Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of black seed on dextromethorphan O- and N-demethylation in human liver microsomes and healthy human subjects.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of black seed on the metabolic activities of CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 in human liver microsomes and in human subjects using dextromethorphan as a probe drug. METHODS CYP2D6-mediated O-demethylation and CYP3A4-mediated N-demethylation of dextromethorphan (DEX) to dextrorphan (DOR) and 3-methoxymorphinan (3-MM), respectively, were utilized to assess the metabolic activities of the two enzymatic pathways. In the in vitro experiments, DEX was incubated with microsomes and NADPH in absence or presence of black seed extract (10-100 microg/ml) and the formation of the metabolites were measured by HPLC. In the clinical study, four healthy volunteers received a single oral dose of DEX 30 mg alone in phase I, and along with last dose of black seed (2.5 g twice daily for seven days) in phase II. Activities of the two enzymes were evaluated based on the urinary metabolic ratios (MRs), which were calculated from eight-hour urine collections. DEX and its metabolites were assayed in urine samples by HPLC following a liquid-liquid extraction. RESULTS Black seed extracts significantly inhibited the formation of both metabolites in microsomes. The maximum inhibition was observed at the highest extract concentration (i.e., 100 microg/ml), which was about 80% and 60% for DOR and 3-MM, respectively. In the clinical study, the urinary MRs of DEX/DOR and DEX/3-MM increased by factors of 127 and 1.6-fold, respectively, after consumption of black seed. CONCLUSION Black seed significantly inhibited CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 mediated metabolism of DEX in human liver microsomes and healthy human volunteers indicating that it has the potential to interact with CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 substrates.
Supply Chain Technologies: Linking Adoption, Utilization, and Performance

Much has been written in the literature on the adoption of supply chain technologies (SCT). However, little has been written on why once adopted, the levels of utilization and the effectiveness of SCT differ. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to investigate (1) why firms achieve more or less SCT utilization and (2) how SCT utilization relates to performance. To address the first objective and, using a survey of manufacturing firms in Australia, we identify and investigate how efficiency and legitimacy motivations for adopting SCT can help explain different levels of SCT utilization in firms. To address the second objective, we investigate the link between SCT utilization and delivery performance and the role that both information sharing and logistics integration play as moderators of that link. Our empirical results show that: (1) efficiency motivation for SCT adoption more significantly and positively relates to SCT utilization in firms than does legitimacy motivation for adoption; and (2) there is a positive relationship between SCT utilization and firm performance and this increases when the level of information sharing between supply chain partners increases. This study contributes to the extant literature which has generally reported inconsistent results in terms of how SCT utilization actually affects performance as well as taking a nascent step toward understanding the conditions under which SCT utilization is more or less effective in so far as it relates to delivery performance.
Differential LNA considerations for the Square Kilometer Array

This paper summarizes the approach of the implementation of a differential input and single-ended output Low Noise Amplifier for the Square Kilometer Array Development System. A new procedure to test such LNAs has also been proposed here. As a part of the initial approach for this design idea two MIC LNAs have been designed to be tested in the proposed method. Avago Technology's ATF33143 pHEMT transistors have used to develop the designs. LNA1 has a flat gain of more than 30 dB with noise figure of around 0.6 dB. The return losses are also good over the band. The LNA2 displays gain over 28 dB and noise figure less than 0.7 dB almost all across the band. The true differential mixed mode S-parameter response of both the LNAs has been presented here. With success these design and testing procedures would be implemented on future MMIC LNAs to be developed for the SKA.
A Forest Fire Algorithm for Predicting the Percolation Threshold of ITZs In Concrete

Interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in concrete is characterized typically by its high porosity and therefore has a significant influence, particularly, on the transport properties of concrete. To study the transport mechanism of ions and fluids in concrete, it is essential to determine the percolation threshold of ITZs in concrete and to evaluate the effects of attributing factors on it. This paper presents a forest fire algorithm for the prediction of the percolation threshold of ITZs in concrete. Based on the simulated mesostructure of concrete with periodic boundary conditions, the ITZ percolation probability is determined numerically. The effect of the element size on the ITZ percolation probability is then discussed. Finally, the proposed numerical algorithm is verified with experimental results obtained from the research literature.
Comparison of Compact Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar Modes

