Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiplatform characterization of dynamic changes in breast milk during lactation

The multicomponent analysis of human breast milk (BM) by metabolic profiling is a new area of study applied to determining milk composition, and is capable of associating BM composition with maternal characteristics, and subsequent infant health outcomes. A multiplatform approach combining HPLC‐MS and ultra‐performance LC‐MS, GC‐MS, CE‐MS, and 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to comprehensively characterize metabolic profiles from seventy BM samples. A total of 710 metabolites spanning multiple molecular classes were defined. The utility of the individual and combined analytical platforms was explored in relation to numbers of metabolites identified, as well as the reproducibility of the methods. The greatest number of metabolites was identified by the single phase HPLC‐MS method, while CE‐MS uniquely profiled amino acids in detail and NMR was the most reproducible, whereas GC‐MS targeted volatile compounds and short chain fatty acids. Dynamic changes in BM composition were characterized over the first 3 months of lactation. Metabolites identified as altering in abundance over lactation included fucose, di‐ and triacylglycerols, and short chain fatty acids, known to be important for infant immunological, neurological, and gastrointestinal development, as well as being an important source of energy. This extensive metabolic coverage of the dynamic BM metabolome provides a baseline for investigating the impact of maternal characteristics, as well as establishing the impact of environmental and dietary factors on the composition of BM, with a focus on the downstream health consequences this may have for infants.
Preparation and Evaluation of Fast Dissolving Ibuprofen-Polyethylene Glycol 6000 Solid Dispersions

To improve its oral absorption, rapidly dissolving ibuprofen solid dispersions (SD) were prepared in a relatively easy, simple, quick, inexpensive, and reproducible manner, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). They were evaluated for solubility, in vitro release, and oral bioavailability of ibuprofen in rats. Loss of individual surface properties during melting and resolidification as revealed by SEM indicated the formation of effective SDs. Absence or shifting toward the lower melting temperature of the drug peak in SDs and physical mixtures in DSC study indicated the possibilities of drug-polymer interactions. However, no such interactions in the solid state were confirmed by FTIR spectra that showed the presence of drug crystalline in SDs. Quicker release of ibuprofen from SDs in rat intestine resulted in a significant increase in AUC and Cmax, and a significant decrease in Tmax over pure ibuprofen. Preliminary results from this study suggested that the preparation of fast-dissolving ibuprofen SDs by low temperature melting method using PEG 6000 as a meltable hydrophilic polymer carrier could be a promising approach to improve solubility, dissolution, and absorption rate of ibuprofen.
An empirical comparison of multivariable methods for estimating risk of death from coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND Logistic regression and, more recently, Cox regression have been the predominant methods for identifying risk factors and developing risk estimation equations for coronary heart disease (CHD). Software for the regression tree method is now available for binary and survival outcomes and thus offers an alternative methodology. This paper compares these four methods for identifying significant risk factors from among a set of candidate factors and for estimating the risk of death from CHD using baseline and mortality follow-up data on 1,701 men participating in the Busselton Health Study. The candidate risk factors were age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, treatment for hypertension, cholesterol and smoking. METHODS Logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, binary regression tree, and survival regression tree analyses have been applied to data obtained from the same cohort of men for CHD death risk estimation and prediction. The four methods are compared in terms of the variables selected, goodness-of-fit of models, similarity of cross-validated estimated risks for individuals, and ability to discriminate between those who died from CHD and those who did not die from CHD during the follow-up period, including the comparison of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS Although age and a blood pressure variable were selected by all four methods, body mass index was also selected by the regression tree methods and smoking was also selected by Cox regression. There was good, but not excellent, agreement between methods in estimates of risk for individuals, the areas under the ROC curves were 0.66 for the binary tree, 0.72 for logistic regression, 0.71 for the survival tree method and 0.78 for Cox regression. The average differences in estimated risk between those who died from CHD and those who did not die from CHD during the follow-up period were 0.051 for logistic regression, 0.070 for the binary tree method, 0.073 for the survival tree method and 0.088 for Cox regression. CONCLUSION For a moderately sized cohort typical of many applications of these methods in the literature, the two methods which used the survival outcome performed better than the methods using a binary outcome. Despite selecting some different variables and showing moderate differences in risk estimates for individuals, the two binary approaches were similar in performance. Cox regression appeared to be superior to the survival tree method, but further larger studies of completely separate samples for model development and evaluation of prediction performance are required to confirm this finding.
$\mu$-Synthesis-Based Adaptive Robust Control of Linear Motor Driven Stages With High-Frequency Dynamics: A Case Study

