Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statins and diabetes risk: how real is it and what are the mechanisms?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW In randomized trials and many observational studies, statins are associated with a modest excess of type 2 diabetes mellitus. High-intensity statins, such as atorvastatin 80 mg and rosuvastatin 20 mg, are associated with a higher excess risk of diabetes than moderate-intensity statins, such as atorvastatin 10 mg, simvastatin 20-40 mg, or pravastatin 40 mg. RECENT FINDINGS Multiple mechanisms have been proposed for statin-associated diabetes risk, primarily related to increased insulin resistance or impaired insulin secretion. Genetic polymorphisms with reduced HMG CoA reductase function are associated with weight gain, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Animal models have shown that HMG CoA inhibition has multiple downstream effects that may increase diabetes risk. Statin impairment of insulin signaling, decreased adipocyte differentiation, decreased pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion, and other effects have also been found. The excess risk of diabetes appears to be confined to those who are already at risk for developing diabetes. Diabetes is diagnosed only 2-4 months earlier in statin-treated patients and therefore is unlikely to have no long-term adverse consequences. SUMMARY The clinical impact of statin-associated diabetes is likely unimportant. The cardiovascular risk reduction benefit from statin far outweighs the potential for adverse effects in all but the very lowest risk individuals.
International Supply Chain Management in IBM

Abstrcat The application of the theory of Supply Chain Management in IBM Co.'s international management is studied. IBM has developed a supply chain as horizontal configuration for a new business via focusing on the core business and outsourcing the nonecore business, improved the operational efficiency of the supply chain via centralized control of planning and purchasing, and summarized the problems in international supply chain management and actions taken regarding the integrated supply chain in IBM. 
Quantitation of Human Heme Oxygenase (HO‐1) Copies by Competitive RT‐PCR

The authors have developed a system for quantifying human HO‐1 mRNA in samples limited in cell number and/or mRNA copies. Total RNA from human liver was used to develop the system. The RNA is reverse transcribed and amplified by PCR in a tube also containing an internal standard obtained by deleting 50 base pairs from the original human gene. After amplification the two templates are resolved and quantified. When the internal standard is present in the reaction mixture, the ratio of amplified sample to internal standard is proportional to the amount of sample RNA making it possible to calculate the number of specific mRNA molecules.
A weighted least squares algorithm for quasi-equiripple FIR and IIR digital filter design

It has been demonstrated by several authors that if a suitable frequency response weighting function is used in the design of a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, the weighted least squares solution is equiripple. The crux of the problem lies in the determination of the necessary least squares frequency response weighting function. A novel iterative algorithm for deriving the least squares frequency response weighting function which will produce a quasi-equiripple design is presented. The algorithm converges very rapidly. It typically produces a design which is only about 1 dB away from the minimax optimum solution in two iterations and converges to within 0.1 dB in six iterations. Convergence speed is independent of the order of the filter. It can be used to design filters with arbitrarily prescribed phase and amplitude response. >
Relationship of hospital teaching status with quality of care and mortality for Medicare patients with acute MI.

CONTEXT Issues of cost and quality are gaining importance in the delivery of medical care, and whether quality of care is better in teaching vs nonteaching hospitals is an essential question in this current national debate. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of hospital teaching status with quality of care and mortality for fee-for-service Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Analysis of Cooperative Cardiovascular Project data for 114,411 Medicare patients from 4361 hospitals (22,354 patients from 439 major teaching hospitals, 22,493 patients from 455 minor teaching hospitals, and 69,564 patients from 3467 nonteaching hospitals) who had AMI between February 1994 and July 1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Administration of reperfusion therapy on admission, aspirin during hospitalization, and beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge for patients meeting strict inclusion criteria; mortality at 30, 60, and 90 days and 2 years after admission. RESULTS Among major teaching, minor teaching, and nonteaching hospitals, respectively, administration rates for aspirin were 91.2%, 86.4%, and 81.4% (P<.001); for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, 63. 7%, 60.0%, and 58.0% (P<.001); for beta-blockers, 48.8%, 40.3%, and 36.4% (P<.001); and for reperfusion therapy, 55.5%, 58.9%, and 55.2% (P =.29). Differences in unadjusted 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, and 2-year mortality among hospitals were significant at P<. 001 for all time periods, with a gradient of increasing mortality from major teaching to minor teaching to nonteaching hospitals. Mortality differences were attenuated by adjustment for patient characteristics and were almost eliminated by additional adjustment for receipt of therapy. CONCLUSIONS In this study of elderly patients with AMI, admission to a teaching hospital was associated with better quality of care based on 3 of 4 quality indicators and lower mortality. JAMA. 2000;284:1256-1262
R-LWE based lightweight privacy preserving scheme for Smart Grid

