Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fluorinated Pyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimidine Nucleosides: 7- Fluoro-7-deazapurine 2¢-Deoxyribofuranosides and 2¢-Deoxy-2¢-fluoroarabinofuranosyl Derivatives

The syntheses of 7-deaza-7-fluoro-2¢-deoxyadenosine (1a), 7-deaza-7-fluoro- 2¢-deoxyinosine (3a) and 7-deaza-7-fluoro- 2¢-deoxyguanosine (3c) as well as of the 2¢-deoxy-2¢-fluoroarabino- furanosyl derivatives 1b, 3b are described. Starting materials were 6-chloro-7-fluoro-7-deazapurine (4-chloro-5-fluoropyrrolo(2,3- d)pyrimidine, 4b) and 2-pivaloylamino-6-chloro-7-fluoro-7-deaza- purine (2-pivaloylamino-4-chloro-5-fluoropyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimi- dine, 6). Nucleobase anion glycosylation of 4b or 6 with the halogenoses 7 or 9 furnished the protected b-D-nucleosides 8, 10 and 11, which were converted to compounds 1a, 1b by ammonoly- sis and to 2a-c by sodium methoxide treatment. The 2¢-deoxy- inosine derivatives 3a, 3b and the guanosine analogue 3c were obtained from 2a-c. Conformational analysis of the nucleosides 1a, 1b was performed in solution and in the solid state. Single-crystal X-ray analyses showed that the sugar moiety of 1a exhibits the S- conformation (P = 164.8°, t = 40.1°). In solution the 2¢-fluoro sub- stituents shift the sugar conformation slightly towards N.
A phase matrix for a dense discrete random medium: evaluation of volume scattering coefficient

In the derivation of the conventional scattering phase matrix of a discrete random medium, the far-field approximation is usually assumed. In this paper, the phase matrix of a dense discrete random medium is developed by relaxing the far-field approximation and accounting for the effect of volume fraction and randomness properties characterized by the variance and correlation function of scatterer positions within the medium. The final expression for the phase matrix differs from the conventional one in two major aspects: there is an amplitude and a phase correction. The concept used in the derivation is analogous to the antenna array theory. The phase matrix for a collection of scatterers is found to be the Stokes matrix of the single scatterer multiplied by a dense medium phase correction factor. The close spacing amplitude correction appears inside the Stokes matrix. When the scatterers are uncorrelated, the phase correction factor approaches unity. The phase matrix is used to calculate the volume scattering coefficients for a unit volume of spherical scatterers, and the results are compared with calculations from other theories, numerical simulations, and laboratory measurements. Results indicate that there should be a distinction between physically dense medium and electrically dense medium.
Trends in mortality from cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, esophagus, and stomach in East Asia: role of nutrition transition

Although substantial nutrition transition, characterized by an increased intake of energy, animal fat, and red meats, has occurred during the last several decades in East Asia, few studies have systematically evaluated temporal trends in cancer incidence or mortality among populations in this area. Therefore, we sought to investigate this question with tremendous public health implications. Data on mortality rates of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, esophagus, and stomach for China (1988–2000), Hong Kong (1960–2006), Japan (1950–2006), Korea (1985–2006), and Singapore (1963–2006) were obtained from WHO. Joinpoint regression was used to investigate trends in mortality of these cancers. A remarkable increase in mortality rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancers and a precipitous decrease in those of esophageal and stomach cancers have been observed in selected countries (except breast cancer in Hong Kong) during the study periods. For example, the annual percentage increase in breast cancer mortality was 5.5% (95% confidence interval: 3.8, 7.3%) for the period 1985–1993 in Korea, and mortality rates for prostate cancer significantly increased by 3.2% (95% confidence interval: 3.0, 3.3%) per year from 1958 to 1993 in Japan. These changes in cancer mortality lagged ∼10 years behind the inception of the nutrition transition toward a westernized diet in selected countries or regions. There have been striking changes in mortality rates of breast, colon, prostate, esophageal, and stomach cancers in East Asia during the last several decades, which may be at least in part attributable to the concurrent nutrition transition.
A new species of Fusarium producer of galactose oxidase

Fifty‐two isolates of Fusarium species and one of Gibberella fujikuroi were tested for galactose oxidase (GO) production. Five Fusarium isolates contained GO activity in the culture filtrate: three F. graminearum and one each F. moniliforme f. sp. subglutinans and F. acuminatum. This is the first time F. acuminatum is reported to be a producer of GO enzyme. GO enzyme activity produced by isolates was assayed through a time course. Moreover, GO protein was partially purified from the most productive four isolates to show that the activity measured in the culture filtrates was due to the presence of GO protein.
SERVICESCAPE'S HIERARCHICAL FACTOR STRUCTURE MODEL

