Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Platelet activation in obese women: role of inflammation and oxidant stress.

CONTEXT Obesity, in particular abdominal adiposity, is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality through mechanisms possibly linking the metabolic disorder to platelet and vascular abnormalities. OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical and biochemical determinants of lipid peroxidation and platelet activation in obese women. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional comparison, conducted between September 1999 and September 2001, of urinary 8-iso prostaglandin F(2alpha) (8-iso PGF(2alpha)) and 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (11-dehyhdro-TxB2) excretion levels in 93 women: 44 with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 28 and a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.86 or higher, android obesity; 25 with a BMI higher than 28 and a WHR lower than 0.86, gynoid obesity; and 24 nonobese women with a BMI lower than 25. An additional study was conducted to determine the short-term effects of weight loss in 20 of the 44 women with android obesity. INTERVENTION During a 12-week period, 20 women with android obesity followed a weight loss program to reduce caloric intake to about 1200 kcal/d. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Plasma C-reactive protein, insulin and leptin levels, and urinary 8-iso PGF(2alpha) (marker of in vivo lipid peroxidation) and 11-dehyhdro-TxB2 (marker of in vivo platelet activation) excretion. Weight loss was defined as successful when the initial body weight decreased by at least 5 kg after a 12-week period of caloric restriction. RESULTS Women with android obesity had higher levels of 8-iso PGF(2alpha )(median [interquartile range [IQR]] 523 [393-685] vs 187 [140-225] pg/mg creatinine) and 11-dehyhdro-TxB2 (median [IQR], 948 [729-1296] vs 215 [184-253] pg/mg creatinine) than nonobese women (P<.001). Both 8-iso PGF(2alpha)and 11-dehyhdro-TxB2 were higher in women with android obesity than women with gynoid obesity (P<.001). Based on multiple regression analysis, C-reactive protein levels and WHRs of 0.86 or higher predicted the rate of 8-iso PGF(2alpha) excretion independently of insulin and leptin levels. Of 20 women with android obesity, 11 achieved successful weight loss, which was associated with statistically significant reductions in C-reactive protein (median change, 23%; P<.05), 8-iso PGF(2alpha) (median change, 32%; P =.04) and 11-dehydro-TxB2 (median change, 54%; P =.005). CONCLUSIONS Android obesity is associated with enhanced lipid peroxidation and persistent platelet activation. These abnormalities are driven by inflammatory triggers related to the degree of abdominal adiposity and are, at least in part, reversible with a successful weight-loss program.
Artificial Intelligence - Applications on Bioinformatics and Textile Industry

AI techniques have been successfully used in many fields of engineering. A brief description of possible applications of AI in engineering are dated with future prospects. This study reviews two different experimental systems; bioinformatics and textile engineering. The experimental systems are described. Different databases are used and their implementation results are also presented by using AI methods; like ANN and PSO-NN. Implementation accuracies are given with tables for their use in these cases.
Chemical synthesis and densification of a novel Ag/Cr2O3-AgCrO2 nanocomposite powder

Abstract Ag/Cr2O3-AgCrO2 nanocomposite powders were chemically synthesized using a chemical precipitation method. The synthesis method stages included precipitation and calcination. The initial precipitates contained Cr(OH)3·3H2O and Ag2CO3 compounds. Calcination of the initial precipitates led to thermal decomposition of the precipitates and evaporation of volatile compounds such as H2O and CO2. The calcined precipitates contained silver, chromium oxide, and silver-chromia. The crystallite size of Ag2CO3 and Ag were determined as 18.9 and 45 nm, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy investigations showed that the particle size of the initial precipitates was lower than 100 nm. The calcined powders were sintered at 550°C in air atmosphere. The sintered samples were cold-repressed under 300 and 550 MPa. It was found that by increasing the repressing compaction magnitudes, the density and hardness of the sintered samples were increased. The scanning electron microscopy evaluation of the densified samples showed nearly dense microstructure.
Mdm2 Mutant Defective in Binding p300 Promotes Ubiquitination but Not Degradation of p53*

