Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regular aspirin use and retinal microvascular signs: the Blue Mountains Eye Study

Objective Hypertension is closely related to microvascular abnormalities and there is increasing interest in agents that target the microvasculature. The effect of aspirin on the microvasculature has not been well studied. We examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between regular aspirin use and retinal microvascular signs. Design and methods We digitized retinal photographs from participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study cohort (1992–1994, n = 3654, aged over 49 years, and 1997–1999, n = 2335) and used a computer-assisted method to measure average retinal arteriolar and venular diameters. Information on the frequency of aspirin use was collected, with regular aspirin use defined as weekly or daily. Results Regular aspirin users comprised 21.2% (n = 775) of the baseline population. At baseline and in individuals who were on one or more antihypertensive medication, regular aspirin use was found to be associated with retinal arterioles on average 3.6 μm (95% confidence interval 1.0, 6.2) wider than those of non-users or occasional aspirin users, after adjusting for age, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and other variables. Increasing frequency of aspirin use was associated with increasing retinal arteriolar diameter (Ptrend < 0.01). At 5-year follow-up, regular users of aspirin and antihypertensive medication(s) had wider retinal arterioles than those who used aspirin less regularly. Neither antihypertensive medication use alone nor aspirin use alone was associated with wider retinal vessels. Conclusion Our finding of a possible association between the combined use of aspirin and antihypertensive agent(s) and wider retinal arteriolar diameter warrants further investigation into the effects of aspirin on the microvasculature.
[An intervention comparison of dental hygienist visits and leaflet mailing for improvement of oral health scores in village residents].

PURPOSE This study was undertaken to clarify to what extentintervention by dental hygienist visits and leaflet mailing, once or three times a year, increased the dental health scores of Tobishima Village residents in a 3 year period. METHODS The oral health status and oral health score (the Oral Salutogenic Score) of 786 residents were examined in May, 2004. Of the total, 446 people had oral health scores equal to or less than 15. They were divided into three groups at random, receiving: dental hygienist visits (visit group); leaflet mailing three times a year (three times mail group); and leaflet mailing only once a year (single mail group). Oral health status and scores were examined a second time by dentists in May, 2007 and average increases of scores over 3 years were calculated for each of the three groups. The Mann-Whitney test and cost-effectiveness analysis were employed for comparisons. RESULTS The average increase in oral health score was 46.2 +/- 8.1% for the visit group, 31.2 +/- 4.4% for the three times mail group and 25.0+/-5.2% single mail group over 3 years. The visit group value was significantly higher than the single mail group (P<0.05). Of the resi-dents who had an oral health score equal to or less than 15 points, increase of their oral health score those who received a dental hygienist visit had a higher than the groups who were sent leaflets. With the latter, the greater frequency of leaflet distribution was more effective for increasing the oral health score. CONCLUSION It was concluded that visits by dental hygienists are more effective than mailing of leaflets. In addition, mailing 2 or 3 times a year is more effective than once a year.
Transcriptional regulation in the early ectodermal lineage of ascidian embryos

In ascidian embryos, ectodermal tissues derive from blastomeres in the animal hemisphere. The animal hemisphere‐specific gene expression is observed as early as the 16‐cell stage. Here, we characterized animal hemisphere‐specific enhancers of three genes, Ci‐ephrin‐Ad, Ci‐TGFβ‐NA1 and Ci‐Fz4. Deletion analyses identified minimal essential elements. Although these elements contained multiple GATA sequences, electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that only some of them were strong binding sites for the transcription factor Ci‐GATAa. On the other hand, the motif‐searching software MEME identified an octamer, GA (T/G) AAGGG, shared by these enhancers. In Ci‐ephrin‐Ad and Ci‐TGFβ‐NA1, the octamer was GATAAGGG, which strongly bound Ci‐GATAa. The 397‐bp upstream region of Ci‐ephrin‐Ad contained two strong Ci‐GATAa‐binding sites, one of which was the octamer motif. Mutation in the octamer motif, but not the other Ci‐GATAa‐binding site, severely affected the enhancer activity. The 204‐bp upstream region of Ci‐TGFβ‐NA1 contained four strong Ci‐GATAa‐binding sites, including the octamer motif. Mutation only in the octamer motif, leaving the other three Ci‐GATAa‐binding sites intact, abolished the enhancer activity. These results suggest a crucial role for the octamer motif.
Does the Application of Smart Beta Strategies Enhance Portfolio Performance? The Case of Islamic Equity Investments

