Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the stable rank of simple C*-algebras

In [16] M. A. Rieffel introduced the notion of stable rank for C*-algebras. For A a unital C*-algebra the stable rank, denoted by sr(A), is the least integer n such that the set of n-tuples over A which generate A as a left ideal is dense in An if no such n exists we set sr(A) = oo. For unital C*-algebras the stable rank was shown to coincide with the Bass stable rank, which is defined for rings; see [12]. The stable rank can also be defined for nonunital C*-algebras, but we shall only consider the unital case. Stable rank is related to nonstable K-theory: In [16, Theorem 10.12] and [3, Corollary 7.14] it was shown that if A is a simple unital C*-algebra of stable rank one, then the natural map U(A)/U(A)o -4 Ki(A) is an isomorphism. See also [17], [2] and [18]. It is a natural question which values occur as the stable rank of simple C*algebras. Suppose that A is simple and infinite. Then, by [7, Proposition 1.5], A contains two isometries with orthogonal ranges and so, by [16, Proposition 6.5], sr(A) = oo. In the case of finite, simple C*-algebras the following is known: Whenever A is simple and stably finite and B is a UHF-algebra, the tensor product A0 B has stable rank one; see [19]. This is also the case for every simple approximately homogeneous (AH) algebra with slow dimension growth; see [4] and [8]. So, in short, sr = oo for every infinite simple C*-algebra and sr = 1 for various classes of finite simple C*-algebras. In this paper we answer the question above by showing that every n C N U {oo} is the stable rank of some simple, finite C*-algebra. More precisely, it is shown that for every n = 2, 3, 4,. , oo there exists a simple, separable and unital AH-algebra A of stable rank n. In particular, the group of invertible elements in A is not dense. And, like the examples in [20], A does not have slow dimension growth and is not approximately divisible; see [5]. I thank Marius Dadarlat for suggesting that I study AH-algebras with connecting homomorphisms as described in the following section, and Juliana Erlijman for drawing my attention to some of the powerful tools of differential topology, and I thank George Elliott for my stay at The Fields Institute, where this paper was written.
Firm-Level Human Capital and Innovation: Evidence from China

Understanding the factors that may produce a sustained rate of innovation is important for promoting economic development and growth. In this paper, we examine the role of human capital in firms’ innovation by using a large sample of manufacturing firms from China. We use two firm-level datasets from China: one from metropolitan cities, and one from provincial small and medium sized cities. Patent applications are used as the measure of innovation. Human capital indicators used include skilled human capital (number of highly educated workers), general manager’s education and tenure, and management team’s education and age. We find that skilled human capital has a significant positive effect on firms’ innovation, while the management team’s age has a significant negative effect on innovation. The General Manager’s tenure plays a significant positive role in firm innovation in metropolitan cities, while it is the General Manager’s education that has a positive and significant effect on firms’ innovation in small and middle cities. We also find that the effect of R&D on patents is insignificant for firms in large cities, but it is positive and significant in the smaller and medium sized cities. We conclude by noting some policy issues for promoting innovation in developing economies.
A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Interventions to Cancer Caregivers

Objective: To systematically review the effect of psychosocial interventions on improving QoL, depression and anxiety of cancer caregivers. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of psychosocial interventions among adult cancer caregivers published from 2011 to 2016. PsycINFO, PubMed, Proquest, Cochrane Library, Embase, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and EBSCO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and WANFANG were searched. Inclusion criteria were: randomized controlled trails (RCTs); psychosocial intervention to cancer caregivers; psychosocial health indicators including quality of life, depression or anxiety. Results: 21 studies out of 4,666 identified abstracts met inclusion criteria, including 19 RCTs. The intervention modes fell into the following nine categories: family connect intervention, self-determination theory-based intervention (SDT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotion-focused therapy (EFT), comprehensive health enhancement support system (CHESS), FOCUS programme, existential behavioral therapy (EBT), telephone interpersonal counseling (TIP-C), problem-solving intervention (COPE). Conclusion: paired-intervention targeting self-care and interpersonal connections of caregivers and symptom management of patients is effective in improving quality of life and alleviating depression of cancer caregivers while music therapy is helpful for reducing anxiety of cancer caregivers.
Physiological alteration, quality of anesthesia and economy of isoflurane in domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus)

