Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of nonsyndromic oral clefts in Texas: 1995–1999

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with/without cleft palate (NSCLP) and nonsyndromic cleft palate only (NSCPO) are common complex birth defects affecting 4,000 newborns annually. We undertook a descriptive study of oral clefts in Texas, focusing on the effect of folic acid fortification and Hispanic ethnicity on the prevalence of oral clefts as these factors have not previously been described. Data on 896 infants with NSCLP and NSCPO born between 1995 and 1999 in Texas were compared to all births in Texas during the same period. Prevalence odds ratios (POR) were calculated for maternal ethnicity, race, age, parity, public health region of residence, highest level of education, and infant gender. The effect of folic acid fortification on oral clefts was also examined. Compared with whites, adjusted POR were 0.97 (95% CI = 0.77–1.23) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.72–1.14) for NSCLP and 0.46 (95% CI = 0.30–0.72) and 0.62 (95% CI = 0.42–0.90) for NSCPO in foreign‐born and US‐born Hispanics, respectively. After fortification was implemented, the rate of NSCLP did not decrease. However, there was a 13% decrease in the prevalence of NSCPO (adjusted POR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.68–1.15). Compared to whites, the rates in US‐born and foreign‐born Hispanic women were similar for NSCLP and much lower for NSCPO. The small reduction of 13% in NSCPO after folic acid fortification is imprecise and should be interpreted cautiously. Overall, it appears that folic acid fortification has had very little or no effect on the prevalence of oral clefts in infants born in Texas. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
AB156. Homocysteine and vitamin B12: risk factors for erectile dysfunction

Background Increasing levels of homocysteine (Hcy) is associated with cardiovascular disease, and erectile dysfunction (ED) has close relation with cardiovascular disease, therefore, high homocysteine may be one of the risk factors of ED. During the metabolism of homocysteine, vitamin B12 plays an important role and could be the main factor in causing erectile dysfunction as well. Purpose To investigate the relationship between Hcy, vitamin B12 and ED in sample. Methods The study included 1,457 men aged 20-69 who participated in a series of physical examination at the Medical Centre in Fangchenggang First People’s Hospital from September 2009 to December 2009. ED was identified by the five-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. All participants were measured for plasma Hcy, vitamin B12, folic acid, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Smoking, alcoholic drinking and physical activity were collected by face to face communication. Results A total of 691 (47.4%) men were identified as ED in this study, participants with ED were older or more likely to drink alcohol than the non-ED. It was higher Hcy (P=0.032), vitamin B12 (P=0.008) and fasting plasma glucose (P=0.014) in the participants with ED. There were significant positive correlation between ED status (none, mile, moderate and severe) and Hcy (P=0.024), vitamin B12 (P=0.015) and fasting plasma glucose (P=0.002). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, Hcy and vitamin B12 were the main determinants in ED. Hcy was positively associated with ED in the men more than 45, but vitamin B12 was positively related with ED in the men less than 45. Conclusions Hcy was positively associated with ED in elder, however, vitamin B12 was positively related with ED in younger.
Performance Study of a Novel Solar Solid Dehumidification/Regeneration Bed for Use in Buildings Air Conditioning Systems

