Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coffee consumption and risk of liver cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Mounting evidence indicates that coffee drinking may protect against liver injury and lower the risk of liver cancer. We quantitatively assessed the relation between coffee consumption and the risk of liver cancer in a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. METHODS Relevant studies were identified by searching MEDLINE (from 1966 to February 2007) and the reference lists of retrieved articles. We included cohort and case-control studies that reported relative risk (RR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of primary liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma by quantitative categories of coffee consumption. Study-specific RRs were pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS Four cohort and 5 case-control studies, involving 2260 cases and 239,146 noncases, met the inclusion criteria. All studies observed an inverse relation between coffee consumption and risk of liver cancer, and in 6 studies the association was statistically significant. Overall, an increase in consumption of 2 cups of coffee per day was associated with a 43% reduced risk of liver cancer (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.49-0.67). There was no statistically significant heterogeneity among studies (P = .17). In stratified analysis, the summary RRs of liver cancer for an increase in consumption of 2 cups of coffee per day were 0.69 (95% CI, 0.55-0.87) for persons without a history of liver disease and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.35-0.91) for those with a history of liver disease. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this meta-analysis suggest that an increased consumption of coffee may reduce the risk of liver cancer.
France: Marginal formal changes but noticeable evolutions

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. France: Marginal formal changes but noticeable evolutions Christine Musselin
A randomized trial of visual impairment interventions for nursing home residents: Study design, baseline characteristics and visual loss

Introduction Visual impairment among nursing home residents is higher than in community-dwelling elderly. The provision of eye care services may be beneficial to nursing home patients. Our project, a randomized trial of vision restoration and rehabilitation in nursing home residents, compares usual care to targeted interventions. In this paper, we present the baseline characteristics of our sample within the nursing homes. Methods Twenty-eight nursing homes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore were matched in pairs by size and payment type. Each pair was randomized to usual care or targeted intervention. Habitual and bestcorrected acuity was attempted, using standard letter symbol/charts and grating acuity charts. Visual impairment was vision in the better eye <20/40 on letter and/or grating acuity. The MiniMental State Examination (MMSE) was used to determine cognitive impairment. Results Of those participants eligible to be screened, 40% had severe cognitive impairment (MMSE score 0-9). No measure of acuity could be ascertained on 18% of eligibles. Among the 1305 persons with acuity data, 38% had presenting vision worse than 20/40. After refractive correction, 29% had visual impairment. There was no difference by race or gender in those with visual impairment, although they were older, compared to those without visual loss. Conclusions The nursing home residents had high rates of both cognitive impairment and visual impairment, creating a challenging environment for visual intervention. By improving access to eye care within the context of the clinical trial, and changing either the magnitude of visual loss or the resultant impact on function, we hope to demonstrate a change in the quality of life for nursing home residents.
Increased hematopoiesis in mice soon after infection by Friend murine leukemia virus

Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV), an erythroleukemogenic replication-competent retrovirus, induces leukemia in its host after a long latency. However, the early effects of infection may determine the pathway that eventually leads to malignant transformation. To determine how F-MuLV affects host cell proliferation soon after infection, BALB/c mice were inoculated with virus and then were assayed for susceptibility to appropriately pseudotyped spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) as an indicator of erythropoietic activity. Twelve-week-old mice exposed to F-MuLV for 9 days were more susceptible (by a factor of 30) to superinfection by SFFV than were nonviremic mice. To test whether increased susceptibility was the result of increased hematopoietic activity, hematopoietic progenitors from the spleens of F-MuLV-infected mice were enumerated with a clonal culture assay. Nine days after inoculation with F-MuLV, the numbers of colony-forming progenitors increased by a factor of 4. Morphological analysis of the cultured colonies showed that erythroid, granulocytic, monocytic, and mixed granulocytic-monocytic progenitors all had increased. Thus, F-MuLV more rapidly induced a generalized increase in hematopoiesis than has previously been reported. The splenic hyperplasia induced by F-MuLV soon after infection may explain its ability to accelerate leukemogenesis in mice also infected by the polytropic Friend mink cell focus-forming virus.
Rheumatoid arthritis synovial macrophages express the Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein and are refractory to Fas-mediated apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE The chronic inflammation and progressive joint destruction observed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are mediated in part by macrophages. A paucity of apoptosis has been observed in RA synovial tissues, yet the mechanism remains unknown. The present study sought to characterize the expression of Fas, Fas ligand (FasL), and Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein (FLIP), and to quantify the apoptosis induced by agonistic anti-Fas antibody, using mononuclear cells (MNC) isolated from the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of RA patients. METHODS The expression of Fas, FasL, and FLIP and apoptosis induced by agonistic anti-Fas antibody in MNC from the PB and SF of RA patients were determined by flow cytometry. Immunohistochemistry employing a monospecific anti-FLIP antibody was performed on RA and osteoarthritis (OA) synovial tissue. RESULTS CD14-positive monocyte/macrophages from normal and RA PB and from RA SF expressed equivalent levels of Fas and FasL. Furthermore, unlike the CD14-positive PB monocytes, RA SF monocyte/macrophages were resistant to the addition of agonistic anti-Fas antibody. In contrast, both CD14-positive PB and SF monocyte/macrophages were sensitive to apoptosis mediated by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. Intracellular staining of the caspase 8 inhibitor, FLIP, in CD14-positive SF monocyte/macrophages revealed a significant up-regulation of FLIP compared with normal and RA PB monocytes. Immunohistochemical analysis of synovial tissue from RA and OA patients revealed increased FLIP expression in the RA synovial lining compared with the OA synovial lining. Furthermore, FLIP expression was observed in the CD68positive population in the RA synovial lining. Forced reduction of FLIP by a chemical inhibitor resulted in RA SF macrophage apoptosis that was enhanced by agonistic anti-Fas antibody, indicating that FLIP is necessary for SF macrophage survival. CONCLUSION These data suggest that up-regulation of FLIP in RA macrophages may account for their persistence in the disease. Thus, the targeted suppression of FLIP may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the amelioration of RA.
A new approach to road building

