Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Influences on Muscle Strength, Lean Body Mass, and Bone Mineral Density: A Twin Study

Lean body mass and muscle strength are both associated with bone mineral density (BMD), which is known to be under strong genetic control. In this classical twin study, we examine the size of the genetic component of both muscle strength and lean body mass and to what degree they account for the genetic component of BMD. In all, 706 postmenopausal women were examined; 227 pairs of monozygous (MZ) twins and 126 pairs of dizygous (DZ) twins. Grip strength was measured using a hand‐help grip bulb and leg strength using a dynamic leg extensor power rig. Lean body mass and BMD at multiple sites were measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. BMD correlated with both leg extensor strength (r = 0.16–0.26) and grip strength (r = 0.12–0.21). Lean mass was significantly correlated with BMD at all sites (r = 0.20–0.39). All three muscle variables have a moderate genetic component with heritability estimates of 0.52 for lean body mass, 0.46 for leg extensor strength, and 0.30 for grip strength (all p < 0.05). The genetic component of BMD was not significantly reduced after adjusting for lean mass and muscle strength, with less than 20% of the genetic variance of BMD explained by the muscle variables. In conclusion, these data suggest that the three muscle variables have a modest genetic component, suggesting the potential for clinical intervention and lifestyle modifications. The genetic component to muscle bulk and strength accounts for little of the genetic component to BMD, confirming the rationale for research into bone‐specific genes.
Control techniques for Culicoides biting midges and their application in the U.K. and northwestern Palaearctic

Abstract The recent emergence of bluetongue virus (Reoviridae: Orbivirus) (BTV) in northern Europe, for the first time in recorded history, has led to an urgent need for methods to control the disease caused by this virus and the midges that spread it. This paper reviews various methods of vector control that have been employed elsewhere and assesses their likely efficacy for controlling vectors of BTV in northern Europe. Methods of controlling Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) have included: (a) application of insecticides and pathogens to habitats where larvae develop; (b) environmental interventions to remove larval breeding sites; (c) controlling adult midges by treating either resting sites, such as animal housing, or host animals with insecticides; (d) housing livestock in screened buildings, and (e) using repellents or host kairomones to lure and kill adult midges. The major vectors of BTV in northern Europe are species from the Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides pulicaris (L.) groups, for which there are scant data on breeding habits, resting behaviour and host‐oriented responses. Consequently, there is little information on which to base a rational strategy for controlling midges or for predicting the likely impact of interventions. However, data extrapolated from the results of vector control operations conducted elsewhere, combined with some assessment of how acceptable or not different methods may be within northern Europe, indicate that the treatment of livestock and animal housing with pyrethroids, the use of midge‐proofed stabling for viraemic or high‐value animals and the promotion of good farm practice to at least partially eliminate local breeding sites are the best options currently available. Research to assess and improve the efficacy of these methods is required and, in the longer term, efforts should be made to develop better bait systems for monitoring and, possibly, controlling midges. All these studies will need better methods of analysing the ecology and behaviour of midges in the field than are currently in use. The paucity of control options and basic knowledge serve to warn us that we must be better prepared for the possible emergence of other midge‐borne diseases, particularly African horse sickness.
Age-based reference ranges for annual height velocity in US children.

OBJECTIVE Clinicians caring for children rely on measures of linear growth as a biomarker of development and overall health. Current reference ranges for height velocity (HV) for US children are unable to provide HV percentiles or Z-scores for early maturing and late maturing children at ages other than age at peak velocity. We present empirically acquired, age-specific reference ranges for HV from a contemporary sample of US youth. STUDY DESIGN Subjects were enrolled in the Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study, a large, multicenter, multiethnic, contemporary cohort of children (aged 5-19 y at enrollment) from the United States followed for up to 7 years. More than 4000 annual (12 ± 1 mo) HV measurements from approximately 1500 children were available. Pubertal status was determined by breast stage or testicular volume assessed by experienced health providers. Age-specific reference ranges were determined using the LMS method. RESULTS Reference ranges (third to 97th percentiles) were generated for the entire cohort and for subgroups whose pubertal timing was defined as "earlier," "average," or "later. " African American girls experienced earlier pubertal onset and had greater HV at younger ages and lower HV at older ages, compared to non-African American girls; differences did not persist after adjustment for pubertal timing. These differences were not observed for males. CONCLUSIONS These reference ranges for annual HV can be used to assess growth relative to peers of the same age and sex, with consideration of pubertal timing. Z-scores and exact percentiles for HV can also be determined for population studies.
P-glycoprotein: a defense mechanism limiting oral bioavailability and CNS accumulation of drugs.

