Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma antioxidant status after high-dose chemotherapy: a randomized trial of parenteral nutrition in bone marrow transplantation patients.

BACKGROUND Chemotherapy and radiation therapy result in increased free radical formation and depletion of tissue antioxidants. It is not known whether parenteral nutrition (PN) administered during bone marrow transplantation (BMT) supports systemic antioxidant status. OBJECTIVE The aims of the study were to determine 1) whether high-dose chemotherapy decreases concentrations of major circulating antioxidants in patients undergoing BMT and 2) whether administration of standard PN maintains systemic antioxidant concentrations compared with PN containing micronutrients and minimal lipids alone. DESIGN Twenty-four BMT patients were randomly assigned to receive either standard PN containing conventional amounts of dextrose, amino acids, micronutrients, and lipid (120 kJ/d) or a solution containing only micronutrients (identical to those in standard PN) and a small amount of lipid (12 kJ/d). Plasma antioxidant status was measured before conditioning therapy and serially at days 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 after BMT. RESULTS Plasma glutathione (GSH) and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol concentrations decreased and the GSH redox state became more oxidized after conditioning chemotherapy. Plasma cysteine concentrations were unchanged, whereas cystine concentrations increased. Plasma vitamin C and zinc concentrations and GSH peroxidase activity increased over time. Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations were lower in patients given standard PN. There were no differences in other plasma antioxidants between groups. CONCLUSIONS A significant decline in GSH-glutathione disulfide, cysteine-cystine, and vitamin E status occurs after chemotherapy and BMT. Standard PN does not improve antioxidant status compared with administration of micronutrients alone. Further evaluation of PN formulations to support patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and BMT are needed.
Total heat loss as a predictor of physiological response in wildland firefighter gear

In most types of protective clothing heat strain is an important issue. The wildland firefighter clothing system in the USA has seen no major revision over the last decades. In this project the wildland firefighter clothing system was studied at the material and the systems level. On the sweating guarded hot plate and the sweating thermal manikin effects of different base layers (cotton and modacrylic) and meta-aramid outer layers of different fabric weights were evaluated. Then, a human subject trial was performed on a limited set of clothing systems to validate the results from materials and manikin testing. The clothing systems were composed of relevant materials for wildland firefighters with extra configurations added to explore the effects of the highest and lowest levels of protection. All measurement techniques were reverted to a calculation of the total heat loss (THL), as predicted from the hot plate and the manikin and compared to the calculated heat loss from the human subjects. The prediction of the heat strain, based on the sweating guarded hot plate only, gives a large overestimation of the actual heat loss in humans. The currently used standard in the USA that utilizes THL values has no link to actual human heat loss. The manikin showed much better comparison to the human data in absolute terms, but in general underestimated heat loss and showed worse overall correlation to the human heat loss data than the hot plate values.
Perianesthetic Management of Patients With Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone–Secreting Pituitary Adenomas

Background: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)–secreting pituitary adenomas are a rare cause of secondary hyperthyroidism. Anesthetic management of these patients has not been formally described in the literature. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent resection of a TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma during 1987 to 2012 at a single institution were identified. Preoperative thyroid hormone state, anesthetic management, and outcome were recorded. Hemodynamic associations with intraoperative events were compared between those who were hyperthyroid and euthyroid at the time of surgery. Results: Of 2268 patients having transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary tumor, 19 (0.84%) had resection of a TSH-secreting adenoma. At the time of surgery, 6 (32%) were hyperthyroid, 11 (58%) were euthyroid, and 2 (10%) were hypothyroid based on serum thyroxine concentration. General anesthesia was maintained with a potent inhaled anesthetic in all patients, and included nitrous oxide in 18 of 19 (95%). Seventeen (90%) had an arterial catheter placed for surgery. Only 1 patient (5%) required an intraoperative blood transfusion. There were no significant differences in heart rate or blood pressure at induction of anesthesia, upon intranasal injection of local anesthetic containing epinephrine, or upon emergence from anesthesia, between patients who were chemically hyperthyroid or euthyroid. Twelve of 19 (63%) had tumor extension beyond the sella turcica. Common complications were nausea and vomiting (42%), diabetes insipidus (32%), and temporary or permanent hypopituitarism (42%). Conclusions: Patients having resection of TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas can present in any thyroid state. An awareness of risks and potential complications in patients with TSH-secreting adenomas can help tailor perioperative care.
Chasing as a model of psychogenic stress: characterization of physiological and behavioral responses

