Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical Simulations of Aortic Blood Flow with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Numerical Simulations of Aortic Blood Flow with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve By Ruth D. Blum One of the most common congenital heart defects is bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), occurring in about 1% to 2% of the population. In patients with BAV the aortic valve deviates from normal in that it only has two leaflets instead of three. BAV can result in altered hemodynamics and decreased performance of the valve, which in turn can lead to serious complications, such as aortic dilation, stenosis, regurgitation, aneurysms, dissection and infective endocarditis. This research focuses on understanding the pathology behind one complication associated with bicuspid aortic valves in particular: aortic dilation. This is primarily because aortic dilation is correlated to greatly increased risk for further complications such as aortic regurgitation, formation of an aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection. The framework to which the present work belongs is a project for investigating the fluid dynamics in the ascending aorta of patients with BAV in order to reveal the hemodynamic mechanisms possibly causing aortic dilation in some patients and not others. Differences in bicuspid aortic valve morphologies due to the fusion of different combinations of cusps and different inlet sizes were considered, and an idealized geometry of the aorta was used. This investigation was conducted via three-dimensional computational models that are able to provide reliable evaluation of various hemodynamic and anatomical parameters, relevant for prediction and quantification of aortic dilation. It was found that as the size of the inlet decreases, the velocity, pressure and wall shear stress all increase in the ascending aorta. Blood vessel wall remodeling is associated with prolonged increases of pressure and flow rate, and so narrow inlets may be correlated with aortic dilation. It is unclear how the fusion of different leaflets is correlated with pathologies of the aortic arch, but when coupled with a small inlet, rotated inlets induce asymmetry of the blood flow. At this point in the research it can be concluded that there is something inherent with blood flow in the aortic arch in models with bicuspid aortic valves that is intrinsically different from the normal tricuspid aortic valve flow. Additionally, this flow differs depending on the specific morphology of the bicuspid aortic valve under investigation. Numerical Simulations of Aortic Blood Flow with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Effects of Milk and Dairy Products on the Prevention of Osteoporosis and Osteoporotic Fractures in Europeans and Non-Hispanic Whites from North America: A Systematic Review and Updated Meta-Analysis.

Nutrition plays an important role in bone health. The aim of our study was to update the evidence regarding dairy intake, osteoporotic fracture (OF) risk, and prospective bone mass density (BMD) evolution assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in Europeans and non-Hispanic whites from North America. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus for papers published from 1 January, 2000 to 30 April, 2018. The eligibility criteria were as follows: healthy adults; measurable dairy exposure; hip, vertebral, wrist or OF as outcomes; and cohort or case-control studies. Two independent investigators conducted the search and the data extraction. A pooled analysis was conducted with random-effects models. Publication bias and meta-regression were considered. Ten cohort studies relating to OF risk were selected for meta-analysis. Three papers reporting BMD changes associated with dairy intake could not be aggregated in the meta-analysis. The pooled HRs of the highest compared with the lowest levels of dairy intake were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.03; I2 = 82.9%; P-heterogeneity < 0.001) for OF at any site; 0.87 (95% CI: 0.75, 1.01; I2 = 86.7%; P-heterogeneity < 0.001) for hip fractures; and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.99; I2 = 0.0%; P-heterogeneity = 0.512) for vertebral fractures. Concerning BMD, the selected studies described a 1.7-3% lower hip BMD in young and postmenopausal women with poor intake of milk in their youth, a positive relationship between baseline milk ingestion and the percentage of trochanter BMD change in elderly people, and a positive correlation between milk consumption and BMD change at the radius in women aged >65 y. In conclusion, in the studied population, the highest consumption of dairy products did not show a clear association with the total OF or hip fracture risks; however, a diminished risk of vertebral fracture could be described. The results regarding BMD change were heterogeneous and did not allow for a definitive conclusion.
A ZCS bidirectional flyback DC/DC converter

This paper addresses the design and analysis of a zero-current-switched (ZCS) bidirectional flyback dc/dc converter. The converter is based on extending a previously developed unidirectional ZCS flyback converter and replacing the output diode with a controlled switch, which acts as either a rectifier or a power control switch in the corresponding power flow direction. By adding an auxiliary winding in the coupled inductor, a switch, and a capacitor, the hard-switching design is converted into a soft-switching one. The technique utilizes the leakage inductance of the flyback coupled inductor to create zero-current-switching conditions for all switches in both power flow directions, leading to reduced switching losses, stresses, and electromagnetic interference. The operating principles of the converter and experimental results have been presented.
Making Plans that Matter: Citizen Involvement and Government Action

Abstract Plans that are, as the cliché goes, “dead on arrival” and languish on local government shelves long have contributed to skepticism about the value of comprehensive plans. In this article, I show that if plans are to matter and have an impact on local government actions, planners must involve a wider array of stakeholders in plan making than is usually the case. Evidence from 60 plan-making processes in the states of Florida and Washington indicates that with greater stakeholder involvement, comprehensive plans are stronger, and proposals made in plans are more likely to be implemented. Planners can stimulate broader involvement by stakeholders by directly inviting more groups to take part in the planning process and by providing opportunities for dialogue in which planners both inform citizens about planning issues and listen to citizen concerns.
Human DRA functions as a sulfate transporter in Sf9 insect cells.

