Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance Analysis of the ITER Poloidal Field Coil Conductors

Recent design changes to the ITER Poloidal Field (PF) coils and PF conductor layout have been implemented to give a greater operational window for low li (self-inductance) plasmas during burn, extend the operating window for plasmas with currents above 15 MA, and improve the plasma vertical stability control. In addition, the PF and CS (Central Solenoid) operating window has been updated leading to higher currents and peak fields in some of the PF coils. Altogether, this results in higher heat generation in the PF conductors due to AC losses. To confirm that the range of heat loads is acceptable for the PF conductors, a time-dependent thermo-hydraulic analysis of the PF coils has been performed with a model based on the GANDALF code. The deposited heat due to AC losses in the conductors, thermal radiation, thermal conduction, and nuclear heating are given as input data. The results show a moderate impact on minimum temperature margin of the PF conductors during the baseline scenario, stemming from the design modifications.
[Epidemiological study on diabetes mellitus in Chinese children and adolescents at the age of 5 to 17 years].

OBJECTIVE To study the epidemiological characteristics of diabetes mellitus in Chinese children and adolescents at the age of 5 to 17 years according to the data of China Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002. METHODS The contents of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 39928 subjects, at the age of 5 to 17 years, were determined by glucose oxidase method and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus were analyzed by gender and age groups. According to WHO and IDF criteria (1999) to diagnose DM. RESULTS The levels of average FPG of all subjects were (4.60 +/- 0.57) mmol/L. The levels of FPG in city population were slightly higher than those in rural population. The prevalence of DM in Chinese children and adolescents were 0.19%. The prevalence of DM in urban and rural areas was 0.25% and 0.17% respectively. The prevalence of DM at the age groups of 5 - 9 year, 10 - 14 year, and 15 - 17 year were 0.10%, 0.14% and 0.39% respectively. CONCLUSION The prevalence of DM in Chinese children and adolescents could trends to the developed countries. The prevalence of DM at the age of 5 - 17 years should be considered.
Screening of wood damaging fungi and macrofungi for inhibitors of pancreatic lipase

A total of 120 methanol and dichloromethane extracts, from 60 species of wood‐damaging fungi and 50 methanol/water extracts from macrofungi were screened for inhibition of pancreatic lipase using the chromogenic substrate p‐nitrophenylpalmitate. Of the extracts screened, those from Laetiporus sulphureus, Tylopilus felleus and Hygrocybe conica exhibited the highest lipase inhibitory activities of 83% ± 5%, 96% ± 3% and 97% ± 5%, respectively. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The social role of design representation

Design representation is a crucial part of all design activity. Representations provide a vehicle through which design ideas and decisions are explored, communicated and recorded. Since representation is so fundamental to design, it follows that a deep understanding of the nature and use of representation has the potential to improve current design practice. While there is recognition in the IS literature of the importance of representation, previous IS research has focused almost entirely on the functional aspects of representation, in particular modelling to support various methodologies or particular aspects of design such as database, object-oriented or process modelling. Since the development of an information system is a socio-technical process, this paper argues that we need to understand how representations can facilitate both the specification of the artefact, and the social aspects of design. This paper explores the use of design representation by real-world practitioners. It identifies two hitherto neglected social purposes of representation employed by designers when interacting with clients or users: selective focus, and promotion. The paper concludes by noting that as IS faces increasingly complex design challenges it is timely to examine our understanding of all aspects of design representation including its role in facilitating the social aspects of design.
Diclofenac-Na Gel Is Effective in Reducing the Pain and Inflammation Associated with Exposure to Ultraviolet Light – Results of Two Clinical Studies

The potential of a diclofenac-Na EmulgelTM (diclofenac gel) to alleviate the pain and associated symptoms caused by sunburn has been evaluated versus vehicle. Sunburn was induced on the buttock skin of healthy adult male subjects by irradiation with UVA + UVB rays. Investigational products were applied 6 and 10 h after irradiation, and efficacy was assessed on the basis of spontaneous and provoked pain, erythema, oedema, skin colour and temperature. The minimal efficacious concentration evaluated in an extension (0.1 vs. 0.25% diclofenac gel) of a previous concentration-finding study (1, 0.5 and 0.25% diclofenac gel) was 0.1% and was efficacious in alleviating pain (spontaneous and provoked) as well as reducing erythema, oedema and skin temperature. In a single- versus 2-application comparison study, a single application of 0.1% gel was sufficient to alleviate the pain and accompanying symptoms of sunburn with an onset of action 2 h after application. A second application of gel 4 h after the first maintained the analgesia and reduction of other symptoms for a period of up to 48 h after irradiation.
Comparison of Continuous Interleaved Sampling and Simultaneous Analog Stimulation Speech Processing Strategies in Newly Implanted Adults with a Clarion 1.2 Cochlear Implant

