Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smoking as an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction or stroke in type 2 diabetes: a report from the Swedish National Diabetes Register

Background Few earlier studies have analysed smoking as a risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke in type 2 diabetic patients. Design and methods A longitudinal study involved 13 087 female and male patients with type 2 diabetes from the Swedish National Diabetes Register with no previous MI or stroke at baseline, aged 30–74 years, and with data available for all analysed variables, followed up for mean 5.7 years. Results Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for smoking and first-incident fatal/nonfatal MI, stroke and total mortality were 1.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4–2.0; P < 0.001], 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1–1.6; P = 0.006) and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5–2.2; P < 0.001), respectively, by Cox regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, diabetes duration, hypoglycaemic treatment, haemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, body mass index, microalbuminuria, antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs. Adjusted HR was higher for fatal MI, 2.1 (95% CI: 1.7–2.7; P < 0.001), than for nonfatal MI, 1.4 (95% CI: 1.2–1.7; P < 0.001). The highest HRs were observed in more frequently smoking (22%), middle-aged patients (age < 60 years) for fatal/nonfatal MI, 2.3 (95% CI: 1.8–3.1; P < 0.001) and for total mortality, 2.5 (95% CI: 1.6–3.8, P < 0.001), whereas lower HRs were observed in older and less smoking patients. With predicted cessation of smoking in patients aged below 60 years, 24% (95% CI: 15–33%) of cases of fatal/nonfatal MI and 24% (11–37%) of cases of total mortality may have been prevented. Conclusion The risk for MI and total mortality associated with smoking is high in type 2 diabetes, especially in more frequently smoking, middle-aged patients, and was higher for MI than for stroke, and also higher for fatal than for nonfatal events. Smoking cessation would strongly affect risk reduction.
EDA based probabilistic Memetic Algorithm for distributed blocking permutation flowshop scheduling with sequence dependent setup time

Distributed permutation flowshop scheduling problem (DPFSP) is a typical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem and represents an important area in multiple distributed production systems. In this study, both machine blocking and job sequence dependent setup time constraints are considered in DPFSP, which make the conventional model more suitable to the realistic situation. The combination with new constraints means a substantial increase in the complexity of the problem and the volatility of landscape, which sharply increase the solving difficulty. Probabilistic memetic framework (PrMF) is a novel MA framework which balances the exploration and exploitation by controlling the learning intensity of each individual. In this paper, an EDA-based PrMF algorithm, called EDAPrMF, is proposed to solve the DBPFSP with SDST, in which PrMF is modified and extended for distributed scheduling problems with two-layer encoding. Specifically, a novel solution matrix based distance matrix is defined for DBPFSP with SDST, which serves as a suitable measure between two feasible solutions and can also be connected with the probability matrix of EDA, the global search meme in PrMF. Meta-Lamarckian learning strategy is also equipped in PrMF to guide the local search direction. The experimental results and comparisons with existing algorithms show the efficiency of the proposed EDAPrMF in solving both small-scale and large-scale DBPFSP with SDSP and the effectiveness of PrMF in improve the search ability.
The ClC-7 Chloride Channel Is Downregulated by Hypoosmotic Stress in Human Chondrocytes

