Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global health equity: evidence for action on the social determinants of health

More than 30 years ago, the older of us published a paper with the proposal that all scientific papers should start with a statement along the lines of: “These are the opinions on which I base my facts”. Why pretend? To take a topical example, if you are on the nature side of the nature/nurture debates, is it likely that your next paper will be an apologia: “I take it all back; genes don’t matter at all; it is all environment”? Unlikely. Similarly, if you are on the other side. (We know. It’s both.) Here, we are not in any way arguing for a relativist credo that would say opinions are all. Along with other readers of this journal, we spend a good part of our working lives gathering, analysing and interpreting empirical evidence. Evidence matters. But everyone has values and they do affect our positions.
Norm estimates for a maximal right inverse of the divergence operator in spaces of piecewise polynomials

On etudie l'operateur de divergence agissant sur des espaces de fonctions continues polynomes par morceaux de degre p+1, p≥3, sur des triangulations d'un domaine polygonal plan Ω. On donne une caracterisation de l'image de l'operateur divergence et tous les details d'une preuve combinatoire de ce resultat. On montre que pour des familles tres generales de triangulation, il est possible de trouver un inverse a droite maximal pour l'operateur divergence avec une norme b(L 2 ;H 1 ) bornee independamment de la longueur de la maille. La norme de cet inverse a droite croit au plus algebriquement en fonction de p, mais elle explose necessairement lorsqu'une certaine mesure de la singularite du maillage tend vers 0
Fractalkine, a CX3C‐chemokine, functions predominantly as an adhesion molecule in monocytic cell line THP‐1

A newly identified CX3C‐chemokine, fractalkine, expressed on activated endothelial cells plays an important role in leucocyte adhesion and migration. Co‐immobilized fractalkine with fibronectin or intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 enhanced adhesion of THP‐1 cells, which express the fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1), compared with that observed for each alone. That adherence was fractalkine‐dependent and was confirmed in blocking studies. However, soluble fractalkine induced little chemotaxis in THP‐1 cells in comparison to monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1), which induced a strong chemotactic response. Moreover, the membrane form of fractalkine expressed on ECV304 cells reduced MCP‐1 mediated chemotaxis of THP‐1 cells. These results indicate that fractalkine may function as an adhesion molecule between monocytes and endothelial cells rather than as a chemotactic factor.
Gesture Reflects Language Development

There is a growing awareness that language and gesture are deeply intertwined in the spontaneous expression of adults. Although some research suggests that children use gesture independently of speech, there is scant research on how language and gesture develop in children older than 2 years. We report here on a longitudinal investigation of the relation between gesture and language development in French-English bilingual children from 2 to 3 1/2 years old. The specific gesture types of iconics and beats correlated with the development of the children's two languages, whereas pointing types of gestures generally did not. The onset of iconic and beat gestures coincided with the onset of sentencelike utterances separately in each of the children's two languages. The findings show that gesture is related to language development rather than being independent from it. Contrasting theories about how gesture is related to language development are discussed.
Laser intensity modulation as a clipped Gaussian process

An attractive application of lightwave technology is cable television (CATV) transmission. In an important lightwave application known as subcarrier multiplexing, a broadband analog signal, consisting of the sum of amplitude modulated subcarriers, is used to intensity modulate a laser to produce an optical signal for transmission by optical fiber. It has been determined that the large negative excursions of the broadband signal lead to nonlinear distortion of the optical signal which also distorts the information bearing modulation on the subcarriers. The purpose of this paper is to present a general result concerning the average power of a clipped Gaussian process and apply this result to analyze the nonlinear distortion resulting from intensity modulation of a laser. In particular, a general formula for computing the average power of a stationary Gaussian process that is clipped at two arbitrary levels is applied to develop an approximation for the carrier-to-nonlinear distortion ratio (C/NLD) per channel as a function of the dynamic range of the clipping levels of the broadband analog signal, and the total RMS modulation index /spl mu/. 2/spl mu//sup 2/ equals the product of the number of channels being multiplexed and the square of the optical modulation index per channel. The approximation stems from an exact result and is especially useful because the conservative version of the approximation is independent of the bandwidth or spectral location of the broadband analog signal. Results are presented in graphical form and they are in reasonable agreement with earlier theoretical and experimental works. >
Cancer therapy based on oncogene addiction

