Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seven-Year Changes in Body Fat and Visceral Adipose Tissue in Women. Association with indexes of plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis

OBJECTIVE To study the associations between changes in body fatness, visceral adipose tissue (AT), and indexes of plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis over a 7-year follow-up period. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A sample of 30 nondiabetic women aged 35.2 ± 5.6 (SD) years at baseline was studied. RESULTS Changes in visceral AT and in subcutaneous AT (measured by computed tomography) as well as changes in body fat mass (obtained by hydrostatic weighting) were significantly related to changes in fasting plasma insulin levels and in plasma insulin area measured after a 75-g oral glucose load (0.47 ≤ r ≤ 0.62; P < 0.01). Changes in visceral AT but not in body fat mass or in subcutaneous AT area were significantly associated with changes in plasma glucose area (r = 0.37; P < 0.05). When two subgroups of women with similar mean increases in body fat mass but with either small or large increases in visceral AT were compared, the subgroup with the largest gain in visceral AT showed the greatest deterioration in indexes of plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis. On the other hand, when two subgroups with similar mean increases in visceral AT but with different changes in body fat mass were compared, both subgroups showed similar changes in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Results of this 7-year follow-up study in women suggest that changes in indexes of plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis are significantly associated with changes in visceral AT, even after control for changes in body fat mass.
Design of receiver with wide dynamic range for deep ground penetrating radar

Because of the depth limitation when using the impulse ground penetrating radar(GPR) for deep detecting, a ultra-wideband(UWB) deep GPR receiver system using ADC for sampling is designed. Several simulations to the traditional balanced door sampling circuit are carried out, the results demonstrate that the main factors which limit the system's dynamic range is the jitter of sampling trigger pulse. The overall structure of new receiver system is designed, as well as the timing control circuit. The highly integrated, low-cost receiver system has improved system's dynamic range from 50dB to 80dB, and has been applied in the deep GPR system of our laboratory.
Protein Zero Is Necessary for E-Cadherin-Mediated Adherens Junction Formation in Schwann Cells

Protein Zero (P0), the major structural protein in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelin, acts as a homotypic adhesion molecule and is thought to mediate compaction of adjacent wraps of myelin membrane. E-Cadherin, a calcium-dependent adhesion molecule, is also expressed in myelinating Schwann cells in the PNS and is involved in forming adherens junctions between adjacent loops of membrane at the paranode. To determine the relationship, if any, between P0-mediated and cadherin-mediated adhesion during myelination, we investigated the expression of E-cadherin and its binding partner, beta-catenin, in sciatic nerve of mice lacking P0 (P0(-/-)). We find that in P0(-/-) peripheral myelin neither E-cadherin nor beta-catenin are localized to paranodes, but are instead found in small puncta throughout the Schwann cell. In addition, only occasional, often rudimentary, adherens junctions are formed. Analysis of E-cadherin and beta-catenin expression during nerve development demonstrates that E-cadherin and beta-catenin are localized to the paranodal region after the onset of myelin compaction. Interestingly, axoglial junction formation is normal in P0(-/-) nerve. Taken together, these data demonstrate that P0 is necessary for the formation of adherens junctions but not axoglial junctions in myelinating Schwann cells.
Magnitude, Impact, and Management of Respiration-induced Target Motion in Radiotherapy Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

Tumors in thoracic and upper abdomen regions such as lungs, liver, pancreas, esophagus, and breast move due to respiration. Respiration-induced motion introduces uncertainties in radiotherapy treatments of these sites and is regarded as a significant bottleneck in achieving highly conformal dose distributions. Recent developments in radiation therapy have resulted in (i) motion-encompassing, (ii) respiratory gating, and (iii) tracking methods for adapting the radiation beam aperture to account for the respiration-induced target motion. The purpose of this review is to discuss the magnitude, impact, and management of respiration-induced tumor motion.
Age-Related Differences in CYP3A Expression and Activity in the Rat Liver, Intestine, and Kidney

