Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population Pharmacokinetics of Ciprofloxacin in Neonates and Young Infants Less than Three Months of Age

ABSTRACT Ciprofloxacin is used in neonates with suspected or documented Gram-negative serious infections. Currently, its use is off-label partly because of lack of pharmacokinetic studies. Within the FP7 EU project TINN (Treat Infection in NeoNates), our aim was to evaluate the population pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin in neonates and young infants <3 months of age and define the appropriate dose in order to optimize ciprofloxacin treatment in this vulnerable population. Blood samples were collected from neonates treated with ciprofloxacin and concentrations were quantified by high-pressure liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using NONMEM software. The data from 60 newborn infants (postmenstrual age [PMA] range, 24.9 to 47.9 weeks) were available for population pharmacokinetic analysis. A two-compartment model with first-order elimination showed the best fit with the data. A covariate analysis identified that gestational age, postnatal age, current weight, serum creatinine concentration, and use of inotropes had a significant impact on ciprofloxacin pharmacokinetics. Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated that 90% of hypothetical newborns with a PMA of <34 weeks treated with 7.5 mg/kg twice daily and 84% of newborns with a PMA ≥34 weeks and young infants receiving 12.5 mg/kg twice daily would reach the AUC/MIC target of 125, using the standard EUCAST MIC susceptibility breakpoint of 0.5 mg/liter. The associated risks of overdose for the proposed dosing regimen were <8%. The population pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin was evaluated in neonates and young infants <3 months old, and a dosing regimen was established based on simulation.
Optimal Control of Replenishment and Substitution in an Inventory System with Nonstationary Batch Demand

We study an inventory system in which a supplier supplies demand using two mutually substitutable products over a selling season of T periods, with a single replenishment opportunity at the beginning of the season. As the season starts, customer orders arrive in each period, for either type of products, following a nonstationary Poisson process with random batch sizes. The substitution model we consider combines the usual supplier‐driven and customer‐driven schemes, in that the supplier may choose to offer substitution, at a discount price, or may choose not to; whereas the customer may or may not accept the substitution when it is offered. The supplier's decisions are the supply and substitution rules in each period throughout the season, and the replenishment quantities for both products at the beginning of the season. With a stochastic dynamic programming formulation, we first prove the concavity of the value function, which facilitates the solution to the optimal replenishment quantities. We then show that the optimal substitution follows a threshold rule, and establish the monotonicity of the thresholds over time and with respect to key cost parameters. We also propose a heuristic exhaustive policy, and illustrate its performance through numerical examples.
Early Observations on Optic Neuritis and Uhthoff’s Sign

For much of the 19th century, even after the discovery of the ophthalmoscope, the diagnostic clinical signs and the identity of primary optic nerve disease were confused and inaccurate. Amongst many contributions aimed at clarifying this muddle, those of Wilhelm Uhthoff and Edward Nettleship were of outstanding importance and are outlined here.
User-centered development of real-time dispatcher clients

The application area of our client system is traffic control for public transportation networks called ITCS (intermodal transport control system). This system manages the efficient flow of traffic in cities or rural areas. The DCG2 front end (or ‘client’) is the interface for the dispatcher. The aim of our project was to help the users gain a quick overview of the traffic situation and any problems arising. In addition the system should offer the features to deal with any challenge in an efficient and trustworthy manner. We used a user-centered design approach to develop new user interfaces that emphasize information visualization paradigms.
Approximate and Exact Enumeration of Rule Models

In machine learning, rule models are one of the most popular choices when model interpretability is the primary concern. Ordinary, a single model is obtained by solving an optimization problem, and the resulting model is interpreted as the one that best explains the data. In this study, instead of finding a single rule model, we propose algorithms for enumerating multiple rule models. Model enumeration is useful in practice when (i) users want to choose a model that is particularly suited to their task knowledge, or (ii) users want to obtain several possible mechanisms that could be underlying the data to use as hypotheses for further scientific studies. To this end, we propose two enumeration algorithms: an approximate algorithm and an exact algorithm. We prove that these algorithms can enumerate models in a descending order of their objective function values approximately and exactly. We then confirm our theoretical results through experiments on real-world data. We also show that, by using the proposed enumeration algorithms, we can find several different models of almost equal quality.
Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure and Temperature on Growth and Lipid Composition of the Inner Membrane of Barotolerant Pseudomonas sp. BT1 Isolated from the Deep-sea

