Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of vibration characteristics of the ligamentous lumbar spine using the finite element approach.

A nonlinear, three-dimensional finite element model of the ligamentous L4-S1 segment was developed to analyze the dynamic response of the spine in the absence of damping. The effects of the upper body mass were simulated by including a mass of 40 kg on the L4 vertebral body. The modal analyses of the model indicated a resonant frequency of 17.5 Hz in axial mode and 3.8 Hz in flexion-extension mode. Accordingly, the predicted responses for the cyclic load of -400 +/- 40 N applied at four different frequencies (5, 11, 16.5, and 25 Hz) were compared with the corresponding results for axial compressive static loads (-360, and -440 N). As compared to the static load cases, the predicted responses were higher for the cyclic loading. For example, the effect of cyclic load at 11 Hz was to produce significant changes (9.7-19.0 percent) in stresses, loads transmitted through the facets, intradiscal pressure (IDP), disk bulge, as compared to the static load predictions. The responses were found to be frequency dependent as well; supporting the in vivo observations of other investigators that the human spine has a resonant frequency. For example, the 11 Hz model (DYN11) compared to the DYN5 model showed an increase in majority of the predicted parameters. The parameters showed an increase with frequency until 17.5 Hz (resonant frequency of the model); thereafter a decrease at 25 Hz. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
ADULT HYPOPHOSPHATASIA TREATED WITH TERIPARATIDE: REPORT OF 2 PATIENTS AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

OBJECTIVE Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare inherited metabolic bone disease from deficient activity of the tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). Reportedly, teriparatide (parathyroid hormone 1-34) can benefit the adult form of HPP, including fracture healing. We studied 2 women with adult HPP given teriparatide and reviewed the reports of 6 additional patients. METHODS A 68-year-old black woman (patient 1) described low-trauma fractures and had subnormal serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Biochemical findings were consistent with HPP. Mutation analysis revealed a heterozygous defect in exon 10 of TNSALP (ALPL). Teriparatide was injected daily for 2 years. Four years later, she fractured her right hip. Treatment was resumed for 8 months without further fractures. A 53-year-old white woman (patient 2) reported low-trauma fractures and had subnormal serum ALP. Mutation analysis revealed a heterozygous defect in exon 8 of TNSALP. She injected teriparatide daily for 2 years. One year later, bone mineral density (BMD) declined and treatment was resumed for 3 months. When she sustained a sacral fracture, teriparatide was administered for a further 18 months. RESULTS Patient 1's serum ALP increased while receiving teriparatide and returned to baseline after its discontinuation. BMD remained unchanged, but no fractures were sustained. Patient 2's serum ALP increased, but the improvement was not sustained. Femoral neck BMD increased significantly during the first cycle, declined significantly afterwards, and was regained during a second course of teriparatide. CONCLUSION Teriparatide shows some benefit for adult HPP. ABBREVIATIONS ALP = alkaline phosphatase BMD = bone mineral density BSAP = bone-specific alkaline phosphatase CTX = C-telopeptide DXA = dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry FN = femoral neck HPP = hypophosphatasia LS = lumbar spine PEA = phosphoethanolamine PLP = pyridoxal 5'-phosphate PTH = parathyroid hormone SQ = subcutaneous TNSALP = tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase TPTD = teriparatide.
Developing Mechanisms of Self-Regulation in Early Life

Children show increasing control of emotions and behavior during their early years. Our studies suggest a shift in control from the brain’s orienting network in infancy to the executive network by the age of 3—4 years. Our longitudinal study indicates that orienting influences both positive and negative affect, as measured by parent report in infancy. At 3—4 years of age, the dominant control of affect rests in a frontal brain network that involves the anterior cingulate gyrus. Connectivity of brain structures also changes from infancy to toddlerhood. Early connectivity of parietal and frontal areas is important in orienting; later connectivity involves midfrontal and anterior cingulate areas related to executive attention and self-regulation.
Lifelong pathways to longevity: personality, relationships, flourishing, and health.