In this paper, a novel solar solid dehumidification/regeneration bed has been proposed, and its three regeneration methods, i.e., simulated solar radiation regeneration, microwave regeneration, and combined regeneration of the microwave and simulated solar radiation, were experimentally investigated and compared, as well as the dehumidification performance. The degree of regeneration of the proposed system under the regeneration method combining both microwave irradiation and simulated solar radiation could reach 77.7%, which was 3.77 times higher than that of the system under the simulated solar regeneration method and 1.05 times higher than that of the system under the microwave regeneration. The maximum energy efficiency of the proposed system under the combined regeneration method was 21.7%, while it was only 19.4% for the system under microwave regeneration. All these proved that the combined regeneration method of the simulated solar and microwave radiation not only improved the regeneration efficiency of the system, but also enhanced the energy efficiency. For the dehumidification performance, the maximum transient moisture removal was 14.1 g/kg, the maximum dehumidification efficiency was 68.0% and the maximum speed of dehumidification was 0.294 g/(kg·s) when the inlet air temperature was at 26.09 °C and the air relative humidity was at 89.23%. By comparing the testing results with the semi-empirical results from the Page model, it was indicated that the Page model can predict the regeneration characteristics of the novel solar solid dehumidification/regeneration bed under the combined method of microwave and simulated solar regeneration. The results of this research should prove useful to researchers and engineers to exploit the potential of solar technologies in buildings worldwide.
A STRONG COUPLING SCHEME FOR FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION PROBLEMS WITH DYNAMICALLY MOVING BOUNDARIES IN VISCOUS INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS

In the present paper an embedded-boundary formulation that is applicable to fluid structure interaction problems is presented. The Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible flow are solved on a fixed grid which is not aligned with the body. A corotational formulation is used to describe the dynamics of a body that moves through the fixed grid undergoing large-angle/large-displacement rigid body motions. A strong coupling scheme is adopted, where the fluid and the structure are treated as elements of a single dynamical system, and all of the governing equations are integrated simultaneously and interactively in the timedomain. A demonstration of the accuracy and efficiency of the method will be given for a variety of fluid/structure interaction problems.
The role of marijuana use in brief motivational intervention with young adult drinkers treated in an emergency department.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this research was to study marijuana use, associated risks, and response to brief motivational intervention among young adult drinkers treated in an emergency department. METHOD Study participants (N = 215; ages 18-24) were in a randomized controlled trial for alcohol use that compared motivational interviewing with personalized feedback (MI) with personalized feedback only. Past-month marijuana users were compared with nonusers on demographics, readiness, self-efficacy, and behavioral risk variables. Marijuana use was examined as a potential moderator of alcohol outcomes. Whether marijuana use alone or combined marijuana and alcohol use would be reduced as a result of brief intervention for alcohol was examined at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS Current marijuana users were younger, were more likely to be white, and reported more alcohol use, other illicit drug use, and more alcohol-related consequences than nonmarijuana users. Marijuana use at baseline did not moderate response to brief alcohol treatment. Marijuana use declined from baseline to 6 months for both treatment groups, but only MI participants continued to reduce their use of marijuana from 6- to 12-month follow-up. Reductions in number of days of use of marijuana with alcohol appeared to be primarily a function of decreased alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS Young adult drinkers reporting current marijuana use are at generally higher risk but responded to brief alcohol treatment by reducing alcohol and marijuana use.
c2d Spitzer IRS spectra of embedded low-mass young stars: gas-phase emission lines

Context. A survey of mid-infrared gas-phase emission lines of H_2, H_(2)O and various atoms toward a sample of 43 embedded low-mass young stars in nearby star-forming regions is presented. The sources are selected from the Spitzer “Cores to Disks” (c2d) legacy program. Aims. The environment of embedded protostars is complex both in its physical structure (envelopes, outflows, jets, protostellar disks) and the physical processes (accretion, irradiation by UV and/or X-rays, excitation through slow and fast shocks) which take place. The mid-IR spectral range hosts a suite of diagnostic lines which can distinguish them. A key point is to spatially resolve the emission in the Spitzer-IRS spectra to separate extended PDR and shock emission from compact source emission associated with the circumstellar disk and jets. Methods. An optimal extraction method is used to separate both spatially unresolved (compact, up to a few hundred AU) and spatially resolved (extended, thousand AU or more) emission from the IRS spectra. The results are compared with the c2d disk sample and literature PDR and shock models to address the physical nature of the sources. Results. Both compact and extended emission features are observed. Warm (T_(ex) few hundred K) H_2, observed through the pure rotational H_2 S(0), S(1) and S(2) lines, and [S i] 25 μm emission is observed primarily in the extended component. [S i] is observed uniquely toward truly embedded sources and not toward disks. On the other hand hot (T_(ex) ≳ 700 K) H_2, observed primarily through the S(4) line, and [Ne ii] emission is seen mostly in the spatially unresolved component. [Fe ii] and [Si ii] lines are observed in both spatial components. Hot H_(2)O emission is found in the spatially unresolved component of some sources. Conclusions. The observed emission on ≥1000 AU scales is characteristic of PDR emission and likely originates in the outflow cavities in the remnant envelope created by the stellar wind and jets from the embedded young stars. Weak shocks along the outflow wall can also contribute. The compact emission is likely of mixed origin, comprised of optically thick circumstellar disk and/or jet/outflow emission from the protostellar object.
Optimal plaster conformation derived using a custom-made jig to obtain maximum strength of protective plaster of Paris for hand surgery.

