Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cancer risk of general people due to using joss stick for religious worshiping

REFERENCES 1. Lin TS, Shen FM. Trace metals in Chinese joss stick smoke. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2003;71:135-41. 2. Chuang HC, BéruBé K, Lung SC, Bai KJ, Jones T. Investigation into the oxidative potential generated by the formation of particulate matter from incense combustion. J Hazard Mater 2013;244-245:142-50. 3. Lung SC, Kao MC. Worshippers’ exposure to particulate matter in two temples in Taiwan. J Air Waste Manag Assoc 2003;53:130-5. 4. Kuo CY, Yang YH, Chao MR, Hu CW. The exposure of temple workers to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Sci Total Environ 2008;401:44-50. 5. Maspat V. Health risk assessment of workers exposure to BTEX from Chinese smoke at worship places in Bangkok. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2013. 6. Liou SH, Yang JL, Cheng SY, Lai FM. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function among wood dust-exposed joss stick workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1996;68:154-60. Sir,
Inflation divergence in the euro area: the Balassa-Samuelson effect

This study estimates the Balassa-Samuelson effect for 7 EU countries. According to this effect, inflation differential between the tradable and the non-tradable sector can be attributed to unbalanced productivity growth between the two sectors. For the euro area this implies that countries with higher relative productivity growth in the tradable sector will suffer from higher inflation. We test the Balassa-Samuelson effect by using cointegration techniques. The empirical analysis supports the existence of a Balassa-Samuelson effect for 6 of the sample countries.
Coexistence of functional angiotensin II type 2 receptors mediating both vasoconstriction and vasodilation in humans

Objectives Angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 (AT1) receptors mediate the majority of cardiovascular effects of Ang II, whereas the role of type 2 (AT2) receptors is still controversial. The present study, therefore, investigated regional hemodynamic responses mediated by AT2 receptors in humans. Methods Studies were performed in 20 healthy individuals (eight men; mean age 37 ± 3 years) through intra-arterial infusion of agonists and antagonists of Ang II receptors by use of strain-gauge plethysmography. Results Selective blockade of either AT1 or AT2 receptors by telmisartan or PD 123319, respectively, resulted in mild forearm blood flow increase (15 ± 5% and 10 ± 4, respectively; both P > 0.05); combined AT1 and AT2 receptor antagonism, however, was associated with greater vasodilator response (25 ± 5%; P = 0.02). This effect was unrelated to increased nitric oxide activity, being unaffected (27 ± 5%; P = 0.65) by a ‘ nitric oxide clamp’ (coinfusion of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NMMA and the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside). Graded doses of Ang II induced a progressive vasoconstrictor response that was blunted not only by telmisartan, but also by PD 123319 and by the combination of PD 123319 and telmisartan (all P < 0.001 vs. Ang II alone). AT2 receptor stimulation by CGP 42112A resulted in a dose-dependent vasodilation (P < 0.001 vs. baseline), that was abolished by the nitric oxide clamp and by PD 123319 (both P < 0.001 vs. CGP 42112A alone). Conclusion In the human forearm, vasoconstrictor AT2 receptors coexist with AT2 receptors mediating nitric oxide-dependent vasodilation. These findings suggest that imbalance between these opposing hemodynamic actions may affect vascular homeostasis and foster further investigation about the role of AT2 receptors in human disease.
A Modified Iterative Closest Point Algorithm for 3D Point Cloud Registration

In this article, an accurate method for the registration of point clouds returned by a 3D rangefinder is presented. The method modifies the well‐known iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm by introducing the concept of deletion mask. This term is defined starting from virtual scans of the reconstructed surfaces and using inconsistencies between measurements. In this way, spatial regions of implicit ambiguities, due to edge effects or systematical errors of the rangefinder, are automatically found. Several experiments are performed to compare the proposed method with three ICP variants. Results prove the capability of deletion masks to aid the point cloud registration, lowering the errors of the other ICP variants, regardless the presence of artifacts caused by small changes of the sensor view‐point and changes of the environment.
Comparison of remifentanil in combination with isoflurane or propofol for short-stay surgical procedures.

