Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urine and serum fetuin-A levels in patients with urolithiasis

Introduction: Fetuin-A is a glycoprotein secreted by liver and has been shown to inhibit extraosseous mineralization. Urolithiasis may be a manifestation in the urinary tract due to fetuin deficiency in urine. The objective of this study was to compare the 24-h urine and serum fetuin-A levels of patients with and without urolithiasis. Methods: Serum and 24-h urine fetuin-A levels were measured in 41 patients with bilateral, multiple, or recurrent urinary tract calculi (Group A) and 41 matched controls with no calculi (Group B). Fetuin levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Serum and urine fetuin-A levels in the two groups were compared. Results: The median (range) 24-h urine fetuin-A value in Group A was 11.9 (1.12–221) mg/day and in Group B was 37.7 (1.28–125) mg/day. This difference was statistically significant (Mann–Whitney test, P = 0.0169). The median (range) serum fetuin-A in Group A was 0.67 (0.05–2.68) g/L and in Group B was 0.99 (0.01–5.5) g/L. The difference between serum values in the two arms was not statistically significant (Mann–Whitney test, P = 0.1817). However, the serum creatinine-adjusted mean log serum fetuin and urine fetuin were significantly different in the two arms (P = 0.003). The mean ± standard deviation (range) serum creatinine in Group A was 0.98 ± 0.25 (0.56–1.58) mg% and in Group B was 0.83 ± 0.16 (0.58–1.18) mg% (two sample t-test, P = 0.0031). Conclusions: Patients with urolithiasis have lower urine fetuin-A and creatinine-adjusted serum fetuin-A levels.
Skill mismatch in the labour market and adult learning

Chapter 7 Skill Mismatch in the Labour Market and Adult Learning Summary This chapter explores the issue of skill mismatch in the labour market and its relationship to adult learning. The extent and distribution of mismatch between the day to day literacy related requirements of workers and the literacy skills they have obtained is an important issue that can be addressed with the ALL data. Understanding better the interaction of the supply of, and demand for, literacy skills can have important consequences for industrial policies and labour market structures that foster demand, on the one hand, and lifelong learning policies and education structures that shape supply, on the other. According to the methodology applied to conduct the data analyses, skill mismatch is found to be on the order of about 30 to 40 per cent in all countries surveyed. As defined for the purposes of this chapter, mismatch includes both skill deficits and skill surpluses. It is found that the distribution of surplus tends to be concentrated among younger age cohorts as well as women and non-immigrants, while deficits tend to accrue to men, older adults and immigrants. Skill match-mismatch is also found to have a strong link to the incidence of participation in adult education as well as to the sources of financing that suppor t participation. Statistics Canada and OECD 2011
Taking 5: Work-Breaks, Productivity, and Opportunities for Personal Informatics for Knowledge Workers

Taking breaks from work is an essential and universal practice. In this paper, we extend current research on productivity in the workplace to consider the break habits of knowledge workers and explore opportunities of break logging for personal informatics. We report on three studies. Through a survey of 147 U.S.-based knowledge workers, we investigate what activities respondents consider to be breaks from work, and offer an understanding of the benefit workers desire when they take breaks. We then present results from a two-week in-situ diary study with 28 participants in the U.S. who logged 800 breaks, offering insights into the effect of work breaks on productivity. We finally explore the space of information visualization of work breaks and productivity in a third study. We conclude with a discussion of implications for break recommendation systems, availability and interuptibility research, and the quantified workplace.
Model-Based Learning of Local Image Features for Unsupervised Texture Segmentation

Features that capture well the textural patterns of a certain class of images are crucial for the performance of texture segmentation methods. The manual selection of features or designing new ones can be a tedious task. Therefore, it is desirable to automatically adapt the features to a certain image or class of images. Typically, this requires a large set of training images with similar textures and ground truth segmentation. In this paper, we propose a framework to learn features for texture segmentation when no such training data is available. The cost function for our learning process is constructed to match a commonly used segmentation model, the piecewise constant Mumford-Shah model. This means that the features are learned such that they provide an approximately piecewise constant feature image with a small jump set. Based on this idea, we develop a two-stage algorithm which first learns suitable convolutional features and then performs segmentation. We note that the features can be learned from a small set of images, from a single image, or even from image patches. The proposed method achieves a competitive rank in the Prague texture segmentation benchmark, and it is effective for segmenting histological images.
Helping Adolescents Just Say No to Drugs: A Multidimensional Family Therapeutic Approach