Articular chondrocytes in osteoarthritis (OA) patients are exposed to hypoosmotic stress because the osmolality of this synovial fluid is significantly decreased. Hypoosmotic stress can cause an efflux of Cl− and an associated decrease of cell volume. We have previously reported that a Cl− conductance contributes to the regulation of resting membrane potential and thus can alter intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in human chondrocytes. The molecular identity and pathologic function of these Cl− channels, however, remained to be determined. Here, we show that the ClC-7 Cl− channel is strongly expressed in a human chondrocyte cell line (OUMS-27) and that it is responsible for Cl− currents that are activated by extracellular acidification (pH 5.0). These acid-sensitive currents are inhibited by 4,4ʹ-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2ʹ-disulfonic acid (DIDS; IC50 = 13 μM) and are markedly reduced by small-interfering RNA-induced knockdown of ClC-7. DIDS hyperpolarized these chondrocytes, and this was followed by an increase in [Ca2+]i. ClC-7 knockdown caused a similar hyperpolarization of the membrane potential. Short-term culture (48 hours) in hypoosmotic medium (270 mOsm) reduced the expression of ClC-7 and decreased the acid-sensitive currents. Interestingly, these hypoosmotic culture conditions, or ClC-7 knockdown, resulted in enhanced cell death. Taken together, our results show that the significant hyperpolarization due to ClC-7 impairment in chondrocytes can significantly increase [Ca2+]i and cell death. Thus, downregulation of ClC-7 channels during the hypoosmotic stress that accompanies OA progression is one important concept of the complex etiology of OA. These findings suggest novel targets for therapeutic intervention(s) and drug development for OA.
Simulation and experiment on substrate integrated monopulse antenna

An integrated monopulse antenna is proposed based on the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) slot array antenna together with a microstrip hybrid-ring coupler and power dividers. The whole antenna and feeding system are fabricated on a single substrate, which gives the advantage of small size, low profile, low cost, etc. The design process and experimental results of a four-by-eight substrate integrated monopulse antenna at X-band are presented.
An extended qualitative multi-faults diagnosis from first principles II: Algorithm and case study

This paper continues to present the framework of multi-faults diagnosis from the preceding paper. There are two main contributions in this part. One is aimed at developing a new diagnostic process for continuous and dynamic system and its corresponding consistency-checking module. This diagnostic process and its consistency-checking module are all based on the models defined by STRIPS actions. The other is that the fault models are introduced into the consistency-checking module for preventing the impossible diagnoses. Moreover, the STRIPS can qualitatively define the fault models without requiring detail and precise knowledge about faulty components.
Agglutination of Spermatozoa by human Sera with added Steroids

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird festgestellt, daß einige nicht‐spermagglutinierende Seren nach Zusatz von Progesteron oder Testosteron Aktivität aufweisen und eine Kopfzu‐Kopf‐Agglutination der Spermatozoen hervorrufen, während andere Seren diesen Effekt nicht zeigen. Das Verhältnis von Seren, in denen Spermagglutinine induziert werden können, zu den negativen Seren ist signifikant höher für solche von verheirateten Frauen als für Unverheiratete. Die Grundlage für diese Form der Agglutination ist nach Auffassung der Autoren ungewiß. Sicher handelt es sich nicht um einen einfachen Steroideffekt. Es wird gefolgert, daß die induzierte Spermagglutinations‐Aktivität von der gleichen Art ist wie die natürlich‐vorkommende, und daß die natürlich‐vorkommenden Nicht‐Immunglobulin‐Spermagglutinine Steroid‐Protein‐Komplexe sind. Es wird festgestellt, daß diese Spermagglutinine die gleichen sind, wie sie im Cervikalschleim demonstriert werden können, deren Aktivität unter Progesteron ansteigt und unter Oestradiol absinkt.
Estimation of melanin content in iris of human eye

Based on experimental data, obtained in vitro from reflectance measurements and in vivo from digital analysis of color images of human irises, melanin content in human and bovine eye irises has been estimated. Reflectance measurements have been performed using commercially available optical multichannel spectrometer LESA-5 (BioSpec, Russia). For registration of color images digital camera Olympus C-5060 has been used. Analysis of the reflectance spectra has been performed by the method used for determination of melanin content in skin. For digital analysis of iris color images, decomposition of the images in RGB-color-coordinate system has been performed. The images have been obtained both from irises of health volunteers as from irises of patients with glaucoma. Original computer program based on Mathcad software has been developed for the analysis. The results obtained from spectral and color measurements have a good agreement each to other. In eye irises of patients with glaucoma, smaller melanin content has been obtained, and the result has been useful for development of novel and optimization of already existing methods of glaucoma diagnostics.
Municipal Management Structure and Fiscal Performance: Do City Managers Make a Difference?