According to a Website sponsored by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), "Context Sensitive Design (CSD): Thinking Beyond the Pavement," CSD is a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach involving all stakeholders in developing transportation projects that fit into their physical settings, preserving scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources while maintaining safety and mobility. The CSD approach considers the total context for transportation improvement projects. This article explores the topic of whether CSD can successfully alter the way people think about transportation projects.
Performance Evaluation of Image Retrieval Using VQ for Compressed and Uncompressed Images

To reduce the storage and transmission requirements in image applications, images are compressed while maintaining acceptable visual quality. In this paper, image retrieval using Vector Quantization (VQ) is explored. The VQ technique is tested on uncompressed images (UCID) as well as compressed images (JPG). In order to reduce the retrieval time, the images are converted into thumbnails and the retrieval performance in both the domains is observed. The testing is performed with various thumbnail sizes. Performance is evaluated by using Precision and Recall. It is observed that the retrieval performance using VQ for compressed images outperforms that with uncompressed images.
ESTP: An Experimental Software Testing Platform

Most commercial software testing tools used in industry do not automatically generate test data even though many testing strategies have been proposed in academia. In this paper, we introduce a prototype software testing platform that we developed to automatically generate test data from tabular specifications. This method of documenting software specifications has been used successfully in industry to help produce reliable software. This platform can also be used to measure the effectiveness of new testing strategies.
Signals from Chloroplasts Converge to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression

Plastid-to-nucleus retrograde signaling coordinates nuclear gene expression with chloroplast function and is essential for the photoautotrophic life-style of plants. Three retrograde signals have been described, but little is known of their signaling pathways. We show here that GUN1, a chloroplast-localized pentatricopeptide-repeat protein, and ABI4, an Apetala 2 (AP2)–type transcription factor, are common to all three pathways. ABI4 binds the promoter of a retrograde-regulated gene through a conserved motif found in close proximity to a light-regulatory element. We propose a model in which multiple indicators of aberrant plastid function in Arabidopsis are integrated upstream of GUN1 within plastids, which leads to ABI4-mediated repression of nuclear-encoded genes.
Correlation Between Estimates of Tumor Perfusion From Microbubble Contrast‐Enhanced Sonography and Dynamic Contrast‐Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective. We compared measurements of tumor perfusion from microbub‐ble contrast‐enhanced sonography (MCES) and dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) in an animal tumor model. Methods. Seven mice were implanted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells on their hind limbs and imaged 14 days later with a Philips 5‐ to 7‐MHz sonography system (Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA) and a Varian 7.0‐T MRI system (Varian, Inc, Palo Alto, CA). For sonographic imaging 100 μL of a perfluoropropane microbubble contrast agent (Definity; Bristol‐Myers Squibb Medical Imaging, Billerica, MA) was injected and allowed to reach a pseudo steady state, after which a high–mechanical index pulse was delivered to destroy the microbub‐bles within the field of view, and the replenishment of the microbubbles was imaged for 30 to 60 seconds. The MRI included acquisition of a T10 map and 35 serial T1‐weighted images (repetition time, 100 milliseconds; echo time, 3.1 milliseconds; α, 30°) after the injection of 100 μL of 0.2‐mmol/kg gadopente‐tate dimeglumine (Magnevist; Berlex, Wayne, NJ). Region‐of‐interest and voxel‐by‐voxel analyses of both data sets were performed; microbubble contrast‐enhanced sonography returned estimates of microvessel cross‐sectional area, microbubble velocity, and mean blood flow, whereas DCE‐MRI returned estimates of a perfusion‐permeability index and the extravascular extracellular volume fraction. Results. Comparing similar regions of tumor tissue seen on sonography and MRI, region‐of‐interest analyses revealed a strong (r 2 = 0.57) and significant relationship (P < .002) between the estimates of perfusion obtained by the two modalities. Conclusions. Microbubble contrast‐enhanced sonography can effectively depict intratumoral heterogeneity in preclinical xenograft models when voxel‐by‐voxel analysis is performed, and this analysis correlates with similar DCE‐MRI measurements.
Purification of rat hepatic stellate cells by side scatter–activated cell sorting

