Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of the prevalence of childhood obesity in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing rapidly in most industrialised countries, but several countries, including Switzerland, have recently reported a levelling off or even a reversal of this alarming trend. STUDY AIM Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of childhood obesity in a national sample of Swiss school children recruited to assess iodine nutrition and with this to reconfirm a recently shown stabilising trend. DESIGN Using a probability-proportionate-to-size cluster sampling, 6 to 12 year old children (n = 907) were recruited in a study of iodine status in Switzerland. Height and weight were measured and body mass index calculated in all children. RESULTS The prevalence of overweight detected was 12.5% (SE = 1.6) in boys and 12.8% (1.6) in girls while 6.2% (1.1) of boys and 4.2% (0.9) of girls were classified as obese. The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were found in the Southern region and in bigger cities (>100000 inhabitants). Compared to the most recent national study in 2007, the prevalence was slightly higher, but the differences were not significant, suggesting negative sampling bias does not strongly affect surveys of paediatric adiposity in Switzerland. CONCLUSION This present study clearly confirms the stabilisation of the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in Switzerland.
Realising Parallel and Distributed Simulation in Industry: A Roadmap

Modeling & Simulation practitioners use Commercial-off-the-shelf Simulation Packages to model process-based system problems in a wide range of domains. Technological limitations of these packages restrict what practitioners can model in terms of simulation run times and system boundaries. Experiences in dealing these problems with Grid Computing and Distributed Simulation are presented and a roadmap of challenges that need to be met in order for practitioners to overcome these limitations is developed.
Perinatal Hyperinsulinism as Possible Predisposing Factor for Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity and Enhanced Cardiovascular Risk in Later Life

The importance of the intrauterine and neonatal metabolic environment as possible teratogenic determinants of predispositions to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases is discussed. Epidemiological, clinical and experimental results suggest that gestational diabetes or even slightly impaired glucose tolerance during pregnancy are important risk factors for the development of an increased Type II- and even Type I diabetes susceptibility in the offspring. In addition, early prenatal undernutrition might also predispose to enhanced risk of Type II diabetes, whereas perinatal overnutrition seems to enhance predominantly Type I diabetes susceptibility. In this context, fetal and/or neonatal hyperinsulinism occurring during a critical period of brain development and leading to permanent malorganization of hypothalamic regulation centres for metabolism and hence to malprogramming of the hypothalamo-pancreatic system, is discussed as a possible reason for lifelong enhanced diabetes susceptibility. In view of epidemiological and experimental findings, an epigenetic maternofetal transmission of such acquired persistent modifications can run over several generations, mediated by gestational hyperglycaemia and fetal or neonatal hyperinsulinism. In conclusion, a partial prophylaxis of diabetes mellitus, obesity and cardiovascular diseases appears to be possible by prevention of gestational diabetes--even mild forms of impaired glucose tolerance during pregnancy--as well as early prenatal undernutrition and perinatal overnutrition.
Screening through the PLICable promoter toolbox enhances protein production in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli is a common host for recombinant protein production in which production titers are highly dependent on the employed expression system. Promoters are thereby a key element to control gene expression levels. In this study, a novel PLICable promoter toolbox was developed which enables in a single cloning step and after a screening experiment to identify out of ten IPTG‐inducible promoters (T7, A3, lpp, tac, pac, Sp6, lac, npr, trc and syn) the most suitable one for high level protein production. The target gene is cloned under the control of different promoters in a single and efficient cloning step using the ligase‐free cloning method PLICing (phosphorothioate‐based ligase‐independent gene cloning). The promoter toolbox was firstly validated using three well producible proteins (a cellulase from a metagenome library, a phytase from Yersinia mollaretii and an alcohol dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas putida) and then applied to two enzymes (3D1 DNA polymerase and glutamate dehydrogenase mutant) which are poorly produced in E. coli. By applying our PLICable pET‐promoter toolbox, the authors were able to increase production by two‐fold for 3D1 DNA polymerase (lac promoter) and 29‐fold for glutamate dehydrogenase mutant H52Y (trc promoter).
Effect of high-fat diet on colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, methylazoxymethanol acetate, or methylnitrosourea.