The relative efficiency of the city manager versus the elected mayor-council form of municipal government has been the subject of several studies in the urban public sector literature. Booms [5] hypothesized that professional city managers are more likely than elected mayors to minimize the cost of producing municipal services. He found that city spending levels were significantly lower in city manager (hereafter CM) cities compared to elected mayorcouncil cities (hereafter EMC). Later studies [1; 15; 16; 18; 23] investigated the effect of government form on municipal wage levels. Because city managers have considerable autonomy in personnel matters, it was felt that they could act specifically to hold down labor costs. It was also claimed that city managers are more effective in bargaining with employee organizations, which enables them to hold negotiated wage (and fringe benefit) increases below those of comparable EMC cities. Despite the fact that several studies have examined the impact of government structure, empirical results have not overwhelmingly supported the hypothesized superiority of CM cities. While Anderson [1], for example, found that annual wage increases tend to be smaller in professionally managed cities, other wage studies have found either no difference in wage levels [16; 18; 23] or that wages are higher, rather than lower, in CM cities [16]. Edwards and Edwards [15] found that the general impact of unionism on sanitation workers' wages is smaller in CM cities, but that in non-union cities wages tend to be higher under a CM form of government. Booms's original research is still the only study in the urban public finance literature to investigate the efficiency of CM cities as measured by spending level differences. '
Sensitivity analysis in variational data assimilation and applications

Mathematical aspects of sensitivity analysis in unconstrained optimization are reviewed and the sensitivity equations of a variational data assimilation system (VDAS) to observations, background estimate, and to the specification of the associated error-variances are derived from the first order optimality condition. The error-variance sensitivity is introduced as a feasible approach to provide guidance for tuning procedures and a priori estimates of the analysis and forecast impact due to variations in the specification of the input error statistics. Applications of the sensitivity analysis methods are discussed including adjoint-based estimation of the observation impact and diagnosis and tuning of the observation-error and background-error variances. Numerical results from idealized data assimilation experiments are used to illustrate the theoretical concepts.
Discrepancies between spontaneous and evoked synaptic potentials at normal, regenerating and botulinum toxin poisoned mammalian neuromuscular junctions

Amplitudes and times to peak of spontaneous miniature endplate potentials (m. e. p. ps) and evoked quantal endplate potentials (e. p. ps) were compared at normal, regenerating and botulinum toxin poisoned neuromuscular junctions of the extensor digitorum longus muscle of the rat. At normal junctions the mean time to peak of m. e. p. ps was longer and more variable than that of similar-sized e. p. ps. At endplates where nerve regeneration was induced by mechanical crushing of the motor nerve the frequency of m. e. p. ps was reduced and their amplitude distribution was broader than normal. The distribution of times to peak of m. e. p. ps was considerably broader than that of quantal e. p. ps recorded at the same endplates. At neuromuscular junctions poisoned with botulinum toxin type A, spontaneous and evoked transmitter release were greatly reduced. The amplitude distribution of m. e. p. ps was wider than that of e. p. ps and the time to peak of e. p. ps was about twice as fast as and less variable than that of m. e. p. ps. To explain the observed differences in time to peak among m. e. p. ps and between m. e. p. ps and quantal e. p. ps we suggest that some m. e. p. ps, but not e. p. ps, originate from transmitter quanta released from sites at a greater distance from postsynaptic receptors or that the release or diffusion process for acetylcholine is more prolonged when producing some of the m. e. p. ps. Such mechanisms produce at normal junctions a small population of m. e. p. ps with prolonged times to peak, at regenerating junctions a greater proportion of such m. e. p. ps and in botulinum toxin poisoning a majority.
Productive Performance of Chestnut Trees for Cultivation in Tropical Regions

