Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An End User Perspective: The Impact of FSMA on Restaurants

On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA or P.L. 111-353). This act may be the most far-reaching food safety legislation since the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FDCA) of 1938. FSMA aims to ensure that the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of regulation from contamination response to prevention. This legislation imposes administrative costs on the food supply chain in the United States by requiring additional record keeping and safety procedures. Previous research has shown that the value of food processing, wholesale and grocery firms was reduced by the passage of this legislation. We hypothesize that the negative value effects caused by the legislation may be partially passed on to end users of food products, specifically, restaurants. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that passage of FSMA reduced the market value of publicly traded restaurants by approximately 5%. This result is roughly one half of the impact borne by other firms in the food supply chain. That is, we find evidence that a portion of the supply chain costs of FSMA are passed on to restaurant firms and possibly other end users such as consumers. We conclude that federal legislation that is not specifically directed at the hospitality industry may still have significant effects for hospitality firms.
Vestibular abnormality in patients with Meniere's disease and migrainous vertigo

Abstract Conclusion: Vestibular abnormality was found in 84% of patients with Meniere's disease (MD) and 66% of those with migrainous vertigo (MV), even in the interictal period. Although MV does not have proven pathology like endolymphatic hydrops of MD, MV had high vestibular abnormality, suggesting that comorbid vestibular abnormality can be a cause of vertigo and needs to be pursued. Objectives: MD and MV are common disorders causing recurrent vertigo. We determined the vestibular abnormality rates using vestibular tests with objective measurements. Methods: Results of caloric, head-shaking nystagmus (HSN), and vibration-induced nystagmus (VIN) tests were analyzed in 45 patients with MD and 76 with MV. Results: The abnormal rates in MD were significantly higher than those in MV. Of 45 MD patients, 21 (47%), 32 (71%), and 24 (53%) exhibited abnormal caloric, HSN, and VIN results, respectively. Fourteen (31%) MD patients had migraine associated with vertigo, but the association was not accompanied by high rates of abnormal results in the tests. Of 76 MV patients, 19 (25%), 38 (50%), and 24 (32%) exhibited abnormal caloric, HSN, and VIN results, respectively. Overall, 84% of patients with MD and 66% with MV exhibited abnormal results on at least one test. Abnormal rates were highest in HSN, followed by VIN and the caloric test.
Results of Epidemiological Studies of Blood Pressure Are Biased by Continuous Variation in Arm Size Related to Body Mass

Abstract In cross-sectional epidemiological studies, blood pressure (BP) is often found to be positively correlated with fatness. Usually sphygmomanometers with only one cuff size for adults are used to measure BP while arm circumference (AC) influences BP readings. We have studied cross-sectional anthropometric and BP data of adult men and women from three populations: Cook Islanders (n = 259), Papua New Guinean: Purari (n = 295), and Ok Tedi (n = 274). These were selected because of their diverse socio-economic, anthropometric, and BP characteristics. Partial correlations and regressions were used to analyze these data. Systolic and diastolic pressures (SBP, DBP) showed dependence on AC, body mass index (BMI), and skinfold thickness. Stature had some effect on SBP and DBP, independent of BMI and AC. When effects of AC and stature were statistically controlled, BMI did not correlate with either SBP or DBP. People of larger body mass have greater AC, and this biases BP readings. Average values of SBP and DBP in groups of underweight, normal, overweight, and obese people predicted by AC (sex, age, and BMI being statistically controlled) closely matched observed SBP and DBP averages in those groups. Out of 24 pairwise comparisons (3 samples from different populations × 4 groups of BMI × 2 pressure readings) of predicted and actual BP, only two produced statistically significant differences while 21 of the differences were 5 mm Hg or less. Correlations between BP and obesity found in epidemiological studies may be severely biased by effects of variation in AC. Sphygmomanometric measurements of BP should be corrected for continuous variation in AC.
Dual inhibition of the epidermal growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor phosphorylation for antivascular therapy of human prostate cancer in the prostate of nude mice