There are few data in the literature that describe the use of remifentanil when administered as a component of an inhalation or total i.v. anaesthetic (TIVA) technique. We studied 251 male and female patients, aged 18-75 years, ASA I-II, undergoing inguinal hernia repair, arthroscopic knee surgery or varicose vein surgery of at least 30 min duration without premedication. Patients were randomized to receive a remifentanil loading dose of 1.0 microgram kg-1 followed by a continuous infusion of 0.5 microgram kg-1 min-1 in combination with isoflurane (end-tidal concentration 0.6%), (Group I, n = 115) or propofol (initial infusion rate 9 mg kg-1 h-1 reduced to 6 mg kg-1 h-1 after 10 min), (Group P, n = 118). The remifentanil infusion rate was reduced by 50%, 5 min after tracheal intubation. Intraoperative stresses were treated with a remifentanil bolus (1 microgram kg-1) followed by an increase in the remifentanil infusion rate. At the insertion of the last suture, the remifentanil infusion and concomitant anaesthetic were switched off simultaneously. Times to spontaneous respiration, adequate respiration and tracheal extubation were significantly shorter in group I compared with group P (6.4 min vs 7.6 min, P < 0.01; 7.6 min vs 9.3, P < 0.003; 7.8 min vs 9.5 min, P < 0.015). Overall mean systolic blood pressures during surgery were greater in group P compared with group I (P < 0.05) but the absolute differences were clinically insignificant (4-5 mm Hg).
Elevation of Activated Platelet-Dependent Chemokines and Soluble Cell Adhesion Molecules in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and High Levels of β-D-Glucan

Most invasive fungal infections such as candidemia are frequent in patients with hematologic malignancies. We measured cytokines/chemokines (IL-6, IL-8, monocytic chemoattractant protein 1, RANTES and epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide 78), soluble molecules (sFas, sE-selectin and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1) and platelet activation markers (soluble CD40 ligand, sP-selectin and platelet-derived microparticles) in patients with hematologic malignancies under prophylactic treatment with an antifungal drug (fosfluconazole). We classified patients into 2 groups by the level of β-D-glucan. The level of C-reactive protein was higher in the high β-D-glucan group (>5 pg/ml) than in the low β-D-glucan group. However, there were no differences in the levels of other parameters (peripheral blood cells, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine). Patients in the high β-D-glucan group exhibited a significant elevation of several chemokines, soluble molecules and platelet activation markers compared with those in the low β-D-glucan group, but the levels of IL-8, monocytic chemoattractant protein 1 and sFas did not differ significantly. The levels of C-reactive protein and IL-6 increased significantly after 1 or 2 weeks on fosfluconazole in both groups. In contrast, the high β-D-glucan group exhibited a significant decrease in chemokines, soluble markers and platelet-derived microparticles compared with the low β-D-glucan group after treatment with fosfluconazole, although the patients in the low β-D-glucan group exhibited no significant changes. Furthermore, the levels of RANTES, epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide 78, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and sE-selectin correlated positively with platelet-derived microparticles in the high β-D-glucan group. These findings suggest that fungal infection may modulate the vascular events in which some platelet-related chemokines are involved.
Mining Symptoms of Severe Mood Disorders in Large Internet Communities

Internet communities have become an important source of support for people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and obesity, both of which have been associated with depression. In this paper, we argue text classification as promising tool for mining mood disorder cues from Internet chat messages. We created a minimal corpus of 200 chat profiles, based on a disease classification system, ICD-10 diagnostic criteria, and DSM-IV depression definitions. Using significant grams, we trained and tested multiple classifiers on the corpus, with additional evaluation on unlabelled data. Current findings demonstrate the feasibility of scalable flagging of patients who areat risk of developing severe depression in large Internet health communities.
Analysis of the Behavior of Volatility in Crude Oil Price

