Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying Distinct Geographic Health Service Environments in British Columbia, Canada: Cluster Analysis of Population-Based Administrative Data

Definitions of “urban” and “rural” developed for general purposes may not reflect the organization and delivery of healthcare. This research used cluster analysis to group Local Health Areas based on the distribution of healthcare spending across service categories. Though total spending was similar, the metropolitan areas of Vancouver and Victoria were identified as distinct from non-metropolitan and remote communities, based on the distribution of healthcare spending alone. Non-metropolitan communities with large community hospitals and greater physician supply were further distinguished from those with fewer healthcare resources. This approach may be useful to other researchers and service planners.
Hierarchical Logic Models as a Tool to Evaluate Programmatic Initiatives: Practical Solutions to Identified Problems

Introduction Large programmatic grants advance the missions of funding agencies or organizations. This article describes the programmatic impact of using “hierarchical” logic models in two Centers funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that were designed to achieve NIOSH goals. Such models are supportive of priority setting, policy implementation, and effective evaluation. Methods Two NIOSH Centers, an Agricultural Center and an Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center, used the same hierarchical logic model process to support the NIOSH programmatic goal of improving worker health and safety in their respective occupational categories. The logic model development processes were led by the same evaluator. Results Case studies describe the utilization of “hierarchical” logic models: in each case, NIOSH was the “grandparent”, the Center was its descendant (parent) and the cores were the children. This lineage was articulated through the Center-wide logic model and through the logic model of each of its core programmatic areas (core). The Center-wide logic model ensured that the Center’s goals, and the intended outcomes and impact of its work were linked to the mission and goals of NIOSH. Each core’s logic model articulated how its goals, activities, and outcomes were specifically linked to the Center-wide model. Discussion A hierarchical logic model process ensures that the objectives of the funding agency or organization are addressed, and enables stakeholders to articulate the linkages between each layer. This facilitates the process of developing, implementing and evaluating programmatic elements within the framework of strategic planning.
Effects of type and quantity of organic carbon on the bioaccessibility of polychlorinated biphenyls in contaminated sediments

Organic carbon principally controls sorption and desorption of hydrophobic organic compounds in sediments. We investigated the effects of organic carbon type and quantity on compound bioaccessibility. The desorption of 21 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners was determined in spiked sediments amended with black carbon, humic acid, and sawdust at either 3 or 6% organic carbon. Desorption parameters were determined using Tenax sequential extractions and then modeled as operationally defined rapid, slow, and very slow fractions and rate constants. The effects of the amendments on PCB bioaccumulation were also evaluated using Lumbriculus variegatus. The lowest and highest PCB bioaccessibilities were observed in the black carbon and sawdust amendments, respectively. The total amount of PCBs desorbed ranged from 3 to 27% for the black carbon amendments, 12 to 55% for humic acid amendments, 16 to 80% for sawdust amendments, and 35 to 89% for controls. The results also showed that desorption of PCBs was slower in 6% amendments than 3% amendments, and this finding was most evident in humic acid and black carbon amendments. Overall, the trend in PCB bioaccumulation was similar to what was found for compound desorption in that the highest PCB bioaccumulation was observed in controls and sawdust amendments, whereas humic acid and black carbon amendments showed lower bioaccumulation. Finally, the 24‐h single‐point Tenax and bioaccumulation data were fit to a Tenax regression model. The PCB bioaccumulation was effectively predicted by the model, with 80% of the data falling within the 95% confidence intervals. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1280–1290. © 2018 SETAC
Inter-symbol interference analysis of synaptic channel in molecular communications

Neuro-spike communication is an important branch of molecular communications and has attracted much attention recently. Seminal works on the analyses of signal processing and channel models for the synaptic communication have recently been carried out. However, these works do not consider interference. In this paper, we propose an interference model for synaptic channels with particular focus on InterSymbol Interference (ISI) and Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) channel. We have investigated the overlapping between the two consecutively signals which are sent from a presynaptic terminal to a postsynaptic terminal and their interferences. Furthermore, important parameters of synaptic communication channel that are related to the ISI are also analyzed. The relationship between channel rate region and ISI is also studied.
Smooth moving punch in an initially stressed transversely isotropic magnetoelastic medium due to shear wave

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effect of a semi-infinite smooth moving punch due to shear wave propagation in initially stressed, magnetoelastic, transversely isotropic material. The Wiener–Hopf technique has been employed to determine the closed form expression of dynamic stress concentration due to punch with a load of constant intensity. The substantial effects of magnetoelastic coupling parameters, horizontal and vertical compressive/tensile initial stress, and anisotropy on dynamic stress concentrations has been remarkably traced out. Numerical computations and graphical illustrations, along with comparative study, have been executed for three distinct models: when the strip is comprised of Zinc, Beryl material having hexagonal symmetry, and simply isotropic material.
Comparison of gene expression profile between blood cells and white adipose tissue of patients with obesity