The researchers introduce and test a hierarchical factor structure research model that suggests the servicescape construct has an overall level, a dimension level, and a subdimension level. In order to ensure the best possible cross-validation and generalizability, the researchers use data collected from 1,826 consumers in ten different service industries to test the hypothesis. Several different construct measurement tests are used. The hypothesized hierarchical servicescape construct factor structure model is supported by the results. As such, this manuscript introduces a parsimonious and generalizable exploratory servicescape assessment instrument. Jel: M31, L80, L81, L82, L84
High Rate of Exophiala dermatitidis Recovery in the Airways of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Is Associated with Pancreatic Insufficiency

ABSTRACT The black-pigmented fungus Exophiala dermatitidis is considered to be a harmless colonizer of the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The aim of this study was to establish the recovery rate of E. dermatitidis in respiratory specimens from CF patients, transplant recipients, and subjects with other respiratory disorders in Sweden. Second, we wished to determine if particular clinical traits were associated with E. dermatitidis colonization of the airways and the antifungal susceptibility profiles of Exophiala strains. Sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples (n = 492) derived from 275 patients were investigated. E. dermatitidis was isolated in respiratory specimens from 19% (18/97) of the CF patients but in none of the other patient categories. All isolates were recovered after 6 to 25 days of incubation on erythritol-chloramphenicol agar (ECA) medium. Morphological and genetic analyses confirmed species identity. Pancreatic insufficiency was positively associated with the presence of E. dermatitidis in sputum samples (P = 0.0198). Antifungal susceptibility tests demonstrated that voriconazole and posaconazole had the lowest MICs against E. dermatitidis. In conclusion, E. dermatitidis is a frequent colonizer of the respiratory tract in CF patients in Sweden and appears to be associated with more advanced disease. Whether E. dermatitidis is pathogenic remains to be elucidated.
Quality assessments for visual service

Three kinds of visual services, namely highly band-compressed, conventional, and high definition, are considered. Evaluation in terms of factors basic to all three classes are considered. The picture quality scale (PQS) is discussed, and its use in assessing color image coding and coder design is examined. Deterioration of moving images due to blur and to field or frame repetition is addressed. The problems relevant to high-definition visual services are described. <<ETX>>
Query log simulation for long-term learning in image retrieval

In this paper we formalise a query simulation framework for the evaluation of long-term learning systems for image retrieval. Long-term learning relies on historical queries and associated relevance judgements, usually stored in query logs, in order to improve search results presented to users of the retrieval system. Evaluation of long-term learning methods requires access to query logs, preferably in large quantity. However, real-world query logs are notoriously difficult to acquire due to legitimate efforts of safeguarding user privacy. Query log simulation provides a useful means of evaluating long-term learning approaches without the need for real-world data. We introduce a query log simulator that is based on a user model of long-term learning that explains the observed relevance judgements contained in query logs. We validate simulated queries against a real-world query log of an image retrieval system and demonstrate that for evaluation purposes, the simulator is accurate on a global level.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is an approach to patient care, which as originated in the 1940's by Herman Kabat, M.D. Maggie Knott joined him in his efforts to discover and define the approach in the late 1940's. They soon began to teach PNF to graduate physical therapists from all over the world. Dorothy Voss was one of the first students in this program and upon completion of the program, she joined Maggie's staff and together they wrote the first edition of the PNF book.
Estimates of excess deaths associated with body mass index and other anthropometric variables.

BACKGROUND Estimates of excess mortality associated with body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) have been calculated for the US population. OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to compare the excess mortality associated with BMI levels to the excess mortality associated with other anthropometric variables. DESIGN For the 1988-1994 Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, estimates of excess deaths were calculated for standard BMI levels and for comparable levels of percentage body fat, waist circumference, hip and arm circumferences, waist-hip ratio, the sum of 4 skinfold thicknesses, and waist-stature ratio. The outcome measure is the percentage of deaths in the full sample in excess of those predicted for the reference category. RESULTS For the level equivalent to BMI <18.5, estimates of excess deaths ranged from 0.3% for waist-hip ratio to 2.4% for percentage body fat. All except waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and waist-stature ratio were significantly greater than zero (P < 0.05). For the level equivalent to BMI 25 to <30, the percentage of excess deaths was 0.1% for percentage body fat and negative for all other variables; estimates were significantly below zero only for circumferences and waist-stature ratio. For the level equivalent to BMI > or = 30, estimates ranged from -1.7% for waist circumference to 1.5% for percentage of fat; none were significantly different from zero. Estimates for all-cause mortality, obesity-related causes of death, and other causes of death showed no statistically significant or systematic differences between BMI and other variables. CONCLUSION In this population-based study, attributable fractions of deaths were similar across measures.
Enhanced Arsenic Tolerance of Transgenic Eastern Cottonwood Plants Expressing Gamma-Glutamylcysteine Synthetase

