Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between height and arm span, mid-upper arm and waist circumferences in children

Abstract Background: Height is a significant parameter in assessment of growth, development, and nutritional status. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between height and arm span, mid-upper arm and waist circumferences in Turkish children. Subjects and methods: Height, arm span, mid-upper arm and waist circumferences were measured in 1145 boys and 1372 girls aged 7–14 years old from metropolitan Ankara schools in Turkey. Results: Among the children aged between 7 and 14 years old the arm span was determined to be shorter than height. The correlation coefficient between height and arm span of children aged 7–10 years old was 0.92 for boys and 0.90 for girls, and was 0.89 for boys and 0.85 for girls aged 11–14 years old. The correlation between height and arm span was high in both genders at the age group of 7–10 years old. Moreover, significant correlations were found between the height, the mid-upper arm and waist circumferences. Conclusions: Arm span was found to be strongly correlated with height. Although mid-upper arm and waist circumferences were moderately correlated, waist circumference was not detected as a predictor for height in girls and boys.
An In-silico Genomic Survey to Annotate Genes Coding for Early Development-Relevant Signaling Molecules in the Pearl Oyster, Pinctada fucata

The pearl oyster Pinctada fucata has great potential as a model system for lophotrochozoan developmental biology research. Pinctada fucata is an important commercial resource, and a significant body of primary research on this species has emphasized its basic aquaculture biology such as larval biology and growth, aquaculture, pearl formation and quality improvement, shell formation, and biomineralization. Recently, a draft genome sequence of this species was published, and many experimental resources are currently being developed, such as bioinformatics tools, embryo and larva manipulation methods, gene knockdown technique, etc. In this paper, we report the results from our genomic survey pertaining to gene families that encode developmental signaling ligands (Fgf, Hedgehog, PDGF/VEGF, TGFβ, and Wnt families). We found most of the representative genes of major signaling pathways involved in axial patterning, as well as copies of the signaling molecule paralogs. Phylogenetic character mapping was used to infer a possible evolutionary scenario of the signaling molecules in the protostomes, and to reconstruct possible copy numbers of signaling molecule-coding genes for the ancestral protostome. Our reconstruction suggests that P. fucata retains the ancestral protostome gene complement, providing further justifications for the use of this taxon as a model organism for developmental genomics research.
Corporate Hedging and the Variance of Stock Returns

By means of a difference-in-differences approach (sigma-DID), we investigate the effect that hedging has on corporate risk. Examining the relation between hedging and the idiosyncratic variance of stock returns, we show that when new commodity derivatives are introduced in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, firms with exposure to the commodities experience up to a 40% drop in the variance of stock returns. The effect is persistent over time and it is associated with real effects: firms that hedge more also experience an increase in profit margins, investment, access to credit lines, and a drop in cash holdings. Our results establish a direct link between corporate risk management policies and stock return behaviour.
An Experimental Model to Study the in Vivo Survival of von Willebrand Factor

To explore the molecular basis of von Willebrand factor (VWF) clearance, an experimental model employing VWF-deficient mice was developed. Biodistribution was examined by the injection of radiolabeled VWF, which was primarily directed to the liver with minor amounts in other organs. Disappearance of VWF from plasma was characterized by a rapid initial phase (t½α = 13 min) and a slow secondary phase (t½β = 3 h), with a mean residence time (MRT) of 2.8 h. A similar clearance was observed for VWF consisting of only high or low molecular weight multimers, indicating that, in our experimental model, clearance is independent of multimeric distribution. This allowed us to compare the survival of full-length VWF to truncated variants. Deletion of both the amino-terminal D′-D3 and carboxyl-terminal D4-CK domains resulted in a fragment with a similar clearance to wild-type VWF. Deletion of only the D′-D3 region was associated with an almost 2-fold lower recovery and increased clearance (MRT = 1.6 h), whereas deletion of only the D4-CK region resulted in a significantly reduced clearance (MRT = 4.5 h, p < 0.02). These results point to a role of the D′-D3 region in preventing clearance of VWF. Furthermore, replacement of D3 domain residue Arg-1205 by His resulted in a markedly increased clearance (MRT = 0.3 h; p = 0.004). Therefore, this mutation seems to abrogate the protective effect of the D′-D3 region. In vitro analysis of this mutant also revealed a 2-fold reduced affinity for VWF propeptide at low pH, showing that mutation of Arg-1205 results not only in an increased clearance rate but is also associated with an impaired pH-dependent interaction with VWF propeptide.
Predictors of mortality in stroke patients admitted to an intensive care unit

