Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of bioelectrical impedance analysis to elderly populations.

BACKGROUND Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can potentially be used to estimate body composition in large populations studied at multiple sites. However, it is not clear whether age-specific BIA equations are necessary for accurate application of BIA to research on elderly subjects. METHODS We compared a published equation designed to predict fat-free mass (FFM) that had been derived in a young healthy population (mean age 27 y; mean BMI 23.9 kg/m2), with equations that we developed for the elderly by using data from 455 participants in the Framingham Heart Study (78 Y; 27.3 kg/m2), using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a reference technique. The BIA equations were then compared in an independent sample of 283 participants in the New Mexico Aging Process Study (76 y, 25.5 kg/m2), who also underwent BIA and DXA. RESULTS When the young-population equation was applied to Framingham, it caused an overestimation of FFM in heavier subjects that was eliminated by use of the age-specific equation. However, when the two equations were tested in the New Mexico population, the published equation gave estimates of FFM that were closer to DXA than the Framingham equations did. CONCLUSIONS The accuracy of a BIA equation depends on the body composition of the population of the population and the validation method rather than on age per se. Application of BIA to elderly populations requires uniform validation procedures in the actual study population, rather than reliance on age-specific equations.
Robustness of communication aided distance relay with Quadrilateral characteristic against inter phase fault resistance

This paper discusses the maximum fault resistance, which can be tolerated by a communication aided distance relay with Quadrilateral characteristic in the case of inter phase, phase to phase and three phase, faults. This is defined as the boundary fault resistance, which is the maximum fault resistance that the relay can discriminate between in-zone and out-of-zone faults correctly. The robustness criterion is defined based on the boundary fault resistance. In order to achieve this, the related equations are derived and then the boundary fault resistance curve and robustness criterion are presented.
A Study on the Factors Affecting Consumers’ Willingness to Accept Clothing Rentals

Fashionable clothes resource suppliers are directly linked with resource consumers through the Internet, thus replacing the traditional model. With fashionable clothes as the products for renting, this study helps relevant enterprises understand the factors influencing consumers’ adoption of renting and their attitude and behavioral intention towards clothes renting. Taking the theory of planned behavior as the theoretical foundation, this study thus adopts the technology acceptance model (TAM), the innovation diffusion theory (IDT), the structural equation model (SEM), and the collected information to develop a research methodology that is both theoretical and practical. According to the research results, compatibility matters the most in driving consumers to have a positive assessment and perception of online clothes renting in terms of behavior and attitude. Additionally, personal innovativeness has significant effects and can help relevant enterprises find their target markets. In terms of subjective norm, interpersonal relationship also has a significant influence, showing that consumers today pay much more attention to friends’ information sources. The self-efficacy of the perceived behavioral control also has a noticeable impact. Therefore, relevant enterprises need to consider the operability of online clothes renting to prevent consumers from feeling frustrated in their ability to use it, thus reducing their use intention.
Revisiting the Labour Market Outcomes Associated with Postsecondary Education: An Analysis of the 2009/2010 Cohort of Canadian University Graduates By Program

REVISITING THE LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2009/2010 COHORT OF CANADIAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES BY PROGRAM Brad Seward Advisor: University of Guelph, 2017 Professor D. Walters Drawing on data from the 2009/2010 National Graduate Surveys, this doctoral research builds upon past research comparing the outcomes of university graduates of various postsecondary programs across earnings, objective and subjective work-toeducation match, and job satisfaction. This research consists of four areas of study. Statistical analyses first compare fields of study using disaggregated categories of liberal arts and STEM (science, technology, mathematics, and engineering) programs, to determine the extent to which the labour market outcomes vary for graduates of university programs that are traditionally aggregated in the wider literature. The next stage of research analyzes the outcomes of postsecondary graduates of traditional versus nontraditional (distance education) programs. Comparisons of outcomes of university graduates who specialized in bilingual versus technical (i.e., science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) pursuits comprise the third area of study. Finally, statistical models include sociodemographic variables to assess whether traditional dimensions of disadvantage have remained salient in the outcomes of university graduates from the most recent wave of the National Graduate Surveys. Statistical analyses are comprised of descriptive statistics, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, binary logistic regression, and graphical displays of predicted probabilities. This dissertation revisits the debate regarding the viability of human capital, credentialist, and labour market segmentation approaches. The policy implications of the results are also discussed.
Investigation of interfacial surface creep breakdown at oil-pressboard interfaces in natural ester liquid and mineral oil

