Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PROP taster status, food preferences and consumption of high‐calorie snacks and sweet beverages among 6‐year‐old ethnically diverse children

Abstract A healthy diet is important for optimal growth and development in children. Food preferences are a main determinant of children's intake. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of 6‐n‐propylthiouracil (PROP) taster status (taste sensitivity to PROP) with children's food preferences and consumption of high‐calorie snacks and sweet beverages among ethnically diverse children. We analysed data from 5585 6‐year‐old children enrolled in the Generation R Study, a birth cohort study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. PROP taster status was evaluated using a suprathreshold screening solution. Food preferences of the children were assessed by a two‐stage protocol using photographs of eight food items (candy, chocolate, mayonnaise, whipped cream, soup, potato chips, carrot and bread), yielding both hedonic ratings (1–3) and rank order scores (1–8). Univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were performed, using tasters as the reference group. Non‐tasters had a slightly higher preference for carrots (&bgr;: −0.07; 95% CI: −0.13, −0.02 and &bgr;: −0.15; 95% CI: −0.27, −0.02 for hedonic ratings and rank order scores, respectively) and bread (hedonic ratings; &bgr;: −0.06; 95% CI: −0.11, −0.01) compared with tasters. No differences were found in children's preference for sweet, fat or salty food items. Furthermore, there were no associations of PROP taster status with the consumption of high‐calorie snacks ≥ 2 times/day (aOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.91,1.24) or sweet beverages ≥ 3 glasses/day (aOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.92,1.23). Other factors relating to the family food environment may be more important for young children's food preferences and consumption of high‐calorie snacks and sweet beverages than their innate taste sensitivity.
Crime, Human Capital, and the Impact of Different Taxation

This paper presents a macroeconomic model with crime, human capital, and three taxation policies (consumption, labour, and capital income taxes). In an extension, we endogenize the probability of escaping punishment to depend on government expenditure on public security/police. The model is solved analytically and numerically to derive propositions, which are then verified empirically using cross-country data. Compared to the literature, we find a much higher threshold probability. Above the threshold, the equilibrium crime rate is positively related to the escape probability. In addition, above this threshold level, a rise in capital income tax or a decline in labour income tax would lead to a higher equilibrium crime rate, if the taxes are modelled using marginal tax rates. There also appears to be empirical supports where the equilibrium human capital level depends positively on consumption tax. Lastly, when the probability is endogenized, there also exists a threshold level for the spending on public security/police, above which consumption tax and capital income tax have positive eÂ¤ects on the equilibrium level of human capital.
What Is Suspicious When Trying to be Inconspicuous? Criminal Intentions Inferred From Nonverbal Behavioral Cues

The present study investigates whether nonverbal behavioral cues to hidden criminal intentions during the build-up phase of a criminal act can be measured. To this end, we created recordings of actors once in a search situation and once committing a mock crime (theft or bomb placing) in a public crowded area. For ecological validation, we used authentic CCTV footage of real crimes in Experiment 1. In this experiment, the two behavioral clusters pattern of movement in space and nonverbal communication behavior were analyzed. The results showed a deviance in pattern of movement in space for offenders’ compared with the nonoffenders’ condition as well as a bystanders’ baseline. There was no significant difference between nonverbal communication behavior in the offenders’ and nonoffenders’ conditions. Experiment 2 was conducted to examine the two behavior clusters use of object- and self-adaptors while controlling for interpersonal differences. The results showed an increased use of object- and decreased use of self-adaptors during the build-up phase of a mock crime compared with a control condition (search). Thus, nonverbal behavior of offenders seems to differ from nonverbal behavior of nonoffenders. However, this holds only under the conditions of a valid baseline and of judging not only a single, typical behavioral cue but a whole cluster of nonverbal behaviors, such as pattern of movement in space or use of object-adaptors in general.
Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis isolates in asymptomatic children attending daycare centre: evidence of high risk for anthroponotic transmission