Objective: This study consisted of a within-subjects comparison of speech recognition and patient preference when subjects used two different cochlear implant speech processing strategies with a Clarion 1.2 (enhanced bipolar) device: Simultaneous Analog Stimulation (SAS), and Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS). These two strategies used two different electrode configurations: the SAS strategy used bipolar stimulation, whereas the CIS strategy used monopolar stimulation. Study Design: This was a multicenter study that used a within-subjects balanced crossover design. Experience with the two strategies was replicated in each subject using an ABAB design. Order of strategy use was balanced across all subjects. Setting: The study was carried out at several cochlear implant centers affiliated with tertiary medical centers. Patients: Subjects consisted of 25 postlingually deafened adults who received a Clarion cochlear implant. Interventions: Total involvement by each subject was 14 weeks. Speech perception testing and sound quality assessments were performed after use with each strategy. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures include speech perception data and patient responses to questionnaires regarding speech and sound quality. Results: Analyses revealed that performance did not differ significantly by the strategy encountered first as relative to the strategy encountered second and that the order in which a strategy was used did not appear to affect subjects' eventual preference for a particular strategy. Although speech recognition scores tended to be higher for CIS for most of the test measures at most of the test intervals, the analysis of variance to evaluate differences in strategy did not reveal a significant effect of strategy. Further analysis of scores obtained at the replication interval, however, revealed that scores obtained with CIS were significantly higher than scores obtained with SAS on the Hearing in Noise Test sentences in quiet and noise. In addition, significantly more patients indicated a final preference for the CIS strategy than for the SAS strategy. Importantly, both the analysis evaluating order and the analysis evaluating strategy revealed significant effects of evaluation period, indicating that time/experience with the implant had a significant effect on scores for each strategy, regardless of the order in which it was used (first or second). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that important learning occurs during the first several weeks of cochlear implant use, making it difficult to adequately compare performance with different speech processing strategies. However, the finding that patients often prefer the strategy they understand speech the best with supports the clinical practice of letting adult patients select their preferred strategy without formally evaluating speech perception with each available strategy.
Systemic Vibrio infection presenting as necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis. A series of thirteen cases.

BACKGROUND Vibrio species are an uncommon cause of necrotizing fasciitis and primary septicemia, which are likely to occur in patients with hepatic disease, diabetes mellitus, adrenal insufficiency, and immunocompromised conditions. These organisms are found in warm sea waters and are often present in raw oysters, shellfish, and other seafood. The purposes of the present report were to describe a series of patients who had this potentially lethal infection and to identify clinical features associated with a poor prognosis. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of thirteen patients (ten men and three women) who had necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis caused by Vibrio species. All patients had a history of contact with seawater or raw seafood. Eight patients had a hepatic disease such as hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver, three had diabetes mellitus (without hepatic disease), and two had chronic renal or adrenal insufficiency (without hepatic disease). RESULTS Twelve patients underwent fasciotomy or limb amputation. Five patients (38%) died within two to six days after admission, and eight patients survived. Patients with a systolic blood pressure of < or =90 mm Hg and leukopenia in the emergency room had a significantly higher mortality rate (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis of Vibrio necrotizing fasciitis should be suspected when a patient has the appropriate clinical findings and a history of contact with seawater or raw seafood. The treatment should begin as early as possible, essentially when the patient has symptoms of sepsis. Although emergency fasciotomy or limb amputation did not reduce the mortality rate in this series, we consider such operations to be an important aspect of treatment.
Tropospheric ozone: respiratory effects and Australian air quality goals.

OBJECTIVE--To review the health effects of tropospheric ozone and discuss the implications for public health policy. DESIGN--Literature review and consultation with scientists in Australia and overseas. Papers in English or with English language abstracts were identified by Medline search from the international peer reviewed published reports. Those from the period 1980-93 were read systematically but selected earlier papers were also considered. Reports on ozone exposures were obtained from environmental agencies in the region. RESULTS--Exposure to ozone at concentrations below the current Australian air quality goal (0.12 ppm averaged over one hour) may cause impaired respiratory function. Inflammatory changes in the small airways and respiratory symptoms result from moderate to heavy exercise in the presence of ozone at levels of 0.08-0.12 ppm. The changes in respiratory function due to ozone are short lived, vary with the duration of exposure, may be modified by levels of other pollutants (such as sulphur dioxide and particulates), and differ appreciably between individuals. Bronchial lavage studies indicate that inflammation and other pathological changes may occur in the airways before reductions in air flow are detectable, and persist after respiratory function has returned to normal. It is not known whether exposures to ozone at low levels (0.08-0.12 ppm) cause lasting damage to the lung or, if such damage does occur, whether it is functionally significant. At present, it is not possible to identify confidently population subgroups with heightened susceptibility to ozone. People with asthma may be more susceptible to the effects of ozone than the general population but the evidence is not consistent. Recent reports suggest that ozone increases airway reactivity on subsequent challenge with allergens and other irritants. Animal studies are consistent with the findings in human populations. CONCLUSION--A new one hour air quality ozone goal of 0.08 ppm for Australia, and the introduction of a four hour goal of 0.06 ppm are recommended on health grounds.
Effect of Cirsium pascuarense on blood glucose levels of normoglycaemic and alloxan‐diabetic mice