DRA is a gene that is down-regulated in colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas in humans. We have previously shown that DRA proteins are found as various forms in tissue due to differential glycosylation. This study has focused on the function of DRA related to its subcellular localization. We used the baculovirus expression system and overexpressed a nearly full-length DRA driven by a polyhedrin promoter in Sf9 insect cells. DRA protein expressed in this cell was underglycosylated relative to normal colon mucosa, but uniformly targeted to the cell membrane. It also appears to undergo posttranslational cleavage, removing about 100 amino acids from its amino terminus. This membrane localization is similar to what we observed in the colon mucosa. An ion transport assay demonstrated that DRA functions as a sulfate transporter. When DRA was expressed, sulfate import was increased more than threefold compared to the control. Sulfate import was inhibitable by the anion transporter inhibitor, DIDS, in a dose-dependent fashion. Given that (1) DRA has high similarity to other identified sulfate transporters and the proposed structure of DRA polypeptide is characteristic of those transporters, (2) DRA localization is limited to the cell membrane, and (3) DRA expression correlates with intestinal differentiation in mouse, we suggest that DRA represents a tissue-specific member of the sulfate transporter family.
Economic valuation of flood risk exposure and reduction in a severely flood prone developing country

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of a dichotomous choice contingent valuation (CV) study of reduced flood risks in Bangladesh. Sensitivity of willingness to pay (WTP) to varying risk exposure levels is tested in a ‘natural experiment’, targeting floodplain residents facing regular annual flooding and a disaster flood once every five to ten years. Accounting for price, income and education levels, both subjective risk aversion and objective baseline risk exposure affect stated WTP for a common level of flood protection. We find a number of problems with the CV application in this specific developing country context. Half of the respondents are unable to pay in financial terms, but are willing to contribute in kind. The combined use of a monetary and non-monetary measure of WTP would have lowered the number of zero bids considerably. A test-retest carried out six months after the original survey shows that the stated WTP values are reliable.
Aggressive Short Selling and Price Reversals

We show that short selling may, occasionally, cause excessive price pressure. We study large negative price reversals that occur on no-news days and find that short selling during such reversals is abnormally aggressive and substantially increases the magnitude of price declines. This negative effect on prices extends beyond a mere selling pressure from aggressive sell orders. Consistent with extant theories of predatory trading, price reversals are also accompanied by aggressive non-short selling. Large price reversals are more likely to occur in the stocks for which short selling restrictions are lifted; however, even when restrictions apply, traders often successfully circumvent them.
Hyperglycemic factor in submandibular glands and its etiological relations to diabetes mellitus in mice.

Bilateral ligation of both the submandibular and parotid ducts of adult normal and mutant hyperinsulinemic diabetic mice resulted in a significant hypoglycemic effect. Therefore, we postulated that duct ligation may result in the removal of hyperglycemic factor (Hoshino et al., 1976) rather than a change in insulin sensitivity. Indeed, no change in specific binding of 125I-insulin was observed in membrane fractions from several tissues obtained from mice of either sex or strains before and after duct ligation. After slices of the submandibular gland were incubated for 4 hr in Eagle's medium, an aliquot of the culture medium was injected i.p. into normal adult mice. A signigicant hyperglycemic effect was observed in 30 min in the injected animals. Eluates obtained by gel filtration of the crude extract of the submandibular gland were injected into normal adult mice, and hyperglycemia ensued. Thus, it is postulated that ligation of salivary ducts results in glandular atrophy and disappearance of the hyperglycemic factor which in turn leads to hypoglycemia and amelioration of diabetes mellitus, particularly of hyperinsulinemic type.
A hybrid approach to diagnosis of tuberculosis from sputum

