Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Entwined Growth of Population and Product, 1922-1982

This article "discusses aggregate-level interactions between Jewish immigration and economic growth both in the Jewish sector of Mandatory Palestine and in Israel". The reciprocal effects of population and economic growth are discussed in two sections on population as an engine of growth and was the size of the population dependent on the economy. The author concludes that "causality between population and [gross national] product runs both ways. For the whole period 1922-1982, it is very clear that immigration pushed the rate of increase of capital stock. For the period from 1954 on, immigration responded to the growth rate of per capita income or consumption. "
Sensor network over CATV infrastructure

A novel sensor network by using the coaxial cable infrastructure of the CATV network has been demonstrated. The sensor network has been implemented by using the wasted bandwidth of the coaxial cable (900-MHz band) of the CATV network without any change of the existing infrastructure. We have confirmed the performance of the sensor network by measuring the packet error rate (PER) for various data rates and verified that there was no sensitivity degradation due to the transmission over the CATV in frastructure. The maximum transmission distance between the coordinate node and the sensor node of the network was about 364 m w hen 128 sensor nodes were joined the sensor network at the operating data rate of 256 kb/s. The sensor network over the CATV infrastructure inherently guarantees a reliable networking between the nodes with excellent securities. Furthermore it is free from the interferences from other wireless services, which is especially useful in massive wireless environments such as in house or building.
Risk and protective factors affecting the adjustment of siblings of children with chronic disabilities.

OBJECTIVE To examine the adjustment of nondisabled siblings of handicapped children. METHOD In a 3-year longitudinal study, 46 siblings of children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), 45 siblings of children with Down syndrome, and 46 siblings of developmentally normal children (serving as controls) were examined at time 1 using the sibling, primary caretaker, and teacher as informants. Both direct and indirect variables related to sibling adjustment were considered. RESULTS Significantly more difficulties were found in the siblings of children with PDD compared with the other two groups. Different correlates of adjustment were present in the siblings of the disabled compared with nondisabled children, and mediating factors differed in parent and teacher reports of internalizing difficulties in siblings of children with PDD. Marital satisfaction, lack of parental depression, a cohesive family, and a warm, nonconflictual sibling relationship were protective for normal control and Down syndrome siblings but not for PDD siblings. CONCLUSION Findings underline the risks for the siblings of children with PDD and suggest the importance of a transactional mechanism rather than identification of single risk or protective factors in predicting sibling adjustment. Subsequent data analysis in this longitudinal study will assist in defining these mechanisms and allow for improved intervention strategies.
Current transport in metal/hafnium oxide/silicon structure

Based on the experimental results of the temperature dependence of gate leakage current and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling characteristics at 77 K, we have extracted the energy band diagrams and current transport mechanisms for metal/HfO/sub 2//Si structures. In particular, we have obtained the following quantities that will be useful for modeling and simulation: i) HfO/sub 2//Si conduction band offset (or barrier height): 1.13 /spl plusmn/ 0.13 eV; ii) Pt/HfO/sub 2/ barrier height: /spl sim/ 2.48 eV; iii) Al/HfO/sub 2/ barrier height: /spl sim/ 1.28 eV; iv) electron effective mass in HfO/sub 2/: 0.1 m/sub o/, where m/sub o/ is the free electron mass and v) a trap level at 1.5 /spl plusmn/ 0.1 eV below the HfO/sub 2/ conduction band which contributes to Frenkel-Poole conduction.
Establishing Tap Reliability in Expert Witness Testimony: Using Scenarios to Identify Calibration Needs

A means to establish a level of soundness for low-layer network devices is important to support in-house organizational investigations that pursue legal remedies. Those providing expert testimony must be able to speak competently to the reliability of these devices in order to establish confidence in the accuracy and completeness of the data they collect; however, manufacturers rarely provide conclusive information about performance to a degree that will survive legal challenge. This paper applies a model for creating calibration test suites, developed in the paper by Endicott-Popovsky, to several misuse and defense-against-negligence scenarios in order to create appropriate calibration tests. The insights gained result in recommendations for a calibration regime for forensic aggregator taps that will ready them for supporting expert testimony
Reduced order finite element models of Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators

Finite element (FE) simulation has become an important method in the modeling of Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) devices. Unfortunately the FE method is very demanding on computational resources. Moreover most techniques to reduce the complexity of FE models are not applicable to piezoelectric materials. Although model order reduction using moment matching can be applied to piezoelectric materials, this method is not commonly used by developers and scientists. In this work Model Order Reduction using moment matching (MOR) is utilized to simulate BAW resonators.
Taxifolin: Evaluation Through Ex vivo Permeations on Human Skin and Porcine Vaginal Mucosa.

