Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The association between alcohol use and health behaviors related to the risk of cardiovascular disease: the South Carolina Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Project.

OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship between alcohol use and health behaviors related to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In particular, we examined the relationship between alcohol use and leisure time physical activity, participation in community physical activity programs and behaviors used for weight loss. Numerous studies have found a "protective" effect of moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of CVD. However, most of these studies have not adequately controlled for potential confounding by health behaviors associated with alcohol use. METHOD We used descriptive and logistic regression analyses to examine cross-sectional survey data from 2,072 participants in the South Carolina Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Project. RESULTS After controlling for age, race, education and preexisting CVD, moderate and heavy drinkers who do not smoke were more likely than nondrinkers to report engaging in regular leisure time physical activity. The relationship between other health behaviors and alcohol consumption was less clear. Among men, moderate and heavy drinkers were no more likely than nondrinkers to participate in community physical activity programs; among women, moderate and heavy drinkers were more likely than nondrinkers to report this activity. Moderate drinkers were more likely than nondrinkers to report that they were attempting to lose weight, however this difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that at least some of the apparent protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption found in other studies may be due to differences between nondrinkers and drinkers with respect to physical activity and other health practices.
A solution to the inverse kinematic problem in robotics using neural network processing

A solution algorithm is presented using the T.T. Hopfield and D.W. Tank (Biol. Cybern., vol.52, p.1-12, 1985) analog neural computation scheme to implement the Jacobian control technique. The states of neurons represent joint velocities of a manipulator, and the connection weights are determined from the current value of the Jacobian matrix. The network energy function is constructed so that its minimum corresponds to the minimum least square error between actual and desired joint velocities. At each sampling time, connection weights and neuron states are updated according to current joint positions. During each sampling period, the energy function is minimized and joint velocity command signals are obtained as the states of the Hopfield network. The network dynamics are analyzed using a closed-loop control structure. Simulation shows that this method is capable of solving the inverse kinematic problem for a planar redundant manipulator in real time. <<ETX>>
From photometric-motion to shape from shading

A new approach to shape estimation from shading input has been recently introduced through the processes of disparity-based photometric stereo (DBPS) and Green's function shape from shading (GSFS). Both processes start from a pair of constraints - a matching constraint and a photometric constraint -to arrive at a closed-form expression for the depth function of the imaged surface. In DBPS, the matching equation is solved for the disparity map, given a pair of photometric stereo images, while in GSFS, which extends the previous approach to single-input reconstruction, that equation is solved for the matching image, via Green's function. Adopting a similar framework, we have recently used photometric and matching constraints for deriving a new approach to the photometric-motion shape estimation problem. Here we show how we can extend that process to the single-input case, via Green's function. This yields high quality shape-from-shading estimates, even from real input obtained under complex illumination.
Selective bird predation on the peppered moth: the last experiment of Michael Majerus

Colour variation in the peppered moth Biston betularia was long accepted to be under strong natural selection. Melanics were believed to be fitter than pale morphs because of lower predation at daytime resting sites on dark, sooty bark. Melanics became common during the industrial revolution, but since 1970 there has been a rapid reversal, assumed to have been caused by predators selecting against melanics resting on today's less sooty bark. Recently, these classical explanations of melanism were attacked, and there has been general scepticism about birds as selective agents. Experiments and observations were accordingly carried out by Michael Majerus to address perceived weaknesses of earlier work. Unfortunately, he did not live to publish the results, which are analysed and presented here by the authors. Majerus released 4864 moths in his six-year experiment, the largest ever attempted for any similar study. There was strong differential bird predation against melanic peppered moths. Daily selection against melanics (s ≃ 0.1) was sufficient in magnitude and direction to explain the recent rapid decline of melanism in post-industrial Britain. These data provide the most direct evidence yet to implicate camouflage and bird predation as the overriding explanation for the rise and fall of melanism in moths.
Transition Metal Compounds Towards Holography