A barotolerant member of the genus Pseudomonas was isolated from deep-sea sediment obtained from the Japan Trench, at a depth of 4418 m. The growth temperature was found to affect the hydrostatic pressure range in which the bacterium could grow; the optimum hydrostatic pressure for growth shifted to a higher pressure with increasing temperature. We examined the lipid composition of the inner membrane of cells grown at various hydrostatic pressures and temperatures. The fatty acid components of the inner membrane lipids were C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, and C18:1. The phospholipid components of the inner membrane were phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylserine. It is evident that the effects of elevated hydrostatic pressure are comparable to the effects of low temperature on both the fatty acid composition of the inner membrane lipids and the phospholipid composition of the inner membrane of this bacterium.
Impact of Regional Selective Assistance on sources of productivity growth: Plant‐level evidence from UK manufacturing, 1990–98

Harris R. and Robinson C. (2005) Impact of Regional Selective Assistance on sources of productivity growth: plant‐level evidence from UK manufacturing, 1990–98, Regional Studies 39 , 751–765. Regional policy has been an enduring aspect of post‐war industrial policy in the UK, based on a recognition of the need to reduce regional disparities in employment, earnings and the cost of living. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) support schemes are designed to achieve a number of varying and occasionally conflicting objectives, but their overarching intention arguably must be to improve the economic performance of the plants they assist in order to increase productivity growth in the regions. Research into the sources of productivity growth has indicated that the entry and exit of plants plays a significant role, but also the reallocation of inputs from plants within the industry. This paper uses decomposition analysis to look at sources of total factor productivity growth for UK manufacturing plants, allowing for comparisons across regions, industries and between assisted and non‐assisted plants, based on the Regional Selective Assistance scheme.
Performance evaluation of Web browsing over hybrid fiber coaxial broad-band networks

The phenomenal growth of the Internet in recent years has motivated a number of cable operators to upgrade their wide installed base of cable networks to offer broadband data services to residential subscribers. This enables them to access a variety of local community content as well as the Internet. Current state-of-the-art cable modems implement sophisticated modulation demodulation techniques that offer services with several-fold increase in access speeds from homes compared to conventional dial-up access. But experiences show that the performance of the Web browsing may be severely hampered if the overall network configuration and its connectivity to the external world is not well-studied, e.g., connection to the USA backbone. This paper investigates the performance of Web browsing in such an environment by taking a case study of the Singapore-ONE broadband network. We present a simple model for estimating the bandwidth of overseas links for a large user base by considering HTTP as the prime application. We later analyze the performance of the HTTP protocol over such a network and propose simple modifications including changes in access subnet for better performance.
Tetrahydrocurcumin inhibits HT1080 cell migration and invasion via downregulation of MMPs and uPA

AbstractAim:Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is an active metabolite of curcumin. It has been reported to have similar pharmacological activity to curcumin. The proteases that participate in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation are involved in cancer cell metastasis. The present study investigates the effect of an ultimate metabolite of curcumin, THC, on the invasion and motility of highly-metastatic HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells.Methods:The effect of THC on HT1080 cell invasion and migration was determined using Boyden chamber assay. Cell-adhesion assay was used for examining the binding of cells to ECM molecules. Zymography assay was used to analyze the effect of THC on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) secretion from HT1080 cells. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 and membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) proteins levels were analyzed by Western blotting.Results:Treatment with THC reduced HT1080 cell invasion and migration in a dose-dependent manner. THC also decreased the cell adhesion to Matrigel and laminin-coated plates. Analysis by zymography demonstrated that treatment with THC reduced the levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and uPA. THC also inhibited the levels of MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 proteins detected by Western blot analysis.Conclusion:Our findings revealed that THC reduced HT1080 cell invasion and migration. The inhibition of cancer cell invasion is associated with the downregulation of ECM degradation enzymes and the inhibition of cell adhesion to ECM proteins.
The economics of the EU`s corporate-insolvency law and the quest for harmonisation by market forces

In 2002, a new legislation that harmonises insolvency laws within the EU came into effect. I find reasons â€“ both theoretical and empirical â€“ to doubt whether the new law has achieved the goal of decreasing the cost of cross-border insolvency and borrowing. I thus suggest an alternative approach to the problem, which is based â€“ to a larger extent â€“ on market forces rather than on political or bureaucratic initiative.
Comparison of some decontamination methods and growth media for isolation of mycobacteria from northern brook waters

