Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thailand: winning battles, but the war's far from over

Despite the financial constraints put on anti-smoking activities, and the considerable government revenue generated by the state owned Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) and from tobacco import duties tobacco, Thailand has been able to restrain the tobacco industry's activities and maintain falling smoking prevalence (table1). Restrictive legislation enacted in 1992 banned tobacco advertising in all media and smoking in a large number of public places. Taxation is high at 71.5% of retail price, and both public knowledge of tobacco issues and support for tobacco control efforts are high. The Thai government has an office on smoking and there is an active non-government sector that has successfully broadened the anti-smoking movement to many different groups in the community. View this table: Table 1 Smoking prevalence in Thailand, 1986 to 1999 (age 11+ years) ### NATIONALISATION OF THE TTM AND BANNING FOREIGN IMPORTS Shortly before the second world war, British American Tobacco (BAT) began operating in Thailand, competing against small local tobacco companies. This period saw an increase in cigarette production throughout the region as new manufacturing techniques made cigarette production cheaper and faster. BAT was forced to sell its factory to the Thai government during the war, following the Japanese occupation. After the acquisition, the Thai government created the TTM and placed it under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance. In 1943, the Tobacco Monopoly Act was enacted making cigarette production a state monopoly, and thus the TTM became the sole legal manufacturer and importer of commercial cigarettes in Thailand. This situation continued until 1991. During more than 30 years of operation, the TTM was not much more than a small inefficient government department which produced low quality cigarettes but did nothing to try and raise demand. Despite no identifiable anti-tobacco movement, Thailand experienced declining smoking prevalence throughout the 1970s and 1980s. ### RISE OF TRANSNATIONAL TOBACCO COMPANIES The 1980s altered what may have seen a gradual disappearance of smoking …
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 (HIV-2)/HIV-1 Envelope Chimeras Detect High Titers of Broadly Reactive HIV-1 V3-Specific Antibodies in Human Plasma

ABSTRACT Deciphering antibody specificities that constrain human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) diversity, limit virus replication, and contribute to neutralization breadth and potency is an important goal of current HIV/AIDS vaccine research. Transplantation of discrete HIV-1 neutralizing epitopes into HIV-2 scaffolds may provide a sensitive, biologically functional context by which to quantify specific antibody reactivities even in complex sera. Here, we describe a novel HIV-2 proviral scaffold (pHIV-2KR.X7) into which we substituted the complete variable region 3 (V3) of the env gene of HIV-1YU2 or HIV-1Ccon to yield the chimeric proviruses pHIV-2KR.X7 YU2 V3 and pHIV-2KR.X7 Ccon V3. These HIV-2/HIV-1 chimeras were replication competent and sensitive to selective pharmacological inhibitors of virus entry. V3 chimeric viruses were resistant to neutralization by HIV-1 monoclonal antibodies directed against the CD4 binding site, coreceptor binding site, and gp41 membrane proximal external region but exhibited striking sensitivity to HIV-1 V3-specific monoclonal antibodies, 447-52D and F425 B4e8 (50% inhibitory concentration of [IC50] <0.005 μg/ml for each). Plasma specimens from 11 HIV-1 clade B- and 10 HIV-1 clade C-infected subjects showed no neutralizing activity against HIV-2 but exhibited high-titer V3-specific neutralization against both HIV-2/HIV-1 V3 chimeras with IC50 measurements ranging from 1:50 to greater than 1:40,000. Neutralization titers of B clade plasmas were as much as 1,000-fold lower when tested against the primary HIV-1YU2 virus than with the HIV-2KR.X7 YU2 V3 chimera, demonstrating highly effective shielding of V3 epitopes in the native Env trimer. This finding was replicated using a second primary HIV-1 strain (HIV-1BORI) and the corresponding HIV-2KR.X7 BORI V3 chimera. We conclude that V3 is highly immunogenic in vivo, eliciting antibodies with substantial breadth of reactivity and neutralizing potential. These antibodies constrain HIV-1 Env to a structure(s) in which V3 epitopes are concealed prior to CD4 engagement but do not otherwise contribute to neutralization breadth and potency against most primary virus strains. Triggering of the viral spike to reveal V3 epitopes may be required if V3 immunogens are to be components of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.
Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Challenges and Uncertainties