Natural ester liquids are increasingly established in power transformers, especially if the water protection and prevention of fire hazard in operation region of transformer are in focus. They show a comparable dielectric strength to mineral oil in homogeneous and slightly inhomogeneous fields. Nevertheless, differences exist between natural ester liquids and mineral oils in terms of electrical properties. The different ratios of liquid and solid insulation materials permittivities at interfaces cause a shift in electric field distribution within the insulation system of a transformer. Therefore, it is important to explore the effects of interfacial surface creep breakdown strength at high stressed oil-paper interfaces inside power transformers. This will be called simply creep breakdown. This study investigates the creep breakdown along an oil-paper interface at defined oil gap in natural ester liquid and mineral oil. A high-density pressboard sheet is impregnated and prepared giving a vertical electrode gap for AC creep breakdown test setup. Pressboard is fixed within one rounded electrode at the upper end and within one rounded electrode at the lower end. Special care is taken in the electrode design to avoid / minimize possible oil wedges in the setup. Tests are conducted with dry oil at a relative moisture content of less than 12 % of saturation. Breakdown mean values, 2 % withstand values and standard deviations are compared. The empirical breakdown results and the measured differences between the insulation liquids are used to interpret the effects of electric stress shift in natural ester liquids on transformer design rules.
Cavitation Resistance in Seedless Vascular Plants: The Structure and Function of Interconduit Pit Membranes1[W][OPEN]

Interconduit pit membranes in ferns and lycophytes are functionally similar to angiosperms with respect to cavitation resistance, although significantly more permeable to water. Plant water transport occurs through interconnected xylem conduits that are separated by partially digested regions in the cell wall known as pit membranes. These structures have a dual function. Their porous construction facilitates water movement between conduits while limiting the spread of air that may enter the conduits and render them dysfunctional during a drought. Pit membranes have been well studied in woody plants, but very little is known about their function in more ancient lineages such as seedless vascular plants. Here, we examine the relationships between conduit air seeding, pit hydraulic resistance, and pit anatomy in 10 species of ferns (pteridophytes) and two lycophytes. Air seeding pressures ranged from 0.8 ± 0.15 MPa (mean ± sd) in the hydric fern Athyrium filix-femina to 4.9 ± 0.94 MPa in Psilotum nudum, an epiphytic species. Notably, a positive correlation was found between conduit pit area and vulnerability to air seeding, suggesting that the rare-pit hypothesis explains air seeding in early-diverging lineages much as it does in many angiosperms. Pit area resistance was variable but averaged 54.6 MPa s m−1 across all surveyed pteridophytes. End walls contributed 52% to the overall transport resistance, similar to the 56% in angiosperm vessels and 64% in conifer tracheids. Taken together, our data imply that, irrespective of phylogenetic placement, selection acted on transport efficiency in seedless vascular plants and woody plants in equal measure by compensating for shorter conduits in tracheid-bearing plants with more permeable pit membranes.
Effect of CD4+ T cell count and antiretroviral treatment on two serological HIV incidence assays.

Serological assays are increasingly being used to measure HIV incidence in cross-sectional studies, but their specificity to determine incident infections remains problematic. We estimated the specificity of the BED assay in a cohort of long-term HIV-infected adults before and during antiretroviral treatment (ART) and evaluated an HIV avidity assay to detect BED-based false-recent results. We used the BED assay to test stored specimens from known long-term HIV-1-infected adult Ugandans before and at 3, 12, and 24 months after ART initiation. We evaluated the frequency of false-recent classifications by ART status and CD4(+) T(+) cell count. Specimens classified as BED false-recent were further tested with an avidity assay. In all, 950 blood specimens from 253 adults were tested with the BED assay. Of these, 149 (15.7%) specimens tested false-recent and 64 (24.9%) individuals tested false-recent at least once. Among all specimens tested, the proportion of false-recent rose with increasing CD4(+) cell count (<250 cells/μl: 11.3%, 250-499: 17.8%, ≥500: 21.4%; p for trend=0.002). Of 197 persons with all four BED results available, 75.6% were classified as long-term infected throughout and 8.1% as false-recent throughout; the remainder changed classification once (12.2%) or twice (4.1%). Of 105 false-recent specimens retested with the avidity assay, 101 (96.2%) were correctly classified as "long-term. " The BED assay's specificity varied with CD4(+) cell count and use of ART. Knowledge of these parameters for blood samples could improve incidence estimates using the BED assay. The additional use of an avidity assay may help to minimize the proportion of BED false-recent specimens.
Nipple aspirates of breast fluid and the epidemiology of breast disease

