Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional differences in semen quality in Europe

Recent reports have indicated a decrease in semen quality of men in some countries, and suggested regional differences. A study was undertaken of semen samples from 1082 fertile men from four European cities (Copenhagen, Denmark; Paris, France; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Turku, Finland). Semen analysis was standardized, inter‐ laboratory differences in assessment of sperm concentration were evaluated, and morphology assessment centralized. Lowest sperm concentrations and total counts were detected for Danish men, followed by French and Scottish men. Finnish men had the highest sperm counts. Men from Edinburgh had the highest proportion of motile spermatozoa, followed by men from Turku, Copenhagen and Paris. Only the differences between Paris/Edinburgh and Paris/ Turku were statistically significant (P < 0.003 and P 0.002 respectively). No significant differences in morphology were detected. A general seasonal variation in sperm concentration (summer 70% of winter) and total sperm count (summer 72% of winter) was detected. Semen quality of a ‘standardized’ man (30 years old, fertile, ejaculation abstinence of 96 h) were estimated. Topically, sperm concentrations (x 106/ml) for winter/summer were: Turku 132/93; Edinburgh 119/84; Paris 103/73; and Copenhagen 98/69. These differences in semen quality may indicate different environmental exposures or lifestyle changes in the four populations. However, it remains to be seen whether such changes can account for these differences. These data may also serve as a reference point for future studies on time trends in semen quality in Europe.
Optimal contract pricing of distributed generation under a competitive framework

A bilevel programming approach for the optimal contract pricing of distributed generation (DG) in distribution networks is presented. The outer optimization problem corresponds to the owner of the DG who must decide the contract price that would maximize his profits. The inner optimization problem corresponds to the distribution company (DisCo), which procures the minimization of the payments incurred in attending the expected demand while satisfying network constraints. The meet the expected demand the DisCo can purchase energy either form the transmission network through the substations or form the DG units within its network. The inner optimization problem is substituted by its Karush-Kuhn-Tucker optimality conditions, turning the bilevel programming problem into an equivalent single-level nonlinear programming problem which is solved using commercially available software.
Ratio configurable multiple description correlating transforms coding

Multiple description coding (MDC) is one of source coding techniques which generate several descriptions from a single data. A decoder of MDC reconstructs the data from these descriptions. Even if some descriptions are lost, the decoder can reconstruct a similar data from the other descriptions. Therefore, this coding technique is expected to apply applications which prefer accepting error of data to retransmitting the lost or erroneous data over multipath noisy network. Multiple description correlating transforms coding (MDCTC) is a method to realize MDC with a matrix. Based on this method, this paper proposes the method, ratio configurable multiple description correlating transforms coding (RMDCTC), which can adjust the data size ratio among descriptions to fit the ratio of channel bandwidths. The proposed method is suitable to apply error allowable communicating applications over asymmetric multipath noisy network. Mathematical analysis and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Institutionalisation of Enterprise Systems through Organisational

The analysis of IS implementation and lifecycle management theories concludes that, ERP systems or for that matter any information system is a socio-technical system; and the social, cultural, organisational and competitive context of their implementation cannot be ignored. Various institutional pressures are exerted on ERP initiation, adoption, and routinization by organisations to achieve competitive, economic, technical, environmental and organisational legitimacy and authority. There are theoretical supports available for environmental isomorphic mechanisms; however, comparing to tremendous amount of studies on coercive, normative, and mimetic, there are little studies that actually look at other organisational and internal institutional elements which are influencing technology implementation, assimilation and institutionalisation process. This research aims to fill this gap by introducing perceptive, confirmative, and configurative mechanisms as new forms of institutional isomorphism, i.e., organisational isomorphism.
Hepato- and Nephrotoxicity in Male Albino Rats Exposed to Malathion and Spinosad in Stored Wheat Grains

Adult male albino rats were fed on stored wheat grains ( Triticum aestivum L.) treated with malathion and spinosad at both 8 and 16 ppm for 90 consecutive days to evaluate their hepatic and renal toxicity. The activity of serum acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was decreased in rats treated with the higher concentration of both tested pesticides. Biochemical parameters of liver functions [i.e., aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) activity, as well as total protein, albumin, bilirubin and cholesterol levels] were severely affected especially at higher concentration. Malathion and spinosad elevated the activity of ALT, AST, ALP and ACP in rats treated with the higher concentration. Also, total and direct bilirubin levels increased in rats treated with the higher concentration of both pesticides. On the contrary, both pesticides decreased total protein and albumin levels in treated rats in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, malathion was found to be hyperglycemic. Kidney function parameters (i.e., urea and creatinine levels) were increased in treated rats in a concentration-dependent manner. The above mentioned effects were supported by histopathological examination of liver and kidney tissues. The obtained results indicated also that malathion was able to cause a more pronounced hepato- and renal toxicity in rats than spinosad.
Structure factor for dilute magnetic systems.