Blood glucose levels of normal and alloxan‐treated diabetic mice were determined after i.p. administration of various doses of the hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts of Cirsium pascuarense. From the data obtained, it is concluded that the i.p. administration of 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg of hexane extract of this plant produced a significant hypoglycaemic effect in normal as well as in diabetic mice. In addition, the extracts altered glucose tolerance in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Chloroform and methanol extracts did not produce any significant change in blood glucose levels. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Circulating Tumor Cells as a Marker for Progression‐free Survival in Metastatic Castration‐naïve Prostate Cancer

Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is a promising prognostic marker in castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The aim of this study was to investigate CTC detection and phenotyping as prognostic biomarkers for response to primary androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) of metastatic prostate cancer (PC).
Altered c‐fos expression in the parabrachial nucleus in a rodent model of CFA‐induced peripheral inflammation

Increases in the expression of immediate early genes have been shown to occur in the lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn after peripheral inflammation. Given that the pontine parabrachial nucleus has been implicated in nociceptive as well as antinociceptive processes and is reciprocally connected with the spinal cord dorsal horn, it seems likely that peripheral inflammation will cause alterations in immediate early gene expression in this nucleus. To test this hypothesis we examined cFos‐like immunoreactivity in a rodent complete Freund's adjuvant‐induced peripheral inflammatory model of persistent nociception. Unilateral hind paw injections of complete Freund's adjuvant produced inflammation, hyperalgesia of the affected limb, and alterations in open field behaviors. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated a bilateral increase in cFos‐like immunoreactivity in the lateral and Kolliker‐Fuse subdivisions of the parabrachial nucleus at 6 and 24 hours postinjection and an ipsilateral decrease below basal levels in the Kolliker‐Fuse subdivision at 96 hours postinjection when compared to saline controls. Taken together, these results suggest that select parabrachial neurons are activated by noxious somatic inflammation. These active parabrachial neurons are likely to participate in ascending nociceptive and/or descending antinociceptive pathways. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
K-SHELL PHOTOIONIZATION AND PHOTOABSORPTION OF Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, AND Ca

We present extensive computations of photoabsorption and photoionization cross sections across the K-edge of Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, and Ca ions with less than 11 electrons. The calculations are performed using the Breit–Pauli R-matrix method and include the effects of radiative and Auger damping by means of an optical potential. The wave functions are constructed from single-electron orbital bases obtained using a Thomas–Fermi–Dirac statistical model potential. Configuration interaction is considered among all fine-structure levels within the n = 2 complex. The damping processes affect the resonances converging to the K thresholds causing them to display symmetric profiles of constant width that smear the otherwise sharp edge at the photoionization thresholds.
Pitfalls with the use of enhancement ratios or normalized excess mixing ratios measured in plumes to characterize pollution sources and aging

Abstract. Normalized excess mixing ratios (NEMRs), also known as enhancement ratios, are a common way to characterize plumes of pollution in atmospheric research. As single-source pollutant plumes disperse in the atmosphere, they are diluted by mixing with the adjacent background air. Changes in the composition of this background air can cause large changes to the NEMR that is subsequently measured by remote-sensing, airborne, or ground-based instruments. This scenario is common when boundary layer plumes enter the free troposphere and could also impact long-range transport or plumes near the top of the troposphere. We provide a context for these issues and an example showing that neglect of this effect could lead to serious errors in data interpretation.
Nest Predation in a Neotropical Forest Occurs During Daytime

Abstract Alexander Skutch suggested that the threat of nest predation on tropical birds favors reduced activity near their nests. This hypothesis assumes that nest predation occurs during the day when adult birds are active, but few studies of tropical species have reported distributions of nest losses during the day-night cycle. We used thermistors placed in nests to record the time of nest predation events for species of understory rainforest birds during the incubation period. In our study, 14 of 21 nest-predation events (67%) occurred between 11:00 and 18:00 (EST), and none took place at night, between 19:00 and 06:00. Clearly, nest predation during incubation was primarily diurnal. Although a major premise of Skutch's hypothesis is supported, further research is needed to determine whether diurnal predators are attracted to nests by the movements of parent birds, begging of offspring, or other cues.
Striated Muscle Fibers: Inactivation of Contraction Induced by Shortening