Objective: Improved pathophysiologic insight and prognostic information regarding in‐hospital risk of mortality among stroke patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: Neurology/neurosurgery intensive care unit in a tertiary care university medical center. Patients: A total of 63 consecutive ischemic stroke patients. Interventions: Patients were classified according to in‐hospital mortality. Charts were reviewed to retrospectively generate an admitting Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. The APACHE II score and its individual components were assessed for predicting subsequent death. Measurements and Main Results: Of 63 patients, 13 died and 50 survived to either discharge or surgical intervention. The mean admitting APACHE II score of survivors (6.9) was lower than that of patients who died (17.2; p < .0001). None of the 33 patients with a score <9 died, compared with 43% of those with a score ≥9. A score ≥18 was uniformly associated with fatal outcome (n = 8). Univariate analysis identified APACHE II total score, Glasgow Coma Scale score, temperature, pH, and white blood cell count as significant predictors of death. Among multivariate logistic regression models examining the components of the APACHE II score, the model containing white blood cells, temperature, and creatinine best predicted death. Conclusions: Several features of the APACHE II score are associated with risk of death in this patient population. The findings suggest particular physiologic derangements that are associated with, and may contribute to, increased mortality in critically ill patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Integration of Insecticidal Protein Vip3Aa1 into Beauveria bassiana Enhances Fungal Virulence to Spodoptera litura Larvae by Cuticle and PerOs Infection

ABSTRACT The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana acts slowly on insect pests through cuticle infection. Vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vip3A) of Bacillus thuringiensis kill lepidopteran pests rapidly, via per os infection, but their use for pest control is restricted to integration into transgenic plants. A transgenic B. bassiana strain (BbV28) expressing Vip3Aa1 (a Vip3A toxin) was thus created to infect the larvae of the oriental leafworm moth Spodoptera litura through conidial ingestion and cuticle adhesion. Vip3Aa1 (∼88 kDa) was highly expressed in the conidial cytoplasm of BbV28 and was detected as a digested form (∼62 kDa) in the larval midgut 18 and 36 h after conidial ingestion. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of BbV28 against the second-instar larvae feeding on cabbage leaves sprayed with conidial suspensions was 26.2-fold lower than that of the wild-type strain on day 3 and 1.1-fold lower on day 7. The same sprays applied to both larvae and leaves for their feeding reduced the LC50 of the transformant 17.2- and 1.3-fold on days 3 and 7, respectively. Median lethal times (LT50s) of BbV28 were shortened by 23 to 35%, declining with conidial concentrations. The larvae infected by ingestion of BbV28 conidia showed typical symptoms of Vip3A action, i.e., shrinkage and palsy. However, neither LC50 nor LT50 trends differed between BbV28 and its parental strain if the infection occurred through the cuticle only. Our findings indicate that fungal conidia can be used as vectors for spreading the highly insecticidal Vip3A protein for control of foliage feeders such as S. litura.
Droid-AntiRM: Taming Control Flow Anti-analysis to Support Automated Dynamic Analysis of Android Malware

While many test input generation techniques have been proposed to improve the code coverage of dynamic analysis, they are still inefficient in triggering hidden malicious behaviors protected by anti-analysis techniques. In this work, we design and implement Droid-AntiRM, a new approach seeking to tame anti-analysis automatically and improve automated dynamic analysis. Our approach leverages three key observations: 1) Logic-bomb based anti-analysis techniques control the execution of certain malicious behaviors; 2) Anti-analysis techniques are normally implemented through condition statements; 3) Anti-analysis techniques normally have no dependence on program inputs. Based on these observations, Droid-AntiRM uses various techniques to detect anti-analysis in malware samples, and rewrite the condition statements in anti-analysis cases through bytecode instrumentation, thus forcing the hidden behavior to be executed at runtime. Through a study of 3187 malware samples, we find that 32.50% of them employ various anti-analysis techniques. Our experiments demonstrate that Droid-AntiRM can identify anti-analysis instances from 30 malware samples with a true positive rate of 89.15% and zero false negative. By taming the identified anti-analysis, Droid-AntiRM can greatly improve the automated dynamic analysis, successfully triggering 44 additional hidden malicious behaviors from the 30 samples. Further performance evaluation shows that Droid-AntiRM has good efficiency to perform large-scale analysis.
Linkages Between the Foreign Exchange Markets of BRIC Countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China—and the USA

The past decade has witnessed increasing trade and capital flow movements between BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the USA indicating a need for a better understanding of currency linkages between these countries. This article examines long-run and short-run relationships between foreign exchange markets of BRIC countries and the USA. Long-run results indicate that, over a period beginning January 2000 and ending November 2013, the currency markets of China, India and the USA are tied together, implying that from the perspective of the US investor, the markets of Brazil and Russia provide the greater diversification benefits. Further, the USA is found to be the source of the common trend (CT), suggesting that it leads the three (cointegrated) markets towards the long-run equilibrium relationships. Brazil and India share no short-run lead-lag relationship with the USA. JEL Classification: F31, G15
Transplacental transfer of remifentanil in the pregnant ewe

Background and purpose: While remifentanil can be used either during labour or fetal surgery, more should be known about the transplacental transfer of this opioid. The aim of this study was to investigate the placental transfer and haemodynamic effects of remifentanil after i.v. administration to pregnant ewes.
Electrical properties of smooth muscle in the guinea‐pig urinary bladder.