Epidemiologic data were obtained, and nipple aspiration attempted, from 289 healthy women, 548 women currently having or with a history of benign breast disease, 153 untreated women with breast cancer, and 106 women previously treated by mastectomy. Breast duct fluid was produced in detectable amounts by 59% of the controls and patients with benign or untreated malignant breast disease; in 35% the volume was in excess of 10 μl. There were more secretors aged 30 to 50 years (72%), than either those who were younger (52%), or older (44%). Overall, 57% of premenopausal women were secretors, compared with 38% of postmenopausal women. Healthy women who had their menarche before age 13 years were more likely to be secretors. Neither parity, age at first completed pregnancy, nor body weight affected secretor status. There was a trend for the 141 benign breast disease patients aged 40 to 49 years to include more women yielding greater than 10 μl of fluid (57%) compared with 46 controls (39%). Although breast cancer per se did not appear to influence secretor status, postmastectomy patients were more likely to secrete large fluid volumes, an effect that was particularly pronounced after menopause. Hormonal factors related to age and fibrocystic disease risk and endocrine activity after mastectomy may be the principal determinants influencing the secretion of breast duct fluid.
p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 Act in Synergy to Alter the Sensitivity of Naive T Cells to TGF-β-Mediated G1 Arrest through Modulation of IL-2 Responsiveness

Induction of G1 arrest by TGF-β correlates with the regulation of p21Cip1 and p27Kip1, members of the Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (cki). However, no definitive evidence exists that these proteins play a causal role in TGF-β1-induced growth arrest in lymphocytes. In this report we show the suppression of cell cycle progression by TGF-β is diminished in T cells from mice deficient for both p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 (double-knockout (DKO)) only when activated under conditions of optimal costimulation. Although there is an IL-2-dependent enhanced proliferation of CD8+ T cells from DKO mice, TGF-β is able to maximally suppress the proliferation of DKO T cells when activated under conditions of low costimulatory strength. We also show that the induction of p15Ink4b in T cells stimulated in the presence of TGF-β is not essential, as TGF-β also efficiently suppressed proliferation of T cells from p15Ink4b−/− mice. Finally, although these cki are dispensable for the suppression of T cell proliferation by TGF-β, we now describe a Smad3-dependent down-regulation of cdk4, suggesting a potential mechanism underlying to resistance of Smad3−/− T cells to the induction of growth arrest by TGF-β. In summary, the growth suppressive effects of TGF-β in naive T cells are a function of the strength of costimulation, and alterations in the expression of cki modify the sensitivity to TGF-β by lowering thresholds for a maximal mitogenic response.
Frequent Antibiotic Use and Second Breast Cancer Events

Background: Antibiotic use may be associated with higher breast cancer risk and breast cancer mortality, but no study has evaluated the relation between antibiotic use and second breast cancer events (SBCE). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among women ≥18 years, diagnosed with incident stage I/II breast cancer during 1990–2008. Antibiotic use and covariates were obtained from health plan administrative databases and medical record review. Frequent antibiotic use was defined as ≥4 antibiotic dispensings in any moving 12-month period after diagnosis. Our outcome was SBCE defined as recurrence or second primary breast cancer. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI), accounting for competing risks. Results: A total of 4,216 women were followed for a median of 6.7 years. Forty percent were frequent antibiotic users and 558 (13%) had an SBCE. Results are suggestive of a modest increased risk of SBCE (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.88–1.50) among frequent antibiotic users compared with nonusers. Any potential increased risk was not supported when we evaluated recent use and past use. We observed no dose–response trends for SBCE with increasing duration of antibiotic use nor did we find evidence for altered SBCE risk in the antibiotic classes studied. Conclusions: Frequent antibiotic use may be associated with modestly elevated risk of SBCEs, but the association was not significant. Impact: Additional investigation by antibiotic class and underlying indication are important next steps given the high prevalence of frequent antibiotic use and growing number of breast cancer survivors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(9); 1588–99. ©2013 AACR.
Microwave Power Transfer With Optimal Number of Rectenna Arrays for Midrange Applications