We evaluated the effect of age on CYP3A expression and function in the liver, intestine, and kidney from young (3-4 months), intermediate (13-14 months), and old (25-26 months) male Fischer-344 rats. The biotransformation of triazolam to its primary hydroxylated products, 4-OH-TRZ (triazolam) and α-OH-TRZ, was used as a marker of CYP3A activity in rat liver and intestine. Immunoactive CYP3A expression was evaluated by Western blot analysis in the rat intestine, liver, and kidney. Since testosterone and NADPH reductase levels may modulate CYP3A activity, we also examined free plasma testosterone concentrations and NADPH reductase expression in these rats. The effect of age on CYP3A expression was tissue-specific. Although both CYP3A activity and expression were reduced by approximately 50 to 70% in the old livers compared with the young animals, intestinal CYP3A activity and expression did not change significantly with age. The expression of one CYP3A isoform was increased by 1.5-fold in the old kidneys. NADPH reductase expression was reduced by 23 to 36% with age in all tissues; this reached statistical significance only in the liver. Plasma testosterone levels declined by 74% in the old animals. This study suggests that the effect of age on CYP3A expression and function is tissue-specific. In addition, changes in testosterone levels and NADPH reductase expression may contribute to age-related differences in hepatic CYP3A activity.
Liver disease in cystic fibrosis: A prospective study on incidence, risk factors, and outcome

Incidence of liver disease (LD) associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) and its clinical characterization still is unsettled. We have assessed prospectively the incidence and risk factors of this complication, and its impact on the clinical course of CF. Between 1980 and 1990, we enrolled 177 CF patients without LD in a systematic clinical, laboratory, ultrasonography screening program of at least a 10‐year duration. During a 14‐year median follow‐up (2,432 patient‐years), 48 patients developed LD, with cirrhosis already present in 5. Incidence rate (number of cases per 100 patient‐years) was 1.8% (95% confidence interval: 1.3–2.4), with sharp decline after the age of 10 years and higher risk in patients with a history of meconium ileus (incidence rate ratio, 5.5; 2.7–11), male sex (2.5; 1.3–4.9), or severe mutations (2.4; 1.2–4.8) at multivariate analysis. Incidence of cirrhosis was 4.5% (2.3–7.8) during a median period of 5 years from diagnosis of liver disease. Among the 17 cirrhotic patients, 13 developed portal hypertension, 4 developed esophageal varices, 1 developed liver decompensation requiring liver transplantation. Development of LD did not condition different mortality (death rate ratio, 0.4; 0.1–1.5) or higher incidence of other clinically relevant outcomes. In conclusion, LD is a relatively frequent and early complication of CF, whose detection should be focused at the first life decade in patients with history of meconium ileus, male sex, or severe genotype. Although LD does not condition a different clinical course of CF, in some patients it may progress rapidly and require liver transplantation. (HEPATOLOGY2002;36:1374–1382).
Responses of amphibians to restoration of a southern Appalachian wetland: Perturbations confound post-restoration assessment

Although regulatory, agencies in the USA typically require 3–5 yr of post-restoration monitoring of biotic responses to wetland mitigation, many researchers have argued that longer time frames are needed to assess population responses adequately. We conducted an 8-yr study to examine the demographic responses of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) and spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) to wetland creation at a mitigation bank in western North Carolina. Our primary goals were to compare juvenile output in ten reference and ten constructed ponds and to assess the overall change in breeding population size in response to site restoration. We used annual censuses of egg masses to assess changes in breeding population size and used estimates of larval population size at hatching and the initiation of metamorphosis to assess embryonic and larval survival. Adults of both species bred in most constructed ponds within a few months after filling in 1996. Estimated juvenile production from 1996 to 2002 did not differ significantly between pond types for either species. The percentage of both constructed and reference ponds that produced juveniles decreased markedly from 1996 to 1998 and remained low through 2002. The decrease in juvenile output was mostly associated with reduced larval survival rather than increased embryonic mortality across years. Drought and outbreaks of a pathogen (Ranavirus) were the primary causes of low juvenile production from 1998 to 2002. The overall breeding population of R. sylvatica increased markedly in 1999–2000 following a large recruitment of juveniles from constructed ponds in 1996–1997. With the onset of drought and ranaviral infections, the population declined to levels in 2002 that were at or below 1995 pre-restoration numbers. Despite site perturbations, the breeding population of A. maculatum remained relatively stable from 1995 to 2002, a phenomenon that may reflect selection for delayed reproduction and iteroparity in this species. Although we have monitored R. sylvatica and A. maculatum for seven breeding seasons after the creation of seasonal wetlands, we are still uncertain that site restoration will achieve the goal of increasing breeding populations above pre-restoration levels. Because amphibians have significant population lags and are sensitive to site perturbations, monitoring that exceeds five years may be required to assess demographic responses to site restoration adequately.
Promoter-specific Activation and Demethylation by MBD2/Demethylase*

