Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of total cholesterol in serum by liquid chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

We have developed a liquid chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry procedure to quantify total cholesterol in serum. A particle-beam interface was used for coupling the liquid chromatograph and the mass spectrometer. After electron impact ionization the ions m/z = 386 and m/z = 389 were used for selective ion monitoring of cholesterol and the internal standard [25,26,27-(13)C]cholesterol. The sample preparation steps required for serum materials are alkaline hydrolysis and an extraction of the cholesterol into the cyclohexane phase. Imprecision for the determination of cholesterol in control materials is typically <1.0%. The deviation from the certified reference values was <0.75% for all control materials tested. A method comparison of the results obtained by this method with those obtained by gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry for n = 28 pooled human sera derived from samples analyzed in our routine laboratory did not show differences >2.5%.
A Psychometric Analysis of an Inventory for Assessing Children's Attitudes Toward Physical Activity1

Simon and Smoll's (1974) inventory for assessing children's attitudes toward physical activity (CATPA) has been used in numerous studies of children's at-titudinal dispositions and their relationships to a variety of situational and dispositional variables. Recent research revealing low attitude-behavior relationships and instability across time has raised questions about the psychometric properties of the CATPA inventory. The purpose of this research was to psychometrically analyze the six attitude subdomains of this semantic differential inventory and derive recommendations for its modification. The first of three studies reported herein included a four-phase analysis of the CATPA scores of 1,752 children, the results of which indicated that (a) three of the original eight bipolar adjectives were not good discriminators, (b) internal consistencies were high and were not improved by reciprocal average reweighting, and (c) a seven-factor structure emerged, differing from the underlying six-factor theoreti.
Effects of intradialytic cycling compared with pedometry on physical function in chronic outpatient hemodialysis: a prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Individuals on hemodialysis have low physical function and activity levels. Clinical trials have shown improvements in these parameters with exercise programming. Pedometers have not been extensively evaluated in individuals on hemodialysis. This randomized clinical trial compared the effects of intradialytic cycling versus a pedometer program on physical function, physical activity and quality of life. METHODS Sixty patients were randomly assigned to two study groups. The ergometer group cycled during each hemodialysis session for 24 weeks. Pedometer participants followed a home-based walking program for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was aerobic capacity [VO2peak and 6-minute walk (6MW) test]. Secondary outcomes included lower extremity strength [sit-to-stand (SS) test], flexibility [sit-and-reach (SR) test], physical activity (accelerometer) and health-related quality of life. Measurements were collected at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks. RESULTS At 12 and 24 weeks, there was no significant change in the VO2peak or 6MW test between or within study groups. SS testing in the ergometer group improved from 10.2 (SD 3.4) to 11.4 (SD 2.5) cycles from baseline to 24 weeks (P < 0.005). Similarly, in the pedometer group, SS cycles improved from 10.1 (SD 3.3) to 12.2 (SD 3.5) (P < 0.005). The SR test also significantly improved over time in both the study groups. No significant changes were noted for other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Both intradialytic cycling and pedometer programming improved aspects of physical function. Neither intervention had a significant effect on aerobic capacity. No significant differences in any outcomes were identified between interventions groups.
The Moderating Effects of Country of Assembly, Country of Parts, and Country of Design on Hybrid Product Evaluations

Abstract This study examines the extent to which the country of origin for parts, assembly, and design may moderate country-of-origin effects on attitudes and purchase intentions. The results show that respondents' attitudes are more positive when the product is assembled in the United States if U.S. parts are also used than if Mexican parts are used. Similarly, purchase intention is higher when the product is assembled in the United States and U.S. parts are used than if Mexican parts are used. Televisions and stereos are used as the products in this study. The results lend partial support to the congruity principle. Theoretical and public policy implications are discussed, as are limitations and suggestions for further research.
Impact of amplifier nonlinearities on OFDM transmission system performance

The power spectral density of an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signal after a saturated high-power amplifier (HPA) is analytically derived. The distortion of the HPA-processed OFDM signal is defined, and its power spectrum is computed. The spectra of the signal and of the distortion are used to get an accurate estimate of the bit-error rate of an OFDM transmission system and to derive compensation at the receiver, which leads to performance improvement.
Texas Perpetual Pavements - New Design Guidelines

