Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Upstream of the Insulin Gene Is a Susceptibility Locus for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults

The etiopathological relationship between latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and classical type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes remains unclear. Variation at the insulin gene variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) minisatellite influences susceptibility to type 1 diabetes, but studies in LADA have been small and inconsistent. We examined the role of insulin gene variation (using flanking variants as surrogates for VNTR subtypes) in the largest case-control study of LADA to date (400 case and 332 control subjects). Highly significant associations were identified with disease, with dominant protective effects of the T allele at −23HphI (odds ratio [OR] 0.42 [95% CI 0.31–0.58], P = 2.4 × 10−8), A allele at +1,404Fnu4HI (0.50 [0.36–0.70], P = 3.2 × 10−5), and C allele at +3,580MspI (0.55 [0.35–0.85], P = 0.0046). As with type 1 diabetes, the −23HphI variant (a surrogate for the subdivision of VNTR into class I and III alleles) most clearly defined susceptibility in LADA. However, there was no association with age at diagnosis or requirement for insulin therapy 6 years postdiagnosis. This study establishes that variation within the insulin gene region does influence susceptibility to LADA, with the direction and magnitude of effect indistinguishable from that previously reported for type 1 diabetes. In conclusion, differences in VNTR-encoded susceptibility do not explain the differences in clinical presentation that distinguish classical type 1 diabetes and LADA.
Functional role of L-type Cav1.3 Ca2+ channels in cardiac pacemaker activity

The spontaneous activity of pacemaker cells in the sino-atrial node (SAN) controls the heart rhythm and rate under physiological conditions. Pacemaker activity in SAN cells is due to the presence of the diastolic depolarization, a slow depolarization phase that drives the membrane voltage from the end of an action potential to the threshold of a new action potential. SAN cells express a wide array of ionic channels, but we have limited knowledge about their functional role in pacemaker activity and we still do not know which channels play a prominent role in the generation of the diastolic depolarization. It is thus important to provide genetic evidence linking the activity of genes coding for ionic channels to specific alterations of pacemaker activity of SAN cells. Here, we show that target inactivation of the gene coding for α1D (Cav1.3) Ca2+ channels in the mouse not only significantly slows pacemaker activity but also promotes spontaneous arrhythmia in SAN pacemaker cells. These alterations of pacemaker activity are linked to abolition of the major component of the L-type current (ICa,L) activating at negative voltages. Pharmacological analysis of ICa,L demonstrates that Cav1.3 gene inactivation specifically abolishes ICa,L in the voltage range corresponding to the diastolic depolarization. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Cav1.3 channels play a major role in the generation of cardiac pacemaker activity by contributing to diastolic depolarization in SAN pacemaker cells.
Graph-based detection algorithms for layered space-time architectures

We consider a unified framework to develop various graph-based detection algorithms for layered space-time architectures. We start with a factor graph representation for the communication channel, apply a belief propagation (BP) based algorithm for channel detection, and show that the detector achieves a near optimal performance even when number of receive antennas is smaller than number of transmit antennas. Based on this baseline algorithm, we further develop three different extensions of the BP detector that provide a good complexity/performance trade-off, which are especially useful for systems with a large number of antennas or when we encounter a frequency-selective fading channel with a long ISI span. Moreover, all the proposed detectors are soft-input soft-output in nature and they can be directly applied for use in turbo processing without any additional modifications. We study the performance of the new detectors via both simulations and convergence analysis using the measure of average mutual information.
Prediction of Sensory Crispness of Potato Chips Using a Reference-Calibration Method

Reference calibration is a useful technique when sensory evaluation is not feasible or practical. This study was conducted to predict the crispness perception of potato chips evaluated by instrumental means through the reference-calibrated method. To investigate the relationship between sensory evaluation and instrumental measurement data, six different standard references for crispness were used. Instrumental crispness was predicted by measuring the total area of the chip with a texture analyzer. The samples were also evaluated by six trained panelists. Nine chips with various textures were tested by a mechanical test. The Fechner, Stevens, and Beidler models were applied to investigate the correlation across the reference scores with the total area then predicting the sensory crispness for the nine chips. The relationship between the instrumental total area and the sensory crispness of the standard references was found to be nonlinear over the standard crispness scale. The Fechner model seemed to be the best predictive model (R2 = 0.8; RMSEC = 1.3; robustness = 2.4; model discrimination index = 3.3) for predicting the sensory crispness of chips. This study suggests that standard references with a reference-calibration method can be used to calibrate the crispness of potato chips. It is the first study to demonstrate that sensory crispness of potato chips could be predicted using comprehensive references for crispness. Based on the results in this study, an equation established by the Fechner model could be utilized to estimate the various crispness of potato chips under circumstances in which sensory evaluation is not practical or available.
Evolving From Value Chain to Value Grid