MBD2 is the only member of a family of methyl-CpG-binding proteins that has been reported to be both a transcriptional repressor and a DNA demethylase (dMTase). To understand the apparently contradictory function of MBD2/dMTase, we studied the effects of dMTase overexpression on the activity of various in vitro methylated promoters transiently transfected into HEK293 cells. We found that forced expression of a MBD2/dMTase expression vector (His-dMTase) differentially activated two methylated reporters, pSV40-CAT (the SV40 enhancerless promoter adjacent to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene) and pGL2T+I4xTBRE (a region of the p21 promoter next to the luciferase reporter gene), in a time- and dose-dependent manner. His-dMTase increased pSV40-CAT expression by 3–10-fold after 96 h, while pGL2T+I4xTBRE expression was increased by 2–3-fold after only 48 h and did not further increase at 96 h. Gene activation was not universal because no effect was seen with the p19-ARF promoter. We then assessed whether activation might be due to demethylation within the promoter region. Using bisulfite mapping, we found that exogenous expression of His-dMTase induced demethylation at 8 of the 10 CpG sites within the SV40 promoter. The observation that His-dMTase increases the demethylase activity in the cells was also confirmed using an in vitro CpG demethylase assay with a mC32pG oligonucleotide substrate and purified Q-Sepharose fractions from HEK293 cells transfected with His-dMTase or empty pcDNA3.1His vector. We propose that a single protein possessing both repressor and demethylase functions has evolved to coordinate a program that requires suppression of some methylated genes and activation of others.
ACRYLAMIDE QUENCHING OF THE FLUORESCENCE OF GLYCERALDEHYDE‐3‐PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE: REVERSIBLE AND IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS

Abstract— The acrylamide quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence of apo and holo glyceraldehyde‐ 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was studied. In the case of apo‐GAPDH, the steady state fluorescence quenching cannot be described by the classical Stern‐Volmer equation: strong cooperative quenching is observed. In the presence of Pi and/or cofactor NAD+ an inaccessible fraction appears. Cooperative quenching is partially suppressed in the presence of Pi and fully absent in the presence of NAD+.
From prolonged febrile illness to fever of unknown origin: the challenge continues.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological changes and the ongoing expansion of the diagnostic armamentarium warrant a regular update of the spectrum of diseases that present as prolonged febrile illnesses. METHODS We prospectively collected a series of 290 immunocompetent patients referred to our university hospital between 1990 and 1999 with a febrile illness (temperature >38.3 degrees C) of uncertain cause, lasting at least 3 weeks. Patients were categorized in 4 groups according to the timing of diagnosis: early diagnosis (within 3 in-hospital days or 3 outpatient visits), intermediate diagnosis (between days 4 and 7), late diagnosis (after day 7), and no diagnosis during index contact or follow-up. RESULTS A final diagnosis was established early in 67 patients (23.1%), intermediate in 38 (13.1%), and late in 87 (30.0%). In the remaining 98 (33.8%), no diagnosis was made. The cause of the fever remained obscure in 50 (47.6%) of 105 patients with episodic fever vs 48 (25.9%) of 185 patients with continuous fever (P<.001). Among the 192 patients with a final diagnosis, noninfectious inflammatory diseases represented the most prevalent diagnostic category (35.4%), surpassing infections (29.7%), miscellaneous causes (19.8%), and malignancies (15.1%). Fourteen disorders accounted for over 59% of diagnoses, whether diagnosis was reached early, intermediate, or late. Hematological malignancies made up 11.5% of diagnoses, but were responsible for 14 (58.3%) of the 24 fatalities related to the febrile illness. Of the 80 patients discharged alive without diagnosis and for whom follow-up was available, 3 died, but the deaths were considered to be unrelated to the feverish illness. CONCLUSIONS Prolonged febrile illnesses remain a diagnostic challenge. Despite the technological progress of the late 20th century, the origin of the fever remains elusive in many patients, especially in those with episodic fevers. Noninfectious inflammatory diseases emerge as the most prevalent diagnostic category.
Mapping superoxide dismutase 1 domains of non‐native interaction: roles of intra‐ and intermolecular disulfide bonding in aggregation

Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) proteins harboring mutations linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) uniformly show heightened potential to form high molecular weight structures. Here, we examine the domains of SOD1 that are involved in forming these structures (aggregates) and study the role of intra‐ and intermolecular disulfide bonds. An analysis of disease mutations identified to date reveals a non‐random distribution with predominant occurrence at residues within highly conserved β‐strands or at highly conserved residues in loop domains. Using a cell transfection assay for aggregation, we determined that no single domain in SOD1 is indispensable in the formation of sedimentable aggregates, suggesting multiple potential motifs in the protein mediate non‐native interactions. By a cell‐free aggregation assay, analysis of transgenic mouse tissues, and mutagenesis approaches, we found evidence that redox conditions may modulate SOD1 aggregation; reduction of the native intramolecular disulfide bonds may predispose SOD1 to unfolding and aggregation, whereas non‐native intermolecular disulfide linkages may help stabilize aggregates in vivo. The results suggest a possible mechanism for diversity in the structures formed by different SOD1 mutants, and define a potential contribution of redox conditions to SOD1 aggregation.
Combating Obesity in Head Start: Outdoor Play and Change in Children's Body Mass Index

Objective: To determine whether increased outdoor play time at Head Start was associated with greater changes in body mass index (BMI) over the course of a preschool year. Method: The authors used data from 2810 children from the Family and Child Experiences Survey 2006 cohort. With children's spring BMI as the outcome (both continuously measured and dichotomized to measure the risk of obesity), the authors conducted weighted regression analyses, controlling for child-level, family-level, and school-level covariates, including preschool entry BMI. Results: Children played outdoors at school for roughly 37 minutes per day, with little variation across half-day and full-day programs. The more children played outdoors, the more their BMI decreased over the preschool year (&bgr; = −.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−0.08 to −0.01]) and the less likely they were to be obese (odds ratio = 0.99, 95% CI [0.98–0.99]). The difference between high levels and low levels of outdoor play corresponded to 0.18 BMI points and a 42% reduction in children's risk of obesity. Sixty minutes was the “tipping point” for the association between outdoor play time and improvements in children's BMI. These associations were also stronger among children who were obese at the start of the year, less active at home, and living in unsafe neighborhoods. Conclusion: Outdoor play time at Head Start is associated with decreases in children's BMI scores and, thus, may serve as an important means of preventing obesity. Head Start programs should consider establishing clear guidelines encouraging more outdoor time.
A Cloud-based Dynamic Workflow for Mass Spectrometry Data Analysis