Aim: Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of isoflurane anesthesia on physiological parameters, assessment of anesthetic qualities, and economy of use of isoflurane in domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus). Materials and Methods: In this study, 18 apparently healthy adult domestic chickens were selected randomly and divided into three groups. The birds were anesthetized by masked induction with isoflurane at a dose rate of 3.5%, 4%, and 5% and were maintained with 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5% isoflurane with oxygen by endotracheal intubation in Groups I, II, and III, respectively. Physiological parameters, viz., cloacal temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate were recorded at 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min. The quality of anesthesia was assessed on the basis of induction time, induction behavior, quality of sedation, production of analgesia, degree of muscle relaxation, palpebral reflex, recovery time, and recovery behavior. The economy of anesthesia was calculated in terms of quantity of isoflurane utilized during 60 min of study. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance, Duncan’s multiple range tests. Results: There was significant decrease (p<0.01) in physiological parameters such as in cloacal temperature, heart rate and respiration rate in the birds of all the groups from 0 to 60 min. The induction time was 5.83±0.33, 2.37±0.18, and 0.87±0.15 min, respectively, in Groups I, II, and III. Induction behavior was smooth in Group III, whereas mildly stormy in Group II and I. Quality of sedation was excellent in Group III, better in Group II as compared to Group I. Analgesia was moderate in Group III whereas poor in Group II and I. Degree of muscle relaxation was excellent in Group III, whereas good in Group I and II. Palpebral reflexes were absent in all the groups. Recovery time was 15.33±0.84, 18.83±0.94, and 26.50±0.85 in Groups I, II, and III respectively. Recovery behavior was smooth in birds of all the groups. The cost of the anesthesia was 158.22±1.04, 194.27±0.66, and 236.84±0.60 Indian National Rupee in Groups I, II, and III, respectively. Quantity of anesthesia utilized in each group was 7.62±0.05, 9.35±0.03, and 11.41±0.03 ml in Groups I, II, and III, respectively. Conclusion: The use of isoflurane at different concentration produces different level of physiological changes, quality of anesthesia and economy without causing any deleterious effect on the birds. The physiological parameters observed in this study can serve as reference values for the wild and endangered birds.
TYLOSIN CONTENT IN MEAT AND HONEY SAMPLES OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD IN CROATIA

A total of 646 meat and 96 honey samples were examined over a 2-year period for the presence of tylosin residues. ELISA method used was validated according to the criteria of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC established for qualitative screening methods. The CCβ values were 32.1 µg kg−1 in muscle and 24.4 µg kg−1 in honey. The recoveries from spiked samples ranged from 66.4–118.6%, with a coefficient of variation between 12.6% and 18.6%. All the investigated samples showed no presence of tylosin. Calculated estimated daily intakes show exposure levels lower than the acceptable daily intakes set by World Health Organization.
Measuring utility by a single-response sequential method.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a sequential experiment that provides, at each stage in the sequence, an estimate of the utility to the subject of some amount of a commodity (e.g., money), and to present a few experimental results obtained with the method. The procedure is based upon the following well-known ‘expected utility hypothesis’. For each person there exist numerical constants, called utilities, associated with the various possible outcomes of his actions, given the external events not under his control. If, for a given subject, we could know the values of these constants and the (‘personal’) probabilities he assigns to the various external events we could, according to this model, predict his choice from among any available set of actions. He will choose an action with the highest expected utility; i.e., with the highest average of utilities of outcomes, weighted by the probabilities he assigns to the corresponding events. He will be indifferent between any two actions with equal expected utilities. Note that (by the nature of weighted averages) the comparison between expected utilities does not depend on which two particular outcomes are regarded as having zero-utility and unit-utility.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Do the Benefits of Prenatal Treatment Defeat the Risks?

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is caused by a defect in any of the 5 enzymes necessary for the synthesis of cortisol. However, in more than 90% of cases, CAH results from a defect in the enzyme 21-hydroxylase. Antenatal dexamethasone for the treatment of fetuses with CAH was introduced in 1978, and has been shown to prevent virilizaton of affected girls. Some researchers have been concerned about the possible long-term side effects of this therapy. A variety of studies have evaluated cognition and behavioral traits as well as metabolic alterations in treated children and in animals, and some investigators have reported adverse effects of antenatal treatment, but no firm conclusions about the potential risks of dexamethasone have been reached. This review summarizes the outcomes of affected children with and without antenatal dexamethasone treatment, and evaluates the benefits of prenatal treatment as well as the potential risks. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to recall the pathophysiology, broad clinical presentation, differences in prognosis with and without antenatal treatment, and face the importance of the antenatal dexamethasone treatment in congenital adrenal hyperplasia despite the potential adverse effects.
Age-related loss of dorsal vagal neurons in Parkinson's disease