Male inbred F344 weanling rats were fed semipurified diets containing 20 or 5% beef fats. At 7 weeks of age, all animals except controls were given 1,2-dimethylhydrazine [DMH (150 mg/kg body weight s.c.; one dose)], methylazoxymethanol acetate [MAM acetate (35 mg/kg body weight i.p.; one dose)], or methylnitrosourea (2.5 mg/rat/week intrarectally; two doses), and autopsied 35 weeks later. No major differences were observed in the frequency (number of rats with tumor) of DMH- or MAM acetate-induced duodenal, ear duct, and kidney tumors between the rats fed diets containing 20 or 5% fat. However, the animals fed the diet containing 20% fat had slight although not statistically significant influence on the incidence of adenomas and adenocarcinomas in the colon.
Nonopsonic binding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to complement receptor type 3 is mediated by capsular polysaccharides and is strain dependent

The choice of host cell receptor and the mechanism of binding (opsonic versus nonopsonic) may influence the intracellular fate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We have identified two substrains of M. tuberculosis H37Rv, designated H37Rv-CC and -HH, that differed in their modes of binding to complement receptor type 3 (CR3) expressed in transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-Mac-1) cells: H37Rv-CC bound nonopsonically, whereas H37Rv-HH bound only after opsonization in fresh serum. H37Rv-CC also bound nonopsonically to untransfected CHO cells, whereas H37Rv-HH binding was enhanced by serum and was mediated by the 1D1 antigen, a bacterial adhesin previously identified as a polar phosphatidylinositol mannoside. H37Rv-CC and -HH had identical IS6110 DNA fingerprint patterns. Of five M. tuberculosis clinical isolates examined, four displayed the same binding phenotype as H37Rv-CC, as did the Erdman strain, whereas one isolate, as well as Mycobacterium smegmatis, behaved like H37Rv-HH. Nonopsonic binding of H37Rv-CC to CHO cell-expressed CR3 was apparently to the beta-glucan lectin site, as it was cation independent and inhibited by laminarin (seaweed beta-glucan) and N-acetylglucosamine; laminarin also inhibited the binding of H37Rv-CC to monocyte-derived macrophages. Further, binding of H37Rv-CC to CHO-Mac-1 cells was inhibited by prior agitation of bacteria with glass beads (which strips outer capsular polysaccharides) and by preincubation with amyloglucosidase, as well as by the presence of capsular D-glucan and D-mannan from M. tuberculosis Erdman, but not by Erdman D-arabino-D-mannan, yeast mannan, or capsular components from H37Rv-HH. Analysis of capsular carbohydrates revealed that H37Rv-CC expressed 5-fold more glucose and 2.5-fold more arabinose and mannose than H37Rv-HH. Flow cytometric detection of surface epitopes indicated that H37Rv-CC displayed twofold less surface-exposed phosphatidylinositol mannoside and bound complement C3 less efficiently than H37Rv-HH; these differences were eliminated after treatment of H37Rv-CC with glass beads. Thus, outer capsular polysaccharides mediate the binding of H37Rv-CC to CR3, likely to the beta-glucan site. Moreover, there are strain-dependent differences in the thickness or composition of capsular polysaccharides that determine the mode of binding of M. tuberculosis to mammalian cells.
Central tenet of cancer cachexia therapy: do patients with advanced cancer have exploitable anabolic potential?