Abstract Being chased by a predator or a dominant conspecific can induce significant stress. However, only a limited number of laboratory studies have employed chasing by itself as a stressor. In this study, we developed a novel stress paradigm in which rats were chased by a fast-moving object in an inescapable maze. In Experiment 1, defensive behaviors and stress hormone changes induced by chasing stress were measured. During the chasing stress, the chasing-stress group (n = 9) froze and emitted 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), but the no-chasing control group (n = 10) did not. Plasma corticosterone levels significantly increased following the chasing and were comparable to those of the restraint-stress group (n = 6). In Experiment 2, the long-lasting memory of the chasing event was tested after three weeks. The chasing-stress group (n = 15) showed higher levels of freezing and USV than the no-chasing group (n = 14) when they were presented with the tone associated with the object’s chasing action. Subsequently, the rats were subjected to Pavlovian threat conditioning with a tone as a conditioned stimulus and footshock as an unconditioned stimulus. The chasing-stress group showed higher levels of freezing and USV during the conditioning session than the no-chasing group, indicating sensitized defensive reactions in a different threat situation. Taken together, the current results suggest that chasing stress can induce long-lasting memory and sensitization of defensive responses to a new aversive event as well as immediate, significant stress responses.
Evaluating Energy and Performance for Server-Class Hardware Configurations

The improvement for energy efficiency has been increasingly becoming a major consideration in server and data center design, especially for the power-hungry ones. Numerous studies have provided various new methods or proposals for the building of "green" server and data center, but this paper concentrates on how different configuration schemes in a server effect practical performance and power consumption for specific applications. It is completely necessary to obtain thin provisioning for the particular applications to meet performance requirements with minimal energy consumption. This paper evaluates the different hardware configurations' impact on energy consumption and performance for typical applications, hoping for offering evidences or clues to subsequent researches. The File Bench is used to generate four sever workloads and ZH-101 is employed to collect relevant real-time power consumptions. Our result shows that different workloads need different hardware configurations at the demands of both energy-efficiency and performance. And running multiple workloads on a reduced hardware configuration is a wise choice.
The prevalence of caries and tooth loss among participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

BACKGROUND The Hispanic and Latino population is projected to increase from 16.7 percent to 30.0 percent by 2050. Previous U.S. national surveys had minimal representation of Hispanic and Latino participants other than Mexicans, despite evidence suggesting that Hispanic or Latino country of origin and degree of acculturation influence health outcomes in this population. In this article, the authors describe the prevalence and mean number of cavitated, decayed and filled surfaces, missing teeth and edentulism among Hispanics and Latinos of different national origins. METHODS Investigators in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)-a multicenter epidemiologic study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with funds transferred from six other institutes, including the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research-conducted in-person examinations and interviews with more than 16,000 participants aged 18 to 74 years in four U.S. cities between March 2008 and June 2011. The investigators identified missing, filled and decayed teeth according to a modified version of methods used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The authors computed prevalence estimates (weighted percentages), weighted means and standard errors for measures. RESULTS The prevalence of decayed surfaces ranged from 20.2 percent to 35.5 percent, depending on Hispanic or Latino background, whereas the prevalence of decayed and filled surfaces ranged from 82.7 percent to 87.0 percent, indicating substantial amounts of dental treatment. The prevalence of missing teeth ranged from 49.8 percent to 63.8 percent and differed according to Hispanic or Latino background. Significant differences in the mean number of decayed surfaces, decayed or filled surfaces and missing teeth according to Hispanic and Latino background existed within each of the age groups and between women and men. CONCLUSIONS Oral health status differs according to Hispanic or Latino background, even with adjustment for age, sex and other characteristics. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS These data indicate that Hispanics and Latinos in the United States receive restorative dental treatment and that practitioners should consider the association between Hispanic or Latino origin and oral health status. This could mean that dental practices in areas dominated by patients from a single Hispanic or Latino background can anticipate a practice based on a specific pattern of treatment needs.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Blood Pressure Trajectories From Childhood to Young Adulthood: The Georgia Stress and Heart Study

Background— The purposes of this study were to assess the long-term effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on blood pressure (BP) trajectories from childhood to young adulthood and to examine whether this relation is explained by childhood socioeconomic status (SES) or risk behaviors that are associated with ACEs. Methods and Results— Systolic and diastolic BPs were measured up to 16 times (13 times on average) over a 23-year period in 213 African Americans and 181 European Americans 5 to 38 years of age. Retrospective data on traumatic experiences before 18 years of age were collected, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Individual growth curve modeling within a multilevel framework was used to examine the relation between exposure to ACEs and BP development. No main effect of ACEs on average BP levels was found. However, a significant interaction of ACE score with age3 was observed (systolic BP, P=0.033; diastolic BP, P=0.017). Subjects who experienced multiple traumatic events during childhood showed a faster rise in BP levels after 30 years of age than those without ACEs. As expected, a graded association of ACEs with childhood socioeconomic status and negative health behaviors was observed (P<0.001). The ACE–systolic BP relation was not explained by these factors, whereas the ACE–diastolic BP relation was partially mediated by illicit drug use. Conclusion— In this novel longitudinal study, we observed that participants who were exposed to multiple ACEs displayed a greater increase in BP levels in young adulthood compared with their counterparts without ACEs.
Shaping of Signal Transmission at the Photoreceptor Synapse by EAAT2 Glutamate Transporters