Turnover of the p53 tumor suppressor protein is mediated by Mdm2 through the ubiquitin proteolysis pathway. p300, a co-activator for p53, also participates in this process by complexing with Mdm2. We now report that the mutant Mdm2, defective in p53 binding, does not promote p53 ubiquitination and degradationin vivo or inhibit p53 transcriptional activation. By contrast, the mutant Mdm2, defective in p300 binding, still retains its activity to promote p53 ubiquitination and to inhibit p53 transcriptional activation but fails in promoting p53 degradation. We also show that both wild-type Mdm2 and the mutant Mdm2, defective in p300 binding, can promote the ubiquitination of cancer-derived p53 mutants, but only wild-type Mdm2 can cause their degradation. Furthermore, adenoviral oncoprotein, 12S.E. 1A, but not its deletion mutant that lacks p300 binding, was shown to decrease in vivo ubiquitination of mutant p53. Taken together, these results provide genetic evidence that p300 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of Mdm2-mediated p53 turnover by integrating the cellular ubiquitination and proteolytic processes.
Gα12/13- and Rho-Dependent Activation of Phospholipase C-ϵ by Lysophosphatidic Acid and Thrombin Receptors

Because phospholipase C ϵ (PLC-ϵ) is activated by Gα12/13 and Rho family GTPases, we investigated whether these G proteins contribute to the increased inositol lipid hydrolysis observed in COS-7 cells after activation of certain G protein-coupled receptors. Stimulation of inositol lipid hydrolysis by endogenous lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) or thrombin receptors was markedly enhanced by the expression of PLC-ϵ. Expression of the LPA1 or PAR1 receptor increased inositol phosphate production in response to LPA or SFLLRN, respectively, and these agonist-stimulated responses were markedly enhanced by coexpression of PLC-ϵ. Both LPA1 and PAR1 receptor-mediated activation of PLC-ϵ was inhibited by coexpression of the regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain of p115RhoGEF, a GTPase-activating protein for Gα12/13 but not by expression of the RGS domain of GRK2, which inhibits Gαq signaling. In contrast, activation of the Gq-coupled M1 muscarinic or P2Y2 purinergic receptor was neither enhanced by coexpression with PLC-ϵ nor inhibited by the RGS domain of p115RhoGEF but was blocked by expression of the RGS domain of GRK2. Expression of the Rho inhibitor C3 botulinum toxin did not affect LPA- or SFLLRN-stimulated inositol lipid hydrolysis in the absence of PLC-ϵ but completely prevented the PLC-ϵ-dependent increase in inositol phosphate accumulation. Likewise, C3 toxin blocked the PLC-ϵ-dependent stimulatory effects of the LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, or PAR1 receptor but had no effect on the agonist-promoted inositol phosphate response of the M1 or P2Y2 receptor. Moreover, PLC-ϵ-dependent stimulation of inositol phosphate accumulation by activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, which involves Ras- but not Rho-mediated activation of the phospholipase, was unaffected by C3 toxin. These studies illustrate that specific LPA and thrombin receptors promote inositol lipid signaling via activation of Gα12/13 and Rho.
Conversion from cyclosporine to azathioprine at three months reduces the incidence of chronic allograft nephropathy.

