Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinically compatible MRI strategies for discriminating bound and pore water in cortical bone

Advances in modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequences have enabled clinically practical cortical bone imaging. Human cortical bone is known to contain a distribution of T1 and T2 components attributed to bound and pore water, although clinical imaging approaches have yet to discriminate bound from pore water based on their relaxation properties. Herein, two clinically compatible MRI strategies are proposed for selectively imaging either bound or pore water by utilizing differences in their T1s and T2s. The strategies are validated in a population of ex vivo human cortical bones, and estimates obtained for bound and pore water are compared to bone mechanical properties. Results show that the two MRI strategies provide good estimates of bound and pore water that correlate to bone mechanical properties. As such, the strategies for bound and pore water discrimination shown herein should provide diagnostically useful tools for assessing bone fracture risk, once applied to clinical MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The relationship among circulating insulin‐like growth factor components, biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women under the age of 60

The changes in circulating IGF components after the menopause and the potential role of new markers of bone turnover and circulating IGF components in predicting bone mass in postmenopausal women are still controversial and the relationship between these two systems has not been investigated. The aims of this study were to investigate the changes in circulating IGF components after the menopause, to evaluate whether new markers of bone turnover and circulating IGF components reflect bone mass in postmenopausal women under the age of 60 and to study the relationship between these two systems.
Electronic Commerce: A Study on Benefits and Challenges in an Emerging Economy

Information Technology has been playing a vital role in the future development of financial sectors and the way of doing business in an emerging economy like Bangladesh. Increased use of smart mobile services and internet as a new distribution channel for business transactions and international trading requires more attention towards e-commerce security for reducing the fraudulent activities. The advancement of Information and Communication technology has brought a lot of changes in all spheres of daily life of human being. E-commerce has a lot of benefits which add value to customerâ€™s satisfaction in terms of customer convenience in any place and enables the company to gain more competitive advantage over the other competitors. This study predicts some challenges in an emerging economy.
Efficacy of Sucralfate in the Early Postoperative Improvement of Pediatric Thermal Welding Adenotonsillectomy Morbidity

Methods: We investigated the efficacy of sucralfate together with the TW technique on post-tonsillectomy morbidity in children. Our hypothesis was that the advantages of the TW technique might be improved by the protective coating effect of sucralfate on post-tonsillectomy morbidity. Patients were examined and scored clinically by their parents on the day of the operation and at the end of the day for the next 7 days. Throat pain was estimated by parents using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised from 0 to 10 with 0 representing the absence of pain and 10 maximal pain on postoperative days 1 to 7 while swallowing, speaking and resting.
PLACENTAL DELIVERY OF AMINO ACIDS 23 PLACENTAL UTILIZATION OF BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS

Early studies of amino acid transport across the ovine placenta suggested that amino acids taken up by the placenta from the maternal circulation are delivered to the fetus with no major loss (placental amino acid utilization) or addition (placental amino acid production) (1). Recent data indicate that for some amino acids, this suggestion is not valid, and that amino acid metabolism is an important aspect of placental function. The new information is based on several lines of evidence.
Towards Superior Transmission Performance in Submarine Systems: Leveraging UltraLow Attenuation and Large Effective Area

This paper expands our previous work on record-low attenuation of 0.1460 dB/km, measured on a silica-core fiber with 148 μm2 effective area. We describe the technology used to achieve such low level of attenuation and quantify other span loss characteristics, such as maintaining ultralow attenuation after cabling and splice loss reduction using “bridge” fiber and tapering techniques. We also show that a superior transmission performance in submarine networks is achieved using a combination of ultralow attenuation and large effective area, and discuss the impact of span length on system performance. We finally demonstrate that the reduction in fiber attenuation provides an additional benefit of lower optimum power into the fiber, therefore, relaxing the maximum output power requirements of submarine EDFAs.
The Sporulation Protein SirA Inhibits the Binding of DnaA to the Origin of Replication by Contacting a Patch of Clustered Amino Acids

ABSTRACT Bacteria regulate the frequency and timing of DNA replication initiation by controlling the activity of the replication initiator protein DnaA. SirA is a recently discovered regulator of DnaA in Bacillus subtilis whose synthesis is turned on at the start of sporulation. Here, we demonstrate that SirA contacts DnaA at a patch of 3 residues located on the surface of domain I of the replication initiator protein, corresponding to the binding site used by two unrelated regulators of DnaA found in other bacteria. We show that the interaction of SirA with domain I inhibits the ability of DnaA to bind to the origin of replication. DnaA mutants containing amino acid substitutions of the 3 residues are functional in replication initiation but are immune to inhibition by SirA.
Does the Miller blade truly provide a better laryngoscopic view and intubating conditions than the Macintosh blade in small children?