Compact polarimetry is a technique that allows construction of pseudo quad-pol information from dual-polarization synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. Compact polarimetry showed promise of being able to reduce the complexity, cost, mass, and data rate of a SAR system while attempting to maintain many capabilities of a fully polarimetric system. In this paper, we study different transmit/receive configurations to determine which polarimetric configurations allow for superior reconstruction of the fully polarimetric data. We discuss modifications of the original reconstruction algorithm proposed by Souyris , which show potential to better reconstruct fully polarimetric data.
Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz Syndrome and the DHCR7 Gene

Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz syndrome, a severe developmental disorder associated with multiple congenital anomalies, is caused by a defect of cholesterol biosynthesis. Low cholesterol and high concentrations of its direct precursor, 7‐dehydrocholesterol, in plasma and tissues are the diagnostic biochemical hallmarks of the syndrome. The plasma sterol concentrations correlate with severity and disease outcome. Mutations in the DHCR7 gene lead to deficient activity of 7‐dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), the final enzyme of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. The human DHCR7 gene is localised on chromosome 11q13 and its structure has been characterized. Ninety‐one different mutations in the DHCR7 gene have been published to date. This paper is a review of the clinical, biochemical and molecular genetic aspects.
An energy aware resource allocation for cognitive radio OFDMA systems

Multi-user orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network adaptive resource allocation is proposed. Subcarriers are assigned to each user in a way that ensures better spectrum efficiency; everyone is allocated power with quality of service (QoS) guarantees, while users' minimum rate requirements are met. Optimum transmit power of user is obtained by Lagrange method, validity of the time-share and corresponding hard mapping method are verified by simulation, the proposed algorithm can adapt allocate resource, minimising total transmit power.
FIRE RESISTANCE OF CONCRETE WITH FLY ASH CONTENT - EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

The paper presents results from three large scale experiments on seven reinforced concrete panels obtained during an extensive experimental program. This was aimed at possible application of cement reduced (fly ash replaced) concrete in the production of precast segmental linings for tunnels created by a tunnel boring machine (TBM). In particular, this paper is focused on the comparison of fire resistance of enhanced mixtures loaded by the Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) fire curve, which assumes 50 m 3 fuel tanker fire lasting for 120 minutes. The presented results include spalling, overall damage of the surface and temperature distribution of the tested panels. The paper also presents description of the proposed method for the evaluation of the extent of spalling during the experiments since, due to the extreme temperatures, the direct observation of the exposed surface is not possible.
Effects of Nonesterified Fatty Acids on Glucose Metabolism After Glucose Ingestion

Impaired suppression of plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) after glucose ingestion may contribute to glucose intolerance, but the mechanisms are unclear. Evidence that insulin inhibits hepatic glucose output (HGO), in part by suppressing plasma NEFA levels, suggests that impaired suppression of plasma NEFA after glucose ingestion would impair HGO suppression and increase the systemic delivery of glucose. To test this hypothesis, we studied glucose kinetics (constant intravenous [3-H]glucose [0.4 μCi/min], oral [1-14C]glucose [100 μCi]), whole-body substrate oxidation, and leg glucose uptake in eight normal subjects (age, 39 ± 9 years [mean ± SD]; BMI, 24 ± 2 kg/m2) in response to 75 g oral glucose on two occasions. In one study, plasma NEFAs were prevented from falling by infusion of 20% Liposyn (45 ml/h) and heparin (750 U/h). Plasma glucose rose more rapidly during lipid infusion (P < 0.05), and mean levels tended to be higher after 120 min (6.45 ± 0.41 vs. 5.81 ± 0.25 SE, 0.1 < P < 0.05, NS); peak glucose levels were similar. Total glucose appearance (Ra) was higher during lipid infusion due to a higher HGO (28.4 ± 1.0 vs. 21.2 ± 1.5 g over 4 h, P < 0.005). Total glucose disposal CRd) was also higher (88 ± 2 vs. 81 ± 3 g in 4 h, P < 0.05). Plasma insulin rose more rapidly after glucose ingestion with lipid infusion, and leg glucose uptake was 33% higher (P < 0.05) during the 1st hour. During lipid infusion, subjects oxidized less glucose (47 ± 3 vs. 55 ± 2 g, P < 0.05) and more fat (7.1 ± 0.8 vs. 3.9 ± 0.9 g, P < 0.02). In summary, 1) impaired suppression of NEFAs after oral glucose impairs insulin's ability to suppress HGO, and 2) in normal subjects the greater insulin response compensates for the increased systemic glucose delivery by increasing peripheral glucose Rd.
A front end for ultra-intense optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification

Ultra-intense optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) requires a highperformance front-end at 910 nm. Progress is reviewed on developing a white-light-seeded chain of noncollinear optical parametric amplifiers (NOPA's) and a cylindrical Öffner stretcher.
Non‐invasive molecular imaging for preclinical cancer therapeutic development

Molecular and non‐invasive imaging are rapidly emerging fields in preclinical cancer drug discovery. This is driven by the need to develop more efficacious and safer treatments, the advent of molecular‐targeted therapeutics, and the requirements to reduce and refine current preclinical in vivo models. Such bioimaging strategies include MRI, PET, single positron emission computed tomography, ultrasound, and optical approaches such as bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging. These molecular imaging modalities have several advantages over traditional screening methods, not least the ability to quantitatively monitor pharmacodynamic changes at the cellular and molecular level in living animals non‐invasively in real time. This review aims to provide an overview of non‐invasive molecular imaging techniques, highlighting the strengths, limitations and versatility of these approaches in preclinical cancer drug discovery and development.
Robust Spoken Language Understanding for House Service Robots

Service robotics has been growing significantly in the last years, leading to several research results and to a number of consumer products. One of the essential features of these robotic platforms is represented by the ability of interacting with users through natural language. Spoken commands can be processed by a Spoken Language Understanding chain, in order to obtain the desired behavior of the robot. The entry point of such a process is represented by an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) module, that provides a list of transcriptions for a given spoken utterance. Although several well-performing ASR engines are available off-the-shelf, they operate in a general purpose setting. Hence, they may be not well suited in the recognition of utterances given to robots in specific domains. In this work, we propose a practical yet robust strategy to re-rank lists of transcriptions. This approach improves the quality of ASR systems in situated scenarios, i.e., the transcription of robotic commands. The proposed method relies upon evidences derived by a semantic grammar with semantic actions, designed to model typical commands expressed in scenarios that are specific to human service robotics. The outcomes obtained through an experimental evaluation show that the approach is able to effectively outperform the ASR baseline, obtained by selecting the first transcription suggested by the ASR.
Systematic review and meta-analysis on the age-specific seroprevalence of hepatitis A in Iran

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a major cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. Annual medical and work loss costs of hepatitis A are significant even in low-endemic countries. It is recommended that each country should collect and review the information needed to estimate its national burden of hepatitis A to provide evidence for health policy makers to implement appropriate and cost-effective preventive strategy for HAV infection. The objective of this study was to estimate accurate prevalence of HAV infection in Iran for best preventive measures. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE, Institute of Scientific Information, Scopus, Iranmedex, Irandoc, Magiran and Scientific Information Database were searched. The seroprevalence of HAV were pooled by age, sex and residence using fixed and random effect models. Results: Sixteen papers representing 11857 subjects were included. The overall HAV seroprevalence was 51% (confidence interval [CI] 95%: 50-52%) in fixed and 66% (95% CI: 50-79%) in random effects models. The prevalence was 32% (CI 95%: 11-63%) in less than 20, 50% (CI 95%: 24-75%) in 20-30, and 67% (CI 95%: 17-95%) in more than 30 years of age. The difference was not significant in gender or residence subgroups. Conclusion: HAV infection in Iran may be considered as low or very low. Therefore, targeted vaccination of high-risk groups and more improvement in environmental sanitation would be the best preventive measure.
Managing flexibility strategically: a case-study on repositioning

