Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HPLC-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Isoflavones

Abstract The current interest in the role of dietary isoflavonoids, particularly the soy isoflavone genistein, in lowering the risk of several chronic diseases, has led to the need for rapid, sensitive and precise assays for isoflavones and their metabolites in food matrices and in various physiological fluids and tissues. HPLC has the advantage over GC-based methods in that all the conjugated and unconjugated isoflavonoids and their metabolites can be separated and analyzed without the need for derivatization. An important advance in mass spectrometry has been the introduction of effective interfaces between the HPLC and the mass spectrometer, namely the electrospray ionization (ESI) and the heated nebulizer-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (HN-APCI) interfaces. Because of the isoflavonoid concentrations in fluids such as bile or urine, preliminary extraction, so essential for GC-MS and many other analytical methods, is not necessary. This immediately overcomes the thorny issue of finding an effective solid-phase extraction procedure. Using reversed-phase HPLC-ESI-MS, it is possible to obtain a mass/intensity map of all isoflavonoid metabolites in a single 20 min analysis. Analysis of isoflavonoid conjugates in serum/plasma samples requires initial extraction, but the conjugates can be measured intact either by capillary reversed-phase HPLC-ESI-MS or on regular reversed-phase columns by HPLC-HN-APCI-MS. In both cases, specificity is obtained by causing the parent isoflavonoid molecular ions to undergo collision-induced dissociation to form specific daughter ions in a triple quadrupole MS instrument. When it is only necessary to measure the total isoflavonoids and their metabolites in blood, hydrolysis can be performed directly in serum/plasma samples and isoflavonoids recovered by ether or ethyl acetate solvent extraction. The isoflavone aglucones can be analyzed by HPLC-MS under isocratic solvent conditions, thereby drastically shortening analysis time and opening up prospects for automation. Therefore, HPLC-MS is a technique that is broadly applicable to the major issues in phytoestrogen research.
Associations between XPC expression, genotype, and the risk of head and neck cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is a relatively rare cancer with a poor prognosis. In the present study, we investigated susceptibility biomarkers for SCCHN in 155 Koreans (73 SCCHN cases and 82 controls). Expression of the xeroderma pigmentosum group C (XPC) DNA‐repair gene was measured by TaqMan fluorogenic real‐time RT‐PCR using RNA isolated from peripheral blood samples. In addition, the XPC‐PAT genotype [an intronic and biallelic poly(AT) insertion/deletion polymorphism] was determined by PCR of peripheral blood DNA. Among known environmental and physical risk factors, age, gender, tobacco smoking, and alcohol consumption were associated with the SCCHN risk (P < 0.01). Lower XPC expression levels were found for the SCCHN cases, particularly in the larynx, than for the controls (P < 0.05); the geometric means (standard deviations) of XPC expression normalized by 18S rRNA in the cases and controls were 5.89 (8.13) and 15.14 (9.77), respectively. However, the distributions of the XPC‐PAT genotypes were similar in the cases and controls. In addition, there were no associations between the expression of XPC and the PAT genetic polymorphism. XPC expression was not affected by age, gender, tobacco smoking, or alcohol consumption. After adjusting for SCCHN‐associated lifestyle factors, the effective strength of XPC expression on SCCHN risk was weaker (0.05 < P < 0.1) than those of tobacco smoking and age (P < 0.05). There was a positive association between XPC mRNA expression in blood and SCCHN tissues (n = 9; P < 0.01); therefore, peripheral blood appears to be a reasonable surrogate tissue for XPC expression in tumor tissue. In conclusion, the XPC‐PAT polymorphism had no effect on XPC expression or SCCHN risk. However, XPC expression may influence SCCHN risk. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Method of efficiently predicting the conducted emissions of multiple VSCs

Various types of power converters including Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) have been known to produce conducted emissions. The net effect of simultaneously operating multiple VSCs is non-linear and this makes the prediction of the emission level more difficult. This paper presents an efficient method that can be used to predict conducted emissions of multiple VSCs in the presence of various uncertainties. It utilizes the Univariate Dimension Reduction (UDR) and the Bivariate Dimension Reduction (BDR) technique to predict the conducted emission level of multiple VSCs.
Caregiving outcomes for older mothers of adults with mental retardation: a test of the two-factor model of psychological well-being.

