Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypochlorhydria from short-term omeprazole treatment does not inhibit intestinal absorption of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or zinc from food in humans.

OBJECTIVE Low gastric pH is generally believed to be an important factor in intestinal mineral absorption. Thus, hypochlorhydria could be an important risk factor for mineral malabsorption and the development of marginal mineral status. We studied whether the hypochlorhydria associated with treatment with the anti-ulcer medication omeprazole, a potent gastric proton pump inhibition, would affect intestinal calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, or zinc absorption from food. METHODS Thirteen normal, healthy adults were assigned to either a control group (n = 5) receiving no drug treatment or an omeprazole treatment group (n = 8) to produce increased gastric pH. Omeprazole treatment of normal volunteers resulted in a significant change in postprandial gastric pH (pH 6.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.6 +/- 0.5 in control subjects, p < 0.01) and baseline fasting pH (pH 5.8 +/- 0.5 vs. pH 1.8 +/- 0.3 in controls, p < 0.01) after an overnight fast. Net mineral absorption from a standard test meal was measured using a whole gut lavage technique. Mineral absorption was measured twice in each subject, once with 120 mL of 0.1 mol/liter hydrochloric acid and a second time with 120 mL of distilled water alone. RESULTS We found that despite marked changes in gastric pH due to drug treatment or administration of exogenous HCl, no change in the intestinal absorption of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or zinc from a standard test meal was evident. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that changing the gastric pH alone does not modify the net intestinal absorption of several minerals from food. Therefore, it is unlikely that moderate hypochlorhydria resulting from short-term omeprazole treatment substantially increases the risk for developing calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, or zinc deficiencies due to mineral malabsorption.
Medical Technology and eHealth for Prevention against Lifestyle Related Diseases

With an aging population that suffers from comorbidity, healthcare is facing grand challenges. In order to meet the demand, digitalization is thought to be an opportunity. Digitalization of curative care, such as diagnostics and treatment, have been initiated and is today used and appreciated. Preventative care, on the other hand, has not been included in the digital adaptions to the same extent and there are few scientific studies within the area. Nonetheless, a further proactive care that meets patients and healthcare personnel are of interest to several actors. The Swedish Government has a vision that Sweden, in 2025, will be world leading within eHealth. For that to be possible, digital preventative care have to support and complete the preventative work that is performed today. The present study has investigated the attitude towards Connected Medical Devices for Prevention (CMDfP1) within the primary care. By a mixed-methodology including questionnaires, the opinions of 24 health center personnel and 17 patients prescribed with Physical Activity on Prescription (PAP) were collected and analyzed. The results show that health center personnel are willing to prescribe connected eHealth devices for prevention and patients are willing to use the devices prescribed. Additionally, among the respondents there is a belief that CMDfP could facilitate in order to increase the adherence to PAP without any major impact on the personnel’s workload. By digitalizing preventative care, it is possible that people will be able to live healthier and therefore not require care to the same extent as today. Reasons to the possible results are that digital tools within curative care have been shown to generate positive outcomes to chronically ill patients that utilize home care. Additionally, studies of preventative care have generated positive outcomes to the health of the population in several countries. It is therefore likely that the combination, digital preventative care, would be rapidly relished. These thoughts align with the positive results on attitudes of this study. Before CMDfP could be prescribed to patients, pilot studies have to be performed and new work routines including reimbursement models, have to be established within healthcare. These are all areas of future work within medical engineering.
Export-led Growth Hypothesis in Malaysia: A Revisit

This paper addresses the crucial question whether export promotes economic performance in Malaysia, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Using bound testing approach as proposed by Pesaran, et al. (2001), the estimated coefficients suggested that an increase in exports, gross fixed capital formation and the size of labor force have a positive and significant impact on the rate of economic growth, both in the short and long run. Conversely, changes in imports have a negative and marginally significant effect on economic prosperity in both periods. In addition, the authors found that the devaluation of domestic currency has a positive and crucial impact on the term of trade in the short run, but has a negative and statistically significant influence on economic growth in the long run.
The Danish Stock and Bond Markets: Comovement, Return Predictability and Variance Decomposition

VAR models of the kind developed by Shiller and Beltratti (1992) and Campbell and Ammer (1993) are used to analyze the Danish stock and bond markets and their comovement. In contrast to these papers, however, VAR parameter estimates are bias-adjusted and VAR generated statistics, including their standard errors and confidence intervals, are computed using bootstrap simulation. In addition, we modify the Campbell-Ammer variance decomposition such that it can handle returns from a long-term coupon bond. Some parts of the results for the Danish stock and bond markets are quite similar to the US results reported by Shiller and Beltratti and Campbell and Ammer, but other parts stand in sharp contrast to the results for the US. The most important differences between the US and Denmark are that in Denmark news about higher future inflation lead to an increase in expected future stock returns, and that excess stock return news and excess bond return news are negatively correlated.
Evaluating power, influence and evidence-use in public health policy-making: a social network analysis

