Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterizing glucose exposure for individuals with normal glucose tolerance using continuous glucose monitoring and ambulatory glucose profile analysis.

BACKGROUND Efforts to mimic euglycemia depend upon targets from epidemiologic studies that rely on episodic measurements reduced to statistical summaries, leaving open the question, "What is normal glycemia? " We postulated that portrayal of euglycemia was possible through application of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and a novel analytical tool, the ambulatory glucose profile (AGP). METHODS Individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and with diabetes used CGM for 30 days. AGP analysis, which graphs CGM data by time without regard to date, was used to characterize glucose exposure, variability, and stability. RESULTS Sixty-two subjects completed the study, employing CGM for 28 +/- 4 days averaging 99 +/- 18 (range, 33-125) readings per day. NGT subjects (n = 32) had a mean CGM of 102 +/- 7 mg/dL, ranging between 94 and 117 mg/dL and averaging 105 +/- 8 mg/dL daytime and 97 +/- 6 mg/dL overnight. Glucose variability, as expressed by the interquartile range, was 21 +/- 4 mg/dL (range, 14-29 mg/dL). Stability in glycemic control (hourly change in the median) for NGT subjects averaged 3 +/- 1 mg/dL/h. Subjects with diabetes (n = 30) were significantly higher on all glycemic characteristics with the exception of the percentage of hypoglycemic (CGM <70 mg/dL) episodes for type 2 diabetes (2.9%), compared to 2.7% for subjects with NGT. CONCLUSIONS CGM technologies enabled collection of verified data under normal living conditions, providing an exceptional vantage point from which to obtain important clinical information. This will facilitate an understanding of the range of euglycemic patterns, provide a sensitive means of detecting impaired glucose tolerance, and help set realistic treatment goals for individuals with diabetes.
Amplify-and-forward in wireless relay networks

A general class of wireless relay networks with a single source-destination pair is considered. Intermediate nodes in the network employ an amplify-and-forward scheme to relay their input signals. In this case the overall input-output channel from the source via the relays to the destination effectively behaves as an intersymbol interference channel with colored noise. Unlike previous work we formulate the problem of the maximum achievable rate in this setting as an optimization problem with no assumption on the network size, topology, and signal-to-noise ratio. Previous work considered only scenarios wherein relays use all their power to amplify their received signals. We demonstrate that this may not always maximize the achievable rate in amplify-and-forward relay networks. The proposed formulation allows us to not only recover known results on the performance of the amplify-and-forward schemes for some simple relay networks but also characterize the performance of such schemes in more complex relay networks which cannot be addressed in a straightforward manner with existing approaches. Using cut-set arguments, we derive simple upper bounds on the capacity of general wireless relay networks. Through various examples, we show that a large class of amplify-and-forward relay networks can achieve rates within a constant factor of these upper bounds asymptotically in network parameters.
Sociology in and of China

13 Bangalore: A Socio-Ecological Study tions of British social anthropologists in (Bombay, I 957) . tllis field are considerable and well 14 V. B. Singh and A. K. Saran (eds.), known. Nor am I able to discuss the exlndustrial Labour in India (Bombay, I960). tensive contributions by American social 15 I am not here concerned with anthropologists in the study of modern studies of tribal peoples; the contribuIndia.
Comparison of the 308‐nm excimer laser with the 308‐nm excimer lamp in the treatment of vitiligo – a randomized bilateral comparison study

Vitiligo is an acquired pigment disorder characterized by areas of depigmented skin resulting from the loss of epidermal melanocytes. Recently, several investigations have documented the benefits of excimer phototherapy (e.g., using the 308‐nm excimer laser or the 308‐nm excimer lamp) for the treatment of vitiligo.
Compensatory Mutants of the Bovine Papillomavirus E5 Protein and the Platelet-Derived Growth Factor β Receptor Reveal a Complex Direct Transmembrane Interaction

ABSTRACT The 44-amino-acid E5 protein of bovine papillomavirus is a dimeric transmembrane protein that exists in a stable complex with the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) β receptor, causing receptor activation and cell transformation. The transmembrane domain of the PDGF β receptor is required for complex formation, but it is not known if the two proteins contact one another directly. Here, we studied a PDGF β receptor mutant containing a leucine-to-isoleucine substitution in its transmembrane domain, which prevents complex formation with the wild-type E5 protein in mouse BaF3 cells and inhibits receptor activation by the E5 protein. We selected E5 mutants containing either a small deletion or multiple substitution mutations that restored binding to the mutant PDGF β receptor, resulting in receptor activation and growth factor independence. These E5 mutants displayed lower activity with PDGF β receptor mutants containing other transmembrane substitutions in the vicinity of the original mutation, and one of them cooperated with a receptor mutant containing a distal mutation in the juxtamembrane domain. These results provide strong genetic evidence that the transmembrane domains of the E5 protein and the PDGF β receptor contact one another directly. They also demonstrate that different mutations in the E5 protein allow it to tolerate the same mutation in the PDGF β receptor transmembrane domain and that a mutation in the E5 protein can allow it to tolerate different mutations in the PDGF β receptor. Thus, the rules governing direct interactions between transmembrane helices are complex and not restricted to local interactions.
Beneficial effects of high-dose diltiazem in patients with persistent effort angina on beta-blockers and nitrates: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study.

