Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nutrient Metabolism Consumption of Soy Protein Reduces Cholesterol Absorption Compared to Casein Protein Alone or Supplemented with an Isoflavone Extract or Conjugated Equine Estrogen in Ovariectomized Cynomolgus Monkeys 1

Dietary intake of soy protein is associated with reductions in plasma cholesterol. Isoflavones are thought to be active components of soy and responsible for the beneficial effects because of their structural similarities to estrogen. The purposes of this study were to determine if i ) soy protein or a semipurified soy extract, rich in isoflavones, is responsible for improving the lipid profile and ii ) altered intestinal cholesterol metabolism is one mechanism for hypocholesterolemic effects. Ovariectomized adult female cynomolgus monkeys (40) were assigned to groups fed diets containing i ) casein-lactalbumin (CAS) ii ) intact soy protein (SOY), iii ) CAS plus an isoflavone-rich semipurified soy extract similar in isoflavone content as SOY (ISO) or iv) CAS plus conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) for 20 wk. Cholesterol absorption was determined using the fecal isotope ratio method. Bile acid excretion was measured using the 3a-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase assay. The SOY group had significantly lower totaland VLDL 1 LDL-cholesterol compared to the other three groups and significantly higher HDLcholesterol compared to the CAS and CEE groups. Cholesterol absorption was significantly lower in the SOY group compared to the other groups, but bile acid excretion was not significantly affected. The hypocholesterolemic effect of soy protein appears to be mediated in part by decreased cholesterol absorption. The semipurified soy extract, rich in isoflavones, added to casein protein did not have lipid-lowering effects. Other components of soy such as saponins, phytic acid or the amino acid composition may be involved in the hypocholesterolemic effects seen in this study. J. Nutr. 130: 820–826, 2000.
Subclinical pneumonia in lambs.

Summary Groups of lambs were either slaughtered at weekly intervals between November and June, or regularly sampled over this period. The number of isolations of Pasteurella haemolytica and Mycoplasma sp. from the lungs increased during the later part of two seasons, as did the incidence of lesions typical of enzootic pneumonia. P. haemolytica was frequently isolated after February from nasal swabs in spite of the presence of serum antibody titres against this organism. Serum antibody titre to two adenoviruses were found to fall to a low level, one in January, the other in May, and then to rise again. Virus isolations were made at the time the homologous antibody titres were lowest.
The Precise Recognition of Moving Object in Complex Background

Moving object detection is currently one of the most active research topics in the domain of computer vision and video processing. In this paper, a simply and fast quadric binarization method is proposed to remove environmental noise points effectively. Moreover, based on the stability of drawing the contour from fixed scene, the background subtraction method is combined with the time-stepping method, an effective method which could be used to detect the movement areas. Through the average weighted of two means can realize to enhance the accuracy in distinguishing target. Experiment results have shown that this method gives stable performances and good robustness.
Meta-analyses of chemotherapy for locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE There are a large number of randomized controlled trials involving chemotherapy in the management of advanced pancreatic cancer. Several chemotherapeutic agents, either alone or in combination with other chemotherapy or novel agents, have been used. The aim of these meta-analyses was to examine the different therapeutic approaches, and the comparisons examined were as follows: chemotherapy versus best supportive care; fluorouracil (FU) versus FU combination chemotherapy; gemcitabine versus FU; and gemcitabine versus gemcitabine combination chemotherapy. METHODS Relevant trials were identified by searching databases, trial registers, and conference proceedings. The primary end point was overall survival. RESULTS One hundred thirteen randomized controlled trials were identified, of which 51 trials involving 9,970 patients met the inclusion criteria. Chemotherapy improved survival compared with best supportive care (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.98). FU-based combination chemotherapy did not result in better overall survival compared with FU alone (HR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.82 to 1.08). There was insufficient evidence of a survival difference between gemcitabine and FU, but the wide CI includes clinically important differences in both directions, making a clear conclusion difficult (HR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.42 to 1.31). Survival was improved after gemcitabine combination chemotherapy compared with gemcitabine alone (HR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85 to 0.97). CONCLUSION There was a significant survival benefit for chemotherapy over best supportive care and gemcitabine combinations over gemcitabine alone. This supports the use of gemcitabine-based combination chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.
Weightbearing CBCT, MDCT, and 2D imaging dosimetry of the foot and ankle