The fashion industry requires rapid reaction to changing market demands, and therefore apparel manufacturers place emphasis on developing methodologies to enhance speed, dependability, quality and flexibility at the operational level. However, existing studies have suggested additional research is needed into strategic aspects of, in particular, issues of flexibility and agility. We first describe challenges facing the apparel industry; next we develop a conceptual literature-based strategic flexibility framework to support management decision making within a manufacturing enterprise; we then use findings of an action research project within a major European apparel manufacturer to show how the reconfiguration of an existing value chain can lead to an organization with enhanced strategic flexibility. We conclude by arguing that strategic flexibility can be separated into market and resource flexibility, which are orchestrated through a firm’s coordination ability. Utilizing these dimensions along the value chain allows apparel manufacturers to take advantage of increasing demand variability and to reposition themselves as a flexible vertically integrated firm.
An abundant supply of amino acids enhances the metabolic effect of exercise on muscle protein.

Six normal untrained men were studied during the intravenous infusion of a balanced amino acid mixture (approximately 0.15 g.kg-1.h-1 for 3 h) at rest and after a leg resistance exercise routine to test the influence of exercise on the regulation of muscle protein kinetics by hyperaminoacidemia. Leg muscle protein kinetics and transport of selected amino acids (alanine, phenylalanine, leucine, and lysine) were isotopically determined using a model based on arteriovenous blood samples and muscle biopsy. The intravenous amino acid infusion resulted in comparable increases in arterial amino acid concentrations at rest and after exercise, whereas leg blood flow was 64 +/- 5% greater after exercise than at rest. During hyperaminoacidemia, the increases in amino acid transport above basal were 30-100% greater after exercise than at rest. Increases in muscle protein synthesis were also greater after exercise than at rest (291 +/- 42% vs. 141 +/- 45%). Muscle protein breakdown was not significantly affected by hyperminoacidemia either at rest or after exercise. We conclude that the stimulatory effect of exogenous amino acids on muscle protein synthesis is enhanced by prior exercise, perhaps in part because of enhanced blood flow. Our results imply that protein intake immediately after exercise may be more anabolic than when ingested at some later time.
Lead exposure from food: the German LExUKon project

Lead is a highly toxic contaminant with food being the major source of exposure for the general public. The second German food consumption survey (Nationale Verzehrsstudie II – NVS II) with about 20 000 participants (15 371 for dietary history interviews used for this study) allowed for an updated exposure assessment for the German population. Based on these comprehensive data, information on consumption of 545 individual food items by the German population was generated. Lead concentrations in food were compiled from the German food monitoring programme, European countries’ authority programmes and the published literature, covering the years from 2000 to 2009, and were multiplied with consumption data to obtain estimates of lead intake from food. Average lead concentrations per main food group were highest for meat (including offal), followed by fish (including seafood), vegetables and cereals. Due to high consumption, beverages contributed most to the intake of the general public, followed by main groups vegetables, fruits & nuts and cereals. Lead intake from food was estimated to be 0.53 and 0.72 µg kg–1 bw and day for average and high-end consumers, respectively. This is close to (average consumers) respectively above (high-end consumers) a reference value derived from a recent health risk evaluation performed by EFSA, using the benchmark approach. Uncertainties in these estimates pertain to the influence of values below the limit of quantification and some foods not considered due to lacking occurrence data. In conclusion, the estimated lead intake of the German population from food is still close to health-based reference values. Further efforts to reduce lead intake are required.
A novel compact dual-band butler matrix design

