Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prospective study of plasma fatty acids and risk of prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND Although some evidence suggests that dietary fat intake is related to prostate cancer, epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent. PURPOSE Our purpose was to assess the association between plasma lipid levels, particularly linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, and the development of prostate cancer. METHODS In 1982, at the start of the Physicians' Health Study, 14916 U.S. male physicians provided plasma samples, which were frozen at -82 degrees C. Data accumulated from a series of questionnaires were used to assess the intake of various foods. We used a nested case-control design to compare the fatty acid compositions in plasma from 120 men who later developed prostate cancer with 120 matched controls who did not. Individual fatty acids were measured in plasma as a percentage of total fatty acids, using capillary gas chromatography. Conditional logistic regression models were used to obtain odds ratio estimates while adjusting simultaneously for the effects of one or more potential confounders. RESULTS The relative risks (RRs) of prostate cancer for men in successively higher quartiles of plasma alpha-linolenic acid level were 3.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-7.3), 3.4 (95% CI = 1.6-7.5), and 2.1 (95% CI = 0.9-4.9), compared with those with levels below the detection threshold (P trend = .03). For linoleic acid, RRs in successively higher quartiles were 0.7 (95% CI = 0.4-1.5), 0.8 (95% CI = 0.4-1.6), and 0.6 (95% CI = 0.3-1.3), with the lowest quartile as referent (P trend = .24). The effect estimates were not notably altered by adjustment for exercise, body mass, meat and dairy consumption, or other fatty acid levels in the plasma. The RR for eating red meat at least five times per week compared with less than once a week was 2.5 (95% CI = 0.9-6.7) and was little changed by adjustment for alpha-linolenic acid, although alpha-linolenic acid levels were correlated with intake of red meat and butter. The association of alpha-linolenic acid levels with prostate cancer was greater among men with low linoleic acid and reduced meat intake. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that low plasma levels of alpha-linolenic acid might be associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer, independently of high meat intake. High linoleic acid and low marine fatty oils were not associated with increased risk, as previously hypothesized. IMPLICATIONS The effects of dietary alpha-linolenic acid, particularly from vegetable sources, warrant further study. The effects of dietary linoleic acid and marine fatty acids seen in animal bioassays might not apply to human prostate cancer.
Profiling Taiwanese Ecotourists Using a Self-definition Approach

Numerous studies have profiled ecotourists but these have been done mainly in the context of North American ecotourists. This study provides one of the few examinations of the rapidly developing Asian ecotourism market in the context of domestic visitation to Taiwan's Taroko National Park. The study uses an innovative self-defined approach to defining an ecotourist. Findings include demographic results, benefits sought, travel motivation, and activities. Comparisons between Taiwanese and North American ecotourists are also made.
The emergence of H7N9 viruses: a chance to redefine correlates of protection for influenza virus vaccines

Author for correspondence: Influenza Centre, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway and Jebsen Centre for Influenza Vaccine Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway and Department of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway Rebecca.Cox@gades.uib. no “Vaccines that exhibit low immunogenicity in terms of HI antibodies might induce other types of immunity that can offer protection such as antibodies to other regions of the HA. ”
Use of the King LTS-D During Medication-Assisted Airway Management

Objective. This case series evaluated provider use of the King LTS-D as a primary airway in patients requiring rapid-sequence intubation (RSI). Methods. Twenty-seven paramedics completed a one-hour training session on the use of the device. All patients meeting the service's standard criteria for medication-assisted airway management were included in the study. Following each insertion, paramedics contacted a research hotline to complete data collection. The primary endpoint was successful insertion, with secondary endpoints including time from succinylcholine administration to successful ventilation, pre- and post-insertion vital signs (oxygen saturation [SaO2], pulse rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure), and end-tidal carbon dioxide [ETCO2] value 2 minutes after insertion. Analysis between pre- and postinsertion variables was completed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results. A total of 11 patients met the enrollment criteria and were treated with the device by nine of the 27 paramedics enrolled in the study. All 11 insertions (100%) were successful, with 10 of the 11 (91%) successes achieved on the first insertion attempt. No significant difference existed between pre- and post-insertion pulse rate or blood pressure measures. A significant difference in SaO2 values was present (p = 0.007). Median ETCO2 for the study sample was 40 mmHg (interquartile range [IQR] = 33–46 mmHg). Seventy-three percent (8/11) of patients had a time interval of succinylcholine administration to first ventilation of 1 minute or less (range = 1–3 minutes). One case of aspiration was noted on hospital chart review. Conclusion. In this case series, paramedics were able to successfully place and use the King LTS-D in patients meeting our emergency medical services (EMS) system indications for RSI.
Performance Heterogeneity in Latin America: An Investigation into the Transient Effects of Country of Origin