Aims: This study compares effective doses associated with 2D lateral, oblique, and AP radiographs with 3D MDCT and Cone Beam CT images of the foot and ankle. Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom of the foot and ankle was constructed from an adult human skeleton and soft tissue equivalent material. Optical stimulated dosimeters were placed at 21 locations within and on tissues and anatomy of interest. Effective dose was calculated following 2007 ICRP recommendations. Three projections were exposed to simulate conventional 2D imaging. Standard and optimized dose MDCT scans were exposed to simulate typical CT options. Ten, 20, and 30cm fields of view, 100 and 120kVp and 4.5 and 6.8mAs exposures were tested using a PedCAT® CBCT device designed for weightbearing imaging. Dose was calculated for an adult as well as for a 5 and 10-year-old child to assess the impact of age on risk estimation. Results: Standard adult effective doses for single foot imaging were 0. 6µSv for 2D, 3. 8µSv for CBCT, and 25µSv for MDCT ( p = 0.0013). Dose differed significantly with age ( p = 0.0185). For a 5-year-old, doses rise to 0. 8µSv for 2D, 18µSv for CBCT, and 200µSv for MDCT. Small and medium CBCT fields produced adult doses of 2.3 mSv and 0.9 mSv respectively. Conclusions: The effective dose for small FOV CBCT or conventional 2D series examinations is comparable to a few hours of equivalent background dose. Such doses are negligible; therefore, the dose of radiation should not be a concern when considering the use of CBCT imaging for foot/ankle examination.
Fission Yeast Receptor of Activated C Kinase (RACK1) Ortholog Cpc2 Regulates Mitotic Commitment through Wee1 Kinase*

In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Wee1-dependent inhibitory phosphorylation of the highly conserved Cdc2/Cdk1 kinase determines the mitotic onset when cells have reached a defined size. The receptor of activated C kinase (RACK1) is a scaffolding protein strongly conserved among eukaryotes which binds to other proteins to regulate multiple processes in mammalian cells, including the modulation of cell cycle progression during G1/S transition. We have recently described that Cpc2, the fission yeast ortholog to RACK1, controls from the ribosome the activation of MAPK cascades and the cellular defense against oxidative stress by positively regulating the translation of specific genes whose products participate in the above processes. Intriguingly, mutants lacking Cpc2 display an increased cell size at division, suggesting the existence of a specific cell cycle defect at the G2/M transition. In this work we show that protein levels of Wee1 mitotic inhibitor are increased in cells devoid of Cpc2, whereas the levels of Cdr2, a Wee1 inhibitor, are down-regulated in the above mutant. On the contrary, the kinetics of G1/S transition was virtually identical both in control and Cpc2-less strains. Thus, our results suggest that in fission yeast Cpc2/RACK1 positively regulates from the ribosome the mitotic onset by modulating both the protein levels and the activity of Wee1. This novel mechanism of translational control of cell cycle progression might be conserved in higher eukaryotes.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Fetal Cardiac Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Background— The goal of this statement is to review available literature and to put forth a scientific statement on the current practice of fetal cardiac medicine, including the diagnosis and management of fetal cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results— A writing group appointed by the American Heart Association reviewed the available literature pertaining to topics relevant to fetal cardiac medicine, including the diagnosis of congenital heart disease and arrhythmias, assessment of cardiac function and the cardiovascular system, and available treatment options. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association classification of recommendations and level of evidence for practice guidelines were applied to the current practice of fetal cardiac medicine. Recommendations relating to the specifics of fetal diagnosis, including the timing of referral for study, indications for referral, and experience suggested for performance and interpretation of studies, are presented. The components of a fetal echocardiogram are described in detail, including descriptions of the assessment of cardiac anatomy, cardiac function, and rhythm. Complementary modalities for fetal cardiac assessment are reviewed, including the use of advanced ultrasound techniques, fetal magnetic resonance imaging, and fetal magnetocardiography and electrocardiography for rhythm assessment. Models for parental counseling and a discussion of parental stress and depression assessments are reviewed. Available fetal therapies, including medical management for arrhythmias or heart failure and closed or open intervention for diseases affecting the cardiovascular system such as twin–twin transfusion syndrome, lung masses, and vascular tumors, are highlighted. Catheter-based intervention strategies to prevent the progression of disease in utero are also discussed. Recommendations for delivery planning strategies for fetuses with congenital heart disease including models based on classification of disease severity and delivery room treatment will be highlighted. Outcome assessment is reviewed to show the benefit of prenatal diagnosis and management as they affect outcome for babies with congenital heart disease. Conclusions— Fetal cardiac medicine has evolved considerably over the past 2 decades, predominantly in response to advances in imaging technology and innovations in therapies. The diagnosis of cardiac disease in the fetus is mostly made with ultrasound; however, new technologies, including 3- and 4-dimensional echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and fetal electrocardiography and magnetocardiography, are available. Medical and interventional treatments for select diseases and strategies for delivery room care enable stabilization of high-risk fetuses and contribute to improved outcomes. This statement highlights what is currently known and recommended on the basis of evidence and experience in the rapidly advancing and highly specialized field of fetal cardiac care.
Niall Shanks Modeling Biological Systems : the Belousov – Zhabotinsky Reaction