1. The effects of transmural nerve stimulation were examined on preparations of detrusor smooth muscle from guinea‐pig urinary bladder using intracellular recording techniques. Most recordings were made from preparations in which spontaneous and evoked action potentials had been inhibited by nifedipine (10 microM), a dihydropyridine that blocks L‐type Ca2+ channels. 2. Supramaximal stimuli evoked excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) which could be divided into three basic types. Type 1 EJPs had short latencies (< 30 ms) and fast rise times (< 60 ms). Type 2 EJPs consisted of two components: a small depolarization that was followed by a second depolarization with a faster rise time. In a third type of cell, at high strengths of stimulation, EJPs resembled type 1 EJPs but at lower strengths of stimulation were similar in time course to type 2 EJPs. 3. All EJPs were abolished by tetrodotoxin (1 microM) and reduced by omega‐conotoxin (0.1 microM), but were unaffected by hexamethonium (0.1 mM), suggesting that they result from the release of transmitter from post‐ganglionic nerve fibres. All responses persisted in the presence of atropine (1 microM) but were abolished following the desensitization of P2‐purinoceptors with alpha, beta‐methylene ATP (m‐ATP; 10 microM). 4. Spontaneous excitatory junction potentials (SEJPs) were also recorded from most cells. SEJPs were similar in appearance to fast single‐component EJPs; however, in general they had a briefer time course. SEJPs persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin (1 microM). 5. The electrical properties of urinary bladder smooth muscle were also examined. Voltage changes induced by point current injection into cells had fast rates of rise and decay (time constant, 5‐20 ms). The input resistance of cells ranged between 12 and 108 M omega. When recordings were taken from cells near the point of current injection, resultant electrotonic potentials could be detected in only a small proportions of cells. 6. The results are discussed in relation to the idea that transmural nerve stimulation in the guinea‐pig urinary bladder causes the activation of at least two different membrane conductances. Cells appear to be electrically coupled with one another. However, it is likely that coupling exists within discrete bundles of the smooth muscle.
Irrigation control using Wireless Underground Sensor Networks

Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSN) using Electro-Magnetic (EM) wave communication has to address the challenges posed by the underground environment. An alternative to EM wave communication for WUSN is Magnetic Induction (MI). This research aims to study the possibility of using MI communication for WUSN designed for irrigation control in horticulture. As a case study, a typical Pecan farm in Australia has been considered. The case study would focus on the application of accurate soil moisture reporting and regulation for the farm, under all climatic conditions. This application addresses the issue of water-shortage confronting irrigation in Australia.
Stoichiometric Mismatch between Consumers and Resources Mediates the Growth of Rocky Intertidal Suspension Feeders

The concept of ecological stoichiometry—the balancing of elemental ratios in ecological interactions—has transformed our thinking about processes in natural systems. Here, this perspective is applied to rocky shore ecosystems to explore the consequences of variation in internal nutrient ratios across two trophic levels. Specifically, I measured the internal concentrations of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in mussels (Mytilus spp.) and particulate organic matter (POM) to evaluate the effects of stoichiometric mismatch—the difference in the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N) between a consumer and its resources—on mussel growth at sites on the coasts of Oregon, USA, and the South Island of New Zealand. As POM quality (i.e., Chl a, a proxy for phytoplankton availability in the POM) increased, C:N of the POM declined, but C:N of mussels increased. This resulted in a greater mismatch in C:N between mussels and their food source at low Chl a. Mussel growth across sites was positively associated with Chl a, particulate organic carbon (POC), and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) but negatively associated with stoichiometric mismatch. Overall, as the elemental ratios of consumers became more different from those of their resources, growth declined, likely due to the energetic cost associated with processing lower quality food. Furthermore, the effect of food quantity on growth depended on stoichiometric mismatch. In New Zealand, where mismatch was high—i.e., consumer C:N differed substantially from resource C:N—consumer growth was strongly affected by resource quantity (Chl a or POC). However, in Oregon, where mismatch was low, the relationship between resource quantity and growth was considerably weaker. This interaction between resource quantity and mismatch was not apparent for PON, which is consistent with variation in PON underlying variation in POM C:N and highlights the role of N in limiting growth. Previous research has neglected the importance of ecological stoichiometry as a mediator of consumer-resource interactions in rocky intertidal communities. I show that resource quality and quantity interact to determine consumer growth, highlighting the utility of ecological stoichiometry in understanding spatial subsidies in benthic marine systems.
Enteroadherent Escherichia coli as a cause of diarrhea among children in Mexico