A two-factor model of caregiving appraisal and psychological well-being, based on previous findings with caregiving spouses (M.P. Lawton, M. Moss, M.H. Kleban, A. Glicksman, & M. Rovine, 1991), was tested with 225 older mothers who provided care at home to an offspring with mental retardation. The effects of objective caregiving stressors, caregiver resources, and subjective appraisals (caregiving satisfaction and burden) on the positive and negative dimensions of psychological well-being were examined. LISREL 8 analyses revealed that the model differed in two key ways for caregiving mothers: (a) Positive psychological well-being appeared to diminish subjective burden, and (b) both objective stressors and resources were unrelated to subjective burden. These findings suggest the need for future research into how caregiving dynamics are influenced by the specific nature of the relationship between the caregiver and the recipient.
Antimicrobial effects of Caulerpa sertularioides extract on foodborne diarrhea-caused bacteria.

AIM Caulerpa (C.) sertularioides has many therapeutic uses in the practice of traditional medicine in Malaysia. Crude methanolic, diethyl ether extract, ethyl acetate extract and butanolic extract from C. sertularioides were subjected to antimicrobial screening including the three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative diarrhea-caused bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS The antimicrobial activities were studied by using disc diffusion method and broth dilution method. The effect of the extract on the growth profile of the bacteria was examined via time-kill assay. In addition to the bactericidal effects study, microscopic observations using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was done to determine the major alterations in the microstructure of Bacillus (B.) subtilis. RESULTS Ethyl acetate extract demonstrated antibacterial activity towards all the tested bacteria and produced inhibition zone ranging from ≤ 9 mm - ≥ 15 mm. However, all the tested bacteria were resistant to the butanolic extract treatment. B. subtilis growth curve in the presence of the crude methanol extract at MIC showed bacteriostatic. The main abnormalities found from these microscopic observations were morphology alteration of the bacteria cells after exposure to the methanol extract. CONCLUSIONS Data from this study revealed that C. sertularioides may be potential antimicrobial agents against foodborne Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria particularly cause diarrhea, and also food spoilage microorganisms.
A Glucose Biosensor Using CMOS Potentiostat and Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers

This paper reports a linear, low power, and compact CMOS based potentiostat for vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNF) based amperometric glucose sensors. The CMOS based potentiostat consists of a single-ended potential control unit, a low noise common gate difference-differential pair transimpedance amplifier and a low power VCO. The potentiostat current measuring unit can detect electrochemical current ranging from 500 nA to 7 μA from the VACNF working electrodes with high degree of linearity. This current corresponds to a range of glucose, which depends on the fiber forest density. The potentiostat consumes 71.7 μW of power from a 1.8 V supply and occupies 0.017 mm2 of chip area realized in a 0.18 μm standard CMOS process.
Isolation and characterization of a novel TP53‐inducible gene, TP53TG5, which suppresses growth and shows cell cycle‐dependent transition of expression

Through a strategy of direct cloning of TP53‐binding DNA sequences from human genome DNA, we have identified a novel TP53‐target gene, termed TP53TG5 (TP53‐target gene 5). This gene, localized to chromosome band 20q13.1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization, encodes a 290‐amino‐acid peptide with no significant homology with any known proteins in the public database. A colony‐formation assay using human glioblastoma cell line T98G, which lacks wild‐type TP53 and expresses no endogenous TP53TG5, revealed a growth‐suppressive effect of the TP53TG5 gene product. Furthermore, immunohistochemical studies, following transfection of T98G with plasmid designed to express green fluorescent protein‐fused TP53TG5, revealed cell cycle‐dependent intracellular localization of this protein. Our results suggest that functional studies of TP53TG5 may provide new insights into the complex physiological activities of TP53. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 27:345–352, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Update of VIIRS On-Orbit Spatial Parameters Characterized With the Moon