This article analyzes volatility in the spot price of crude oil. In recent years the price has also increased reaching more than US$ 140/barrel in the last decade. Moreover, the negotiated trading volume in the futures market in recent years higher than the trading volume of the earlier years. How these changes have affected the volatility in the oil prices? Does the presence of huge players, which leads to an increase in the volume under negotiation, increase volatility? Has the persistence been affected? To answer these questions, we first estimated spot prices using the two-factor model of Schwartz and Smith. With this filtering process we can capture the entire information from the future term-structure. We then analyzed the estimated spot-price series to identify the stylized facts and then adjusted conditional volatility models of GARCH family. Our findings show that the volatility in the high prices period is not different from that of low prices. The shocks behaved as transitory and the persistence in the high prices period decreased. This fact has pricing and hedging implications for short-term derivatives.
Intermittent Hypoxia: Cause of or Therapy for Systemic Hypertension?

During acute episodes of hypoxia, chemoreceptor-mediated sympathetic activity increases heart rate, cardiac output, peripheral resistance and systemic arterial pressure. However, different intermittent hypoxia paradigms produce remarkably divergent effects on systemic arterial pressure in the post-hypoxic steady state. The hypertensive effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) vs. the depressor effects of therapeutic hypoxia exemplify this divergence. OSA, a condition afflicting 15–25% of American men and 5–10% of women, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic hypertension and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. OSA imposes a series of brief, intense episodes of hypoxia and hypercapnia, leading to persistent, maladaptive chemoreflex-mediated activation of the sympathetic nervous system which culminates in hypertension. Conversely, extensive evidence in animals and humans has shown controlled intermittent hypoxia conditioning programs to be safe, efficacious modalities for prevention and treatment of hypertension. This article reviews the pertinent literature in an attempt to reconcile the divergent effects of intermittent hypoxia therapy and obstructive sleep apnea on hypertension. Special emphasis is placed on research conducted in the nations of the former Soviet Union, where intermittent hypoxia conditioning programs are being applied therapeutically to treat hypertension in patients. Also reviewed is evidence regarding mechanisms of the pro- and anti-hypertensive effects of intermittent hypoxia.
The Resistive-Reactive Class-J Power Amplifier Mode

This letter introduces a theory which considers the effect of lossy second-harmonic terminations on the voltage waveform, output power, and efficiency of power amplifiers (PAs) operated in the class-J mode. To this end, the conventional (reactive) class-J mode is extended to a resistive-reactive class-J mode with complex fundamental and second-harmonic load impedances. The theory is experimentally validated by performing on-wafer active load-pull measurements on an AlGaN/GaN HEMT power device with 0.25 μm gate length and a total gate periphery of 6×200 μm. The measured waveforms are de-embedded to the internal current-generator of the device, where they exhibit the theoretically predicted behavior.
HyPerInsight: Data Exploration Deep Inside HyPer

Nowadays we are drowning in data of various varieties. For all these mixed types and categories of data there exist even more different analysis approaches, often done in single hand-written solutions. We propose to extend HyPer, a main memory database system to a uniform data agent platform following the one system fits all approach for solving a wide variety of data analysis problems. We achieve this by applying a flexible operator concept to a set of various important data exploration algorithms. With that, HyPer solves analytical questions using clustering, classification, association rule mining and graph mining besides standard HTAP (Hybrid Transaction and Analytical Processing) workloads on the same database state. It enables to approach the full variety and volume of HTAP extended for data exploration (HTAPx), and only needs knowledge of already introduced SQL extensions that are automatically optimized by the database's standard optimizer. In this demo we will focus on the benefits and flexibility we create by using the SQL extensions for several well-known mining workloads. In our interactive webinterface for this project named HyPerInsight we demonstrate how HyPer outperforms the best open source competitor Apache Spark in common use cases in social media, geo-data, recommender systems and several other.
Experimental Biology 2000 Symposium on Differential Control of Sympathetic Outflow DIFFERENTIAL REGULATION OF BROWN ADIPOSE AND SPLANCHNIC SYMPATHETIC OUTFLOWS IN RAT: ROLES OF RAPHE AND ROSTRAL VENTROLATERAL MEDULLA NEURONS

