Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strong Economy and Welfare Reforms Contribute to Drop in Food Stamp Rolls

In fiscal 2000, the Food Stamp Program provided benefits to 17.2 million low-income Americans, a level lower than any year since 1979. Just 6 years earlier, in fiscal 1994, program participation peaked at over 27 million Americans. According to recent studies, the decline in participation was due in part to a strong economy and in part to 1996 welfare reform legislation. This new law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), made some food stamp participants ineligible and redesigned the cash welfare system in ways that may have further reduced food stamp participation. The rapid decline in program participation reflects major life changes for millions of low-income individuals and families. Each family or individual that has left the program, or that has not needed to apply in the first place, has its own story. Many of these stories center on good news-a new job or a raisebrought by the unusually strong economic expansion in the second half of the 1990's. Increased earnings lifted incomes for many fami-
Bond strengths to enamel and dentin with indirect and direct resin composites.

PURPOSE To investigate the differences in shear bond strengths between indirect and direct resin composites attached to enamel and dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty human molar teeth stored in distilled water since extraction were used in this study. Thirty of the teeth were prepared to form a flat enamel surface ground to 600 grit and 30 of the teeth were prepared to form a flat dentin surface ground to 600 grit. Cylinders constructed from Triad indirect resin composite were bonded to 15 enamel and 15 dentin surfaces and additional cylinders constructed from TPH direct resin were bonded to the remaining 15 enamel and 15 dentin substrates. Bond strengths were determined by shearing the specimens with an Instron testing machine. RESULTS Mean shear bond strengths observed in this study were: Triad to enamel, 27.64 +/- 7.35 MPa; TPH to enamel, 27.43 +/- 3.37 MPa; Triad to dentin, 21.83 +/- 3.10 MPa; and TPH to dentin, 21.27 +/- 4.85 MPa. Two-way ANOVA demonstrated that significant differences existed between the four test groups and that this difference was primarily related to the surface to which the cylinders were attached (P = 0.000). No significant differences were discovered in shear bond strengths between restorative materials (P = 0.767) or between restorative materials bonded to a specific, common surface (P = 0.891). Turkey's post hoc test demonstrated that the shear bond strength of Triad to enamel was significantly greater than the shear bond strength of either Triad to dentin (P = 0.012) or TPH to dentin (P = 0.005). This test also pointed out that the shear bond strength of TPH to enamel was significantly greater than the shear bond strength of either TPH to dentin (P = 0.007) or Triad to dentin (P = 0.016). Finally, it was noted that the shear bond strength of Triad to enamel was essentially the same as TPH to enamel (P = 1.000) and that the bond strength of Triad to dentin was essentially the same as TPH to dentin (P = 0.990).
Metabolic characteristics of Tanshinone I in human liver microsomes and S9 subcellular fractions

Abstract Tanshinone I (TSI) is a lipophilic diterpene in Salvia miltiorrhiza with versatile pharmacological activities. However, metabolic pathway of TSI in human is unknown. In this study, we determined major metabolites of TSI using a preparation of human liver microsomes (HLMs) by HPLC-UV and Q-Trap mass spectrometer. A total of 6 metabolites were detected, which indicated the presence of hydroxylation, reduction as well as glucuronidation. Selective chemical inhibition and purified cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoform screening experiments revealed that CYP2A6 was primarily responsible for TSI Phase I metabolism. Part of generated hydroxylated TSI was glucuronidated via several glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms including UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A7, UGT1A9, as well as extrahepatic expressed isoforms UGT1A8 and UGT1A10. TSI could be reduced to a relatively unstable hydroquinone intermediate by NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and then immediately conjugated with glucuronic acid by a panel of UGTs, especially UGT1A9, UGT1A1 and UGT1A8. Additionally, NQO1 could also reduce hydroxylated TSI to a hydroquinone intermediate, which was immediately glucuronidated by UGT1A1. The study demonstrated that hydroxylation, reduction as well as glucuronidation were the major pathways for TSI biotransformation, and six metabolites generated by CYPs, NQO1 and UGTs were found in HLMs and S9 subcellular fractions.
Neuroprotective properties of GLP-1: theoretical and practical applications