Learning ObjectivesAfter participating in this educational activity, the psychiatrist should be better able toEvaluate patients using the theory of Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT). Treat adolescents with substance abuse problems using the three stages of MDFT.Identify the limitations of MDFT. &NA;Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) is reviewed, both in theory and as an evidence-based approach to treating adolescent substance abuse and related risk factors. The primary objectives of MDFT are to improve functioning in the four domains that centrally influence the course of adolescent development—the adolescent himself or herself, the parents, family interactions, and extrafamilial relationships. In MDFT, functioning in each domain is conceptualized as a risk or protective factor for problematic adolescent behavior and overall development; adolescent substance abuse is thus understood as a deviation from healthy, adaptive development and as indicative of impaired family systemic functioning. Improved functioning in the four domains is expected to place adolescents on healthier developmental trajectories, which decreases risk for substance abuse. Previous reviews of treatment approaches for adolescent substance abuse have surveyed multiple models. Previous articles specifically on MDFT have addressed a defined range of issues—whether theory, technique, or research. This review comprehensively synthesizes MDFT in theory, research, and practice, and suggests directions for future research.
Occult constipation: a common cause of recurrent abdominal pain in childhood.

BACKGROUND An estimated 10% of all children are subject to recurrent attacks of abdominal pain of unknown origin. When no organic cause is found, the working diagnosis is usually functional abdominal pain. OBJECTIVES To investigate the possible causative role of occult constipation. METHODS We defined occult constipation as the absence of complaints of constipation on initial medical history or of symptoms to indicate the presence of constipation. The diagnosis was made by rectal examination and/or plain abdominal X-ray. RESULTS Occult constipation was found to be the cause of RAP in 42.6% of children examined. Treatment consisted of paraffin oil and phosphate enema. In 82.84% of cases the abdominal pain subsided considerably or disappeared within 2 weeks to 3 months of treatment. On telephone interview of the parents at 1-1.5 years after discharge, 96.5% reported that both the abdominal pain and constipation had subsided or disappeared. CONCLUSIONS Occult constipation can be easily identified and treated in a large number of children with RAP who were diagnosed as having functional abdominal pain.
Peripancreatic lymphadenopathy on preoperative radiologic images predicts malignancy in pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm.

OBJECTIVE To identify clinicopathological characters and risk factors of malignant pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN). METHODS All patients with complete clinicopathological records who underwent surgery for SPN between 2000 and 2010 were retrospective reviewed. Furthermore, we reviewed and classified the histopathology slides of all patients according to the 2010 World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS Of the 100 patients identified, 84 (84.0%) were female, and the median age was 31 (range, 13-68) years old. Median tumor size was 6.5 (range, 1.5-18) cm. Twenty-four patients (24.0%) were classified to have malignant SPN. Forty-nine patients had lymph node removed in surgery, and four (8.2%) had nodal metastases. On univariate analysis, peripancreatic lymphadenopathy on preoperative computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance (MR) images was significant risk factor of malignancy (P = 0.025). In the long-term follow up, two patients had evidence of liver metastases and underwent a second laparotomy for metastatic tumor. These two patients were followed up for 24 and 32 months respectively, and never presented with tumor recurrence again. CONCLUSIONS Peripancreatic lymphadenopathy on preoperative radiologic images was associated with malignancy in patients with SPN. Close follow-up and review periodically were recommended for patients with malignant SPN.
Improving medical and psychiatric outcomes among individuals with bipolar disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES Comorbid medical conditions, notably cardiovascular disease, occur disproportionately among persons with bipolar disorder; yet the quality and outcomes of medical care for these individuals are suboptimal. This pilot study examined a bipolar disorder medical care model (BCM) and determined whether, compared with usual care, individuals randomly assigned to receive BCM care had improved medical and psychiatric outcomes. METHODS Persons with bipolar disorder and cardiovascular disease-related risk factors were recruited from a large Department of Veterans Affairs mental health facility and randomly assigned to receive BCM or usual care. BCM care consisted of four self-management sessions on bipolar disorder symptom control strategies, education and behavioral change related to cardiovascular disease risk factors, and promotion of provider engagement. Primary outcomes were physical and mental health-related quality of life; secondary outcomes included functioning and bipolar symptoms. RESULTS Fifty-eight persons participated. Twenty-seven received BCM care, and 31 received usual care. The mean+/-SD age was 55+/-8 years, 9% were female, 90% were white, and 10% were African American. Repeated-measures analysis was used, and significant differences were observed between the two groups in change in scores from baseline to six months for the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) subscale for physical health (t=2.01, df=173, p=.04), indicating that the usual care group experienced a decline in physical health over the study period. Change in SF-12 scores also indicated that compared with the usual care group, the BCM group showed improvements in mental health-related quality of life over the six-month study period; however, this finding was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Compared with usual care, BCM care may have slowed the decline in physical health-related quality of life. Further studies are needed to determine whether BCM care leads to long-term positive changes in physical and mental health-related quality of life and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease among persons with bipolar disorder.
Canine distemper virus-specific antibodies in multiple sclerosis