The structure factor of dilute magnetic systems in the ordered phase contains, in addition to the usual q-dependent susceptibility, another term, which results from the fluctuations in the local quenched magnetic moments. This term, first considered by Grinstein, Ma, and Mazenko (GMM), is discussed here using scaling arguments, and calculated explicitly in d=4-\ensuremath{\epsilon} and d=2+\ensuremath{\epsilon}\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} dimensions, as well as for an infinite number of spin components, n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}. Contrary to the earlier calculation by GMM, this term is shown to have no coexistence singularities when n\ensuremath{\ge}2. In the Ising case, this term combines with the usual susceptibility term to affect the measured critical amplitude ratios: The measured amplitude of the structure factor below ${T}_{c}$ is not equal to that calculated for the susceptibility, as previously assumed.
Prevalence of isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in an area endemic for hepatitis B virus infection: Implications in hepatitis B vaccination programs

Of 1,801 Chinese subjects, age 1 to 90 years, screened for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody (HBsAg, anti‐HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc), 214 (11.9%) had an isolated, positive anti‐HBc result; anti‐HBc was reproducibly present in the initial sera in only 66% and persisted after an interval of 2 weeks to 3 months in only 73%. There was a strong correlation between the rates of reproducibility and persistence of isolated anti‐HBc and the initial anti‐HBc titers. Thirty‐two subjects with persistent, isolated anti‐HBc received four doses of hepatitis B vaccine (5 μg, HEVAC B) at 0, 1, 2 and 12 months: 56% developed a primary anti‐HBs response in response to hepatitis B vaccine, 16% developed an anamnestic or secondary anti‐HBs response, and 28% were undetectable for anti‐HBs even after four doses of vaccine. The low rates of reproducibility and persistence of anti‐HBc together with the high rate of primary anti‐HBs response to hepatitis B vaccine in subjects with isolated anti‐HBc raise doubts as to the reliability of anti‐HBc (Corzyme, Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill.) as a single screening test for hepatitis B infection prior to vaccination and suggests that subjects with isolated anti‐HBc, in particular those with low anti‐HBc titers, be included in vaccination programs.
Rheumatoid arthritis lung disease. Determinants of radiographic and physiologic abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and important clinical predictors of radiographic and physiologic abnormalities indicative of rheumatoid arthritis interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). METHODS An unselected cohort of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of RA and known lung disease were identified (n = 336) and evaluated for RA disease activity and severity. Outcomes included abnormalities determined by the pulmonary function tests of forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco), and/or chest radiographic findings of interstitial infiltrates. We used multivariable statistical modeling to determine the independent significance of cigarette smoking and other RA-specific factors on the pulmonary abnormalities of interest. RESULTS At least 1 of the 3 abnormal findings was identified by pulmonary tests in 32.4% of all patients. These abnormal findings included an FVC < 80% of predicted in 42 patients, a DLco < 80% of predicted in 64 patients, and evidence of radiographic interstitial infiltrates in 40 patients. After statistical adjustment for confounding factors, pack-years of cigarette smoking remained a significant predictor of low DLco (beta = -0.07, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] -0.09, -0.04), low FVC (beta = -0.003, 95% CI -0.006, -0.0004), and interstitial abnormalities on chest radiograph (odds ratio for > or = 25 pack-years = 3.76, 95% CI 1.59, 8.88). The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) Disability Index (DI) was also an important risk factor for the decline in both the DLco (beta = -1.15, 95% CI -2.00, -0.30) and FVC (beta = -0.23, 95% CI -0.32, -0.13). CONCLUSION Although RA disease activity/severity (particularly as defined by the HAQ DI) was important, smoking was the most consistent independent predictor of radiographic and physiologic abnormalities suggestive of ILD in RA.
Multiple micronutrient supplementation transiently ameliorates environmental enteropathy in Malawian children aged 12-35 months in a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Environmental enteropathy (EE) is subclinical, diffuse villous atrophy characterized by T cell infiltration of the small intestinal mucosa associated with nutrient malabsorption and stunting. EE is assessed by the lactulose:mannitol (L:M) test, whereby nonmetabolized sugars are ingested and quantified in the urine. Multiple micronutrient (MN) deficiency morphologically mimics EE, and ω-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce mucosal inflammation in Crohn disease. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that supplementary MNs, with or without fish oil (FO), would improve L:M in rural Malawian children aged 1-3 y compared with a control (C) group receiving a placebo. METHODS The MNs and FO provided the Recommended Dietary Intake for 26 vitamins, minerals, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. This was a 3-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with the primary outcomes being the change in L:M (ΔL:M) after 12 and 24 wk of supplementation. Comparisons were made for ΔL:M after 12 and 24 wk within each group by using a Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test, because the data are not normally distributed. RESULTS A total of 230 children had specimens adequate for analysis; all had an abnormal baseline L:M, defined as >0.10. After 12 wk, children who received MNs + FO had a ΔL:M [mean (95% CI)] of -0.10 (-0.04, -0.15; P = 0.001), and children receiving only MNs had ΔL:M of -0.12 (-0.03, -0.21; P = 0.002). After 24 wk, children who received MNs + FO had a ΔL:M of -0.09 (-0.03, -0.15; P = 0.001); children receiving only MNs had a ΔL:M of -0.11 (-0.02, -0.20; P = 0.001), and the C group had ΔL:M of -0.07 (0.02, -0.16); P = 0.002). Linear growth was similar in all groups, ∼4.3 cm over 24 wk. CONCLUSION Although the effect was modest, these data suggest MNs can transiently ameliorate EE in rural African children. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01593033.
The Epidemiology of Postpartum Hemorrhage in a Large, Nationwide Sample of Deliveries