Since 2001, the State of Texas has been designing and constructing perpetual pavements on some of its heavily trafficked highways where the expected 20-year truck-traffic estimate of 18 kip ESALs is in excess of 30 million (TxDOT, 2001). To date, there are 10 in-service perpetual pavement (PP) sections. Based on the TxDOT initial design proposals (see Appendix A), a typical Texas PP structure consists of the following (TxDOT, 2001; Walubita et al., 2009a): (1) about 22 inches total thickness of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) layers; (2) at least 8 inches thick treated (lime or cement) base material; and (3) a well compacted in-situ subgrade soil material. In 2005, a research study was initiated to validate, among other objectives, the Texas PP design concept and make recommendations for the future design of Texas PP structures (Walubita et al., 2009a). To achieve these objectives, various research tasks were completed including the following: 1. construction monitoring and compaction quality measurements; 2. extensive laboratory testing and material property characterization; 3. traffic and response measurements for structural evaluations; 4. field testing and periodic performance evaluations; 5. comparative mix-design evaluations; and 6. computational modeling and software evaluations. Based on the findings of the study (Walubita et al., 2009a), this report documents the revised guidelines and recommendations for the future design, construction, and performance evaluation of Texas PP structures. The recommendations include guidelines for structural thickness design, design software, response criteria, mix-design, and layer moduli values.
From Juvenile Delinquency to Adult Crime: Criminal Careers, Justice Policy, and Prevention

cess of learning and competing for the sake of personal development. If children are learning that winning is the most important thing and that winning does not come easily or often, they may become so discouraged that they drop out, which may jeopardize the ability to bounce back from a loss and try again, a skill emphasized by parents. Children’s responses also indicate that while parents may be focused on inculcating skills that will help them become successful adults, children are focused on becoming successful children, namely by cultivating a sense of belonging among their peers. While the adults in their lives may be focused on ranking and sorting them and urging them to be the very best, young children’s responses reflect more relational values, ones that place greater emphasis on befriending children from other schools, supporting the talents of friends and teammates, and experiencing wins and losses as a group. Levey Friedman wonders if the impulse to avoid the pressures of individual competition works against the ability to learn to be comfortable with individualized evaluations, another key skill that parents emphasize. These moments of disconnect between parents’ intentions and children’s experiences contribute to an understanding of children as active participants and co-creators of the social world around them, rather than an understanding of children as passive recipients of adult decisions. Playing to Win provides a systematic examination of the motivations and parenting strategies of affluent parents, as well as the structure and content of three competitive, organized children’s activities. However, it is much more difficult to deliver as effective an analysis of the potential consequences of this type of pathway consumption for the children in the study. As Levey Friedman notes, it is difficult to know whether parents’ strategies will yield the intended long-term outcomes. Despite this understandable limitation, there are empirical claims that feel less robustly supported by the data than others and topics that are not directly addressed. For example, while generalist parents claimed that involving children in an array of activities helped children learn to balance multiple commitments, manage a schedule, and prepare their equipment at home in advance of competitions, there is scant evidence in the text to support the claim that this is what children are actually doing for themselves. Rather, the data suggest that parents do much of this work for their children. There is also a missed opportunity to address the link between these highly privatized investments in particular children and the large-scale public disinvestment in children as a whole. The historical overview of the evolution of children’s activities has the potential to speak to the way that ‘‘proper care’’ has shifted away from being perceived as a collective responsibility, but the message that children are increasingly perceived as a privatized good rather than a social one remains implied.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for treatment of aortic valve stenosis: an evidence-based Analysis (part B).