Traditionally, passive portfolios are structured using an easy to implement market capitalization method albeit highly skewed towards large cap stocks. The introduction of smart beta strategies has allowed passive investors to structure equity portfolios using alternative strategies such as fundamentalweighting, equal-weighting, and low-risk weighting strategies. This paper investigates whether constrained portfolios such as Shari’ah-compliant equity portfolios (SCEPs) can benefit by adopting smart beta strategies. The sample consists of equities from the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Middle East, Indonesia, and Malaysia for the period January 2003 to December 2016. The empirical findings suggest that smart beta SCEPs outperform not only conventional market capitalization weighted portfolios but also SCEPs following a market capitalization-weighted strategy. Higher risk-adjusted returns and lower drawdown as a result of following smart beta strategies highlight the importance of considering smart beta portfolio weighting strategies for passive investors. The supremacy of smart beta strategies indicates the value proposition for investors and fund managers alike. We also found that geographical location affects the performance of smart beta SCEPs; countries with a Muslim majority report higher cardinality and lower drawdowns. The results remained robust with alternative Shari’ah screening guidelines and empirical estimation methodology.
A prospective study of two intravenous catheter securement techniques in a skilled nursing facility.

A prospective, controlled study was undertaken in a skilled nursing facility to determine whether a sterile catheter securement device (StatLock i.v., Venetec International, Mission Viejo, CA) would provide better intravenous therapy outcomes than a standard securement technique. The StatLock-device resulted in significantly longer average catheter dwell times (3.95 days versus 2.45 days) and significantly fewer total complications (65 versus 155). In addition, the securement device reduced the total time spent managing a vascular access device by 13.5 minutes per patient. Thus, the StatLock i.v. device improved overall clinical outcomes of i.v. therapy and the quality of care.
A decoupling offset-based PWM control for a multilevel inverter under DC voltage unbalance

In this paper, a novel offset-based two-level pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme for a multilevel inverter with unbalanced dc sources is presented. The offset voltage is introduced as an indispensable variable in the control model for a multilevel voltage source inverter. An expression for the inverter parameters in abc coordinates can enable the determination of the operating ranges of related voltages for the unbalanced dc source condition. The PWM performance is controlled through the design of two offset components in a subsequence. One offset defines the operating points of the three-phase leg voltages among the dc levels, while the second offset restricts its effect on the quality of PWM control in related dc levels. A nominal switching time diagram and voltage vector diagram for a virtual two-level inverter reveal the typical characteristics of offset-based two-level modulation. With regards to the actual application of the scheme, the voltage outputs remain balanced even with abnormal dc sources. An improving of the PWM quality as reduction of the switching loss in Discontinuous PWM mode can be obtained by setting the local offset related to the load currents. The validity of the proposed algorithm was verified by experimental results.
Impaired CD4+ T-cell restoration in the small versus large intestine of HIV-1-positive South Africans receiving combination antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is associated with a massive depletion of intestinal CD4(+) T cells that is only partially reversed by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Here, we assessed the ability of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor/nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor treatment to restore the CD4(+) T-cell populations in the intestine of South African patients with AIDS. METHODS Thirty-eight patients with advanced HIV-1 infection who had chronic diarrhea (duration, >4 weeks) and/or unintentional weight loss (>10% decrease from baseline) of uncertain etiology were enrolled. Blood specimens were collected monthly, and gastrointestinal tract biopsy specimens were collected before cART initiation (from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon), 3 months after cART initiation (from the duodenum), and 6 months after cART initiation (from the duodenum and colon). CD4(+), CD8(+), and CD38(+)CD8(+) T cells were quantified by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry analyses, and the HIV-1 RNA load was determined by the Nuclisens assay. RESULTS CD4(+) T-cell and HIV-1 RNA levels were significantly lower, whereas CD8(+) T-cell levels, including activated CD38(+)CD8(+) T cell levels, were higher in the duodenum and jejunum, compared with the colon. After 6 months of cART, a significant but incomplete recovery of CD4(+) T cells was detected in the colon and peripheral blood but not in the duodenum. Failed restoration of the CD4(+) T-cell count in the duodenum was associated with nonspecific enteritis and CD8(+) T-cell activation. CONCLUSIONS Strategies that target inflammation and immune activation in the small intestine may be required to expedite CD4(+) T-cell recovery and improve therapeutic outcomes.
A Switched Inductor Topology Using a Switchable Artificial Grounded Metal Guard Ring for Wide-FTR MMW VCO Applications

In conventional integrated circuit technologies, a grounded metal guard ring (MGR) is widely used to mitigate the coupling effect between any pair of inductors. Full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation results indicate that the guard ring size can significantly affect the inductance value of a single-turn planar inductor. This paper proposes a switchable artificial grounded MGR technique that can not only serve as a guard ring but also change the inductance. Accordingly, an inductor, featuring switchable inductance and high quality factor, is developed for a 60-GHz millimeter-wave wide-frequency tuning range (wide-FTR) and low phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in 90-nm bulk CMOS technology. The VCO testkey achieves a total tuning range of 9.43 GHz (17%). The measured phase noise levels are -92.2 and -119 dBc/Hz at 1- and 10-MHz offsets, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed inductor topology offers the VCO an increase of 36% in the FTR and a competitive performance in phase noise, as contrasted with a conventional varactor-tuned VCO. This VCO achieves a record of -188 dBc/Hz for the FOMT.
Bioactivation of 1,1-Dichloroethylene by CYP2E1 and CYP2F2 in Murine Lung