In most of the developing nations including India, we still have the traditional electricity grids meeting our daily supply energy and monitoring energy consumption per household once in a month. Due to limited monitoring capacity, the traditional electricity grids cannot forecast the exact demand side so that supply side of grid can be scaled accordingly. To forecast the customers demand more effectively, traditional grids are getting upgraded into Smart Grids. Smart Grid consists of various elements including Smart Appliances, Smart meters, Access points and Control Centers to form an advance network which can continuously monitor energy profiling information of the customers. Continuous monitoring of customers energy profiling and consumption is possible in the form of secured communication of message exchange between different elements of Smart Grid i.e. between Smart Appliances and Smart meters, smart meters and access points, access points gateways and control centers. Demand forecast prediction is key to Smart Grid, but customer privacy needs to be preserved. In this paper, we attempt to propose a lightweight privacy preservation scheme. Proposed scheme is based on lattice based public key cryptography using R-LWE to define the security. Analytical results indicate that the proposed scheme maintains message overhead with reduction in computation overhead.
A phase shifted full bridge converter design for electrical vehicle battery charge applications based on wide output voltage range

In this study, high efficiency design procedure of a phase shifted full bridge (PSFB) converter is presented for on-board electrical vehicle (EV) battery charger. Presented design methodology used lithium-ion battery cells because of their high voltage and current rates compared to a lead-acid battery cells. In this case, PSFB converter can be regulated wide range output voltage with while its soft switching operation is maintained. The basic operation principles of PSFB converter is defined and its soft switching operation requirements are given. To evaluate the performance of the converter over wide output voltage range, zero voltage switching (ZVS) operation of converter is discussed based on dead time requirement. To improve efficiency, the snubber inductance effects on soft switching over wide output voltage range are evaluated. Finally, operation of the PSFB converter is validated experimentally with a prototype which has 42-54 V/15 A output range at 200 kHz switching frequency.
Kidney function of transfused children with sickle cell anemia: Baseline data from the TWiTCH study with comparison to non‐transfused cohorts

Ofelia Alvarez, MD , Kerri Nottage, MD MPH, Lara M. Simpson, PhD, John Wood, MD PhD, Barry R. Davis, MD PhD, Beng Fuh, MD, Sharada Sarnaik, MD, Banu Aygun, MD, Kathleen Helton, MD, and Russell E. Ware, MD PhD University of Miami, Miami, Florida; St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; University of Texas Science Health Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina; Children’s Hospital of Michigan,
Measurement of Liquid Volume in Stomach using 6-Elctorde FIM for Saline Water Intake at Periodic Intervals

Focused Impedance Measurement (FIM) is a relatively new technique developed in the Biomedical Physics Laboratory of Dhaka University which allows improved localization of a zone without much increase in complexity of the measuring instrumentation when the electrodes are applied on the skin surface with the organs inside contributing the measurement of impedance since the body is a volume conductor. The present work is basically a preliminary study which aims at measuring the absolute volume of food or drinks of known conductivity inside a human stomach. The circuitry of a FIM system was used to study the impedance change in the stomach region of two subjects for the intake of saline (water with a little salt) with a particular conductivity on several days, each day with a different volume of the saline. It was ensured that they had the same history of food intake in the previous day and all physical conditions remain the same during the measurement for reproducibility. The impedance changes for different volumes of the saline in the one subject agreed well, and it appears that provided the correction factors mentioned above are incorporated, FIM may be used to measure the volume of food or saline in the stomach of a person.
Solving Multi-Objective Optimization Problems by a Bi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm

In this paper a novel model for multiobjective optimization problem is proposed first, in which the multiobjective optimization problem is transformed into a bi-objective optimization problem. In this bi-objective problem one objective is responsible for optimizing the quality of the solutions, and the other is to improve the distribution of the obtained nondominated solution set. Then a new crossover operator and selection scheme are designed. Based on these, a specific-designed evolutionary algorithm is presented. The simulations on five widely used benchmark problems are made and the results indicate that the proposed algorithm is efficient and outperforms the compared algorithms.
Power Purchase Price and Cost analysis Based on Gateway Metering Information Management Platform of Liaoning

To enhance the level of operating management,using the platform of power gateway metering information management for Liaoning power network,this paper proposes a model for power purchase price and cost analysis,and uses the total differential characteristics to analyze the model predictability.the model validity and practicability are proved through examples.Application of the model can enhance abilities on controllability of the company management.
Mutations in CYP11B1 and congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Moroccan Jews.