Two decontamination methods and five media were compared for the isolation of mycobacteria from brook waters of different physical, chemical and bacteriological characteristics. The decontaminants used were: 0.7 mol 1‐1 NaOH followed by 50 g 1‐1 oxalic acid and 0.9 mol 1‐1 H2SO4 combined with 0.5 g 1‐1 cycloheximide. The media compared were: Mycobacteria 7H11 agar with OADC enrichment (pH 6.6), glycerol egg (pH 6.5 and 5.5), and pyruvate egg (pH 6.5 and 5.5). All media contained cycloheximide, 0.5 g 1‐1. The NaOH—oxalic acid method generally resulted in lower contamination and higher isolation of mycobacteria than the H2SO4‐cycloheximide method. With the NaOH—oxalic acid method, all five media were equal in positivity rates but contamination was a problem on Mycobacteria 7H11 agar. Of the four egg media tested, the highest positivity rate (92% of the samples) was obtained on the pyruvate modification (pH 6.5), and the highest mean colony count of mycobacteria (900 cfu 1‐1) on the glycerol modification (pH 6.5). Characteristics of water and sampling site had similar effects on the isolation frequencies of mycobacteria obtained by different combinations.
EM characterization of a patch antenna with thermo-electric generator and Solar Cell for hybrid Energy Harvesting

The design and the radiation performance of a novel hybrid Energy Harvesting (EH) and wireless communication system based on a quarter-wave patch antenna with integrated modules for EH applications are documented in this paper. A Thermo-Electric Generator (TEG) and a Solar Cell (SC) are used in order to harvest concurrently thermal and solar energy providing a hybrid EH system. The antenna, with the harvesting modules stacked on it, operates in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency band 2.4-2.48 GHz showing a reflection coefficient below the -10 dB and a maximum gain of about 2.6 dB. The antenna can be used for wireless communication or, alternatively, to perform Electro-Magnetic (EM) energy scavenging by mounting a voltage rectifier at its terminals.
Western lowland gorilla diet and resource availability: New evidence, cross‐site comparisons, and reflections on indirect sampling methods

We describe the resource availability and diet of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) from a new study site in the Central African Republic and Republic of Congo based on 3 years of study. The results, based on 715 fecal samples and 617 days of feeding trails, were similar to those reported from three other sites, in spite of differences in herb and fruit availability. Staple foods (consumed year‐round) included high‐quality herbs (Haumania), swamp herbs (when present), and a minimal diversity of fruit. A variety of fruits (average of 3.5 species per day and 10 per month) were selectively consumed; gorillas ignored some common fruits and incorporated rare fruits to a degree higher than predicted based on availability. During periods of fruit abundance, fruit constituted most of the diet. When succulent fruits were unavailable, gorillas used low‐quality herbs (i.e., low‐protein), bark, and more fibrous fruits as fallback foods. Fibrous fruit species, such as Duboscia macrocarpa and Klainedoxa gabonensis, were particularly important to gorillas at Mondika and other sites as fallbacks. The densities of these two species are similar across sites for which data are available, in spite of major differences in forest structure, suggesting they may be key species in determining gorilla density. No sex difference in diet was detected. Such little variation in western lowland gorilla diet across sites and between sexes was unexpected and may partly reflect limitations of indirect sampling. Am. J. Primatol. 58:91–116, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The research of a network traffic in a backbone internet channel

We discuss the results of the analysis of a high-speed backbone network traffic dumps. We've obtained estimates of the parameters of functions that approximate the distribution of the number of packets transmitted in the main internet channel for the three groups of users. The effect of the aggregation window size on the distribution parameters was analyzed. It was found that one of the parameters of the distribution doesn't have the property of scale invariance, which allows putting into question the validity of the hypothesis of self-similarity of traffic in the main internet channel.
Returns and the interest rate: a non-linear relationship in the Bogota´stock market

