Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Association of beta-carotene with risk of tobacco-related cancers in a cohort of French women.

BACKGROUND Intervention studies have demonstrated that, in smokers, beta-carotene supplements had a deleterious effect on risk of lung cancer and may have a deleterious effect on digestive cancers as well. We investigated a potential interaction between beta-carotene intake and smoking on the risk of tobacco-related cancers in women. METHODS A total of 59,910 women from the French Etude Epidémiologique de Femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (E3N) prospective investigation were studied from 1994. After a median follow-up of 7.4 years, 700 women had developed cancers known to be associated with smoking. Diet, supplement use, and smoking status at baseline were assessed by self-report. beta-carotene intake was classified into four groups: first (low intake), second, and third tertiles of dietary intake, and use of supplements (high intake). Unadjusted and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer risk. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Among never smokers, multivariable hazard ratios of all smoking-related cancers were 0.72 (95% CI = 0.57 to 0.92), 0.80 (95% CI = 0.64 to 1.01), and 0.44 (95% CI = 0.18 to 1.07) for the second and third tertiles of dietary intake, and high beta-carotene intake, respectively, compared with low intake (Ptrend = .03). Among ever smokers, multivariable hazard ratios were 1.43 (95% CI = 1.05 to 1.96), 1.20 (95% CI = 0.86 to 1.67), and 2.14 (95% CI = 1.16 to 3.97) for the second and third tertiles of dietary intake, and high beta-carotene intake, respectively, compared with low intake (Ptrend = .09). Tests for interaction between beta-carotene intake and smoking were statistically significant (Ptrend =.017). In this population, the absolute rates over 10 years in those with low and high beta-carotene intake were 181.8 and 81.7 cases per 10,000 women in never smokers and 174.0 and 368.3 cases per 10,000 women in ever smokers. CONCLUSIONS beta-carotene intake was inversely associated with risk of tobacco-related cancers among nonsmokers with a statistically significant dose-dependent relationship, whereas high beta-carotene intake was directly associated with risk among smokers.
The Effects of Caffeine on Vertical Jump Height and Execution in Collegiate Athletes

Abstract Bloms, LP, Fitzgerald, JS, Short, MW, and Whitehead, JR. The effects of caffeine on vertical jump height and execution in collegiate athletes. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1855–1861, 2016—Caffeine ingestion elicits a variety of physiological effects that may be beneficial to maximal-intensity exercise performance, although its effectiveness and physical mechanism of action enhancing ballistic task performance are unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of caffeine ingestion on vertical jump height and jump execution in Division I collegiate athletes. The study used a single-blind, randomized, crossover design. Athletes (n = 25) consumed either caffeine (5 mg·kg−1) or placebo. After a 60-minute waiting period, athletes performed 3 squat jumps (SJ) and 3 countermovement jumps (CMJ) while standing on a force platform. Jump height and execution variables were calculated from mechanography data. In comparison with placebo, caffeine increased SJ height (32.8 ± 6.2 vs. 34.5 ± 6.7 cm; p = 0.001) and CMJ height (36.4 ± 6.9 vs. 37.9 ± 7.4 cm; p = 0.001). Peak force (p = 0.032) and average rate of force development (p = 0.037) were increased during the CMJ in the caffeine trail compared with the control. Time to half peak force was the only execution variable improved with caffeine (p = 0.019) during the SJ. It seems that caffeine affects both height and execution of jumping. Our data indicate that the physical mechanism of jump enhancement is increased peak force production or rate of force development during jumping depending on technique. The physical mechanism of jump enhancement suggests that the ergogenic effects of caffeine may transfer to other ballistic tasks involving the lower-body musculature in collegiate athletes.
Automated Cantilever Exchange and Optical Alignment for High-Throughput Parallel Atomic Force Microscopy

In atomic force microscopy (AFM), the exchange and alignment of the AFM cantilever with respect to the optical beam and position-sensitive detector (PSD) are often performed manually. This process is tedious and time consuming, and sometimes damages the cantilever or tip. To increase the throughput of AFM in industrial applications, the ability to automatically exchange and align the cantilever in a very short time with sufficient accuracy is required. In this paper, we present the development of an automated cantilever exchange and optical alignment instrument. We present an experimental proof of principle by exchanging various types of AFM cantilevers in 6 s with an accuracy better than 2 μm. The exchange and alignment unit is miniaturized to allow for integration in a parallel AFM. The reliability of the demonstrator has also been evaluated. Ten thousand continuous exchange and alignment cycles were performed without failure. The automated exchange and alignment of the AFM cantilever overcome a large hurdle toward bringing AFM into high-volume manufacturing and industrial applications.
Development and validation of the INCREMENT-ESBL predictive score for mortality in patients with bloodstream infections due to extended-spectrum-&bgr;-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae

Background. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) are frequent yet outcome prediction rules for clinical use have not been developed. The objective was to define and validate a predictive risk score for 30 day mortality. Methods. A multinational retrospective cohort study including consecutive episodes of BSI due to ESBL-E was performed; cases were randomly assigned to a derivation cohort (DC) or a validation cohort (VC). The main outcome variable was all-cause 30 day mortality. A predictive score was developed using logistic regression coefficients for the DC, then tested in the VC. Results. The DC and VC included 622 and 328 episodes, respectively. The final multivariate logistic regression model for mortality in the DC included age >50 years (OR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.18–5.85; 3 points), infection due to Klebsiella spp. (OR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.21–3.58; 2 points), source other than urinary tract (OR = 3.6; 95% CI: 2.02–6.44; 3 points), fatal underlying disease (OR = 3.91; 95% CI: 2.24–6.80; 4 points), Pitt score >3 (OR = 3.04; 95 CI: 1.69–5.47; 3 points), severe sepsis or septic shock at presentation (OR = 4.8; 95% CI: 2.72–8.46; 4 points) and inappropriate early targeted therapy (OR = 2.47; 95% CI: 1.58–4.63; 2 points). The score showed an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of 0.85 in the DC and 0.82 in the VC. Mortality rates for patients with scores of < 11 and ≥11 were 5.6% and 45.9%, respectively, in the DC, and 5.4% and 34.8% in the VC. Conclusions. We developed and validated an easy-to-collect predictive scoring model for all-cause 30 day mortality useful for identifying patients at high and low risk of mortality.
Oxidation of biphenyl by a multicomponent enzyme system from Pseudomonas sp. strain LB400

Pseudomonas sp. strain LB400 grows on biphenyl as the sole carbon and energy source. This organism also cooxidizes several chlorinated biphenyl congeners. Biphenyl dioxygenase activity in cell extract required addition of NAD(P)H as an electron donor for the conversion of biphenyl to cis-2,3-dihydroxy-2,3-dihydrobiphenyl. Incorporation of both atoms of molecular oxygen into the substrate was shown with 18O2. The nonlinear relationship between enzyme activity and protein concentration suggested that the enzyme is composed of multiple protein components. Ion-exchange chromatography of the cell extract gave three protein fractions that were required together to restore enzymatic activity. Similarities with other multicomponent aromatic hydrocarbon dioxygenases indicated that biphenyl dioxygenase may consist of a flavoprotein and iron-sulfur proteins that constitute a short electron transport chain involved in catalyzing the incorporation of both atoms of molecular oxygen into the aromatic ring.
Malignant and Pre-Malignant Manifestations of Xeroderma Pigmentosum in Ghanaians

Introduction: Xeroderma pigmentosum is an autosomal recessive disease with sun sensitivity, photophobia, early onset of freckling, and subsequent neoplastic changes on sun-exposed surfaces. There is cellular hypersensitivity to UV radiation and to certain chemicals in association with abnormal DNA repair. Patients with defective DNA nucleotide excision repair (NER) have defects in one of seven NER genes; xeroderma pigmentosum variants have normal NER and a defect in a polymerase gene. Study design: This is a case presentation of five patients with the features of xeroderma pigmentosum, aged 48, 26, 15, 14 and 8 years. The first and last patients were males. Each of the first four patients presented with areas of hyper- and hypo-pigmentation over sun exposed body surfaces. Each of them had a minimum of two cutaneous malignancies, distributed on the upper chest, face or scalp. The fifth patient had skin atrophy, with mottled hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation but had no malignant lesions. Result: The first, second and fourth patients had their lesions surgically excised and the defects were skin grafted. The third patient was treated with radiotherapy. All the lesions were confirmed histologically as squamous cell carcinoma. No recurrence has been observed. Conclusion: Xeroderma pigmentosum in Ghanaians presents with squamous cell carcinoma involving the head, neck and upper trunk. A minimum period of exposure to UV radiation, not precisely known, is required for the development of the lesions. Education on sun avoidance and protective clothing is necessary to prevent morbidity and mortality.
Fabrication of Permeameter for Determination of Hydraulic Conductivity of Earth Materials