BACKGROUND Conversion from cyclosporine to azathioprine after renal transplantation has been shown to be beneficial in terms of allograft function, cardiovascular risk factor profile, and the incidence of gout. A higher incidence of acute rejection, however, has also been reported and uncertainty still exists about the long-term outcome after conversion. We report on the extended follow-up of an open-label, randomized trial that examined conversion to azathioprine as early as three months after transplantation. METHODS One hundred twenty-eight patients were enrolled in this single-center study. Three months after transplantation they were randomly assigned to continue cyclosporine treatment (N = 68), or they were converted to azathioprine (N = 60). The steroid dose was temporarily increased in the patients who were converted. RESULTS Patient survival was not different in the two groups. Graft survival tended to be lower (64.7% vs. 76.5% at 15 years) in the cyclosporine continuation group (P = 0.14) when data were analyzed on an intention to treat basis. The graft survival of the patients that stayed on their assigned treatment was significantly higher in the azathioprine arm, starting at two years' post-transplantation. The glomerular filtration rate was significantly higher in the patients who were converted to azathioprine. More allograft biopsies were taken from patients remaining on cyclosporine for suspicion of cyclosporine-related nephrotoxicity and prompted a high rate of late conversions (19%). The relative risk of chronic allograft nephropathy was significantly higher in the group that continued cyclosporine [relative risk, 4.3 (95% CI, 1.4 to 12.9); P = 0.009]. Conversion to azathioprine reduced the need of blood pressure and lipid-lowering drugs. CONCLUSION Conversion to a calcineurin inhibitor-free immunosuppressive regiment three months after renal transplantation improved allograft function, reduced the need of cardiovascular risk factor-controlling medication, and reduced the incidence of chronic allograft nephropathy.
Frequency and Symptoms of Hypoglycaemia Experienced by Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Treated with Insulin

This study ascertained the prevalence of severe hypoglycaemia and loss of awareness of hypoglycaemia in patients with Type 2 diabetes treated with insulin. One hundred and four sequentially selected Type 2 diabetic patients were compared with 104 patients with Type 1 diabetes who were matched for duration of insulin therapy. The patients were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. During treatment with insulin, 18 Type 2 patients had experienced fewer than two episodes of hypoglycaemia, while 86 had experienced two or more episodes; 80 (93%) reported normal awareness, six (7%) reported partial awareness, and none had absent awareness of hypoglycaemia. All 86 Type 1 diabetic patients matched to the 86 Type 2 patients had experienced multiple episodes of hypoglycaemia; 71 (83%) had normal awareness, 14 (16%) had partial awareness and one patient (1%) reported absent awareness of hypoglycaemia. The Type 1 patients who had altered awareness of hypoglycaemia had longer duration of diabetes and insulin therapy (normal awareness: 5 (1–17) years (median (range)) vs partial awareness: 9 (3–18) years, p < 0.01). Similarly, Type 2 patients with altered awareness had longer duration of diabetes (normal awareness: 11 (2–25) years vs partial awareness: 19 (8–24) years, p < 0.02) and had received insulin for longer (normal awareness: 3 (1–18) years vs partial awareness: 12 (6–17) years, p < 0.001). Severe hypoglycaemia in the preceding year had occurred with a similar prevalence in the Type 2 patients (9 (10%)) and Type 1 patients (14 (16%)), but was more frequent in those patients with partial awareness both in Type 1 patients (normal awareness: 3 (4%) vs partial awareness: 11 (73%), p < 0.001) and in Type 2 patients (normal awareness: 3 (4%) vs partial awareness: 6 (100%), p < 0.001). Although the symptoms of hypoglycaemia were idiosyncratic in individual Type 2 patients, the range and prevalence of specific symptoms were similar to those described by the patients with Type 1 diabetes.
The influence of management characteristics on the technical efficiency of wheat farmers in eastern England

Technical efficiency of wheat farms in eastern England is measured through the estimation of a stochastic frontier production function using panel data for the 1993-1997 crop years. Variations in the technical efficiency index across production units are explained through a number of managerial and farm characteristic variables following Battese and Coelli (1995) [Empirical Econ. 20, 325-332] and incorporating the spirit ofRougoor eta! (1998) [Agric. Econ. 18, 261-272]. The technical efficiency index across production units ranges from 62 to 98%. The objectives of maximising annual profits and maintaining the environment are positively correlated with, and have the largest influence on, technical efficiency. Moreover, those farmers who seek information, have more years of managerial experience, and have a large farm are also associated with higher levels of technical efficiency. Future studies that seek to explain variation in technical efficiency should include further aspects of the managerial decision-making process. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Relationships of Measured and Genetically Determined Height With the Cardiac Conduction System in Healthy Adults