ABSTRACT The heterogeneity of firm performance has been studied from the perspective of factors, including the firm effect, the industry effect, and the country effect. This study emphasizes the importance of country transient effects in light of the volatility present in Latin American countries. Variance decomposition was carried out for the economic and operational performance of five countries in the period from 1998 to 2007. The results show that country effects matter for Latin America, its transient effects increase in periods of higher turbulence, and have a greater effect on a firms' economic performance than on its operational performance.
Open Government: Origin, Development, and Conceptual Perspectives

The term “open government” is frequently used in practice and science. Since President Obama’s Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies in March 2009, open government has attracted an enormous amount of public attention. It is applied by authors from diverse areas, leading to a very heterogeneous comprehension of the concept. Against this background, this article screens the current open government literature to deduce an integrative definition of open government. Furthermore, this article analyzes the empirical and conceptual literature of open government to deduce an open government framework. In general, this article provides a clear understanding of the open government concept.
Cholinergic innervation in adult rat cerebral cortex: A quantitative immunocytochemical description

A method for determining the length of acetylcholine (ACh) axons and number of ACh axon varicosities (terminals) in brain sections immunostained for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was used to estimate the areal and laminar densities of this innervation in the frontal (motor), parietal (somatosensory), and occipital (visual) cortex of adult rat. The number of ACh varicosities per length of axon (4 per 10 μm) appeared constant in the different layers and areas. The mean density of ACh axons was the highest in the frontal cortex (13.0 m/mm3 vs. 9.9 and 11.0 m/mm3 in the somatosensory and visual cortex, respectively), as was the mean density of ACh varicosities (5.4 × 106/mm3 vs. 3.8 and 4.6 × 106/mm3). In all three areas, layer I displayed the highest laminar densities of ACh axons and varicosities (e.g., 13.5 m/mm3 and 5.4 × 106/mm3 in frontal cortex). The lowest were those of layer IV in the parietal cortex (7.3 m/mm3 and 2.9 × 106/mm3). The lengths of ACh axons under a 1 mm2 surface of cortex were 26.7, 19.7, and 15.3 m in the frontal, parietal, and occipital areas, respectively, for corresponding numbers of 11.1, 7.7, and 6.4 × 106 ACh varicosities. In the parietal cortex, this meant a total of 1.2 × 106 synaptic ACh varicosities under a 1 mm2 surface, 48% of which in layer V alone, according to previous electron microscopic estimates of synaptic incidence. In keeping with the notion that the synaptic component of ACh transmission in cerebral cortex is preponderant in layer V, these quantitative data suggest a role for this innervation in the processing of cortical output as well as input. Extrapolation of particular features of this system in terms of total axon length and number of varicosities in whole cortex, length of axons and number of varicosities per cortically projecting neuron, and concentration of ACh per axon varicosity, should also help in arriving at a better definition of its roles and functional properties in cerebral cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 428:305–318, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Amphotericin B potentiates the activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and causes nitric oxide‐dependent mitochondrial dysfunction in cytokine‐treated rodent astrocytes

Because the neurotoxic effects of the antifungal drug amphotericin B (AMB) closely resemble those ascribed to the highly reactive gaseous free radical nitric oxide (NO), we investigated the effect of AMB on NO production in rodent astrocytes. AMB caused a dose‐dependent increase of NO generation in interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ)‐stimulated rat and mouse astrocytes, as well as in IFN‐γ + tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α)‐activated rat astrocytoma cell line C6. Treatment of rat astrocytes with AMB markedly potentiated IFN‐γ‐triggered expression of mRNA for iNOS, but not for its transcription factor IRF‐1. The activation of transcription factor NF‐κB was apparently required for AMB‐induced iNOS mRNA expression, as the latter was abolished by NF‐κB inhibitors: pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and MG132. AMB‐mediated enhancement of astrocyte NO production was partly dependent on endogenous IL‐1, as shown by partial inhibition of AMB effect with IL‐1 receptor antagonist. IFN‐γ + AMB treatment led to reduction of astrocyte mitochondrial respiration (measured by MTT assay) that has been completely reverted by selective iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine. AMB toxicity toward IFN‐γ‐stimulated astrocytes was dependent on both AMB and NO action, since AMB and NO‐releasing substance SNP synergized in inducing astrocyte mitochondrial dysfunction. These results suggest that the enhancement of cytokine‐induced iNOS activation in astrocytes and the subsequent release of high amounts of NO might be at least partly responsible for AMB neurotoxicity. GLIA 35:180–188, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ampli fi cation of Long Noncoding RNA ZFAS 1 Promotes Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Despite progress in the diagnostics and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its prognosis remains poor. In this study, we globally assessed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) for contributions to HCC using publicly available microarray data, in vitro and in vivo assays. Here, we report that ZFAS1, encoding a lncRNA that is frequently amplified in HCC, is associated with intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis and poor prognosis of HCC. ZFAS1 functions as an oncogene in HCC progression by binding miR-150 and abrogating its tumor-suppressive function in this setting. miR-150 repressedHCC cell invasion by inhibiting ZEB1 and the matrix metalloproteinases MMP14 and MMP16. Conversely, ZFAS1 activated ZEB1, MMP14, and MMP16 expression, inhibiting these effects of miR-150. Our results establish a function for ZFAS1 in metastatic progression and suggest its candidacy as a new prognostic biomarker and target for clinical management of HCC. Cancer Res; 75(15); 3181–91. 2015 AACR.
Oil Price Shocks and the U.S. Economy: Where Does the Asymmetry Originate?