Introduction: Persistent health inequalities are the focus for much public health policy activity. Understanding the policy response to public health problems, the role of evidence, and the roles and strategies of different actors may help explain this persistence. Research suggests that policy actors often access knowledge through interpersonal relations, but current perspectives in the literature do not analyse relational aspects of finding evidence and influencing policy. Identifying powerful and influential actors (in terms of personal characteristics, strategies, and network properties) offers a method of exploring the policy process and evidence use. Methods: Network data were gathered from a public health policy community in a large urban area in the UK (n = 152, response rate 80%), collecting relational data on perceived power, influence, and sources of evidence about public health policy. Hubs and Authorities analyses were used to identify powerful and influential actors, to test whether powerful and influential actors were also sources of information; and betweenness and Gould-Fernandez brokerage were used to explore the importance of structural position in policy networks. These data were analysed in conjunction with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews (n = 24) carried out with a purposive subsample of network actors. Characteristics of powerful and influential actors, the use of evidence in the policy process, and roles and strategies used to influence policy were analysed using a framework approach, and combined with network data.Results: The most influential actors were mid-level managers in the NHS and local authorities, and to a lesser extent, public health professionals. These actors occupied advantageous positions within the networks, and used strategies (ranging from providing policy content, to finding evidence, to presenting policy options to decision-makers) to influence the policy process. Powerful actors were also sources of information for one another, but providing information did not predict power. Experts, academics and professionals in public health were represented in the networks, but were usually more peripheral and played fewer roles in the policy process. This study presents empirical evidence to support the suggestion that recognition of network structure assists individuals to be influential, and proposes a framework to categorise their activities.Conclusions: In order to influence policy, actors need good relationships with other influential actors, and the skills to exploit these relationships. The relational approach is useful for both identifying powerful and influential people (potential evidence-users) and for exploring how evidence and information reaches them. Identifying powerful and influential actors and describing their strategies for influencing policy provides a new focus for researchers in evidence-based policy, and for those wishing to influence policy. For academics and researchers, this study demonstrates the importance of directly creating ties with decision-makers.
Simulation of human walking with powered orthosis for designing practical assistive device

To design a powered assistive orthosis for human walking, we have simulated walking motion with an orthosis. The model dynamics of the coupled human-orthosis is represented by a 10-rigid-link system. In this model there exist rotational joints at lumbar, both thighs and both legs for orthosis, and each joints are controlled by a couple of central pattern generators (CPG) which imitates neuronal system in the spinal cord of mammals. The CPG controller modeled by 18 oscillators which have the sensory feedbacks and generates the joint torques to move the skeletal model of the coupled human-orthosis. This means that we use five actuators for controlling orthosis in the both of sagittal and frontal plane. The parameters of the CPG and the connecting gains are optimized by using a genetic algorithm. We have achieved the successful simulation of stable walking against disturbances with this model. The simulation results indicate the possibility of a practical assistive orthosis with five active joints for stable walking.
Adapting pervasive systems to multiuser privacy requirements

In this paper, we discuss how diverging privacy requirements in a multiuser ubiquitous environment can be satisfied. We are investigating how to ensure that the requirements of concerned as well as open-minded users can be satisfied, simultaneously. In order to reduce overhead and increase granularity of the objects to be managed, we propose to cluster all available sensors, creating objects we denote as virtual sensors. All further operations are done on the virtual sensors. We will discuss our management architecture and present our simulation environment showing how the pervasive environment automatically adapts to user requirements and user locations.
Parents’ income and primary school students performance in Tabora region.