BACKGROUND Skeletal muscle wasting is considered the central feature of cachexia, but the potential for skeletal muscle anabolism in patients with advanced cancer is unproven. OBJECTIVE We investigated the clinical course of skeletal muscle wasting in advanced cancer and the window of possible muscle anabolism. DESIGN We conducted a quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) images for the loss and gain of muscle in population-based cohorts of advanced cancer patients (lung, colorectal, and pancreas cancer and cholangiocarcinoma) in a longitudinal observational study. RESULTS Advanced-cancer patients (n = 368; median survival: 196 d) had a total of 1279 CT images over the course of their disease. With consideration of all time points, muscle loss occurred in 39% of intervals between any 2 scans. However, the overall frequency of muscle gain was 15.4%, and muscle was stable in 45.6% of intervals between any 2 scans, which made the maintenance or gain of muscle the predominant behavior. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that being within 90 d (compared with >90 d) from death was the principal risk factor for muscle loss (OR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.45, 4.94; P = 0.002), and muscle gain was correspondingly less likely (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.69; P = 0.002) at this time. Sex, age, BMI, and tumor group were not significant predictors of muscle loss or gain. CONCLUSIONS A window of anabolic potential exists at defined early phases of the disease trajectory (>90 d survival), creating an opportunity for nutritional intervention to stop or reverse cachexia. Cancer patients within 90 d of death have a low likelihood of anabolic potential.
A Web-Based Lifestyle Intervention for Women With Recent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility and effectiveness of a Web-based lifestyle intervention based on the Diabetes Prevention Program modified for women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus to reduce postpartum weight retention. METHODS: We randomly allocated 75 women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus to either a Web-based lifestyle program (Balance after Baby) delivered over the first postpartum year or to a control group. Primary outcomes were change in body weight at 12 months from 1) first postpartum measured weight; and 2) self-reported prepregnancy weight. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups including age, body mass index, race, and income status. Women assigned to the Balance after Baby program (n=36, three lost to follow-up) lost a mean of 2.8 kg (95% confidence interval –4.8 to −0.7) from 6 weeks to 12 months postpartum, whereas the control group (n=39, one lost to follow-up) gained a mean of 0.5 kg (−1.4 to +2.4) (P=.022). Women in the intervention were closer to prepregnancy weight at 12 months postpartum (mean change −0.7 kg; −3.5 to +2.2) compared with women in the control arm (+4.0 kg; +1.3 to +6.8) (P=.035). CONCLUSION: A Web-based lifestyle modification program for women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus decreased postpartum weight retention. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials. gov, NCT01158131. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I
Novel FEC Coding Scheme for Dimmable Visible Light Communication Based on the Modified Reed–Muller Codes

In this letter, we propose a novel forward error correction (FEC) coding method using a modified Reed-Muller (RM) code for providing accurate dimming control in on-off keying (OOK) based visible light communication (VLC) systems. The proposed FEC scheme has a property that produces exactly same occurrence probability of 1's and 0's. Therefore, it can contain minimal compensation symbols in supporting multiple dimming target values. Moreover, VLC with our proposed scheme provides more coding gain than VLC scheme with the conventional FEC codes [the first-order RM and Reed-Solomon (RS) codes]. Simulation results for various dimming target values show that the proposed scheme leads to at least 2 dB or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain in 1% bit error rate (BER) than two FEC codes.
[Postoperative mental confusion in the elderly with hip fracture. Perioperative risk factors].

OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence of postoperative mental confusion and perioperative risk factors in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective study of patients 65 years of age or older undergoing surgery for hip fracture with intradural anesthesia between March 1992 and August 1993. Although the total number of cases came to 162, only 50 patients were enrolled in the study: the rest were excluded mainly because of mental deficits presenting before surgery. Folstein's Mini-Mental State test was used to assess mental function. Risk factors analyzed were classified as preoperative, intraoperative (in the operating room and the recovery room) or postoperative (hospital ward). RESULTS Eleven (22%) patients showed signs of postoperative mental confusion. Simple analysis revealed a correlation between mental confusion and ASA (p = 0.01), neuropsychiatric history (p = 0.03) and preoperative hemoglobulin, red blood cell and urea nitrogen levels (p = 0.02). Multifactorial discriminant analysis indicated that patients with low red cell counts before surgery, high urea nitrogen and neuropsychiatric histories were more predisposed (p = 0.004) to mental confusion. CONCLUSIONS A high incidence of postoperative mental confusion is associated to pre-surgical factors. We therefore suggest that greater preventive and therapeutic efforts be directed preferably to preparation before surgery, especially in patients at high risk.
Krüppel-Like Factor KLF10 Is a Link between the Circadian Clock and Metabolism in Liver