SUMMARY Giardia duodenalis is a common intestinal parasite infecting children attending daycare centres. This study aimed to verify Giardia occurrence and the genotypes of isolates infecting children aged 0–6 years and workers at a daycare centre in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The families of children who tested positive for Giardia, were asked to provide stool samples from household members and their dogs. Samples (123 children, 14 centre employees, 44 household members, 19 children after treatment, and 20 dogs) were examined for intestinal parasites using concentration methods. DNA extracted from all samples was submitted for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and the amplicons generated were used for multilocus sequence typing of beta-giardin (bg), triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) genes. Giardia was detected in 15·9% and 28·6% of the 220 samples by microscopy and PCR, respectively. Analysis of sequences retrieved from 29 isolates revealed both assemblages A (31%) and B (69%). Sub-assemblages AII, BIII and BIV were identified and the alignment of the bg, gdh and tpi sequences revealed the presence of some single nucleotide polymorphisms, especially in assemblage B sequences. The higher predominance of assemblage B and the identification of the AII type support the view that anthroponotic transmission appears to be an important route of transmission in environments that concentrate children at an age when poor hygiene practices make them more vulnerable to such infection.
The clinical and cultural factors in classifying low back pain patients within Greece: a qualitative exploration of Greek health professionals.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Identifying homogenous subgroups of low back pain (LBP) patients is considered a priority in musculoskeletal rehabilitation and is believed to enhance clinical outcomes. In order to achieve this, the specific features of each subgroup need to be identified. The aim of this study was to develop a list of clinical and cultural features that are included in the assessment of LBP patients in Greece, among health professionals. This 'list' will be, utilized in a clinical study for developing LBP subgroups. METHODS Three focus groups were conducted, each one comprising health professionals with homogenous characteristics and all coordinated by a single moderator. There were: 11 physiotherapists (PTs) with clinical experience in LBP patients, seven PTs specialized in LBP management, and five doctors with a particular spinal interest. The focus of discussions was to develop a list of clinical and cultural features that were important in the examination of LBP. Content analysis was performed by two researchers. RESULTS Clinicians and postgraduates developed five categories within the History (Present Symptoms, History of Symptoms, Function, Psychosocial, Medical History) and six categories within the Physical Examination (Observation, Neurological Examination, Active and Passive Movements, Muscle Features and Palpation). The doctors identified four categories in History (Symptomatology, Function, Psychosocial, Medical History) and an additional in Physical Examination (Special Tests). All groups identified three cultural categories; Attitudes of Health Professionals, Patients' Attitudes and Health System influences. CONCLUSION An extensive Greek 'list' of clinical and cultural features was developed from the groups' analysis. Although similarities existed in most categories, there were several differences across the three focus groups which will be discussed.
Latency-Efficient Video Streaming in Metropolis: A Caching Framework

This paper presents a latency-efficient mobile video streaming design in the context of metropolis by incorporating caching. It shows that video traffic can be substantially offloaded from backhaul by caching predictable demands in the network edge. Notably, exploiting the spatial and temporal characteristics of video popularity, we focus on two sub problems: how to cache the content and how to associate users. Firstly, we investigate cache deployment strategy based on clients' viewing behavior in both downtown and suburb. The proposed hybrid collaborative filtering (CF)-based scheme guarantees high hit rate utilizing the available storage capacity in small base stations (SBS). Further, we formulate the dynamic user equipment and SBS (UE- SBS) optimal association problem into a convex optimization problem, so as to maximize the sum transmission rate of SBSs under the resource and quality-of-service constraint. Performance evaluation of real trace data demonstrates the significant advantage of our proposed framework.
An aggregate welfare optimizing interest rate rule under heterogeneous expectations