Abstract In the past few years, the development of pharmaceutical agents that enhance the physiological effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), either through GLP-1 receptor agonism (GLP-1 agonists) or by inhibiting GLP-1 degradation (dipeptidylpeptidase-4 inhibitors) has broadened the range of treatment options for individuals with type 2 diabetes. It has been recognized for some time that GLP-1 also has extra-pancreatic effects, notably targeting the brain, where it regulates appetite and satiety, as well as peripheral functions highly controlled by the autonomic nervous system, such as gastric emptying. Furthermore, data are beginning to emerge that indicate a potential role for GLP-1 in neuroprotection. The increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and stroke in people with type 2 diabetes suggests that shared mechanisms/pathways of cell death, possibly related to insulin dysregulation, may underlie all of these disorders. Although the disease anatomy varies with each disorder, a wide range of genetic and environmental triggers result in activation of similar biochemical pathways in all of them, suggesting a complex network of biochemical events that feed in to a final common path towards cellular dysfunction and death. This article summarizes the evidence for neuronal activity of GLP-1 and examines the limited data that currently exist on the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 in specific neurological and neurodegenerative conditions, namely Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntingdon’s disease, stroke and peripheral sensory neuropathy.
Using the group genetic algorithm for attribute clustering

In the past, the concept of performing the task of feature selection by attribute clustering was proposed. Hong et al. thus proposed several genetic algorithms for finding appropriate attribute clusters. In this paper, we attempt to improve the performance of the GA-based attribute-clustering process based on the grouping genetic algorithm (GGA). In our approach, the general GGA representation and operators are used to reduce the redundancy of chromosome representation for attribute clustering. At last, experiments are made to compare the efficiency of the proposed approaches and the previous ones.
Glycerotoxin stimulates neurotransmitter release from N‐type Ca2+ channel expressing neurons

Glycerotoxin (GLTx) is capable of stimulating neurotransmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction by directly interacting with N‐type Ca2+ (Cav2.2) channels. Here we have utilized GLTx as a tool to investigate the functionality of Cav2.2 channels in various mammalian neuronal preparations. We first adapted a fluorescent‐based high‐throughput assay to monitor glutamate release from rat cortical synaptosomes. GLTx potently stimulates glutamate secretion and Ca2+ influx in synaptosomes with an EC50 of 50 pm. Both these effects were prevented using selective Cav2.2 channel blockers suggesting the functional involvement of Cav2.2 channels in mediating glutamate release in this system. We further show that both Cav2.1 (P/Q‐type) and Cav2.2 channels contribute equally to depolarization‐induced glutamate release. We then investigated the functionality of Cav2.2 channels at the neonatal rat neuromuscular junction. GLTx enhances both spontaneous and evoked neurotransmitter release causing a significant increase in the frequency of postsynaptic action potentials. These effects were blocked by specific Cav2.2 channel blockers demonstrating that either GLTx or its derivatives could be used to selectively enhance the neurotransmitter release from Cav2.2‐expressing mammalian neurons.
A chromosome 10 variant with a 12 Mb inversion [inv(10)(q11.22q21.1)] identical by descent and frequent in the Swedish population

We identified a paracentric inversion of chromosome 10 [inv(10)(q11.22q21.1)] in 0.20% of Swedish individuals (15/7,439) referred for cytogenetic analysis. A retrospective analysis of 8,896 karyotypes from amniocenteses in Sweden revealed a carrier frequency of 0.079% (7/8,896) for the inversion. Cloning and detailed analysis of the inversion breakpoint regions show enrichment for interspersed repeat elements and AT‐stretches. The centromeric breakpoint coincides with that of a predicted inversion from HapMap data, which suggests that this region is involved in several chromosome 10 variants. No known gene or predicted transcript are disrupted by the inversion which spans approximately 12 Mb. Carriers from four non‐related Swedish families have identical inversion breakpoints and haplotype analysis confirmed that the rearrangement is identical by descent. Diagnosis was retrieved in 6 out of the 15 carriers referred for cytogenetic analysis. No consistent phenotype was found to be associated with the inversion. Our study demonstrates that the inv(10)(q11.22q21.1) is a rare and inherited chromosome variant with a broad geographical distribution in Sweden. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developing best practices to study trauma outcomes in large databases: An evidence-based approach to determine the best mortality risk adjustment model