Visual Abstract Photoreceptor ribbon synapses tonically release glutamate. To ensure efficient signal transmission and prevent glutamate toxicity, a highly efficient glutamate removal system provided by members of the SLC1 gene family is required. By using a combination of biophysical and in vivo studies, we elucidate the role of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) proteins in synaptic glutamate homeostasis at the zebrafish photoreceptor synapse. The main glutamate sink is provided by the glial EAAT2a, reflected by reduced electroretinographic responses in EAAT2a-depleted larvae. EAAT2b is located on the tips of cone pedicles and contributes little to glutamate reuptake. However, this transporter displays both a large chloride conductance and leak current, being important in stabilizing the cone resting potential. This work demonstrates not only how proteins originating from the same gene family can complement each other’s expression profiles and biophysical properties, but also how presynaptic and glial transporters are coordinated to ensure efficient synaptic transmission at glutamatergic synapses of the central nervous system.
Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Women's Health Study.

BACKGROUND Prospective data relating fruit and vegetable intake to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are sparse, particularly for women. OBJECTIVE In a large, prospective cohort of women, we examined the hypothesis that higher fruit and vegetable intake reduces CVD risk. DESIGN In 1993 we assessed fruit and vegetable intake among 39876 female health professionals with no previous history of CVD or cancer by use of a detailed food-frequency questionnaire. We subsequently followed these women for an average of 5 y for incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft, or death due to CVD. RESULTS During 195647 person-years of follow-up, we documented 418 incident cases of CVD including 126 MIs. After adjustment for age, randomized treatment status, and smoking, we observed a significant inverse association between fruit and vegetable intake and CVD risk. For increasing quintiles of total fruit and vegetable intake (median servings/d: 2. 6, 4.1, 5.5, 7.1, and 10.2), the corresponding relative risks (RRs) were 1.0 (reference), 0.78, 0.72, 0.68, and 0.68 (95% CI comparing the 2 extreme quintiles: 0.51, 0.92; P: for trend = 0.01). An inverse, though not statistically significant, trend remained after additional adjustment for other known CVD risk factors, with RRs of 1.0, 0.75, 0.83, 0.80, and 0.85 (95% CI for extreme quintiles: 0.61, 1.17). After excluding participants with a self-reported history of diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol at baseline, the multivariate-adjusted RR was 0.45 when extreme quintiles were compared (95% CI: 0.22, 0.91; P: for trend = 0.09). Higher fruit and vegetable intake was also associated with a lower risk of MI, with an adjusted RR of 0.62 for extreme quintiles (95% CI: 0.37, 1.04; P: for trend = 0.07). CONCLUSION These data suggest that higher intake of fruit and vegetables may be protective against CVD and support current dietary guidelines to increase fruit and vegetable intake.
Nitrogen balances of adult human subjects fed combinations of wheat, beans, corn, milk, and rice.

acids. As part of a series of investigations of the utilization of protein and amino acids from common foods by healthy young adults, an experiment was conducted in which 7.0 g nitrogen was provided daily from various combinations of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), corn (Zea mays), milk, rice (Oryza sativa), and wheat (Triticum). In preceding experiments (5-7), either 6.0 or 8.0 g nitrogen were administered daily. The 6.0 g intake met minimal requirements of many individuals but rarely of all, whereas 8.0 g exceeded minimal requirements whether cereals were fed alone or in conjunction with animal protein. Because of the amino acid composition of the products being tested in the present experiment, an intermediate intake of 7.0 g seemed more appropriate than 6.0 g.
Protein restriction during pregnancy affects postnatal growth in swine progeny.

Protein deficiency during pregnancy affects fetal development. The critical period, when the fetus is most susceptible to maternal protein deficiency and its effect on neonatal growth, is unknown. Therefore, we studied the effect of a protein-restricted diet during early and late pregnancy and throughout pregnancy on growth of pigs from birth to market weight. Sows were fed a control (13% protein) or protein-restricted (0.5% protein) diet throughout pregnancy or protein-restricted diet from d 1 to 44, then control diet to term or control diet from d 1 to 81, then the protein-restricted diet to term. In Experiment 1, birth weights were measured, and 12 pigs/diet group were weaned at 4 wk and raised to market weight. Feeding the protein-restricted diet throughout pregnancy reduced birth and slaughter weights, whereas the control followed by protein-restricted and protein-restricted followed by control diets reduced only birth weight relative to controls. Indices of carcass lean were reduced in the protein-restricted piglets, with carcass fat not affected. In Experiment 2, control and control-protein-restricted litters were reduced to six piglets and 3/litter cross-fostered to a sow of the other treatment group. After weaning at 4 wk, 4 piglets/group were individually fed to 8 wk. The control and control followed by protein-restricted diet fed piglets had similar weights at birth, but piglets raised by a control-protein-restricted sow tended to weight less at weaning than their littermates raised by a control sow. After weaning, these piglets had greater feed intakes relative to other groups and there were no weight differences by 8 wk. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Anthropometric measures in middle age after exposure to famine during gestation: evidence from the Dutch famine.