The myofibrils in an isolated muscle fiber remain straight during the early part of a lightly loaded contraction initiated by membrane depolarization, but, as shortening continues, myofibrils in the core of the fiber become wavy, which suggests that their activation has been interrupted by shortening of the fiber. This may be a factor determining the length-tension relation at short muscle lengths.
Theoretical Analysis of a Feedback Insensitive Semiconductor Ring Laser Using Weak Intracavity Isolation

External optical feedback can severely deteriorate the performance of semiconductor lasers. This paper proposes an integrated laser design that can withstand tens of percent of off-chip feedback, without requiring the integration of magneto-optic materials. The proposed laser consists of a ring cavity with a weak intracavity optical isolator. Sufficient gain difference between clockwise and counter-clockwise modes leads to unidirectional laser oscillation. Any reflected light is returned to a mode that is below threshold. This significantly reduces interactions between the feedback and the lasing mode. A rate-equation analysis is presented to show that the rin changes less than a factor 2 when less than −0.1 dB of the light is fed back into the laser and when intracavity isolation is 10 dB. Linewidth and optical output power change approximately 0.1% for these values.
Vitamin D receptor modulates the neoplastic phenotype through antagonistic growth regulatory signals

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) can modulate functionally antagonistic growth regulatory pathways, involving β‐catenin/E‐cadherin on one hand and osteopontin (OPN) on the other. This study investigates effects of VDR ligand treatment on the balance of these discordant signals and on associated cell behavior. Treatment of Rama 37 or SW480 cells by 1α,25‐(OH)2 D3 or analogs suppressed β‐catenin/Lef‐1/Tcf signaling and upregulated E‐cadherin, consistent with a cancer‐inhibitory action. Conversely, treatment also increased transcription of OPN that may be implicated in tumor progression. Molecular crosstalk was observed between the antagonistic VDR‐dependent signals, in that β‐catenin/Lef‐1/Tcf molecules modulated VDR activation of OPN. Treatment effects on cell growth were related to a constitutive balance of OPN and E‐cadherin expression. No growth effects were observed in Rama 37 cells that have low OPN and high E‐cadherin expression. Conversely, treatment of Rama 37 stably transfected subclones that had high OPN and/or low level E‐cadherin induced small but significant increases of cell attachment to fibronectin, anchorage‐independent growth or invasion. This study shows that relative expression levels of key VDR downstream genes may influence growth regulation by 1α,25‐(OH)2 D3 or analogs. These findings may be relevant to the cell‐ or tissue‐specificity of vitamin D growth regulation. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Science of Public Health Surveillance

Improved public health surveillance can lead to earlier implementation of prevention and control measures. Better surveillance data lead to a more rational establishment of priorities. More timely and accurate data facilitate earlier epidemic detection and control. With better surveillance data, the impact of intervention activities and other public health programs can be evaluated more accurately. In this paper we describe how to improve the science of surveillance in terms of data collection, analysis, and dissemination and its application to public health practice. We then discuss the potential benefits and costs of such efforts and suggest methods for evaluating alternative approaches.The argument for science in surveillance, on the other hand, may be subject to excess. Surveillance is not an end unto itself, but rather a tool. This tool should be refined and modified to adapt to the goals of a particular public health program. It is the development of methods to apply creative ideas to surveillance, and the rigorous assessment of the process, that will benefit from the application of scientific principles.
Stability of dendritic crystals.

We present an integrodifferential-operator formulation of the problem of linear stability around the selected needle crystal pattern in dendritic crystal growth. We show by explicit computation that (a) all members of the discrete set of allowed steady states aside from the fastest are unstable and (b) the fastest such shape is linearly stable at least for large enough anisotropy. We comment on the implications of our work for the issue of side-branch wavelength determination.
Loyalty of on-line bank customers

Electronic commerce changes the relationships between sellers and buyers dramatically. The new properties of electronic markets offer customers added values. New customer value propositions have to be established in most markets and new marketing strategies must be formulated. One of the business sectors most heavily affected is banking. How can banks retain loyal customers when moving into electronic banking? Research in marketing has unveiled several determinants of customer loyalty. However, this knowledge is based on research on customers in traditional markets. In this paper we focus on customers' loyalty in on-line banking. The findings indicate that determinants of loyalty in on-line banking environments are similar to those in the physical market-place. However, customer satisfaction is found to have the most significant impact, followed by brand reputation, while switching costs and search costs, although significant, have minor explanatory power. The implications of these findings on banks' marketing strategies are discussed.