The effects of orally administered diltiazem combined with maximally tolerated doses of beta-blockers and nitrates were assessed in 12 patients, who during stress testing exhibited persistent effort angina and continued objective evidence for inducible myocardial ischemia. Patients performed multistage semisupine exercise on a bicycle ergometer during equilibrium-gated radionuclide angiography after consecutive 2 week treatment periods of placebo or diltiazem 90 mg qid (mean dose 340 mg/day) combined with maximally tolerated propranolol (mean dose 178 mg/day) and isosorbide dinitrate (mean dose 137 mg/day). All medications (including diltiazem or placebo) were administered four times daily for the duration of the study. Diltiazem or placebo was administered according to a double-blind design, with randomized cross-over at the end of each 2 week treatment period. The average number of angina attacks decreased during the double-blind cross-over phase of the trial (7 +/- 7 episodes/week at baseline vs 4 +/- 3 on placebo vs 2 +/- 2 on diltiazem; p = .08). Angina pectoris was abolished during peak exercise in eight of 12 patients on diltiazem (p less than .05 vs placebo). Diltiazem increased total exercise duration from 276 +/- 92 to 310 +/- 78 sec (p less than .005 vs baseline). Diltiazem likewise increased the time to onset of angina from 231 +/- 84 sec at baseline to 305 +/- 77 sec (p less than .005), as well as the time to the onset of 1 mm ischemic ST segment depression (p = .01). Diltiazem decreased heart rate at rest, during submaximal workload, and at peak exercise (p less than .05), and decreased systolic blood pressure at peak exercise only (p less than .05). A significant decline in rate-pressure product at submaximal and peak exercise was noted (p less than .05). At any given workload there was significantly less ST segment depression during submaximal (p = .05) and peak exercise (p less than .025). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Effects of Scaling on the Correlation Coefficient: A Test of Validity

Measurement is an important aspect of marketing research. However, the number of studies documenting the effect of measurement errors on commonly used statistics are few [ 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 ]. Furthermore, it is not unusual to discover the application of sophisticated multivariate techniques to marketing problems with little regard for the measurement problem [7, p. 87]. The determination of the effect of varying the measurement scale on various statistics is important because this gives the researcher: (1) a guide for the creation of better models, (2) an a priori indication of the magnitude of the error term, and (3) an additional framework within which models can be evaluated. In other words, knowledge of the robustness of a statistic with regard to measurement can be used to guide research formulation, application, and evaluation. This study investigates the consequences of varying the number of scaling intervals on a statistical model. Since the correlation matrix is widely used in multivariate statistical techniques, the correlation coefficient was selected for investigation. The appropriate number of response categories (scale intervals) has been a subject of debate. Some researchers advocate the use of as many categories as the subject can discriminate, for example, a 12or 20-point scale. Others [2] recommend the use of a 2or 3-point scale based on the ease of coding and/ or opinions about the respondents' limited discrimination ability. Furthermore, the findings of investigations on the effect of the number of scale intervals have varied. Guilford [5, p. 291], after a review of the literature on the proper number of response categories, suggests that the optimal number of scale intervals varies with the situation and that the appropriate number for any given situation should be empirically determined. This approach is rigorous, since it requires extensive pretesting before an instrument can be used. In some marketing research situations this is unrealistic. Other researchers have tried to determine a heuristic rule for the proper number of response categories. Osgood, Suci, and Tannenbaum
The Multitask Theory of State Enterprise Reform: Empirical Evidence from China