We have successfully proposed the application of transition metal compounds in holographic recording media. Such compounds feature an ultra-fast light-induced linkage isomerization of the transition-metal–ligand bond with switching times in the sub-picosecond regime and lifetimes from microseconds up to hours at room temperature. This article highlights the photofunctionality of two of the most promising transition metal compounds and the photophysical mechanisms that are underlying the hologram recording. We present the latest progress with respect to the key measures of holographic media assembled from transition metal compounds, the molecular embedding in a dielectric matrix and their impressive potential for modern holographic applications.
Serial measurements of plasma homocysteine levels in early and late phases of ischemic stroke

High plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy) may predispose to ischemic stroke (IS), but results of previous studies have been conflicting. We decided to determine in IS patients whether their Hcy levels are elevated, whether levels vary at different time points following stroke, whether levels are associated with stroke severity, outcome, recurrence, etiology, infarct volume, or risk factors, and whether levels are correlated with hemostatic factors or C‐reactive protein values. We measured plasma Hcy levels in 102 consecutive IS patients on admission and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after stroke and once in 102 control subjects. Hemostatic factors were measured in 55 patients. Compared with controls, plasma Hcy levels in patients were significantly lower on admission but not at later time points, with levels increasing by week and remaining at this level for 3 months. Hcy levels showed a positive correlation with age and a negative correlation with Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Plasma Hcy levels inversely correlated with plasminogen activator inhibitor type‐1. Decreased Hcy levels on admission may reflect the strength of the acute‐phase response rather than a pathogenetic event. The negative correlation between Hcy levels and MMSE scores is more probably age‐related than stroke‐related.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Debriefing Methods in High Fidelity Simulation in a Nursing Baccalaureate Program

ix CHAPTERS CHAPTER 1Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2Review of Literature and Theoretical Framework 6 CHAPTER 3Study Design and Methodology 23 CHAPTER 4Statistical Analysis and Results 30 CHAPTER 5Discussion 37 REFERENCES 49 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT 55 APPENDICES APPENDIX AIntroduction Letter 56 APPENDIX BDebriefing Experience Scale 57 APPENDIX CAuthor Permission for Using DES 60 APPENDIX DAuthor Permission on Publishing the Research Study 61 APPENDIX EInstitutional Review Board Approval Letter 62
H.264/AVC baseline profile decoder complexity analysis

We study and analyze the computational complexity of a software-based H.264/AVC (advanced video codec) baseline profile decoder. Our analysis is based on determining the number of basic computational operations required by a decoder to perform the key decoding subfunctions. The frequency of use of each of the required decoding subfunctions is empirically derived using bitstreams generated from two different encoders for a variety of content, resolutions and bit rates. Using the measured frequencies, estimates of the decoder time complexity for various hardware platforms can be determined. A detailed example is provided to assist in deriving time complexity estimates. We compare the resulting estimates to numbers measured for an optimized decoder on the Pentium 3 hardware platform. We then use those numbers to evaluate the dependence of the time complexity of each of the major decoder subfunctions on encoder characteristics, content, resolution and bit rate. Finally, we compare an H.264/AVC-compliant baseline decoder to a decoder that is compliant with the H.263 standard, which is currently dominant in interactive video applications. Both "C" only decoder implementations were compared on a Pentium 3 hardware platform. Our results indicate that an H.264/AVC baseline decoder is approximately 2.5 times more time complex than an H.263 baseline decoder.
The Impact of Solute Carrier (SLC) Drug Uptake Transporter Loss in Human and Rat Cryopreserved Hepatocytes on Clearance Predictions