Transport by ATP-dependent efflux pumps such as P-glycoprotein is an increasingly recognized determinant of drug disposition. P-glycoprotein does not only contribute to multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor cells, it is also expressed in normal tissues with excretory function such as liver, kidney and intestine. Apical expression of P-glycoprotein in such tissues results in reduced drug absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and enhanced drug elimination into bile and urine. Moreover, expression of P-glycoprotein in the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier prevents entry of certain drugs into the central nervous system. Human P-glycoprotein has been shown to transport a wide range of structurally unrelated drugs such as digoxin, quinidine, cyclosporine and HIV-1 protease inhibitors. Drug administration to P-glycoprotein knock-out and control mice provided data on the importance of P-glycoprotein for absorption after oral administration and penetration through the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, P-glycoprotein knock-out mice were used to identify inhibition of P-glycoprotein-mediated transport as a mechanism for drug interactions such as the digoxin-quinidine interaction. Studies in humans indicate a particular importance of intestinal P-glycoprotein for bioavailability of the immunosuppressant cyclosporine. Moreover, induction of intestinal P-glycoprotein by rifampin has now been identified as the major underlying mechanism of reduced digoxin plasma concentrations during concomitant rifampin therapy. In summary, P-glycoprotein functions as a defense mechanism, which determines bioavailability and CNS concentrations of drugs. Modification of P-glycoprotein function is an important underlying mechanism of drug interactions in humans. However, disposition of a drug and its metabolites frequently is not only determined by P-glycoprotein, but also by drug-metabolizing enzymes and possibly by drug transporters other than P-glycoprotein [e.g. members of the MRP family (MRP = multidrug resistance-associated proteins)].
Identification of Web User Segments Based on Beliefs about Online Ads

ABSTRACT Online advertising has been one of the fastest growing industries worldwide, due to the increased number of Internet users. From the perspective of marketing management, identifying the profile of web users who click online ads will enable designers to create better online advertising campaigns. Hence, the main objectives of this article are (1) to segment web users based on their beliefs about online ads, (2) to identify personality traits of each segment, and (3) to investigate attitudinal and behavioral differences across segments about online ads. Data were collected through an online survey and by using cluster analysis, web users were segmented into three groups based on their beliefs about online ads: “Supporters,” “Neutrals,” and “Opponents. ” Personality trait differences as well as attitudinal and behavioral differences among three segments were examined and significant differences were found in terms of their personality traits, such as variety seeking, market mavenism, and innovativeness.
How can nanoleakage occur in self-etching adhesive systems that demineralize and infiltrate simultaneously?

PURPOSE Single-step adhesives which etch and prime simultaneously and are not rinsed should not exhibit areas of incomplete infiltration within hybrid layers produced in sound dentin. This study examined the extent of silver uptake using ammoniacal silver nitrate in three two-step, self-etching primers (Imperva Fluoro Bond, Shofu; UniFil Bond, GC, ABF system, Kuraray) and one single-step, self-etching adhesive (AQ Bond, Sun Medical) bonded to dentin and four poly(HEMA) resins used as controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS Flat dentin surfaces were bonded with these adhesives and sectioned into 0.8-mm-thick slabs that were then coated with nail varnish except for the bonded interfaces and immersed in AgNO3 for 24 h. Four types of poly(HEMA) resins were made: 100% HEMA; 90% HEMA-10% water; 75% HEMA-10% water, all polymerized with TBBO at 50 degrees C for 6 h; 100% HEMA polymerized at 25 degrees C for 30 min. After developing, undemineralized, unstained, epoxy resin-embedded sections were prepared for TEM. RESULTS Nanoleakage patterns were observed in all bonded specimens. Fine segregated silver particles and reticular silver-staining patterns were found within the thin hybrid layers created by the three self-etching primers. For the single-step, self-etching adhesive, heavy silver deposits were identified within the hybridized complex formed by this adhesive within the smear layer, the underlying intact dentin, and in the adhesive layer. Increasing amounts of silver uptake were observed in poly(HEMA) specimens containing more water or that were polymerized at 25 degrees C for a short time instead of 50 degrees C for 6 h. CONCLUSIONS Silver uptake in hybrid layers formed by self-etching adhesives in sound dentin is not necessarily caused by disparities between the depths of demineralization and resin infiltration. They represent areas of increased permeability within a polymerized resin matrix in which water is incompletely removed resulting in regions of incomplete polymerization and/or hydrogel formation.
Bereavement-Related Cognitive Impairment in an Oldest-Old Community-Dwelling Brazilian Sample