Current postulates support the idea that MS is triggered by an infectious agent or agents through an autoimmune reaction directed against brain antigens in genetically susceptible individuals.Evidence for an infectious etiology of MS is indirect. We have proposed that MS may, in some instances, be due to a zoonotic infection and that canine distemper virus, a measles-like virus in dogs, is a likely candidate in the causation of this disorder. The high homology between canine distemper and measles virus proteins has made it extremely difficult to distinguish distemper from measles antibodies serologically. We now provide evidence that humans can be infected with this neurotropic dog virus. Furthermore, a high titer of canine distemper virus antibodies is significantly associated with MS. Identification of the etiologic agent in MS may lead to the elucidation of disease pathogenesis and to disease prevention through appropriate public health and vaccination programs.
The capital structure puzzle: On the existence of an optimal capital structure

A perennial debate in corporate finance concerns the question of optimal capital structure: given the level of total capital necessary to support a company's activities, is there a way of dividing up that capital into debt and equity that maximizes current firm value? And, if so, what are the critical factors in setting the leverage ratio for a given company? Corporate finance researchers have long been puzzled by low corporate debt ratios given debt's corporate tax advantage. What makes the capital structure debate especially intriguing is that the different theories represent such different, and in some ways almost diametrically opposed, decision-making processes. For instance, some researchers defend Miller and Modigliani by arguing that both capital structure and dividend policy are largely "irrelevant" in the sense that they have no significant, predictable effects on corporate financing. However, another school of thought holds that corporate financing choices reflect an attempt by corporate managers to balance the tax shields of greater debt against the increased probability and costs of financial distress, including those arising from corporate underinvestment. But if too much debt can destroy value by causing
Environmental Impact Assessment of Wood Use in Japan through 2050 Using Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment

In this study, we used material flow analysis and life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts and impact reductions related to wood consumption in Japan from 1970 to 2013. We then conducted future projections of the impacts and reductions until 2050 based on multiple future scenarios of domestic forestry, wood, and energy use. An impact assessment method involving characterization, damage assessment, and integration with a monetary unit was used, and the results were expressed in Japanese yen (JPY). We found that environmental impacts from paper consumption, such as climate change and urban air pollution, were significant and accounted for 56% to 83% of the total environmental impacts between 1970 and 2013. Therefore, reductions of greenhouse gas, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur oxide emissions from paper production would be an effective measure to reduce the overall environmental impacts. An increase in wood use for building construction, civil engineering, furniture materials, and energy production could lead to reductions of environmental impacts (via carbon storage, material substitution, and fuel substitution) amounting to 357 billion JPY in 2050, which is equivalent to 168% of the 2013 levels. Particularly, substitution of nonwooden materials, such as cement, concrete, and steel, with wood products in building construction could significantly contribute to impact reductions. Although an increase of wood consumption could reduce environmental impacts, such as climate change, resource consumption, and urban air pollution, increased wood consumption would also be associated with land‐use impacts. Therefore, minimizing land transformations from forest to barren land will be important.
Employment Protection Deregulation and Labor Shares in Advanced Economies

Abstract This paper assesses the impact of job protection deregulation on the labor share in a sample of 26 advanced economies during the 1970–2013 period, using a newly constructed dataset of major reforms in this area. We employ a difference-in-differences identification strategy using two identifying assumptions grounded in theory—deregulation has larger effects in industries characterized by (i) a higher “natural” propensity to regularly adjust the workforce and (ii) a lower elasticity of substitution between capital and labor. We find significant negative effects of deregulation on the labor share, contributing to about a tenth of its observed decline in advanced economies.
Intertemporal Choice and Income Regularity: Non-Fungibility in a Lab-in-The-Field Experiment

Motivated by evidence of mental accounting, this paper tests whether the choice of when to be paid depends on the income type. A lab-in-the-field experiment in Kenya asked dairy cooperative members to allocate both their regular milk payments and an irregular windfall between two dates. We find that participants allocated milk payments to the later of the two dates but allocated the windfall to the earlier date. Most participants self-reported deferring their milk payments in order to save for lump-sum expenses. Those planning to use milk payments for smaller, more frequent purchases were less likely to defer payments. Farmers hence appeared to earmark regular milk payments, but not the irregular windfall, for bulky expenditures. This behavior potentially explains why discount rates elicited using experimenter money are often higher than those inferred from observed choices over regular income. Given that compliance with informal contracts depends on whether the timing of payments aligns with recipient preferences, these findings also have implications for contract design in rural value chains.
[Establishment and biological characterization of 5-fluorouracil-resistant human colon cancer HT-29/5-FU cell line].