Tumor cells contain multiple mutations, yet they often depend on continued expressed of a single oncoprotein for survival. Targeting these proteins has led to dramatic responses. Unfortunately, patients usually progress, through drug resistance or adaptive resistance through reprogramming of signaling networks. The Ras‐MAPK pathway provides examples of these successes and failures, and has revealed unexpected degrees of oncogene addiction and signaling complexity that are likely to be useful lessons for the future of targeted therapy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011;103:464–467. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Innovative Decaying DC Component Estimation Algorithm for Digital Relaying

We propose a new decaying dc component estimation algorithm for digital relaying. Fault currents tend to include a dc decaying component. This component decreases the accuracy and speed of the protection relay operation. The proposed algorithm can estimate and eliminate the dc decaying component from fault current signals after one cycle from the fault instant. Also, it can be applied to a conventional discrete Fourier transform to calculate phasor quantities of fault currents in a digital protection relay. In the proposed algorithm, the dc decaying magnitude and time constant are estimated exactly by integrating fault currents during one cycle. The dc decaying component is eliminated by subtracting the dc value at each sampling instant. To verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, we performed a dc component estimation test and distance protection test using PSCAD/EMTDC. The results of the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation showed that the proposed algorithm can estimate dc components exactly from fault currents and can be applied to digital protection relays for phasor extraction.
The Ending of Menstruation: Perspectives and Experiences of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

This article aims to theorize how a sample of menopausal women, lesbian and heterosexual, construct the ending of their periods, and what the experience means for them. Findings indicate that for most of the lesbian participants (who were in a sizeable minority), emotions of loss at the ending of periods were simultaneously expressed alongside positive feelings, and they engaged in greater introspection around the issue than did heterosexual women. However, lesbians did not all take up a singular subject position in relation to menstruation, indicating that there is fragmentation and plurality in how the body is experienced across a group.
Effects of Ni in Strontium Titanate Nickelate Thin Films for Flexible Nonvolatile Memory Applications

This paper investigated the performance of flexible resistive random access memory devices based on simple spin-coated sol–gel-derived strontium titanate nickelate (STN) thin films on polyethylene terephthalate substrate. A high on/off ratio of $10^{5}$ and a uniform current distribution were demonstrated. The strong bonding between bidentate ligands of nickel (II) acetylacetone and titanium metal ion enabled the chelation effect, which contributed to the stability of the STN thin film, especially for moisture resistivity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was utilized to examine the effects on the resistive switching behaviors after 90 days under an atmospheric environment according to the chelation effect of the STN thin films. The devices were fabricated on a flexible plastic substrate, and they exhibited excellent durability upon repeated bending tests. They demonstrated good potential application for flexible and low-cost memory devices.
Emotional Valence Modulates the Preference for Curved Objects

Previous studies have shown that people prefer objects with curved contours over objects with sharp contours. However, those studies used stimuli that were mainly neutral in emotional valence. We tested here the interplay between visual features and general valence as positive or negative. After replicating curvature preferences for neutral objects, we used positive (cake, chocolate) and negative (snake, bomb) stimuli to examine if emotional valence—through response prioritisation—modulates the preference for curved objects. We found that people indeed preferred the curved versions of objects to the sharp versions of the same objects, but only if the objects were neutral or positive in emotional valence. There were no difference in liking for objects with negative emotional valence. This is evidence that the aesthetic response is adaptive, in this case prioritising valence over contour as demanded by the general semantic classification.
Robust stability analysis of sampled-data systems with noncausal periodically time-varying scaling: Optimization of scaling via approximate discretization and error bound analysis

A novel idea called noncausal linear periodically time-varying (LPTV) scaling has been proposed for robust stability analysis of sampled-data systems. This paper gives a method for approximately optimizing noncausal LPTV scaling by establishing a link between the noncausal LPTV scaling of sampled-data systems and the conventional scaling of discrete- time systems. More precisely, applying what we call the fast- lifting technique, we derive a discrete-time system that is approximately equivalent to the sampled-data system with respect to the optimization of scaling parameters. We further give a method for computing an upper bound of the associated approximation error, together with a few methods for obtaining reduced error bounds. We then demonstrate the effectiveness of noncausal LPTV scaling through numerical examples.
Defining Delayed Graft Function after Renal Transplantation: Simplest Is Best