BACKGROUND Taxifolin (TAX) is a flavonoid that has numerous pharmacological properties, including an antioxidant ability superior to that of other flavonoids due to its particular structure. Nevertheless, it has low oral bioavailability, which limits its therapeutic application. In this context, potentially important approaches for systemic drug delivery could be by alternative routes such as skin and vaginal mucosa, once both routes have a variety of advantages compared with the oral route, including the ability to bypass both first-pass hepatic metabolism and the consequent degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Vaginal delivery could also account for a local effect, or an effect on circumvent microregion. OBJECTIVE The major objective of this study was to develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of TAX in a semisolid dosage forms and then to evaluate ex vivo permeations across porcine vaginal mucosa and human skin. METHODS TAX was incorporated into an oil-in-water emulsion developed previously by our group. Method for quantification was developed and validated using HPLC. Permeation through human skin and vaginal porcine mucosa were conducted in Franz-type cells. RESULTS The method was precise (CV < 5%), accurate (recovery between 98% and 102%), linear (R2> 0.99), specific, and robust. Permeation experiments through porcine vaginal mucosa and human skin presented permeated percentages equal to 87.43% and 48.09% (per dose), respectively. CONCLUSION The results suggest that, in the matrixes studied, TAX may be able to exert its biological activities systemically when applied by these routes. Furthermore, it exhibits greater permeability potential when administered by intravaginal route.
Histologic and histomorphometric behavior of microgrooved zirconia dental implants with immediate loading.

PURPOSE The study aims to assess the total soft tissue (ST) width, crestal bone level (CBL), bone-to-implant contact (BIC), and bone density (BD) for zirconia implants textured with microgrooved surfaces and immediately loaded. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 51 implants; one implant from each study group was retained for surface characterization. The 48 remaining implants were inserted randomly in premolar areas of both sides of the healed edentulous lower jaws of foxhound dogs. They were divided into three groups of 16: control (titanium); test A (zirconia), and test B (microgrooved zirconia). The implants were splinted and covered with an acrylic bridge. A split-mouth design was used and immediate occlusal loading was applied on one side, while the other side did not have occlusal contact. ST, CBL, BIC, and BD were evaluated after 3 months. The effects of immediate loading on these parameters were analyzed. RESULTS All the implants were osseointegrated. ST was established at 3 months with mean values of 2.9 ± 0.4 mm for all groups. No differences were appreciated between loaded and unloaded sides regarding ST (p > .05). CBL showed a mean of 1.2 ± 0.3 mm for all groups without differences between loaded and unloaded sides (p > .05). BIC percentages were significantly higher for loaded all-microgrooved implants (p < .05). BD percentages were higher in areas close to all-microgrooved implants (p < .05) and significantly higher for loaded implants than unloaded. CONCLUSIONS Within the limitations of the present study, it may be concluded that for zirconia dental implants with microgrooved surfaces and immediate loading, the thickness of STs remains stable resulting in 3 mm mean biologic width, that crestal bone preservation is related to insertion depth, and that higher BIC percentages and increased BD around implants microgrooved over the entire intraosseous area may be expected at 3 months following implant insertion and immediate loading.
Time–resolved capacitance measurements: monitoring exocytosis in single cells

Many cells release preformed material contained in secretory granules by exocytosis. Exocytosis is a specialized means of secretion in which the granules fuse with the plasma membrane and thereby discharge their contents through the fusion pores. This mechanism mediates, for example, the formation of the fertilization envelope in eggs, the release of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides by neurons, the release of a variety of enzymes and mediators by mast cells and granulocytes or the secretion of hormones by endocrine cells. Classical methods for investigating exocytosis usually measure release of secreted material.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Learning Analytics Pilot with Coach2 - Searching for effective mirroring

Coach2 project investigated usability and eﬀectiveness of Learning Analytics in a group of Bachelor courses in the area of Computer Science. An advanced architecture was developed and implemented, including a standalone Learning Record Store for data storage and easy access to miscellaneous data, Machine Learning techniques for determin-ing relevant predictors, and a dashboard for informing learners. The overall approach was based on mirroring, the idea that learners see themselves operating in the context of their peers. The results were informative in terms of pro’s and con’s regarding the design and approach. The treat-ment showed tendencies, but ﬁnding statistical signiﬁcant results turned out diﬃcult. This paper reports on the Coach2 project.
Molecular Epidemiology of Macrolide Resistance in Neonatal Bloodstream Isolates of Group B Streptococci

ABSTRACT Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on 122 neonatal bloodstream isolates of group B streptococci (GBS) to further examine the relationship between macrolide resistance and serotype V GBS (GBS-V). Over one-third (35%) of macrolide-resistant GBS belonged to a single PFGE subtype of GBS-V, which was also the most common GBS-V subtype noted in previous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance studies. Erm methylase (ermA and ermB) was the most common resistance mechanism detected, present in 12 of 20 macrolide-resistant GBS.
[Analysis of factors affecting unmet healthcare needs of married immigrant women].