1,1-Dichloroethylene (DCE) exposure evokes lung toxicity with selective damage to bronchiolar Clara cells. Recent in vitro studies have implicated CYP2E1 and CYP2F2 in the bioactivation of DCE to 2-S-glutathionyl acetate [C], a putative conjugate of DCE epoxide with glutathione. An objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that bioactivation of DCE is catalyzed by both CYP2E1 and CYP2F2 in murine lung. Western blot analysis of lung microsomal proteins from DCE-treated CD-1 mice showed time-dependent loss of immunodetectable CYP2F2 and CYP2E1 protein. Dose-dependent formation of conjugate [C] was observed in the lungs of CD-1 mice treated with DCE (75–225 mg/kg), but it was not detected after pretreatment with 5-phenyl-1-pentyne (5-PIP). Treatment of mice with 5-PIP and also with diallyl sulfone (DASO2) significantly inhibited hydroxylation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) and chlorzoxazone (CHZX). Incubation of recombinant CYP2F3 (a surrogate for CYP2F2) and recombinant CYP2E1 with PNP and CHZX confirmed that they are substrates for both of the recombinant enzymes. Incubation of the recombinant enzymes with DASO2 or 5-PIP significantly inhibited hydroxylation of both PNP and CHZX. Bronchiolar injury was elicited in CD-1 mice treated with DCE (75 mg/kg), but it was abrogated with 5-PIP pretreatment. Bronchiolar toxicity also was manifested in the lungs of CYP2E1-null and wild-type mice treated with DCE (75 mg/kg), but protection ensued after pretreatment with 5-PIP or DASO2. These results showed that bioactivation of DCE in murine lung occurred via the catalytic activities of both CYP2E1 and CYP2F2 and that bioactivation by these enzymes mediated the lung toxicity.
Gender and ethical decision-making in the general insurance industry

The insurance industry has been under tremendous stress and scrutiny in the last decade. Heightened risk-taking by executives, deregulation of the bank and financial systems, and climate change are all stressors that have impacted insurance companies’ survival capacity. In 2016, Fort McMurray, Alberta experienced the most devastating forest fire in the history of this province. To date, this is Canada’s most costly disaster, resulting in unprecedented claims payouts. In facing these challenges, insurance companies must reinvent themselves in many different aspects, including ethics. This study investigates the impact of gender, age and functional role on ethical decision-making within the general insurance industry in Edmonton, Alberta. Much research has been conducted on this topic, particularly gender, but the results have been inconclusive. Some studies have posited that females are more ethical than males while others have concluded that there are little gender differences. None of the prior research concentrated on the insurance industry or the Alberta region. Using a validated survey questionnaire, this study attempts to determine what impact gender, age, and functional role differences play on ethical decision-making within the insurance field. In addition, other variables have been controlled for such as ethnicity, level of education, the presence of a code of ethics, to name a few. Through this study contributions to ethical decision-making literature and practice by discussing the character of ethical training, organizational open communication, leading by example, and the importance of ensuring that university business curriculum includes robust ethics education.
PRIMARY ANGLE‐CLOSURE GLAUCOMA (a. c. g.) IN GREENLAND

Greenland is the largest island in the world with an area of about 826,000 sq. miles. To day Greenland has about 42,000 inhabitants born in Greenland, as well as about 6000 of Danish origin. The Greenlanders are Eskimos, to some extent interbred with Europeans, but the prevailing type remains Eskimoan. Ninety per cent of the Greenlanders live along the west coast, the remaining ten per cent at the east coast. The latter have been nearly without genetic connexion with the population of the west coast for several centuries. Sixty-four per cent of the Greenlanders live in seventeen small towns while the rest are scattered in small villages and settlements. There are no ophthalmologists permanently in Greenland. Only during the summer a small number of Danish ophthalmologists attend the population of the coast. The work is overwhelming, strenuous and rather difficult, as it is not . possible to embark on a rocky coast or in a primitive harbour or to travel by dog team with the ordinary heavy instruments of a stationary clinic. In the towns the ophthalmologist works at the hospital, in the villages in a classroom in the school.
Armed Conflict and Food Security in West Africa: Socioeconomic Perspective

