Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of chamomile intake on lipid profile in patients with diabetes and related metabolic disorders. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

background. the current study sought to provide a robust examination of the evidence for the efficacy of chamomile on lipid profile in diabetics. Methods. PubMed, scopus, Web of science, and cochrane Library were systematically searched to find randomized controlled trials (rcts) assessing the impact of chamomile intake on lipid profile, up to 17 August 2020. to obtain weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (cIs), a random-effects model was applied. A random-effects meta-regression was ran to detect the potential source of inter-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was checked using begg’s and Egger’s tests. results. Four trials, comprising 254 participants, were included to the meta-analysis. In comparison with controls, total cholesterol (tc) (WMD = –22.40, 95% cI = [–37.85, –6.96], P = 0.004, I 2 = 59.1%) was significantly decreased in the groups receiving chamomile. In contrast, serum triglycerides (tG) (WMD = –17.47, 95% cI = [–44.44, 9.50], P = 0.20, I 2 = 74.3%), high density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c) (WMD = 0.63, 95% cI = [–1.38, 2.64], P = 0.53, I 2 = 0.0%), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (WMD = –10.94, 95% cI = [–23.71, 1.81], P = 0.09, I 2 = 71.3%) were not significantly altered by chamomile consumption. conclusion. the present meta-analysis demonstrates that chamomile can elicit significant reductions in serum tc, but not tG, HDL-c and LDL-c in diabetics. Moreover, further large-scale and well-designed rcts are required to confirm the veracity of these findings. (clin Diabetol 2021; 10)
RUNNING HEAD: PRINCIPLES FOR LEARNING DESIGN IN SPORT Principles for use of ball projection machines in elite and developmental sport programmes.

Use of ball projection machines in the acquisition of interceptive skill has recently been questioned. The use of projection machines in developmental and elite fast ball sports programmes is not a trivial issue, since they play a crucial role in reducing injury incidence in players and coaches. A compelling challenge for sports science is to provide theoretical principles to guide how and when projection machines might be used for acquisition of ball skills and preparation for competition in developmental and elite sport performance programmes. Here, we propose how principles from an ecological dynamics theoretical framework could be adopted by sports scientists, pedagogues and coaches to underpin the design of interventions, practice and training tasks, including the use of hybrid video-projection technologies. The assessment of representative learning design during practice may provide ways to optimize developmental programmes in fast ball sports and inform the principled use of ball projection machines.
Muscle activation and kinematics in contemporary breaststroke swimming

s with oral presentation Olstad, B.H. , Zinner, C. , Haakonsen, D. , Cabri, J., & Kjendlie, P.L. (2012). 3D Automatic Motion Tracking in Water for Measuring Intra Cyclic Velocity Variations in Breaststroke Swimming. In R. Meeusen, J. Duchateau, B. Roelands, M. Klass, B. De Geus, S. Baudry, & E. Tsolakidis (eds.). Book of Abstracts of the 17th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (p. 22). Bruges, Belgium: European College of Sport Science. Olstad, B.H. , Zinner, C. , Cabri, J., Haakonsen, D. , & Kjendlie, P.L. (2012). Strong Positive Correlations Were Found Between Muscle Activation and Breaststroke Speed Measured with 3D Automatic Tracking. In R. Meeusen, J. Duchateau, B. Roelands, M. Klass, B De Geus, S. Baudry, & E. Tsolakidis (eds.). Book of Abstracts of the 17th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (p. 463). Bruges, Belgium: European College of Sport Science. Olstad, B.H. , Cabri, J., Zinner, C. , Nunes, N. , & Kjendlie, P.L. (2011). Mean and Peak Frequency in the Semg Power-Spectrum is Not Different Between Land and Water. In N. T. Cable, & K. George (eds.). Book of Abstracts of the 16th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (p. 301). Liverpool, United Kingdom: European College of Sport Science.
TRANSCENDING CONTEMPORARY OBSESSIONS The Development of a Model for Teacher Professional Development