This paper describes a hybrid approach to diagnosis of Tuberculosis from microscopic images of sputum. It is non-invasive in nature. In Sputum microscopy analysis, Ziehl-Neelsen-stained sputum smears are examined using a compound microscope for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB). TB bacteria appear in pinkish violet color and rest of the slide looks bluish, when seen through a compound digital microscope. This manual process is being automated in this work. In microscopic analysis of sputum, white and blue regions are suppressed consecutively to highlight the pink region using RGB color information. After that the pink regions are segmented using a threshold value obtained by iterative method. After segmentation, redundant or false contours are removed. A new approach to detect more accurate contour boundary has been proposed here. In this technique, once the initial contour is selected then a gradient based region growing technique is used locally to find more accurate contour of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Shape, color and granularity features of the suspected region of the microscopic images of sputum smears are computed for the diagnosis of TB. Using each of these features, a fuzzy decision about the presence of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is generated. All these three individual decisions are combined to produce the final decision. This approach is characterized as hybrid as it uses both crisp and fuzzy data representation. This approach reduces the false positive and false negative rate and the sensitivity and Specificity of the system are 93.9% and 88.2% respectively, which are quite high.
Nonvolatile, semivolatile, or volatile: Redefining volatile for volatile organic compounds

Although widely used in air quality regulatory frameworks, the term “volatile organic compound” (VOC) is poorly defined. Numerous standardized tests are currently used in regulations to determine VOC content (and thus volatility), but in many cases the tests do not agree with each other, nor do they always accurately represent actual evaporation rates under ambient conditions. The parameters (time, temperature, reference material, column polarity, etc.) used in the definitions and the associated test methods were created without a significant evaluation of volatilization characteristics in real world settings. Not only do these differences lead to varying VOC content results, but occasionally they conflict with one another. An ambient evaporation study of selected compounds and a few formulated products was conducted and the results were compared to several current VOC test methodologies: SCAQMD Method 313 (M313), ASTM Standard Test Method E 1868-10 (E1868), and U.S. EPA Reference Method 24 (M24). The ambient evaporation study showed a definite distinction between nonvolatile, semivolatile, and volatile compounds. Some low vapor pressure (LVP) solvents, currently considered exempt as VOCs by some methods, volatilize at ambient conditions nearly as rapidly as the traditional high-volatility solvents they are meant to replace. Conversely, bio-based and heavy hydrocarbons did not readily volatilize, though they often are calculated as VOCs in some traditional test methods. The study suggests that regulatory standards should be reevaluated to more accurately reflect real-world emission from the use of VOC containing products. Implications: The definition of VOC in current test methods may lead to regulations that exclude otherwise viable alternatives or allow substitutions of chemicals that may limit the environmental benefits sought in the regulation. A study was conducted to examine volatility of several compounds and a few formulated products under several current VOC test methodologies and ambient evaporation. This paper provides ample evidence to warrant a reevaluation of regulatory standards and provides a framework for progressive developments based on reasonable and scientifically justifiable definitions of VOCs.
Open government data: a value chain model proposal

Open Government Data (OGD) is a technology platform adopted by governments to meet new society demands. This theme is based on the assumptions of transparency, collaboration and participation. It is believed that from these initiatives, it is possible to generate activities of economic and social value through the use of public data by society. However, some challenges emerge for the effective achievement of these objectives. They include a series of factors, among which we highlight: technical problems related to the handling of information within government structures, political principles of each government, priorities of government actions, legal issues and aspects related mainly to the interest and use of this information by society. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to identify and describe the activities developed along the value chain of open government data.
Growth-differentiation factor-15 is an independent marker of cardiovascular dysfunction and disease in the elderly: results from the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) Study.

AIMS Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is emerging as an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease. Little is known about the pathophysiological basis for the close association of GDF-15 to future CV events. We hypothesized that GDF-15 is related to underlying CV pathologies. METHODS AND RESULTS To relate the levels of GDF-15 to indices of CV dysfunction and disease in elderly individuals, serum levels of GDF-15 were measured in 1004 subjects aged 70 years from the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. Carotid intima-media thickness and plaque burden, and left ventricular (LV) geometry and function were assessed by ultrasound. Endothelial function was evaluated in forearm resistance vessels and in the brachial artery by venous occlusion plethysmography and ultrasound imaging, respectively. Elevated levels of GDF-15 were related to several CV risk factors (male gender, current smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, diabetes, fasting glucose, triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol). After adjustment for CV risk factors, increased levels of GDF-15 were associated with reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in resistance vessels, plaque burden, LV mass and concentric LV hypertrophy, reduced LV ejection fraction, and clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease and heart failure. CONCLUSION GDF-15 carries information on CV dysfunction and disease that is not captured by traditional CV risk factors in elderly individuals.
Error correction model estimation of the Canada-US real exchange rate

Using the error correction model, we link the long-run behavior of the Canada-US real exchange rate to its short-run dynamics. The equilibrium real exchange rate is determined by the energy and non-energy commodity prices over the period 1973Q1-1992Q1. However such a single long-run relationship does not hold when the sample period is extended to 2004Q4. This breakdown can be explained by the break point which we find at 1993Q3. At the break point, the effect of the energy price shocks on Canada’s real exchange rate turns from negative to positive while the effect of the non-energy commodity price shocks is constantly positive. We find that after one year 40.03% of the gap between the actual and equilibrium real exchange rate is closed. The Canada-US interest rate differential affects the real exchange rate temporarily. The Canada’s real exchange rate depreciates immediately after a decrease in Canada’s interest rate and appreciates next quarter but not by as much as it has depreciated.
Business Cycles in the United Kingdom: Facts and Fictions