ABSTRACT The circadian timing system coordinates many aspects of mammalian physiology and behavior in synchrony with the external light/dark cycle. These rhythms are driven by endogenous molecular clocks present in most body cells. Many clock outputs are transcriptional regulators, suggesting that clock genes primarily control physiology through indirect pathways. Here, we show that Krüppel-like factor 10 (KLF10) displays a robust circadian expression pattern in wild-type mouse liver but not in clock-deficient Bmal1 knockout mice. Consistently, the Klf10 promoter recruited the BMAL1 core clock protein and was transactivated by the CLOCK-BMAL1 heterodimer through a conserved E-box response element. Profiling the liver transcriptome from Klf10−/− mice identified 158 regulated genes with significant enrichment for transcripts involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Importantly, approximately 56% of these metabolic genes are clock controlled. Male Klf10−/− mice displayed postprandial and fasting hyperglycemia, a phenotype accompanied by a significant time-of-day-dependent upregulation of the gluconeogenic gene Pepck and increased hepatic glucose production. Consistently, functional data showed that the proximal Pepck promoter is repressed directly by KLF10. Klf10−/− females were normoglycemic but displayed higher plasma triglycerides. Correspondingly, rhythmic gene expression of components of the lipogenic pathway, including Srebp1c, Fas, and Elovl6, was altered in females. Collectively, these data establish KLF10 as a required circadian transcriptional regulator that links the molecular clock to energy metabolism in the liver.
Comparison of real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction with three other assays for quantitation of hepatitis C virus

Background and Aims: Evaluation of serum levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is important for predicting the response to interferon treatment and monitoring its therapeutic efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a method for the measurement of HCV‐RNA.
Improving voluntary medical male circumcision standards adherence and post-procedure follow-up in Uganda: A mixed methods study

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) has been demonstrated to reduce the transmission of HIV by 60%. Scaling up VMMC services requires that they be of high quality, socially accepted, and effective. We evaluated an intervention aimed at improving VMMC standards adherence and patient follow-up rates in nine facilities in Uganda. We also qualitatively explored why some men return for follow-up care and others do not. The completeness and quality of clinical documentation was poor at baseline, but significantly improved at endline. We observed significant improvements in management systems; supplies, equipment, and environment; and monitoring and evaluation. Due to the volume of missing data, results were less clear for registration, group education, and information, education and communication; individual counselling and HIV testing; and infection prevention. Significant improvements were also observed in follow-up rates at 48 hours and 7 days, and 6 weeks. Interviews revealed the importance of peers, including female partners, in deciding to get circumcised and in seeking follow-up care. Among the men who did not return for follow-up services, most reported they had no problems and did not see it as necessary. For those who did have mild or moderate adverse events, follow-up care was often sought at a facility closer to the patients’ home rather than the circumcising facility. However, information systems were unable to capture this. Applying improvement approaches to VMMC services can promote improved standards adherence and follow-up rates and should be integrated into scale-up plans.
Olefin coordination in copper(I) complexes of bis(2-pyridyl)amine.