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite has been successfully operating since its launch on October 28, 2011. Unlike its predecessor MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), VIIRS has no independent onboard calibrator to perform the on-orbit characterization of its spatial parameters such as the band-to-band registration (BBR), detector-to-detector registration (DDR), and modulation transfer function (MTF). The surface properties of the Moon have been demonstrated to be spectrally, radiometrically, and geometrically stable in the long term, making the Moon a suitable target for the on-orbit calibration of satelliteborne remote sensing instruments. The methodologies of spatial characterization using the Moon have been developed for MODIS and validated, through the comparison of their results to those calibrated by the onboard spatial calibrator of MODIS. In this paper, the methodologies are extended and improved for VIIRS applications. The BBR, DDR in both along-scan and along-track directions and the MTF in the along-track direction of VIIRS are calculated from the lunar observations scheduled on a nearly monthly basis. The trending results confirm that these parameters have been stable over time: the BBR offset is less than 0.05 pixels in both directions, well within the performance specification requirement of 0.1 pixels. The along-track MTF is approximately 0.6, well above the specification of 0.3, and is consistent with the prelaunch measurement. The limitation of the current methodologies and the possible future improvements are also discussed in this paper.
THE EFFECT OF MINIMUM WAGE ON EMPLOYMENT IN MALTA

This study analyses the relationship between the effect of changes in the national minimum wage on labour demand, measured by aggregate hired employment, using data pertaining to Malta for 1975-2013. The findings indicate that employment is influenced by changes in GDP, by the average wage rates and by technology, and that there is a positive relationship between the average wage rate and the minimum wage rate. This implies that employment is negatively related to the minimum wage, via the latter"s effect on the average wage rate. The study concludes that, the estimated elasticities of labour demand with respect to the minimum wage rate are -0.18 in the short run and -0.66 in the long run, everything else remaining constant. A major implication of this finding is that while increases in minimum wage have positive social implications it may also have negative effects on employment and these two considerations should be taken into account in minimum wage policy.
PROTEASOME INHIBITOR LACTACYSTIN ABLATES LIVER INJURY INDUCED BY INTESTINAL ISCHAEMIA–REPERFUSION

1 The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of proteasome in the pathogenesis of liver injury induced by intestinal ischaemia–reperfusion (I/R) and the effect of the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin on neutrophil infiltration, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)‐1 and nuclear factor (NF)‐κB expression in the liver tissues of rats. 2 Thirty‐two Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8 in each group) as follows: (i) a control, sham‐operated group; (ii) an I/R group subjected to 1 h intestinal ischaemia and 4 h reperfusion; (iii) a group pretreated with 0.2 mg/kg lactacystin 1 h before intestinal I/R; and (iv) a group pretreated with 0.6 mg/kg lactacystin 1 h before intestinal I/R. Liver and intestine histology were observed. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as 20S proteasome activity in circulating white blood cells, were measured. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in liver tissues and the immunohistochemical expression of liver NF‐κB and ICAM‐1 were assayed. In addition, a western blot of liver NF‐κB was performed. 3 Compared with the sham‐operated control group, liver and intestine injury was induced by intestinal I/R, characterized as histological damage including oedema, haemorrhage and infiltration by inflammatory cells, as well as a significant increase in serum AST (365 ± 121 vs 546 ± 297 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.05), ALT (65 ± 23 vs 175 ± 54 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.01) and LDH levels (733 ± 383 vs 1434 ± 890 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, MPO activity in the liver tissues increased significantly in the I/R group (2.05 ± 0.69 vs 3.42 ± 1.11 U/g, respectively; P < 0.05). Strong positive expression of liver ICAM‐1 and NF‐κB p65 was observed. 4 Compared with the intestinal I/R group, administration of 0.6 mg/kg lactacystin markedly reduced 20S proteasome activity in circulating white blood cells (15.47 ± 4.00 vs 2.07 ± 2.00 pmol 7‐amino‐4‐methylcoumarin (AMC)/s per mg, respectively; P < 0.01) and ameliorated liver injury, which was demonstrated by decreased levels of serum AST (546 ± 297 vs 367 ± 86 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.05), ALT (175 ± 54 vs 135 ± 26 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.05) and LDH (1434 ± 890 vs 742 ± 218 IU/L, respectively; P < 0.05) and a reduced liver pathological score (2.13 ± 0.64 vs 1.25 ± 0.46, respectively; P < 0.01). Compared with the intestinal I/R group, MPO activity in liver tissues decreased significantly following lactacystin pretreatment (3.42 ± 1.11 vs 2.58 ± 0.61 U/g, respectively; P < 0.05) and the expression of liver NF‐κB and ICAM‐1 was markedly ameliorated. 5 The present study reveals that the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin ablates liver injury induced by intestinal I/R. One possible mechanism responsible for this effect is the inhibition of enhanced ICAM‐1 and neutrophil infiltration by inhibition of NF‐κB activity. The results suggest the feasibility of using proteasome inhibitor clinically in the treatment of intestinal I/R.
FX Market Returns and Their Relationship to Investor Fear