Androgen‐independent prostate cancer (PCa) may be susceptible to modulation of the tumor microenvironment. We determined whether a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor (AEE788) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF‐R) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF‐R) combined with chemotherapy can produce therapy of human PCa in nude mice.
Glutamate‐induced mitochondrial depolarisation and perturbation of calcium homeostasis in cultured rat hippocampal neurones

1 The objective of this study was to clarify the relationships between loss of mitochondrial potential and the perturbation of neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis induced by a toxic glutamate challenge. Digital fluorescence imaging techniques were employed to monitor simultaneously changes in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and mitochondrial potential (ΔΨm) in individual hippocampal neurones in culture coloaded with fura‐2 AM or fura‐2FF AM and rhodamine 123 (Rh 123). 2 In most cells (96 %) at 6‐7 days in vitro (DIV) and in a small proportion of cells (29 %) at 11‐17 DIV the [Ca2+]i increase induced by exposure to 100 μm glutamate for 10 min was associated with a small mitochondrial depolarisation, followed by mitochondrial repolarisation, and a degree of recovery of [Ca2+]i following glutamate washout. In the majority of neurones at 11‐17 DIV (71 %), exposure to glutamate for 10 min induced a profound mono‐ or biphasic mitochondrial depolarisation, which was clearly correlated with a sustained [Ca2+]i plateau despite the removal of glutamate. 3 Addition of glutamate receptor antagonists (15 μm MK‐801 plus 75 μm 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX)) to the washout solution did not affect the post‐glutamate [Ca2+]i plateau in neurones exhibiting a profound mitochondrial depolarisation but greatly improved [Ca2+]i recovery in those neurones undergoing only a small mitochondrial depolarisation, suggesting that the release of endogenous glutamate delays [Ca2+]i recovery in the postglutamate period. 4 Cyclosporin A (500 nM) or N‐methyl Val‐4‐cyclosporin A (200 nM) delayed or even prevented the development of the second phase of mitochondrial depolarisation in cells at 11‐17 DIV and increased the proportion of neurones exhibiting a small monophasic mitochondrial depolarisation and [Ca2+]i recovery upon glutamate removal. 5 We have thus described a striking correlation between mitochondrial depolarisation and the failure of cells to restore [Ca2+]i following a toxic glutamate challenge. These data suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a major role in the deregulation of [Ca2+]i associated with glutamate toxicity.
Hemagglutination by Rabies Virus

Goose erythrocytes were agglutinated by five strains of rabies virus grown in monolayer cell cultures at pH 6.4 and at 0 to 4 C. Hemagglutination was not affected by the cell type in which the virus was grown. Prerequisites for occurrence of hemagglutination are absence of hemagglutination inhibitors (such as those contained in bovine serum) and a relatively high virus concentration (> 106 plaque-forming units of virus per ml). “Soluble” hemagglutinin was not present in crude preparations of extracellular virus. Treatment of purified preparations of extracellular virus with Tween 80 and ether did not result in release of a “soluble” hemagglutinin. The hemagglutinating property of extracellular virus seemed to be conditioned by the integrity of its coat. Preparations of infectious intracellular virus exhibited about 15 times lower hemagglutinating activity than extracellular virus. This decreased hemagglutinating activity did not seem to be caused by binding of hemagglutination inhibitors to the virus particles. Rabies virus can be quantitatively adsorbed onto and eluted from erythrocytes. Erythrocytes pretreated with rabies virus retained their ability to be agglutinated by the same virus strain. The reaction with rabies virus of erythrocytes treated with the receptor-destroying enzyme or KIO4 was the same as that of nontreated erythrocytes. The hemagglutinating component of rabies virus, therefore, does not exhibit neuraminidase activity. Treatment of extracellular virus by various agents indicated that the hemagglutinating component consists of protein or lipoprotein. Sulfhydryl groups present in the viral hemagglutinin are essential for hemagglutination.
Characterization of the Replication, Maintenance, and Transfer Features of the IncP-7 Plasmid pCAR1, Which Carries Genes Involved in Carbazole and Dioxin Degradation