OBJECTIVE To establish 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant human colon cancer HT-29 cell line (HT-29/5-FU) in vitro and observe its biological properties. METHODS The HT-29/5-FU cell line was established by continuously exposing the HT-29 cells to ascending doses of 5-FU. The morphology and colony formation rate were detected. The growth curve and the chemosensitivity of HT-29/5-FU cell line were determined by MTT assay. Western blotting was used to analyze the expressions of thymidylate synthase (TS) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS The resistance of HT-29/5-FU cells to 5-FU was 3.59-fold greater than that of HT-29 cells. The morphology of HT-29/5-FU cells differed from that of HT-29 cells. Compared with HT-29 cells, HT-29/5-FU cells showed remarkable reduction of cell proliferation and colony formation, higher expressions of TS and DPD, higher percentage of cells in the S phase, and stronger ability of resistance to apoptosis induced by 5-FU. CONCLUSION The biological characters of HT-29/5-FU cell line may play an important role in 5-FU-resistant mechanisms, which may also contribute to elucidate the potential mechanisms of tumor drug resistance as well as resistance reversal.
Elements responsible for hormonal control and tissue specificity of L-type pyruvate kinase gene expression in transgenic mice

L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK) is a key enzyme of the glycolytic pathway specifically expressed in the liver and, to a lesser degree, in the small intestine and kidney. One important characteristic of L-PK gene expression is its strong activation by glucose and insulin and its complete inhibition by fasting or glucagon treatment. Having previously established that the entire rat L-PK gene plus 3.2 kbp of 5'-flanking region functions in mice in a tissue-specific and hormonally regulated manner, various deletions of these 3.2 kbp of 5'-flanking regions were tested in transgenic animals to map the cis-acting elements involved in transcriptional gene regulation. Our experiments indicate that the proximal region between -183 and +11 confers tissue specificity and contains all the information necessary for dietary and hormonal control of L-PK gene expression in vivo. We found, however, that the transcriptional activity generated by this proximal promoter fragment can be modulated by distal sequences in a tissue-specific manner. (i) Sequences between bp -183 and -392 seem to play a dual role in the liver and small intestine; they induce L-PK expression in the liver but repress it in the small intestine. (ii) Sequences from bp -392 up to -1170 do not seem to have any additional effect on promoter activity. (iii) Between bp -1170 and -2080, we found a putative extinguisher whose transcriptional inhibitory effect is much more marked in the small intestine than in the liver. (iv) Finally, between bp -2080 and -3200, we identified an activating sequence required for full expression of the gene in the liver.
2.4 GHz ISM-Band Receiver Design in a 0.18 $\mu{\hbox{m}}$ Mixed Signal CMOS Process

This letter presents the design and measurement results of a fully integrated CMOS receiver front-end and voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) for 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM)-band application. For low cost design, this receiver has been fabricated with a 0.18 mum thin metal CMOS process with a top metal thickness of only 0.84 mum. The receiver integrates radio frequency (RF) front-end (a single-ended low-noise amplifier (LNA) with on-chip spiral inductors and a double balanced down conversion mixer), VCO and local oscillation buffers on a single chip together with an internal output buffer. To obtain the high-quality factor inductor in LNA, VCO and down conversion mixer design, patterned-ground shields (PGS) are placed under the inductor to reduce the effect from image current of resistive Si substrate. Moreover, in VCO and mixer design, due to the incapability of using thick top metal layer of which the thickness is over 2 mum, as used in many RF CMOS process, the structure of dual-metal layer in which we make electrically short circuit between the top metal and the next metal below it by a great number of via arrays along the metal traces is adopted to compensate the Q -factor degradation. In this letter, the receiver achieves a conversion gain of 23 dB, noise figure of 8.1 dB and P1 dB of -20 dBm at 39 MHz with 21 mW power dissipation from a 1.8 V power supply. It occupies a whole circuit area of 2 mm2.