BACKGROUND Surgical repair of soft tissue trauma in the upper limb frequently requires postoperative immobilization to prevent tension across repaired tendons, vessels, or nerves. A plaster of Paris backslab, placed on either the volar or the dorsal surface, is frequently used, as it is inexpensive and easy to apply. METHODS In an effort to improve upon the strength of plaster of Paris backslabs, we designed a custom-made jig to subject angled backslabs (n = 5 per group) of various designs to a torsional force. We tested 10-layered backslabs with 0, 1, or 2 ridges and 15-layered backslabs without ridges. RESULTS We demonstrate that the addition of longitudinal reinforcing ridges on the convex surface of backslabs can improve simple backslabs in terms of breaking strength, plaster stiffness, and failure load. The optimal design employs a single, centrally placed ridge, which provides the maximum support in the axis of the net force acting across the angle, the fulcrum of angle backslabs. The formation of two parallel longitudinal ridges does not offer any additional support. CONCLUSIONS Backslabs can be strengthened significantly by placement of a single reinforcing ridge. This allows plaster weight and thickness to be kept to a minimum, reducing the setting time of the plaster and contributing to patient comfort. These findings demonstrate the ideal construction of angled plaster of Paris backslabs for the protection of soft tissue repairs.
Targets and self monitoring in hypertension: randomised controlled trial and cost effectiveness analysis

Abstract Objectives To assess whether blood pressure control in primary care could be improved with the use of patient held targets and self monitoring in a practice setting, and to assess the impact of these on health behaviours, anxiety, prescribed antihypertensive drugs, patients' preferences, and costs. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Eight general practices in south Birmingham. Participants 441 people receiving treatment in primary care for hypertension but not controlled below the target of < 140/85 mm Hg. Interventions Patients in the intervention group received treatment targets along with facilities to measure their own blood pressure at their general practice; they were also asked to visit their general practitioner or practice nurse if their blood pressure was repeatedly above the target level. Patients in the control group received usual care (blood pressure monitoring by their practice). Main outcome measures Primary outcome: change in systolic blood pressure at six months and one year in both intervention and control groups. Secondary outcomes: change in health behaviours, anxiety, prescribed antihypertensive drugs, patients' preferences of method of blood pressure monitoring, and costs. Results 400 (91%) patients attended follow up at one year. Systolic blood pressure in the intervention group had significantly reduced after six months (mean difference 4.3 mm Hg (95% confidence interval 0.8 mm Hg to 7.9 mm Hg)) but not after one year (mean difference 2.7 mm Hg (– 1.2 mm Hg to 6.6 mm Hg)). No overall difference was found in diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, health behaviours, or number of prescribed drugs. Patients who self monitored lost more weight than controls (as evidenced by a drop in body mass index), rated self monitoring above monitoring by a doctor or nurse, and consulted less often. Overall, self monitoring did not cost significantly more than usual care (£251 ($437; 364 euros) (95% confidence interval £233 to £275) versus £240 (£217 to £263). Conclusions Practice based self monitoring resulted in small but significant improvements of blood pressure at six months, which were not sustained after a year. Self monitoring was well received by patients, anxiety did not increase, and there was no appreciable additional cost. Practice based self monitoring is feasible and results in blood pressure control that is similar to that in usual care.
Amplification of pBR322 plasmid DNA in Escherichia coli relA strains during batch and fed‐batch fermentation