ABSTRACT Isolated from Pseudomonas resinovorans CA10, pCAR1 is a 199-kb plasmid that carries genes involved in the degradation of carbazole and dioxin. The nucleotide sequence of pCAR1 has been determined previously. In this study, we characterized pCAR1 in terms of its replication, maintenance, and conjugation. By constructing miniplasmids of pCAR1 and testing their establishment in Pseudomonas putida DS1, we show that pCAR1 replication is due to the repA gene and its upstream DNA region. The repA gene and putative oriV region could be separated in P. putida DS1, and the oriV region was determined to be located within the 345-bp region between the repA and parW genes. Incompatibility testing using the minireplicon of pCAR1 and IncP plasmids indicated that pCAR1 belongs to the IncP-7 group. Monitoring of the maintenance properties of serial miniplasmids in nonselective medium, and mutation and complementation analyses of the parWABC genes, showed that the stability of pCAR1 is attributable to the products of the parWAB genes. In mating assays, the transfer of pCAR1 from CA10 was detected in a CA10 derivative that was cured of pCAR1 (CA10dm4) and in P. putida KT2440 at frequencies of 3 × 10−1 and 3 × 10−3 per donor strain, respectively. This is the first report of the characterization of this completely sequenced IncP-7 plasmid.
The Determination of Fair Assigned Security Price for a Given Market Participant in Deregulated Power System

Regulated power systems not only were built with excess capacity, but also operated with conservative security limits. But under deregulated environment, the requirement of maintaining security and maximizing the return on existing investments becomes one typical antinomy, resulting in operating the system closer to the traditional deterministic limits or even beyond them by assuming that the contingencies may not actually occur. This fact requires more refined methods for power system security proper assessment and fair distribution that account for the probabilistic nature of uncertain variables in the decision-making environment. This paper presents a framework of fair assigned security price for a given market participant which firstly contains two comprehensive pricing methods for quantifying the transmission security cost based on risk analysis and voltage stability constrained OFF market models for comparison. In the later method, this paper next distributes the security cost equitably to all participants based on the impact of their transactions on the ATC, which is calculated by using continuation power flow (CPF) or OPF approaches and should consider thermal, voltage and stability limits with N-1 contingency criteria. The nodal security price can be attained finally. All above-mentioned approaches are illustrated by evaluating the results of an experiment that simulates a full AC network with 6 buses, three of which are generators
Optimal Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Allocation Strategies for the Canadian Population

Background The world is currently confronting the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. Influenza vaccination is an effective preventive measure, but the unique epidemiological features of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) introduce uncertainty as to the best strategy for prioritization of vaccine allocation. We sought to determine optimal prioritization of vaccine distribution among different age and risk groups within the Canadian population, to minimize influenza-attributable morbidity and mortality. Methodology/Principal Findings We developed a deterministic, age-structured compartmental model of influenza transmission, with key parameter values estimated from data collected during the initial phase of the epidemic in Ontario, Canada. We examined the effect of different vaccination strategies on attack rates, hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, and mortality. In all scenarios, prioritization of high-risk individuals (those with underlying chronic conditions and pregnant women), regardless of age, markedly decreased the frequency of severe outcomes. When individuals with underlying medical conditions were not prioritized and an age group-based approach was used, preferential vaccination of age groups at increased risk of severe outcomes following infection generally resulted in decreased mortality compared to targeting vaccine to age groups with higher transmission, at a cost of higher population-level attack rates. All simulations were sensitive to the timing of the epidemic peak in relation to vaccine availability, with vaccination having the greatest impact when it was implemented well in advance of the epidemic peak. Conclusions/Significance Our model simulations suggest that vaccine should be allocated to high-risk groups, regardless of age, followed by age groups at increased risk of severe outcomes. Vaccination may significantly reduce influenza-attributable morbidity and mortality, but the benefits are dependent on epidemic dynamics, time for program roll-out, and vaccine uptake.
Combination therapy using metformin or thiazolidinediones and insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