The degree of state ownership remains significant in the Chinese economy despite more than two decades of economic reform since 1979. Most of the remaining state- owned enterprises (SOEs) are money losing, and the few exceptional ones tend to be sheltered by government protection in selected industries. Yet China has been enjoying one of the most spectacular growth experiences in world history, and much of the growth is driven by non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs). Given the poor financial performance of SOEs, the co-existence of state ownership and non-state ownership in China is a puzzling phenomenon. Does state ownership exist solely for the benefit of politicians, or has state ownership played any role in China's spectacular growth? Is there any rationale behind China's gradual and selective approach towards privatizing its SOEs? What types of SOEs does the Chinese government choose to privatize? What are the consequences of privatization? In this paper, we offer a multitask theory of SOE reform in the context of China, which has predictions about the types of SOEs to be chosen for privatization and the results of privatization. We then present empirical evidence supporting the basic premise of the theory and its predictions.
The effect of virtuality on individual network centrality and performance in on-going, distributed teams

For distributed teams to succeed, individuals must interact successfully within team social networks. To understand individual performance in distributed teams, we consider a multi-dimensional view of individual virtuality and its relationship with centrality in the team’s face-to-face network and ICT network. We leverage social network theory and hierarchically analyse data from 254 individuals in 18 teams. We find that members with higher dispersion are less central in the face-to-face network while those with higher ICT use are more central in the ICT network. Centrality in the ICT network, but not centrality in the face-to-face network, is positively related to performance. The results provide insights for academics and practitioners on how to improve individual performance in distributed teams.
Insights into teaching quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education

This study presents a review of the current state of research on teaching quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education. A conceptual approach to quantum mechanics is being implemented in more and more introductory physics courses around the world. Because of the differences between the conceptual nature of quantum mechanics and classical physics, research on misconceptions, testing, and teaching strategies for introductory quantum mechanics is needed. For this review, 74 articles were selected and analyzed for the misconceptions, research tools, teaching strategies, and multimedia applications investigated. Outcomes were categorized according to their contribution to the various subtopics of quantum mechanics. Analysis shows that students have difficulty relating quantum physics to physical reality. It also shows that the teaching of complex quantum behavior, such as time dependence, superposition, and the measurement problem, has barely been investigated for the secondary and lower undergraduate level. At the secondary school level, this article shows a need to investigate student difficulties concerning wave functions and potential wells. Investigation of research tools shows the necessity for the development of assessment tools for secondary and lower undergraduate education, which cover all major topics and are suitable for statistical analysis. Furthermore, this article shows the existence of very diverse ideas concerning teaching strategies for quantum mechanics and a lack of research into which strategies promote understanding. This article underlines the need for more empirical research into student difficulties, teaching strategies, activities, and research tools intended for a conceptual approach for quantum mechanics.
Impact of Two Measures of Micrometastatic Disease on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Ewing Sarcoma: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group

Purpose: Flow cytometry and RT-PCR can detect occult Ewing sarcoma cells in the blood and bone marrow. These techniques were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of micrometastatic disease in Ewing sarcoma. Experimental Design: Newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma were enrolled on two prospective multicenter studies. In the flow cytometry cohort, patients were defined as “positive” for bone marrow micrometastatic disease if their CD99+/CD45− values were above the upper limit in 22 control patients. In the PCR cohort, RT-PCR on blood or bone marrow samples classified the patients as “positive” or “negative” for EWSR1/FLI1 translocations. The association between micrometastatic disease burden with clinical features and outcome was assessed. Coexpression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) on detected tumor cells was performed in a subset of flow cytometry samples. Results: The median total bone marrow CD99+CD45− percent was 0.0012% (range 0%–1.10%) in the flow cytometry cohort, with 14 of 109 (12.8%) of Ewing sarcoma patients defined as “positive. ” In the PCR cohort, 19.6% (44/225) patients were “positive” for any EWSR1/FLI1 translocation in blood or bone marrow. There were no differences in baseline clinical features or event-free or overall survival between patients classified as “positive” versus “negative” by either method. CD99+CD45− cells had significantly higher IGF-1R expression compared with CD45+ hematopoietic cells (mean geometric mean fluorescence intensity 982.7 vs. 190.9; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The detection of micrometastatic disease at initial diagnosis by flow cytometry or RT-PCR is not associated with outcome in newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma. Flow cytometry provides a tool to characterize occult micrometastatic tumor cells for proteins of interest. Clin Cancer Res; 22(14); 3643–50. ©2016 AACR.
Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin Therapy in the Chronic Management of Myasthenia Gravis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Immunoglobulin therapy has become a major treatment option in several autoimmune neuromuscular disorders. For patients with Myasthenia Gravis (MG), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been used for both crisis and chronic management. Subcutaneous Immunoglobulins (SCIg), which offer the advantage of home administration, may be a practical and effective option in chronic management of MG. We analyzed clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in nine cases of chronic disabling MG who were either transitioned to, or started de novo on SCIg. Methods and Findings This was a retrospective cohort study for the period of 2015–2016, with a mean follow-up period of 6.8 months after initiation of SCIg. All patients with MG treated with SCIg at the Ottawa Hospital, a large Canadian tertiary hospital with subspecialty expertise in neuromuscular disorders were included, regardless of MG severity, clinical subtype and antibody status. The primary outcome was MG disease activity after SCIg initiation. This outcome was measured by 1) the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) clinical classification, and 2) subjective scales of disease activity including the Myasthenia Gravis activities of daily living profile (MG-ADL), Myasthenia Gravis Quality-of-life (MG-QOL 15), Visual Analog (VA) satisfaction scale. We also assessed any requirement for emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Safety outcomes included any SCIg related complication. All patients were stable or improved for MGFA class after SCIg initiation. Statistically significant improvements were documented in the MG-ADL, MG-QOL and VAS scales. There were no exacerbations after switching therapy and no severe SCIg related complications. Conclusions SCIg may be a beneficial therapy in the chronic management of MG, with favorable clinical outcome and patient satisfaction results.
Olive Oil Mill Wastewater Purification by Combination of Coagulation- Flocculation and Biological Treatments