This article presents some evidence of the non-linear and inverse relationship between the share prices on the Bogotá stock market and the interest rate as measured by the interbank loan interest rate, which is to some extent affected by monetary policy. The model captures the stylized fact on this market of high dependence of returns in short periods of time. These findings do not support any efficiency on the main stock market in Colombia. Evidence of a non-constant equity premium is also found. The article uses daily data from January 1994 up to February 2000.
The Effectiveness of Smartphone Apps for Lifestyle Improvement in Noncommunicable Diseases: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Background Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 70% of all deaths in a year globally. The four main NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic pulmonary diseases, and diabetes mellitus. Fifty percent of persons with NCD do not adhere to prescribed treatment; in fact, adherence to lifestyle interventions is especially considered as a major challenge. Smartphone apps permit structured monitoring of health parameters, as well as the opportunity to receive feedback. Objective The aim of this study was to review and assess the effectiveness of app-based interventions, lasting at least 3 months, to promote lifestyle changes in patients with NCDs. Methods In February 2017, a literature search in five databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Research Premier, and Cochrane Reviews and Trials) was conducted. Inclusion criteria was quantitative study designs including randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials that included patients aged 18 years and older diagnosed with any of the four main NCDs. Lifestyle outcomes were physical activity, physical fitness, modification of dietary habits, and quality of life. All included studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration`s risk of bias tool. Meta-analyses were conducted for one of the outcomes (glycated hemoglobin, HbA1c) by using the estimate of effect of mean post treatment with SD or CI. Heterogeneity was tested using the I2 test. All studies included in the meta-analyses were graded. Results Of the 1588 records examined, 9 met the predefined criteria. Seven studies included diabetes patients only, one study included heart patients only, and another study included both diabetes and heart patients. Statistical significant effect was shown in HbA1c in 5 of 8 studies, as well in body weight in one of 5 studies and in waist circumference in one of 3 studies evaluating these outcomes. Seven of the included studies were included in the meta-analyses and demonstrated significantly overall effect on HbA1c on a short term (3-6 months; P=.02) with low heterogeneity (I2=41%). In the long term (10-12 months), the overall effect on HbA1c was statistical significant (P=.009) and without heterogeneity (I2=0%). The quality of evidence according to Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation was low for short term and moderate for long term. Conclusions Our review demonstrated limited research of the use of smartphone apps for NCDs other than diabetes with a follow-up of at least 3 months. For diabetes, the use of apps seems to improve lifestyle factors, especially to decrease HbA1c. More research with long-term follow-up should be performed to assess the effect of smartphone apps for NCDs other than diabetes.
Property Rights, Costs, and Welfare: Delaware Water Mill Legislation, 1719–1859

Gristmills and other water‐powered mills played a central part in American economic development and were a common subject of early legislation. This article studies Delaware's water mill legislation from 1719 to 1859, which has not featured in any of the previous historical literature. These laws fall into three categories. First, Delaware's mill acts were highly redistributive, and their repeal in 1773 seems to stem from a concern with mill crowding rather than from a rejection of using the condemnation power in this context. Second, Delaware's substantive law of water rights, unlike the water law of any jurisdiction previously studied, was largely statutory and was based primarily on the principle of prior rights. Third, when household consumers complained that merchant mills were not serving their needs, the legislature responded by compelling merchant mills to offer services characteristic of the country gristmill, even at great cost.
CABINET DETERMINANTS OF STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN LATIN AMERICA, 1985–2000

Little research has been devoted to the analysis of how different characteristics of the executives affect structural reforms. This article analyzes the impact of cabinet fragmentation and the presidential ideological position on the scope of structural reforms in nine Latin American presidential democracies of the postauthoritarian period. In so doing, it treats cabinets as conglomerates of actors that are accountable both to the president and to their parties, with nonpartisan ministers being only accountable to the president. It shows that the higher the percentage of nonpartisan ministers, the lesser the costs associated with bargaining a reform within the executive. When presidents build governing coalitions, they limit their capacity of acting unilaterally. However, they are better able to advance their structural reform proposals than single-party governments are. Data on cabinet composition were collected by the authors and data on the dependent variable structural reform comes from Lora (2001).
Entrepreneurship and the art of tackling technological crises: a strategic real options framework

In this paper, we will answer the question of how companies should change their capabilities and entrepreneurial styles to survive when facing technological uncertainty. While real options analysis has largely been used for valuation purposes, we suggest that thinking in terms of real options is suitable for addressing strategic issues as well. Real options theory helps reveal how entrepreneurs are able to evaluate uncertain and complex future options when coping with drastic technological changes. We propose that our theoretical construction called strategic real options framework is a good supplement to the dynamic capability view, since it involves decision–making patterns such as creating, sensing, scanning, seizing and reconfiguring of real options. The real options connection also opens up new avenues to look at dynamic capability–based view about entrepreneurship and the role of technology intelligence within it. Finally, we provide qualitative empirical support for our framework by means of a case study.
Inserting spaces before and after words affects word processing differently in Chinese: Evidence from eye movements.

Unlike in English, there are no spaces between printed words in Chinese. In this study, we explored how inserting a space before or after a word affects the processing of that word in Chinese reading. Native Chinese readers' eye movements were monitored as they read sentences with different presentation conditions. The results show that inserting a space after a word facilitates its processing, but inserting a space before a word does not show this effect and inhibits the processing of that word in some cases. Our results are consistent with the prediction of a word segmentation and recognition model in Chinese Li et al., 2009, Cognit. Psychol. , 58, 525. Additionally, we found that a space guides the initial landing position on the word: the initial landing position was further away from the space that inserted into the text, whether it was before or after a word.