Chestnut trees are economically exploited in temperate regions of Asian countries, Oceania and the European Iberian Peninsula. Chestnuts are sources of protein and carbohydrates and are eaten in many ways, mainly roasted during cold temperatures. Chestnuts may be suitable for cultivation in tropical regions, but to do this, the potential cultivars’ productive performances should be quantified. Thus, this study determined the performances of chestnut cultivars in a tropical region using the Taishowase, Isumo, Tamatsukuri and Okuni cultivars. The cultivars’ phenological development, including the beginning and end of flowering and harvesting, as well as each cultivar’s nut production were evaluated over four production cycles. The Taishowase and Okuni cultivars were shown to be the most promising for tropical regions because they showed greater adaptability and production stability.
146λ × 6 × 19-Gbaud Wavelength-and Mode-Division Multiplexed Transmission Over 10 × 50-km Spans of Few-Mode Fiber With a Gain-Equalized Few-Mode EDFA

We demonstrate wavelength- and mode-division multiplexed transmission over a fiber re-circulating loop comprising 50-km of low-DMGD few-mode fiber, and an optimized few-mode EDFA with reduced wavelength-dependent gain and mode-dependent gain. We characterize the channel matrix in terms of its singular value spread, and investigate its long-term stability.
Design method of the perturb and observe controller parameters for photovoltaic applications

This paper presents an analysis of the Perturb and Observe Maximum Power Point Tracking controller, providing a useful tool to design an optimal MPPT controller for photovoltaic applications. The method uses the complete equation for the photovoltaic module to calculate exact values in the non-linear power-voltage profile. The amplitude of the duty cycle perturbation is designed from the maximum power losses restriction and the sampling time of the algorithm is designed to track a dynamic irradiance profile with three-point behavior. Finally, simulations are used to validate the proposed methodology and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution.
Observation of Stable Shapes and Conformal Diffusion in Genus 2 Vesicles

The observed equilibrium shapes of phospholipid vesicles of topological genus 2 (shapes with two holes) are found to be in agreement with theoretical predictions on the basis of a minimization of the elastic curvature energy for fluid membranes under the constraints of constant area, volume, and area difference (between the inner and outer layers of the membrane). For some particular geometrical characteristics, the shapes of the vesicles change continuously and randomly on a slow time scale (tens of seconds) and thus exhibit conformal diffusion. This phenomenon is a reflection of the conformal degeneracy of the elastic curvature energy. Its observation sets a limit (three constraints) on the number of physical constraints relevant to the determination of the shapes of vesicles.
Aspects of the phonetics of Cambap

Increasingly, the need to document endangered languages before they cease to be spoken and disappear is being recognized. Corresponding acknowledgement of the importance of detailed descriptions of the phonetics of such languages, however, is lagging behind. This study examines the phonetics of Cambap, a Bantoid language spoken in the Nigeria-Cameroon borderland by approximately 30 people. The focus is on describing how its phonological contrasts are realized, and as such this study represents only a stage in a more complete description of Cambap phonetics, their relation to the phonology of Cambap and to more general aspects of the language and culture of the Camba.
Great Expectations: Really the Novel Predictor of Outcome After Spinal Surgery?