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of parent’s income on the student’s performance in primary schools in Tabora region. The specific objectives of the study were;(i) to examine the relationship between parent’s education level and students’ performance;(ii) to investigate the extent of fulfillments of basic study materials needed in class and during private time studies; (iii) to investigate parental influence on managing students’ time and other necessary resources investing in education; and (iv) to analyze the influences of parent’s income and students’ performance. The study used cross-sectional survey design in data collection. The aim was to allow collection of data on different groups of respondents at one point at a time. Data were collected using an interview and questionnaires. Moreover, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was employed during data collection. Cross tabulation and logistic regression models were used to analyze data on the factors that influence student’s school performance. The study was purposely carried in only one primary school selected out of 72 primary schools in Tabora Municipality (due to its students’ family income heterogeneity). The study involved 120 respondents (63 pupils; 19 teachers and 38 parents). Study findings revealed that the availability of teachinglearning materials to students and long distance from home to school affected student’s performance in Tabora region. Other factors like student’s attitude towards education; tuition and student’s self time study affect student’s performance in Tabora region. Thus, the study recommends on the availability of teaching-learning materials to students. Further more, the study recommends on introduction of various programmes that could improve student’s attitude towards education. More over, many schools should be built to reduce distance from home to school a factor that tends to affect student’s performance in Tabora. ii
Planning a reproducibility study: how many subjects and how many replicates per subject for an expected width of the 95 per cent confidence interval of the intraclass correlation coefficient

Reproducibility of a quantitative outcome is usually assessed by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). When we are interested in assessing reproducibility from only one sample, we suggest that the study be planned with regards to the expected width of the 95 per cent confidence interval of the ICC. An approximation of this latter width is derived, which allows appraisal of the influence of n the number of subjects and p the number of replicates. Through simulation studies, the approximation is shown to be of good accuracy and can therefore be used reliably. Optimal designs are also discussed such as the optimal distribution between the number of subjects and the number of replicates per subject for a fixed total number of measures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Practical Approach for Representing Context and for Performing Word Sense Disambiguation Using Neural Networks

Representing and manipulating context information is one of the hardest problems in natural language processing. This paper proposes a method for representing some context information so that the correct meaning for a word in a sentence can be selected. The approach is primarily based on work by Waltz and Pollack (1985, 1984), who emphasized neutrally plausible systems. By contrast this paper focuses on computationally feasible methods applicable to full-scale natural language processing systems. There are two key elements: a collection of context vectors defined for every word used by a natural language processing system, and a context algorithm that computes a dynamic context vector at any position in a body of text. Once the dynamic context vector has been computed it is easy to choose among competing meanings for a word. This choice of definitions is essentially a neural network computation, and neural network learning algorithms should be able to improve such choices. Although context vectors do not represent all context information, their use should improve those full-scale systems that have avoided context as being too difficult to deal with. Good candidates for full-scale context vector implementations are machine translation systems and Japanese word processors. A main goal of this paper is to encourage such large-scale implementations and tests of context vector approaches. A variety of interesting directions for research in natural language processing and machine learning will be possible once a full set of context vectors has been created. In particular the development of more powerful context algorithms will be an important topic for future research.
Multiple directorships and board meeting frequency: evidence from France

This article examines the relationship between multiple directorships of directors and board meeting frequency. Precisely, using an ordered probit model, we empirically investigated the effect of accumulation of outside directorships by directors on board meeting frequency. The research sample is composed of 90 nonfinancial French-listed firms that belong to the SBF 120 index, over the period 2008 to 2010. The results suggest that multiple directorships by board members are positively associated with board meeting frequency. So, the findings indicate that the accumulation of outside directorships by directors may motivate the board of directors to meet more frequently.
Molecular Mechanisms of Apoptosis Activation by Heat Shock in Multidrug-Resistant Chinese Hamster Cells

Abstract Wrzal, P. K. , Bettaieb, A. and Averill-Bates, D. A. Molecular Mechanisms of Apoptosis Activation by Heat Shock in Multidrug-Resistant Chinese Hamster Cells. Radiat. Res. 170, 498–511 (2008). Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle to the success of chemotherapy in cancer treatment and is associated with overexpression of P-glycoprotein. MDR cells, aside from resistance to chemotherapy, might also inhibit apoptosis at various levels in the death signaling pathways. Currently, hyperthermia is used in cancer treatment to sensitize tumor cells to radiation and/or chemotherapy. This study investigated the induction of death receptor and mitochondria-mediated signaling pathways of apoptosis by hyperthermia (41–43°C) in MDR CHRC5 cells compared to drug-sensitive AuxB1 Chinese hamster ovary cells. In the receptor-mediated pathway, CHRC5 cells exhibited higher levels of c-FLIP and lower caspase 8 and caspase 10 activation in response to hyperthermia. In the mitochondria-mediated pathway of heat-induced apoptosis, CHRC5 cells showed higher mitochondrial levels of Bax and tBid, more pronounced mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and increased Apaf-1. Similar levels of caspase 3 activation and cleavage of caspase substrates occurred, showing that overall, CHRC5 cells are not resistant to hyperthermia-induced apoptosis compared to AuxB1 cells. This study reveals for the first time the molecular mechanisms of hyperthermia-induced apoptosis in MDR cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein. CHRC5 and AuxB1 cells showed similar clonogenic survival responses to heat, which implies that hyperthermia could be a promising strategy for eradicating MDR tumor cells in the clinic.
Contributions and Determinants of Research and Development Expenditures in the U.S. Manufacturing Industries