Fermenter studies under batch and fed‐batch conditions were carried out to test the possibility of plasmid pBR322 production in large amounts by using E. coli relA strains. High amplification rates of pBR322 plasmid DNA were observed in E. coli CP79 (relA) and E. coli CP143 (relA) in both batch and fed‐batch cultivation after exhaustion of the amino acid arginine. The concentrations of plasmid DNA per unit of biomass were nearly the same in batch and in fedbatch fermentations of E. coli CP79 and E. coli CP143. Therefore, the significantly higher biomass concentration of the two strains after fed‐batch fermentation gave a dramatic increase in the yield of plasmid DNA per litre of medium in comparison to the batch process.
Synergistic combinations of five single drugs from Centella asiatica for neuronal differentiation

To identify alternatives of nerve growth factor, which could promote NF68 protein expression and contribute toward neuronal differentiation, five compounds namely: asiatic acid, madecassic, madecassoside, quercetin, and isoquercetin, obtained from Centella asiatica, were examined for their neuronal differentiation effects on PC12 cells. C. asiatica has been applied as an effective herbal medicine for the treatment of various diseases, including depression. According to a statistical design of experiments, both single compound and compound combinations were evaluated. A further statistical analysis indicated quantitative interactions between these five single compounds and led to the identification of the optimal drug combinations. Asiatic acid and madecassic appeared to show profound synergistic effects on neurofilaments expression in vitro. The optimized drug combinations were significantly more potent than single drugs and further investigation suggested that the optimal drug combination could be an analogue of nerve growth factor and could represent a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.
Strand Bias in Targeted Gene Repair Is Influenced by Transcriptional Activity

ABSTRACT Modified single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides can direct nucleotide exchange in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Point and frameshift mutations are corrected in a reaction catalyzed by cellular enzymes involved in various DNA repair processes. The present model centers on the annealing of the vector to one strand of the helix, followed by the correction of the designated base. The choice of which strand to target is a reaction parameter that can be controlled, so here we investigate the properties of strand bias in targeted gene repair. An in vivo system has been established in which a plasmid containing an actively transcribed, but mutated, hygromycin-enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion gene is targeted for repair and upon conversion will confer hygromycin resistance on the cell. Overall transcriptional activity has a positive influence on the reaction, elevating the frequency. If the targeting vector is synthesized so that it directs nucleotide repair on the nontranscribed strand, the level of gene repair is higher than if the template strand is targeted. We provide data showing that the targeting vector can be displaced from the template strand by an active T7 phage RNA polymerase. The strand bias is not influenced by which strand serves as the leading or lagging strand during DNA synthesis. These results may provide an explanation for the enhancement of gene repair observed when the nontemplate strand is targeted.
Impact of an extreme climatic event on community assembly

Extreme climatic events are predicted to increase in frequency and magnitude, but their ecological impacts are poorly understood. Such events are large, infrequent, stochastic perturbations that can change the outcome of entrained ecological processes. Here we show how an extreme flood event affected a desert rodent community that has been monitored for 30 years. The flood (i) caused catastrophic, species-specific mortality; (ii) eliminated the incumbency advantage of previously dominant species; (iii) reset long-term population and community trends; (iv) interacted with competitive and metapopulation dynamics; and (v) resulted in rapid, wholesale reorganization of the community. This and a previous extreme rainfall event were punctuational perturbations—they caused large, rapid population- and community-level changes that were superimposed on a background of more gradual trends driven by climate and vegetation change. Captured by chance through long-term monitoring, the impacts of such large, infrequent events provide unique insights into the processes that structure ecological communities.
Influence of method of whole wheat inclusion and xylanase supplementation on the performance, apparent metabolisable energy, digestive tract measurements and gut morphology of broilers

1. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of whole wheat inclusion and xylanase supplementation on the performance, apparent metabolisable energy (AME), digesta viscosity, and digestive tract measurements of broilers fed on wheat-based diets. The influence of the method of whole wheat inclusion (pre- or post-pelleting) was also compared. A 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used with three diet forms (648 g/kg ground wheat [GW], GW replaced by 200 g/kg of whole wheat before [WW1] or after cold-pelleting [WW2]) and two xylanase levels (0 and 1000 XU/kg diet). 2. Birds given diets containing whole wheat had improved weight gains, feed efficiency and AME compared to those fed on diets containing ground wheat. The relative gizzard weight of birds fed WW2 diets was higher than in those fed GW and WW1 diets. Pre-pelleting inclusion of whole wheat had no effect on relative gizzard weight. Post-pelleting inclusion of whole wheat resulted in greater improvements in feed efficiency and AME than the pre-pelleting treatment. 3. Xylanase supplementation significantly improved weight gain, feed efficiency and AME, irrespective of the wheat form used. Viscosity of the digesta in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were reduced by xylanase addition. Xylanase supplementation reduced the relative weight of the pancreas. 4. Neither xylanase supplementation nor whole wheat inclusion influenced the relative weight and length of the small intestine. 5. Xylanase supplementation increased ileal villus height. A significant interaction between diet form and xylanase was observed for ileal crypt depth. Xylanase supplementation had no effect on crypt depth in birds fed on diets containing GW, but increased the crypt depth in WW2 diets. No significant effects of diet form and xylanase supplementation were observed for the thickness of the tunica muscularis layer of gizzard or villus height, crypt depth, goblet cell numbers or epithelial thickness in the ileum. 6. Improved performance observed with post-pelleting inclusion of whole wheat was associated with increased size of the gizzard and improved AME. The gizzard development hypothesis, however, will not explain the improvements observed with pre-pelleting inclusion of whole wheat, suggesting the involvement of other factors.
Subset-Restricted Interchange for Dynamic Min-Max Scheduling Problems

The traditional method of pairwise job interchange compares the cost of sequences which differ only in the interchange of two jobs. It assumes that either there are no intermediate jobs (adjacent pairwise interchange) or that the interchange can be performed no matter what the intermediate jobs are (nonadjacent pairwise interchange). We introduce a generalization that permits the pairwise interchange of jobs provided that the intermediate jobs belong to a restricted subset of jobs (subset-restricted pairwise interchange). In general, even if an adjacent interchange relation is a partial order, it need not be a precedence order. We introduce a unified theory of dominance relations based on subset-restricted interchange. This yields a precedence order for the class of unconstrained, regular, single machine scheduling problems $1\left/ r_{j}\left/ f_{\max}. \right. \right. $ Thus it applies to $1\left/ r_{j}\left/ L_{\max},\right. \right. $ $1/ r_{j},\overline{d_{j}}/ C_{\max}$, $1\left/ r_{j}\left/ \max w_{j}L_{j},\right. \right. 1\left/ r_{j}\left/ \max w_{j}C_{j},\right. \right. $ and other problems. We also show that these problems remain strongly NP-hard for interval-ordered tasks. The strength of the precedence orders was tested in a large-scale computational experiment for $1\left/ r_{j}\left/ \max w_{j}C_{j}. \right. \right. $ The results show that using the precedence orders in branch and bound algorithms speeds these up on average by about 58 percent.
3D accelerometric assessment of the gait of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Accelerometry, already widely used in humans (Auvinet et al. 1990), is currently used in horses as a detection tool to assess lameness and has been for the last 10 years (Bailly 2009). Among all the gait analysis systems, accelerometer seems to be easier to use in clinical study than the other systems. Parameters, such as stride frequency, symmetry, regularity and power output of the locomotion can be calculated from accelerations recorded during several strides. So, the purpose of this study is to detect and quantify a clinical cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) lameness.