Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of the Urinary Ratio of 6 β-Hydroxycortisol/Cortisol as a Biomarker of CYP3A4 Activity in Egyptian Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases

Summary The urinary ratio of 6 β-hydroxycortisol/cortisol (6 β-OHC/C) as a biomarker of CYP3A4 metabolizing activity has been studied in Egyptian patients with chronic liver cirrhosis associated with previous hepatic Schistosomiasis infection to determine any possible alteration in enzyme activity. The ratio of 6-β OHC/C was determined in morning urine samples collected from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in healthy adults (n = 36) and patients with liver cirrhosis (n = 57). The median age for control was 27 years (range: 18–50 years) and 50 years (range: 27–75 years) for patients. 6 β-OHC was detected in urine by ELIZA kits (Stabiligen, France). Patients with liver cirrhosis were categorized according to Child Pugh Classification into Child B (n = 28) and Child C (n = 29) classes. Cholestasis was observed in 9/28 of Child B class and 8/29 of Child C class of patients. The control subjects showed gender-related difference in the urinary ratio of 6 β-OHC/C. A significant reduction (P <0.001) in 6 β-OHC/C ratio was observed only in Child C patients in comparison with control subjects. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation (P < 0.05) between 6 β-OHC/C ratio and serum albumin. The influence of cholestasis on the urinary ratio of 6-β OHC/C was observed on cirrhotic patients of Child B class. In conclusion, patients with chronic liver cirrhosis might have a reduction of metabolizing activity of CYP3A4 enzymes which could be identified by measuring the urinary ratio of 6 β-OHC/C. This reduction is more apparent in severe liver injury (Child C class). Therefore, it is important to understand the metabolic fate of drugs metabolized by 3A4 enzymes in patients with liver cirrhosis to avoid drug accumulation that might lead to development of drug toxicity.
'Lending by Example': Direct and Indirect Effects of Foreign Banks in Emerging Markets

Using a novel dataset that allows us to trace the bank relationships of a sample of mostly unlisted firms, we explore which borrowers are able to benefit from foreign bank presence in emerging markets. Our results suggest that the limits to financial integration are less tight than the static picture of firm-bank relationships implies. Even though foreign banks are more likely to engage large and foreign-owned firms, after an acquisition, a bank is 20% less likely to terminate a relationship with a firm if the acquirer is foreign rather than domestic. Most importantly, within a credit market, firms appear to have the same access to financial loans and ability to invest whether they borrow from a foreign bank or not, while foreign banks benefit all firms by indirectly enhancing credit access.
Dynamic Maps for Long-Term Operation of Mobile Service Robots

This paper introduces a dynamic map for mobile robots that adapts continuously over time. It resolves the stability plasticity dilemma (the tradeoff between adaptation to new patterns and preservation of old patterns) by representing the environment over multiple time scales simultaneously (five in our experiments). A sample-based representation is proposed, where older memories fade at different rates depending on the time scale. Robust statistics are used to interpret the samples. It is shown that this approach can track both stationary and non-stationary elements of the environment, covering the full spectrum of variations from moving objects to structural changes. The method was evaluated in a five-week experiment in a real dynamic environment. Experimental results show that the resulting map is stable, improves its quality over time and adapts to changes.
Psychological distress in non-drinkers: associations with previous heavy drinking and current social relationships.

AIMS The aim of this paper is to investigate two possible explanations for the higher levels of psychological distress observed among alcohol abstainers relative to light and moderate drinkers, and to investigate possible moderating effects of age on this association. The possible explanations were that: (i) the higher level of psychological distress among abstainers is due to the presence of a subset of former heavy drinkers in this group; and (ii) abstainers have poorer social relationships than light/moderate drinkers. METHODS A national cross-sectional survey yielded data from 2856 Australians aged 20-22, 30-32 and 40-42 years (response rate 15.9%). RESULTS The sample was representative for many socio-demographic factors but under-represented people not in the labour force and over-represented those with university qualifications. In the oldest but not the younger age groups, abstainers reported significantly higher psychological distress relative to light/moderate drinkers. While abstainers in the oldest age group who were former heavy drinkers showed the highest levels of distress, excluding them from the analysis did not account for differences in distress between current abstainers and light/moderate drinkers. Abstainers aged 40-42 years were less socially integrated, less extraverted and had lower social support than light/moderate drinkers, and controlling for these factors partially explained their increased distress. CONCLUSIONS Significantly increased psychological distress of abstainers compared to light/moderate drinkers was demonstrated only in the oldest age group (40-42 years). The higher distress reported by abstainers in this age group was partially explained by abstainers having poorer social relationships than light/moderate drinkers.
Prevalence of Sarcopenic Obesity in Adults with Class II/III Obesity Using Different Diagnostic Criteria