INTRODUCTION Gene expression analyses from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and white adipose tissue are conflicting. It seems that results from single tissue are not enough to explain how changes affect humans as a complex biological system. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare, from obesity subjects, PBMC and white adipose tissue gene expression that regulates adipogenesis (perilipin 1 [PLIN1], adrenoreceptor beta 3 [ADRB3] and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor [PPARG2]) and the energy metabolism (uncoupling protein UCP1, UCP2 and UCP3) process. METHODS This study enrolled 35 obese patients, with a body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2 (obesity group [OG]), and ten eutrophic health subjects, 18 > BMI > 24.9 kg/m2 (control group [CG]). Anthropometric and body composition data were assessed at recruitment using standardized protocols. Samples of peripheral blood and subcutaneous adipose tissue (biopsy) were collected to analyze gene expression by RT-qPCR technique. For statistical analysis, we used the Shapiro-Wilk test and Wilcoxon tests by the SPSS software version 20.0; a p < 0.05 significance level was adopted. RESULTS There were significant differences of PLIN1, ADRB3, PPARG2 and UCP3 expression between blood against adipose tissue samples, showing that these genes are upregulated in adipose tissue. UCP2 expression was upregulated in PBMC. CONCLUSION The PLIN1, ADRB3, PPARG2 and UCP3 genes were preferentially expressed in adipose tissue. However, UCP2 was upregulated in PBMC, suggesting that this gene may be assessed in a peripheral blood cell, which is easily accessible, safe and practical.
One double-stranded DNA probes as classifier of multi targeting strand

In this paper, we investigate an alternative double-stranded probe (dsProbe) system as detection platform that employs a similarity-based classifiers in DNA strand displacement reactions. We formulate label propagation based on DNA toehold domain as classifier, where a node propagates to neighboring nodes according to their proximity. We observe mismatch attributes of DNA strand sequences to recognize the effect of this model. The attributes are position, length and location number of mismatches. We carry out simulation using Nupack software and also experimental investigation.
Inverse association of calcium intake with abdominal adiposity and C-reactive protein in Brazilian children

Abstract Objective To evaluate Ca intake and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors during childhood. Design A cross-sectional study with a representative sample. Food consumption was assessed through three 24 h dietary recalls. Anthropometry, body composition and biochemical measurements were also conducted. Setting Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Subjects Children between 8 and 9 years old (n 350) enrolled in public and private schools in the urban area of the municipality of Viçosa. Results Almost all children had inadequate intake of Ca (97·4 %), especially those with low income, non-white and who studied in public schools. Foods that contributed most to Ca intake were ‘milk’ and ‘cheeses and yoghurts’ (R 2=0·66 and 0·13, respectively), and intake of ‘milk’ was correlated with ‘chocolate milk powder’ intake (r=0·538, P<0·01). Children with lower Ca intake had a higher prevalence of increased C-reactive protein (prevalence ratio=2·93; 95 % CI 1·21, 7·07), increased waist circumference (prevalence ratio=2·86; 95 % CI 1·01, 8·13) and a lower prevalence of high LDL cholesterol (prevalence ratio=0·64; 95 % CI 0·41, 0·99). Conclusions Lower Ca intake was associated with excess abdominal adiposity and subclinical inflammation in Brazilian children. Monitoring of adequate Ca intake is important, especially in poorer communities.
Task-space/joint-space damping transformations for passive redundant manipulators

Passive mechanical wrists, capable of imparting a desired damping matrix to a grasped workpiece are discussed. The passive mechanical wrist is to be programmable-it can adopt a wide range of damping matrices-by virtue of a number of tunable dampers which interconnect the joints. The range of damping matrices that such a wrist can adopt is studied, purely by tuning its dampers. It is found that a redundant wrist has a broader range of realizable damping matrices than a non-redundant wrist. A kinematic Jacobian relates the task-space damping matrix to a similar matrix in the hydraulic space of the tunable dampers (joint-space). For redundant wrists, the transformation of damping matrices between task-space and joint-space is not straightforward. The causal directions along which the transformations are linear are identified. It is shown that the joint-space matrices which are obtained as linear transformations of desired task-space matrices are all singular. Many realizable joint-space matrices (corresponding to a desired task-space damping matrix) are shown to exist which are discovered by linear transformations. <<ETX>>
Recombinant Human Thioredoxin-1 Protects Macrophages from Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein-Induced Foam Cell Formation and Cell Apoptosis