Study Design. Prospective study. Objective. The present study compared different theories on the role of expectations in a group of patients undergoing lumbar decompression surgery. Summary of Background Data. Patients’ expectations of treatment are a potentially important predictor of self-rated outcome after surgery. Some studies suggest that high baseline expectations per se yield better outcomes, others maintain that the fulfillment of prior expectations is paramount, and still others assert that it is the actual improvement in symptom status that governs outcome, regardless of prior expectations. Methods. Hundred patients took part (33 F, 67 M; mean [SD] age, 65 [11] yrs). Before surgery, they completed a booklet containing the Roland-Morris (RM) disability questionnaire, 0–10 pain graphic rating scales (back and leg separately), and Likert-scales about the degree of improvement expected in various domains. Two and 12 months after surgery, questions were answered regarding the perceived improvement for each of these domains, the RM and pain scales were completed again, and the patients rated the global outcome on a 5-point Likert-scale. Results. Compared with the actual improvement recorded at 12 months, prior expectations had been overly optimistic in about 40% patients for the domains leg pain, back pain, walking capacity, social life, mental well-being, and independence, and in 50% patients for everyday activities and sport. There was no significant relationship between baseline expectations and follow-up scores for back pain, leg pain, RM-disability (corrected for baseline values), or global outcome. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that “expectations being fulfilled” was the most significant predictor of global outcome. Conclusion. In this patient group, expectations of surgery were overly optimistic. Having one’s expectations fulfilled was most important for a good outcome. The results emphasize the importance of assessing patient-orientated outcome in routine practice, and the factors that might influence it, such that realistic expectations can be established for patients before surgery.
Generation of effector cells from T cell subsets. II. Lyt 123 T cells contain the precursors for all primary cytotoxic effector cells and for cells involved in the regulation of cytotoxic responses

Mixed responder populations, consisting of selected Lyt‐2,3+ cells and unselected T cells from two congenic mouse strains differing in their Lyt‐2,3 alleles, were used to study the role of Lyt‐1,2,3+ cells in the generation of cytotoxic effector cells in vitro. The fact that, under these conditions, all primary alloreactive and H‐2‐restricted killer cells are generated from the unselected T cell population and not from the selected Lyt‐2,3+ subset is demonstrated. Isolated, unsensitized Lyt‐2,3+ cells are able to produce primary alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) when incubated with alloantigen alone, but appear to be suppressed in the presence of Lyt‐1,2,3+ cells. In contrast, mixtures of Lyt‐2,3+ cells selected from C 57 BLI6 T cells previously primed to alloantigen in vitro, and unselected T cells from the Lyt‐2,3‐congenic partner after exposure to the same antigen give rise to cytotoxic effector cells which derive mainly from the primed Lyt‐2,3+ cell pool and not from the unselected T cell population. Both populations were able to generate CTL when sensitized separately with the alloantigen. The data suggest that Lyt‐1,2,3+ cells contain all primary precursors for both H‐2‐restricted and alloreactive killer cells, as well as lymphocytes suppressing the formation of cytotoxic effector cells from unsensitized Lyt‐2,3+ cells. The Lyt‐ 2,3+ cell pool most likely contains the secondary CTL precursors. In addition, the same antigen‐primed Lyt‐2,3+ pool contains suppressor cells which inhibit the formation of primary CTL from Lyt‐1,2,3+ cells. The data are discussed with respect to the regulation of cytotoxic responses.
Aquaporins 1, 3 and 8 expression in irritable bowel syndrome rats’ colon via NF-κB pathway

Objective Our research was to detect the expression of aquaporins. NF-κB in Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rat models’ colon so as to find novel pathogenesisof IBS. Results The expression of AQP1, AQP3, and AQP8 of IBS model group was down-regulated while NF-κB p65 was up-regulated comparing with control group (p < 0.05), and the expression of AQP1, AQP3, and AQP8 of inhibitor group was up-regulated while NF-κB p65 was down-regulated comparing with IBS model group (p < 0.05). Materials and Methods 18 adult female SD big rats were divided into three groups:the rats in control group were normal rats, the rats in IBS model group and the rats of inhibitor group were injected with the inhibitor of NF-κB (PDTC). Immunohistochemical technique and western blot were performed to detect the expression of AQP1, AQP3, AQP8 and NF-κB p65. RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of AQP1, AQP3, and AQP8. Conclusions Liquid water metabolic abnormalities and intestine permeability alteration might be the mechanism of IBS by down-regulating AQP1, AQP3 and AQP8 via NF-κB pathway.