Building upon decades of research with the lifelong (nine-decade) Terman Life Cycle Study, we present a life pathway model for understanding human thriving that accounts for long-term individual difference in health and longevity, with a particular focus on child personality and adult social relationships. Developing data derived and supplemented from the Terman study (N = 570 males, 451 females), we employed regression and survival analyses to test models of childhood personality predicting adult psychosocial factors (subjective well-being, family relationships, community involvement, subjective achievement, hardships) and subsequent longevity. Child personality differentially related to midlife social relationships, well-being, and hardships. Conscientiousness and good social relationships predicted longer life, whereas subjective well-being was unrelated to mortality risk. Examining multiple life factors across long time periods uncovers important pathways through which personality relates to premature mortality or longevity. Typical stress-and-illness models are untenable and should be replaced with life span trajectory approaches.
Extensive regional atmospheric hydrocarbon pollution in the southwestern United States

Light alkane hydrocarbons are present in major quantities in the near-surface atmosphere of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas during both autumn and spring seasons. In spring 2002, maximum mixing ratios of ethane [34 parts per 109 by volume (ppbv)], propane (20 ppbv), and n-butane (13 ppbv) were observed in north-central Texas. The elevated alkane mixing ratios are attributed to emissions from the oil and natural gas industry. Measured alkyl nitrate mixing ratios were comparable to urban smog values, indicating active photochemistry in the presence of nitrogen oxides, and therefore with abundant formation of tropospheric ozone. We estimate that 4–6 teragrams of methane are released annually within the region and represents a significant fraction of the estimated total U.S. emissions. This result suggests that total U.S. natural gas emissions may have been underestimated. Annual ethane emissions from the study region are estimated to be 0.3–0.5 teragrams.
Significance of and Risk Factors for the Development of Central Airway Stenosis After Lung Transplantation

Central airways stenosis (CAS) after lung transplant is a poorly understood complication. Objectives of this study were to determine if CAS was associated with chronic rejection or worse survival after transplant as well as to identify factors associated with CAS in a large cohort of lung transplant recipients. Lung transplant recipients transplanted at a single center were retrospectively reviewed for the development of CAS requiring airway dilation. A total of 467 subjects met inclusion criteria with 60 (13%) of these developing CAS requiring intervention. Of these 60 recipients, 22 (37%) had resolution of CAS with bronchoplasty alone, while 32 (53%) ultimately required stent placement. CAS that required intervention was not a risk factor for the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome or worse overall survival. Significant risk factors for the subsequent development of CAS in a time‐dependant multivariable model were pulmonary fungal infections and the need for postoperative tracheostomy. While CAS was not associated with BOS or worse survival, it remains an important complication after lung transplant with potentially preventable risk factors.
Antibodies to basement membrane protein nidogen in Chagas' disease and American cutaneous leishmaniasis

About 50 to 70% of sera from patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis and chronic Chagas' disease possessed antibodies which reacted in enzyme and radioimmunoassays with nidogen obtained from a tumor basement membrane. The antibodies were of the immunoglobulin M and G classes in acute American cutaneous leishmaniasis but mainly of the immunoglobulin G class in chronic Chagas' disease. Similar antibodies could not be detected in patients suffering from a variety of other infectious or inflammatory diseases when compared with healthy control groups. Inhibition and immunoadsorption studies indicated a close relationship of epitopes recognized by patients' antibodies on nidogen and on another basement membrane protein, laminin. Since rabbit antisera to both proteins do not cross-react, a special nature of the epitopes involved in the reaction with patient sera is suggested. Similar epitopes may exist on various forms of Leishmania or Trypanosoma protozoa.
Effects of 12 weeks of block periodization on performance and performance indices in well‐trained cyclists

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different methods of organizing endurance training in trained cyclists during a 12‐week preparation period. One group of cyclists performed block periodization (BP; n = 8), wherein every fourth week constituted five sessions of high‐intensity aerobic training (HIT), followed by 3 weeks of one HIT session. Another group performed a more traditional organization (TRAD; n = 7), with 12 weeks of two weekly HIT sessions. The HIT was interspersed with low‐intensity training (LIT) so that similar total volumes of both HIT and LIT were performed in the two groups. BP achieved a larger relative improvement in VO2max than TRAD (8.8 ± 5.9% vs 3.7 ± 2.9%, respectively, P < 0.05) and a tendency toward larger increase in power output at 2 mmol/L [la−] (22 ± 14% vs 10 ± 7%, respectively, P = 0.054). Mean effect size (ES) of the relative improvement in VO2max, power output at 2 mmol/L [la−], hemoglobin mass, and mean power output during 40‐min all‐out trial revealed moderate superior effects of BP compared with TRAD training (ES range was 0.62–1.12). The present study suggests that BP of endurance training has superior effects on several endurance and performance indices compared with TRAD.
Neuroactive steroids and suicidality in posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE Recent studies suggest that neuroactive steroids may be altered in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since high rates of suicidality accompany PTSD, the authors investigated neuroactive steroid levels and correlations to suicide attempts in veterans with this disorder. METHOD Male veterans with PTSD enrolled in a larger study during inpatient hospitalization (N=130) were assessed for suicidal ideation or suicide attempt in the last 6 months. Serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol were determined. The authors investigated associations between neuroactive steroids and suicidality. RESULTS High rates of suicidality were observed. Close to 70% of these patients had suicidal thoughts, and 25% had attempted suicide in the last 6 months. Patients who had attempted suicide demonstrated significantly higher median DHEA levels than those who had not attempted suicide (15.6 versus 8.3 ng/ml), an association that persisted after adjustment for age. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that higher DHEA levels may be linked to suicidality in veterans with PTSD and may be associated with the risk of self-harm.
Moxibustion activates host defense against herpes simplex virus type I through augmentation of cytokine production