Existing control approaches for the precision motion control of linear motor driven systems are mostly based on rigid-body dynamics of the system. Since all drive systems are subjected to the effect of structural flexible modes of their mechanical parts, the neglected high-frequency dynamics resulting from these structural modes have become the main limiting factor when pushing for better tracking performance and higher closed-loop control bandwidth. In this paper, physical modeling and dynamic analysis that take into account the flexibility of the ball bearings between the stage and the linear guideways are presented with experimental verification. With the gained knowledge of these high-frequency dynamics, a novel μ-synthesis-based adaptive robust control strategy is subsequently developed. The proposed control algorithm uses adaptive model compensation having accurate online parameter estimation to effectively deal with various nonlinearity effects and to transform the difficult trajectory tracking control problem into a robust stabilization problem. The well-developed μ-synthesis-based linear robust control technique is then employed in the fast feedback control loop design to explicitly deal with the robust control issue associated with the high-frequency dynamics to achieve higher closed-loop bandwidth for better disturbance rejection. Comparative experiments have been performed and the results show the better tracking performance of the proposed algorithm over existing ones.
Challenging government: institutional arrangements, policy shocks, and no-confidence motions

Challenging Government: Institutional Arrangements, Policy Shocks, and NoConfidence Motions. (December 2008) Laron Kenneth Williams, B.S., University of Nebraska at Kearney Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Guy D. Whitten Our understanding of parliamentary politics suggests that no-confidence motions have a critical place in government continuation, reorganization and termination. More specifically, we know that opposition parties use no-confidence motions as a way of removing the government and potentially inducing early elections. Up until now, we know little about either the causes or the consequences of no-confidence motions. In this dissertation, I first develop a formal model of the conditions under which an opposition party will threaten to propose (and eventually propose) a no-confidence motion in the government. The model provides a number of intuitive observations about the behavior of opposition parties and the reactions of governments to challenges. I develop a competence-based theory where opposition parties signal their perception of the government's competence with no-confidence motions. In the game, opposition parties act both in terms of short-term gains as well as long-term electoral gains. This model provides intuitive answers that help us understand the circumstances under which the opposition will challenge the government. The model also provides empirical
Genetics and alcoholism among at‐risk relatives II: Interest and concerns about hypothetical genetic testing for alcoholism risk

One purpose of this study was to examine hypothetical interest in genetic predisposition testing for alcoholism among at‐risk relatives. Qualitative interviews and several quantitative tools were administered to 27 individuals who had at least one first‐degree relative affected by alcoholism. Data analysis revealed that participants' interest in genetic testing for susceptibility to alcoholism was moderate. Lower educational level and a stronger belief in ‘others’ influencing health were related to participants' having a stronger interest in genetic testing. Participants' concerns about future use of genetic testing ranged from doubts about its usefulness in affecting behavior to apprehension regarding detrimental societal effects such as breaches in confidentiality and fear of being labeled an ‘alcoholic. ’ Younger age and stronger interest in genetic testing were associated with deterministic or fatalistic beliefs, while drinking behaviors, gender, and other demographics were not. Participants questioned the utility of this type of testing. Their interest in testing and concerns about its hypothetical use may prove important for at‐risk relatives who may face decisions about genetic testing in the future. Data from this study can provide direction for researchers and health care providers as genetic testing for this and other behavioral conditions emerges. Scientists and the public should address the social concerns expressed by participants, including the fear of labeling. Also, we can begin to anticipate characteristics common in those who may have fatalistic responses, and who may possibly make adverse behavior choices, to results from alcoholism susceptibility testing. Published 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Do Extreme Returns Matter in Emerging Markets? Evidence from the Chinese Stock Market