The Development of a Model for Teacher Professional Development The Math Minds Initiative began with the goal to improve mathematics instruction at the elementary level, with an eye to all learners continuously extending their mathematical understanding. The project has integrated findings from cognitive sciences and six years of empirical data to develop both a teaching model (the RaPID model) and a framework for lesson observation and analysis. The model identifies essential elements of effective mathematics lessons, and the framework offers a lens for both teachers and researchers to attend to and analyze the interplay of resource, teacher, and learner in the context of individual lessons, with consideration of how they are woven into a broader learning trajectory. When project teachers have used the model/protocol in collaboration with a resource that clearly identifies and weaves together key mathematical ideas, we have seen a powerful impact on student learning. The chapter elaborates on the development of this framework, with particular attention to contemporary literature from the cognitive sciences that has oriented the project; it also includes a critical review of hundreds of theories of learning, their assumptions on the nature of mathematical knowledge, and their advice for teaching. We conclude the chapter by elaborating on implications for teacher professional development.
Necessarily welfare-enhancing customs unions with industrialization constraints: The Cooper-Massell-Johnson-Bhagwati conjecture

This paper demonstrates that welfare-improving Customs Unions can be guaranteed even if we are constrained by specific non-economic government objectives, thus proving the CooperMassell-Johnson-Bhagwati conjecture. We consider a 'production' objective here, where a member country requires the output of a particular sector (e.g. a target level of industrialization) to be maintained at the pre-union level, and show that welfare-improving Customs Unions can still be achieved. It is straightforward to show that this result can be extended to other non-economic objectives as well. (~') 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. Kevwords. " Customs unions; Non-economic objectives; Kemp-Wan theorem; Trade diversion JEL classification. " F02; F10; Fl5
Immunological method for direct assessment of the functionality of a denitrifying strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens in soil

This work describes an immunological method for detection and quantification in complex environments of the dissimilative nitrate reductase (NRA) responsible for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite, which plays an important role in ecosystem functioning. The a -catalytic subunit of the enzyme was purified from the denitrifying strain Pseudomonas fluorescens YT101 and used for the production of polyclonal antibodies. These antibodies were used to detect and quantify the NRA by a chemifluorescence technique on Western blots after separation of total proteins from pure cultures and soil samples. The specificity, detection threshold and reproducibility of the proposed method were evaluated. A soil experiment showed that our method can be applied to complex environmental samples. D
Rapid Induction of Thymic Lymphomas by Isopropyl Methanesulfonate: A Preliminary Report

Abstract The direct-acting SN1 alkylating agent isopropyl methanesulfonate (IMS) was carcinogenic by subcutaneous injection in female Hsd:(ICR)BR mice, causing thymic lymphoid neoplasms within 7 months in at least 20 of 32 treated mice. No such neoplasms were observed in mice treated with the direct-acting SN2 methyl homolog, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Both the IMS-treated mice and the MMS-treated mice initially received 20 μmole of the respective compounds by sc injection once weekly; however, because of toxic effects the dose of IMS was reduced to 10 μmole per injection on the 63rd day and further reduced to 5 μmole per injection on the 120th day, after which this dose was maintained until the 202nd day when the last surviving IMS-treated mouse became moribund and was sacrificed. In 2 of the MMS-treated mice, 93% of which were alive at 288 days, tumors were observed at the site of injection, one being a papilloma and the other a subcutaneous sarcoma. IMS has not previously been implicated as a carcinogen, to our knowledge. Its induction of thymic lymphomas may conceivably be related to its ability to alklyate exocyclic oxygen atoms in the DNA of hemopoietic cells.
Hamstring length, gross motor function and gait in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy

| This study aims at assessing the relationship between hamstring length, gross motor function, and gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Children and adolescents aged between 6 and 18 years, were classified as levels I, II or III according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System. Participants were assessed using a modified Tardieu Scale to determine hamstring length, evaluating: R1 (first leg extension resistance), R2 (second leg extension resistance) and R2-R1 (difference between R1 and R2) of the left and right lower limbs. The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) was used to evaluate gross motor function and the modified Physicians Rating Scale (PRS) for gait. Twenty-three participants were included in the study and the results showed a moderate correlation between R1, R2, and PRS of the left leg and the GMFM. All other variables exhibited a weak correlation. Hamstring length was weakly to moderately related to gross motor function and gait in children and adolescents with
Raynaud's phenomenon in rheumatoid arthritis.

The prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon in RA was retrospectively reviewed in 411 consecutive RA patients and in a control group of 919 consecutive outpatients with OA. Raynaud's phenomenon was found in 19 (4.6%) of 411 RA patients and in 52 (5.6%) of 919 patients with OA: its prevalence was 4.3% (13 cases) in RA inpatients and 5.4% (six cases) in RA outpatients. Among the RA patients, the prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon was 7.5% in men (7% of inpatients, 8.8% of outpatients) and 3.2% in women (3% of inpatients, 3.9% of outpatients) (P = N.S.). Conversely, the prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon in patients with OA was higher in women (6.5%) than in men (2.9%) (P = 0.045). Our study indicates that the reported association between Raynaud's phenomenon and RA cannot be confirmed on the basis of a retrospective assessment of its prevalence.
Upper Bound Limit Analysis of Soils With a Non-linear Failure Criterion

: Limit analysis is a widely used technique for the analysis of geotechnical collapse 2 states and there exists a signiﬁcant body of literature covering its application to soils with a 3 linear failure criterion. However, such a failure criterion is often an idealisation of an actual 4 non-linear response for which available analytical techniques are limited. This paper presents 5 a new fully general solution procedure for generating upper bound multi-wedge rigid block 6 mechanisms for a soil with a non-linear failure criterion, utilising a curved interface that 7 obeys the non-linear yield function ﬂow rule along its full length. This work extends the 8 long established kinematic sliding wedge approach for linear soils and is illustrated through 9 application to active and passive retaining wall and anchor/trapdoor problems. Through 10 additional consideration of the lower bound solution, close bounds on the retaining wall 11 problem to within ∼ 1% are established. The ability of the non-linear upper bound solution to 12 predict the shear and normal stress at every point along the failure surface is discussed. 13
Biochemical and Biophysical Studies of Reactive Center Cleaved Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 1 THE DISTANCE BETWEEN P3 AND P1 (cid:57) DETERMINED BY DONOR-DONOR FLUORESCENCE ENERGY TRANSFER*

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a fast acting inhibitor of plasminogen activators (PAs). In accordance with other serpins, PAI-1 is thought to un- dergo a conformational change upon reactive center cleavage. In this study we have developed methods to produce and purify reactive center cleaved wild-type PAI-1 and characterized this molecular form of PAI-1 by biochemical and biophysical methods. Incubation with Sepharose-bound trypsin caused cleavage only at the P1–P1 (cid:42) bond in the reactive center and resulted in 39-and 4-kDa polypeptides, strongly held together by non- covalent interactions. Circular dichroism measurements suggest that the reactive center cleavage triggers larger conformational changes than the conversion from the active to the latent form. Cleaved PAI-1 did not bind to either PAs or vitronectin but retained the hep-arin-binding capacity. To study the structure of cleaved PAI-1 by polarized fluorescence spectroscopy and to measure intramolecular distances, we used cysteine substitution mutants to which extrinsic fluorescence probes were attached. These studies revealed increas- ing orientational freedom of probes in the P3 and P1 (cid:42) positions upon cleavage. Distance measurements based on fluorescence energy transfer between probes in positions P3 and P1 (cid:42) indicate that these residues are separated by at least 68 (cid:54)
Plant Biotechnology 23, 309–316 (2006)