In this paper, I propose an optimal interest rate rule under heterogeneous expectations derived from a welfare criterion that is a second-order approximation of heterogeneous household utility following Di Bartolomeo et al. (2016). Additionally, I explore the agent level of the Branch and McGough (2009) framework in a more detailed fashion which is important as the central bank's welfare criterion depends on consumption inequality. I find that the consumption decision of "rational" agents in Di Bartolomeo et al. (2016) is inconsistent with the higher-order beliefs assumption of Branch and McGough (2009). Hence, consumption rules are derived that are consistent with the micro-foundations of Branch and McGough (2009) including a possible specification of agent's long-run beliefs. Further, the welfare analysis shows that the optimal interest rate rule yields welfare gains that range between 0.1 and 7.1 percent under the considered parameter values relative to a rule that is optimized under a conventional inflation-targeting objective as in Gasteiger (2014). Welfare gains are high when the underlying economy features a high degree of heterogeneity.
Increased Platelet Glycoprotein V Levels in Patients with Coronary and Peripheral Atherosclerosis

Summary As platelet hyperactivity is important in atherosclerosis and smoking, we hypothesized higher levels of soluble platelet membrane glycoprotein V (gpV) in 95 patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and 92 with coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to 99 healthy controls, and examined the effects of aspirin and of smoking two cigarettes on soluble gpV and platelet function. Soluble gpV (ELISA) was significantly raised in, but not between, both PAD and CAD patients, compared to controls (p <0.05). In multivariate analysis, systolic blood pressure, smoking and atherosclerosis (all p <0.01) were significant influences on soluble gpV in the whole study cohort. There was a weak correlation between soluble gpV and another platelet marker, soluble P selectin (p = 0.048). Acute smoking in 14 subjects increased platelet aggregability and beta-thromboglobulin, but not soluble gpV: there were no changes in 11 non-smokers. Five days consumption of aspirin (325 mg daily) by 14 subjects did not influence levels of soluble gpV. Our data indicate that soluble gpV may be a useful new marker of platelet activation in atherosclerosis, but may be influenced by smoking status and blood pressure.
Apelin acts in the subfornical organ to influence neuronal excitability and cardiovascular function

• Apelin receptor mRNA is expressed in the subfornical organ. • Apelin influences the excitability of the majority of subfornical organ neurons, with similar proportion showing depolarizing and hyperpolarizing effects. • Hyperpolarizations appear to result from the activation of a sustained voltage‐activated potassium conductance, while depolarizations may result from modulation of a non‐selective cationic conductance. • In vivo microinjection of apelin into the subfornical organ results in decreases in blood pressure.
Randomized phase III trial of high-dose interleukin-2 versus subcutaneous interleukin-2 and interferon in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE The Cytokine Working Group conducted a randomized phase III trial to determine the value of outpatient interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon alfa-2b (IFN) relative to high-dose (HD) IL-2 in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were stratified for bone and liver metastases, primary tumor in place, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1 and then randomly assigned to receive either IL-2 (5 MIU/m(2) subcutaneously every 8 hours for three doses on day 1, then daily 5 days/wk for 4 weeks) and IFN (5 MIU/m(2) subcutaneously three times per week for 4 weeks) every 6 weeks or HD IL-2 (600,000 U/kg/dose intravenously every 8 hours on days 1 through 5 and 15 to 19 [maximum 28 doses]) every 12 weeks. RESULTS One hundred ninety-two patients were enrolled between April 1997 and July 2000. Toxicities were as anticipated for these regimens. The response rate was 23.2% (22 of 95 patients) for HD IL-2 versus 9.9% (nine of 91 patients) for IL-2/IFN (P = .018). Ten patients receiving HD IL-2 were progression-free at 3 years versus three patients receiving IL-2 and IFN (P = .082). The median response durations were 24 and 15 [corrected] months (P = .18) [corrected] and median survivals were 17.5 and 13 months (P = .24). For patients with bone or liver metastases (P = .001) or a primary tumor in place (P = .040), survival was superior with HD IL-2. CONCLUSION This randomized phase III trial provides additional evidence that HD IL-2 should remain the preferred therapy for selected patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Comparison of performance of antenna arrangements for estimating the number of partial discharge sources using multichannel blind deconvolution