In this essay I examine the ways in which the Belousov– Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is being used by biologists to model a variety of biological systems and processes. The BZ reaction is characterized as a functional modelof biological phenomena. It is able to play this role because, though based on very different substrates, the model and system modeled are examples of the same type of excitable medium. Lessons are drawn from this case about the relationships between the sciences of chemistry and biology.
Vector-mediated drug delivery to the brain

As a consequence of the growing ageing population, many neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and infections of the brain will become more prevalent. Despite major advances in neuroscience, many potential therapeutic agents are denied access to the central nervous system (CNS) because of the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This barrier is formed by the endothelial cells of the brain capillaries and its primary characteristic is the impermeability of the capillary wall due to the presence of complex tight junctions and a low endocytic activity. The BBB behaves as a continuous lipid bilayer and prevents the passage of polar and lipid-insoluble substances. The BBB is, therefore, the major obstacle to drugs that are potentially useful for combating diseases affecting the CNS. Extensive efforts have been made to develop CNS drug delivery strategies in order to enhance delivery of therapeutic molecules across the BBB. The current challenge is to develop drug-delivery strategies that will allow the passage of therapeutic drugs through the BBB in a safe and effective manner. This review focuses specifically on the strategies developed to enhance drug delivery across the BBB with an emphasis on the vector-mediated strategy.
Regulation of IRF-3-dependent Innate Immunity by the Papain-like Protease Domain of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a novel coronavirus that causes a highly contagious respiratory disease, SARS, with significant mortality. Although factors contributing to the highly pathogenic nature of SARS-CoV remain poorly understood, it has been reported that SARS-CoV infection does not induce type I interferons (IFNs) in cell culture. However, it is uncertain whether SARS-CoV evades host detection or has evolved mechanisms to counteract innate host defenses. We show here that infection of SARS-CoV triggers a weak IFN response in cultured human lung/bronchial epithelial cells without inducing the phosphorylation of IFN-regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), a latent cellular transcription factor that is pivotal for type I IFN synthesis. Furthermore, SARS-CoV infection blocked the induction of IFN antiviral activity and the up-regulation of protein expression of a subset of IFN-stimulated genes triggered by double-stranded RNA or an unrelated paramyxovirus. In searching for a SARS-CoV protein capable of counteracting innate immunity, we identified the papain-like protease (PLpro) domain as a potent IFN antagonist. The inhibition of the IFN response does not require the protease activity of PLpro. Rather, PLpro interacts with IRF-3 and inhibits the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of IRF-3, thereby disrupting the activation of type I IFN responses through either Toll-like receptor 3 or retinoic acid-inducible gene I/melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 pathways. Our data suggest that regulation of IRF-3-dependent innate antiviral defenses by PLpro may contribute to the establishment of SARS-CoV infection.
Geography in Reduced Form