Risk assessment and management of gene flow via pollen dispersal from genetically modified (GM) plants is critical. To minimize the likelihood of undesirable outcrossing, it is important to better understand the relationship between pollen dispersal distance and outcrossing rate in objective materials under physical containment. This study examined how a special screened greenhouse for Type-2 use, covered by a fine, 1-mm mesh reduced pollen dispersal and affected the outcrossing rate of non-GM yellow maize in the greenhouse and silver maize outside the greenhouse. Results suggest that the mesh-covered greenhouse was effective in reducing the outcrossing rate as a whole, although it may be less effective in reducing the longest distance of pollen dispersal. Further, the isolation distance threshold for the screened greenhouse is discussed in relation to risk assessment.
ALLIANCE PORTFOLIO AND INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE OF BRAZILIAN INDUSTRY

The main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between Alliance Portfolio Diversity (APD) and the firm's innovative performance, especially when R&D capacity (RDCAP) and Specialized Complementary Assets (SCA) moderate this relationship at different points in the firm’s value chain; the study also identifies the nature of the relationship between such moderators. It applies econometric methods to a database comprised of 13,020 companies from Brazilian industry. The results reveal an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship between APD and innovative performance, as well as the effective positive moderation of this relationship by the RDCAP and the SCA. This research contributes to the literature on firm knowledge, especially theories of open innovation and absorptive capacity (AC). The former is progressing to emerging economic contexts and the second, contributing a new way of understanding AC by investiga- ting its spatial dimensions, in addition to the skills and competencies dimensions.
An Observational Study of a Coastal Barrier Jet Induced by a Landfalling Typhoon

In this study, the structure and evolution of a coastal barrier jet (CBJ) along the east coast of Taiwan is documented using operational Doppler radars. The formation of the CBJ was controlled by the ﬂow regime associated with the approaching Typhoon Haitang (2005). The CBJ persisted for 6h and was approximately 140km long and 25km wide. The northern branch of the CBJ had stronger winds with maximum wind speed 49–52ms 2 1 , a greater vertical extent with jet core between 1.0 and 2.5km in height, and a more persistent jet signal than the southern branch with maximum wind speed 43–46ms 2 1 and jet core between 1.0 and 2.0km. We investigated the terrain blocking effect leading to the CBJ formation using an idealized simulation. A vortex resembling Haitang is constructed based on circulation retrieved from generalized velocity track display (GVTD) technique. The result of a no-terrain simulation reveals wind speed 10–22ms 2 1 lower than the observed Doppler velocity. The difference suggests the enhanced wind speed along the coast was most likely due to the terrain blocking effect.
Research on processing deformation control of LF2 aluminum alloy gasket based on double-tool mirror turning

In order to solve the problem of large deformation in turning of LF2 aluminum alloy gasket, a double-tool mirror turning processing technology was proposed. Locking processing parameters is the key factor to control processing deformation. The test plan was designed using the Latin hypercube method, and the experimental results were analyzed and prediction model was established; aiming at the problems of traditional firefly algorithms that are easy to fall into local optimization and slow convergence, an improved firefly algorithm is proposed to solve the optimal processing parameters with the minimum deformation as the goal. After actual processing verification, the optimized calculation results and actual processing results are similar, and both meet the requirements of use. The proposed method has practical engineering application value.
Application of CAST to hospital adverse events