Purpose West Africa represents a very good case of a sub-region currently plagued with the problem of food insecurity. Traditional theories have attributed the increasing food insecurity in the region to problems of poor governance, corruption and climate change. In view of the persistent and increasing nature of armed conflict in the sub-region, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of increasing armed conflict on food security in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries. Design/methodology/approach The study utilized the dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) to investigate the effect of conflict intensity on food security in the 14 member states of the ECOWAS using annualized panel data from 2005 to 2015. Findings The findings reveal that armed conflict is a significant predictor of food security in West Africa. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study bring to fore, the urgent need to rethink global initiative for combating food insecurity. The effort must also identify the causes of armed conflicts and design sound strategies for de-escalating the armed conflicts. Resolving the escalating armed conflict entails developing a conflict resolution framework that is extremely sensitive to the causes of conflict in Africa and adopting localized ex ante institutional diagnostics that would help in understanding the nature of the conflicts. Originality/value Traditional theory perceives climate change, social injustices, property right, food insecurity, religious extremism and bad governance as the predictors of armed conflicts. In this study, the authors departed from the traditional theory by demonstrating that the nature and trend of armed conflict could also pose a serious threat to food security.
Evaluation of TIMIT sentence list equivalency with adult cochlear implant recipients.

BACKGROUND Current measures used to determine sentence recognition abilities in cochlear implant recipients often include tests with one talker and one rate of speech. Performance with these measures may not accurately represent the speech recognition abilities of the listeners. Evaluation of cochlear implant performance should include measures that reflect realistic listening conditions. For example, the use of multiple talkers who vary in gender, rate of speech, and regional dialects represent varied communication interactions that people encounter daily. The TIMIT sentences, which use multiple talkers and incorporate these variations, provide additional test material for evaluating speech recognition. Dorman and colleagues created 34 lists of TIMIT sentences that were normalized for equal intelligibility using simulations of cochlear implant processing with normal-hearing listeners. Adults with sensorineural hearing loss who listen with cochlear implants represent a different population. Further study is needed to determine if these lists are equivalent for adult cochlear implant recipients and, if not, to identify a subset of lists that may be used with this population. PURPOSE To evaluate the speech recognition equivalence of 34 TIMIT sentence lists with adult cochlear implant recipients. RESEARCH DESIGN A prospective study comparing test-retest results within the same group of listeners. STUDY SAMPLE Twenty-two adult cochlear implant recipients who met the inclusion criteria of at least 3 mo device use and a monosyllabic word score of 30% or greater participated in the study. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Participants were administered 34 TIMIT sentence lists (20 sentences per list) at each of two test sessions several months apart. List order was randomized and results scored as percent of words correct. Test-retest correlations and 95% confidence intervals for the means were used to identify equivalent lists with high test-retest reliability. RESULTS Mean list scores across participants ranged from 66 to 81% with an overall mean of 73%. Twenty-nine lists had high test-retest reliability. Using the overall mean as a benchmark, the 95% confidence intervals indicated that 25 of the remaining 29 lists were equivalent (e.g., the benchmark of 73% fell within the 95% confidence interval for both test and retest). CONCLUSIONS Twenty-five of the TIMIT lists evaluated are equivalent when used with adult cochlear implant recipients who have open-set word recognition abilities. These lists may prove valuable for monitoring progress, comparing listening conditions or treatments, and developing aural rehabilitation plans for cochlear implant recipients.
Computational chemistry approach to protein kinase recognition using 3D stochastic van der Waals spectral moments

Three‐dimensional (3D) protein structures now frequently lack functional annotations because of the increase in the rate at which chemical structures are solved with respect to experimental knowledge of biological activity. As a result, predicting structure‐function relationships for proteins is an active research field in computational chemistry and has implications in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry and proteomics. In previous studies stochastic spectral moments were used to predict protein stability or function (González‐Díaz, H. et al. Bioorg Med Chem 2005, 13, 323; Biopolymers 2005, 77, 296). Nevertheless, these moments take into consideration only electrostatic interactions and ignore other important factors such as van der Waals interactions. The present study introduces a new class of 3D structure molecular descriptors for folded proteins named the stochastic van der Waals spectral moments (oβk). Among many possible applications, recognition of kinases was selected due to the fact that previous computational chemistry studies in this area have not been reported, despite the widespread distribution of kinases. The best linear model found was Kact = −9.44°β0(c) +10.94°β5(c) −2.40°β0(i) + 2.45°β5(m) + 0.73, where core (c), inner (i) and middle (m) refer to specific spatial protein regions. The model with a high Matthew's regression coefficient (0.79) correctly classified 206 out of 230 proteins (89.6%) including both training and predicting series. An area under the ROC curve of 0.94 differentiates our model from a random classifier. A subsequent principal components analysis of 152 heterogeneous proteins demonstrated that βk codifies information different to other descriptors used in protein computational chemistry studies. Finally, the model recognizes 110 out of 125 kinases (88.0%) in a virtual screening experiment and this can be considered as an additional validation study (these proteins were not used in training or predicting series). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2007