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) for patients at high risk for surgery. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of TAVI for treatment of aortic valve stenosis in symptomatic older adults. REVIEW METHODS A literature search was performed on September 6, 2011, for studies published from January 1, 2007, to September 6, 2011. A combined decision tree and Markov model was developed to compare costs, life years, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of all treatment options in their respective patient populations over a 20-year time horizon. RESULTS Two studies from the PARTNER trial were identified. The first study compared TAVI to sAVR in patients who were candidates for sAVR. The second study compared TAVI to standard treatment in patients who were not eligible for sAVR. The first study showed that TAVI and sAVR had similar mortality rates at 1 year. The second study showed a significant improvement in patient survival in those undergoing TAVI. However, in both studies, the TAVI group had significantly higher rates of stroke/transient ischemic attack, and major vascular complications. Rates of major bleeding were significantly higher in sAVR group in the first study and significantly higher in TAVI group in the second study. The base-case cost-effectiveness of TAVI was $48,912 per QALY, but the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio ranged from $36,000 to $291,000 per QALY depending on the assumptions made in the longer-term prediction portion of the model (i.e., beyond the follow-up period of the PARTNER trial). CONCLUSIONS TAVI improves survival in patients who cannot undergo surgery. For those who are candidates for surgery, TAVI has a mortality rate similar to sAVR, but it is associated with significant adverse effects. TAVI may be cost-effective for patients who cannot undergo surgery, but is not cost-effective for patients who can.
Morphometric and volumetric study of caudate and putamen nuclei in normal individuals by MRI: Effect of normal aging, gender and hemispheric differences

Summary Background: The aim of this study was to determine age, gender, and hemispheric differences in the volume of the human neostriatum (striatum) nucleus in healthy humans. Material/Methods: This study was performed on 120 normal human subjects (60 males, 60 females, right-handed) 15–65 years old, divided into two groups: young (<40 yrs) and old (=≥40 yrs). Sectional brain images were obtained via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), analyzed and processed using the Image-J software, and the striatum volume was calculated using the Cavalieri’s principle, retrospectively. Results: The analyses revealed bilateral age-related shrinkage of the putamen in both genders and the putamen and caudate nucleus were significantly smaller in older than in younger subjects (P-value <0.001). The age-related shrinkage of the caudate and putamen nucleus in men and women was about 5%, 5% and 4%, 4%, respectively, and there were statistically significant volume differences between males and females (P-value <0.05). In both genders, a significant rightward asymmetry was observed in the caudate and putamen nucleus (3.89%, 4.21% in men and 4.51%, 3.32% in women). Conclusions: Bilateral age-related shrinkage and rightward asymmetry of the striate nucleus was found in healthy adults and there were significant volume differences between men and women. Obtained results provide useful baseline data on age and gender-related changes of the volume of the striatum.
Gene Regulation by the AGL 15 Transcription Factor Reveals Hormone Interactions in Somatic Embryogenesis 1 [ OPEN ]

The MADS box transcription factor Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) AGAMOUS-LIKE15 (AGL15) and a putative ortholog from soybean (Glycine max), GmAGL15, are able to promote somatic embryogenesis (SE) in these plants when ectopically expressed. SE is an important means of plant regeneration, but many plants, or even particular cultivars, are recalcitrant for this process. Understanding how (Gm)AGL15 promotes SE by identifying and characterizing direct and indirect downstream regulated genes can provide means to improve regeneration by SE for crop improvement and to perform molecular tests of genes. Conserved transcription factors and the genes they regulate in common between species may provide the most promising avenue to identify targets for SE improvement. We show that (Gm)AGL15 negatively regulates auxin signaling in both Arabidopsis and soybean at many levels of the pathway, including the repression of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR6 (ARF6) and ARF8 and TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE1 as well as the indirect control of components via direct expression of a microRNA-encoding gene. We demonstrate interaction between auxin and gibberellic acid in the promotion of SE and document an inverse correlation between bioactive gibberellic acid and SE in soybean, a difficult crop to transform. Finally, we relate hormone accumulation to transcript accumulation of important soybean embryo regulatory factors such as ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 and FUSCA3 and provide a working model of hormone and transcription factor interaction in the control of SE.
The Invention of the White Race. Volume One: Racial Oppression and Social Control@@@The Invention of the White Race. Volume Two: The Origin of Racial Oppression in Anglo-America

Th,' I LlYIlwrkt:t Series offers original studies in politics, hi,tory and culture, with a focus on North Atlll'ri,';}, Representing views from across the American left on a wide range of "thievh, til<' ,cries will be of interest to socialists both in the USA and throughout the world, A, ('! lImy ,Iller Ihe first ''''tay Day, the American left remains in the shadow of those martyrs whom lI"s I Llym,(rkcl \'TI"S honors and commemorates, These studies testify to the living Iq~. I'·Y of pollltt'al adiv",1ll alld cOlllmitment for whic'h they gave their lives, The Invention of the White Race
On Erasure Coding for Distributed Storage and Streaming Communications