Despite the passage of 15 years since the Institute of Medicine sought to galvanize the nation with its report To Err is Human, the authors’ goal to dramatically improve the quality of healthcare delivery in the United States has yet to be accomplished. While the report and subsequent efforts make frequent reference to the challenges of designing and obtaining system safety, few system tools have been applied in the healthcare industry. Instead, methods such as root cause analysis (RCA) are the current accepted industry standards. The Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP) is a model created by Dr. Nancy Leveson that has been successfully applied in a number of industries worldwide to improve system safety. STAMP has the capability to aid the healthcare industry professionals in reaching their goal of improving the quality of patient care. This thesis applies the Causal Accident Systems Theoretic (CAST) accident analysis tool, created by Dr. Leveson based on STAMP, to a hospital accident. The accident reviewed is a realistic, fictionalized accident described by a case study created by the VA to train healthcare personnel in the VA RCA methodology. This thesis provides an example of the application of CAST and provides a comparison of the method to the outcomes of an RCA performed by the VA independently on the same case. The CAST analysis demonstrated that a broader set of causes was identified by the systems approach compared to that of the RCA. This enhanced ability to identify causality led to the identification of additional system improvements. Continued future efforts should be taken to aid in the adoption of a systems approach such as CAST throughout the healthcare industry to ensure the realization of the quality improvements outlined by the IOB in 1999. Thesis Supervisor: Nancy G. Leveson Title: Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems
Get in: Rhetoric and Realities of Diversity in the Global University

Abstract Diversity – in the nominal sense of widening access to education beyond majority group interests – is a stated objective for many institutions of higher education worldwide. However, different narratives of national and institutional identity play a role in how programmes of diversity are conceived. In recent university reforms initiated in Japan by MEXT (Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), the drive to internationalize universities through increasing the number of foreign students, faculty and collaborations runs alongside an historical and reactionary othering of rational and critical thinking as “western learning. ” By contrast, for universities in the “west” the pursuit of diversity is considered an affirmation of the university as a site of civil and rational discourse, in which the welcoming of different voices is considered in terms of being both a moral imperative and institutional asset. Using Bill Readings’ 1996 critique of the modern university as a bureaucratic corporation, “The University in Ruins” as a reference point, the dissonance between the policy goal of diversity and what may actually happen in a classroom is discussed here from personal experience of teaching the history of photography, and other subjects, in Japanese Universities. Modes of classroom interaction and the role of the teacher, beyond culture-specific models, are interrogated, and finally discussed in relation to a holistic view of education espoused in the teaching methodologies of Charles A. Curran and Caleb Gattegno.
A chipless RFID tag for humidity sensing

Chipless RFID tags have greatly expanded the application range of sensors because of their advantages of passive wireless, and have become one of the research hotspots of sensors. Compared with traditional RFID tags, chipless RFID tags have smaller size and higher sensitivity, and they are also widely used in the field of humidity sensors. In this paper, a chipless RFID tag for humidity sensing is designed. It can be divided into three layers from top to bottom: humidity sensitive material layer, tag resonance unit and dielectric substrate. The humidity sensitive material layer covers the surface of the tag’s resonant unit, and the tag patch unit is placed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate. The tag resonance unit adopts three nested "D" shaped resonance rings. The inner ring belongs to the sensing unit, which is responsible for detecting the environmental humidity, and the outer two rings belong to the encoding unit, which is responsible for the tag identity coding. The effective frequency of the tag is between 3~9GHz, the coding capacity is 4bits, and the frequency shift bandwidth is 100MHz. It has the advantages of no chip, low cost, miniaturization, strong anti-interference ability and so on.
Image style transferring method based on VGG-16 network

With the development of techniques and society, people gradually have more and more serious requirements for artistic pleasure. People want to make artistic works by themselves, and thus, many photo applications presented image style transfer features to cater to consumers’ tendencies. In order to improve the present algorithm about the feature and get a more effective solution. We presented the VGG-16 structure and improved it when solving the image style transfer problem. After comparing different networks, weight ratio, and activation functions, we find the VGG-16 is the best choice according to its least iteration and shortest running time among the four networks. In addition, ReLu and LeakyReLu are better than Tanh and Sigmoid when choosing activation functions for their better handling texture ability. LBFGS is better than Adam, SGD and RMSprop when choosing optimizer for its smaller number of iterations. Finally, we obtain an optimized image style transfer model based on VGG-16 network.