Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolomic Profiling of Soybeans (Glycine max L.) Reveals the Importance of Sugar and Nitrogen Metabolism under Drought and Heat Stress

Soybean is an important crop that is continually threatened by abiotic stresses, especially drought and heat stress. At molecular levels, reduced yields due to drought and heat stress can be seen as a result of alterations in metabolic homeostasis of vegetative tissues. At present an incomplete understanding of abiotic stress-associated metabolism and identification of associated metabolites remains a major gap in soybean stress research. A study with a goal to profile leaf metabolites under control conditions (28/24 °C), drought [28/24 °C, 10% volumetric water content (VWC)], and heat stress (43/35 °C) was conducted in a controlled environment. Analyses of non-targeted metabolomic data showed that in response to drought and heat stress, key metabolites (carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, cofactors, nucleotides, peptides and secondary metabolites) were differentially accumulated in soybean leaves. The metabolites for various cellular processes, such as glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway, and starch biosynthesis, that regulate carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, peptide metabolism, and purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis, were found to be affected by drought as well as heat stress. Computationally based regulatory networks predicted additional compounds that address the possibility of other metabolites and metabolic pathways that could also be important for soybean under drought and heat stress conditions. Metabolomic profiling demonstrated that in soybeans, keeping up with sugar and nitrogen metabolism is of prime significance, along with phytochemical metabolism under drought and heat stress conditions.
Cancer‐related fatigue: Evolving concepts in evaluation and treatment

In their otherwise excellent review of cancer-related fatigue, Stasi et al. failed to discuss opioid-induced androgen deficiency (OPIAD), an extremely common and easily identified cause of fatigue in men with malignant disease. Testosterone deficiency develops within a few hours after the ingestion of oral sustained-action opioids in the majority of men, and this deficiency is continuously present in most men who receive these agents several times daily, as well as in most men who receive intrathecally or transdermally administered opioids. OPIAD, like other forms of hypogonadism, characteristically contributes to muscle wasting, anemia, osteoporosis, and depression in men with cancer, and it also often causes night sweats and other vasomotor events. A similar phenomenon is observed among women who receive opioids, as these women commonly develop low gonadotropin and sex hormone levels. Intramuscular or transdermal testosterone therapy frequently results in gratifying improvements for individuals with OPIAD. In my experience, OPIAD-associated depression is unlikely to respond to antidepressant medications in the absence of testosterone replacement.
Design of a Peripheral Nerve Electrode for Improved Neural Recording of the Cervical Vagus Nerve

Design of a Peripheral Nerve Electrode for Improved Neural Recording of the Cervical Vagus Nerve Bita Sadeghlo Master of Applied Sciences Graduate Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2013 Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an approved therapy for patients suffering from refractory epilepsy. While VNS is currently an open loop system, making the system closed loop can improve the therapeutic efficacy. Electrical recording of peripheral nerve activity using a nerve cuff electrode is a potential longterm solution for implementing a closed-loop controlled VNS system. However, the clinical utility of this approach is significantly limited by various factors, such as poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the recorded electroneurogram (ENG). In this study, we investigated the effects of (1) modifying the electrode contact dimensions, (2) implementing an external shielding layer on the nerve cuff electrode and (3) exploring shielded bipolar nerve cuff designs on the recorded ENG. Findings from both computer simulations and animal experiments suggest that significant improvements in peripheral nerve recordings can be achieved.
Provider training and experience for people living with HIV/AIDS

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The complexity of HIV/AIDS raises challenges for the effective delivery of care. It is important to ensure that the expertise and experience of care providers is of high quality. Training and experience of HIV/AIDS providers may impact not only individual patient outcomes but increasingly on health care costs as well. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to assess the effects of provider training and experience on people living with HIV/AIDS on the following outcomes: immunological (ie. viral load, CD4 count), medical (ie. mortality, proportion on antiretrovirals), psychosocial (ie. quality of life measures) and economic outcomes (ie health care costs). CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERING STUDIES FOR THIS REVIEW: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI), CINAHL, HealthStar, PsycInfo, PsycLit, Social Sciences Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts from January 1, 1980 through May 29, 2009. Electronic searches were performed for abstracts from major international AIDS conferences. Reference lists from pertinent articles, books and review articles were retrieved and reviewed. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials, cohort, case control, cross-sectional studies and controlled before and after designs that examined the qualifications/training and patient volume of HIV/AIDS care of providers caring for persons known to be infected with HIV/AIDS were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for further information as required. Assessment of confounding factors was undertaken independently by two reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: A total of four studies (one randomized controlled trial, three non- randomized studies) involving 8488 people living with HIV/AIDS were included. The main findings of this review demonstrated a trend to improved outcomes when treated by a provider with more training/expertise in HIV/AIDS care in the outpatient (clinic) setting. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, we could not perform a meta-analysis. We present a descriptive review of the results. AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate improved medical outcomes when treated by a provider with more training/expertise in HIV/AIDS care in the outpatient (clinic) setting. Since all of these studies were conducted in North America, this does not address any issues regarding the level of training/expertise required by providers working in countries with more limited resources. Practitioners who do not consider themselves “experts” in HIV/AIDS care and care for few of these patients need to seriously consider this review which demonstrates a trend towards worse patient outcomes when receiving care by those with low caseloads/training in HIV/AIDS care.
Effectiveness of sensory learning programs in visual and perceptual skills of children with learning disabilities