The biguanide, metformin, sensitizes the liver to the effect of insulin, suppressing hepatic glucose output. Thiazolidinediones such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone enhance insulin‐mediated glucose disposal, leading to reduced plasma insulin concentrations. These classes of drugs may also have varying beneficial effects on features of insulin resistance such as lipid levels, blood pressure and body weight. Metformin in combination with insulin has been shown to significantly improve blood glucose levels while lowering total daily insulin dose and body weight. The thiazolidinediones in combination with insulin have also been effective in lowering blood glucose levels and total daily insulin dose. Triple combination therapy using insulin, metformin and a thiazolidinedione improves glycaemic control to a greater degree than dual therapy using insulin and metformin or insulin and a thiazolidinedione. There is insufficient evidence to recommend the use of metformin or thiazolidinediones in type 1 diabetic patients. Although these agents are largely well tolerated, some subjects experience significant gastrointestinal problems while using metformin. Metformin is associated with a low risk of lactic acidosis, but should not be used in patients with elevated serum creatinine or those being treated for congestive heart failure. The thiazolidinediones are associated with an increase in body weight, although this can be avoided with careful lifestyle management. Thiazolidinediones may also lead to oedema and are associated with a low incidence of hepatocellular injury. Thiazolidinediones are contraindicated in patients with underlying heart disease who are at risk of congestive heart failure and in patients who have abnormal hepatic function. The desired blood glucose‐lowering effect and adverse event profiles of these agents should be considered when recommending these agents to diabetic patients. The potential for metformin or the thiazolidinediones to impact long‐term cardiovascular outcomes remains under investigation.
Human capital in the eco-innovative firms: a case study of eco-innovation projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the influence of human capital (HC) on the organizations in terms of eco-innovative entrepreneurship, and the existing relations of these resources with economic and financial resources as well as other capabilities of the firms. A secondary challenge in the research is to define and measure the availability of HC in firms for those eco-innovative processes. Design/methodology/approach The targeted population for the study was eight eco-innovative companies in Spain. Within each company, a detailed CEO questionnaire was collected to measure HR information, certification or the existence of internal initiatives to promote eco/innovation, and secondary source records to measure economic and financial performance. This data collection strategy eliminated the possibility of percept-percept bias, since the data for each stage of the model were collected from different sources. The database has been analyzed through a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Findings The main conclusion from the QCA analysis indicates that the role of the specialized HC involved in the R&D and innovation activities, the environmental management of firms and the resources (energy) management are relevant factors in the eco-innovative process and they have to be specifically managed for the development of eco-innovations. The qualitative analysis shows that firms that devoted specialized HC to the eco-innovation activities are companies at least ten years old, which have R&D and innovation departments as well as a specific department for the environmental management. They have been certified through some environmental certification standards, have human resources devoted to the product design, promote entrepreneurship for innovation among their own employees and also have higher than the sector average rates of leverage. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this paper is linked to the number of analyzed study cases, although all of them are sufficiently representative. Nevertheless, given that the empirical research addressing the interrelated factors of eco-innovation and HC is still not abundant, this study provides an interesting starting point for discussion and the improvement of the qualitative method applied in this paper. Moreover, further research is still needed to fully elucidate how the corporate entrepreneurship is promoted to respond to the eco-innovation strategy of firms, as well as to deeply explore the characteristics of the intellectual capital concerned to the eco-innovation processes. Originality/value As a novel application, the influence of HC in organizations in terms of eco-innovative entrepreneurship has been analyzed through the measurement of the level of HC specifically devoted to eco-innovation in eight eco-innovative companies. One of the contributions of this study is to define the variables to measure the HC that is available for eco-innovation in an eco-innovative firm. The main conclusions are of interest to practitioners concerning the eco-innovation development in firms.
Interleukin-17 induces angiogenesis in vitro via CXCL8 and CCL2 in retinal pigment epithelium.

