI5 associate with HISTONE DEACETYLASE 6 (HDA6) to form complexes and directly interact with the target loci, leading to histone deacetylation and transcriptional silencing. In addition, these two genes function in de novo CHH (H = A, T, or C) methylation and maintenance of symmetric cytosine methylation (mainly CHG methylation) at endogenous RdDM target loci, and they are also required for establishment of cytosine methylation in the previously unmethylated sequences directed by the RdDM pathway. This reveals an important functional divergence of the plant RbAp46/48 relatives from animal counterparts.
a posteriori Access and Usage Control Policy in Healthcare Environment

Traditional access control mechanisms prevent illegal access by controlling access right before executing an action; they belong to a class of a priori security solutions and, from this point of view, they have some limitations, like inflexibility in unanticipated circumstances. By contrast, a posteriori mechanisms enforce policies not by preventing unauthorized access, but rather by deterring it. Such access control needs evidence to prove violations. Evidence is derived from log records, which trace each user’s actions. Efficiency of violation detection mostly depends on the compliance of log records with the access and usage control policy. In order to develop an efficient method for finding these violations, we propose restructuring log records according to a security policy model. We illustrate our methodology by applying it to the healthcare domain, taking care of the Integrating the healthcare enterprise (IHE) framework, particularly its basic security profile, ATNA (Audit Trail and Node Authentication). This profile defines log records established on the analysis of common health practice scenarios. We analyze and establish how ATNA log records can be refined in order to be integrated into an a posteriori access and usage control process, based on an expressive and contextual security policy like the OrBAC (Organization Based Access Control) policy.
Clockwork green—the circadian oscillator in Arabidopsis

Abstract Although rhythmic leaf movement in a higher plant was the first physiological process recognised to be under circadian control, our understanding of the molecular drives underlying circadian rhythms in plants is still limited. Genetic screens for mutants impaired with regard to circadian rhythmicity have identified components critical for clock function in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, providing a snapshot of interconnected transcription-based feedback circuits at the core of the clockwork. Subsequently, the Arabidopsis genome project provided the basis for reverse genetic approaches to uncover additional gene products operating close to the core clockwork. We will review recent progress in the dissection of the molecular mechanisms within the basic oscillator and in the incorporation of additional components into the basic clock model.
Listeria monocytogenes-reactive T lymphocyte clones with cytolytic activity against infected target cells

Lyt-2+ T cell clones were established from Listeria monocytogenes- infected mice. The clones secreted IFN-gamma after stimulation with spleen cells from L. monocytogenes-infected mice plus IL-2. Spleen cells from normal mice were not stimulatory. Furthermore, cloned T cells lysed L. monocytogenes-infected macrophages. Cytolysis was antigen-specific and H-2K-restricted. These findings suggest a role for specific cytotoxic T cells in the immune response to intracellular bacteria.
The LARK RNA-Binding Protein Selectively Regulates the Circadian Eclosion Rhythm by Controlling E74 Protein Expression

Despite substantial progress in defining central components of the circadian pacemaker, the output pathways coupling the clock to rhythmic physiological events remain elusive. We previously showed that LARK is a Drosophila RNA-binding protein which functions downstream of the clock to mediate behavioral outputs. To better understand the roles of LARK in the circadian system, we sought to identify RNA molecules associated with it, in vivo, using a three-part strategy to (1) capture RNA ligands by immunoprecipitation, (2) visualize the captured RNAs using whole-genome microarrays, and (3) identify functionally relevant targets through genetic screens. We found that LARK is associated with a large number of RNAs, in vivo, consistent with its broad expression pattern. Overexpression of LARK increases protein abundance for certain targets without affecting RNA level, suggesting a translational regulatory role for the RNA-binding protein. Phenotypic screens of target-gene mutants have identified several with rhythm-specific circadian defects, indicative of effects on clock output pathways. In particular, a hypomorphic mutation in the E74 gene, E74BG01805, was found to confer an early-eclosion phenotype reminiscent of that displayed by a mutant with decreased LARK gene dosage. Molecular analyses demonstrate that E74A protein shows diurnal changes in abundance, similar to LARK. In addition, the E74BG01805 allele enhances the lethal phenotype associated with a lark null mutation, whereas overexpression of LARK suppresses the early eclosion phenotype of E74BG01805, consistent with the idea that E74 is a target, in vivo. Our results suggest a model wherein LARK mediates the transfer of temporal information from the molecular oscillator to different output pathways by interacting with distinct RNA targets.
A hypergraph-partitioned vertex programming approach for large-scale consensus optimization

In modern data science problems, techniques for extracting value from big data require performing large-scale optimization over heterogenous, irregularly structured data. Much of this data is best represented as multi-relational graphs, making vertex-programming abstractions such as those of Pregel and GraphLab ideal fits for modern large-scale data analysis. In this paper, we describe a vertex-programming implementation of a popular consensus optimization technique known as the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) [1]. ADMM consensus optimization allows the elegant solution of complex objectives such as inference in rich probabilistic models. We also introduce a novel hypergraph partitioning technique that improves over the state-of-the-art vertex programming framework and significantly reduces the communication cost by reducing the number of replicated nodes by an order of magnitude. We implement our algorithm in GraphLab and measure scaling performance on a variety of realistic bipartite graphs and a large synthetic voter-opinion analysis application. We show a 50% improvement in running time over the current GraphLab partitioning scheme.
Characterizing smart phone traffic: A mobile carrier's perspective