Laboratory investigation is one of the major ways of assessing soil hydraulic conductivity. Determination of hydraulic conductivity aids in engineering design of well pumping, prediction concerning spread of polluting fluids, embankment of canal bank affected by seepage, flooding solutions and stability of earth dams. However, different studies have shown that there are alternative models to Darcy’s law which governs the widely use of laboratory measurement of hydraulic conductivity. The deficiencies accustomed to the conventional permeameter such as the time wastage and cost-intensivehas led to different research modification. A low-cost permeameter was fabricated using a plastic column, hose pipe, to serve as water inlet and outlet connected to two manometer tubes to measure the pressure head difference. The hydraulic conductivities measured using the lowcost were 4.31 cm/s, 8.14 cm/s, 6.12 cm/s, 5.86 cm/s for 0.3 mm coarse sand, 0.85-1 mm fine sand, sandy clay and silty clay respectively. In comparison of the fabricated permeameter with conventional permeameter and other fabricated laboratory permeameters, it was observed that the hydraulic conductivity obtained is consistent with the typical permeability range for each soil type.
Kinetics and interaction studies between cytochrome c3 and Fe‐only hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris hildenborough

Hydrogenases from Desulfovibrio are found to catalyze hydrogen uptake with low potential multiheme cytochromes, such as cytochrome c3, acting as acceptors. The production of Fe‐only hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough was improved with respect to the growth phase and media to determine the best large‐scale bacteria growth conditions. The interaction and electron transfer from Fe‐only hydrogenase to multiheme cytochrome has been studied in detail by both BIAcore and steady‐state measurements. The electron transfer between [Fe] hydrogenase and cytochrome c3 appears to be a cooperative phenomenon (h = 1.37). This behavior could be related to the conductivity properties of multihemic cytochromes. An apparent dissociation constant was determined (2 × 10‐7 M). The importance of the cooperativity for contrasting models proposed to describe the functional role of the hydrogenase/cytochrome c3 complex is discussed. Presently, the only determined structure is from [NiFe] hydrogenase and there are no obvious similarities between [NiFe] and [Fe] hydrogenase. Furthermore, no crystallographic data are available concerning [Fe] hydrogenase. The first results on crystallization and X‐ray crystallography are reported. Proteins 33:590–600, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A deterministic communication protocol for distributed real-time systems

The authors describe an efficient communication protocol for transmitting time-constrained messages in a time-division multiple-access local area network. The proposed protocol differs from traditional protocols in this category in that it uses the bandwidth of the medium more effectively by explicitly passing the mastership between stations. In the present protocol, the drawback inherent to fixed-master protocols, viz., imposing a star topology in a multiple-access environment. is resolved, resulting in shorter response times. The proposed protocol provides for the fair passing of the mastership between stations, thus guaranteeing the same response times for all stations. The mastership-passing protocol has been implemented and extensively tested in a 2.5 Mb/s real-time network. <<ETX>>
Parametric sweep search for parallel robot workspace determination

The research involves the development of a 3-dimensional simulation system based on Python in order to search for workspace and singularity of parallel robots. The work is based on the principles of Kinematic and Grassman analysis, which integrates easily with various algorithms. The simulation system produces a scalable result suitable for interval and slicing analysis. The code should work effortlessly when user redefines the architecture or geometry of the robot. Boolean Parametric sweep search strategy has been developed for further analysis and validation of the system. The system has to consider various factors such as limits, edges, resolution, and travel direction. It involves the integration of 3D and 4D interpolation and extrapolation strategies including Trilinear and L-system fractal, which are controlled by Boolean algorithm. A haptic force-feedback controller has been developed, which is a multiple Degree-of-Freedom device with two-way motor control for all axes. Sensors are used to provide pre-processed values for distance and orientation on all axes. The haptic device provides (i) control for the Python simulation, (ii) processed data to a Matlab and Solid Works models, and (iii) singularity-free control of an associated physical robot. The proposed system was successfully verified against a number of applications.
Sleep and psychiatric symptoms in school-age children.

OBJECTIVE To assess associations between the quantity and quality of children's sleep and parent- and teacher-reported psychiatric symptoms. METHOD Forty-nine physically healthy 7- to 12-year-old children from normal classes participated. They were monitored for 72 consecutive hours with belt-worn activity monitors (actigraphs) to obtain objective data on their daytime and nighttime activity and sleep. In addition, Child Behavior Checklists and Teacher's Report Forms were filled out by the parents and teachers, respectively. RESULTS Quantity of sleep was significantly associated with total symptom score on the Teacher's Report Form. The highest associations were found between low true sleep time and teacher-reported externalizing symptoms such as aggressive and delinquent behavior and attention and social problems. Sleep parameters were not associated with parent-reported psychiatric symptoms, except for the association found between delayed sleep latency and aggressive, delinquent behavior. CONCLUSIONS The objectively measured amount of school-age children's sleep was associated with teacher-reported psychiatric symptoms. Parents may be unaware of their child's sleep deficiencies as the behavioral problems may be more evident at school than at home. Sensitive and objective measurements are needed to rule out the possibility of inadequate sleep underlying behavioral problems.
A Systematic Scoping Review of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Mind and Body Practices to Improve the Health of Veterans and Military Personnel

