Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12425791 and ischemic stroke in Chinese populations: new data and meta-analysis

Background: Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs11833579 and rs12425791 located on chromosome 12p13 were reported to be associated with ischemic stroke in Caucasians. In the present study, we investigated whether the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12425791 was associated with ischemic stroke in Chinese populations. Methods:We carried out a case–control study examining a total of 166 Guangxi Han patients with ischemic stroke and 192 healthy controls. We also performed a meta-analysis of the data from our study and those from published studies to investigate whether an association between rs12425791 and ischemic stroke could be detected in Chinese populations. Results: There was no statistically significant association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12425791 and ischemic stroke in the Guangxi Han population. Our meta-analysis also found no significant association between rs12425791 and ischemic stroke in Chinese populations [allelic model odds ratio (OR) = 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.96–1.07; dominant model OR = 1.01, 95%CI, 0.94–1.10; recessive model OR = 1.00, 95%CI, 0.86–1.17]. Conclusions: The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12425791 does not confer a substantial risk for ischemic stroke in Chinese populations.
The Factor Content of Equilibrium Exchange Rates

This paper develops framework to estimate and interpret the factor content of equilibrium real exchange rates. The framework – which builds on Backus, Foresi, and Telmer (2001) and Ang Piazzesi (2003) – respects the restrictions imposed by stochastic discount factors that generate standard, no arbitrage, essentially affine term structure models of inflation indexed bond yields in a home and a foreign country. We derive a sufficient set of parameter restrictions on the SDFs that deliver a stationary real exchange rate that is linear in the factors that govern the evolution of the SDFs. Our model implies that both the real exchange rate, and the ex ante real exchange rate risk premium at any horizon are linear functions of a “home” and ”foreign” factors and that inflation indexed bond yields are functions of these factors as well as a “global” factor that accounts for the observed correlation in bond yield levels across countries. Home and foreign factors in turn are simple linear functions of the level slope and curvature factors extracted from home and foreign yield curves a la Litterman and Scheinkman (1991). We find that a real exchange rate risk premium accounts for about half the variance of the dollar – pound real exchange rate and that this risk premium if fully accounted for by the traditional level, slope, and curve curve factors in the UK linkers curve. We find that a home factor accounts for about 40 percent of the variance of the real exchange rate, and that this home factor is fully accounted for by the US specific component of the LS level factor in the US TIPs curve.
Analysis and comparison of conventional and interleaved DC/DC boost converter

The recent development of battery powered applications are improving the need of efficient step up dc-dc converters. Nowadays, step up conversion is widely used in many applications like Electric vehicles, Photovoltaic (PV) system, Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and fuel cell system. By paralleling the converters, the input current can be shared among inductors so that high reliability and efficiency in power electronic systems can be obtained. In this paper, the conventional boost dc-dc converter and interleaved boost dc-dc converter are simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK and MULTISIM software. The converters are tested by varying the input voltage with constant duty cycle in Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM). The performance parameters of the converters are compared. The converters are controlled by interleaved switching signals, which have same switching frequency but shifted in phase. Using interleaved converter we can get improved efficiency, reduced ripple voltage, reduced inductor current ripple, fast switching speed.
Regulation of motivation to self-administer ethanol by mGluR5 in alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence indicates that Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5) differentially regulates ethanol self-administration in several rodent behavioral models. The purpose of this work was to further characterize involvement of Group I mGluRs in the reinforcing effects of ethanol using a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. METHODS Alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained to self-administer ethanol (15% v/v) versus water on a concurrent schedule of reinforcement, and the effects of the Group I mGluR antagonists were evaluated on progressive ratio performance. The rats were then trained to self-administer sucrose (0.4% w/v) versus water, and the effects of the antagonists were tested on progressive ratio performance. RESULTS The mGluR1 antagonist, 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrano[2,3]b quinolin-7-yl (cis-4-methoxycyclohexyl) methanone (JNJ 16259685; 0 to 1 mg/kg) and the mGluR5 antagonist, 6-methyl-2-(phenylethynyl) pyridine (MPEP; 0 to 10 mg/kg) dose-dependently reduced ethanol break point. In separate locomotor activity assessments, the lowest effective dose of JNJ 16259685 (0.3 mg/kg) produced a motor impairment, whereas the lowest effective dose of MPEP (3 mg/kg) did not. Thus, the reduction in ethanol break point by mGluR1 antagonism was probably a result of a motor impairment. JNJ 16259685 (0.3 mg/kg) and MPEP (10 mg/kg) reduced sucrose break point and produced motor impairments. Thus, the reductions in sucrose break point produced by both Group I antagonists were probably because of nonspecific effects on motor activity. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results suggest that glutamate activity at mGluR5 regulates motivation to self-administer ethanol.
Negative online reviews and webcare strategies in social media: effects on hotel attitude and booking intentions