The term ? value chain? suggests an orderly progression of activities that allows managers to formulate profitable strategies and coordinate operations with suppliers and customers. Using examples from the telecom, pharmaceutical, steel and auto industries, the authors argue for a more complex view of value ? one that is represented by a ? value grid? The grid approach allows firms to move beyond their industry lines to identify opportunities and threats. It pushes managers to understand the power balance between suppliers and manufacturers. The new pathways to value can be vertical (as firms explore opportunities upstream or downstream from the adjacent tiers in their value chain); horizontal (as firms identify opportunities from spanning similar tiers in multiple value chains); and even diagonal (as firms look more integratively across value chains and tiers for prospects to enhance performance and mitigate risk).
The nature of the effects of stroke on trunk flexor and extensor muscles during work and at rest

Purpose: To investigate the nature of stroke induced functional disturbances of rectus abdominis and erector spinae in their postural and dynamic roles and compare the performances of stroke and neurologically unimpaired groups. Methods: EMG activity was recorded from rectus abdominis and erector spinae during five rest/work cycles in forward and backward of vertical positions and during reaching and shoe donning. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare within and between group EMG activity to determine the significance of differences between paretic and non-paretic muscles of the stroke group and matched muscles of the control group in the two postures and dynamic tasks. Results: In the stroke group rectus abdominis responded normally in most instances, demonstrating weakness only during shoe donning. This weakness was particularly noticeable on the paretic side. Erector spinae activity of the stroke group was significantly higher than the controls during all postural and dynamic work and at rest after most tasks particularly on the paretic side. Conclusion: Findings indicated that stroke appears to induce increased activity in erector spinae on both sides during postural and dynamic roles and at subsequent rest. By contrast, rectus abdominis performed reasonably normally after stroke with weakness noted only during dynamic postural support of shoe donning. Explanations for these differences might depend on the extent to which cortical influences to muscles are disrupted by stroke. Generous contributions from the intact hemisphere might enable more normal activity in rectus abdominis, whereas, the abnormal responses of erector spinae might reflect a more severe disruption of cortical influences on motor unit activity.
Managing Fleet Wide Sensory Data: Lessons Learned in Dealing with Volume, Velocity, Variety, Veracity, Value and Visibility

More than ever, asset operators and OEMs are investing in fleetwide monitoring systems. With the roll out of these monitoring systems, huge amounts of sensory data are generated. In a single Gigawatt power plant, asset monitoring systems sort through terabytes of sensory data per week. To contend with the volume and velocity of sensory data, analytics and data management techniques are employed along the life of sensory data from digitization at the asset, to storage in the information technology infrastructure. This paper presents techniques, both promising and fielded, for analytics to manage the volume, velocity, veracity, variety, and value of fleetwide asset monitoring data yielding opportunities for advanced visibility of actionable information.
Growth, development and nutritional manipulation of marbling in cattle

This review discusses our current understanding of the growth and development of intramuscular fat and proposes a simple growth model to explain the accumulation of intramuscular fat in cattle. Potential effects of nutritional manipulation are discussed in relation to the proposed growth curve for intramuscular fat. The scope for nutritional control during both the pasture (or backgrounding) and intensive grain finishing phase are discussed. Additional discussion on nutritional triggers of the cellular and early life events associated with the development of the intramuscular fat are discussed in the companion paper by Harper and Pethick (2001).
A longitudinal study of the effects of parental smoking on pulmonary function in children 6-18 years.

The association between parental cigarette smoking and children's pulmonary function was investigated in 8,706 nonsmoking white children, followed annually by questionnaire and spirometry between 6 and 18 yr. Exposure to maternal and paternal smoking was each divided into three components: exposure in the first 5 yr of life, cumulative exposure between age 6 and the year prior to each visit; parental smoking status reported at each visit. Regression splines were used to assess the effects of parental smoking on the level and growth rate of pulmonary function adjusting for age, height, city of residence, and parental education. Models best predicting pulmonary function level included current maternal smoking and exposure to maternal smoking in the first 5 yr of life but did not include the other measures of parental smoking. After adjusting for early exposure, current maternal smoking for each pack/d was associated with a reduced level of FEV1 (-0.4%, 95% CI: -0.9, 0.1), FEV1/FVC (-0.6%, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.4), and FEF25-75% (-2.3%, 95% CI: -3.6, -1.0) in children 6 to 10 yr. These effects were slightly smaller in children 11 to 18 yr. Adjusting for current maternal smoking, those exposed to maternal smoking in the first 5 yr of life had higher FVC (+0.5%, 95% CI: -0.1, 1.2) and lower FEV1/FVC (-0.7%, 95% CI: -1.1, -0.4) and FEF25-75% (-2.8%, 95% CI: -4.4, -1.2) than those not exposed in children 6 to 10 yr. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The positive theory of benefit taxation in the italian school of public finance