Geography models have introduced and estimated a set of competing explanations for the persistent relationships between firm and location characteristics, but cannot identify these forces. I introduce a solution method for models in arbitrary geographies that generates reduced-form predictions and tests to identify forces acting through geographic linkages. This theoretical approach creates a new strategy for spatial empirics. Using the correct observables, the model shows that geographic forces can be taken into account without being directly estimated; establishment and employment density emerge as sufficient statistics for all geographic forces. I present two applications. First, the model can be used to evaluate whether geographic linkages matter and when simplified models suffice: the mono-centric model is a good fit for business services firms but cannot capture the geography of manufactures. Second, the model generates reduced-form tests that distinguish between spillovers and firm sorting and finds evidence of sorting.
The Application of Non-Default Uncertainty Factors in the U.S. EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Part I: UF L , UF S , and “Other Uncertainty Factors”

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) includes hazard identification and dose-response assessment values developed by Agency scientists. Uncertainty factors (UFs) are used in the development of IRIS values to address the lack of information in five main areas. The standard UFs account for interspecies uncertainty (UFA) and intraspecies variability (UFH). The UFA addresses uncertainty related to the extrapolation of data from animals to humans, whereas the UFH addresses variability amongst individuals (i.e., intrahuman). Additional UFs have been employed to account for database incompleteness, extrapolations from a lowest-observed-adverse-effect level in the absence of a no-observed-adverse-effect level (UFL), and subchronic-to-chronic extrapolation (UFS). A sixth UF designated as “other uncertainty factors” (UFO) has also been applied in place of the UFL to account for uncertainty with the adversity of points of departure obtained using benchmark dose modeling. This review will discuss how UFL, UFS, and UFO have been applied in IRIS assessments, along with the rationale used to describe the choice of UF values that deviate from the standard default of 10. †These authors contributed equally to this work.
Genetic effects on information processing speed are moderated by age – converging results from three samples

Information processing is a cognitive trait forming the basis of complex abilities like executive function. The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a well‐established test of information processing with moderate to high heritability. Age of the individual also plays an important role. A number of genetic association studies with the TMT have been performed, which, however, did not consider age as a moderating factor. We report the results of genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) on age‐independent and age‐dependent TMT performance in two population‐representative community samples (Munich Antidepressant Response Signature, MARS: N1 = 540; Ludwig Maximilians University, LMU: N2 = 350). Age‐dependent genome‐wide findings were then evaluated in a third sample of healthy elderly subjects (Sydney Memory and Ageing Study, Sydney MAS: N3 = 448). While a meta‐analysis on the GWAS findings did not reveal age‐independent TMT associations withstanding correction for multiple testing, we found a genome‐wide significant age‐moderated effect between variants in the DSG1 gene region and TMT‐A performance predominantly reflecting visual processing speed (rs2199301, Pmeta‐analysis = 1.3 × 10−7). The direction of the interaction suggests for the minor allele a beneficial effect in younger adults turning into a detrimental effect in older adults. The detrimental effect of the missense single nucleotide polymorphism rs1426310 within the same DSG1 gene region could be replicated in Sydney MAS participants aged 70–79, but not in those aged 80 years and older, presumably a result of survivor bias. Our findings demonstrate opposing effects of DSG1 variants on information processing speed depending on age, which might be related to the complex processes that DSG1 is involved with, including cell adhesion and apoptosis.
A Short Note on Improved ROSETA