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the unmet healthcare needs of married immigrant women. METHODS This study was a secondary data analysis using data from the 2009 National Survey of Multicultural Families. Data collected from 58,735 married immigrant women who had spouses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression. RESULTS Overall, 9.9% of married immigrant women have unmet healthcare needs. The significant predictors related to unmet healthcare needs were young age, high level of education, employed, country of origin, long period of residence, low income, uninsured, urban area, low level of subjective health status, and illness experience over past two weeks. In particular, four variables (long period of residence, low income, subjective health status, and illness experience over past two weeks) significantly predicted unmet healthcare needs for women from all countries of origin. CONCLUSION The results of the study indicate that common predictors related to unmet healthcare needs of married immigrant women are a long period of residence, low income, subjective health status, and illness experience over past two weeks. Therefore intervention strategies to decrease unmet healthcare needs should focus on these significant predictors.
Factors influencing the expression of endogenous retrovirus‐like sequences in rat 6 cells

Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated increased levels of expression of endogenous rat leukemia virus (RaLV) and 30S retrovirus‐like sequences in liver and colon tumors induced by chemical carcinogens in rats. During the process of normal liver regeneration, the levels of RaLV RNA were dramatically increased, whereas the levels of 30S RNA did not change. The present study examined several factors that might influence the expression of these sequences in the Rat 6 embryo fibroblast cell line. Rat 6 cells in either log‐phase or confluent cultures were treated with cycloheximide, the tumor promoter 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA), or the activated carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) for various periods of time up to 48 h. Northern blot analyses of total RNA indicated that cells in untreated cultures in log phase had higher levels of RaLV and 30S RNAs than did confluent cells. Within 10 h cycloheximide (2 or 10 μg/mL) markedly increased the levels of RaLV and 30S RNAs in both log‐phase and confluent cells. BPDE (100 μg/mL) induced a marked increase in the levels of RaLV RNA at 4 to 10 h, which returned to the basal level by 24 h in the log‐phase cells; but no significant change was seen in the confluent cells. The level of 30S RNA also increased moderately in the BPDE‐treated log‐phase cells and was maximal at 24 h; but no change was seen in confluent cells. Treatment with TPA (100 ng/mL) induced no significant increase in either RaLV or 30S RNA levels in the log‐phase or confluent cells. The exposure of Rat 6 cells to 5‐azacytidine (3 μM for 24 h) led to a marked increase in the levels of both RaLV and 30S RNAs, which persisted during at least 15 subsequent passages in the absence of the drug. Thus, inhibition of protein synthesis, DNA damage, or hypomethylation can increase the expression of certain endogenous retrovirus‐like sequences, but an activator of protein kinase C does not.
Novel conserved hydrolase domain in the CLCA family of alleged calcium‐activated chloride channels

Advanced protein structure prediction methods combined with structure modeling show that the mammalian proteins, described until now as calcium‐activated chloride channels (CLCAs), appear in fact to be membrane anchored metal‐dependent hydrolases, possibly proteases. A metallohydrolase structural domain was predicted, unexpectedly, in the CLCA sequences. The well‐conserved active site in the modeled structure of this hydrolase domain allows the prediction of catalytic action similar to that of metalloproteases. A number of protein structure prediction methods suggest the overall fold of the N‐terminal hydrolase domain to be most similar to that of zinc metalloproteases (zincins), notably matrixins. This is confirmed by analysis of the three‐dimensional structure model of the predicted CLCA1 hydrolase domain built using the known structure of the MMP‐11 catalytic domain. Fragments of CLCA1 corresponding to the modeled hydrolase domain were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the resulting proteins were readily refolded into monomeric soluble protein, indicating formation of stable independent domains. The homology model was used to predict putative substrate sequences. Homologs of mammalian CLCA genes were detected in the genomes of a vast array of multicellular animals: lower vertebrates, tunicates, insects, crustaceans, echinoderms, and flatworms. The hydrolase prediction is discussed in the context of published experimentally determined effects of CLCA proteins on chloride conductance. Altered proteolytic processing of full‐length CLCA1 containing a mutation abolishing the predicted hydrolase activity is shown as initial experimental evidence for a role of the hydrolase domain in processing of mature full‐length CLCA1. The hydrolase prediction together with the presented experimental data add to doubts about the function of CLCAs as chloride channels and strengthen the hypothesis of channel‐activating and/or channel‐accessory roles. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
SIGGRAPH ASIA 2016 Virtual Reality meets Physical Reality: Modelling and Simulating Virtual Humans and Environments

The SIGGRAPH Asia Workshops program aims to provide participants with the opportunity to present and discuss novel research ideas on active and emerging topics of computer graphics and interactive techniques. Our workshops are expected to foster topics or communities that do not have a "home" in other venues. They give the community a new, organized way of thinking about a specific topic, and ideas that suggest promising directions for future research.
Preferential binding of estrogen-receptor complex to a region containing the estrogen-dependent hypomethylation site preceding the chicken vitellogenin II gene.