Over the past two decades, several advances have been made in the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from both evaluative and therapeutic perspectives. This review discusses the medical advancements that have recently been made as the standard of care for managing patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD) and to identify the challenges associated with implementing their use in clinical practice. A comprehensive literature search of the major databases (PubMed and Embase) was conducted for all recent scientific papers (1990–2013) giving the recent updates on the management of IBD and the data were extracted. The reported advancements in managing IBD range from diagnostic and evaluative tools, such as genetic tests, biochemical surrogate markers of activity, endoscopic techniques, and radiological modalities, to therapeutic advances, which encompass medical, endoscopic, and surgical interventions. There are limited studies addressing the cost-effectiveness and the impact that these advances have had on medical practice. The majority of the advances developed for managing IBD, while considered instrumental by some IBD experts in improving patient care, have questionable applications due to constraints of cost, lack of availability, and most importantly, insufficient evidence that supports their role in improving important long-term health-related outcomes.
The influence of pulsed magnetic fields (PMFs) on nonsynaptic potentials recorded from the central and peripheral nervous systems in vitro

The influence of pulsed magnetic fields (PMFs) on nonsynaptic potentials recorded from the central and peripheral nervous system in vitro has been investigated. The population spikes (PSs) recorded from hippocampal slices during antidromic stimulation and compound action potentials (CAPs) recorded from the segments of the sciatic nerve were used as indicators of neuronal activity. The potentials recorded from both preparations were significantly and permanently enhanced following PMF (0.16 Hz, 15 mT) exposure. The increase in the antidromic PS occurred even in the presence of potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA) and was accompanied by multiple spiking. Among all frequencies of PMF tested (0.5, 0.16, 0.07, 0.03, 0.0 Hz), the frequency of 0.5 Hz was the most effective in enhancement of potential amplitude. The influence of PMF on the amplitude of two CAPs evoked by the pair of electrical stimuli applied in rapid succession has also been evaluated. In control conditions the potential triggered by the second stimuli was slightly smaller expressing the phenomenon of short‐term depression (STD). Although PMF exposure amplified the amplitude of both potentials, the increase in the size of the first potential was significantly greater increasing further the magnitude of STD. The blocking of potassium channels reversed STD into facilitation. One of the possible mechanisms involved in PMF action could be the modification of the axonal threshold, which was significantly reduced following exposure to PMF. Bioelectromagnetics 30:621–630, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Wavelet and Hilbert transforms based QRS complexes detection algorithm for wearable ECG devices in wireless Body Sensor Networks

In this paper, an effective approach for QRS detection is presented for wearable ECG devices in wireless Body Sensor Networks (wBSN). Significant reduction of high and low frequency noises are obtained under the action of continuous wavelet transform to original ECG signal after the careful selection of scale level. The following Hilbert transform to the transformed signal enables easier location of R peak points, compared to more difficult zero-crossing point position in conventional wavelet transform methods. The double transformed signal is operated with an improved approximated envelope with the purpose of enhancing the QRS complexes and suppressing the unwanted P/T wave and noises. The performance and reliability of the proposed detector compares very favorably with the published QRS detection approaches.
The duration of sulfonylurea treatment is associated with β-cell dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND This study investigated the incidence of β-cell dysfunction and the clinical and biochemical factors affecting that in patients with type 2 diabetes having more than 3 years of follow-up. SUBJECTS AND METHODS β-Cell dysfunction was assessed by measuring changes in the fasting serum C-peptide concentrations. Patients were classified into two groups: cases showing a decreased (Group D) or an unchanged or increased (Group I) C-peptide concentration from the baseline. RESULTS Of the 504 patients included in this study, 259 (51%) showed decreased C-peptide concentrations, of whom 20% showed a decrease of ≥50%. Most patients, however, had a final C-peptide concentration of ≥1 ng/mL, with only 18 (4%) individuals having a level <0.6 ng/mL. Patients in Group D had a longer duration of diabetes, higher initial hemoglobin A1c concentration, and longer treatment durations with sulfonylurea and insulin compared with Group I. After adjusting for diabetes duration and C-peptide follow-up period, the duration of sulfonylurea treatment was found to be the only factor independently associated with decreases in the C-peptide concentration. CONCLUSIONS Although β-cell function deteriorates over time in patients with type 2 diabetes, these cases mainly have fasting serum C-peptide concentrations of ≥1 ng/mL. A longer treatment duration with sulfonylurea is associated with a more rapid decline in the C-peptide concentration.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Supporting the Immunologic Theory