Moxibustion is a technique used in traditional oriental medicine, the aim of which is to cure and/or prevent illness by activating a person's ability for self‐healing. In this study, we assessed how moxibustion would affect the immune system and whether it would augment protective immunity. Mice were treated with moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) acupoints; we analyzed mortality and cytokine activity in sera after infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1), and cytokine gene expression in the skin and the spleen without a virus challenge. Our study demonstrates that pretreatment of BALB/c mice with moxibustion resulted in a marked increase in the survival rate after infection with lethal doses of HSV‐1, and elevated serum levels of IL‐1β and IFN‐γ on days 1 and 6 post‐infection with HSV‐1. Semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR assay showed that moxibustion treatment augmented the expression of IL‐1α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, universal‐IFN‐α, MIP‐1α, and TNF‐α mRNA in the skin, and IL‐1α, IL‐1β, IL‐12p40, IL‐15, u‐IFN‐α, MIP‐1α, and TNF‐α mRNA in the spleen. Moreover, moxibustion induces augmentation of natural killer cell activity. Collectively, our study demonstrates that moxibustion activates protective responses against HSV‐1 infection through the activation of cytokine production including IFN, and of NK cells.
Survival and antigenic profile of irradiated malarial sporozoites in infected liver cells

Exoerythrocytic (EE) stages of Plasmodium berghei derived from irradiated sporozoites were cultured in vitro in HepG2 cells. They synthesized several antigens, predominantly but not exclusively those expressed by normal early erythrocytic schizonts. After invasion, over half the intracellular sporozoites, both normal and irradiated, appeared to die. After 24 h, in marked contrast to the normal parasites, EE parasites derived from irradiated sporozoites continued to break open, shedding their antigens into the cytoplasm of the infected host cells. Increasing radiation dosage, which has previously been shown to reduce the ability of irradiated sporozoites to protect animals, correlated with reduced de novo antigen synthesis by EE parasites derived from irradiated sporozoites.
Has the U.S. Wage Phillips Curve Flattened? A Semi-Structural Exploration

Unconditional reduced form estimates of a conventional wage Phillips curve for the U.S. economy point to a decline in its slope coefficient in recent years, as well as a shrinking role of lagged price inflation in the determination of wage inflation. We provide estimates of a conditional wage Phillips curve, based on a structural decomposition of wage, price and unemployment data generated by a VAR with time varying coefficients, identified by a combination of long-run and sign restrictions. Our estimates show that the key qualitative findings from the unconditional reduced form regressions also emerge in the conditional evidence, suggesting that they are not entirely driven by endogeneity problems or possible changes over time in the importance of wage markup shocks. The conditional evidence, however, suggests that actual changes in the slope of the wage Phillips curve may not have been as large as implied by the unconditional estimates.
The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Greenland is related to latitude