There is a growing interest in the use of cloud computing for scientific applications, including scientific workflows. Key attractions of the cloud include the pay-as-you-go model and elasticity. While the elasticity offered by clouds can be beneficial for many applications and use-scenarios, it also imposes significant challenges in the development of applications or services. For example, no general framework exists that can enable a scientific workflow to execute in a dynamic fashion, i.e. exploiting elasticity of clouds and automatically allocating and deal locating resources to meet time and/or cost constraints. This paper presents a case-study in creating a dynamic cloud workflow implementation of a scientific application. We work with Mass Matrix, an application which searches proteins and peptides from tandem mass spectrometry data. In order to use cloud resources, we first parallelize the search method used in this algorithm. Next, we create a flexible workflow using the Pegasus Workflow Management System. Finally, we add a new dynamic resource allocation module, which can use fewer or a larger number of resources based on a time constraint specified by the user. We evaluate our implementation using several different datasets, and show that the application scales quite well, and that our dynamic framework is effective in meeting time constraints.
African Americans' decisions not to evacuate New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES We examined the psychosocial and personal factors that influenced African Americans' decision not to evacuate New Orleans, La, before Hurricane Katrina's landfall. METHODS We conducted 6 focus groups with 53 African Americans from New Orleans who were evacuated to Columbia, SC, within 2 months of Hurricane Katrina. RESULTS The major themes identified related to participants' decision to not evacuate were as follows: (1) perceived susceptability, including optimism about the outcome because of riding out past hurricanes at home and religious faith; (2) perceived severity of the hurricane because of inconsistent evacuation orders; (3) barriers because of financial constraints and neighborhood crime; and (4) perceived racism and inequities. CONCLUSIONS Federal, state, and local government disaster preparedness plans should specify criteria for timely evacuation orders, needed resources, and their allocation (including a decentralized distribution system for cash or vouchers for gas and incidentals during evacuation) and culturally sensitive logistic planning for the evacuation of minority, low-income, and underserved communities. Perceptions of racism and inequities warrant further investigation.
Facets of autobiographical memory in adolescents with major depressive disorder and never‐depressed controls

Adolescence is a crucial developmental window because it involves elaboration of the self‐concept, the laying down of lifelong autobiographical memories, and the development of emotional resilience during a time of substantial risk for mood problems. Autobiographical memory retrieval plays an important role in depression both in adults (van Vreeswijk & de Wilde, 2004) and adolescents (Kuyken, Howell, & Dalgleish, 2005; Park, Goodyer, & Teasdale, 2002). This study examined facets of autobiographical memory associated with memory retrieval in never‐depressed and currently depressed adolescents: personal importance, imagery, recency, source monitoring, and field‐observer perspective. Compared with never‐depressed adolescents, adolescents with depression were significantly more likely to retrieve memories from an observer perspective and more recent time period, preferentially rehearsed negative memories and rated their memories as more personally important. Depressed adolescents who reported a history of trauma retrieved more vivid autobiographical memories than depressed adolescents not reporting such a history, had rehearsed them more frequently, and reported more confidence in their veracity.
Role of renal ultrasonography in the management of pyelonephritis in pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of renal ultrasonography in pregnant women with pyelonephritis. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective review was done of hospital records of 171 consecutive pregnant women admitted to the hospital over a 7-year period with the diagnosis of pyelonephritis. RESULTS Urine cultures were positive in all but one of the women and intravenous antibiotics were administered in all cases. Renal ultrasonography was done in 75 (43.9%) of the women and results found to be normal in 26 (34.7%) of them. The renal pelvis was dilated mildly (6 to 10 mm) in 25 (33.3%), moderately (11 to 15 mm) in 16 (21.3%), and severely (> or = 16 mm) in 8 (10.7%) patients. Duplicated collecting systems and renal calculi were each found in 2 (2.7%) patients. All patients were treated conservatively with no need for ureteral stents. Three of the patients with severe hydronephrosis were first seen at term and delivery was therefore induced. There was no difference in maternal characteristics and outcome of pregnancy between women who underwent renal ultrasonography and those who did not. However, the duration of hospitalization was significantly longer (p < 0.02) for women in whom renal ultrasonography was performed (mean +/- SD, 5.8 +/- 1.7 vs 4.1 +/- 1.3 days). CONCLUSION Renal ultrasonography is of limited benefit in pregnant women with pyelonephritis, because these imaging studies only rarely modify management and do not significantly affect pregnancy outcome.