Background Delayed graft function (DGF) after renal transplantation can be diagnosed according to several different definitions, complicating comparison between studies that use DGF as an endpoint. This is a particular problem after transplantation with kidneys from donation after circulatory death (DCD) kidneys, because DGF is common, and its relationship to early graft failure may differ depending on the definition of DGF. Methods The presence of DGF in 213 donation after brain death (DBD) and 312 DCD kidney transplants from October 2005 to August 2011 was determined according to 10 different, but widely used, definitions (based on dialysis requirements, creatinine changes, or both). The relationship of DGF to graft function and graft survival was determined. Results The incidence of DGF varied widely depending on the definition used (DBD; 24%–70%: DCD; 41%–91%). For kidneys from DCD donors, development of DGF was only associated with poorer 1-year estimated glomerular filtration rate for 1 of 10 definitions of DGF, and no definition of DGF was associated with impaired graft survival. Conversely, for DBD kidneys, DGF, as defined in 9 of 10 different ways, was associated with poorer 1-year estimated glomerular filtration rate and inferior graft survival. Importantly, the predictive power for poorer transplant outcome was comparable for all definitions of DGF. Conclusion No definition of DGF is superior. We suggest that the most widely used and most easily calculated definition—the use of dialysis in the first postoperative week—should be universally adopted as the definition of DGF clinically and as a study endpoint.
Nano-Encapsulation of Bilirubin in Pluronic F127–Chitosan Improves Uptake in β Cells and Increases Islet Viability and Function after Hypoxic Stress

Pancreatic islet transplantation is the only curative, noninvasive treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus; however, high rates of cell death in the immediate postimplantation period have limited the success of this procedure. Bilirubin, an endogenous antioxidant, can improve the survival of murine pancreatic allografts during hypoxic stress but has poor solubility in aqueous solutions. We hypothesized that nano-encapsulation of bilirubin in pluronic 127–chitosan nanoparticle bilirubin (nBR) would improve uptake by murine pancreatic islet cells and improve their viability following hypoxic stress. Nano-bilirubin was synthesized, and drug release characteristics were studied in vitro. Cellular uptake of nBR was compared to free bilirubin (fBR) in an insulinoma cell line (INS-R3) model using confocal-like structured illumination microscopy. Next, C57BL/6 mouse islets were treated with concentrations of 0 to 20 μM of nBR, fBR, or empty nanoparticle (eNP), prior to incubation under standard or hypoxic conditions. Islet viability and function were compared between treatment groups. Release of bilirubin was greatest from nBR suspended in protein-rich solution. Increased, selective uptake of nBR by INS-R3 cells was demonstrated. Cell death after hypoxic stress was significantly decreased in murine islets treated with 5 μM nBR (18.5% ± 14.1) compared to untreated islets (33.5% ± 17.5%; P = 0.019), with reduction in central necrosis. Treatment group had a significant effect on glucose stimulation index [SI], (P = 0.0137) and islets treated with 5 μM nBR had the highest SI overall. Delivery of bilirubin using pluronic F127–chitosan NP improves uptake by murine islets compared to fBR and offers dose-dependent protective effects following hypoxic stress.
The stuctural and functional unit in the human liver (liver acinus)

I n an earlier paper (Rappaport e t al., ’54) the presence of a structural and functional unit in the liver of the dog and the rabbit has been described. These units have been demonstrated by the simultaneous injection of two differently colored gelatin masses into the two main braiiclies of the poi-tal vein, or of the hepatic artery, o r of the bile duct. In human liver hepatic units of various orders can be demonstrated post wtortew by injecting irldia ink under 10 mm Hg pressure into the portal stern and by cutting cleared sections 100-150 I-( thick. The liver acini stand out because of the variation in filling with dye. Also the coloring is heavier when the plane of section is closer to the axial channel ln-inging iii the dye. The acini which happen to Iw cut at the periphery, i.e., more distant from the site of their supplying vessel, are of lighter color. Figure 1 illustrates the lack of uiiifoimity in the tissue occupying an area around a central vein, comnionly called ‘ ‘ hexagonal ’ ’ field. Individual clumps of parcncliyma RI’C pasily distinguished by the intensity of their coloring with the ink. Ail almost triangular p1. t of the field is intensely darkened by the injection mass. It extends towards the yight segment of the central vein. The central part of the
Effects of cooling rates and maturity of the animal on the recovery and fertilization of frozen-thawed rodent eggs.