Recent evidence in the U.S. and Europe indicates that stocks with high maximum daily returns in the previous month, perform poorly in the current month. We investigate the presence of a similar effect in the emerging Chinese stock markets with portfolio-level analysis and firm-level Fama–MacBeth cross-sectional regressions. We find evidence of a MAX effect similar to the U.S. and European markets. However, contrary to U.S. and European evidence, the MAX effect in China does not weaken much less reverse the anomalous idiosyncratic volatility (IV) effect. Both the MAX and IV effects appear to independently coexist in the Chinese stock markets. Interpreted together with the strong evidence of risk-seeking behaviour among Chinese investors, our results partially support the suggestion that the negative MAX effect is driven by investor preference for stocks with lottery-like features.
A Comparative Analysis of Canada and the United States

This article examines the relative impact of socioeconomic status as a 'fundamental cause' of health disparities in Canada and the US. Fundamental causetheorysuggeststhatpersonsofhighersocioeconomicstatushaveavailablea broadrangeofresourcestobenefittheirhealthandthereforeholdanadvantagein warding off whatever particularthreats to health exist at a given time. This leads totwopredictions:(1)SESismorestronglyassociatedwithdiseasesthataremore highlypreventablethanwithlesspreventablediseases;and(2)SEShasastronger relationship to health in the US, where higher economic inequality and a lack of universalhealthinsuranceleadstoagreatervyingforresources.Findingsindicate lowerlevelsofSESincreasetheoddsofexperiencingahighlypreventabledisease relativetoalesspreventablediseaseintheUS,butnotinCanada,suggestingthat social policies and level of economic inequality may buffer the relationship betweensocioeconomicresourcesandtheincidenceofpreventabledisease.
Person Re-Identification with Vision and Language

In this paper we propose a new approach to person re-identification using images and natural language descriptions. We propose a joint vision and language model based on CNN and LSTM architectures to match across the two modalities as well as to enrich visual examples for which there are no language descriptions. We also introduce new annotations in the form of natural language descriptions for two standard Re-ID benchmarks, namely CUHK03 and VIPeR. We perform experiments on these two datasets with techniques based on CNN, hand-crafted features as well as LSTM for analysing visual and natural description data. We investigate and demonstrate the advantages of using natural language descriptions compared to attributes as well as CNN compared to LSTM in the context of Re-ID. We show that the joint use of language and vision can significantly improve the state-of-the-art performance on standard Re-ID benchmarks.
Determinants of Corporate Board Independence: Empirical Evidence from India

The spate of scandals and the financial crisis in the recent past has resuscitated the interest of academicians and regulators in the subject of corporate governance. Since corporates employ several governance (agency-conflict controlling) mechanisms at one point of time and board independence is one of them, the central accent in this research is upon the investigation of determinants of corporate board independence in Indian institutional context. By counting on several model specifications, modulations, proxies and operationalizations, regression estimates discloses that inside ownership, leverage, dividend payout policy, institutional ownership and firm growth have a significant bearing on the level of board independence. The denouements of firm size and board affiliation level have also been recognized while analyzing the determinants of board independence. Overall, the outcomes of the empirical analysis have invigorated the applicability of agency theory standpoints in Indian context. Moreover, these findings have profound implications for corporate governance research and have also been able to abate the diversity in empirical evidences of performance consequences of board independence.
Malnutrition at age 3 years and lower cognitive ability at age 11 years: independence from psychosocial adversity.