This note examines the relationship between changes in levels of investor fear (measured by VIX) and FX market returns. Our empirical results indicate a negative relationship between daily returns on high-interest rate (investing) currencies and changes in VIX, while the association is positive for low-interest rate (funding) currencies. That is, investing (funding) currencies tend to depreciate (appreciate) when investor fear increases. A sequential breakpoint test identifies a significant change in this relationship in the period following the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, and another in 2012 following the European sovereign debt crisis. During this crisis period, currency returns are much more sensitive to changes in investor fear, and this is particularly so for funding currencies which are perceived to be a safe-haven.
A weight array method for splicing signal analysis

A new method of sequence analysis, using a weight array method (WAM), which generalizes the traditional Staden weight matrix method (WMM), is proposed. With the help of a statistical mechanical model, the discriminant function is identified with the energy function describing macromolecular interactions. The method is applied to the study of 5'-splice signals in Schizosaccharomyces pombe pre-mRNA sequences. The results show that there may exist weak pairwise correlations within the signals and that our method can help to better discriminate these signals. Experiments are proposed to test the predictions of the theory.
The Impact of MAS on Auditors' Independence: An Experimental Markets Study

In this paper we report results from an experimental markets study of how the provision of a management advisory service (MAS) and an audit service might affect the demand for and the supply of these interrelated services. This study was originally motivated by the long-standing debate on whether the provision of MAS adversely affects auditor's independence. As the study progressed, however, the complex interactions between MAS and auditing services led us to broaden our focus to include other potential effects of allowing auditors jointly to provide both services. These other effects can confound the study of the independence issue, as we note below. In its early stages, the debate on the independence issue focused on whether the provision of MAS that was an integral part of the audit (e.g., design of clients' information and internal control systems) would prevent auditors from objectively reviewing the quality of these services (Metcalf Committee Staff Study [1977]). The Cohen Commission [1978], organized by the AICPA to investigate allegations of audit inadequacies, concluded that it could not find evidence indicating that the provision of MAS was associated with substand-
Synthesis of distributed design problems

Integrating autonomous disciplines into a complex system design problem amenable to solution presents a major challenge in realistic multidisciplinary design. We propose a linguistic approach to problem description, formulation, and solution we call reconfigurable multidisciplinary synthesis (REMS). REMS comprises an abstract language and a collection of processes that provide a means for dynamic reasoning about complex design problems in a range of contexts, spanning tasks from error checking and derivative computation to formulation and reformulation of multidisciplinary design problem statements.
Linking minds and brains