Mouse, rat, golden hamster and Mongolian gerbil eggs were cooled to -75#{176}C in efforts to determine an optimum cooling rate for freezing unfertilized rodent eqs. The best cooling rate for the recovery and in vitro fertilization of mouse and rat eggs was 0.33 C/mm from -4#{176} to -45#{176}C followed by 1#{176}C/mm from -45#{176} to -75#{176}C. Hamster eggs could withstand a wider variation in the rate of cooling, since large numbers of eggs could be recovered at 0.33#{176}, 0.5#{176} or 1#{176} C/mm; and fertilized in vitro. In contrast with the other species gerbil eggs froze poorly at these same rates of cooling. Eggs from mature mice and rats consistently withstood freezing better than those from immature females (P<0.001) when cooled at 0.3 3#{176} C/mm.
Children's Perceptions of Counter-Depressive Activities

Children's perceptions of counter-depressive activities were examined as a function of their sex, age, and level of depression. In Study 1, 322 children aged 8 to 12 yr. were asked to identify as many counter-depressive activities as possible. Girls provided more counter-depressive responses than boys and more often reported Help-seeking responses, while boys more frequently produced both Activity and Recreation responses. In Study 2, 98 children, ages 8 to 14 yr. , completed the Children's Depression Inventory and generated counter-depressive activities. Girls provided more counter-depressive activities than boys, and older children provided more counter-depressive activities than younger ones. Although depression scores were unrelated to the types of counter-depressive activities provided, they were modestly, though statistically significantly, correlated with the number of counter-depressive activities: as depression increased, children listed fewer coping activities. The relationship between children's perceptions of counter-depressive activities and those of adults is discussed.
Assessment of clonality in melanocytic nevi

Background: Melanocytic nevi are among the most common lesions in man; however; their pathogenesis remains largely unknown. While often held to be neoplastic, this hypothesis has not been conclusively verified. Alternatively, some authorities have held that melanocytic nevi are hamartomas. More practically, difficulty may be encountered in the histologic discrimination of melanocytic nevi from melanoma. It was reported that nevi may be differentiated from melanoma in females by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of loci of human androgen receptor gene on the X‐chromosome. However, contradictory findings have also been reported, suggesting that both acquired nevi and melanoma are clonal.
Personality and Multiple Divorce: A Prospective Study

A review of cross-sectional and prospective research in both normal and clinical samples suggests that increased risk of divorce is associated with socially nonconforming, impulsive, and stimulus-seeking personality traits. This exploratory study addresses the question of whether individuals who divorce more than once are especially likely to exhibit such general personality dispositions. Subjects were male physicians (N = 431) who had completed the MMPI before entering medical school and who were followed up more than two decades later by a mail questionnaire that inquired about their health status, health practices, subjective well-being, and marital history. As indicated by higher scores on the MMPI Psychopathic Deviate (Pd) scale and greater likelihood of concurrently reporting several negative health practices (e.g., cigarette smoking), multiply divorced physicians did tend to exhibit greater nonconforming, impulsive, and risk-taking tendencies than both neverdivorced and once-divorced physicians. Possible social-psychological processes linking such personality dispositions to the risk of multiple divorce are discussed, along with suggestions for further research.
Glioblastomas with IDH1/2 mutations have a short clinical history and have a favorable clinical outcome.

OBJECTIVE Glioblastomas with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations comprise a biologically distinct subgroup of glioblastomas. We studied isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutant glioblastomas at the clinical, molecular and radiological levels to define their clinical features, including the prognostic value of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations compared with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 wild-type glioblastomas. METHODS We investigated 128 newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients who were treated at our institute between January 2005 and May 2013. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutation status was determined using pyrosequencing. O-6-methylguanine deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase promoter methylation and 1p/19q co-deletions were also analyzed using pyrosequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, respectively. RESULTS Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations were detected in 10 of 128 patients (7.8%). Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations were correlated with a younger age, the presence of an oligodendroglial component and 1p/19q co-deletions and a longer survival time. The interval from initial symptom to initial operation did not differ according to isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutation status (median interval: 2.3 versus 1.2 months; P = 0.13). Two of three isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutant glioblastomas harboring 1p/19q co-deletions had an oligodendroglial component and were associated with a prolonged survival time. Multivariate analysis of 90 patients treated with temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy indicated that age, extent of resection, postoperative Karnofsky performance score and O-6-methylguanine deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase promoter methylation were correlated with better survival. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations showed a trend for improved survival (P = 0.068). CONCLUSIONS Most isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutant glioblastomas have a short clinical history, and some isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutant glioblastomas harboring 1p/19q co-deletions behave like oligodendroglial tumors. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations may have a positive prognostic impact on the Japanese population.