BACKGROUND The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) is an invaluable resource to study trauma outcomes. Recent evidence suggests the existence of great variability in covariate handling and inclusion in multivariable analyses using NTDB, leading to differences in the quality of published studies and potentially in benchmarking trauma centers. Our objectives were to identify the best possible mortality risk adjustment model (RAM) and to define the minimum number of covariates required to adequately predict trauma mortality in the NTDB. METHODS Analysis of NTDB 2009 was performed to identify the best RAM for trauma mortality. For each plausible NTDB covariate, univariate logistic regression was performed, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC, with 95% confidence interval [CI]) was calculated. Covariates with p < 0.01 and an AUROC of 0.6 of greater or with strong previous evidence were included in the subsequent multivariate logistic regression analyses. Manual backward selection was then used to identify the most parsimonious RAM with a similar AUROC (overlapping 95% CI). Similar analyses were performed for penetrating and severely injured patient subsets. All models were validated using NTDB 2010. RESULTS A total of 630,307 patients from NTDB 2009 were analyzed. A total of 16 of 106 NTDB covariates tested on univariate analyses were selected for inclusion in the initial multivariate model. The best RAM included only six covariates (age, hypotension, pulse, total Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score, Injury Severity Score [ISS], and a need for ventilator use) yet still demonstrated excellent discrimination between survivors and nonsurvivors (AUROC, 0.9578; 95% CI, 0.9565–0.9590). In addition, this model was validated on 665,138 patients included in NTDB 2010 (AUROC, 0.9577; 95% CI, 0.9564–0.9589). Similar results were obtained for the subset analyses. CONCLUSION This quantitative synthesis proposes a framework and a set of covariates for studying trauma mortality outcomes. Such analytic standardization may prove critical in implementing best practices aimed at improving the quality and consistency of NTDB-based research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic study, level III.
The burden of TB–HIV in the EU: how much do we know? A survey of surveillance practices and results

Information on the burden of tuberculosis (TB)–HIV co-infection is critical for the planning and evaluation of TB–HIV control and treatment strategies. This study assessed current practices in countries of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) for monitoring HIV co-infection in TB surveillance systems, countries’ current co-infection burden and associated clinical practice. An online survey was distributed to all national TB surveillance nominated European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control contact points in the EU/EEA. We received 25 responses from 30 countries (83% response rate). Patients’ HIV status was collected in 18 out of the 25 TB surveillance systems, usually via clinician reporting (16 out of 18 surveillance systems). Although most countries recommended routine testing of TB patients for HIV, the proportion actually tested varied from 5% to 90%. The burden of HIV co-infection was found to be elevated in countries with higher levels of HIV testing and higher prevalence of HIV. We suggest that TB–HIV co-infection be monitored in all EU/EEA countries to facilitate the planning and evaluation of TB–HIV control strategies. Strengthening collaboration between TB and HIV clinicians and surveillance departments, and consideration of patient confidentiality restraints would be advantageous. The level of HIV testing in TB patients is low despite national recommendations and testing should be further promoted and monitored.
Role of Interleukin-8 in Tumor Growth and Metastasis of Human Melanoma

Expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by human melanoma cells correlates with their metastatic potential in vivo. Moreover, UVB irradiation of primary cutaneous melanoma induces IL-8 mRNA and protein production and increases both tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. Although IL-8 has been shown to be an angiogenic factor, the biological consequences of increased IL-8 production by melanoma cells and the role of IL-8 in the metastatic process remains unclear. The purpose of this review is to determine the role of IL-8 in tumor growth and metastasis of human melanoma. Transfection of nonmetastatic and IL-8-negative melanoma cells with the IL-8 gene rendered them highly tumorigenic and increased their metastatic potential in nude mice. The IL-8-transfected cells displayed upregulation of MMP-2 expression and activity and increased invasiveness through Matrigel-coated filters. Activation of MMP-2 by IL-8 can enhance the invasion of host stroma by the tumor cells and increase angiogenesis and, hence, metastasis. In addition to UVB, IL-8 can also be upregulated by hypoxia conditions, suggesting that the environment plays a major role in regulating IL-8 expression and metastasis. The studies summarized in this review suggest that in melanoma, IL-8 may serve as the angiogenic factor distinguishing benign from malignant cells.
Membrane-associated PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is coexpressed with both COX-1 and COX-2 in the kidney.

BACKGROUND Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays an important role in many physiologic and pathophysiologic processes in the kidney. Multiple enzymes are involved in PGE2 biosynthesis, including phospholipases, cyclooxygenases (COX), and the PGE2 synthases (PGES). The present studies were aimed at determining the intrarenal localization of mPGES-1 and whether it is coexpressed with COX-1 or COX-2. METHODS Rabbit mPGES-1 and COX-1 cDNAs were cloned using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and screening a cDNA library. RNase protection assay and immunoblotting were used to examine mPGES-1 expression levels. In situ hybridization and immunostaining were used to determine the intrarenal localization of mPGES-1 and cyclooxygenases. RESULTS Rabbit mPGES-1 shares high sequence similarity to the human homolog. Nuclease protection studies showed that the kidney expresses among the highest level of mPGES-1 of any rabbit tissue. In situ hybridization showed COX-1 and mPGES-1 mRNA was highly expressed in renal medullary collecting ducts (MCD), and to a lesser extent in cortical collecting ducts (CCD). Fainter mPGES-1 expression was also observed in macula densa (MD) and medullary interstitial cells (RMICs), where COX-2 is highly expressed. Double-labeling studies (immunostaining plus in situ hybridization) and immunohistochemistry of mouse tissues confirmed that mPGES-1 predominantly colocalizes with COX-1 in distal convoluted tubule (DCT), CCD, and MCD, and is coexpressed with COX-2 at lower levels in MD and RMICs. CONCLUSION Together, these studies suggest mPGES-1 colocalizes with both COX-1 and COX-2 to mediate the biosynthesis of PGE2 in the kidney.
Statistical effects of selected noise characteristics on speaker recognition in automotive environments: a first ANOVA-based investigation