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) often exhibits localized adherence or diffuse adherence to HEp-2 cells. We recently provided evidence that HEp-2 cell-adherent or enteroadherent E. coli (EAEC) not belonging to EPEC serogroups was the cause of diarrhea among U.S. travelers to Mexico. In the present study, we looked for EAEC and EPEC in stool specimens from 154 children with acute diarrhea and 137 well children seen at several outpatient clinics in Guadalajara, Mexico. EAEC showing localized adherence (EAEC-L) was isolated from 13.0% of the patients and 0.7% of the controls (P less than 0.0001). EAEC showing diffuse adherence (EAEC-D) was recovered from 20.8% of the patients and 7.3% of the controls (P less than 0.001). EPEC was isolated from 4.5 and 6.7% of the patients and controls, respectively. Among all enteropathogens, only enterotoxigenic E. coli occurred as commonly (21.4%) as EAEC-D and EAEC-L did in children with diarrhea. Of the EAEC-L strains isolated from children with diarrhea, 20% belonged to recognized EPEC serogroups, and 3.1% of EAEC-D strains belonged to recognized EPEC serogroups. This study suggests that EAEC may be an important pediatric enteropathogen in Mexican children with diarrhea and further supports the observation that adherence to HEp-2 cells may be a marker of virulence independent of EPEC serogroup among E. coli strains.
Rates of Renal Toxicity in Cancer Patients Receiving Cisplatin With and Without Mannitol

Background: Cisplatin is a widely used antineoplastic. One of the major complications of cisplatin use is dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. There are many strategies to prevent this toxicity, including the use of mannitol as a nephroprotectant in combination with hydration. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the rates of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in cancer patients receiving single-agent cisplatin with and without mannitol. Methods: This single-center retrospective analysis was a quasi experiment created by the national mannitol shortage. Data were collected on adult cancer patients receiving single-agent cisplatin as an outpatient from January 2011 to September 2012. The primary outcome was acute kidney injury (AKI). Results: We evaluated 143 patients who received single-agent cisplatin; 97.2% of patients had head and neck cancer as their primary malignancy. Patients who did not receive mannitol were more likely to develop nephrotoxicity: odds ratio [OR] = 2.646 (95% CI = 1.008, 6.944; P = 0.048). Patients who received the 100 mg/m2 dosing and patients who had a history of hypertension also had a higher likelihood of developing nephrotoxicity: OR = 11.494 (95% CI = 4.149, 32.258; P < 0.0001) and OR = 3.219 (95% CI = 1.228, 8.439; P = 0.017), respectively. Conclusions: When limited quantities of mannitol are available, it should preferentially be given to patients at particularly high risk of nephrotoxicity. Our analysis suggests that those patients receiving the dosing schedule of 100 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks and those with hypertension are at the greatest risk of nephrotoxicity and would benefit from the addition of mannitol.
Medulloblastoma and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors

To the authors' knowledge there are relatively few data concerning supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET). The authors retrospectively reviewed all cases of PNET of the brain treated at the study institution to determine whether there was a difference in presentation, overall survival, and recurrence‐free survival with regard to tumor location (supratentorium vs. posterior fossa).
Does a new steam meal catering system meet patient requirements in hospital?

BACKGROUND It has been consistently observed that a significant proportion of hospital inpatients are malnourished and many actually develop malnutrition in hospital. The NHS provides over 300 million meals each year at a cost of pound 500 million, yet there is relatively little research evaluating how well different catering systems provide for the needs of hospital inpatients. AIM The aim of the study was to: (i) evaluate whether a new steam meal catering system (Steamplicity) enables patients in theory to meet their energy requirements in hospital and (ii) compare energy and protein intake using Steamplicity with a traditional bulk cook-chill system. METHODS Patients not at nutritional risk had their food intake at one lunchtime assessed. Energy intake was compared with the patients' energy requirements and energy and protein intake were compared with previous data from a bulk system. RESULTS Fifty-seven patients had a median daily energy requirement of 7648 kJ (1821 kcal) [inter-quartile range (IQR): 6854-9164 kJ]. Assuming 30% [2293 kJ (546 kcal)] should be supplied by the lunch meal the average intake of 1369 kJ (326 kcal) fell short by 40%. Patients served meals from Steamplicity ate less energy [1369 kJ versus 1562 kJ (326 kcal versus 372 kcal) P = 0.04] but similar protein (18 g versus 19 g P = 0.34) to the bulk system. The largest difference was the energy provided by the dessert since the bulk system served more hot high-calorie desserts. CONCLUSIONS Patient intakes did not meet their estimated requirements. The patients in this study were eating well and not at nutritional risk, thus patients with a poor appetite will be even less likely to meet their nutritional requirements. Steamplicity meals result in a lower energy intake than meals from a bulk cook-chill system, but similar protein intakes.