CONTEXT In Jews of Moroccan descent (MJ), the prevalence of steroid 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency (11-OHD) is relatively high, with a carrier rate estimated as approximately one in 40. A single mutation in the CYP11B1 gene (encoding 11beta-hydroxylase), R448H, was suggested to account for the disease alleles in this population. STUDY SUBJECTS We screened 236 healthy MJ for R448H. RESULTS Only two of the subjects screened were found to be carriers, suggesting that the R448H allele frequency is lower than was assumed previously. An R448H/R448C compound heterozygote patient, diagnosed with 11-OHD, was identified. However, a subsequent screen of MJ subjects for R448C failed to detect any carriers, suggesting that this was a private mutation of this family. CONCLUSION The high incidence of 11-OHD in MJ, therefore, is only partially explained by the presence of R448H as a founder mutation.
A Cross-sectional Survey Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Oral Cancer among Private Medical and Dental Practitioners in Bhubaneswar City

Abstract Introduction: Oral cancer is a public health problem giving rise to a great number of disabilities and deaths, but the possibility of survival is astonishingly higher when detected early. Health professionals therefore have an important role and responsibility in the prevention and early detection of oral cancer. They should be in a position to identify all suspicious lesions and to search for specialist opinion as promptly as possible when unsure, while also referring to the most appropriate discipline. Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) regarding oral cancer among private medical practitioners (MPs) and private dental practitioners (DPs). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 334 MPs and 201 DPs in Bhubaneswar. A self-designed, close-ended questionnaire containing 28 items was delivered to the practitioners in their clinics. Correlation between KAP among MPs and DPs was done by Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient test. Student's t-test was used to compare the KAP among the practitioners. Results: Of the 535 practitioners approached, 513 filled the questionnaire with a response rate of 95.88%. Significantly, the mean knowledge index was higher among DPs (10.96 ± 1.85). The attitude index was higher in the MPs (6.89 ± 1.11), and the practice index was higher among the DPs (4.95 ± 0.91). Conclusion: The study puts forward the need of further training for both MPs and DPs to increase awareness and to strengthen their abilities to diagnose potentially cancerous intra-oral lesions.
The numerical analysis of heat transfer at nanoscale using full and reduced DPL models

This paper includes the analyses related to the thermal model order reduction. The simplified, one-dimensional structure is investigated. The reduction technique based on the moment matching is employed. For this purpose, the Krylov-subspace-based model order reduction method is used. The generation of the reduced Dual-Phase-Lag heat transfer model is carried out using the Arnoldi algorithm. The temperature distributions obtained using both the full- and reduced-order Dual-Phase-Lag models are analyzed and carefully compared. Moreover, the analysis of the level of the relative error of outputs generated using reduced models in relation to results yielded using full-order model is included. Finally, the computation times are compared and conclusions are included.
Direct-detection 16-QAM Nyquist-shaped subcarrier modulation with SSBI mitigation

We report on the first experimental demonstration of direct-detection dispersion pre-compensated single-sideband Nyquist-pulse-shaped 16-QAM subcarrier modulation (N-SCM) signal transmission using a signal-signal beat interference (SSBI) cancellation technique. The improvement in the system performance through the use of SSBI cancellation, which mitigates the nonlinear distortion caused by the square-law detection, was quantified by simulations and experiments for a 25 Gb/s N-SCM signal occupying an optical bandwidth of 8.75 GHz. A reduction of 3.6 dB in the back-to-back required OSNR at the 7% overhead HD-FEC threshold was achieved. A 1.1 dB increase in the Q2-factor after transmission over 800 km of uncompensated standard SMF was measured.
Hybrid string matching algorithm with a pivot

Pattern matching is important in text processing, molecular biology, operating systems and web search engines. Many algorithms have been developed to search for a specific pattern in a text, but the need for an efficient algorithm is an outstanding issue. In this paper, we present a simple and practical string matching algorithm. The proposed algorithm is a hybrid that combines our modification of Horspool’s algorithm with two observations on string matching. The algorithm scans the text from left to right and matches the pattern from right to left. Experimental results on natural language texts, genomes and human proteins demonstrate that the new algorithm is competitive with practical algorithms.
L-Asparaginase: A Promising Enzyme for Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukiemia

Asparaginases are known to be the cornerstone for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and are used for treatment in all pediatric regimens as well as in the majority of adult treatment protocols. Clinical hypersensitivity reactions against commercially available asparaginase have resulted in failure of asparaginase in treatment of ALL in more than 60% of cases. Thus, it is required to search for serologically different asparaginase from new organisms for the patients exhibiting sensitivity to one formulation of asparaginase, so that they can be switched to another to ensure that they receive the most efficacious treatment regimen possible. The present study report E. coli VRY-15, E. coli VRY-8 and E. coli VRY-14 as potent producer of L-asparaginase. The L-asparaginase obtained from E. coli VRY-15 showed highest specific activity i.e., 19.56 µmol/mg. Attempt was made to purify the enzyme. Molecular weight of purified L-asparaginase obtained from E. coli VRY-15 was found to be 56 K Da as determined using Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS- PAGE).
Active distribution network concept for distributed management of low voltage network