DNA-cellulose competition binding assays were used to measure the ability of cloned DNA fragments of the chicken vitellogenin II gene to displace the estrogen-receptor complex from total chicken DNA coupled to cellulose. The DNA fragment that gave the highest competition is situated in the upstream region of the gene between nucleotides -458 and -725. This DNA fragment has four small clusters of A + T-rich sequences and contains the estrogen-dependent hypomethylation site. In vitro methylation of the Msp I site does not change the capacity of the DNA fragment to compete for estrogen-receptor complex, whereas cleavage of the C-C-G-G (Msp I site) results in a complete loss of competition of this fragment for estrogen-receptor complex. These results, combined with deoxyribonuclease I protection experiments, suggest that the most probable binding site for estrogen-receptor complex is . G-C-G-T-G-A-C-C-G-G-A-G-C-T-G-A-A-A-G-A-A-C-A-C. This sequence has 73% homology with the core enhancer sequence of simian virus 40, . G-G-T-G-T-G-G-A-A-A-G. (identical bases italicized).
A best-first language processing model integrating the unification grammar and Markov language model for speech recognition applications

A language processing model is proposed in which the grammatical approach of unification grammar and the statistical approach of Markov language models are properly integrated in a word lattice chart parsing algorithm with different best-first parsing strategies. This model has been successfully implemented in experiments on Mandarin speech recognition although it is language-independent. Test results show that significant improvements in both correct rate of recognition and computation speed can be achieved. A correct rate of 93.8% and 5 s per sentence on an IBM PC/AT, as compared with 73.8% and 25 s using unification grammar alone and 82.2% and 3 s using a Markov language model alone, was achieved. This high performance is due to the effective rejection of noisy word hypothesis interferences; that is, the unification-based grammatical analysis eliminates all illegal combinations, while the Markovian probabilities of constituents combined with the considerations on constituent length indicate the correct direction of processing. >
Bmi‐1 regulates the migration and invasion of glioma cells through p16

Bmi‐1 is involved in the development of several human cancers; however, its significance in glioma progression remains largely unknown. We report that downregulation of Bmi‐1 clearly reduces glioma cell migration and invasion. Downregulation of Bmi‐1 promotes the expression of the tumor suppressor p16, which is important in glioma cell motility. Reduction in glioma cell invasion due to downregulation of Bmi‐1 could be rescued by p16 downregulation. These results show that Bmi‐1 contributes to the motility of glioma cells by regulating the expression of p16.
The ACO regulations--some answers, more questions.

Recognizing that physicians allocate most of our health care resources, Congress and the Obama administration challenged doctors in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to develop more ac-countable, quality-driven health care delivery systems, promising performance bonuses for those who succeed. The vehicle that Congress created for tackling this task is the accountable care organization (ACO), which is built on a strong foundation of primary care.1 To qualify as an ACO, a group of health care providers must have the capacity to deliver the full continuum of care to at least 5000 Medicare beneficiaries and to be held accountable for the costs .
The relationship between anaerobic power and isokinetic torque outputs.

Optimal peak and mean power outputs were determined from a 30s anaerobic cycle ergometer test and compared to the isokinetic peak torque outputs for hip and knee flexion and extension. Fifteen male physical education students, mean age 20.9 yrs. , mean weight 73.2 kg, performed several 30s all-out ergometer rides to determine individual power curves for the calculation of peak and mean power outputs. Isokinetic exercise at 30 degrees X s-1 for knee flexion and extension and 180 degrees X s-1 for hip and knee flexion and extension was also performed. The peak and mean power outputs were 11.66 and 9.29 watts X kg-1 respectively. Mean power correlated with isokinetic peak torque at 180 degrees X s-1 for knee flexion (r = 0.96) and extension (r = 0.87) and for hip flexion (r = 0.71) and extension (r = 0.68). Due to the significant contribution of knee and hip flexion and extension movements at 180 degrees X s-1, high intensity sports may benefit from incorporation of such movements at high velocities into resistance training programs.