This paper addresses the historical evolution of benefit-based taxation, with particular reference to the contribution of the Italian school of public finance. In particular, it is shown that the positive interpretation of the benefit theory as a criterion of rationality and judgment is well established in the Italian tradition of public finance. Indeed, the practice of taxation as interpreted by Italian scholars reflects more the outcome of a political bargaining, rather than the consistent application of any normative principle as in the contribution by Lindahl (1919). Under this perspective, the benefit theory may help the functioning of a system of democratic finance, in order to avoid large deviations of the level of taxation from its natural path. Thus, the concept remains of a fundamental role played by the benefit principle in its positive guise as a base for judgments and control of the action of governments.
HMR 1556, A Potent and Selective Blocker of Slowly Activating Delayed Rectifier Potassium Current

The slowly activating delayed rectifier potassium current (IKs) contributes prominently to ventricular repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Development of a selective IKs blocker is important for the elucidation of the physiologic and pathophysiologic relevance of IKs and the development of antiarrhythmic strategies. HMR 1556 [(3R,4S)-(+)-N-[3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-6-(4,4,4-trifluorobutoxy) chroman-4-yl]-N-methylmethanesulfonamide] is a new chromanol derivative developed as a selective IKs blocker. Chromanol 293B, the most specific IKs blocker currently available, also inhibits the transient outward current (Ito). HMR 1556 was examined for its effects on IKs compared with rapidly activating delayed rectifier (IKr), inward rectifier (IK1), Ito, and L-type calcium (ICa,L) currents in canine left ventricular myocytes. HMR 1556 (0.5-500 n M) inhibited IKs in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 of 10.5 n M, compared with chromanol 293B's IC50 of 1.8 &mgr;M). Inhibition of Ito was observed only at relatively high concentrations (IC50 of 33.9 &mgr;M, comparable to chromanol 293B's IC50 of 38 &mgr;M). High concentrations of HMR 1556 also inhibited ICa,L (IC50 of 27.5 &mgr;M) and IKr (IC50 of 12.6 &mgr;M) while IK1 was unaffected. Our results indicate that HMR 1556 is superior to chromanol 293B in its potency and specificity for inhibition of IKs, making it a valuable experimental tool and a potential therapeutic agent.
Technology spillovers: Kenya and Malaysia compared

This paper aimed at investigating the existence of productivity spillovers and their transmission channels in both Kenya and Malaysia firm-level panel data from the manufacturing sector for the period 2000–2005. Both countries have a long history of relying on FDI in industrial development. The existing literature on productivity spillovers suggests that productivity spillovers may be one of the most important effects that foreign MNEs impart to local firms in developing countries. Yet still, few studies exist in both countries on productivity spillovers and their transmission channels. Three spillover channels were examined: demonstration, competition, and information. In addition, the backward linkage channel was examined for the case of Malaysia. The results reveal that there is limited evidence of negative productivity spillovers from foreign firms to domestic firms through the competition effects in Kenya. In Malaysia, there is evidence of positive spillovers from foreign-owned firms to domestic firms through the demonstration effects. In addition, there is evidence of negative spillovers through the competition effects as well as backward linkages. There is also evidence of positive productivity spillovers from domestic firms to foreign-owned firms through backward linkages. Productivity spillovers are found to be dependent on the technology gap.
A clinical overview of WT1 gene mutations

Mutations in the WT1 gene ere anticipated to explain the genetic basis of the childhood kidney cancer, Wilms' tumour (WT). Six years on, we revie 100 reports of intragenic WT1 mutations and examine the accompanying clinical phenotypes. While only 5% of sporadic Wilms' tumours have intragenic WT1 mutations, > 90% of patients with the Denys‐Drash syndrome (renal nephropathy, gonadal anomaly, predisposition to WT) carry constitutional intragenic WT1 mutations. WT1 mutations have also been reported in juvenile granulosa cell tumour, non‐asbestos related mesothelioma, desmoplastic small round cell tumour and, most recently, acute myeloid leukemia. Hum Mutat 9:209–225, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Kompressionstherapie bei Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum

Wund‐D.A. CH. ist der Dachverband deutschsprachiger Fachgesellschaften, die sich mit den Thematiken der Wundbehandlung beschäftigen. Experten verschiedener Fachgesellschaften aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz haben nun einen aktuellen Konsens der Kompressionstherapie für Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum erstellt.
The Size of the Precautionary Component of Household Saving: China and the U.S