The paper proposes a concept and architecture for distributed low voltage network management. Active distribution network concept is capable of real-time monitoring of whole grid and it may utilize the flexibility of distributed energy resources to enhance the hosting capacity of low voltage networks. The proposed architecture creates a bridge between fully centralized automation systems like SCADA and distributed system consisting of secondary substation automation and smart metering. In this way the proposed system extends the existing automation system to low voltage networks. It may also provide required real-time visibility and operational management to low voltage network without overloading the centralized automation system. The system has been designed for multiple low voltage network use cases like network monitoring, congestion management and fault management.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Use in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Medical Record Review

Abstract Context: Although the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) appears to be declining, data on the use of OMT in the emergency department (ED) are not available. Objective: To determine the quantity and characteristics of OMT performed in a single, community academic ED that houses an osteopathic emergency medicine residency. Design: Retrospective medical record review. Setting: A single large community academic ED with an osteopathic emergency medicine residency from July 14, 2005, to March 4, 2013. Participants: Patients in the ED who received OMT (N=2076). Main Outcome Measures: Medical record data were analyzed to determine patient demographics; treatment characteristics including number of procedures and patients per physician, OMT techniques used, night vs day procedure variation, and financial implication of future billing for OMT; chief complaints; primary discharge diagnoses; and length of stay in the ED. Results: Patients were aged 0 to 95 years (mean, 39 years) and were predominately female (1260 [60.69%]) and white (1300 [62.62%]). A mean of 0.74 patients received OMT per day, and a mean of 29.65 procedures were performed per physician. When data for residents were looked at separately, the mean was higher at 40.32 procedures per physician. The top 3 discharge diagnoses were low back pain (189 patients [9.10%]), muscle spasm (106 patients [5.11%]), and spasm: muscle, back (93 patients [4.48%]). Eleven different OMT techniques were recorded, with myofascial release being used most frequently (1150 of 2868 procedures [40.09%]), followed by muscle energy (672 [23.43%]). The average length of stay in the ED was 206 minutes. A total of 1663 OMT procedures (80%) were performed during the day, whereas 413 (20%) were performed at night. Potential procedural billing for all OMT performed during the study period was $33.09 per day. Conclusion: In contrast to perceptions that OMT use is declining, the authors found that OMT is being performed on a near daily basis in the ED. Additional research is needed to fully understand the impact of OMT in the ED.
MicroReview: The bacterial Sm‐like protein Hfq: a key player in RNA transactions

The conserved RNA‐binding protein Hfq, originally discovered in Escherichia coli as a host factor for Qβ replicase, has emerged as a pleiotropic regulator that modulates the stability or the translation of an increasing number of mRNAs. During the past 5 years, Hfq‐mediated control has been an area of increasing focus because the protein has been linked to the action of many versatile RNA‐based regulators that use basepairing interactions to regulate the expression of target mRNAs. The recent findings that Hfq assists in bimolecular RNA–RNA interactions and is similar structurally and functionally to eukaryotic Sm proteins have further fuelled interest in this important post‐transcriptional regulator. Here, we summarize the history of Hfq and highlight results that have led to an important gain in insight into the physiology, biochemistry and evolution of Hfq and its homologues.
Super‐resolution of the undersampled and subpixel shifted image sequence by a neural network

Numerous approaches to super‐resolution (SR) of sequentially observed images (image sequence) of low resolution (LR) have been presented in the past two decades. However, neural network methods are almost ignored for solving SR problems. This is because the SR problem traditionally has been regarded as the optimization of an ill‐posed large set of linear equations. A designed neural network based on this has a large number of neurons, thereby requiring a long learning time. Also, the deduced cost function is overly complex. These defects limit applications of a neural network to an SR problem. We think that the underlying meaning of the SR problem should refer to super‐resolving an imaging system by image sequence observation, instead of merely improving the image sequence itself. SR can be regarded as a pattern mapping from LR to SR images. The parameters of the pattern mapping can be learned from the imaging process of the image sequence. This article presents a neural network for SR based on learning from the imaging process of the image sequence. In order to speed up the convergence, we employ vector mapping to train the neural network. A mapping vector is composed of some neighbor subpixels. Such a well‐trained neural network has powerful generalization ability so that it can be used directly to estimate the SR image of the other image sequences without learning again. Our simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed neural network. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 14, 8–15, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.20001