Both Miller and Macintosh blades are widely used for laryngoscopy in small children, though the Miller blade is more commonly recommended in pediatric anesthetic literature. The aim of this study was to compare laryngoscopic views and ease and success of intubation with Macintosh and Miller blades in small children under general anesthesia.
The effect of the geometry and material properties of a carbon joint produced by electron beam induced deposition on the electrical resistance of a multiwalled carbon nanotube-to-metal contact interface

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are promising candidates for yielding next generation electrical and electronic devices such as interconnects and tips for conductive force microscopy. One of the main challenges in MWNT implementation in such devices is the high contact resistance of the MWNT–metal electrode interface. Electron beam induced deposition (EBID) of an amorphous carbon interface has previously been demonstrated to simultaneously lower the electrical contact resistance and improve the mechanical characteristics of the MWNT–electrode connection. In this work, we investigate the influence of process parameters, such as the electron beam energy, current, geometry, and deposition time, on the EBID-made carbon joint geometry and electrical contact resistance. The influence of the composition of the deposited material on its resistivity is also investigated. The relative importance of each component of the contact resistance and the limiting factor of the overall electrical resistance of a MWNT-based interconnect is determined through a combination of a model analysis and comprehensive experiments.
Technical review of the energy and protein requirements of growing pigs : energy

A review of work reported in the literature was used to present quantitative descriptions of energy dispositioning in the growing pig. These are detailed in the text, which points to preferred values, as well as to anomalies and lacunae. The review was prepared with the objective of allowing from its content the inclusive and quantitative modelling of energy requirement. Requirement is approached as the sum of the component factors; maintenance, protein retention and lipid retention. Conventional expressions of maintenance requirement, as some function of pig mass, were found unconvincing in their variety of expression of coefficients and exponents. The review concluded that maintenance is properly related to protein turn-over, and thereby requires at least to include elements of concomitant protein metabolic activity. It was also judged that maintenance costs might be farm-specific. The energy requirements for activity, gaseous losses and disease were identified as important, but unsatisfactory in their quantification. Exploration of the energy costs of uncomfortable ambient temperatures suggested that whilst the responses of the pig are open to sophisticated and relatively exact calculation, the description of comfort remained inexact. The efficiency of retention of lipid by direct incorporation was high and may comprise a substantial proportion of the dietary lipid supply. There was little evidence of variation in the efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy from carbohydrate for lipid retention. The linear-plateau paradigm for protein retention was adopted. The efficiency of utilization of energy for protein retention measured by a variety of approaches was found to be highly variable, prone to error and the literature confused. It was concluded that the efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for protein retention would be a function of at least : (a) the absorbed substrate being metabolized for the synthesis of body protein, (b) the rate of total protein tissue turn-over associated with the retention of newly accreted protein and not already accounted in the estimate of maintenance, (c) the mass of protein tissue involved in turn-over, and (d) the degree of maturity attained, and any influence maturity may have upon the rate of turn-over of total body protein. Algorithms for energy requirement are presented based upon protein turn-over and these appear to have some consistency with empirical findings.
Effects of differing intensities and formats of 12 months of exercise training on psychological outcomes in older adults.

The 12-month effects of exercise training on psychological outcomes in adults ages 50-65 years were evaluated. Ss (N = 357) were randomly assigned to assessment-only control or to higher intensity group, higher intensity home, or lower intensity home exercise training. Exercisers showed reductions in perceived stress and anxiety in relation to controls (p < .04). Reductions in stress were particularly notable in smokers. Regardless of program assignment, greater exercise participation was significantly related to less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms, independent of changes in fitness or body weight (p < .05). It was concluded that neither a group format nor vigorous activity was essential in attaining psychological benefits from exercise training in healthy adults.
The demonstration of an essential role for macrophages in the in vivo generation of IgG2a antibodies