BACKGROUND: In this study, we sought to (1) define trends in the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), and (2) elucidate the contemporary epidemiology of PPH focusing on risk factors and maternal outcomes related to this delivery complication. METHODS: Hospital admissions for delivery were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest discharge dataset in the United States. Using International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ninth revision) codes, deliveries complicated by PPH were identified, as were comorbid conditions that may be risk factors for PPH. Temporal trends in the incidence of PPH from 1995 to 2004 were assessed. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for the most common etiology of PPH—uterine atony. RESULTS: In 2004, PPH complicated 2.9% of all deliveries; uterine atony accounted for 79% of the cases of PPH. PPH was associated with 19.1% of all in-hospital deaths after delivery. The overall rate of PPH increased 27.5% from 1995 to 2004, primarily because of an increase in the incidence of uterine atony; the rates of PPH from other causes including retained placenta and coagulopathy remained relatively stable during the study period. Logistic regression modeling identified age <20 or ≥40 years, cesarean delivery, hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, polyhydramnios, chorioamnionitis, multiple gestation, retained placenta, and antepartum hemorrhage as independent risk factors for PPH from uterine atony that resulted in transfusion. Excluding maternal age and cesarean delivery, one or more of these risk factors were present in only 38.8% of these patients. CONCLUSION: PPH is a relatively common complication of delivery and is associated with substantial maternal morbidity and mortality. It is increasing in frequency in the United States. PPH caused by uterine atony resulting in transfusion often occurs in the absence of recognized risk factors.
nMoldyn - Interfacing spectroscopic experiments, molecular dynamics simulations and models for time correlation functions

This article gives an introduction into the program nMoldyn, which has been originally conceived to support the interpretation of neutron scattering experiments on complex molecular systems by the calculation of appropriate time correlation functions from classical and quantum molecular dynamics simulations of corresponding model systems. Later the functionality has been extended to include more advanced time series analyses of molecular dynamics trajectories, in particular the calculation of memory functions, which play an essential role in the theory of time correlation functions. Here we present a synoptic view of the range of applications of the latest version of nMoldyn, which includes new modules for a simulation-based interpretation of data from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, far infrared spectroscopy and for protein secondary structure analysis.
Interleukin-1 Promotes Expression and Phosphorylation of Neurofilament and tau Proteins in Vivo


Slow-release, IL-1-impregnated pellets implanted in rat cerebral cortex to simulate chronic overexpression of IL-1 significantly increased relative tissue levels of tau mRNA and of tau immunoreactivity in neuronal cell bodies and in swollen dystrophic neurites that also overexpressed phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated neurofilament epitopes. In addition, rats with IL-1-impregnated pellets, but not control rats or those with sham pellets, showed focal immunoreactivity for hyperphosphorylated tau epitopes present in paired helical filaments. Our results are consistent with an important driving role for IL-1 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer-type neuronal and neuritic changes.
Stiff endothelial cell syndrome in vascular inflammation and mineralocorticoid excess.