1. The medullary premotor neurons determining the sympathetic outflow regulating cardiac function and vasoconstriction are located in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). The present study sought evidence for an alternative location for the sympathetic premotor neurons determining the sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) controlling brown adipose tissue (BAT) metabolism and thermogenesis.
Estimates of the Value of Patent Rights in European Countries During Thepost-1950 Period

This paper examines the distribution of the values of patent rights in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany during the post-1950 period. These values are inferred from the behavior of patentees with respect to payment of renewal fees on their patents. A simple economic model of renewal decisions is combined with data on the proportion of patents renewed at alternative ages and the renewal fee schedules to produce estimates of the distribution (and the total) value of patent rights in these countries. Moreover, the data indicate that there have been changes in the value distribution, and we follow these changes over the period. The empirical results of particular interest concern: the total value of patent rights and the relationship between changes in it and changes in the quantity of patents, the skew in the distribution of patent values, and the rate of obsolescence on the returns to patents.
COPD research is urged to get interactive

Microdeletions of the Y chromosome long arm are the most common mutations in infertile males, where they involve one or more “azoospermia factors” (AZFa, b, and c). Understanding of the AZF structure and gene content and mapping of the deletion breakpoints in infertile men are still incomplete. We have assembled a complete 4.3 Mb map of AZFb and surrounding regions by means of 38 BAC clones. The proximal part of AZFb consists of large repeated sequences organised in palindromes, but most of it is single copy sequence. A number of known and novel genes and gene families map in this interval, and most of them are testis specific or have testis specific transcripts. STS mapping allowed us to identify four severely infertile subjects with a deletion in AZFb with similar breakpoints, therefore suggesting a common deletion mechanism. This deletion includes at least five single copy genes and two duplicated genes, but does not remove the historical AZFb candidate gene RBMY1. These data suggest that other genes in AZFb may have important roles in spermatogenesis. We had no evidence for homologous recombination between large repeats as a possible deletion mechanism, as shown for AZFa and AZFc. However, identical sequences in AZFb and AZFc exist, and this finding could explain deletions found in these regions.
Understanding attrition in UK maritime education and training

The shipping industry worldwide is experiencing a shortage of trained and qualified officers to operate a rapidly expanding global merchant fleet. High cadet wastage in Maritime Education and Training (MET) institutions is an obstacle to skills replenishment in the UK. This paper examines the specificity of MET programmes with regard to the question of attrition and explores the intricate ways in which globalisation in the industry and the seafaring sector has influenced declining training opportunities and rising attrition rates in the UK.
Evaluation of private sector participation models in highway infrastructure in India – a system dynamics approach

A good and efficient road network forms the primary infrastructure that propels the development process in a country. There has been a rapid increase in the demand for highway infrastructure in India as freight traffic increased 180 times and passenger traffic increased 132 times between 1951 and 2000, whereas the total length of the road has just gone up by 8 times for the same period. Further to this, with the conventional way of depending on Government fiscal budgets for development of highway infrastructure having become impractical, Private Sector Participation (PSP) is the only effective solution to meet the rising infrastructure demands. Private sector participation in highway infrastructure projects in India has been observed presently under two major formats: BOT – Toll based and BOT – Annuity based models. BOT – Toll based model has been seen to be a failure in terms of expected returns to the concessionaire whereas the relatively newer Annuity model has been found to be attractive to the private sector. However, there exists an ambiguity whith respect to their suitability in a given case and in decision‐making. Using System Dynamics approach a framework is developed that would enable the decision maker to decide particular type of prievate sector participation (PSP) m odel for a given highway project. It is observed that the concessionaire’s desired rate of return and the traffic growth projections are the key parameters in selection of PSP model.
Emerging Hemodynamic Signatures of the Right Heart (Third International Right Heart Failure Summit, Part 2)