Cryopreserved hepatocytes are often used as a convenient tool in studies of hepatic drug metabolism and disposition. In this study, the expression and activity of drug transporters in human and rat fresh and cryopreserved hepatocytes was investigated. In human cryopreserved hepatocytes, Western blot analysis indicated that protein expression of the drug uptake transporters [human Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), human organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs), human organic anion transporters, and human organic cation transporters (OCTs)] was considerably reduced compared with liver tissue. In rat cryopreserved cells, the same trend was observed but to a lesser extent. Several rat transporters were reduced as a result of both isolation and cryopreservation procedures. Immunofluorescence showed that a large portion of remaining human OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 transporters were internalized in human cryopreserved hepatocytes. Measuring uptake activity using known substrates of OATPs, OCTs, and NTCP showed decreased activity in cryopreserved as compared with fresh hepatocytes in both species. The reduced uptake in cryopreserved hepatocytes limited the in vitro metabolism of several AstraZeneca compounds. A retrospective analysis of clearance predictions of AstraZeneca compounds suggested systematic lower clearance predicted using metabolic stability data from human cryopreserved hepatocytes compared with human liver microsomes. This observation is consistent with a loss of drug uptake transporters in cryopreserved hepatocytes. In contrast, the predicted metabolic clearance from fresh rat hepatocytes was consistently higher than those predicted from liver microsomes, consistent with retention of uptake transporters. The uptake transporters, which are decreased in cryopreserved hepatocytes, may be rate-limiting for the metabolism of the compounds and thus be one explanation for underpredictions of in vivo metabolic clearance from cryopreserved hepatocytes.
The effects of exercise-induced muscle damage on endurance performance

Acknowledgements. List of figures. List of tables. List of abbreviations. Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Characteristics of eccentric muscle actions. 1.2 Exercise-induced muscle damage . 1.3 The effects of exercise-induced muscle damage on athletic performance. 1.4 Aims of the current thesis. Chapter 2: Review of literature 2.1 The application of resistance training methods for improving endurance performance. 2.2 Proposed mechanisms of exercise-induced muscle damage. 2.3 Initial events in muscle damage. 2.3. 1 Metabolic pathway. 2.3. 2 Mechanical pathway. 2.4 Autogenic events during exercise-induced muscle damage. 2.5 The phagocytic phase of exercise-induced muscle damage. 2.6 The regenerative phase of exercise-induced muscle damage. 2.7 Symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. 2.7. 1 Delayed onset muscle soreness.
Recovery of benthic marine communities from the end‐Permian mass extinction at the low latitudes of eastern Panthalassa

Based on the quantitative community analysis using species‐level identifications, we track the restoration of benthic ecosystems after the end‐Permian mass extinction throughout the Lower Triassic of the western USA. New data on the palaeoecology of the Thaynes Group and Sinbad Formation are provided, which fill a gap between the recently studied palaeoecology of the Griesbachian–Dienerian Dinwoody Formation and the Spathian Virgin Formation. In the Sinbad Formation and Thaynes Group, 17 species (12 genera) of bivalves, 7 species and genera of gastropods and 2 species and genera of brachiopods are recognized. The new bivalve genus Confusionella (Pteriidae) is described. A comprehensive review of the whole Lower Triassic succession of benthic ecosystems of the western USA indicates that mid‐ and inner shelf environments show incipient recovery signals around the Griesbachian–Dienerian transition, during the Smithian and, most profound, during the early Spathian. Ecological data from youngest strata of the Dinwoody Formation as well as stratigraphic ranges of species suggest that the late Dienerian was likely a time interval of environmental stress for benthic ecosystems. Despite some evidence for short‐term environmental disturbances (e.g. shift of dominant taxa, transient drop in alpha‐diversity) during the Smithian–Spathian transition, benthic ecosystems did not show any notable taxonomic turnover at that time, in contrast to the major crisis that affected ammonoids and conodonts. Whereas alpha‐diversity of benthic communities generally increased throughout the Early Triassic, beta‐diversity remained low, which reflects a persistently wide environmental range of benthic species. This observation is in accordance with a recently proposed model that predicts a time lag between increasing within‐habitat diversity (alpha‐diversity) and the onset of taxonomic differentiation between habitats (beta‐diversity) during biotic recoveries from mass extinction events. The observation that beta‐diversity had not significantly increased during the Early Triassic might also provide an explanation for the comparably sluggish increase in benthic diversity during that time, which has previously been attributed to persistent environmental stress.
Hypermethylation of the 5′ CpG Island of the FHIT Gene Is Associated with Hyperdiploid and Translocation-Negative Subtypes of Pediatric Leukemia