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs naturally at parts per million (ppm) levels in the earth's crust. Natural and human activities have contributed to arsenic mobilization and increased concentration in the environment, such that World Health Organization guidelines for arsenic levels in drinking water are exceeded at many locations, worldwide. This translates into an increased risk of arsenic-related illnesses for millions of people. Recent studies demonstrate that increasing thiol-sinks in transgenic plants by overexpressing the bacterial gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (ECS) gene results in a higher tolerance and accumulation of metals and metalloids such as cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. We used Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to genetically engineer eastern cottonwood with a bacterial ECS gene. Eastern cottonwood plants expressing ECS had elevated thiol group levels, consistent with increased ECS activity. In addition, these ECS-expressing plants had enhanced growth on levels of arsenate toxic to control plants in vitro. Furthermore, roots of ECS-expressing plants accumulated significantly more arsenic than control roots (approximately twice as much), while shoots accumulated significantly less arsenic than control shoots (approximately two-thirds as much). We discuss potential mechanisms for shifting the balance of plant arsenic distribution from root accumulation to shoot accumulation, as it pertains to arsenic phytoremediation.
Identifying Products in the Real World

The goal of this project is to successfully identify and locate products in photos by using a classifier trained on images taken from the web. Additionally, the goal was for the process to be mostly unsupervised; aside from setting up the data sets our algorithm had no prior knowledge about the products in the images. To achieve this, we constructed training sets consisting of multiple products. For each product in the training set, we included a varying number of images of the product taken from different viewpoints. We then used SIFT features[1] to construct a set of frequently occurring features for each product. For classification of new images, we compared each SIFT descriptor in the input image to our trained classifier and used a best matching algorithm to make a prediction. Our algorithm was very successful on smaller image sets, and retained good accuracy as the size of the set grew. We felt this small loss in accuracy was reasonable, given the limitations of SIFT descriptors and training sets we could pull from the internet.
Drive system of IPMSM with bidirectional DC/DC converter for battery-powered electric vehicles

This paper presents an electric propulsion system (EPS) for a battery-powered electric vehicle (EV). The drive system of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) with an interleaved bidirectional DC/DC converter is implemented. The three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) is controlled using a space vector modulation (SVM) based on direct torque control (DTC) technique. Voltage and current control schemes are applied to regulate the DC-link voltage and maintain current sharing between DC/DC converter modules respectively. The performance of the proposed EPS is verified and discussed based on obtained simulation results.
Understanding recent increases in chronic disease treatment rates: more disease or more detection?

Abstract The proportion of the population treated for major medical conditions, including diabetes, cancer and mental illness, increased rapidly during the 1990s. We document the magnitude of these increases and use a model of prevalence to identify three potential causes: increased clinical incidence of disease, longer survival times among persons with chronic illnesses and increased detection. We present a series of analyses to evaluate the contribution of each factor. We find that increases in obesity explain a large proportion of the increase in treatment rates for conditions closely linked to obesity (e.g. diabetes). We provide some evidence that increases in treated prevalence unexplained by changes in the underlying clinical incidence of disease are driven by increased detection and treatment of patients with ‘subclinical’ illness.
The DGA1 Gene Determines a Second Triglyceride Synthetic Pathway in Yeast*

Diacylglycerol esterification provides an excellent target for the pharmacological reduction of triglyceride accumulation in several human disease states. We have usedSaccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study this critical component of triglyceride synthesis. Recent studies of an oleaginous fungus, Mortierella ramanniana, identified a new family of enzymes with in vitroacyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity. We show here that DGA1, the sole member of this gene family in yeast, has a physiological role in triglyceride synthesis. Metabolic labeling of DGA1 deletion strains with triglyceride precursors detected significant reductions in triglyceride synthesis. Triglyceride synthesis was virtually abolished in four different growth conditions when DGA1 was deleted in concert with LRO1, an enzyme that esterifies diacylglycerol from a phospholipid acyl donor. The relative contributions of the two enzymes depended on growth conditions. The residual synthesis was lost when ARE2, encoding an acyl-CoA:sterol acyltransferase, was deleted.In vitro microsomal assays verified that DGA1and ARE2 mediate acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase reactions. Three enzymes can thus account for diacylglycerol esterification in yeast. Yeast strains deficient in both diacylglycerol and sterol esterification showed only a slight growth defect indicating that neutral lipid synthesis is dispensable under common laboratory conditions.
Biologic markers as predictors of clinical outcome from systemic therapy for primary operable breast cancer.