See related article, pp 231–237 The hypertensive effect of mineralocorticoid excess or hyperaldosteronism has traditionally been attributed to upregulation of the epithelial Na+ channel ENaC in the kidney, with subsequent renal salt retention, increased plasma volume, augmented cardiac filling, and thus enhanced cardiac output.1 The effects of extracellular volume expansion and cardiac output on blood pressure at any given peripheral resistance remain unabated. However, within the past years, it became obvious that aldosterone exerts a variety of effects in vascular cells, which may contribute to its hypertensive action and the pathophysiological consequences of mineralocorticoid excess.2 Notably, mineralocorticoid excess is associated with vascular inflammation.3 Moreover, mineralocorticoids stimulate fibrosis of cardiac and renal tissue. Aldosterone stimulates the formation of the serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase SGK1, which, in turn, phosphorylates multisubunit IkappaB kinase, eventually leading to activation of the nuclear factor κB. 4 The transcription factor triggers the expression of a variety of genes, including connective tissue growth factor CTGF.4 Lack of SGK1 largely abrogates the fibrosing effect in heart and kidney of mineralocorticoid and salt excess.4 The fibrosing effect of mineralocorticoids is not simply the result of hypertension because before renal fibrosis, blood pressure increases to similarly high levels in SGK1 knockout mice and wild-type mice, but only the wild-type mice develop fibrosis.4 SGK1-dependent nuclear factor κB formation is further involved in the regulation of tissue factor synthesis and thus the stimulation of coagulation.4 …
Two layer slot-antenna array in SIW technology

A compact slot-array antenna has been designed at 17 GHz. Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) technology has been used. A reduced size (10×7cm) has been achieved integrating the feeding network at the bottom of the antenna. A transition between two SIW by means of a coupling slot has been designed. A gain of 19 dB has been measured at 17 GHz. Over a band of 4.4 % a gain bigger than 18 dB has been achieved.
Neue Ansätze für die Integrierte Versorgung in der WHO Europaregion

Dr. med. Elke Jakubowski (M.Sc.) ist Komissarische Programmleiterin Public Health, im Regionalbüro für Europa der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) in Kopenhagen Das WHO Regionalbüro für Europa hat in den letzten zwei Jahren wichtige Impulse für die integrierte Versorgung in der Europäischen Region gesetzt. Dabei soll das aktuelle Rahmenprogramm „Gesundheit 2020“ eine neue Leitvision für nationale Gesundheitsstrategien und Gesundheitsziele vermitteln. Zur Umsetzung wird ein neues Konzept einer integrierten Versorgung in den Ländern der Europäischen Region vorgestellt, um nicht nur in der medizinischen primärärztlichen Versorgung eine bessere Verzahnung der Behandlungsformen und der Prävention von Erkrankungen zu erreichen, sondern auch die notwendigen Verbindungen zu anderen gesundheitsrelevanten Bereichen zu definieren. In dieses Konzept fließt der Europäische Aktionsplan für Public Health ein, der in der WHO Regionalversammlung im Jahre 2012 verabschiedet wurde.
Nutritional status of school-aged children of Buenos Aires, Argentina: data using three references.

BACKGROUND Childhood overweight has been reported in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a standardized classification system in order to facilitate comparison across countries and studies. This study aims to assess the prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness in a group of 10-11-year-old children using three references [the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 2000, the the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) 2000 and the WHO, 2007]. METHODS A representative sample of 1588 children (771 boys and 817 girls) resulted from the randomization of 80 public schools from Buenos Aires. RESULTS The prevalence of overweight, including obesity, for the whole sample was 35.5, 27.9 and 27.9%, respectively, depending on the reference used. For overweight, no gender differences were observed regardless of the reference used. Obesity was significantly more frequent among boys, and this remained consistent for the three references. Thinness frequency was 1.6 and 2.5% for the boys and 2.7 and 4.5% for the girls when considering the WHO and CDC cut-off points, respectively, and frequency increased in both boys and girls for each age group. CONCLUSION There is a high prevalence of overweight and obese cases among school-aged children of Buenos Aires regardless of the reference used. Epidemiological data provided by this study suggests the urgent need to design preventive interventions.
Energetic values and performace of broilers feeding sorghum and soybean meal based diets supplemented with B-glucanase and B-xylanase

Grains, brans, and vegetable meals may contain non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), which increases viscosity in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and interfere with the digestion and absorption of nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and determine the metabolizable energy of a sorghum-based broiler diet with and without the supplementation of an enzymatic complex. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with 1200 chickens, using sorghum-based feed with and without the addition of 50 g of enzyme-CCE complex (? -glucanase and ? -xylanase), and with two levels of metabolizable energy (ME kg-1): ME; ME + CCE; reduced ME (-50 kcal kg-1); and reduced ME + CCE. The data were subjected to an analysis of variance and the means were compared using a Tukey’s test at the 5% significance level. At 42 and 47 days of age, the living weight of the birds fed with the reduced ME was low, while birds fed with reduced ME + CCE had the same weight as those fed with other energy diets (ME and ME + CCE). Feed conversion was poorest at 47 days of age for the birds on reduced ME diet. In the metabolic test (with fattening diets) to determine AME and AMEn, the reduced ME diet had the lowest result, confirming the effect of the addition of enzymes. The addition of CCE to sorghum-based diets provides enough enzymatic activity to increase the metabolizable energy of the diet (50 kcal of AME) and influence the growth performance of broilers at the slaughtering age.