Sudden deafness constitutes a diagnostic challenge. Classically, 2 causes, viral and vascular, are considered in the origin of idiopathic sudden hearing loss. More recently added to the list of possibilities are rupture of the membranous labyrinth and immune-mediated sensorineural hearing loss. The latter can be either primary and localized to the inner ear or, in perhaps fewer than one third of cases, secondary to generalized systemic autoimmune disease. The purpose of the present review is to define immune-mediated sudden sensorineural hearing loss as a distinctive entity, on the basis of clinical, immunologic, and pathological findings, and suggest a profile of the typical patient.
Exact capacity study for a class of MANETs

The lacking of a thorough understanding on the capacity in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) has been stunting their applications in the last decade. Available capacity studies focus on exploring either the order sense capacity scaling laws, the closed-form capacity under some specific routing protocols, or the exact capacity without careful consideration of wireless interference issue in MANETs. In this paper, we explore the exact network capacity for a class of MANETs, where the group-based scheduling is adopted to schedule simultaneous link transmissions. We first determine a general closed-form capacity upper bound for the considered MANETs, which holds for any possible routing protocols in such networks. We then show that for any traffic input rate within the upper bound, there exists a corresponding two-hop relay algorithm to stabilize the network, which proves that the upper bound we determined is the exact capacity for this class of MANETs. Finally, simulation studies are presented to validate our theoretical results.
Optical Frequency Standard Based on Ballistic Ca Atoms

The authors report on the current status of an optical frequency standard based on a laser cooled ensemble of free <sup>40</sup>Ca atoms realized at PTB. It is shown how the achieved fractional uncertainty and instability of 1.2 times 10<sup>-14</sup> and sigma (tau = 1 s) = 2 times 10<sup>-14</sup> can be improved to below 10<sup>-15</sup> and sigma(tau = 1 s) les 10<sup>-15</sup>, respectively
Escherichia coli xthA mutants are sensitive to inactivation by broad-spectrum near-UV (300- to 400-nm) radiation

Logarithmically growing and stationary-phase cells of Escherichia coli mutants lacking exonuclease III (xthA) were sensitive to inactivation by broad-spectrum near-UV (300- to 400-nm) radiation. The same xthA mutants were no more sensitive to far-UV wavelengths (200- to 300-nm) than was a strain bearing a functional xthA allele.
Role of Association Rule Mining in Numerical Data Analysis

—Numerical analysis naturally finds applications in all fields of engineering and the physical sciences, but in the 21st century, the life sciences and even the arts have adopted elements of scientific computations. The numerical data analysis became key process in research and development of all the fields [6]. In this paper we have made an attempt to analyze the specified numerical patterns with reference to the association rule mining techniques with minimum confidence and minimum support mining criteria. The extracted rules and analyzed results are graphically demonstrated. Association rules are a simple but very useful form of data mining that describe the probabilistic co-occurrence of certain events within a database [7]. They were originally designed to analyze market-basket data, in which the likelihood of items being purchased together within the same transactions are analyzed.
Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) instar effects on rate of parasitism by Eretmocerus mundus and Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Studies were conducted to compare preference among Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, biotype B instars for parasitization by Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and Encarsia pergandiella Howard when provided one instar only, two different instars, and four different instars simultaneously. In the single‐instar no choice treatment, Er. mundus was more successful in parasitizing the younger host instars, while En. pergandiella parasitized a greater proportion of the older instars. Similar results were observed when parasitoids were provided a choice of two instars in six different pair combinations. When all four instars were provided simultaneously, the numbers of first, second, and third instars parasitized by Er. mundus were not significantly different from each other (range 10.3–16.4%), but all were significantly higher than parasitism of fourth instar nymphs (2.1%). The highest percentage parasitization by En. pergandiella was in third instar (17.2%), and the lowest in first instar (2.8%).
Analysis of Some Extractives from Eichhornia crassipes