BACKGROUND Early malnutrition is linked to poor cognition, but long-term effects have not been extensively examined and psychosocial confounds have not always been controlled. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that malnutrition at age 3 years will be associated with poorer cognitive ability at age 11 years independent of psychosocial confounds. DESIGN A prospective, longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1559 children originally assessed at age 3 years for malnutrition (low hemoglobin level, angular stomatitis, kwashiorkor, and sparse, thin hair) and followed up to age 11 years. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A community sample of 1559 children (51.4% boys and 48.6% girls) born between September 1, 1969, and August 31, 1970, in 2 towns in the island of Mauritius, with 68.7% Indians and 25.7% Creoles (African origin). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Verbal and spatial ability measured at ages 3 and 11 years and reading, scholastic ability, and neuropsychologic performance measured at age 11 years. RESULTS Malnourished children had poorer cognition at both ages. Deficits were stable across time, applied to all sex and ethnic groups, and remained after controlling for multiple measures of psychosocial adversity. Children with 3 indicators of malnutrition had a 15.3-point deficit in IQ at age 11 years. CONCLUSIONS Malnutrition at age 3 years is associated with poor cognition at age 11 years independent of psychosocial adversity. Promoting early childhood nutrition could enhance long-term cognitive development and school performance, especially in children with multiple nutritional deficits.
Lymphocyte and Macrophage Subsets in Active and Inactive Lesions of Lichen Planus

Lichen planus (LP) is a mucocutaneous disease for which the etiology and pathogenesis are poorly understood. We performed an immunohistochemical study on formalin-fixed tissue sections of 10 cases of LP using subsets of antibodies to lymphocytes (LCA, CD3, OPD4-CD4, L26, LN1 and Leu-7), and monocyte-macrophages [lysozyme, KP1-Mac, Factor XIIIa (FXIIIa) and S-100 protein]. Six cases showed typical histological features of active LP, two cases showed features of active and inactive LP, and two cases showed only inactive LP. In active LP, scattered T cells (CD3+ and pan T cells) were present in the epidermis, whereas large numbers of CD3+ T cells were present at the dermoepidermal junction and in the dermis. Approximately 40% of the T cells at the dermoepidermal junction were of the helper/inducer subset, whereas ∼80% of those in the dermis were CD4 positive (helper/ inducer T cells). Occasional B cells were present in the dermis only. Increased numbers of S-100-positive Langerhans cells, macrophages expressing lysozyme, and FXIIIa dendritic cells were present in the epidermis and dermis. The inactive lesions showed the presence of a few epidermal Langerhans cells and a mild infiltrate of T cells (helper/inducer subset). These results suggest that in addition to different subsets of T cells and macrophages, including Langerhans cells, dermal dendritic cells expressing Factor XIIIa and lysozyme-positive histiocytes play an important role in lichen planus. They may participate in the destruction and subsequent regeneration of the basal layer of the epidermis, or alternatively may be activated as a result of destruction of the basement membrane in LP.
Natural Convection Heat Transfer and Entropy Generation in a Porous Trapezoidal Enclosure Saturated with Power-Law Non-Newtonian Fluids

Abstract In the present study, natural convection heat transfer and its associated entropy generation in a porous trapezoidal enclosure saturated with a power-law non-Newtonian fluid has been numerically investigated. Horizontal walls of the enclosure are assumed to be adiabatic while the side walls are considered to be kept at a constant temperature. A continuum-based approach is adapted here to model the fluid flow through porous media and the Darcy’s law is modified to account for non-Newtonian rheological behavior of the fluid. The obtained governing equations are discretized using the finite volume method and a detailed parametric study is undertaken to account for the effects of various relevant parameters of the problem on the heat transfer and entropy generation rates. It was shown that the impact of the power-law index on both entropy generation and heat transfer significantly intensifies in a convection-dominated flow regime inside the enclosure, especially for a shear thinning liquid. Moreover, heat transfer rate and entropy generation increase as the sidewall angle is elevated.
Risk factors for heart failure in adult Nigerians