BALB/c mice were depleted of macrophages by intravenous inoculation of dichloromethylene diphosphonate entrapped in liposomes 24 h before primary and 24 h before secondary sensitization intravenously with 100/μg bovine serum albumin (BSA) or ovalbumin (OVA). The effectiveness of macrophage depletion was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Five days and 14 days after secondary challenge with BSA, plasma samples from these and control mice inoculated with empty liposomes were examined for the production of BSA‐specific IgG1 and lgG2a antibodies. Macrophage depletion resulted in a significantly increased production of the Th2 lymphocyte‐associated IgG1 isotype, while the production of specific IgG2a antibodies, produced under the influence of Th1 cells, was totally ablated. Similar results were obtained when OVA was used as the test antigen. Furthermore, analysis of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) production after antigen or concanavalin A (Con A) restimulation in vitro indicated that macrophage depletion m vivo significantly reduced production of this Th1 cell‐associated cytokine. These results provide strong in vivo and in vitro evidence for the macrophage being the antigen‐presenting cell population responsible for Th1 cell activation.
Relationship between B 2 B E-Commerce Benefits , E-Market-place Usage and Supply Chain Management

The Internet technology has enabled companies to create a new market space that facilitates electronic interactions among multiple buyers and sellers. It is believed that the perceived benefits of e-commerce have a great impact on e-marketplaces usage. However, research shows that supply chain management (SCM) influenced by ecommerce. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between B2B e-commerce benefits, supply chain management and e-marketplace usage. The proposed model was tested on managers of companies in different Industries in Amman – Jordan. Structural equation modeling technique was employed using AMOS 7.0 to verify the reliability and validity of the multi-item scales and to test the hypothesized relationships.
CDKN2A promoter methylation in gastric adenocarcinomas: clinical variables.

The CDKN2A gene encodes a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p16, which promotes cell cycle arrest. Methylation of the promoter region of the gene transcriptionally inactivates the gene. We have analyzed the methylation status of the promoter region of the CDKN2A gene in gastric adenocarcinomas using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. We also examined the tumors by immunohistochemistry for p16 protein. Of 114 gastric adenocarcinomas analyzed by immunohistochemistry, 34 cases (30%) were negative for p16 protein. Twenty-four of these 34 cases (71%) had methylation of the promoter region of the CDKN2A gene. Methylation of the promoter was strongly associated with loss of p16 protein by immunohistochemistry (P <0.0001). Neither stage, grade, anatomic site, or histologic subtype of the tumor nor age, gender, ethnic origin, or survival time of the patient were significantly different between the groups characterized by tumors with and without methylation. CDKN2A promoter methylation was not significantly associated with microsatellite instability.
Predictors and consequences of unemployment in construction and forest work during a 5-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES The study investigated whether indicators of health, work conditions, or life-style predict subsequent unemployment and also the unemployment consequences related to health or life-style. METHODS A questionnaire was administered to 781 male construction and 877 male forest workers (aged 20-49 years and working at the beginning of the study) in 1989 and 1994. Employment status during follow-up was ranked into the following 4 categories according to the employment status and unemployment time: continuously employed, re-employed, short-term (< or = 24 months) unemployed and long-term (> or =24 months) unemployed. RESULTS The following base-line factors were associated with long-term unemployment during follow-up among the construction workers: age >40 years, poor subjective health, smoking, frequent heavy use of alcohol, low job satisfaction, marital status (single), and unemployment during the year preceding the initial survey. Among the forest workers, age >40 years, frequent stress symptoms, and preceding unemployment entered the model. In addition smoking predicted unemployment among the forest workers with no preceding unemployment. The proportion of regular smokers decreased among the long-term unemployed. Physical exercise was more frequent at the time of follow-up than it was initially, particularly among the unemployed. Stress symptoms increased among the construction workers, but musculoskeletal symptoms decreased significantly among the long-term unemployed. Among the forest workers stress symptoms decreased among the continuously employed and re-employed persons, but musculoskeletal symptoms decreased significantly for them all. CONCLUSIONS Unemployment among construction workers is to some extent dependent on life-style, health, and job satisfaction in addition to age, marital status, and unemployment history. For forest workers, unemployment is less determined by individual factors. Changes in distress and musculoskeletal symptoms are dependent on employment, particularly among construction workers.
A Linear Model Method for Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning Experiments

Experiments that manipulate species richness and measure ecosystem functioning attempt to separate the effects of species richness (the number of species) from those of species identity. We introduce an experimental design that ensures that each species is selected the same number of times at each level of species richness. In combination with a linear model analysis, this approach is able to unambiguously partition the variance due to different species identities and the variance due to nonlinear species richness, a proxy measure for interactions among species. Our design and analysis provide several advantages over methods that are currently used. First, the linear model method has the potential to directly estimate the role of various ecological mechanisms (e.g., competition, facilitation) rather than the consequences of those mechanisms (e.g., the “complementarity effect”). Second, unlike other methods that are currently used, this one is able to estimate the impact of diversity when the contribution of individual species in a mixture is unknown.
Plasma and skin concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids before and after supplementation with n-3 fatty acids in dogs with atopic dermatitis.