Rising oil prices appear to retard aggregate U.S. economic activity by more than falling oil prices stimulate it. Past research suggests adjustment costs, financial stress, and/or monetary policy may be possible explanations for the asymmetric response. This paper uses a near vector autoregressive model of the U. S. economy to examine where the asymmetry might originate. The analysis uses counterfactual experiments to determine that monetary policy alone cannot account for the asymmetry.
Discrimination and the Political Economy of Environmental Inequality

Over the last decade there has been a surge in academic and scientific inquiry into disparities in environmental hazards among diverse communities. Much of the evidence points to a general pattern of disproportionate exposures to toxics among communities of color and the poor, with racial differences often persisting across economic strata. Although results have implications for the politics of environmental decisionmaking, most of these analyses are limited to illustrating how inequities in exposures and health risks are spread across the landscape, while shedding little light on their origins or the reasons for their persistence. Previous attempts to theorize the causes of environmental inequality have focused on procedural justice in the regulatory arena, emphasizing civil rights jurisprudence and social theories on individual and institutional discrimination. Although these approaches offer insights into the epistemology of environmental inequality, they fail adequately to account for the political economy of discrimination relating to industrial location behavior and racialized labor markets. By integrating relevant social and legal theories with a spatialized economic critique, this paper formulates a more supple theory of environmental discrimination. How the political economy of place shapes distributions of people and pollution and ultimately gives rise to environmental inequality are revealed by exploring the following factors: historical patterns of industrial development and racialized labor markets; suburbanization and segregation; and economic restructuring. This multidisciplinary approach to theorizing the dynamic of environmental discrimination provides a new framework for future policymaking and community organizing to address environmental and economic justice. Implications of this broader framework for policy and politics are discussed in the conclusion.
Vision assisted robotic tele-training

This paper presents a self-calibrated vision system for human-guided robot task-learning. The system assists robot operators in training industrial robots quickly, safely, and accurately. The system can be used in various industrial environments and requires no predetermined model of the working space. The system self-calibrates to compute the initial sensor locations and orientations. Next, the user demonstrates the tool path that is to be followed by the robot arm using a 6 DOF training medium. Finally, the system optimizes the sensor locations so that, at those locations, the sensors can provide to the operator the sufficient images for the operator to observe and perform further remote training of the robot as required.
Rare event simulation for probabilistic models of T-cell activation

One of the central questions in immunobiology is: How does the immune system reliably distinguish between antigens of our own body and foreign antigens? This ability is critical for our survival. One of the major cell types involved in these decisions are the so called T-cells, which are specialized white blood cells with a detection mechanism that is not fully explained until now. There is not a one to one specificity between T-cells and antigens. T-cells have to be cross-reactive, that is they have to be able to be activated by several antigens. The usual mathematical models in immunobiology are deterministic ones and therefore not applicable to the given problem. We need probabilistic approaches in order to describe the problem properly, because of the huge amount of possible receptor-antigen-combinations and the fact that a given T-cell is not confronted with individual antigens but has to make its decision when being in contact with so called antigen presenting cells (APC) which present a huge amount of antigens on their surface. This thesis deals with the probabilistic modeling and efficient simulation of models which describe the mechanism of T-cell activation and foreign-self discrimination. Because of the complexity of the topic, the first part of the thesis forms a review of the recent experimental findings with regard to T-cell immunology. Afterwards we introduce the already existing first probabilistic model of T-cell activation developed by van den Berg, Rand and Burroughs (BRB). The second part of this thesis is concerned with the simulation and analysis of this model. As T-cell activation is a rare event, that is the probability of T-cell activation is very low, we cannot analyze the model with the usual simple sampling strategies, but rely on the so-called importance sampling approach. With the help of large deviation theory we are able to construct an efficient simulation algorithm, which uses special alternative distributions for sampling for which we can proof asymptotic efficiency. In our analysis of the BRB model we are able to show that it can explain foreign-self discrimination and explain how this comes about in the model. We are also able to show where the defects of the model are, especially with regard to the biological relevance. Consequently, in the third part of this thesis we develop a new model of T-cell activation. One major improvement in this model is, that we are able to integrate negative selection which is a process during T-cell maturation where T-cells that are to self-reactive are induced to die. Again, we have to adapt and develop new simulation algorithms for the analysis of this model. We are then able to show that our new model is able to explain foreign-self discrimination with parameters that are biologically much more plausible than in the BRB model.
Tsunami Impacts on Phuket's Diving Industry: Geographical Implications for Marine Conservation