Background— Increasing height is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that height-related differences in electric conduction could be potential mediators of this relationship. Methods and Results— We enrolled 2149 adults aged 25 to 41 years from the general population. Height was directly measured, and a resting 12-lead ECG obtained under standardized conditions. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between measured height and ECG parameters. Mendelian randomization analyses were then performed using 655 independent height-associated genetic variants previously identified in the GIANT consortium. Median age was 37 years, and median height was 1.71 m. Median PR interval, QRS duration, and QTc interval were 156, 88, and 402 ms, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, &bgr;-coefficients (95% confidence intervals) per 10 cm increase in measured height were 4.17 (2.65–5.69; P<0.0001) for PR interval and 2.06 (1.54–2.58; P<0.0001) for QRS duration. Height was not associated with QTc interval or the Sokolow–Lyon index. An increase of 10 cm in genetically determined height was associated with increases of 4.33 ms (0.76–7.96; P=0.02) in PR interval and 2.57 ms (1.33–3.83; P<0.0001) in QRS duration but was not related to QTc interval or Sokolow–Lyon index. Conclusions— In this large population-based study, we found significant associations of measured and genetically determined height with PR interval and QRS duration. Our findings suggest that adult height is a marker of altered cardiac conduction and that these relationships may be causal.
A Holistic Categorization Framework for Literature on Engineering Change Management

Engineering changes are inevitable and might propagate within and across multiple boundaries. Their management has increasingly become relevant within the interdisciplinary field of systems engineering. A few literature categorization frameworks arising from literature reviews have been proposed to structure the research field of engineering change management. However, the literature reviews are limited in scope, and the existing categorization frameworks do not provide sufficient coverage of the research field in its broader context. This paper addresses both shortcomings. First, a new, holistic and process‐oriented literature categorization framework is proposed. Second, this proposed framework is used to categorize a comprehensive list of 427 publications in engineering change management. This categorization highlights not only research areas which have gained much attention, but also those where little research has been done. Third, a citation analysis is conducted which reveals the links between the publications and indicates the most cited publications. The result of this paper will help researchers and managers to (1) navigate through the state of the art in engineering change management, (2) position their work in the overall picture of engineering change management, (3) focus on the identified research gaps and weak points, and (4) search for further research and improvement opportunities. ©2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 16
Characterization of cardiopulmonary function and cardiac muscarinic and adrenergic receptor density adaptation in C57BL/6 mice with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection

Circulating antibodies in chagasic patients interact with myocardial β adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors, triggering intracellular signals that alter cardiac function along the course of the disease. However, until now, experimental data in models of chronically infected chagasic mice linking the effects on myocardial β adrenergic and muscarinic receptors to cardiopulmonary dysfunction is lacking. Thus, we studied C57BL/6 mice 8 months after intraperitoneal injection of 100 trypomastigote forms of the Colombian strain of T. cruzi. Uninfected mice, matched in age, were used as controls. Histopathological analyses (inflammation and fibrosis) and radio-ligand binding assays for estimation of muscarinic and adrenergic receptor density were performed in myocardium tissue samples. When compared to controls, infected mice had electrical conduction disturbances, diastolic dysfunction, lower O2 consumption and anaerobic threshold. In addition, hearts of chronic chagasic mice had intense inflammation and fibrosis, and decreased β adrenergic and increased muscarinic receptor densities than normal controls. Our data suggest that chronic T. cruzi infection causes alterations in cardiac receptor density and fibrosis deposition which can be associated with cardiac conduction abnormalities, diastolic dysfunction and lower exercise capacity, associating for the first time all these functional and histopathological alterations in chagasic mice.
Developmental protective and risk factors in borderline personality disorder: A study using the Adult Attachment Interview