We decompose the household saving rate into precautionary and non-precautionary components. When applied to Chinese households, who save 30% of disposable income, the precautionary motive accounts for two-thirds of that saving rate. For some admissible parameter values, the saving rate increases with the growth rate of income thus helping to explain why fast growing economies also have high saving rates. A finite-lifetimes version of the model produces the U-shaped age-saving rate profile observed in Chinese household data. Comparative calculations for U.S. households indicate that to match the U.S. data, the non-borrowing constraint must be relaxed.
Interprofessional teamwork: Professional cultures as barriers

Each health care profession has a different culture which includes values, beliefs, attitudes, customs and behaviours. Professional cultures evolved as the different professions developed, reflecting historic factors, as well as social class and gender issues. Educational experiences and the socialization process that occur during the training of each health professional reinforce the common values, problem-solving approaches and language/jargon of each profession. Increasing specialization has lead to even further immersion of the learners into the knowledge and culture of their own professional group. These professional cultures contribute to the challenges of effective interprofessional teamwork. Insight into the educational, systemic and personal factors which contribute to the culture of the professions can help guide the development of innovative educational methodologies to improve interprofessional collaborative practice.
Simple MOS Transistor-Based Realization of Fractional-Order Capacitors

A new second-order MOS transistor based circuit block approximating the behavior of a fractional-order capacitor is proposed. The circuit is modular and therefore the order of the approximation can be increased by more stages of the same circuit in cascade or in parallel. Simulation results using a TSMC 65nm CMOS technology are provided and show less than 2° of phase error in two decades around the center frequency of the approximation. Experimental results of realized fractional-order capacitors and of a fractional-order relaxation oscillator are also shown.
Evaluation of daily intake of PCDD/Fs and indicator PCBs in formula-fed Spanish children

Human exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) occurs predominantly via food intake. In this study, the exposure assessment of these contaminants has been estimated for infant formula-fed children up to 1 year of age. PCDD/F concentrations in the infant formulae was low, ranging between 0.09 and 0.17 pg WHO-TEQ g−1 fat and between 0.30 and 0.46 pg WHO-TEQ g−1 fat when results were calculated with the lower and medium bound values, respectively. Indicator PCB contamination levels were below 1 ng g−1 fat in all cases. Thus, the estimated daily intake of PCDD/Fs and indicator PCBs for infants has been assessed taking into account the above-mentioned contamination levels as well as different scenarios of body weight and food consumption data for babies aged 0–12 months. The results vary in the different scenarios considered but, on the whole, the daily estimated dioxin and indicator PCBs intake of the average infant population due to the consumption of infant formulae does not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 2 pg WHO-TEQ kg−1 bw day−1 recommended by the Scientific Committee on Food (available at http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out90_en.pdf) nor the threshold value of 10 ng kg−1 bw day−1 proposed by the Dutch National Institute of Health and Environment (RIVM) (Baars et al. 2001. Report no. 711701025, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands).
Disability Insurance Applications near Retirement Age

The literature estimating the effect of benefit levels on the Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) application decisions has not been able to separate the effect of Medicare coverage provided by the program on application decisions from the effect of cash-benefits, and therefore previous estimates are likely to be overstated. In this research we compute the elasticity of DI applications with respect to cash benefit levels focusing on the special age window between the Early Retirement Age (ERA) and Normal Retirement Age (NRA) in which Medicare incentives are virtually non-existent. This approach allows us to more accurately estimate the effect of cash benefits on the decision to file for disability benefits. The responsiveness of DI applications to policy variable changes is simulated in a life cycle structural framework that characterizes in detail the rules of the Social Security programs. We find that the benefit elasticity of DI applications at age ERA-NRA is much higher than that at younger ages. We also find some interesting dynamic effects, such as the changing age structure of applicants and the application timing shift when there are changes in policy variables.
Quality of reports on randomized controlled trials published in Iranian journals: application of the new version of consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORT).

BACKGROUND The Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) statement is a device to standardize reporting and improve the quality of controlled trials. The aim of this study is to determine the quality of controlled clinical trial reports by national peer-reviewed journals in Iran. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, we evaluated clinical trial reports by national peer-reviewed Iranian journals between 2008 and 2010 by CONSORT2010. The sample was selected from Iran Medex. The proportion of adherence to each item of the CONSORT checklist was assessed for each clinical trial. The reliability of evaluation by reviewers was calculated by Pearson correlation coefficient, and was determined to be 0.73 - 0.89, with a significance level of P < 0.01 between reviewers. RESULTS A total of 509 articles published in 80 peer-reviewed national journals were evaluated. The average adherence of evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to the 37 items of the CONSORT statement was 43.8%. The mean CONSORT score significantly differed across each year of publication. None of the articles mentioned the location where the full trial protocol could be accessed. CONCLUSION The quality of reporting RCTs published in national peer-reviewed journals needs significant improvement as the majority did not adhere to CONSORT guidelines. It is necessary for the editors of Iranian journals to consider CONSORT criteria for evaluation of all future RCTs.