OBJECTIVE To determine essential fatty acid concentrations in plasma and tissue before and after supplementation with n-3 fatty acids in dogs with atopic dermatitis. ANIMALS 30 dogs with atopic dermatitis. PROCEDURE Dogs received supplemental flaxseed oil (200 mg/kg/d), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 50 mg/kg/d)-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 35 mg/kg/d), or mineral oil as a placebo in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Clinical scores and plasma and cutaneous concentrations of linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LLA), EPA, DHA, prostaglandin E2, and leukotriene B4 were determined. RESULTS Total plasma concentrations of alpha-LLA and EPA increased and those of arachidonic acid decreased significantly with administration of EPA-DHA, and concentrations of alpha-LLA increased with flaxseed oil supplementation; nevertheless, there was no significant change in the concentrations of these fatty acids or eicosanoids in the skin. There was no correlation between clinical scores and plasma or cutaneous concentrations for any of the measured fatty acids or eicosanoids. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that at the dose used, neither the concentrations of fatty acids in skin or plasma nor a decrease in the production of inflammatory eicosanoids was a major factor involved in the mechanism of action in dogs with atopy that responded to fatty acid supplementation.
A System for Online Dynamic Perturbation of Formant Trajectories and Results from Perturbations of the Mandarin Triphthong /iau/

Previous studies based on perturbation of formant frequencies in auditory feedback of speech (e.g., [1,2]) mainly used steady-state vowels. However, real speech is primarily time-varying. Currently little is known about the role of auditory feedback in the production of time-varying speech sounds such as diphthongs and triphthongs. We developed a system for online perturbation of such sounds. Using this system, we perturbed the formant trajectories of the triphthong /iau/ in a time-varying fashion as they were being produced by Mandarin speakers. Most subjects showed compensatory corrections to the formant trajectories in ways that reflected the time-varying nature of the perturbations. This result indicates that auditory feedback plays a role in the planning of the articulatory movements in time-varying sounds. In addition, the adaptations to these perturbations transferred to some related time-varying and steady-state vowels.
Hindsight bias in younger and older adults: the role of access control

Hindsight bias is the overestimation of one’s earlier knowledge about facts or one’s prediction of events after learning about the actual facts or events. The authors examined age differences in hindsight bias and their relation to visual access control. Younger and older adults recalled their numerical answers to general-knowledge questions. For half of the items, the correct judgment (CJ) was shown during recall. To indicate whether the distracting CJ was visually accessed, the authors measured fixations to the CJ. An instructional manipulation to ignore the CJ affected fixations and hindsight bias. Older adults showed stronger hindsight bias and more fixations to the task-irrelevant CJ, indicating an age-related deficit in access control. However, evidence for the effect of CJ access on hindsight bias was weak and more pronounced in younger than in older adults.
Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE To compare the health-related quality of life (HRQL) between children aged 6-17 years with one of three mental disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder, or conduct disorder), a physical disorder, and those with none of these disorders. METHOD Parent reports describing the HRQL, mental disorders, and physical disorders of a national sample of 3,597 children and adolescents in Australia, aged 6-17 years (response rate = 70%), were obtained by means of a structured diagnostic interview and questionnaires. RESULTS After controlling for age, gender, and family structure, children with mental disorders were reported to have a significantly worse HRQL in several domains than children with no disorder. In many areas they were reported to have a worse HRQL than children with physical disorders. Parents also reported that the problems of children with mental disorders interfered significantly with the daily lives of children, parents, and families. CONCLUSIONS The findings are consistent with previous studies which have reported that adults with mental disorders have substantial impairment in their HRQL. The findings suggest that children with a mental disorder require help in many areas of their lives. Achieving this will require an integrated approach to health care delivery rather than the current distinction between physical and mental health services.