In order to define an efficient pre-treatment of Olive Oil Mill Wastewater (OOMW) to overcome major obstacles to biological treatment, various organic and mineral coagulants have been tested. In particular, the application of quicklime until a pH around 12 – 12.4 was reached, allowed the reduction of almost 37 % of the initial COD, and approximately 88 % and 71 % of the colour and phenolic content of the waste. Hence, further biological treatments with an adapted aerobic consortium (AC) and a white rot fungus (WRF) strain were improved. The WRF Coriolopsis polyzona was more efficient than AC to reduce colour and polyphenols when the waste was prior diluted or pre-treated; however, it was less effective in COD removal. The combined treatment: lime – AC of OOMW having initial COD of 102 g l−1 led to the elimination of about 77, 91 and 63 %, of the COD, phenols and colour, respectively. Interestingly, the opposite combination AC – lime permitted better COD, phenols and colour reduction to respectively, 21, 11 and 11% of the initial values. This latter condition is technically recommended since only one step separation was needed and no pH correction was necessary before undergoing aerobic treatment. Moreover, the process would produce a sludge potentially rich in organic matter, and consequently, useful as an agricultural amendment or/and as an additive in animal nutrition.
Thermogravimetric investigation and thermal conversion kinetics of typical North African and Middle Eastern lignocellulosic wastes

The aim of this work was to thermally characterize the renewable lignocellulosic bioresources derived from palm trees in order to highlight their energy potential. Pyrolysis and combustion behaviours of date stones (DS) agricultural by-products were tested by thermo-gravimetric analysis, and the main chemical compositions were analyzed. The work has also been conducted to identify their most important physical characteristics. The study of the sizes and heating rate effects constitute the first part of the experimental work. Inert atmosphere and three heating rates: 10, 20, and 50 °C/min, were applied to various particle sizes of DS. In the second part, tests were carried out in an oxidizing atmosphere (21% O2) by varying the size of the DS. The kinetic parameters such as pre-exponential factor and activation energy were determined. Increasing the particle sizes and the heating rates didn’t have an appreciable influence on the global weight losses. However, degradation rates were significant with the porous structure of the DS. Weight losses in inert and oxidizing atmospheres were found to occur in two stages (drying and devolatilization) and in three stages (drying, devolatilization, and oxidation of the char).
The effect of amphetamine on Kamin blocking and overshadowing

&NA; Schizophrenic patients show deficits on stimulus salience tasks such as latent inhibition and blocking, which measure the ability to disregard irrelevant stimuli. Amphetaminetreated animals show similar deficits in analogous tasks, thereby providing a model of the stimulus‐selection deficits observed in schizophrenia. In two experiments, the effect of the indirect dopamine (DA) agonist D‐amphetamine sulphate (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on Kamin blocking and overshadowing were examined and compared, in the rat, using the conditioned lick suppression procedure. The aim was to provide some insight into the behavioural and pharmacological mechanisms underlying amphetamine effects in both paradigms. In experiment 1, it was shown that amphetamine selectively disrupted Kamin blocking, when given either at stage 2 alone, or at both stages of the task. In experiment 2, amphetamine treatment significantly abolished Kamin blocking and overshadowing, when administered prior to compound conditioning in both tasks. These data suggest that dopamine may play a critical role in mediating performance in tasks measuring stimulus salience processes. The results are discussed in the framework of the role of DA in stimulus‐selection performance. Behavioural Pharmacology 14:315‐322 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.