Background/Objective. Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a hidden condition of reduced lean soft tissue (LST) in context of excess adiposity. SO is most commonly reported in older adults and both its risk and prevalence increase with age. A variety of body composition indices and cut points have been used to define this condition, leading to conflicting prevalence and risk prediction. Here, we investigate variability in the prevalence of SO in an adult sample of individuals with class II/III obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) using different diagnostic criteria. Methods. SO definitions were identified from a literature review of studies using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess LST. Demographics, anthropometrics, and body composition (by DXA) were measured in n = 120, 86% female (46.9 ± 11.1 years). Results. LST was extremely variable in individuals, even with similar body sizes, and observed across the age spectrum. The prevalence of SO ranged from 0 to 84.5% in females and 0 to 100% in males, depending upon the definition applied, with higher prevalence among definitions accounting for measures of body size or fat mass. Conclusion. SO is present, yet variable, in adults with class II/III obesity. Accounting for body mass or fat mass may identify a higher number of individuals with SO, although risk prediction remains to be studied.
Sustainable support: a case of the role and deployment of teaching assistants implementing a unique early literacy intervention

ABSTRACT The role and deployment of teaching assistants (TAs) (paraprofessionals) have changed significantly over the past decade; TAs in England hold greater responsibilities in terms of their wider role in classrooms and, specifically, in relation to their support for children with literacy difficulties in a primary school context. The impact of their role has been both questioned and challenged; nevertheless, in relation to literacy support, their role is widely valued by schools, and evidence exists that there is a positive impact on attainment. This paper reports on a case study of an early literacy intervention implemented by TAs which, it is argued, provides a positive model of TA deployment and literacy intervention implementation. It is also argued that this model of intervention offers a scaffold to the TAs themselves, who are then far better placed to scaffold the literacy learning of children with individual needs.
DNA Barcoding Green Microalgae Isolated from Neotropical Inland Waters

This study evaluated the feasibility of using the Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase Large subunit gene (rbcL) and the Internal Transcribed Spacers 1 and 2 of the nuclear rDNA (nuITS1 and nuITS2) markers for identifying a very diverse, albeit poorly known group, of green microalgae from neotropical inland waters. Fifty-one freshwater green microalgae strains isolated from Brazil, the largest biodiversity reservoir in the neotropics, were submitted to DNA barcoding. Currently available universal primers for ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region amplification were sufficient to successfully amplify and sequence 47 (92%) of the samples. On the other hand, new sets of primers had to be designed for rbcL, which allowed 96% of the samples to be sequenced. Thirty-five percent of the strains could be unambiguously identified to the species level based either on nuITS1 or nuITS2 sequences’ using barcode gap calculations. nuITS2 Compensatory Base Change (CBC) and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region phylogenetic analysis, together with morphological inspection, confirmed the identification accuracy. In contrast, only 6% of the strains could be assigned to the correct species based solely on rbcL sequences. In conclusion, the data presented here indicates that either nuITS1 or nuITS2 are useful markers for DNA barcoding of freshwater green microalgae, with advantage for nuITS2 due to the larger availability of analytical tools and reference barcodes deposited at databases for this marker.
Exploring Differences Between Positivistic and Post-positivistic Philosophy: an Interpretivistic Case Study of Tourist Expectations & Satisfaction

Moutinho’s 1987 Vacation Tourist Behavior model is a comprehensive example of a positivistic theoretical framework for tourist decision-making, based on rational behavioral principles. Debate exists over the role of this form of research, based on positivistic philosophy. Citing an increasing interest in post-positivistic philosophy as a means for addressing the current inability to fully represent people’s lived experiences; scientists suggest that post-positivistic approaches are also important for understanding the complex nature of social science phenomena. This study employs post-positivistic philosophy, which is focused on understanding and interpreting the process of satisfaction evaluation rather than on prediction or control. Although results cannot be generalized to a larger population or used in a predictive fashion, they suggest a value for post-positivistic philosophy within leisure and recreation research, which lies in an ability to help managers and researchers better understand and interpret the lived experiences of tourists (Crossan 2003; Clark 1998, Decrop 1999; Floyd 2004; Letourneau & Allen 1999; Stewart & Floyd 2004).
Murine and Human Myogenic Cells Identified by Elevated Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity: Implications for Muscle Regeneration and Repair