Mental representations and attachment in a sample of adults with Borderline Personality Disorder were assessed using the George, Kaplan and Main (1985) Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Eighty subjects participated in the study: 40 nonclinical and 40 with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The results obtained showed a specific distribution of attachment patterns in the clinical sample: free/autonomous subjects (F) represented only 7%, dismissing classifications (Ds) reached about 20%, entangled/preoccupied (E) 23% and unresolved with traumatic experiences (U) 50%. The two samples differed in their attachment patterns distribution by two (secure vs. insecure status), three (F, Ds and E) and four-way (F, Ds, E and U) categories comparisons. In order to identify more specific protective or risk factors of BPD, 25 one-way ANOVAs with clinical status as variable (clinical vs. nonclinical) were conducted on each scale of the coding system of the interview. Results support the hypothesis that some developmental relational experiences seem to constitute pivotal risk factors underlying this disorder. Results demonstrated potential benefits in using AAI scales in addition to the traditional categories. Implications for research and treatment are discussed.
Stratified k-means clustering over a deep web data source

This paper focuses on the problem of clustering data from a {\em hidden} or a deep web data source. A key characteristic of deep web data sources is that data can only be accessed through the limited query interface they support. Because the underlying data set cannot be accessed directly, data mining must be performed based on sampling of the datasets. The samples, in turn, can only be obtained by querying the deep web databases with specific inputs. We have developed a new stratified clustering method addressing this problem for a deep web data source. Specifically, we have developed a stratified k-means clustering method. In our approach, the space of input attributes of a deep web data source is stratified for capturing the relationship between the input and the output attributes. The space of output attributes of a deep web data source is partitioned into sub-spaces. Three representative sampling methods are developed in this paper, with the goal of achieving a good estimation of the statistics, including proportions and centers, within the sub-spaces of the output attributes. We have evaluated our methods using two synthetic and two real datasets. Our comparison shows significant gains in estimation accuracy from both the novel aspects of our work, i.e., the use of stratification(5%-55%), and our and representative sampling methods(up to 54%).
Discovering regulatory elements in non-coding sequences by analysis of spaced dyads.

The application of microarray and related technologies is currently generating a systematic catalog of the transcriptional response of any single gene to a multiplicity of experimental conditions. Clustering genes according to the similarity of their transcriptional response provides a direct hint to the regulons of the different transcription factors, many of which have still not been characterized. We have developed a new method for deciphering the mechanism underlying the common transcriptional response of a set of genes, i.e. discovering cis -acting regulatory elements from a set of unaligned upstream sequences. This method, called dyad analysis, is based on the observation that many regulatory sites consist of a pair of highly conserved trinucleotides, spaced by a non-conserved region of fixed width. The approach is to count the number of occurrences of each possible spaced pair of trinucleotides, and to assess its statistical significance. The method is highly efficient in the detection of sites bound by C(6)Zn(2)binuclear cluster proteins, as well as other transcription factors. In addition, we show that the dyad and single-word analyses are efficient for the detection of regulatory patterns in gene clusters from DNA chip experiments. In combination, these programs should provide a fast and efficient way to discover new regulatory sites for as yet unknown transcription factors.
Visual navigation in starfish: first evidence for the use of vision and eyes in starfish

Most known starfish species possess a compound eye at the tip of each arm, which, except for the lack of true optics, resembles an arthropod compound eye. Although these compound eyes have been known for about two centuries, no visually guided behaviour has ever been directly associated with their presence. There are indications that they are involved in negative phototaxis but this may also be governed by extraocular photoreceptors. Here, we show that the eyes of the coral-reef-associated starfish Linckia laevigata are slow and colour blind. The eyes are capable of true image formation although with low spatial resolution. Further, our behavioural experiments reveal that only specimens with intact eyes can navigate back to their reef habitat when displaced, demonstrating that this is a visually guided behaviour. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a function of starfish compound eyes. We also show that the spectral sensitivity optimizes the contrast between the reef and the open ocean. Our results provide an example of an eye supporting only low-resolution vision, which is believed to be an essential stage in eye evolution, preceding the high-resolution vision required for detecting prey, predators and conspecifics.