The work presented in this thesis revolves around erasure correction coding, as applied to distributed data storage and real-time streaming communications. First, we examine the problem of allocating a given storage budget over a set of nodes for maximum reliability. The objective is to find an allocation of the budget that maximizes the probability of successful recovery by a data collector accessing a random subset of the nodes. This optimization problem is challenging in general because of its combinatorial nature, despite its simple formulation. We study several variations of the problem, assuming different allocation models and access models, and determine the optimal allocation and the optimal symmetric allocation (in which all nonempty nodes store the same amount of data) for a variety of cases. Although the optimal allocation can have nonintuitive structure and can be difficult to find in general, our results suggest that, as a simple heuristic, reliable storage can be achieved by spreading the budget maximally over all nodes when the budget is large, and spreading it minimally over a few nodes when it is small. Coding would therefore be beneficial in the former case, while uncoded replication would suffice in the latter case. Second, we study how distributed storage allocations affect the recovery delay in a mobile setting. Specifically, two recovery delay optimization problems are considered for a network of mobile storage nodes: the maximization of the probability of successful recovery by a given deadline, and the minimization of the expected recovery delay. We show that the first problem is closely related to the earlier allocation problem, and solve the second problem completely for the case of symmetric allocations. It turns out that the optimal allocations for the two problems can be quite different. In a simulation study, we evaluated the performance of a simple data dissemination and storage protocol for mobile delay-tolerant networks, and observed that the choice of allocation can have a significant impact on the recovery delay under a variety of scenarios.
The Benefits and Barriers for Promoting Bamboo as a Green Building Material in China—An Integrative Analysis

Bamboo is commonly considered as a green, environmentally friendly material. However, it appears that bamboo finds limited application in the form of green building materials in the Chinese construction sector. In order to explain this phenomenon and promote the material’s application, this study summarizes the benefits of applying bamboo materials and presents an analysis on barriers affecting the effective application of bamboo materials in this specific building sector. Research data are collected from both literature surveys and semi-structured interviews with a group of carefully selected experts from the Chinese building sector. Fifteen characteristic barriers are identified, such as ineffective action by government departments. An integrative analysis is conducted, including investigation on the hierarchy structure among characteristic barriers using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method and the classification of barriers from a driving-driven perspective using the Cross-impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) technique. This classification provides a different profile for the characteristic barriers from that of traditional barrier analysis methods. The findings provide valuable references for helping policy makers and practitioners adopt effective policies and measures to promote the application of bamboo for green materials in building sector.
Clathrin heavy chain knockdown impacts CXCR 4 signaling and steady-state protein expression

Copyright statement: © 2019 Denies, Rosselli-murai, Schnell and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution and reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Geothermal Energy Potential and Utilization in the Republic of Croatia

The average temperature gradient in the north of Croatia, part of the Pannonian sedimentary basin, is considerably above the world average, while in the southern, Dinarides area its value is below that figure. In spite of the considerable geothermal potential accumulated in the reservoirs of the Pannonian area, the level of utilization of geothermal energy is very low. Low temperature thermal water is widely used for bathing, swimming and medical purposes in traditional spas, some of which are also equipped with geothermal space heating systems. Only two out of ten geothermal fields discovered during hydrocarbon exploration are currently in use. According to the Program of Geothermal Energy Utilization, GEOEN, in the near future the energy from the majority of the geothermal fields should be used directly for space heating and in the agricultural sector for greenhouse heating and the industrial processing of fruit and vegetables. Construction of a geothermal electric power plant is planned by the year 2005.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans. Outbreaks are linked to bovine food sources. STEC O157:H7 has been responsible for the most severe outbreaks worldwide. However, non-O157 serotypes have emerged as important enteric pathogens in several countries. The main virulence factor of STEC is the production of Shiga toxins 1 and 2. Additional virulence markers are a plasmid-encoded enterohemolysin (ehxA), an autoagglutinating adhesin (Saa), a catalase-peroxidase (katP), an extracellular serine protease (espP), a zinc metalloprotease (stcE), a subtilase cytotoxin (subAB), among others. Other virulence factors are intimin and adhesins that had a roll in the adherence of STEC to bovine colon. This review focuses on the virulence traits of STEC and especially on those related to the adhesion to bovine colon. The known of the interaction between STEC and the bovine host is crucial to develop strategies to control cattle colonization.