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) is an invasive weed that causes serious issues for rivers, lakes, and other reservoirs around the world, although it can be an excellent source for bioactive compounds such as phytosterols and some steroids found in many plants. In this study, water hyacinth samples from both Durango and Distrito Federal in Mexico were collected. Ascendant extracts (cyclohexane, hexane, acetone, and methanol) from their leaves, stems, and roots were analyzed. Using boron trifluoride (~10% [~1.3 M] in 1-butanol), all extracts were derivatized. Twenty-four derivatized samples were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. Twenty carboxylic acids were found, as well as squalene, which was found in nine extract samples: four cyclohexane extracts, one hexane extract, three acetone extracts, and two methanol extracts. A compound not reported before, stigmasterol, was identified on three hexane extracts, an acetone extract, and a methalonic extract. Spirostane in acetone root extract and cholestane in cyclohexane stem-leaf extract were also identified.
Effect of Age on Tests of Intestinal and Hepatic Function in Healthy Humans

We studied intestinal function and hepatic microsomal phase I monooxygenase function in healthy, free-living subjects, aged 19-91 yr. In subjects (n = 114) given a diet including 100 g/day of fat, fecal fat in a 72-h collection did not increase with advancing age. D-Xylose excretion (n = 54) following a 25-g oral load significantly declined with increasing age, but a concomitant decline in creatinine clearance suggested a decrease in renal function rather than an absorptive defect. Furthermore, there was no evidence for an age-associated increase in bile salt deconjugation by intestinal bacteria as shown by the glycocholate breath test (n = 60). Finally, there was no evidence for a decrease in hepatic microsomal function with advancing age as measured by the aminopyrine breath test (n = 60). We conclude that digestive/absorptive and hepatic microsomal phase I monooxygenase function are well preserved in healthy humans throughout life.
The Campylobacter jejuni PEB1a adhesin is an aspartate/glutamate‐binding protein of an ABC transporter essential for microaerobic growth on dicarboxylic amino acids

The PEB1a protein of the gastrointestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni mediates interactions with epithelial cells and is an important factor in host colonization. Cell fractionation and immunoblotting showed that PEB1a is most abundant in the periplasm of C. jejuni, and is detectable in the culture supernatant but not in the inner or outer membrane. The protein is homologous with periplasmic‐binding proteins associated with ABC transporters and we show by fluorescence spectroscopy that purified recombinant PEB1a binds l‐aspartate and l‐glutamate with sub µM Kd values. Binding of l‐14C‐aspartate or l‐14C‐glutamate was strongly out‐competed by excess unlabelled aspartate or glutamate but only poorly by asparagine and glutamine. A mutant in the Cj0921c gene, encoding PEB1a, was completely unable to transport 5 µM l‐14C‐glutamate and showed a large reduction (∼20‐fold) in the rate of l‐14C‐aspartate transport compared with the wild type. Although microaerobic growth of this mutant was little affected in complex media, growth on aspartate or glutamate in defined media was completely prevented, whereas growth with serine was similar to wild type. 1H‐NMR analysis of the culture supernatants of the Cj0921c mutant showed some utilization of aspartate but not glutamate, consistent with the transport data. It is concluded that in addition to the established role of PEB1a as an adhesin, the PEB1 transport system plays a key role in the utilization of aspartate and glutamate, which may be important in vivo carbon sources for this pathogen.
A comparison of power amplifiers in two generations of SiGe:C technologies

This paper investigates the performance of two differential power amplifiers that were designed for automotive radar applications at 79 GHz and fabricated in two different SiGe:C processes. One process is Infineon's high-speed SiGe:C commercial process B7HF200, and the other one is an advanced generation derived from it. They provide heterojunction bipolar transistors with maximum oscillation frequencies of 250 and 380 GHz, respectively. The performance of the two amplifiers is compared in terms of linearity, maximum saturated output power, power gain, power added efficiency and temperature stability.
The Sage handbook of spatial analysis