The human FHIT (fragile histidine triad) gene is a putative tumor suppressor gene located at chromosome region 3p14.2. Previous studies have shown that loss of heterozygosity, homozygous deletions, and abnormal expression of the FHIT gene are involved in several types of human malignancies. A CpG island is present in the 5′ promoter region of the FHIT gene, and methylation in this region correlates with loss of FHIT expression. To test whether aberrant methylation of the FHIT gene may play a role in pediatric leukemia, we assessed the FHIT methylation status of 10 leukemia cell lines and 190 incident population-based cases of childhood acute lymphocytic and myeloid leukemias using methylation-specific PCR. Conventional and fluorescence in situ hybridization cytogenetic data were also collected to examine aneuploidy, t(12, 21), and other chromosomal rearrangements. Four of 10 leukemia cell lines (40%) and 52 of 190 (27.4%) bone marrows from childhood leukemia patients demonstrated hypermethylation of the promoter region of FHIT. Gene expression analyses and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment showed that promoter hypermethylation correlated with FHIT inactivation. Among primary leukemias, hypermethylation of FHIT was strongly correlated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) histology (P = 0.008), high hyperdiploid (P < 0.0001), and translocation-negative (P < 0.0001) categories. Hyperdiploid B-cell ALLs were 23-fold more likely to be FHIT methylated compared with B-cell ALL harboring TEL-AML translocations. FHIT methylation was associated with high WBC counts at diagnosis, a known prognostic indicator. These results suggest that hypermethylation of the promoter region CpG island of the FHIT gene is a common event and may play an important role in the etiology and pathophysiology of specific cytogenetic subtypes of childhood ALL.
Growing Pebbles and Conceptual Prisms – Understanding the Source of Student Misconceptions About Rock Formation

Students hold a surprising number of misconceptions about how rocks form. This study analyzes narrative essays - stories of rock formation - written by pre-service elementary school teachers. Most students had completed a college-level course in earth science, yet expressed startling misconceptions, including pebbles that grow, human involvement in rock formation, and sedimentary rocks forming as puddles dry up. These misconceptions arise from deeply held but largely unexamined beliefs, called here conceptual prisms. Conceptual prisms result from the interaction of the student's world view and personal experiences. These beliefs are largely unaffected by traditional science instruction. Instead, students experience instruction refracted through their conceptual prisms, resulting in a spectrum of student ideas about geology. Instruction that does not explicitly address misconceptions and the underlying conceptual prisms is likely to be ineffective.
The Myth about Student Competency.

C ollege and university students today seem so technologically competent. When they wake up in the morning, they don’t turn on the TV to find out about the weather; instead they go to the Web site WeatherBug.com. For news, they use CNN.com, not channel 21. Of course, this is after they check to see what instant messages (IMs) they missed while sleeping. To learn about friends, they turn to Facebook.com. Going online for entertainment is normal for them. Computer games, massively multiplayer games, and music downloads are an assumed part of their environment (for example, 85% of 18and 19-year-olds download music). 1 And when they want to communicate, sending IMs or text messages is as natural as picking up the phone. There is no question that students go online before they go to the library; Google has become this generation’s reference desk. Watch just about any college or university student. Whether it is taking pictures with a cell phone, downloading ring tones, searching the Web for information, or contributing to Wikipedia or a blog, today’s students seem to have no hesitation about using technology. This is what we’ve come to expect from a generation that has never known life without the Internet. Among today’s college and university students aged eighteen to twentytwo, 20 percent first used a computer when they were between the ages of five and eight; all of them had used a PC by the time they were in high school.2 They continue to use the Internet daily. Surveys consistently put student computer ownership above 90 percent.3 Faculty, staff, and administrators see
Significance of the Dissociation of Dna2 by Flap Endonuclease 1 to Okazaki Fragment Processing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