Background:Meditation, imagery, acupuncture, and yoga are the most frequently offered mind and body practices in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Yet, the research on mind and body practices has been critiqued as being too limited in evidence and scope to inform clinical treatment. Objectives:We conducted a systematic scoping review of mind and body practices used with veterans or active duty military personnel to identify gaps in the literature and make recommendations for future primary research. Research Design:Following systematic literature review methodology, we searched 5 databases using 27 different National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine-defined mind and body practices as text words, keywords, and MeSH terms through June 30, 2014. We also conducted handsearches of 4 previous reviews. Subjects:Active duty military members or veterans 18 years or older participating in mind and body practice interventions globally. Measures:Data were extracted from studies meeting 5 inclusion criteria. The quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using an existing checklist. Results:Of 1819 studies identified, 89 interventions (50 RCTs) published between 1976 and 2014, conducted in 9 countries, using 152 different measures to assess 65 health and well-being outcomes met our inclusion criteria. Most interventions took place in the United States (n=78). Meditation practices (n=25), relaxation techniques including imagery (n=20), spinal manipulation including physical therapy (n=16), and acupuncture (n=11) were the most frequently studied practices. Methodological quality of most RCTs was rated poorly. Conclusions:Meditation and acupuncture practices are among the most frequently offered and studied mind and body practices. Future research should include yoga as it is currently understudied among veterans and military personnel. A repository of mind and body intervention outcome measures may further future research efforts, as would conducting pragmatic trials and more robust RCTs.
Basal Metabolic Rate of Endotherms Can Be Modeled Using Heat-Transfer Principles and Physiological Concepts: Reply to “Can the Basal Metabolic Rate of Endotherms Be Explained by Biophysical Modeling?”

Our recent article (Roberts et al. 2010) proposes a mechanistic model for the relation between basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body mass (M) in mammals. The model is based on heat-transfer principles in the form of an equation for distributed heat generation within the body. The model can also be written in the form of the allometric equation BMR = aMb, in which a is the coefficient of the mass term and b is the allometric exponent. The model generates two interesting results: it predicts that b takes the value 2/3, indicating that BMR is proportional to surface area in endotherms. It also provides an explanation of the physiological components that make up a, that is, respiratory heat loss, core-skin thermal conductance, and core-skin thermal gradient. Some of the ideas in our article have been questioned (Seymour and White 2011), and this is our response to those questions. We specifically address the following points: whether a heat-transfer model can explain the level of BMR in mammals, whether our test of the model is inadequate because it uses the same literature data that generated the values of the physiological variables, and whether geometry and empirical values combine to make a “coincidence” that makes the model only appear to conform to real processes.
Épidémiologie des pertes de grossesse

Pôle de gynécologie-obstétrique reproduction humaine, CHU Estaing, 1, place Lucie-Aubrac, 3003 Clermont-Ferrand cedex 1, France EA7281—R2D2, faculté de médecine, université d’Auvergne, 28, place Henri-Dunant, 3000 Clermont-Ferrand, France Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, centre hospitalier Poissy-Saint-Germain, 10, rue du Champ-Gaillard, 8300 Poissy, France EA 7285 risques cliniques et sécurité en santé des femmes, université ersailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 78000 Versailles, France Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, hôpital Antoine-Béclère, GHU Sud, AP—HP, 157, rue de la orte-de-Trivaux, 92140 Clamart, France Service de gynécologie-obstétrique et médecine de la reproduction, CHU de Caen, avenue Côte-de-Nacre, 4033 Caen cedex 9, France Unité de cytogénétique, CHI Poissy-Saint-Germain, 10, rue du Champ-Gaillard, 78300 Poissy, France EA 2493, UFR des sciences de la santé Simone-Veil, université Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 8000 Versailles, France Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, hôpital Nord, Assistance publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), hemin des Bourrely, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France Faculté de médecine, université d’Aix-Marseille (AMU), 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France Maternité, université Lille Nord de France, hôpital Jeanne-de-Flandre, CHRU de Lille, 59037 Lille cedex, rance EA 2694, université Lille Nord de France, CHRU de Lille, 59037 Lille cedex, France EA 4681 PEPRADE, faculté de médecine, université d’Auvergne, 28, place Henri-Dunant, 3000 Clermont-Ferrand, France