In this letter, the microwave power transfer (MPT) system with the optimal number of rectenna arrays for midrange applications is proposed, theoretically analyzed, and verified. A retrodirective power transmitter is designed to overcome the degradation by the near-field effect and enhance the power transfer efficiency. The implemented transmitter is composed of 16 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times$</tex-math></inline-formula> 1 patch antennas with a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda /2$</tex-math></inline-formula> spacing, and each of the antennas has a circuit for simultaneously detecting and shifting the phase, and operates at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. To further improve the power transfer efficiency, the parallel dc combining rectenna array is designed since the conventional RF combining rectenna has several problems in the case of midrange. The fabricated rectenna array consists of 8 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times$</tex-math></inline-formula> 1 rectennas with a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda /2$</tex-math></inline-formula> spacing and a dc power management circuit. In addition, the optimal number of rectenna arrays is proposed, considering the size of the receiver. In the experiments, the optimal number of rectennas is 3 when the transfer distance is 1 m. The achieved power transfer efficiency from three-arrayed rectennas is 4.47%, while the efficiency of 5.01% is achieved from eight-arrayed rectennas. Experimental results from the implemented MPT system show good agreement with the proposed theory.
Insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes: insulin analogue mix 50, a potential role in reducing postprandial hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular disease

Importance of the field: Postprandial hyperglycaemia is becoming topical, with studies suggesting a link to cardiovascular disease. Recently, a number of new therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes have become available. Areas covered in this review: This review looks at the evidence for the potential role of insulin analogue mix 50 to reduce postprandial hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular disease. Search Strategy: Medline and Embase databases were searched using the MeSH terms to identify relevant studies from 1980 to 2009. Both original articles and reviews were extracted. Published reference lists were also examined. MeSH terms used for literature searching: human insulins, insulin analogues, insulin analogue mix 50, glycaemia, postprandial glucose, fasting glucose, type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease. What the reader will gain: The reader is presented with evidence discussing the importance of postprandial hyperglycaemia and studies comparing different insulin regimes and in particular insulin analogue mix 50 and its potential to reduce postprandial glucose surges and reduce cardiovascular disease. Take-home message: Insulin analogue mix 50 is a viable therapeutic option in a sub-group of patients with type 2 diabetes.
AcrAB efflux pump plays a major role in the antibiotic resistance phenotype of Escherichia coli multiple-antibiotic-resistance (Mar) mutants

Multiple-antibiotic-resistance (Mar) mutants of Escherichia coli are resistant to a wide variety of antibiotics, and increased active efflux is known to be responsible for the resistance to some drugs. The identity of the efflux system, however, has remained unknown. By constructing an isogenic set of E. coli K-12 strains, we showed that the marR1 mutation was incapable of increasing the resistance level in the absence of the AcrAB efflux system. This experiment identified the AcrAB system as the major pump responsible for making the Mar mutants resistant to many agents, including tetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, and rifampin.
Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of African-American women with HIV and AIDS in Los Angeles County, 1990-1997.

African-American women have the highest AIDS rate of any racial/ethnic group of women in both Los Angeles County (LAC), California and in the United States. Limited population-based epidemiologic studies of African-American women with HIV and AIDS describe this group and examine the factors associated with the excessive rates. Interview data collected from 1990 to 1997 on a population-based sample of AIDS cases and a group of HIV-infected women in LAC were analyzed to highlight the sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of African-American women. This group of African-American women with HIV or AIDS in LAC were unemployed (88%), single mothers (64%), living on public assistance (86%) with annual household incomes <$10,000 U.S. (76%). A history of crack use predominated (50%). Compared with women of other races with HIV and AIDS, African-American women reported more sexual partners; reported more infections with sexually transmitted diseases; sought treatment for their HIV infection later; were more likely to trade sex; and were almost five times more likely to have ever used crack cocaine. HIV prevention for African-American women in LAC should focus on improving self-esteem and negotiation skills within the context of the crack cocaine culture and the disadvantaged social and economic situation described.
A 23‐hour care centre model for the management of surgical patients

Background: Much of the emphasis on gaining efficiencies in surgical care have, to date, focused on increasing day only (DO) facilities and increasing the utilization of day of surgery admissions (DOSA) for longer stay cases. However, for the majority of cases requiring surgery, both elective and acute, the episode of care can generally be delivered within an envelope of 23 h during which time patients require only pain relief and monitoring in a supervised setting until fit for discharge. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a pilot of a 23‐h care centre at a principal referral hospital.
The Good Politician: Folk Theories, Political Interaction, and the Rise of Anti-Politics

Surveys show a lack of trust in political actors and institutions across much of the democratic world. Populist politicians and parties attempt to capitalise on this political disaffection. Commentators worry about our current 'age of anti-politics'. Focusing on the United Kingdom, using responses to public opinion surveys alongside diaries and letters collected by Mass Observation, this book takes a long view of anti-politics going back to the 1940s. This historical perspective reveals how anti-politics has grown in scope and intensity over the last half-century. Such growth is explained by citizens' changing images of 'the good politician' and changing modes of political interaction between politicians and citizens. Current efforts to reform and improve democracy will benefit greatly from the new evidence and conceptual framework set out in this important study.