A compact dual-band 4×4 butler matrix is presented for multi-beam antenna consisting of dual-band coupler and phase shifter. The network is realized on a single substrate without any crossovers. Within the working frequency range, the butler matrix exhibits good couplings of between -7.6 and -6.2 dB, and the progressive phase between antenna ports can create four radiation beams at 2.45GHz and 5.8GHz.
Front versus Rear Seat Injury Risk for Child Passengers: Evaluation of Newer Model Year Vehicles

Objective: Design improvements to frontal air bags for vehicles of model year 1998 and newer have reduced the risk of injury to child occupants exposed to their deployment. These changes in conjunction with other improvements in the protection of front seat occupants give impetus for the reconsideration of rear seating recommendations for child occupants. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association between seating row (front vs. rear) and risk of injury to children in newer model year vehicles. Methods: Data was collected on child occupants from December 1, 1998, to November 30, 2007, via insurance claim records and a validated telephone survey. The study sample included child occupants aged 0 to 15 years seated in the front and rear rows of vehicles model year 1998 or newer, involved in a crash in sixteen states. Children were classified as injured if a parent or driver reported an injury corresponding with Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of ≥2. The age-specific relative risk of injury by seat row was calculated for the whole data set and then further stratified by model year. Results: Complete interview data were obtained on 10,670 crashes involving 16,920 children, representing an estimated 205,408 crashes with 314,968 child passengers in the study population. The adjusted relative risk of injury to children in the rear seat compared to those in the front was 0.36 (0.23–0.57) and 0.69 (0.49–0.98) for 0- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 12-year-olds, respectively. For 13- to 15-year-olds, the reduced injury risk associated with rear row seating narrowly missed statistical significance. When stratified by model year (1998 to 2002 and 2003+), all age group/model year combinations demonstrated a crude rear row injury risk that was lower than that of the front row. Conclusions: This analysis, conducted on a set of vehicles with advanced front seat safety systems including second-generation and newer air bags, strongly confirmed the recommendation that all children 0–12 years should be seated in the rear row(s) of their vehicles. Children in the rear row(s) were one half to two thirds as likely to sustain injury than those in the front after adjusting for potentially confounding crash, vehicle, and child factors.
Noncontrast‐enhanced time‐resolved 4D dynamic intracranial MR angiography at 7T: A feasibility study

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) based‐noncontrast‐enhanced 4D MR angiography (NCE 4D MRA) shows potential in characterizing cerebrovascular hemodynamics in cerebrovascular disorders. Ultrahigh‐field theoretically benefits ASL signal with increased inherent signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and prolonged blood T1, which may provide improved delineation of vasculature in 4D MRA.
Therapeutic interventions following mammalian spinal cord injury.

Every year in the United States spinal cord injuries (SCIs) occur in approximately 12 000 individuals, resulting in chronic, debilitating functional deficits in most of these patients. Owing to the extremely high costs associated with hospitalization, subsequent rehabilitation, and outpatient care, it is becoming evident that effective treatments for SCI could drastically reduce health care costs and, more importantly, improve the quality of life for thousands of individuals. In this review, we will briefly discuss the pathological events that contribute to the poor regenerative capacity of the injured spinal cord and describe experimental methods that are being used to both minimize tissue damage and promote the regrowth of injured spinal cord axons.
Bias and Precision of Measures of Association for a Fixed-Effect Multivariate Analysis of Variance Model

The sampling distributions of five popular measures of association with and without two bias adjusting methods were examined for the single factor fixed-effects multivariate analysis of variance model. The number of groups, sample sizes, number of outcomes, and the strength of association were manipulated. The results indicate that all five unadjusted measures of association can be extremely biased when sample sizes are small and the bias increases as the number of groups and outcome variables increase. The Tatsuoka (1973) adjustment procedure minimized the bias in a limited number of contexts, while the Serlin (1982) procedure provided an adequate adjustment for most contexts studied. The precision of both the adjusted and unadjusted effect-size measures was similar, with the Serlin approach having slightly better precision than the Tatsuoka procedure.