This note presents a more efficient formulation of the robust online subspace estimation and tracking algorithm (ROSETA) that is capable of identifying and tracking a time-varying low dimensional subspace from incomplete measurements and in the presence of sparse outliers. The algorithm minimizes a robust l1 norm cost function between the observed measurements and their projection onto the estimated subspace. The projection coefficients and sparse outliers are computed using a LASSO solver and the subspace estimate is updated using a proximal point iteration with adaptive parameter selection.
Vulnerability to Climate Change

Regardless of academic discipline, whether human or political ecology, the social sciences, or emergent sustainability or global change sciences, vulnerability is a useful concept for discussing a relatively broad suite of environmental, socioeconomic, institutional, and political phenomena. Furthermore, regardless of the vulnerability analysis framework used, social, economic, institutional, and political structures modify social and environmental vulnerability. However, in the risk-hazards and geography literatures, vulnerability was initially assessed with a focus on environmentally driven outcomes. Traditionally, vulnerability research might employ the risk-hazards approach or a pressure-and-release model in studying sustainable livelihoods, vulnerability to climate change or to famines and food insecurity, human ecology, or the integrated vulnerability of socio-ecological systems. The literature corroborates, on the one hand, that institutions adapt to environmental risks and, on the other, that interdependence exists among environmental risk (either experienced or perceived), political economy of development, and systems’ resilience.
Serum Creatinine, Height, and Weight Do Not Predict Glomerular Filtration Rate in Children with IDDM

OBJECTIVE To assess the validity of two equations: K × height/serum creatinine (KL/Cr; K = 0.55 for females 1–18 yr of age and 0.7 for males 12–18 yr of age) and (140 – age) × weight/72 × creatinine (×0.85 for women; Cockroft-Gault) in estimating glomerular filtration rate in children and adolescents with IDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS From the records of the Children's Hospital Diabetes Clinic, we selected 70 patients with GFR determined by 99mTc-labeled DTPA plasma clearance, stable renal function, and simultaneous measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, HbA1c, and plasma creatinine. We compared DTPA-GFR with estimated GFR from KL/Cr and Cockroft-Gault equations for three groups: all patients, patients with DTPA-GFR ≤ 140 ml·min−1 · 1.73 m−2, and patients with DTPA-GFR > 140 ml·min−1 · 1.73 m−2. RESULTS For all patients, mean values for DTPA-GFR = 147 (95% confidence interval, 139–155), for KL/Cr = 118 (110–125), and for Cockroft-Gault = 84 ml–·min−1 · 1.73 m−2 (78–90). For patients with DTPA-GFR ≤ 140, DTPA-GFR = 123 (117–128), KL/Cr = 110 (100–119), and Cockroft-Gault = 92 (82–102). For patients with DTPA-GFR > 140, DTPA-GFR = 167 (158–177), KL/Cr = 125 (114–136), and Cockroft-Gault = 77 (71–84). Linear regression analysis showed significant (P < 0.05) relationships for KL/Cr only in patients with DTPA-GFR ≤ 140 (r = 0.29), for Cockroft-Gault in all patients (r = −0.46), and for patients with DTPA-GFR ≤ 140 (r = −0.31). Determination of a revised K for use in KL/Cr from individual calculations of K (DTPA-GFR × Cr/L) yielded an average value of 0.70 (SD = 0.11). With the use of K = 0.7, the mean KL/Cr value for patients with DTPA-GFR ≤ 140 ml·min−1 · 1.73 m−2 was 125 ± 27 (95% confidence interval, 115–135), compared with a DTPA-GFR value of 123 ± 14 (95% confidence interval, 117–128). CONCLUSIONS KL/Cr and Cockroft-Gault do not accurately estimate DTPA plasma clearance. We recommend the use of K equal to 0.70 when estimating GFR in children and adolescents with IDDM and DTPA-GFR ≤ 140 using KL/Cr and do not recommend the use of the KL/Cr (for patients with DTPA-GFR > 140) or the Cockroft-Gault equation in this population.