This paper documents the statistical properties of the contemporary business fluctuations in the United Kingdom. The authors study the period 1956-90 using quarterly, detrended data on key aggregate variables. They compute selected moments of the data, compare their results with those for the United States, and rigorously test for dynamic instabilities. The authors' findings confirm the existence of substantive cyclical regularities, both across countries and across time. Some notable cross-country differences are also identified. Conclusions about stability are shown to be potentially sensitive to the method of testing. In general, cross-correlations are appreciably more stable than standard deviations. Copyright 1992 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Why Do Smaller Firms Pay Less

This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Men and the Current Population Survey for 1983 to examine the relationships among wages, firm size, and plant size. We reach three key findings. First, plant size has little independent effect on wages once we have controlled for firm size for firms with fewer than 1,000 employees, Second, we find evidence of sorting on observed and unobserved ability characteristics across firm sizes. Better educated and more stable workers are in larger firms. Third, results from a first-difference estimator indicate that about 60 percent of the wage-size effect is due to unobserved heterogeneity when all firms are considered and about 100 percent when firms with 25 or more employees are considered.
Spatial Dimensions of Key Employment Outcomes in Indonesia

Abstract This paper gauges spatial inequality in Indonesia beyond the traditional focus on income and consumption by mapping a small subset of employment-related indicators in Indonesia disaggregated by provinces over time (1996–2011). It looks beyond the conventional indicators of unemployment rate such as formal employment, wage inequality, low-pay incidence and percentage of youth NEET (not in employment, education or training). Three observations stand out. First, while the unemployment rate continued to decline from 2005, regional variations were relatively high and showed an increasing trend. Second, the magnitudes of regional variations of indicators reflecting the quality of employment (e.g. formal employment and waged employment) were also high. Third, gender gaps in most of the employment-related indicators were declining but from very high levels. It is suggested that Indonesia should concentrate more on indicators reflecting the quality of employment with clear targets set, disaggregated into sub-national levels. For this, the evolution of spatial inequalities with regard to employment outcomes should be better and more regularly monitored.
Variability among nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE Traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding/perforation, but the magnitude of this effect for coxibs in the general population and the degree of variability between individual NSAIDs is still under debate. This study was undertaken to assess the risk of upper GI bleeding/perforation among users of individual NSAIDs and to analyze the correlation between this risk and the degree of inhibition of whole blood cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and COX-2 in vitro. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of observational studies on NSAIDs and upper GI bleeding/perforation published between 2000 and 2008. We calculated pooled relative risk (RR) estimates of upper GI bleeding/perforation for individual NSAIDs. Additionally, we verified whether the degree of inhibition of whole blood COX-1 and COX-2 in vitro by average circulating concentrations predicted the RR of upper GI bleeding/perforation. RESULTS The RR of upper GI bleeding/perforation was 4.50 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.82-5.31) for traditional NSAIDs and 1.88 (95% CI 0.96-3.71) for coxibs. RRs lower than that for NSAIDs overall were observed for ibuprofen (2.69 [95% CI 2.17-3.33]), rofecoxib (2.12 [95% CI 1.59-2.84]), aceclofenac (1.44 [95% CI 0.65-3.2]), and celecoxib (1.42 [95% CI 0.85-2.37]), while higher RRs were observed for ketorolac (14.54 [95% CI 5.87-36.04]) and piroxicam (9.94 [95% CI 5.99-16.50). Estimated RRs were 5.63 (95% CI 3.83-8.28) for naproxen, 5.57 (95% CI 3.94-7.87) for ketoprofen, 5.40 (95% CI 4.16-7.00) for indomethacin, 4.15 (95% CI 2.59-6.64) for meloxicam, and 3.98 (95% CI 3.36-4.72) for diclofenac. The degree of inhibition of whole blood COX-1 did not significantly correlate with RR of upper GI bleeding/perforation associated with individual NSAIDs (r(2) = 0.34, P = 0.058), but a profound and coincident inhibition (>80%) of both COX isozymes was associated with higher risk. NSAIDs with a long plasma half-life and with a slow-release formulation were associated with a greater risk than NSAIDs with a short half-life. CONCLUSION The results of our analysis demonstrate that risk of upper GI bleeding/perforation varies between individual NSAIDs at the doses commonly used in the general population. Drugs that have a long half-life or slow-release formulation and/or are associated with profound and coincident inhibition of both COX isozymes are associated with a greater risk of upper GI bleeding/perforation.