Older patients who die with Parkinson's disease (PD) have fewer pigmented neurons in the locus coeruleus and fewer substance P-containing neurons in mesopontine tegmental nuclei. We analyzed two other medullary nuclei, the dorsal vagal nucleus and the hypoglossal nucleus, in eight PD patients and six normal controls by counting neurons in serial Nissl stained sections to determine the relationship between age at death and cell loss in these nuclei. PD-related neurodegenerative changes (Lewy bodies and neuronal loss) were present only in the dorsal vagal nucleus (13,637 ± 1,323 neurons in PD, 24,885 ± 1,157 in normal controls). Cells in the intermediate rostrocaudal part of the nucleus were most severely affected. There was a significant correlation between loss of vagal neurons and age at death in PD patients. No age-related cell loss was present in the dorsal vagal nucleus of normal brains, or in the hypoglossal nucleus in either PD or normal brains. These results confirm that age-related cell death depends on whether or not there is coexistent PD.
Salicylic Acid-Dependent Expression of Host Genes in Compatible Arabidopsis-Virus Interactions1[w]

Plant viruses elicit the expression of common sets of genes in susceptible hosts. Studies in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) indicate that at least one-third of the genes induced in common by viruses have been previously associated with plant defense and stress responses. The genetic and molecular requirements for the induction of these stress and defense-related genes during compatible host-virus interactions were investigated with a panel of Arabidopsis mutant and transgenic plants defective in one or more defense signaling pathways. pad4, eds5, NahG, npr1, jar1, ein2, sid2, eds1, and wild-type Columbia-0 and Wassilewskija-2 plants were infected with two different viruses, cucumber mosaic virus and oilseed rape mosaic virus. Gene expression was assayed by a high-throughput fiber-optic bead array consisting of 388 genes and by RNA gel blots. These analyses demonstrated that, in compatible host-virus interactions, the expression of the majority of defense-related genes is induced by a salicylic acid-dependent, NPR1-independent signaling pathway with a few notable exceptions that did require NPR1. Interestingly, none of the mutant or transgenic plants showed enhanced susceptibility to either cucumber mosaic virus or oilseed rape mosaic virus based on both symptoms and virus accumulation. This observation is in contrast to the enhanced disease susceptibility phenotypes that these mutations or transgenes confer to some bacterial and fungal pathogens. These experimental results suggest that expression of many defense-related genes in compatible host plants might share components of signaling pathways involved in incompatible host-pathogen interactions, but their increased expression has no negative effect on viral infection.
Bevacizumab-Induced Bowel Perforation

Abstract Bevacizumab has shown efficacy in many different malignancies and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for advanced colon and lung cancers. As bevacizumab use is expanding, the number of reports of serious adverse effects from the drug are growing. Bowel perforation is a rare but often fatal event that leads the list of dangerous adverse effects. It has been frequently reported in ovarian cancer trials, with early closure of some trials because of the high incidence of bowel perforation. Physicians should be familiar with not only the presentation of bowel perforation, but also with the risk factors, considerations for surgery, and management of perforation in selected patient populations. The authors review the current knowledge on bevacizumab-induced bowel perforation.
The usefulness of amplified fragment length polymorphism markers for taxon discrimination across graduated fine evolutionary levels in Caribbean Anolis lizards

Fine‐level taxon discrimination is important in biodiversity assessment and ecogeographical research. Genomic markers are often required for studies on closely related taxa, however, most existing mitochondrial and nuclear markers require prior knowledge of the genome and are impractical for use in small conservation projects. This study describes the application of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to discriminate at four progressively finer evolutionary levels of Caribbean Anolis lizards from the central Lesser Antilles. AFLP is shown to be a rapid and effective method for discriminating between species. Separation increases with primer pair number and choice of primer combination appears to be noncritical. Initial population‐level results show markedly less discriminatory power. A screening technique for the identification of population informative markers combining principal component and principal coordinate analyses is presented and assessed. Subsequent results show selected conspecific AFLP data to be remarkably congruent with those of mitochondrial DNA, microsatellite and morphological markers. The use of AFLP as a low‐cost nuclear marker in species‐level taxon discrimination is supported, whereas population level application demands further consideration.
The relationship between problem behaviour and traumatic dental injury amongst children aged 7-15 years old.