The research purpose is to assess the effectiveness of sensory learning programs in visual and perceptual skills of children with learning disabilities. Therefore, the sample comprised 20 children with learning disorders in the age range of 7 to 11 years old who were matched and assigned to the experimental and control groups. The data gathering tools included Stanford-Binet inventory to assess the learning disorder and Gardner test of visual-perceptual skills (non-motor)-revised (TVPS-R) to evaluate the perceptual and visual skills. Results indicated that sensory and multisensory learning program exerts significant effect on improving the variables of distinguishing visual stimulus presentation, visual memory, persistence of memory, and sequencing, visual and motor coordination. Moreover, data indicated no effect on the improvement of the variables of visual and perceptual relationships, visual form constancy, visual – motor integration and visual perception.
Essential characteristics of preventive educational programs targeting the industrial and service worker populations

Background: Work related injuries are prevalent in the United States, affecting an estimated 80% ofthe adult population (Waddell, 1987). These injuries often lead to painftl back disorders and cost employers a significant amount ofmoney each year. Educational programs have been developed to decrease work-related injury incidence and cost of treatment. Many programs educate individuals after an injury, taking a tertiary prevention approac[ while other programs focus on secondary prevention for populations at risk for injury @altroy et al, 1996). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently Foposing standardized prevention guidelines since none ofthese existing programs consistently demonstrate effective prevention ofinjury (Schneider, 1999). Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to identiff essential characteristics'of successful worker education programs. This organized data will minimize trial and error attempts when developing an effective injury prevention program to comply with OSHA
Does Audit Quality Affect Firms’ Debt Structure?

Using a large sample of U.S. firms, we show that high audit quality is associated with a higher proportion of public debt and correspondingly a lower proportion of bank debt in firms’ debt financing. The findings are robust to endogeneity issues, alternative measures of audit quality and alternative model specifications. We also find that the effect of audit quality on the debt-mix is stronger in firms with high information asymmetry and poor governance. The results suggest that high audit quality improves firms’ transparency, alleviating the concerns of public lenders and thereby enabling firms to borrow more information-sensitive public debt. Particularly, the results suggest that high audit quality mitigates post-contract moral hazard between public debtholders and managers, which in turn reduces the advantage of bank loans arising from bank monitoring. Last, we show that audit quality is incrementally effective and has a substitutive effect over accruals quality, i.e., audit quality is more effective in shifting the debt preference towards public debt when accruals quality is lower.
Relationships between Dialysis Quantification and Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate in Peritoneal Dialysis

Normalized protein catabolic rates (NPCR) and urea clearances (Kt/V urea) correlate significantly in peritoneal dialysis suggesting that the adequacy of dietary protein Intake and dialysis dose are Interrelated. However, both of these calculated parameters are mathematical functions of the normalized urea appearance rate (GN). NPCR, GN, Kt/V urea, total creatinine clearance, residual renal clearance, and peritoneal urea and creatinine clearances were determined In 29 stable peritoneal dialysis patients with no history of recent peritonitis or other catabolic illness. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that NPCR correlated closely with both GN (r=0.96; p<0.0001) and Kt/V urea (r=0.77; p<0.0001), whereas GN also correlated with Kt/V urea (r=0.66; p<0.0001). Total weekly creatinine clearances rather than Kt/V urea should be utilized in peritoneal dialysis to permit independent estimations of dialysis dose and NPCR, since both Kt/V and NPCR are related closely to GN. Total weekly creatinine clearances correlated with NPCR (r=0.59; p<0.0002), which supports the hypothesis that dietary protein Intake is dependent on the delivered dialysis dose.
Sources of user knowledge in B2B manufacturing of complex products