Abstract When I first came across William James’ dictum that “ … this sense of sameness is the very keel and backbone of our thinking,” I thought he had foreseen the importance of cross-correlation in the brain, and told myself to find out how he had reached this conclusion. When I finally did this a year or two ago, I slowly came to realize that I had completely misunderstood him; from the full quote it is absolutely clear that his dictum cannot be referring to the process by which a cortical simple cell responds selectively to the orientation of features in a visual image, as I had originally supposed. If one translates the original dictum into two more prosaic modern versions, his version would say: “Our minds could not think at all without neural circuits in our brains that compute auto-correlations,” but in my mistaken interpretation the last word would be “cross-correlations. ” Others may have made the same mistake, but the difference is profound, and finding what he really meant has been a revelation to me. This essay explains the revelation, describes how to determine experimentally whether the brain does auto- or cross-correlation, and gives the result of preliminary experiments showing clearly that it does both. A revised view of the visual cortex as autocorrelator as well as cross-correlator claims to tell us what complex cells in the visual cortex do, and it assigns a role to its columnar structure that is as important to fulfilling that role as the concept of the receptive field has been to understanding the simple cells’ fulfillment of theirs. The new view has compelling features, broad implications, and suggests a plausible model of how neural circuits in the cortex achieve thought, but it needs further testing.
Ultrahigh thermal conductivity enhancement in polymer insulating materials by constructing 3D BN nanosheet networks

Novel epoxy nanocomposites are fabricated by using 3D interconnected boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs). The nanocomposites exhibit ultrahigh thermal conductivity enhancement and suppressed dielectric loss at low BNNS loading. Furthermore, the obtained nanocomposites have high electrical insulation performance, showing potential applications in high power LED, advanced packaging materials and microelectronic devices.
The Unequal Distribution of Body Mass Index: Examining the Effect of State-Level Soft Drink Taxes on Obesity Inequality

Sugar-sweetened beverages have emerged as one of the primary targets in the battle against obesity. Understanding the differential impacts of soda taxes for different obesity categories (e.g., moderate vs. morbidly obese) is critical to assess their full potential to not only reduce obesity rates, but to target those individuals who have the most to gain from a reduction in caloric intake, i.e., the morbidly obese. In this thesis we test two interrelated hypotheses associated with the health and social impacts of soda taxes as a policy instrument to combat obesity in the US. First, using data from a large representative sample of US adults, we assess whether the responsiveness of individuals to soda taxes is related to their body mass index (BMI). Second, we build upon these results to assess the impact of soda taxes on the BMI inequality (i.e., the BMI gap between normal weight and obese people) using weight inequality measures. Results from the analysis indicate that higher soft drink taxes slightly reduce the BMI of the morbidly obese, but not obesity inequality.
Deep vein thrombosis in patients with multiple myeloma treated with thalidomide and chemotherapy: effects of prophylactic and therapeutic anticoagulation

A group of 256 newly diagnosed myeloma patients were enrolled in a phase III study that included 4 monthly cycles of induction chemotherapy and tandem transplant. All patients were randomized to either receive or not receive thalidomide. A total of 221 patients (86%) received no prophylactic anticoagulation (cohort I); 35 patients received low dose coumadin (cohort II). The incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was significantly higher in the thalidomide arm hazard ratio: 4·5; P < 0·0001). As low dose coumadin (1 mg/d) failed to decrease thrombotic complications in 35 patients (cohort II), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH, enoxaparin 40 mg s.c. q.d.) was instituted as DVT prophylaxis in the thalidomide‐treated patients (n = 68) of the subsequent cohort (n = 130, cohort III). This intervention eliminated the difference in DVT incidence between the two arms (thalidomide and no thalidomide). Within cohorts I and II, 36 patients, in whom thalidomide was discontinued after experiencing a thrombotic episode during chemotherapy, subsequently resumed the drug on full anticoagulation; with a median follow‐up of 22 months, DVT recurred in four patients (11%). After completing induction and tandem transplantation, 55 patients were re‐exposed to thalidomide and chemotherapy during consolidation treatment. Thrombotic complications were observed in 4%. Our experience, although not based on a randomized study, suggests that the excess frequency of thrombosis in patients treated with chemotherapy and thalidomide can be safely reduced by the prophylactic use of LMWH. The rate of DVT recurrence observed in our study upon thalidomide resumption was sufficiently low to allow its continuation in patients who may benefit from this therapeutic intervention.