Complexes of the type [Cu(H-dpa)(olefin)]BF4 for ethylene (1), propylene (2), 1-butene (3), 1-hexene (4), 1-octene (5), cis-2-octene (6), trans-2-octene (7), cis-3-octene (8), trans-3-octene (9), 2-norbornylene (10), 1,5-cyclooctadiene (11), styrene (12), cis-stilbene (13), trans-stilbene (14), and Ph2C=CH2 (15) have been prepared and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, FTIR, and TGA. The crystal structures have been determined for compounds 5, 6, 8, and 10-13. With the exception of compound 11, copper atoms in each complex are coordinated to the two pyridine nitrogen atoms and the appropriate olefin; consistent with a pseudo three-coordinate Cu(I) cation. Compound 11 has a second weaker p-interaction resulting in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Steric hindrance between the olefin and H-dpa manifests as both a twisting of the olefin out of the plane of the H-dpa ligand and a concomitant folding of the H-dpa ligand. The shifts in the nN-H IR spectral band for H-dpa ligand are consistent with the formation of N-H.F hydrogen bonded interactions observed in the crystal structures. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of [Cu(H-dpa)(olefin)]BF4 exhibit an upfield shift in the olefin signal as compared to free olefin. A comparison of the Dd values for terminal olefins shows that the similarity of binding for H2C=CHR (R = CnH2n+1, n = 1-6) mitigates any preferential complexation of various terminal olefins using the H-dpa ligand. For octenes there is a significant difference in binding between a terminal and internal olefin, but there is little preference between binding for different internal olefins and only a modest difference between the cis and trans isomers of the same olefin. A good correlation exists between the 1HNMRDd values and the TGA data, confirming that the shift of the olefin NMR resonances upon coordination is associated with the binding strength of the complex. Ab initio calculations using four different method/basis set combinations on the structure of [Cu(H-dpa)(1-octene)]+ were compared with the crystal structure.
Assessment of tumor recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen level: FDG PET/CT versus contrast-enhanced 64-MDCT of the chest and abdomen.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare FDG PET/CT and contrast-enhanced 64-MDCT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis in the detection of tumor recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer and an elevated level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis included 50 patients (31 men, 19 women; mean age, 61 years; range, 28-89 years) with 55 clinical events of elevated or increasing CEA level who underwent FDG PET/CT and MDCT for suspected tumor recurrence. RESULTS Recurrent or metastatic disease was found in 36 of 55 events (65.5%) of elevated CEA. Fifty-four of 61 tumor sites suspected as tumor recurrence with any imaging technique were found to be local recurrence or metastatic colorectal cancer at final analysis. The other seven sites were one separate malignant tumor (small lymphocytic lymphoma) and six benign lesions. Diagnosis was based on histopathologic findings (n = 27) or clinical and imaging findings (n = 35) during a median follow-up period of 12 months (range, 6-31 months). One site of tumor recurrence was missed prospectively at both MDCT and PET/CT. On an event-based analysis, the sensitivity of PET/CT and MDCT was 97.3% and 70.3% (p = 0.002); the specificity of both techniques was 94.4% (p = 1.0). In a tumor site-based analysis, the sensitivities of PET/CT and MDCT were 98.1% and 66.7% (p < 0.0001), and the specificities were 75% and 62.5% (p = 0.56). Tumors correctly identified with PET/CT and missed with MDCT were local recurrence in the presacral space (n = 5), metastatic subcentimeter lymph nodes (n = 4), peritoneal deposits (n = 3), and recurrences at the periphery of radiofrequency ablated metastatic lesions of the liver (n = 2) and in the abdominal wall (n = 1), liver (n = 1), and uterine cervix (n = 1). CONCLUSION FDG PET/CT has higher sensitivity than MDCT in the identification of sites of recurrent and metastatic disease in patients with colorectal cancer and an elevated CEA level. The two techniques appear to have similar specificity.
Optimization of a triggered vacuum switch with multi-rod electrodes system

One of the most important characteristic of triggered vacuum switch (TVS) is the breakdown voltage affecting the operation reliability of TVS. It depends on features, such as electrode material, electrode shape, gap distance and surface condition. For an optimized electrode's geometry, FEM electrostatic field simulations were conducted to evaluate the effect of geometric parameters on the electrostatic field strength and distribution. The distribution of electrostatic field of the TVS with multi-rod system is calculated by the finite method. The simulation results show that the geometric enhancement factor (GEF) is decrease with the increase of the fillet radius of the edge of the rod. In case of the fillet radius of the side face of rod 3mm and the fillet radius of the top face of the rod is 5mm, the GEF is up to the minimum value of 3. A lot of experiments are carried out. And the breakdown voltage of TVS with multi-rod system was measured by the high voltage direct current generator after switch currents with amplitude of 63kA and width of 13ms with the interval time of 10~15min. The influences of electrode materials and operation times on the breakdown voltage are also studied. The experimental results show that the first breakdown voltage increased with the increasing of the operation times. And the breakdown voltage of CuCr (30%Cr) is higher than that of oxygen-free copper.