PURPOSE To determine whether pretreatment clinical features and molecular markers, together with changes in these factors, can predict treatment response and survival in patients with primary operable breast cancer who receive neoadjuvant therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Mitoxantrone, methotrexate (with or without mitomycin), and tamoxifen chemoendocrine therapy was administered to 158 patients before surgery. Clinical response was assessed after four cycles of treatment. Fine-needle aspiration cytology for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), c-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2, Ki67, S-phase fraction (SPF), and ploidy were performed pretreatment and repeated on day 10 or day 21 after the first cycle of treatment. RESULTS Good clinical response (GCR, defined as complete response or minimal residual disease) was achieved in 31% of patients (49 of 158). Tumor size, nodal disease, response, ER, PgR, c-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2, Ki67, SPF, and ploidy were analyzed as predictors of survival. By univariate analysis, node-positive disease (P =.05), lack of ER (P <.05) and PgR (P <.05), and failure to attain GCR (P =.008) were associated with a significantly increased risk of relapse. A significantly increased risk of death was associated with node-positive disease (P =.02), lack of ER expression (P =.04), and failure to attain GCR. By multivariate analysis, GCR was an independent predictor for survival (P =.05). ER expression (P =.03), absence of c-erbB-2 (P =.03), and a decrease in Ki67 on day 10 or day 21 of the first cycle (P <.05) significantly predicted for subsequent GCR. CONCLUSION Molecular markers may be used to predict the likelihood of achieving GCR, which seems to be a valid surrogate marker for survival.
The Effect of Perceived Support from Using Instance Message Intelligence on Customer Outcomes in E-commerce

Instance message intelligence, which is deemed as a part of intelligent service system, could provide e-shoppers with help in the service delivery by automatically answering e-customer questions. As such, more interests are aroused in developing more effective and efficient instance message intelligence management practices. To investigate the effect of using instance message intelligence on customer outcomes, this research empirically tests the effect of perceived support for customers from using instance message intelligence on customer outcomes (i.e., word-of-mouth, behavioural intention and customer satisfaction) in e-commerce. The findings of this article are valuable for researchers and e-retailers to learn the factors that influence e-shoppers' attitudes and behaviours toward using instance message intelligence.
Detection of Rickettsia prowazekii in Body Lice and Their Feces by Using Monoclonal Antibodies

ABSTRACT In order to identify Rickettsia prowazekii in lice, we developed a panel of 29 representative monoclonal antibodies selected from 187 positive hybridomas made by fusing splenocytes of immunized mice with SP2/0-Ag14 myeloma cells. Immunoblotting revealed that 15 monoclonal antibodies reacted with the lipopolysaccharide-like (LPS-L) antigen and 14 reacted with the epitopes of a 120-kDa protein. Only typhus group rickettsiae reacted with the monoclonal antibodies against LPS-L. R. felis, a recently identified rickettsial species, did not react with these monoclonal antibodies, confirming that it is not antigenically related to the typhus group. Monoclonal antibodies against the 120-kDa protein were highly specific for R. prowazekii. We successfully applied a selected monoclonal antibody against the 120-kDa protein to detect by immunofluorescence assay R. prowazekii in smears from 56 wild and laboratory lice, as well as in 10 samples of louse feces infected or not infected with the organism. We have developed a simple, practical, and specific diagnostic assay for clinical specimens and large-scale epidemiological surveys with a sensitivity of 91%. These monoclonal antibodies could be added to the rickettsial diagnostic panel and be used to differentiate R. prowazekii from other rickettsial species.
The place of health information and socio-emotional support in social questioning and answering

Introduction. Little is known about the quality of health information in social contexts or how socio-emotional factors impact users' evaluations of quality. We explored how librarians, nurses and users assessed the quality of health answers posted on Yahoo! Answers, focusing on socio-emotional reactions displayed, advice given to users and relationships between socio-emotional support, advice and evaluation criteria. Method. Forty evaluators from each of three groups (librarians, nurses and Yahoo! Answers users) evaluated ten health answers using an online tool. Participants answered open-ended questions asking for overall impressions, suggestions and advice for users and any other comments. Analysis. Responses were analysed qualitatively using an inductive open coding approach. Emergent codes were developed for evaluation criteria, emotional reactions and advice themes. Results. Criteria matched with previous research, but greater consideration was given to style, sources and subjectivity by participants in this research. Users value social and emotional support and are accepting of the subjectivity of social questioning-and-answering Websites, but librarians and nurses are less accepting. Conclusion. Both objective and subjective strategies have a place in the seeking, sharing and evaluation of information from social questioning-and-answering sites. Implications exist for design; virtual reference and other library services; and user, patron and patient education.