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Greenlanders and Danes living at four different latitudes in Greenland. A Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was mailed to 6021 men and women between the ages of 18 and 59 years living in four different municipalities in Greenland. The recipients were randomly selected from the National Population Register. Approximately 9% of the respondents met the criteria for SAD, and the incidence of SAD varied between a southern municipality and three northern municipalities. The prevalence of SAD was particularly high in northern municipalities. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of SAD between Greenlanders and Danes. The results are comparable with other population studies that have reported a high prevalence of SAD in arctic areas. The clinical implications of our findings and the possibilities for introducing light therapy should be assessed in future studies.
Product market competition and efficiency of corporate tax management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the economic theory that product market competition should enhance firm performance in the US corporate tax management setting. It identifies one mechanism through which corporate management can improve firm performance. The paper also identifies business conditions that may facility or impede effective corporate tax management. Design/methodology/approach The paper tests the relationship between product market competition and corporate tax efficiency using large archival data. The primary data source is COMPUSTAT, which contains annual and quarterly accounting data for US public firms. Other data sources include accounting comparability data generously shared by Professor Vedi. Findings The paper finds that firms in competitive industries are more efficient in managing taxes. Specifically, the paper documents that firms in competitive industries exhibit lower effective tax rates than their non-competitive counterparts. Furthermore, the paper finds that the positive link between competition and the efficiency of tax management is much stronger for firms with lower cash flow volatility and for firms with fewer industry investment opportunities. The lack of financial statement comparability may weaken this link. Research limitations/implications Tax laws vary greatly from country to country. Readers should interpret the results within the US tax environments. Practical implications Results in this paper have implications for multinational corporations that are interested in investing and doing business in the USA. Originality/value This paper sheds light on how competition influences firm performance through efficient tax management, a specific mechanism through which competition improves firm performance. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study provides the first documentation of how product market competition affects tax planning for US publicly traded companies.
Change of autonomic nervous activity during pregnancy and its modulation of labor assessed by spectral heart rate variability analysis.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION To elucidate the sequential changes of autonomic nervous activity during pregnancy, we examined heart rate variability on two positions and whether autonomic nervous activity affected duration of labor. METHODS Thirty-eight normal pregnant women were studied. Frequency domain parameters (HF, LF, LF/HF ratio) and heart rate were obtained by spectral HRV analysis in the supine and left recumbent position in three trimesters. RESULTS We found HF was significantly higher in early pregnancy, while the LF/HF ratio was significantly higher in late pregnancy. The LF/HF ratio was significantly lower when the left recumbent position was assumed. The LF/HF ratio was significantly higher in the longer labor group of primiparous women. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that sympathovagal balance shifted progressively from a higher vagal modulation towards a higher sympathetic modulation, and the recumbent position activated vagal activity. It is suggested that increased sympathetic activity in late pregnancy could affect the duration of labor.
Community participation in a democratic dispension : a sine qua non for Integrated Development Planning in Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality

The purpose of this paper is to explore if weather community participation can receptively be used as a conducive condition for effective planning and implementation of the integrated development planning with a view to revamp on service delivery in Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality. The debate about deadlock of community participation become pertinent in the recent and on-going political transformation in South Africa post 1994, through the realisation of democracy rooted in the cognitive convergence to the notion that "The People Shall Govern". Notably, this paper is grounded on the pragmatic repercussions felt by the ordinary citizens, in which the South African government is confronted and characterised by some form of upheavals and service deliver challenges. This paper argues that the genuine and authentic form of participatory governance is deemed to ameliorate on the long-standing patterns of service delivery backlogs in almost all South African municipalities. The study utilized a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches for data collection and analysis. However, the study was predominately qualitative. Twenty semi-structured questionnaires (N=20) were used to solicit data from household members. Interview schedule was also used to collect data from IDP manager (n=1). The major finding of the study is that IDP as part of the municipal planning process is largely ineffective as a strategy for unending service delivery backlogs within Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality. The deficiency in terms of IDP planning is as the results of inadequate involvement and representation of communities in the preparation and implementation of municipal plans. The conclusion that can be made from this paper is that authentic promotion of community participation in the formulation and implementation of the IDP can deal effectively with service delivery challenges.
Sovereign Spread Volatility and Banking Sector

Using structural vector autoregression augmented with stochastic volatility (SVAR-SV), we document that in late 2000s there were large spikes in volatility of spreads on peripheral eurozone government bonds. This increased volatility entailed a significant decline in bank credit to nonfinancial sector and real economic activity. We rationalize these results in a New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model with financial intermediation. In our framework, a rise in spread volatility erodes banks’ net worth and constrains their balance sheets. The banks respond by slashing their lending to real sector, dampening the economy as a whole. Results from the model match our empirical findings.
In Defense of Shallow Learned Spectral Reconstruction from RGB Images

Very recent Galliani et al. [13] proposed a method using a very deep CNN architecture for learned spectral reconstruction and showed large improvements over the recent sparse coding method of Arad et al. [6]. In this paper we defend the shallow learned spectral reconstruction methods by: (i) first, reimplementing Arad and showing that it can achieve significantly better results than those originally reported; (ii) second, introducing a novel shallow method based on A+ of Timofte et al. [33] from super-resolution that substantially improves over Arad and, moreover, provides comparable performance to Galliani's very deep CNN method on three standard benchmarks (ICVL, CAVE, and NUS); and (iii) finally, arguing that the train and runtime efficiency as well as the clear relation between its parameters and the achieved performance makes from our shallow A+ a strong baseline for further research in learned spectral reconstruction from RGB images. Moreover, our shallow A+ (as well as Arad) requires and uses significantly smaller train data than Galliani (and generally the CNN approaches), is robust to overfitting and is easily deployable by fast training to newer cameras.