Users in innovation of complex products and services (CoPS) are an emerging field of research that focuses on business-to-business (B2B) customers and their demands but seldom on the individual users of CoPS. This study sheds light on the sources of user knowledge that are relevant to innovation in the CoPS context of B2B manufacturing. A secondary analysis of thirty interviews from three B2B manufacturing companies led to a classification of sources of user knowledge in this context into engineering peers, embedded users, field services, primary users, secondary users, and consumers. By making the sources of user knowledge explicit, this study helps future studies in their research on the role of each kind of user in CoPS innovation.
Non-invasive assessment of local arterial pulse pressure: comparison of applanation tonometry and echo-tracking

Objectives Pulse pressure is not constant throughout the arterial tree. Use of pulse pressure at one arterial site as surrogate for pulse pressure at another arterial site may be erroneous. The present study compares three non-invasive techniques to measure local pulse pressure: (i) internally calibrated readings from applanation tonometry, (ii) alternative calibration of pressure waves obtained with applanation tonometry and (iii) alternative calibration of arterial distension waves obtained with echo-tracking. Alternative calibration assumes mean and diastolic blood pressure constant throughout the large artery tree. Design and methods Study 1 used invasive measurements in the ascending aorta as a reference method and internally calibrated tonometer readings and alternatively calibrated pressure waves at the common carotid artery as test methods. Study 2 used alternatively calibrated pressure waves as a reference method and alternatively calibrated distension waves and internally calibrated applanation tonometer readings as test methods. Results In study 1, pulse pressure from internally calibrated tonometer readings was 10.2 ± 14.3 mmHg lower and pulse pressure from alternatively calibrated pressure waves was 1.8 ± 5.2 mmHg higher than invasive pulse pressure. Pulse pressure from calibrated distension waves was 3.4 ± 6.9 mmHg lower than pulse pressure from alternatively calibrated pressure waves. According to British Hypertension Society criteria, pulse pressure from the internally calibrated tonometer achieved grade D and pulse pressure from alternatively calibrated pressure waves achieved grade A. Pulse pressure from calibrated distension waves achieved grade B when alternatively calibrated pressure waves were used as a reference method. Conclusions Pulse pressure obtained from alternatively calibrated tonometer-derived pressure waves and echo-tracking-derived distension waves demonstrates good accuracy. Accuracy of pulse pressure from internally calibrated applanation tonometer readings at the carotid artery is poor.
What we can learn from atmospheric neutrinos

Physics potential of future measurements of atmospheric neutrinos is explored. Observation of ∆m221 driven sub-dominant effects and θ13 driven large matter effects in atmospheric neutrinos can be used to study the deviation of θ23 from maximality and its octant. Neutrino mass hierarchy can be determined extremely well due to the large matter effects. New physics can be constrained both in standard atmospheric neutrino experiments as well as in future neutrino telescopes.
Three studies on the economics of food safety

In the first essay, experience and credence food safety attributes are compared using a game theory model. In order to convert an asymmetric information problem into one of cost, a verification process is explicitly introduced in the credence attribute case. With this refinement market solutions other than information-based policies such as labeling are appropriate. For many food safety applications experience and credence attributes can be combined leading to market-based solutions to the under provision of food safety. The second essay measures the cost impact of food safety regulation using an output directional distance function. Food safety regulation results in the restriction of the disposability of food safety hazards (internalization of social costs) leading to potential output loss through the reallocation of productive inputs to reduce food safety hazards. Using 1997 US Census and food safety recall data, the value of potential output loss due to regulation in the meat and poultry industry is suggested to be $2.5 billion. This value should be considered in future cost analyses of food safety regulation in addition to traditional compliance cost estimates. The third essay deals with two related topics on food safety regulation. In the first half, accounting for heterogeneous firms with varying effectiveness in risk control, the voluntary approach to food safety programs is questioned. Applying robust comparative statics to a game-theoretic model to characterize the strategies of a regulator and
Are local governments in Indonesia really aware of disaster risks