AIM The aim of this study was to test whether dental injuries are related to problem behaviour. In addition, it aimed to confirm the relationship between dental injuries and size of overjet and type of lip coverage. METHODS A hospital-based matched (age and sex) case-control design was adopted. Data were collected through clinical examinations and interviews. The informant-rated version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to identify problem behaviour. One parent of the child, most often the mother, was interviewed. Hierarchical modelling using conditional logistic regression was used to test the relationship between the five problem behaviours and traumatic dental injuries. RESULTS The Odds ratio of having a dental injury increased 3.14 times if children have peer relationship problems (P = 0.032), whilst a prosocial behaviour showed a tendency to have a protective effect (OR = 0.25; P = 0.064). Emotional symptoms, conduct disorder and hyperactivity behaviours were not related to dental injury (P > 0.75). Results were adjusted by father's level of education, size of overjet and type of lip coverage, and these variables were significantly related to dental injury (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Problem behaviour may play an important role in the occurrence of traumatic dental injury.
Barriers and benefits to leisure-time physical activity among older Mexican Americans.

OBJECTIVE To identify the perceived barriers to and benefits of leisure-time physical activity among older Mexican Americans (MA) and European Americans (EA). DESIGN Cross-sectional survey using in-home interviews of subjects. SETTING Subjects recruited from 10 family practice offices in South Texas that are part of a practice-based research network. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred ten MA and EA adults, aged 60 years and older, interviewed between April 1994 and April 1996. MEASUREMENTS The perceived benefits and barriers summary score from the San Diego Health and Exercise Questionnaire, the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, body mass index, chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, and demographics. MAIN RESULTS Older MA reported greater perceived benefits to physical activity and fewer perceived barriers than older MA while having lower levels of habitual physical activity. Lower levels of education, male sex, higher body mass index, and older age were also associated with lower levels of habitual physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Although MA reported lower levels of physical activity, they perceived greater benefits and fewer barriers to physical activity. These attitudes about physical activity held by older MA may present an opportunity to encourage greater levels of physical activity throughout this population.
Glucocorticosteroids and transaminase activity. I. Increased activity of glutamicpyruvic transaminase in four conditions associated with gluconeogenesis.

The gluconeogenic action of glucocorticosteroids and the negative nitrogen balance induced by this class of hormones point to the involvement of these agents at some biochemical site concerned with the conversion of protein to carbohydrate (1). Increased transaminase activity would be expected to alter the rate at which precursors of protein are interchanged with carbohydrate intermediates. Recently, an effect of cortisone on the activities of certain transaminases has been observed. Gavosto et al. (2) noted that in rats given cortisone by injection (120 mg. per kg. daily for 3 days) glutamic-osaloacetic transaminase activity in liver was increased by 67 per cent, and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity, by 81 per cent. In other studies by Beaton et al. (3), daily treatment of rats with cortisone did not affect the glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase level in liver but doubled the activity of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase. In an independent study (4) we reported that a B-fold increase in glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity occurred in the livers of rats treated with hydrocortisone; the values for glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase in the same livers were only slightly higher than those of the untreated control animals. This unusual specificity as well as the fact that the substrates of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase have high gluconeogenic potency led to a more detailed study of the significance of the changes in the activity of this transaminase. In the present study the activity of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase in liver was measured in four conditions known to be associated with enhanced gluconeogenic activity. It was found that in addition to the marked rise in the activity of this enzyme noted after hydrocortisone treatment, 5to 7-fold increases in liver glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity occurred in fasted and diabetic animals and in rats fed high protein rations (5), a finding substantiating the interpretation that the activity of this transaminase may be rate-limiting in the conversion of protein to carbohydrate.
Facial lupus vulgaris of bilateral periorbital skin and conjunctiva: A case report and brief review

A 22-year-old male presented to the Dermatology Department with bilateral plaque lesions distributed symmetrically over malar area, bridge of nose and upper eyelids progressing over 1 year 3 months. Lesion remained unhealed after antibiotic treatment. Microscopy and culture for fungal and mycobacterial infections were negative. The Mantoux test showed an exaggerated response and PCR was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Patient was treated successfully with anti-tubercular therapy.
An Analysis of the Impact of Gender on Physician Practice Patterns

Abstract Through analysis of Community Tracking Study Physician Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. physicians, we find that women physicians are significantly less satisfied with time for patients than their male colleagues. Among primary care physicians, about one third of the gender difference is explained by physician attributes, practice characteristics, geographical location and patient profiles. Control variables explain all of the gender gap among specialist physicians. Among primary care physicians, the effects of practice type and perceptions of patient complexity on satisfaction with time for patients are mediated by physician gender. Among specialist physicians, gender interacts with practice ownership and hours spent in medically related activity to determine satisfaction with time for patients.