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of different webcare strategies (defensive, accommodative, no action) across two different types of social media (TripAdvisor and Twitter) on hotel attitude and booking intentions. The results of an experimental design show that negative electronic word-of-mouth (NWOM) has a negative effect on attitudes and booking intention. Moreover, the benefits derived from the type of response vary depending on the social media type in which NWOM appears. The findings also suggest that no response is worse than either defensive or accommodative responses.
Prospective memory in the ICU: the effect of visual cues on task execution in a representative simulation

Despite the potential dangers of clinical tasks being forgotten, few researchers have investigated prospective memory (PM) – the ability to remember to execute future tasks – in health-care contexts. Visual cues help people remember to execute intentions at the appropriate moment. Using an intensive care unit simulator, we investigated whether nurses' memory for future tasks improves when visual cues are present, and how nurses manage PM demands. Twenty-four nurses participated in a 40-minute scenario simulating the start of a morning shift. The scenario included eight PM tasks. The presence or absence of a visually conspicuous cue for each task was manipulated. The presence of a visual cue improved recall compared to no cue (64% vs. 50%, p = 0.03 one-tailed, η p 2 = 0.15). Nurses used deliberate reminders to manage their PM demands. PM in critical care might be supported by increasing the visibility of cues related to tasks. Practitioner summary: Nurses must remember to execute multiple future tasks to ensure patient safety. We investigated the effect of visual cues on nurses' ability to remember future tasks. Experimental manipulation of cues in a representative intensive care unit simulation indicated that visual cues increase the likelihood that future tasks are executed.
Qualitative analysis of differential privacy applied over graph structures

The increase in popularity of online services has generated interest in developing new algorithms to better protect user privacy. Some services defend individual user records by only releasing statistics like the number of users that match certain criteria. If an attacker has access to side information, releasing such summaries can lead to privacy breaches where the records of a certain user are revealed. Differential privacy is a new technique which protects individual user records by altering the released statistics. Many services organize their data as a graph with the edge weights representing statistics. If such services are interested in releasing the information, they must do so in a privacy-preserving manner. We analyze how differential privacy can be used to protect such graph structures. We assess the quality of the released data in relation to the Dijkstra shortest path algorithm. Finally, we propose research directions to improve the performance of the released data.
Model-based iterative reconstruction: effect on patient radiation dose and image quality in pediatric body CT.

PURPOSE To retrospectively compare image quality and radiation dose between a reduced-dose computed tomographic (CT) protocol that uses model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) and a standard-dose CT protocol that uses 30% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) with filtered back projection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval was obtained. Clinical CT images of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis obtained with a reduced-dose protocol were identified. Images were reconstructed with two algorithms: MBIR and 100% ASIR. All subjects had undergone standard-dose CT within the prior year, and the images were reconstructed with 30% ASIR. Reduced- and standard-dose images were evaluated objectively and subjectively. Reduced-dose images were evaluated for lesion detectability. Spatial resolution was assessed in a phantom. Radiation dose was estimated by using volumetric CT dose index (CTDI(vol)) and calculated size-specific dose estimates (SSDE). A combination of descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and t tests was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS In the 25 patients who underwent the reduced-dose protocol, mean decrease in CTDI(vol) was 46% (range, 19%-65%) and mean decrease in SSDE was 44% (range, 19%-64%). Reduced-dose MBIR images had less noise (P > .004). Spatial resolution was superior for reduced-dose MBIR images. Reduced-dose MBIR images were equivalent to standard-dose images for lungs and soft tissues (P > .05) but were inferior for bones (P = .004). Reduced-dose 100% ASIR images were inferior for soft tissues (P < .002), lungs (P < .001), and bones (P < .001). By using the same reduced-dose acquisition, lesion detectability was better (38% [32 of 84 rated lesions]) or the same (62% [52 of 84 rated lesions]) with MBIR as compared with 100% ASIR. CONCLUSION CT performed with a reduced-dose protocol and MBIR is feasible in the pediatric population, and it maintains diagnostic quality.
Interleukin‐1 beta induction of matrix metalloproteinase‐1 transcription in chondrocytes requires ERK‐dependent activation of CCAAT enhancer‐binding protein‐beta

Interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) is a central mediator of inflammation and connective tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. IL‐1β activates articular chondrocytes to produce matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1), an enzyme capable of dismantling the collagen scaffold of articular cartilage. To define the transcription factors and signaling intermediates that activate MMP‐1 transcription in chondrocytes, we performed transient transfection of MMP‐1 promoter constructs followed by reporter assays. These studies identified an IL‐1β‐responsive region of the human MMP‐1 promoter that contains a consensus CCAAT enhancer‐binding protein (C/EBP) binding site. Deletion of this site reduced overall transcriptional activity of the MMP‐1 promoter, as well as decreased fold induction by IL‐1β. IL‐1β stimulation of chondrocytes increased binding of C/EBP‐β to the MMP‐1 C/EBP site. Extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway‐dependent phosphorylation of C/EBP‐β on threonine 235 activates this transcription factor. Here we show that IL‐1β stimulation of chondrocytes induced phosphorylation of C/EBP‐β on threonine 235, and that the ERK pathway inhibitor PD98059 reduced this phosphorylation. We further show that PD98059 reduces IL‐1β‐induced MMP‐1 mRNA expression in chondrocytes. Moreover, inhibition of the ERK pathway by expression of dominant‐negative forms of ERK1 and ERK2 impaired the ability of IL‐1β to transactivate the MMP‐1 promoter. Our findings demonstrate a novel role for C/EBP‐β in IL‐1β‐induced connective tissue disease and define a new nuclear target for the ERK pathway in MMP‐1 gene activation. J. Cell. Physiol. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Financial Development and Energy Consumption Nexus in Nigeria

This paper re-examines the link between financial development and energy consumption in Nigeria both in the long run and the short run. Earlier study reported a negative relationship between financial development and energy consumption in Nigeria which is quite contrary to theoretical expectation and findings for developed and developing economies. The study employed the ARDL Bounds cointegration approach and a sample period of 1971-2014. A significant long-run relationship was confirmed between financial development and energy consumption in Nigeria. It was also deduced that the development of the financial sector exerted positively and significantly on energy demand in the Nigerian economy, both in the short-run and the long-run periods. It is evident that policies aimed at developing the financial sector have direct and far-reaching implications on energy demand in Nigeria. The paper vividly revealed how development in the Nigerian financial sector exerted on energy demand over a period of 40 years.
A Behavioral Genetic Study of the Dark Triad of Personality and Moral Development

Abstract The present study is the first behavioral genetic investigation of relationships between the Dark Triad of personality — Machiavellianism, narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy — and moral development. Participants were 154 monozygotic twin pairs and 82 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs. Higher scores on Machiavellianism and psychopathy were positively correlated with low levels of moral development; high psychopathy scores also correlated negatively with high levels of moral development. Individual differences in lower levels of moral development were attributable to genetic and nonshared environmental factors but, very interestingly, individual differences in the highest levels of moral development showed no genetic basis but were entirely attributable to shared and nonshared environmental factors. Finally, correlations between the Dark Triad and moral development variables showed no genetic basis while correlations among the moral development variables were variously attributable to correlated genetic and correlated environmental factors.
Identity As Input to Exchange

Identity is an integral part of all but the most trivial economic, social and political transactions. Using transaction cost economics, we determine that identity costs are a distinct and measurable subset of transaction costs. In certain transactions, such as credit arrangements, identity costs are incurred at considerable expense for commercial and compliance based reasons. Vertical integration can be seen through the lens of identity cost economizing, including in the financial sector, due to high costs of complying with KYC regulations as well as commercial risk management. Such organisational structure is also contingent on available identity technologies. The introduction of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in identity applications may see new models of institutional structures develop.
Provisional Educational Needs of Health Care Providers in Palliative Care in Three Nursing Homes in Ontario

Health care providers in three nursing homes in Ontario were surveyed to determine educational needs, barriers to meeting these needs, and the preferred format for education. Of the 415 health care providers asked to participate, 225 completed the questionnaire. Need was expressed for the majority of the 35 educational topics identified, including the role of the palliative care team, management of physical symptoms, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of pain, stress management, spiritual needs, culture and death, and counseling. Group discussions and seminars were favored over traditional lectures. The primary factors influencing attendance at a palliative care workshop were loss of pay and time and location of the workshop.
Q-Factor Spectrum of a Piezoceramic Resonator and Method for Piezoelectric Loss Factor Determination

The quality factor (Q) spectrum of a piezoceramic resonator, as a Q-factor frequency dependence for the specific resonator and its vibrational modes, was determined under baseline low-excitation level with a new approach proposed. The theoretical prediction was experimentally confirmed that the resonator Q-factor increases with frequency nearly linearly from the resonance reaching its maximum near the antiresonance. For the industrial PZT-5A piezoceramic the antiresonance-to-resonance quality factor ratio is 1.8 to 2.4 as much, depending on the type of vibration. As the theory states, this effect is directly related to the piezoelectric “losses” in piezoceramics, usually represented by the imaginary part of complex piezocoefficients, which have a unique property of lowering the total cumulative energy dissipation in a resonator in certain frequency intervals. Based on the electromechanical Q-factor (EMQ) concept, a new relatively simple method was proposed for the piezoelectric loss factor $\gamma $ determination at just a single resonance frequency—it requires measurements of the resonance Q-factor and its frequency derivative at the resonance, or the first and second frequency derivatives of the immittance phase at the resonance. Experimentally determined $\gamma $ is close to near 0.8 of its upper (positive) phenomenological limit in the conventional PZT-5A piezoceramic at the basic vibrational modes. The piezoelectric loss factor, theoretically reaching the upper limit, can provide extremely high value of the Q-factor (near the fundamental antiresonance) with possible an order of magnitude EMQ increase. That paradoxical fact for the piezoelectric “losses” is a novel possible way of improving the piezoceramic performance and operation.
Diagnostic accuracy of a combination of salivary hemoglobin levels, self-report questionnaires, and age in periodontitis screening