We propose a method to estimate the number of partial discharge sources in multipath environment using the multichannel blind deconvolution method called the super-exponential deflation method. Blind deconvolution is a method of recovering transmitted signals from only observed signals. The deflation approach can extract a source signal which is non-Gaussian from the observed signals one by one. The deflation approach is repeated until all non-Gaussian signals are extracted, in which case the input signals become close to Gaussian noise. The eigenvalues of the spatial correlation matrix of the input signals indicate whether non-Gaussian signals are present or absent in the input signals. Thus, the proposed method estimates the number of sources by repeating the signal extraction and analyzing the eigenvalues using the criterion function to distinguish the presence or absence of the source signals in the observed signals. Appropriate antenna arrangement is an important factor in the effective separation of source signals. The aim of this study is to compare performance of antenna arrangements for estimating the number of PD sources.
VDR Gene Polymorphisms, Interaction with Smoking and Risk of Periodontal Disease in Japanese Women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms and periodontal disease is inconsistent. We investigated associations between four VDR single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including rs731236 (TaqI), rs7975232 (ApaI), rs1544410 (BsmI) and rs2228570 (FokI), and the risk of periodontal disease among young Japanese women. Cases included 131 women who had at least one tooth with a probing depth of 3.5 mm or deeper. Controls included 1019 women without periodontal disease. Adjustment was made for age, region of residence, education, toothbrushing frequency and use of an interdental brush. Compared with the AA genotype of SNP rs731236, the GG genotype had a significantly increased risk of periodontal disease: the adjusted OR was 3.68 (95% confidence interval: 1.06–12.78). There were no significant relationships between SNPs rs7975232, rs1544410 or rs2228570 and periodontal disease. None of the haplotypes were significantly related to periodontal disease. Compared with subjects with the AA or AG genotype of SNP rs731236 who had never smoked, those with the GG genotype who had ever smoked had a significantly increased risk of periodontal disease; nevertheless, neither multiplicative nor additive interaction was significant. The additive interaction between SNP rs7975232 and smoking was significant, although the multiplicative interaction was not statistically significant. No multiplicative or additive interactions were observed between the other SNPs and smoking. Our results indicated that VDR SNP rs731236 might be associated with periodontal disease. In addition, we present new evidence for a biological interaction between VDR SNP rs7975232 and smoking that affects periodontal disease.
Modeling and design of a new bi-directional buck-boost cascade inverter

This paper concentrates on the modeling and design of a new bi-directional buck-boost cascade inverter. The proposed inverter can be seen as the cascade of a Buck converter and a Boost converter, both with bipolar outputs. First, The operation principle of the proposed inverter is explained. With detailed analysis, the switching function model is established. Then, the averaged model for control purpose is given. Afterwards, a decoupled control scheme is presented. Device-level simulations and experiments verify that the proposed system can not only perform bi-directional operation with bipolar buck/boost output voltage, but also achieve good steady-state and dynamic performance.
Frequency Measurement of the Automatic Generator Quasi-synchronizer Based on PIC16F877 and FPGA

Generator paralleling is a frequent and essential operation in the power system. If the frequency error is too great, the oncoming generator could slip a pole, causing damage to the machine. Therefore, the precision frequency measurement of the generator and the power system is one of important conditions to ensure that the automatic quasi-synchronizer can operate accurately. A new method of frequency measurement used in the generator automatic quasi-synchronizer is discussed in this paper. The basic principle of the frequency measurement is introduced. The frequency measurement is finished by combining PIC16F877 and FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) technique. The hardware and software designs were introduced. The device adopted PIC16F877 as main controller and FPGA as assistant controller which detects the frequency and the PIC16F877 manages the data and implements intelligent control. The excellence of the mix design is that two advantages are reinforced. The hardware circuit is simple and the reliability of the system is high, so that the generator realizes quasi-synchronizing quickly and veracity.
Serum Ferritin Levels in Patients with Cervical Cancer