Despite the importance of preserved right ventricular structure and function with respect to outcome across the spectrum of lung, cardiac, and pulmonary vascular diseases, only recently have organized efforts developed to consider the pulmonary vascular–right ventricular apparatus as a specific unit within the larger context of cardiopulmonary pathophysiology. The Third International Right Heart Failure Summit (Boston, MA) was a multidisciplinary event dedicated to promoting a dialogue about the scientific and clinical basis of right heart disease. The current review provides a synopsis of key discussions presented during the section of the summit titled “Emerging Hemodynamic Signatures of the Right Heart. ” Specifically, topics emphasized in this element of the symposium included (1) the effects of pulmonary vascular dysfunction at rest or provoked by exercise on the right ventricular pressure-volume relationship, (2) the role of pressure-volume loop analysis as a method to characterize right ventricular inefficiency and predict right heart failure, and (3) the importance of a systems biology approach to identifying novel factors that contribute to pathophenotypes associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension and/or right ventricular dysfunction. Collectively, these concepts frame a forward-thinking paradigm shift in the approach to right heart disease by emphasizing factors that regulate the transition from adaptive to maladaptive right ventricular–pulmonary vascular (patho)physiology.
Distributed simulator design by using of SimNetwork to overcome speed limit on GenSim

GenSim(Generic Simulator) is a simulator infrastructure which is on engineering development level and will be used at software validation and verification of satellite flight software[7]. GenSim is able to run software simulator models which follow ESA SMP/SMI standard. But also GenSim has to handle HILS with real I/O card, e.g. MIL-STD-1553B card or RS-422 digital I/O board to communicate with real spacecraft equipments. So GenSim has various shapes according to the usage and may take some limitation of speed to run it as realtime. To overcome this limitation, GenSim is designed to cooperate with remote GenSim which is separated by physically but connected by ethernet connection. In this case, GenSim is split with two or more simulator parts and there are some communication and synchronization mechanisms which are needed to maintain connection between the separated simulator parts. Some parts may take a role of simulator controller and other parts may take a role of external I/O simulator for interfacing with real spacecraft components.
Toremifene improves lipid profiles in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: interim analysis of a multicenter phase III study.

PURPOSE Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with greater risk of incident coronary heart disease and hospital admission for myocardial infarction; treatment-related increases in serum lipids may contribute to greater cardiovascular disease risk. We evaluated the effects of toremifene, a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, on fasting serum lipid levels in men receiving ADT for prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS In an ongoing, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III fracture-prevention study, 1,389 men receiving ADT for prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive toremifene (80 mg/d) or placebo. In this interim analysis of 188 patients, changes in fasting serum lipids from baseline to month 12 were compared between the placebo and toremifene groups. RESULTS Changes in serum lipids differed significantly between the groups. Mean (+/- SE) total cholesterol decreased by 1.0% +/- 1.7% from baseline to month 12 in the placebo group and decreased by 8.1% +/- 1.4% in the toremifene group (P = .001 for between group comparison). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increased by 0.8% +/- 2.5% in the placebo group and decreased by 8.2% +/- 2.5% in the toremifene group (P = .003). In contrast, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol decreased by 4.9% +/- 1.2% in the placebo group and increased by 0.5% +/- 2.2% in the toremifene group (P = .018). Triglycerides increased by 6.9% +/- 4.2% in the placebo group and decreased by 13.2% +/- 3.6% in the toremifene group (P = .003). CONCLUSION Toremifene significantly decreased total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, and increased HDL cholesterol in men receiving ADT for prostate cancer.