As it is already known that depression can cause a demonstrable impact on cognition in elderly subjects, the objective of this study was to determine whether also the mourning process is associated with any cognitive impairment in this age range. A random and representative sample (a sample with 77 subjects/total county population of oldest-old with 219 subjects = 35%) aged 80 years or more was selected from the county of Veranópolis in the Brazilian rural southern region. Of this group, the cognitive function of subjects without grief and of subjects with the presence of grief were compared. Five neuropsychological tests (the Buschke–Fuld Selective Reminding Test, the word-list from the CERAD battery, the Verbal Fluency Test, and two subtests of the Wechsler memory scale), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and two self-perceived memory impairment questionnaires were used. Presence of depressive symptomatology was identified by the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The prevalence rates of some psychiatric diagnoses (syndromic general anxiety disorder, major and minor depression) were compared between the bereaved group and the control group. There was not a statistically significant difference between the scores of controls and subjects with grief in the GDS. The frequency of affective disorders in both groups did not differ. However, the recently bereaved elderly subjects presented a mild cognitive impairment when evaluated with the MMSE, with the digit span test and with Word-list neuropsychological memory test. Likewise these bereaved octogenarian subjects presented more frequently a diagnosis of ‘aging-associated cognitive decline’ when compared with non-bereaved oldest-old. These results suggest that the normal sadness and/or the chronic stress of the grieving process, even without the presence of an identifiable syndromal-level depression, are associated with memory and cognitive differences among the bereaved oldest-old. Cause–effect relationships, however, cannot be established from this cross-sectional correlational study: Grief may influence cognitive functioning in the elderly, but mildly cognitively compromised elderly persons may be more likely to experience strong grief reactions after loss.
7th international workshop on economics-driven software engineering research

The 7th International Workshop on Economics-Driven Software Engineering Research (EDSER-7) continues to be the leading forum for the discussion of emerging research ideas in software economics. The focus of the workshop is on the use of economic models for reasoning about technical issues and decisions in the definition, design, development, deployment, and evolution of software and software-intensive systems.
Sunscreen use and sun protection practices in students and personnel of Celal Bayar University

Background/Purpose: The steady increase in the incidence of melanoma, non‐melanoma cutaneous neoplasia and preneoplastic disorders has contributed to the demand for more effective protection from the sun. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of sunscreen use and other sun protection behaviors in a large sample of students and personnel of Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
Classifying Large Chemical Data Sets: Using A Regularized Potential Function Method

In recent years classifiers generated with kernel-based methods, such as support vector machines (SVM), Gaussian processes (GP), regularization networks (RN), and binary kernel discrimination (BKD) have been very popular in chemoinformatics data analysis. Aizerman et al. were the first to introduce the notion of employing kernel-based classifiers in the area of pattern recognition. Their original scheme, which they termed the potential function method (PFM), can basically be viewed as a kernel-based perceptron procedure and arguably subsumes the modern kernel-based algorithms. PFM can be computationally much cheaper than modern kernel-based classifiers; furthermore, PFM is far simpler conceptually and easier to implement than the SVM, GP, and RN algorithms. Unfortunately, unlike, e.g., SVM, GP, and RN, PFM is not endowed with both theoretical guarantees and practical strategies to safeguard it against generating overfitting classifiers. This is, in our opinion, the reason why this simple and elegant method has not been taken up in chemoinformatics. In this paper we empirically address this drawback: while maintaining its simplicity, we demonstrate that PFM combined with a simple regularization scheme may yield binary classifiers that can be, in practice, as efficient as classifiers obtained by employing state-of-the-art kernel-based methods. Using a realistic classification example, the augmented PFM was used to generate binary classifiers. Using a large chemical data set, the generalization ability of PFM classifiers were then compared with the prediction power of Laplacian-modified naive Bayesian (LmNB), Winnow (WN), and SVM classifiers.
The structure of a probabilistic 2-state finite transducer representation for Prisoner's Dilemma

Several studies have used the fingerprint, a mathematical technique that generates a representation-independent functional signature of a game playing strategy, to conduct automated analyses of spaces of strategies. This study looks at an even larger state space, namely a grid over the probabilistic 2-state finite transducers, as a representation for playing Prisoner's Dilemma. Even using just a three-level {0, 0.5, 1} grid amounts to 100,000 representable strategies, with an immense 40,679 unique strategies within. All strategies are fingerprinted and all pairwise distances computed, then hierarchical clustering reduces this dataset to around size 10,000 for further analysis with multidimensional scaling. Results indicate that the 20-dimensional grid has no obvious cutoff scales of structure, that we can quantify several important dimensions, and a high level of similarity with past results on smaller state spaces. We also find an interesting difference between complete playing equivalence of deterministic versus probabilistic transducers.
Impact of compact fluorescent lamps on the electric power network

Effects of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) on the electric power network are analyzed. Measurements of electrical characteristics of eight CFLs are made during their switching and normal scheme operations. On the basis of measurement results a simulation model of a part of the electric power network was developed using the PSCAD simulation program. The model enables simulation of a detailed operation of CFLs with regard to other different loads. A comparison is made of the effects of replacement of the classic incandescent light bulbs with CFLs on the active and reactive power and harmonic voltages and currents (with regard to the EN 50160 specifications).
HYPERGLYCEMIA MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH POSTTRANSPLANTATION DIABETES.