In this study, we present a new method to obtain pure, viable, freshly isolated hepatic stellate cells. Stellate cells were purified by cell sorting using their high side scatter (SSC) of incident light. Purity of the cells was established by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Starting from stellate cells that were 50% to 70% enriched by centrifugation in 11% Nycodenz, the cell purity after sorting was found to be 96.6% ± 2.9%. Viability of the sorted cells was 90.8% ± 2.2% as measured by the Trypan blue exclusion test and was confirmed by cell culturing. Per hour of sorting, 1.4 ± 0.4 million stellate cells were obtained. Sorting runs of up to 4 hours were practically feasible, resulting in yields of 5 to 6 million cells per rat liver. Cells attached to plastic substratum within 24 hours. Subsequently, they spread and underwent spontaneous transition into myofibroblast‐like cells. The purity of sorted cells was documented by reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) experiments using specific primer pairs for messenger RNA (mRNA) species that were only present in parenchymal (preproalbumin), endothelial (endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), stellate (desmin), or Kupffer cells (77‐ to 88‐kd fucose receptor). Contaminating mRNA species were absent in sorted stellate cells. Next, we examined freshly sorted stellate cells by Western blotting to confirm the presence of relevant cytoskeletal proteins. Cells were positive for vimentin, desmin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), but negative for α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA). Sorted and cultured cells were immunophenotyped for the presence of collagen types I, III, and IV, laminin, and the cytoskeletal proteins, α‐SMA, desmin, vimentin, and GFAP. At 90 hours in culture, cells expressed all the investigated extracellular matrix proteins. Desmin was present in 82%± 1%, vimentin in 96%± 2.5%, and GFAP in 91% ± 4.5% of cells. α‐SMA was present in 91% ± 2% of cultured cells. We conclude that cell sorting based on SSC of incident light is a convenient method to obtain virtually pure stellate cells that can be used for direct analysis or for culturing. Although the yields obtained with this method are lower than with standard methods, and additional equipment is required, SSC‐activated sorting offers the possibility of very pure cells when essential for analyses based on sensitive detection methods such as RT‐PCR.
Practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of weight loss in Alzheimer's disease: a consensus from appropriateness ratings of a large expert panel.

BACKGROUND Weight loss is a frequent condition in Alzheimer's disease patients and is responsible for complications and impaired quality of life. Practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of weight loss in Alzheimer's disease are lacking. AIM To elaborate practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of weight loss in Alzheimer's disease. METHODS Following a literature review, a set of statements about weight loss in Alzheimer's disease were proposed to a 23-member nationwide expert panel drawn from French geriatricians selected by the organisation committee. Statements were discussed and modified with the experts during a meeting and modified according to their remarks. By the means of a postal questionnaire each expert was then asked to rate each statement on a 9-point appropriateness scale, 1 being highly inappropriate and 9 highly appropriate. Analysis was based on the median and the range of the ratings. To avoid the influence of extreme or atypical opinions, the two ratings the furthest from the median were excluded from analysis for each statement. Agreement/disagreement about the statements was determined using the RAND/UCLA methodology. RESULTS Of the 23 statements selected by the expert panel and submitted for rating, 17 obtained the agreement of the expert panel. Practical guidelines were produced from these 17 statements. CONCLUSION These expert panel ratings, based on the best evidence currently available, provide comprehensive guidelines to appropriately diagnose, manage and prevent weight loss in Alzheimer's disease.
Correlation of Capsular Pseudoexfoliation Material and Iridocorneal Angle Pigment With the Severity of Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma

PurposeTo evaluate the correlation between the amount of pseudoexfoliation (PXF) material on the anterior lens capsule, pigment in the iridocorneal angle, presenting intraocular pressure (IOP) and severity of glaucoma in patients with PXF glaucoma/syndrome. Patients and MethodsAnterior lens capsule PXF material and iridocorneal pigment of 98 untreated patients with PXF syndrome/glaucoma were graded from photographs and correlated with untreated IOP and indices of glaucoma severity (cup to disc ratio, and visual field mean deviation, and pattern standard deviation). ResultsThere was a positive statistically significant correlation between the iridocorneal angle pigmentation and IOP (P=0.047, R2=0.2), but not the indices of glaucoma severity (P>0.13). There was no significant correlation between the anterior lens capsule PXF material and IOP or the indices of glaucoma severity (P>0.42). The grade of angle pigmentation, but not lens PXF, in eyes with IOP >21 mm Hg was significantly higher than in eyes with IOP ≤21 mm Hg (P=0.04). ConclusionsIn patients with PXF syndrome/glaucoma, gonioscopically identified iridocorneal angle pigmentation correlates more strongly with presenting IOP than the amount of PXF material on the anterior lens capsule.
Demographic Threats to the Sustainability of Brazil Nut Exploitation