In this paper we study the smart phone traffic and analyze its characterization from a mobile network operator's perspective. We collected and base out study on packet-level traces captured in a tier-1 cellular network serving a populated region in China. Our results, largely consistent with existing studies from end users' perspectives, show that web browsing contributes more than half of the traffic. Our detailed analysis, however, reveals some unique user browsing behaviors that have not been shown in other studies.
Temporarily Expanding the Boundaries of the Self: Motivations for Entering the Story World and Implications for Narrative Effects

A wide variety of motivations for engaging with narratives have been proposed and studied. We propose that underlying these motivations is another, more fundamental motivation. Our premise is that maintenance, defense, and regulation of the personal and social self in daily life are demanding both emotionally and cognitively. Moreover, any individual self is constrained by capability, situation, and social role. Stories and identification with story characters provide a means individuals may use for temporary relief from the task of self-regulation and from the limitations of individual personal and social identities. Existing supportive research is acknowledged and implications explored, concerning contexts in which story involvement will be particularly attractive and possible impacts on attitudes and acceptance of out-groups including stigmatized others. © 2014 International Communication Association.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Etravirine Resistance among Patients Failing on Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Background Prevalence and factors associated with etravirine (ETV) resistance mutations among patients failing on first-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) merit investigation. Methods The study comprised an analysis of all sequential patients attending the Institute of Infectious Diseases (Brescia, northern Italy) who performed a genotypic resistance testing (GRT) after ≥3 months of a stable NNRTI-based regimen between 2001 and 2006. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of ETV resistance mutations. Results Out of 248 strains, 153 (61.7%) harboured ≥1 ETV resistance mutations. In particular, 88 (35.5%), 53 (21.4%) and 12 (4.8%) harboured one, two and three mutations, respectively. The most frequent mutations were G190A (23%), Y181C (23%) and K101E (14.1%). Use of nevirapine (odds ratio [OR] 2.73; 95% confidence level [CI] 1.62–4.62; P<0.001) and a longer time frame between first HIV RNA >500 copies/ml and GRT (per month, OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01–1.09; P=0.012) were associated with a greater number of ETV resistance mutations. Conversely, higher CD4+ T-cell counts at nadir (per 100 cells/mm3, OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.67–0.98; P=0.029) and use of lamivudine/emtricitabine (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.37–0.87; P=0.009) were protective. Accumulation of ETV resistance-associated mutations was demonstrated by sequential GRT in 4/35 patients (all treated with nevirapine). Conclusions Mutations associated with ETV resistance were common among patients failing on NNRTI, but prevalence of viral strains harbouring three mutations was low. Use of efavirenz and co-administration of lamivudine reduced the risk of ETV resistance. The continued use of the current NNRTI in a failing regimen may select for additional resistant variants.
Awake Systolic Blood Pressure Variability Correlates With Target-Organ Damage in Hypertensive Subjects

Growing evidence associates blood pressure (BP) variability with cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. Here we tested the existence of a relationship between awake BP variability and target-organ damage in subjects referred for suspected hypertension. Systolic and diastolic BP variability were assessed as the standard deviation of the mean out of 24-hour, awake and asleep BP recordings in 180 untreated subjects, referred for suspected hypertension. Measurements were done at 15-minute intervals during daytime and 30-minute intervals during nighttime. Left ventricular mass index (by echo), intima-media thickness (by carotid ultrasonography), and microalbuminuria were assessed as indices of cardiac, vascular and renal damage, respectively. Intima-media thickness and left ventricular mass index progressively increased across tertiles of awake systolic BP variability (P for trend=0.001 and 0.003, respectively). Conversely, microalbuminuria was similar in the 3 tertiles (P=NS). Multivariable analysis identified age (P=0.0001), awake systolic BP (P=0.001), awake systolic BP variability (P=0.015) and diastolic BP load (P=0.01) as independent predictors of intima-media thickness; age (P=0.0001), male sex (P=0.012), awake systolic (P=0.0001) and diastolic BP (P=0.035), and awake systolic BP variability (P=0.028) as independent predictors of left ventricular mass index; awake systolic BP variability (P=0.01) and diastolic BP load (P=0.01) as independent predictors of microalbuminuria. Therefore, awake systolic BP variability by non-invasive ambulatory BP monitoring correlates with sub-clinical target-organ damage, independent of mean BP levels. Such relationship, found in subjects referred for recently suspected hypertension, likely appears early in the natural history of hypertension.
MODELLING THE ORTHOGONAL MACHINING PROCESS USING CUTTING TOOLS WITH DIFFERENT GEOMETRY

This paper deals with modelling of the orthogonal machining process using tools with different geometries. The finite element method (FEM) is used for a simulation based on the Lagrangian formulation including ANSYS/LS-DYNA software. The constitutive Johnson – Cook material model regarding strain, strain rate and temperature to predict material plasticity and chip separation is used. Chip morphology, stress, strain, strain rate, residual stress and temperature have been obtained for a range of tool rake angles, cutting edge radii and friction coefficient values. Results are compared with experimental results and other references.
Food Region Detection using Bag-of-features Representation and Color Feature

Food image processing has recently attracted attention, because many people take photos of food. For food image processing, recognition of captured food is an essential technology, but region detection of the food area from captured photos is also very important procedure for food recognition. In this paper, we propose a novel method for automatic region detection of food from photos using two kinds of features in input image. To detect food regions, we use a method which is widely used in generic object recognition. We divide an image into small subregions and represent each subregion as Bag-of-Features representation using local feature descriptors and color feature. Using two features, we recognize food subregions and finally connect them as food regions. Our experiments show that the proposed method can detect food region in high accuracy.