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a major pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in choroidal endothelial cell (CEC) angiogenesis. Proteins expressed by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may contribute to CEC angiogenesis. The ability of IL‑17 to promote proliferation, migration and capillary‑like structure formation in CECs was investigated by stimulating the RPE in vitro. CECs were cultured in a conditioned medium (CM) with IL‑17 (IL‑17‑CM) or without IL‑17 (CM) obtained from the supernatant of an ARPE‑19 cell line. The pro‑angiogenic role of IL‑17‑CM on CECs was investigated with water‑soluble tetrazolium 1 analysis, wound healing and Matrigel matrix tube formation assays. The expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor was detected by enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay in RPE cells treated with or without IL‑17. Ras‑related C3botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) and Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) activities were analyzed by pull‑down assays. IL‑17‑CM significantly enhanced tube formation and increased the migration distance in CECs in comparison with CM. This effect was diminished by neutralizing C‑C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2) and C‑X‑C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) expression in IL‑17‑CM, with a concomitant downregulation of Rac1 and RhoA activity in CECs. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that IL‑17 mediated the expression of CCL2 and CXCL8 in RPE cells, resulting in increased migration and tube formation in human CECs.
Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic evaluation of insulin glargine U300 for the treatment of type 1 diabetes

ABSTRACT Introduction: Glargine 300 units/ml (Gla-300) is a novel basal insulin formulation approved in 2015 for the treatment of diabetes. This more concentrated form of glargine causes delayed redissolution from the subcutaneous depot after injection and thus altered action profile. Areas covered: The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety of Gla-300 in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) will be reviewed. Expert opinion: Gla-300 has a flatter and more prolonged pharmacokinetic profile compared to glargine 100 units/ml (Gla-100), but is less potent on a unit per unit basis. The prolonged duration of Gla-300 should provide 24h coverage with a single daily dose in all patients. Two phase III trials comparing Gla-300 and Gla-100 were conducted in patients with T1DM. A1C reduction and other measures of glycemic control were similar between groups. Hypoglycemia rates were similar among groups in one trial, but favored Gla-300 in the other. Evidence for improvement in hypoglycemia with Gla-300 is more convincing in the type 2 diabetes population. Gla-300 is available in an insulin pen to mitigate potential dosing errors with different glargine concentrations; the maximum dose per injection is 80 units. Future research should include direct comparison with degludec and use in insulin-resistant populations.
Wireless Energy Harvesting and Spectrum Sharing in Cognitive Radio

A wireless energy harvesting protocol is proposed for a decode-and-forward relay- assisted secondary user (SU) network in a cognitive spectrum sharing paradigm. An expression for the outage probability of the relay-assisted cognitive network is derived subject to the following power constraints: 1) the maximum power that the source and the relay in the SU network can transmit from the harvested energy, 2) the peak interference power from the source and the relay in the SU network at the primary user (PU) network, and 3) the interference power of the PU network at the relay-assisted SU network. The results show that as the energy harvesting conversion efficiency improves, the relay- assisted network with the proposed wireless energy harvesting protocol can operate with outage probabilities below 20% for some practical applications.
Central bank independence - a path less clear

It is always a pleasure to return to Mexico City; especially so on this important occasion. Anniversaries are always a good time to reflect on the past in an effort to learn and to plan for the future. And, since this is an anniversary of autonomy, my task is to look at the history and the future of central bank independence. Before I start, let me be clear: I believe that central bank independence has served us well in the past, and will continue to serve us well in the future.