BACKGROUND Few studies in humans have related maternal undernutrition to the size of the adult offspring. OBJECTIVE The objective was to assess whether reductions in food intake by pregnant women during the Dutch famine of 1944-1945 were related to offspring length, weight, and indexes of adiposity in middle age. DESIGN We recruited 1) exposed persons born in western Netherlands between January 1945 and March 1946 whose mothers experienced famine during or immediately preceding pregnancy, 2) unexposed persons born in the same 3 institutions during 1943 or 1947 whose mothers did not experience famine during this pregnancy, and 3) unexposed same-sex siblings of persons in series 1 or 2. Anthropometric measurements (n = 427 males and 529 females) were obtained between 2003 and 2005. We defined 4 windows of gestational exposure (by ordinal weeks 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and 31 through delivery) on the basis of exposure to a ration of <900 kcal/d during the whole 10-wk interval. RESULTS Exposure to reduced rations was associated with increased weight and greater indexes of fat deposition at several tissue sites in women but not in men (P for interaction <0.01). Measures of length and linear proportion were not associated with exposure to famine. CONCLUSION Reduced food availability may lead to increased adiposity later in life in female offspring.
Electronic Tongue—A Tool for All Tastes?

Electronic tongue systems are traditionally used to analyse: food products, water samples and taste masking technologies for pharmaceuticals. In principle, their applications are almost limitless, as they are able to almost completely reduce the impact of interferents and can be applied to distinguish samples of extreme complexity as for example broths from different stages of fermentation. Nevertheless, their applications outside the three principal sample types are, in comparison, rather scarce. In this review, we would like to take a closer look on what are real capabilities of electronic tongue systems, what can be achieved using mixed sensor arrays and by introduction of biosensors or molecularly imprinted polymers in the matrix. We will discuss future directions both in the sense of applications as well as system development in the ever-growing trend of low cost analysis.
Computational Models for Perceived Melodic Similarity in A Cappella Flamenco Singing

The present study investigates the mechanisms involved in the perception of melodic similarity in the context of a cappella flamenco singing performances. Flamenco songs belonging to the same style are characterized by a com- mon melodic skeleton, which is subject to spontaneous im- provisation containing strong prolongations and ornamen- tations. For our research we collected human similarity judgements from naand expert listeners who listened to audio recordings of a cappella flamenco performances as well as synthesized versions of the same songs. We further- more calculated distances from manually extracted high- level descriptors defined by flamenco experts. The suitabi- lity of a set of computational melodic similarity measures was evaluated by analyzing the correlation between com- puted similarity and human ratings. We observed signifi- cant differences between listener groups and stimuli types. Furthermore, we observed a high correlation between hu- man ratings and similarities computed from features from flamenco experts. We also observed that computational models based on temporal deviation, dynamics and orna- mentation are better suited to model perceived similarity for this material than models based on chroma distance.
Herman Award Lecture, 1996: relation of metabolic studies to clinical nutrition--the example of burn injury.

The optimal nutritional support of critically ill patients should be based on the metabolic response. Therefore, we performed a series of experiments in patients using stable isotopic tracers designed to elucidate the responses of glucose, fatty acids, and protein metabolism in severely burned patients. Glucose production was elevated above normal as a result of an increase in glucagon concentration. The peripheral hypoglycemic action of insulin was diminished, as was its effectiveness in suppressing endogenous glucose production, but the intracellular capacity to oxidize glucose was not impaired. Lipolysis was stimulated by beta 2-adrenergic stimulation to a much greater extent than was fatty acid oxidation, with the result being an increase in the recycling of fatty acids secreted in very-low-density lipoproteins. Muscle protein catabolism was accelerated in severely burned patients, leading to a progressive loss of lean body mass that was not prevented by nutritional support alone. The ineffectiveness of nutritional support for muscle was due to alterations in amino acid transmembrane transport kinetics that favored efflux. Treatment with exogenous insulin stimulated inward amino acid transport and muscle protein synthesis. Extrapolation from our current knowledge of metabolism to clinical treatment indicates that nonprotein energy should be provided largely in the form of carbohydrate. If hyperglycemia ensues, exogenous insulin will further increase the anabolic response in muscle. Protein requirements can be met with 1.5 g protein.kg-1.d-1. Treatment with anabolic hormones may ultimately be the most effective way in which to optimize the response to nutritional support.