In 2007, Indonesia enacted Law No. 24/2007 to promote disaster mitigation at the local/sub-national government level. This study aims at measuring local governmental behavior and awareness in promoting disaster mitigation as a response to disaster risks. Our theoretical model shows that the relationship between local government awareness of disaster mitigation and disaster risk forms an inverted U shape. Local governments will allocate more resources to disaster mitigation as a response to increased disaster risk; their budget allocation for disaster mitigation will decrease, however, when the disaster risk goes beyond a certain level. By observing 486 sub-national governments and applying an econometric model, this study confirms that local governments in Indonesia have considered disaster risks to be an important factor in allocating budgets for disaster mitigation. Unfortunately, because they have different priorities as well as budget constraints, more than 50 percent of local governments in Indonesia allocate less than the required amount. This study suggests that local governments should rigorously estimate the amount of budget allocation necessary for disasters in order to minimize damage and losses.In 2007, Indonesia enacted Law No. 24/2007 to promote disaster mitigation at the local/sub-national government level. This study aims at measuring local governmental behavior and awareness in promoting disaster mitigation as a response to disaster risks. Our theoretical model shows that the relationship between local government awareness of disaster mitigation and disaster risk forms an inverted U shape. Local governments will allocate more resources to disaster mitigation as a response to increased disaster risk; their budget allocation for disaster mitigation will decrease, however, when the disaster risk goes beyond a certain level. By observing 486 sub-national governments and applying an econometric model, this study confirms that local governments in Indonesia have considered disaster risks to be an important factor in allocating budgets for disaster mitigation. Unfortunately, because they have different priorities as well as budget constraints, more than 50 percent of local governments in Indonesia.
New Ultrasound Measurements to Bridge the Gap between Prenatal and Neonatal Brain Growth Assessment

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most ultrasound markers for monitoring brain growth can only be used in either the prenatal or the postnatal period. We investigated whether corpus callosum length and corpus callosum–fastigium length could be used as markers for both prenatal and postnatal brain growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 3D ultrasound study embedded in the prospective Rotterdam Periconception Cohort was performed at 22, 26 and 32 weeks' gestational age in fetuses with fetal growth restriction, congenital heart defects, and controls. Postnatally, cranial ultrasound was performed at 42 weeks' postmenstrual age. First, reliability was evaluated. Second, associations between prenatal and postnatal corpus callosum and corpus callosum–fastigium length were investigated. Third, we created reference curves and compared corpus callosum and corpus callosum–fastigium length growth trajectories of controls with growth trajectories of fetuses with fetal growth retardation and congenital heart defects. RESULTS: We included 199 fetuses; 22 with fetal growth retardation, 20 with congenital heart defects, and 157 controls. Reliability of both measurements was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.97). Corpus callosum growth trajectories were significantly decreased in fetuses with fetal growth restriction and congenital heart defects (β = −2.295; 95% CI, −3.320–1.270; P < .01; β = −1.267; 95% CI, −0.972–0.562; P < .01, respectively) compared with growth trajectories of controls. Corpus callosum–fastigium growth trajectories were decreased in fetuses with fetal growth restriction (β = −1.295; 95% CI, −2.595–0.003; P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: Corpus callosum and corpus callosum–fastigium length may serve as reliable markers for monitoring brain growth from the prenatal into the postnatal period. The clinical applicability of these markers was established by the significantly different corpus callosum and corpus callosum–fastigium growth trajectories in fetuses at risk for abnormal brain growth compared with those of controls.
The impact of audit quality on firm performance: evidence from Malaysia

Nowadays in the emerging market and after corporate scandals as well as financial crisis the issue of firm performance and ways to improve it are crucial for companies, investors and third parties. One of the ways that it can impact firm performance is audit quality, which it is recognize as external monitoring. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine the impact of audit quality on firm performance for Malaysian listed companies for the period of 2003 to 2012. In this study, we use audit fees and audit firm rotation as proxies for audit quality. Return on assets and Tobin’s q are used as measures for firm performance. We found that there is insignificant relationship between audit quality proxies (audit fees and audit firm rotation) and ROA. We also found that an audit fee is significantly and positively related to Tobin’s Q. However, audit firm rotation is insignificantly related to Tobin’s Q.
ormone Replacement herapy and the Cardiovascular System essons Learned and Unanswered Questions

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S., exceeding breast cancer mortality in women of all ages. Women present with cardiovascular disease a decade after men, and this has been attributed to the protective effect of female ovarian sex hormones that is lost after menopause. Animal and observational studies have shown beneficial effects of hormone therapy when it is initiated early in the perimenopausal period or before the development of significant atherosclerosis. However, randomized, placebocontrolled trials in older women have not shown any benefit in either primary prevention or secondary prevention of cardiovascular events, with a concerning trend toward harm. This review outlines the lessons learned from the basic science, animal, observational, and randomized trials, and then summarizes yet-unanswered questions of hormone therapy and cardiovascular risk. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;47:1741–53) © 2006 by the American College ublished by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.jacc. 2005.10. 076