A comparative analysis of 23 populations of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) across the Brazilian, Peruvian, and Bolivian Amazon shows that the history and intensity of Brazil nut exploitation are major determinants of population size structure. Populations subjected to persistent levels of harvest lack juvenile trees less than 60 centimeters in diameter at breast height; only populations with a history of either light or recent exploitation contain large numbers of juvenile trees. A harvesting model confirms that intensive exploitation levels over the past century are such that juvenile recruitment is insufficient to maintain populations over the long term. Without management, intensively harvested populations will succumb to a process of senescence and demographic collapse, threatening this cornerstone of the Amazonian extractive economy.
Twenty years of childhood coeliac disease in The Netherlands: a rapidly increasing incidence?

BACKGROUND: The incidence of coeliac disease varies internationally. AIMS: To assess the incidence of childhood coeliac disease in The Netherlands and to study the clinical features and the presence of associated disorders. SUBJECTS: Identified cases of childhood coeliac disease in The Netherlands in 1993-4 by means of the Dutch Paediatric Surveillance Unit. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were born in The Netherlands, diagnosed with at least one biopsy of the small bowel in 1993-4 and age at diagnosis 0-14 years. The data were cross checked by the Dutch Network and National Database of Pathology and compared with data from a previous study on childhood coeliac disease, 1975-90. RESULTS: A total of 193 coeliac patients were identified by means of the Surveillance Unit, another 20 through the National Database of Pathology. The mean crude incidence rate of diagnosed childhood coeliac disease was 0.54/1000 live births, which is in the range of rates found in other western European countries and significantly higher than the mean crude incidence rate of 0.18/1000 live births found in The Netherlands in 1975-90. The clinical presentation was classic: chronic diarrhoea, abdominal distension, and growth failure. Associated disorders were present in 11.7% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of diagnosed childhood coeliac disease in The Netherlands seems to have increased significantly during the past few years. In a period of 20 years no significant changes could be found in the clinical picture at preentation of coeliac disease in Dutch children.
Distinct regulatory elements mediate the dynamic expression pattern of Nkx3.1

Loss of Nkx3.1 function in mice results in defects in prostate development and epithelial hyperplasia, indicating that this gene plays important roles in both the initiation and maintenance of prostate differentiation. In humans, decreased NKX3.1 expression is associated with the progression of prostate cancer. Despite these roles in prostate development and disease, the transcriptional regulation of Nkx3.1 has not been systematically addressed. A reporter gene approach in transgenic mice was used to identify regulatory regions that dictate the expression pattern of Nkx3.1. A 32‐kb DNA fragment from the Nkx3.1 locus that specifies the expected expression pattern during embryogenesis and postnatal life has been identified. Deletion analyses demonstrated that cis‐regulatory elements that mediate expression in distinct sites are separable. A 5‐kb fragment downstream of the Nkx3.1 coding region contains elements that support expression in the prostate and bulbourethral glands, whereas an upstream fragment contains elements that direct expression in somites and testes. Reporter gene expression analyses also revealed several previously unknown sites of Nkx3.1 expression in males, including urethral glands, glandular cells in the urethral diverticulum and basal epithelial cells in the prostate. In addition, these analyses revealed Nkx3.1 expression in female urethral glands. The identification of Nkx3.1 cis‐regulatory elements provides a unique starting point to dissect signaling pathways involved in prostate organogenesis and pathogenesis and provides a system to perturb gene expression throughout prostate development. Developmental Dynamics 234:961–973, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lipid Peroxidation and Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Diabetic Kidney: Effect of Treatment with Angiotensin Convertase Inhibitors

Effects of the angiotensin convertase inhibitors captopril (CAP) and enalapril (ENA) on the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in the kidneys of rats with streptozotocin‐induced diabetes were studied. Induction of diabetes resulted in an increase of MDA concentration and progressive decreases of SOD and catalase activities after 6 and 12 weeks. CAP and ENA administration did not affect body weight changes or blood glucose and HbA contents in diabetic rats but decreased albuminuria and kidney weight increase, attenuated lipid peroxidation, and prevented the decreases in SOD and catalase activities. These results confirm the oxidative stress in streptozotocin‐induced experimental diabetes and point to the beneficial antioxidant effects of angiotensin convertase inhibitors.