Background Despite the initial promise of myoblast transfer therapy to restore dystrophin in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, clinical efficacy has been limited, primarily by poor cell survival post-transplantation. Murine muscle derived stem cells (MDSCs) isolated from slowly adhering cells (SACs) via the preplate technique, induce greater muscle regeneration than murine myoblasts, primarily due to improved post-transplantation survival, which is conferred by their increased stress resistance capacity. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) represents a family of enzymes with important morphogenic as well as oxidative damage mitigating roles and has been found to be a marker of stem cells in both normal and malignant tissue. In this study, we hypothesized that elevated ALDH levels could identify murine and human muscle derived cell (hMDC) progenitors, endowed with enhanced stress resistance and muscle regeneration capacity. Methodology/Principal Findings Skeletal muscle progenitors were isolated from murine and human skeletal muscle by a modified preplate technique and unfractionated enzymatic digestion, respectively. ALDHhi subpopulations isolated by fluorescence activate cell sorting demonstrated increased proliferation and myogenic differentiation capacities compared to their ALDHlo counterparts when cultivated in oxidative and inflammatory stress media conditions. This behavior correlated with increased intracellular levels of reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase. ALDHhi murine myoblasts were observed to exhibit an increased muscle regenerative potential compared to ALDHlo myoblasts, undergo multipotent differentiation (osteogenic and chondrogenic), and were found predominately in the SAC fraction, characteristics that are also observed in murine MDSCs. Likewise, human ALDHhi hMDCs demonstrated superior muscle regenerative capacity compared to ALDHlo hMDCs. Conclusions The methodology of isolating myogenic cells on the basis of elevated ALDH activity yielded cells with increased stress resistance, a behavior that conferred increased regenerative capacity of dystrophic murine skeletal muscle. This result demonstrates the critical role of stress resistance in myogenic cell therapy as well as confirms the role of ALDH as a marker for rapid isolation of murine and human myogenic progenitors for cell therapy.
Farsightedly Stable Networks

A set of networks G is pairwise farsightedly stable (i) if all possible farsighted pairwise deviations from any network g  G to a network outside G are deterred by the threat of ending worse off or equally well off, (ii) if there exists a farsighted improving path from any network outside the set leading to some network in the set, and (iii) if there is no proper subset of G satisfying conditions (i) and (ii). A non-empty pairwise farsightedly stable set always exists. We provide a full characterization of unique pairwise farsightedly stable sets of networks. Contrary to other pairwise concepts, pairwise farsighted stability yields a Pareto dominant network, if it exists, as the unique outcome. Finally, we study the relationship between pairwise farsighted stability and other concepts such as the largest pairwise consistent set and the von Neumann- Morgenstern pairwise farsightedly stable set. Datasource: no data
Intestinal Transport of Weak Electrolytes

A study has been made of the transmural fluxes of benzoic, phenylacetic, and pentanoic acids, benzylamine, hexylamine, and D-amphetamine across rat jejunum incubated in vitro. The M to S fluxes of the weak acids were greater than their corresponding S to M fluxes, and the S to M fluxes of the weak bases were larger than their M to S fluxes. These patterns of asymmetric movements were observed when the transmural electrical potential difference was clamped at 0 mV, and when the pH values of the mucosal and serosal fluids were identical. The effects of a weak acid on the fluxes of other weak electrolytes were qualitatively similar when the effector weak acid was added to the mucosal fluid, and when it was added to the serosal fluid. But the effects of a weak base on the fluxes of other weak electrolytes were dependent upon its location, and the interactions observed when the effector weak base was added to the mucosal fluid were qualitatively different than those seen when it was added to the serosal fluid. The interactions between weak electrolytes could readily be explained in terms of the function of a system of three compartments in series, in which the pH of the intermediate compartment is greater than that of the bulk phases. But these observations could not be explained in terms of an analogous system involving an intermediate compartment of low pH, or in terms of a carrier mediated system. The transport function of the three-compartment system can be described in the form of an equation, and it is found that a pH difference of less than 0.5 unit may explain our observations on weak electrolyte transport.
Validation of the Chinese version of the Social Emotional Health Survey–Primary

ABSTRACT The Social Emotional Health Survey–Primary (SEHS-P) was originally developed to assess U.S. elementary students’ positive psychological traits: gratitude, zest, optimism, and persistence, and the higher-order latent construct of covitality. The present study evaluated the validity of a Chinese version of SEHS-P with a sample of 653 Chinese children (Mage = 11.4, SD = 1.0). Confirmatory factor, measurement invariance, and latent means analyses were conducted to evaluate construct validity. Results indicated that the factor structure found for the original U.S. sample was replicated (first-order factors: optimism, gratitude, persistence, zest; second-order factor: covitality). The covitality latent trait was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, higher prosocial behaviors, less victimization and perpetration, and predicted better academic achievement six months later. Implications for using SEHS-P as a social emotional health screening tool for use in Chinese schools are discussed. Future studies should continue to examine SEHS-P in other samples in China as well as in other culture contexts.
Optimal design for channel equalization via the filterbank approach