Introduction - Stewart Fotheringham and Peter A Rogerson The Special Nature of Spatial Data - Robert Haining The Role of GIS - David Martin Geovisualisation and Geovisual Analytics - Urska Demsar Availability of Spatial Data Mining Techniques - Shashi Shekhar et al Spatial Autocorrelation - Marie-Jose Fortin and Mark R T Dale The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) - David Wong Spatial Weights - Robin Dubin Geostatistics and Spatial Interpolation - Peter M Atkinson and Christopher D Lloyd Spatial Sampling - Eric Delmelle Statistical Inference for Geographical Processes - Chris Brunsdon Fuzzy Sets in Spatial Analysis - Vincent B Robinson Geographically Weighted Regression - Stewart Fotheringham Spatial Regression - Luc Anselin Spatial Microsimulation - D Ballas and G P Clarke Detection of Clustering in Spatial Data - Lance Waller Bayesian Spatial Analysis - Andrew B Lawson and Sudipto Banerjee Monitoring Changes in Spatial Patterns - Peter A Rogerson Case-Control Clustering for Mobile Populations - Geoffrey M Jacquez and Jaymie R Meliker Neural Networks for Spatial Data Analysis - Manfred M Fischer Geocomputation - Harvey J Miller Applied Retail Location Models Using Spatial Interaction Tools - Morton E O'Kelly Spatial Analysis on a Network - Atsuyuki Okabe and Toshiaki Satoh Challenges in Spatial Analysis - Michael F Goodchild The Future for Spatial Analysis - Reginald G Golledge
Sentence-length and Authorship Attribution: the Case of Oliver Goldsmith

The sentence-lengths of sixteen essays by Goldsmith are examined in relation to data from ten essays (we call these 'doubtfuls') which have been attributed to him. Comparisons between the 'doubtfuls' and the known Goldsmiths are made with reference to the X 2 goodness-of-fit test, and the method of reciprocal averaging. The Goldsmith essays form a close group, with four of the 'doubtful' essays well outside, two less remote and four within the Goldsmith cluster. Comparison with fifty essays by nine of Goldsmith's contemporaries reveals the distinctiveness of his sentence-length patterns, and strengthens the probability that the four least doubtful essays are his. In the case of Goldsmith, then, sentence-length may be considered a reliable stylistic marker.
Regulation of glucose turnover and hormonal responses during electrical cycling in tetraplegic humans.

To examine the importance of blood-borne vs. neural mechanisms for hormonal responses and substrate mobilization during exercise, six spinal cord-injured tetraplegic (C5-T1) males (mean age: 35 yr, range: 24-55 yr) were recruited to perform involuntary, electrically induced cycling [functional electrical stimulation (FES)] to fatigue for 24.6 +/- 2.3 min (mean and SE), and heart rate rose from 67 +/- 7 (rest) to 107 +/- 5 (exercise) beats/min. Voluntary arm cranking in tetraplegics (ARM) and voluntary leg cycling in six matched, long-term immobilized (2-12 mo) males (Vol) served as control experiments. In FES, peripheral glucose uptake increased [12.4 +/- 1.1 (rest) to 19.5 +/- 4.3 (exercise) mumol.min-1.kg-1; P < 0.05], whereas hepatic glucose production did not change from basal values [12.4 +/- 1.4 (rest) vs. 13.0 +/- 3.4 (exercise) mumol.min-1.kg-1]. Accordingly, plasma glucose decreased [from 5.4 +/- 0.3 (rest) to 4.7 +/- 0.3 (exercise) mmol/l; P < 0.05]. Plasma glucose did not change in response to ARM or Vol. Plasma free fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate decreased only in FES experiments (P < 0.05). During FES, increases in growth hormone (GH) and epinephrine and decreases in insulin concentrations were abolished. Although subnormal throughout the exercise period, norepinephrine concentrations increased during FES, and responses of heart rate, adrenocorticotropic hormone, beta-endorphin, renin, lactate, and potassium were marked. In conclusion, during exercise, activity in motor centers and afferent muscle nerves is important for normal responses of GH, catecholamines, insulin, glucose production, and lipolysis. Humoral feedback and spinal or simple autonomic nervous reflex mechanisms are not sufficient. However, such mechanisms are involved in redundant control of heart rate and neuroendocrine activity in exercise.