Purpose This study evaluated the predictive performance of a combination of self-report questionnaires, salivary hemoglobin levels, and age as a non-invasive screening method for periodontitis. Methods The periodontitis status of 202 adults was examined using salivary hemoglobin levels, responses to 10 questions on a self-report questionnaire, and the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). The ability of those two variables and the combination thereof with age to predict the presence of CPI scores of 3–4 and 4 was assessed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results CPI scores of 3–4 and 4 were present among 79.7% and 46.5% of the sample, respectively. The area under the ROC curves (AUROCs) of salivary hemoglobin levels for predicting prevalence of CPI scores of 3–4 and 4 were 0.63 and 0.67, respectively (with sensitivity values of 71% and 60% and specificity values of 56% and 72%, respectively). Two distinct sets of five questions were associated with CPI scores of 3–4 and 4, with AUROCs of 0.73 and 0.71, sensitivity values of 76% and 66%, and specificity values of 63% and 69%. The combined model incorporating both variables and age showed the best predictive performance, with AUROCs of 0.78 and 0.76, sensitivity values of 71% and 65%, and specificity values of 68% and 77% for CPI scores of 3–4 and 4, respectively. Conclusions The combination of salivary hemoglobin levels and self-report questionnaires was shown to be a valuable screening method for detecting periodontitis.
Public attitudes towards survivors of brain injury

Primary objective: To explore the effects of religious identity, gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on public attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.Research design: An independent groups design was used to compare the attitudes of Northern Irish participants.Methods and procedures: The participants were asked to complete a modified form of the Community Attitudes to Mental Illness scale. The new questionnaire replaced the original scales’ emphasis on mental illness with that of brain injury. Complete data was available for 179 participants for the religious identity and gender analysis and 124 for gender and SES. Analyses of variance were conducted on these variables.Outcomes and results: Significant differences between male and female attitudes were found along with significant interactions between religious identity and gender and SES and gender.Conclusions: Religious, economic and gender-based divisions in society affect attitudes towards survivors of brain injury.
Clinical and causality assessment in herbal hepatotoxicity

Introduction: Herbal hepatotoxicity represents a poorly understood, neglected and multifaceted disease with numerous confounding variables and missing established causality in the majority of cases. This review discusses overt shortcomings in its clinical and causality assessment and suggests improvements. Areas covered: A selective literature search of PubMed using the terms herbal hepatotoxicity, herb-induced liver injury, drug hepatotoxicity and drug-induced liver injury was performed to identify published case reports, spontaneous case reports, case series and review articles regarding hepatotoxicity due to herbs, herbal drugs and herbal dietary supplements. Covered areas focused on confounding variables related to the documentation of the herbal product and the clinical course, hepatotoxicity and reexposure criteria, temporal association, comedication and alternative causes with special attention to preexisting diseases of the liver, bile ducts and the pancreas. Of particular interest were recent discussions of approaches designed and validated for hepatotoxicity causality, such as the scale of CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences). Expert opinion: The authors call for substantial improvements in data quality of herbal products and case characteristics and strongly recommend using the CIOMS scale to assess causality in suspected herbal hepatotoxicity.
Induction of mouse Ca(2+)-sensitive chloride channel 2 gene during involution of mammary gland.

To understand molecular mechanisms that regulate mammary gland involution, we identified involution-induced cDNA clones by suppression subtractive hybridization methods. Nucleotide sequencing of a clone revealed that it was 97% identical to Ca(2+)-sensitive chloride channel 1 (mCLCA1) gene that has been identified in lung tissue. We concluded that our clone was derived from different gene with mCLCA1 and named it mCLCA2. We confirmed that expression of mCLCA2 gene was predominant in mammary gland while mCLCA1 mRNA was mainly detected in lung tissues by RT-PCR. Northern analysis showed that the mCLCA2 gene was induced at involution phase compared to pregnant and lactating phases of mammary gland. Under serum starvation, HC11 mammary epithelial cells showed DNA fragmentation and induction of mCLCA2 expression.