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced macrophage foam cell formation and apoptosis play critical roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx) is an antioxidant that potently protects various cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death. However, the protective effect of Trx on ox-LDL-induced macrophage foam cell formation and apoptosis has not been studied. This study aims to investigate the effect of recombinant human Trx (rhTrx) on ox-LDL-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and elucidate the possible mechanisms. RhTrx significantly inhibited ox-LDL-induced cholesterol accumulation and apoptosis in RAW264.7 macrophages. RhTrx also suppressed the ox-LDL-induced overproduction of lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor (LOX-1), Bax and activated caspase-3, but it increased the expression of Bcl-2. In addition, rhTrx markedly inhibited the ox-LDL-induced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Furthermore, anisomycin (a p38 MAPK activator) abolished the protective effect of rhTrx on ox-LDL-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and SB203580 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor) exerted a similar effect as rhTrx. Collectively, these findings indicate that rhTrx suppresses ox-LDL-stimulated foam cell formation and macrophage apoptosis by inhibiting ROS generation, p38 MAPK activation and LOX-1 expression. Therefore, we propose that rhTrx has therapeutic potential in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
Mental and Emotional Self-Help Technology Apps: Cross-Sectional Study of Theory, Technology, and Mental Health Behaviors

Background Mental and emotional self-help apps have emerged as potential mental illness prevention and treatment tools. The health behavior theory mechanisms by which these apps influence mental health–related behavior change have not been thoroughly examined. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the association between theoretical behavior change mechanisms and use of mental and emotional self-help apps and whether the use of such apps is associated with mental health behaviors. Methods This study utilized a cross-sectional survey of 150 users of mental or emotional health apps in the past 6 months. Survey questions included theory-based items, app engagement and likeability items, and behavior change items. Stata version 14 was used to calculate all statistics. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each of the demographic, theory, engagement, and behavior variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with reported changes in theory and separately for reported changes in actual behavior after controlling for potentially confounding variables. Results Participants reported that app use increased their motivation, desire to set goals, confidence, control, and intentions to be mentally and emotionally healthy. Engagement (P<.001) was positively associated with the reported changes in theory items, whereas perceived behavior change was positively associated with theory (P<.001), engagement (P=.004), frequency of use of apps (P=.01), and income (P=.049). Conclusions Participants reported that app use increased their motivation, desire to set goals, confidence, control, and intentions to be mentally and emotionally healthy. This increase in perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes surrounding their mental and emotional health was considerably associated with perceived change in behavior. There was a positive association between the level of engagement with the app and the impact on theory items. Future efforts should consider the value of impacting key theoretical constructs when designing mental and emotional health apps. As apps are evaluated and additional theory-based apps are created, cost-effective self-help apps may become common preventative and treatment tools in the mental health field.
Enhancing object recognition for humanoid robots through time-awareness

In this paper, we present a biologically-inspired object recognition system for humanoid robots. Our approach is based on a hierarchical model of the visual cortex for feature extraction and rapid scene categorization of natural images. We enhanced the model to be entropy-aware and real-time capable, to be able to realize object recognition over time. We integrate time in our system to model uncertainty in static object recognition by evaluating multiple recognition results of objects observed at different view-points over time using the camera system on a humanoid robot. The recognition responses are encoded as probability estimates over each trained object class. We apply a signal detection theory approach to describe the temporally and spatially distributed signals to gain a value of certainty about the object class. We show that our enhanced model outperforms the preceding model and that by integrating time as a variable we created a highly robust object recognition system.
Anthocyanin Biosynthesis and Degradation Mechanisms in Solanaceous Vegetables: A Review

Anthocyanins are a group of polyphenolic pigments that are ubiquitously found in the plant kingdom. In plants, anthocyanins play a role not only in reproduction, by attracting pollinators and seed dispersers, but also in protection against various abiotic and biotic stresses. There is accumulating evidence that anthocyanins have health-promoting properties, which makes anthocyanin metabolism an interesting target for breeders and researchers. In this review, the state of the art knowledge concerning anthocyanins in the Solanaceous vegetables, i.e., pepper, tomato, eggplant, and potato, is discussed, including biochemistry and biological function of anthocyanins, as well as their genetic and environmental regulation. Anthocyanin accumulation is determined by the balance between biosynthesis and degradation. Although the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway has been well-studied in Solanaceous vegetables, more research is needed on the inhibition of biosynthesis and, in particular, the anthocyanin degradation mechanisms if we want to control anthocyanin content of Solanaceous vegetables. In addition, anthocyanin metabolism is distinctly affected by environmental conditions, but the molecular regulation of these effects is poorly understood. Existing knowledge is summarized and current gaps in our understanding are highlighted and discussed, to create opportunities for the development of anthocyanin-rich crops through breeding and environmental management.
De-randomizing Shannon: The Design and Analysis of a Capacity-Achieving Rateless Code