Channel equalization is investigated via the filterbank approach. A necessary and sufficient condition is established for perfect reconstruction (PR) of the transmitter-receiver filterbanks. If the PR condition holds, then all causal and stable receiver filterbanks that achieve PR are parameterized. It is further shown that the receiver filterbank for optimal channel equalization has the form of state estimator and is a modified Kalman filter. The design algorithm for optimal channel equalizers is developed. A simulation example is worked out to illustrate the proposed design algorithm.
Cognitive functioning from normal aging to mild cognitive impairment: combining rapid cognitive testing and informant reports to improve screening in clinical and research contexts

The work presented in this thesis was performed in the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho. Financial support was provided by a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/90078/2012) from the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology and “SwitchBox” (Contract HEALTH-F2-2010-259772), and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and by the Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal) (Contract grant number: P-139977; project “Better mental health during ageing based on temporal prediction of individual brain ageing trajectories (TEMPO)”)
Stimulating Cooperative Diversity in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks through Pricing

This paper addresses the issue of stimulating cooperative diversity, using the amplify-and-forward protocol, among selfish nodes in commercial wireless ad hoc networks. For the relay, cooperation represents both a real cost of energy expenditure and an opportunity cost of possible delays for its own data. Since nodes are selfish, we propose a pricing game that stimulates cooperation via reimbursements to the relay. Specifically, given the price per channel use, the source and relay interact through reimbursement prices, transmitter power control and forwarding/protocol preferences such that their utilities are maximized. Our pricing game is shown to converge to a Nash equilibrium where cooperative diversity is induced at intuitively reasonable network geometries.
CALTag: High Precision Fiducial Markers for Camera Calibration

We present a self-identifying marker pattern for camera calibration, together with the associated detection algo-rithm. The pattern is designed to support high-precision, fully-automatic localization of calibration points, as well as identiﬁcation of individual markers in the presence of signiﬁcant occlusions, uneven illumination, and observations under extremely acute angles. The detection algorithm is efﬁcient and free of parameters. After calibration we obtain reprojection errors signiﬁcantly lower than with state-of-the art self-identifying reference patterns
A new scheme for TCP congestion control: smooth-start and dynamic recovery

This paper presents a new approach to TCP congestion control. The new scheme includes two parts: (I) the smooth-start algorithm, which replaces the slow-start algorithm at the start of a TCP connection or after a retransmission timeout, and (2) the dynamic recovery algorithm, which replaces the fast recovery algorithm to recover packet losses when a TCP connection is congested. Both algorithms require modifications only to the sender side of the TCP implementation. Simulation is used to evaluate the performance of the algorithms. The simulation experiments are conducted using the ns simulator to facilitate comparisons with Tahoe, Reno, New-Reno, SACK, and FACK TCP. The simulation results show that the new scheme performs at least as well as SACK and FACK TCP, which in turn consistently outperform TCP Tahoe and Reno. Furthermore, the implementation of the new scheme is simpler than that of SACK and FACK.
Does Restriction on Sexual Expression Deter Sexual Offenses?: Evidence of a Long-term Effect

Whether exposure to sexual expression stimulates or deters sexual offenses is a long-disputed issue. While some psychological studies argue that exposure to sexual expression exacerbates sexually aggressive tendencies and thus increases sexual offenses, recent empirical work suggests that such exposure rather deters sexual offenses, at least in the short term. However, the latter mainly focuses on the self-incarceration effect among potential criminals, which is unlikely in the longer term where constraint of time does not matter. In response, we provide novel evidence concerning the long-term effect of exposure to sexual expression. We employ an exogenous variation on the adoption of a restriction on distribution of pornographic expressions to identify the causal effect of sexual expression regulations on various sexual offenses. We find that regulations increased the number of forcible indecencies (indecent assault) by 16%, but had no effect on rape. This difference is partly caused by the fact that the newly introduced restrictions focus on intermediate pornographic expressions and that the hard-core pornographic expressions are banned throughout the sample period. These findings imply that the catharsis effect of sexual expressions outweighs its arousal or imitation effect and cast doubt on the effectiveness of regulations in deterring sexual offenses in the long term.