This paper is an attempt to assess the contribution of R&D to growth of output in U.S. manufacturing industries. The important issues to address are: whether the slower growth of R&D expenditures in recent years has been the cause of slowdown in the growth of productivity, and what the factors are in explaining the slower growth of R&D expenditures. After a brief survey of the major issues on this topic, a production function is formulated and estimated using tine series cross-section data for the manufacturing industries. Also, the factors determining the rate of growth of R&D expenditures in the 1958-75 period are identified by formulating a dynamic model of demand for R & D activity. The estimation results indicate that the stock of R & D, as a measure of stock of knowledge, positively and strongly affect growth of output in total manufacturing, total durable, and total nondurable industries. Potential growth of output is affected because of the slowdown of growth of stock of R&D since 1966, but the gross rates of return on stock of R&D have not changed much in the 1966-75 period. Growth of output, changes in relative prices, cyclical fluctuations of the economy, as well as changes in level of employment and capital stocks are the factors affecting R&D expenditures. The effect of government financing of R&D on private decisions regarding R & D expenditures differs among different industries. By and large, the results on this issue are basically inconclusive and require further investigation.
The Sensitivity of Productivity Estimates

Researchers interested in estimating productivity can choose from an array of methodologies, each with its strengths and weaknesses. This study compares productivity estimates and evaluates the extent to which the conclusions of three important productivity debates in the economic development literature are sensitive to the choice of estimation method. Five widely used techniques are considered, two nonparametric and three parametric: index numbers, data envelopment analysis, instrumental variables estimation, stochastic frontiers, and semiparametric estimation. Using data on manufacturing firms in two developing countries, Colombia and Zimbabwe, we find that the different methods produce surprisingly similar productivity estimates when the measures are compared directly, even though the estimated input elasticities vary widely. Furthermore, the methods reach the same conclusions on two of the debates, supporting endogenous growth effects and showing that firm-level productivity changes are an important c.
Quantitative and qualitative adaptation of skeletal muscle mitochondria to increased physical activity

Endurance capacity rely on high muscle oxidative capacity but should also involve a tighter coupling between energy production and utilization within the myocyte. The present study examined the responses of muscle oxidative capacity and the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation by phosphate acceptors in locomotor muscles of voluntary running rats (n = 8), using saponin permeabilized fibers of the deep and superficial parts of plantaris muscle (dPLA and sPLA, respectively). Non‐ADP stimulated respiration of skinned fibers increased by 33% (P < 0.05) and 100% (P < 0.001) in sPLA and dPLA, respectively. The maximal ADP‐stimulated respiration was 57% (P < 0.001) and 32% (P < 0.01) higher in active rats than in sedentary rats (n = 8), in sPLA and dPLA, respectively. This finding was consistent with a 72% increase in the CS activity in plantaris muscle of exercising rats (P < 0.01). Voluntary running induced a 334% increase in the apparent Km for ADP in sPLA (P < 0.001), and a 61% increase in dPLA (P < 0.05), showing a lower affinity for cytosolic ADP of mitochondria present in both, predominantly glycolytic, and oxidative fibers. There was an increase in the creatine kinase efficacy in both sPLA and dPLA (131%, 75%, P < 0.001, respectively), consistent with an increase in the activity of the mitochondrial isoform of creatine kinase (106%, P < 0.01). It is concluded that, in addition to the well‐known increased oxidative capacity, voluntary running is associated with changes in the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation by phosphate acceptors, in both glycolytic and oxidative fibers, in the direction of increased coupling between energy production and energy utilization. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Health insurance and lifestyles

This article contributes to the discussion surrounding the existence of ex ante moral hazard and propitious selection in a voluntary private health insurance scenario. Moreover, it provides an estimation of the determinants of lifestyle choices and of private health insurance demand. A multivariate probit is estimated for health insurance demand and lifestyle decisions to take into account the potential endogeneity of these decisions. The results indicate that there is evidence of ex ante moral hazard in deciding to do sports and eating healthy snacks. Hence, no propitious selection has been found for these decisions. Another relevant result shows that there is no individual heterogeneity for the lifestyle choices, except for smoking, and private health insurance choice. Evidence from the results also supports the idea that there are nonobservable variables playing a role in the lifestyle decisions. These results provide some directions for policymakers, such as the promotion of precautionary behaviours and the use of implicit lifestyle drivers to promote healthy choices by people.