This article examines the impacts of the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on the scuba diving industry in Phuket, Thailand. Interviews were carried out to determine tsunami effects on dive tour companies, and post-dive questionnaires were distributed to ascertain recreational diver perceptions of tsunami effects on dive sites. Of the 65 companies in December, 2004, 42 were fully operational in April 2005. During the post-tsunami high season, 35 companies lost an average of 63.6 ± 40.5% days of diving, compared to an average season, amounting to a total of 4631 diving days. During this time, the diving industry was instrumental in post-tsunami rescue, relief, and restoration efforts. Despite high expectations for damage, tsunami effects on dive sites were not noticed by most recreational divers. Using a geographical perspective, this study highlights how tsunami effects on the diving industry have several implications for marine conservation in Thailand.
Interleukin-4 and Interferon-Gamma Production during HIV-1 Infection and Changes Induced by Antiretroviral Therapy

Several lines of evidence indicate that a switch of the cytokine pattern from a predominant type 1 (antiviral and cell mediated response) to type 2 (polyclonal humoral immune response) occurs during the course of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) infection, and represents a key event in the progression of immunodeficiency and dysregulated immune activation. We proposed to further investigate this immunological aspect of HIV-1 disease, in naive and in patients treated with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). The prototypic cytokines chosen were Interleukin (IL)-4 and Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), whose in vitro production was determined in mononuclear cell cultures stimulated with different T lymphocyte mitogenic agents (anti-CD3, Phytohaemoagglutin-P -PHA-, E. coli B04/035 Lipopolysaccharide -LPS-). We classified all the patients on the basis of the number of CD4+ lymphocytes and we found a progressive, even if not significant decrease in the baseline production of IFN-γ with the progression of the immunodeficiency. The mean value of baseline IFN-γ in the group of patients with CD4+>500 cells/μL was 7.79+3.1 pg/mL while in the group with CD4+<200 cells/μL it was 4.66±2.22. We didn't find significant differences in the baseline production of IL-4 in these groups and in IFN-γ and IL-4 production in LPS-stimulated cultures. We also re-assessed 12 patients after one year's follow-up. They presented a significant increase in IFN-γ production compared to the first assessment in the LPS-stimulated cultures (baseline IFN-γ 2.87+1.17 pg/mL, after 12 months 19.15±5.19 pg/mL; p= 0.03). In the 12 patients in follow-up IL-4 production showed a decreased in PHA-stimulated cultures with mean values of 16.65±14.32 pg/mL at baseline and 6.54±6.54 pg/mL after follow-up. These results highlight the immunorestoring effects of HAART. IL-4 production was lower in the treated subjects compared to the naive ones in PHA-stimulated cultures (mean values: IL-4=13.42 ±11.08 pg/mL in the naive patients and 9.75 ±65 pg/mL in the treated patients). The IFN-γ values in anti-CD3 stimulated cultures were also higher in the treated patients, but this increase was not significant.
Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Genome ( strain D 3 ) and Comparative Analysis with Other 1 Uropathogenic and Nonpathogenic Strains 2 3 Brian

30 Background 31 Bacterial urinary tract infections are extremely prevalent, with half of women having at least one 32 infection at some point in their lives. Most often the causative pathogen is the common gut microbe 33 Escherichia coli. One such E. coli, strain D3, caused a bladder infection in a male adult, and was resistant 34 to multiple antibiotics. We sequenced and assembled the genome of D3, and present it along with a 35 comparative analysis against other pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. Coli strains. 36 Results 37 By comparing the predicted proteins of D3 with those from 5 uropathogenic and 7 nonpathogenic E. Coli 38 strains, we generated a list of 38 genes present in most (4-5) pathogenic strains, but absent in all 39 nonpathogenic strains. Among these were 9 proteins of the Pap fimbrial operon, which has previously 40 been associated with cell adherence and the formation of biofilms. Lastly, we analyzed the list of 41 predicted genes uniquely present in D3 compared to all other strains, and identified multiple 42 transposable elements. 43 Conclusions 44 The presence of fimbria in most pathogenic E. coli strains, and their absence in nonpathogenic ones, 45 suggests that they play a role in pathogenicity, a notion supported by previous work. We also found that 46 D3-specific genes are strongly enriched with transposases, recombinases, and integrase, suggesting that 47 these mobile elements have been inserted or expanded in D3, relative to other strains in the study. 48