This paper presents an analysis of spinal codes, a class of rateless codes proposed recently. We prove that spinal codes achieve Shannon capacity for the binary symmetric channel (BSC) and the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with an efficient polynomial-time encoder and decoder. They are the first rateless codes with proofs of these properties for BSC and AWGN. The key idea in the spinal code is the sequential application of a hash function over the message bits. The sequential structure of the code turns out to be crucial for efficient decoding. Moreover, counter to the wisdom of having an expander structure in good codes, we show that the spinal code, despite its sequential structure, achieves capacity. The pseudo-randomness provided by a hash function suffices for this purpose. Our proof introduces a variant of Gallager's result characterizing the error exponent of random codes for any memoryless channel. We present a novel application of these error-exponent results within the framework of an efficient sequential code. The application of a hash function over the message bits provides a methodical and effective way to de-randomize Shannon's random codebook construction.
Association of Vegetable Nitrate Intake With Carotid Atherosclerosis and Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease in Older Women

Background and Purpose— A short-term increase in dietary nitrate (NO3−) improves markers of vascular health via formation of nitric oxide and other bioactive nitrogen oxides. Whether this translates into long-term vascular disease risk reduction has yet to be examined. We investigated the association of vegetable-derived nitrate intake with common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), plaque severity, and ischemic cerebrovascular disease events in elderly women (n=1226). Methods— Vegetable nitrate intake, lifestyle factors, and cardiovascular disease risk factors were determined at baseline (1998). CCA-IMT and plaque severity were measured using B-mode carotid ultrasound (2001). Complete ischemic cerebrovascular disease hospitalizations or deaths (events) over 14.5 years (15 032 person-years of follow-up) were obtained from the West Australian Data Linkage System. Results— Higher vegetable nitrate intake was associated with a lower maximum CCA-IMT (B=−0.015, P=0.002) and lower mean CCA-IMT (B=−0.012, P=0.006). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors (P⩽0.01). Vegetable nitrate intake was not a predictor of plaque severity. In total 186 (15%) women experienced an ischemic cerebrovascular disease event. For every 1 SD (29 mg/d) higher intake of vegetable nitrate, there was an associated 17% lower risk of 14.5-year ischemic cerebrovascular disease events in both unadjusted and fully adjusted models (P=0.02). Conclusions— Independent of other risk factors, higher vegetable nitrate was associated with a lower CCA-IMT and a lower risk of an ischemic cerebrovascular disease event.
National Rates, Causes, Risk Factors, and Outcomes Associated With 30‐Day and 90‐Day Readmissions Following Degenerative Posterior Cervical Spine Surgery Utilizing the Nationwide Readmissions Database

BACKGROUND: Hospital readmissions have profound financial and clinical impacts. Analyses of 30‐day readmissions following spine surgery have been previously reported utilizing administrative databases. However, time periods outside the initial 30 days have not been well studied. Furthermore, these databases have limitations regarding coding and institutional crossover. OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to analyze 30‐day and 90‐day readmission rates and risk factors using the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) in a retrospective cohort receiving elective, posterior cervical spine surgery for degenerative conditions. METHODS: NRD is a new source containing approximately 50% of US hospitalizations, with patient‐linkage numbers to longitudinally track patients. Patients 18 years of age or older were identified. Preoperative characteristics, demographics, and surgical characteristics were chosen for predictor variables. Thirty‐day and 90‐day readmission rates were calculated. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS v.23 software via univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Between January and September 2013, a total of 29 990 patients were identified. Readmission rates for 30‐ and 90‐days were 5.4% and 10.0%, respectively. The most common reason for readmission during 30‐day and 90‐day periods was complications of surgical and/or medical care (31.0% vs 21.9%, respectively). The strongest risk factors for 30‐day readmission included wound dehiscence, weekend admission at index hospitalization, coagulopathy, and incidental durotomy. The strongest risk factors for 90‐day readmission included thromboembolic complications, postoperative hemorrhage, and comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Identification of predictors of readmission is important to allow for changes in perioperative management to potentially reduce readmissions and improve outcomes. Additionally, knowledge about readmission risk factors allows for preoperative counseling.
The Sources of Capital Misallocation

We develop a methodology to disentangle sources of capital “mis-allocation,” i.e., dispersion in value-added/capital. It measures the contributions of technological/informational frictions and a rich class of firm-specific factors. An application to Chinese manufacturing firms reveals that adjustment costs and uncertainty, while significant, explain only a modest fraction of the dispersion, which stems largely from other factors: a component correlated with productivity and a fixed effect. Adjustment costs are more salient for large US firms, though other factors still account for the bulk of the dispersion. Technological/markup heterogeneity explains a limited fraction in China, but a potentially large share in the United States. (JEL D22, D24, D25, E22, G31, L60, O11, O14, O47, P31)