Okazaki fragments are initiated by short RNA/DNA primers, which are displaced into flap intermediates for processing. Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) and Dna2 are responsible for flap cleavage. Replication protein A (RPA)-bound flaps inhibit cleavage by FEN1 but stimulate Dna2, requiring that Dna2 cleaves prior to FEN1. Upon cleavage, Dna2 leaves a short flap, which is then cut by FEN1 forming a nick for ligation. Both enzymes require a flap with a free 5′-end for tracking to the cleavage sites. Previously, we demonstrated that FEN1 disengages the tracking mechanism of Dna2 to remove it from the flap. To determine why the disengagement mechanism evolved, we measured FEN1 dissociation of Dna2 on short RNA and DNA flaps, which occur during flap processing. Dna2 tracked onto these flaps but could not cleave, presenting a block to FEN1 entry. However, FEN1 disengaged these nonproductively bound Dna2 molecules, proceeding on to conduct proper cleavage. These results clarify the importance of disengagement. Additional results showed that flap substrate recognition and tracking by FEN1, as occur during fragment processing, are required for effective displacement of the flap-bound Dna2. Dna2 was recently shown to dissociate flap-bound RPA, independent of cleavage. Using a nuclease-defective Dna2 mutant, we reconstituted the sequential dissociation reactions in the proposed RPA/Dna2/FEN1 pathway showing that, even without cutting, Dna2 enables FEN1 to cleave RPA-coated flaps. In summary, RPA, Dna2, and FEN1 have evolved highly coordinated binding properties enabling one protein to succeed the next for proper and efficient Okazaki flap processing.
Changing Pattern of Childhood Coeliac Disease in Finland

ABSTRACT. In the Tampere region in Finland, the incidence of childhood coeliac disease was 1:1096 between 1964 and 1973 and 1:3214 from 1974 to 1983. The clinical picture of coeliac disease had changed to milder forms, resulting in an upward shift of age at diagnosis. Coeliac disease was found in older children and adolescents, manifesting itself mostly in minor abdominal symptoms, short stature, delayed puberty, anaemia and joint complaints, and in children with diabetes mellitus. Long breast‐feeding seemed to postpone the symptoms but the introduction of gluten was of no significance. The low incidence for 1974 to 1983 was thought to be due to the estimated 20 cases born in 1979 to 1983 who were not detected. We do not believe that coeliac disease has disappeared but that it will be found during the next decade in the patients who were not diagnosed in school age and adolescence.
SENTIWORDNET: A Publicly Available Lexical Resource for Opinion Mining

Opinion mining (OM) is a recent subdiscipline at the crossroads of information retrieval and computational linguistics which is concerned not with the topic a document is about, but with the opinion it expresses. OM has a rich set of applications, ranging from tracking users opinions about products or about political candidates as expressed in online forums, to customer relationship management. In order to aid the extraction of opinions from text, recent research has tried to automatically determine the PNpolarity of subjective terms, i.e. identify whether a term that is a marker of opinionated content has a positive or a negative connotation. Research on determining whether a term is indeed a marker of opinionated content (a subjective term) or not (an objective term) has been instead much scarcer. In this work we describe SENTIWORDNET, a lexical resource in which each WORDNET synset sis associated to three numerical scores Obj(s), Pos(s) and Neg(s), describing how objective, positive, and negative the terms contained in the synset are. The method used to develop SENTIWORDNET is based on the quantitative analysis of the glosses associated to synsets, and on the use of the resulting vectorial term representations for semi-supervised synset classi.cation. The three scores are derived by combining the results produced by a committee of eight ternary classi.ers, all characterized by similar accuracy levels but different classification behaviour. SENTIWORDNET is freely available for research purposes, and is endowed with a Web-based graphical user interface.