Objectives — Heart failure (HF) is a lethal disorder most common in blacks.Available treatment options have little impact on prognosis, making primary prevention a priority.We aimed to describe the spectrum of established HF risk factors and clinical features in Nigerian adults. Methods — We recruited consecutive adults with HF diagnosed using the Framingham criteria in a Teaching Hospital, and recorded clinical findings with a structured form. Blood was drawn for haematocrit, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum cholesterol. Results — 102 subjects were studied. Common HF risk factors were hypertension 45 (44%), obesity 26 (25%), alcohol intake 25 (24%) and hypercholesterolaemia 22 (21%). Both tachycardia (OR 5.5, 95%CI 1.7-14.9) and S3 gallop (OR 4.05, 95%CI 1.53-10.76) were significantly related with NYHA class IV HF. BMI was strongly related with total serum cholesterol (r = 0.70, P < 0.001). Low ESR (< 5 mm/h) was protective of NYHA class IV HF (OR 0.40, 95%CI 0.16-0.88). Conclusion — Hypertension, obesity, alcohol intake and hypercholesterolaemia were common in blacks with HF. Both S3 gallop and high ESR indicated more severe HF.
Health Risk Assessment and Urinary Biomarkers of VOCs Exposures among Outdoor Workers in Urban Area, Bangkok, Thailand

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major source of ambient air pollutants in Bangkok, Thailand. Humans can be exposed to these pollutants by inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact but mainly by inhalation. The scientists have paid much attention to the study of exposure to air pollutants in outdoor air because they have realized the seriousness of outdoor air pollution problems of acute and chronic health effects as cancer. The measurements of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX) and carbonyl compounds (CCs) at 16 sites with 144 subjects of 3 classes (motorcycle drivers, security guardsmen and street venders) were performed in Pathumwan district, central Bangkok during September and October 2012 by Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionized Detector (GC/FID) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Ultraviolet-Visible Detector (HPLC/UV-VIS). The ambient air concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in urban area were 46.13, 91.10, 4.55, 58.27, 11.98 and 5.85 µg/m3 respectively. The outdoor workers had average lifetime cancer risk of benzene, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde at 1.67E05, 2.11E-07, 3.38E-06 and 7.93E-07 respectively which cancer risk of benzene and formaldehyde were higher than acceptable limit (1.00E-06). The security guardsmen, motorcycle drivers and street venders who work in the same area had cancer risk at 3.65E-05, 1.76E-05 and 1.01E-05 respectively The hazard quotient (HQ) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde of all workers were 9.43E02, 9.57E-04, 4.43E-04, 4.04E-02, 1.42E-01 and 7.64E-01 respectively which all of them were lower than acceptable limit (HQ<1.00). In addition, the urinary biomonitoring concentrations of outdoor workers of trans,trans-muconic acid (tt-MA), hippuric acid, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and formic acid were 1.66 mg/gCr, 0.51 g/gCr, 0.85 mg/gCr, 15.9 mg/gCr and 20.57 mg/gCr respectively. The tt-MA was strongly associated with benzene exposure (p<0.001) as well as hippuric acid was associated with toluene (p=0.001).
Microscopic eukaryotes living in a dying lake (Lake Koronia, Greece).

The morphological and phylogenetic diversity of the microscopic eukaryotes of the Lake Koronia water column was investigated during a mass kill of birds and fish in August-September 2004. The dominant morphospecies corresponded to the known toxin-producing species Prymnesium parvum, followed by Amoebidium sp. , a taxon belonging to the group of parasitic Mesomycetozoea, and the common chlorophyte Pediastrum boryanum. Prymnesium exhibited heteromorphic life-cycle stages (flagellate and nonmotile coccoid cells). Phylogenetic analysis with 18S rRNA gene suggested that these heteromorphic stages belonged to the Platychrysis-Prymnesium monophyletic group. The most abundant phylotype was almost identical to P. boryanum. The fungal phylotypes were related to the Chytridiomycota, and the ciliate-like ones were closely related to Enchelys polynucleata and Pattersoniella vitiphila. Two phylotypes representing novel members belonging to the Jakobida and the Apicomplexa were also found. The microscopic eukaryotes of Lake Koronia include several organisms that are related to parasitic life modes.