OBJECTIVE Posttransplantation diabetes (PTDM) is a common occurrence after solid-organ transplantation and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. There is a limited number of studies addressing strategies for hyperglycemia management in this population, with a few articles emerging recently. METHODS We performed a PubMed search of studies published in English addressing hyperglycemia management of PTDM/new-onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT). Relevant cited articles were also retrieved. RESULTS Most of the 25 publications eligible for review were retrospective studies. Insulin therapy during the early posttransplantation period showed promise in preventing PTDM development. Thiazolidinediones have been mostly shown to exert glycemic control in retrospective studies, at the expense of weight gain and fluid retention. Evidence with metformin, sulfonylureas, and meglitinides is very limited. Incretins have shown promising results in small prospective studies using sitagliptin, linaglitpin, and vildagliptin and a case series using liraglutide. CONCLUSION Prospective randomized studies assessing the management of hyperglycemia in PTDM are urgently needed. In the meantime, clinicians need to be aware of the high risk of PTDM and associated complications and current concepts in management.
Urban 'Slums' and Social Mobility

Informal urban settlements determine the well-being of a large section of global humanity. Yet there has been little research on their role in facilitating social mobility. In theory such settlements may foster human progress by linking rural-urban migrants to the services, contacts and livelihoods concentrated in cities. The article uses longitudinal data for South Africa to explore the magnitude of social progression among people living within informal settlements compared with rural areas and formal urban areas. It finds that there may be some advantage from living in an informal settlement compared with a rural area, but the effect is not strong. The impact may be larger in the more prosperous Gauteng city-region than in other urban regions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Immunogenicity of Different Insulins in Several Animal Species

The immunologie properties of homologous and heterologous insulins have been investigated. Pigs, dogs, cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats were immunized with different hormone preparations alone or in combination with complete Freund adjuvant. The results obtained provide convincing evidence that in pigs homologous insulin cannot produce specific antibodies, whereas heterologous insulin can. Because the insulins of dogs and pigs have identical amino acid sequences, no antigenicity of porcine insulin in dogs could be observed either. In cattle, sheep, and goats, not only heterologous but also homologous insulins stimulated antibody production. Sheep and goats proved to be excellent reactor animals. Most of the small laboratory animals developed specific antibodies against insulin after hyperimmunization. In rabbits, not only the groups injected with nonchromatographed bovine insulin but also those hyperimmunized with single-component bovine insulin responded with a high serum level of specific antibodies. The data suggest that highly purified insulin preparations have not less antigenic activity than nonchromatographed insulin. Immunologically, des-Phe-B1-insulin acted exactly like the original hormone. Histologie examination of the pancreases of 45 pigs, 22 of which had high antibody titers, did not reveal insulitis. The results of the present paper point out that the production of specific antibodies is essentially a question of species specificity.
Hearing aid fitting and fine-tuning based on estimated individual traits

Abstract Objective: A generalised concept for hearing aid fitting and fine-tuning based on estimated individual traits is presented along first implementations in this report. Design: To estimate the individual traits, a set of auditory model-based performance measures is used to generate promising candidates within the algorithm’s parameter space for a subsequent subjective rating. For the subjective assessment, a fast and intuitive multi-stimulus test denoted as combined discrimination and classification (CoDiCl) is presented to capture user preferences for an optimised setting. Study sample: The estimation of individual traits is shown in an exemplary manner for a multidimensional coherence-based noise reduction algorithm. The dimensionality reduction was performed using differently weighted combinations of speech intelligibility index (SII) and perceived similarity measure (PSM). Results: Nine reasonable alternative algorithm setting candidates were extracted from a model-optimised exploration path (MOEP) for a subsequent subjective rating to potentially differentiate between listeners with different attitudes towards noise suppression and introduced distortions (i.e. “noise haters” and “distortion haters”). Conclusions: By iteratively improving the agreement between subjective and objective assessment, an objective estimation of subjective traits using appropriate weightings of objective measures may become possible. This will potentially help to efficiently fit modern multidimensional hearing aid algorithms to the individual user.