Serum ferritin levels were determined by a radioimmunoassay (a 2-site solid-phase method). The mean ferritin level for 52 control women was 35 ng/ml, and the 2nd to 98th percentile reference intervals were 3.9 to 108 ng/ml. The upper limit of ferritin level for controls was determined to be 108 ng/ml, and the sera from cervical cancer patients were screened. In 98 patients with untreated cervical cancer, 50 (51%) had elevated levels of serum ferritin. Among 36 patients who were surgically treated and whose resected specimens were pathologically examined, 12 of 16 patients (75%) with ferritin levels above normal and 3 of 20 patients (15%) with levels below 108 ng/ml had parametrial invasion and/or lymph node metastasis. Serum ferritin levels were measured at 2− to 4-week intervals and 6 months after treatment on 21 patients with levels elevated before therapy. Ferritin levels decreased to the normal range 4 weeks after treatment in many patients, but the development of elevated levels thereafter was closely associated with a poor prognosis. Measurement of serum ferritin may be useful in predicting the extent of cancer beyond the cervix and the prognosis for cervical cancer patients.
Aspergillus fumigatus AcuM regulates both iron acquisition and gluconeogenesis

Relatively few transcription factors that govern the virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus are known. We constructed 11 A. fumigatus transcription factor mutants and screened them for altered virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae. We discovered that the zinc cluster transcription factor, AcuM, is essential for maximal virulence in this model, as well as in murine models of haematogenously disseminated and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Transcriptional profiling experiments suggested that AcuM suppresses sreA and induces hapX to stimulate expression of genes involved in both reductive iron assimilation and siderophore‐mediated iron uptake. Consistent with these results, a ΔacuM mutant had reduced iron incorporation, decreased extracellular siderophore production and impaired capacity to grow under iron‐limited conditions. Interestingly, an Aspergillus nidulansΔacuM mutant had normal extracellular siderophore production and growth under iron‐limited conditions, indicating that AcuM does not govern iron acquisition in this organism. A. fumigatus AcuM also regulated genes involved in gluconeogenesis, and the ΔacuM mutant had impaired growth on gluconeogenic carbon sources. Deletion of sreA in the ΔacuM mutant restored iron uptake, extracellular siderophore production and virulence, but not the defect in gluconeogenesis. Thus, AcuM represses SreA and thereby induces iron acquisition, a process that is essential for the maximal virulence of A. fumigatus.
Histochemical localization of synaptic zinc in the developing cat visual cortex

The terminal boutons of many neurons in the telencephalon are known to contain a vesicle‐bound, chelatable pool of zinc (Zn2+) that can be selectively visualized with histochemical procedures. In this paper, the normal laminar, areal, and ultrastructural distribution of histochemically reactive zinc in the visual cortex of the adult cat as well as its development from birth are described. In the adult cat visual cortex, intense zinc staining was found in layers I, II, III, and V, with layer VI staining only lightly. The primary geniculostriate input zone, layer IV, was conspicuously distinguished by the relative absence of zinc. This distinct pattern was restricted only to areas 17 and 18 and differentiated them from adjacent cortical area 19 laterally and the subadjacent cingulate cortex. The earliest zinc‐positive staining in visual cortical areas 17 and 18 was first apparent by postnatal day 2 (P2) and was characterized by staining of a thin layer at the bottom of the cortical plate. By P10, and continuing through P20, synaptic zinc formed a trilaminar pattern of dense staining in areas 17 and 18, which included the top of layer I, and layers III and V. The laminar pattern of synaptic zinc in visual cortex appeared mature by P30, except that the distribution of zinc in layer IV was not uniform. This was most apparent around P50 in tangential sections through layer IV from opened and flattened cortex, where columnar patches of increased zinc staining were apparent in area 17. These columns were approximately 400 μm in diameter, with a centre‐to‐centre spacing of approximately 900 μm. The distribution of synaptic zinc apparently reflects the process of synaptic maturity of the cat visual cortex and appears to demarcate a particular form of columnar organization in visual cortex. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.