A statistical analysis using the univariate, multifactorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used in this paper to investigate the impact of selected noise characteristics (here a 4-factorial design: amplitude, complexity, harmony and fundamental frequency) to speech signals and consecutively to the detection performance in speaker recognition systems (exemplarily used here: the BioSecure reference system ALIZE) in automotive application scenarios. An application scenario specific set of noise signals is recorded and generated and used to evaluate the influence of the noise characteristics. The results show that especially the amplitude and the fundamental frequency show a significant impact (p-values < 0.01), which is completely independent of the features used in the speaker recognition system. The two other characteristics (complexity and harmony) show much less significant impacts (p-values >0.5).
Development of converter based reconfigurable power grid emulator

A Hardware Test-Bed (HTB) is developed to serve as a platform for power grid emulation. For maximum flexibility, power converters, which can accommodate various control algorithms and behave distinctively based on the applied model and control, is adopted. With the developed emulators, such as generator, load, wind turbine, and PV emulators, diverse research and experiments can be performed by using the HTB. This paper introduces the emulating method, hardware, control and communication structure of the HTB. At the same time, experimental results are compared with simulation to verify the emulation.
A New Approach to Accounting Goodwill (and Other Identified Intangibles with Indefinite Useful Lives): Theory and Empirical Evidence

I elaborate upon the foundations of Gecon – Economic Management System – model to propose a new theory on goodwill and other identified intangibles with indefinite useful lives. I reason that firm value is made up of its physical and intangible wealth, both continuously affected by passage of time and change of conjuncture. The first, more stable, is the opportunity cost of the implemented managerial decisions to buy, sell and manufacture assets. The second, more instable, is the economic value of the new ideas and plans still to be implemented, which seems to be the true nature of goodwill. The non-recognized intangibles act like the firm’s virtuous. They are not separated assets, for their value is already reflected into the economic value of the physical and intangible wealth, the same way that virtuous in a person are embodied in her mind and body. According to this view, accounting goodwill is a portion of the intangible wealth of the acquirer, which quickly dissipates being converted (or not) into physical equity. Statistical tests on a 29,192 firm-year observation panel database show evidence that this new approach to goodwill (and other intangibles with indefinite useful lives) seems to be true.
News narratives about migrants 'at the border' in Italian and Spanish online news media, 2013-2015

This thesis investigates the representation of African migrants in Italian and Spanish online news media through the lens of the border. By employing an interdisciplinary approach, in which the migrant crossings of the Libya-Italy and Morocco-Spain borders are a central research focus, this work explores the written and visual representations of migrants from September 2013 to August 2015. Throughout this time frame, which represents a crucial period in the long-lasting story of migration from Africa towards Europe, the analysis of online news items demonstrates that news media representations of migrants depend on the very nature of the borders that migrants attempt to cross while paralleling the institutional standpoints provided by official news sources. Furthermore, from a cultural perspective, the research here explores the features of online news narratives as well as the role of the working practices of Italian and Spanish journalists in the production of migrant representations. It also discusses the meanings that are embedded in such news narratives. As a result, through an innovative methodological approach, which includes the analysis of online news items and interviews with journalists, this thesis provides a critical framework for the investigation of online news production and contemporary journalism more broadly.
Postpartum Health of Employed Mothers 5 Weeks After Childbirth

PURPOSE Most new mothers return to work soon after childbirth. A need exists to reexamine the definition of postpartum health and evaluate employed women’s recovery from childbirth in association with such factors as delivery type and breastfeeding. METHODS Using a prospective cohort design, we recruited Minnesota women into the study while they were hospitalized for childbirth in 2001. Telephone interviews were conducted 5 weeks postpartum. Eligible women were 18 years or older, employed, and spoke English. Multivariate models using 2-stage least squares were used to estimate factors associated with physical and mental health and postpartum symptoms. RESULTS A total of 817 women were enrolled (71% response) in the study; 716 women completed interviews at 5 weeks postpartum. On average, women reported 6 postpartum symptoms, most frequently fatigue (64%), breast discomfort (60%), and decreased desire for sex (52%). Findings showed that cesarean (vs vaginal) deliveries were associated with significantly worse physical function, role limitations, and vitality. Multivariate findings showed that the effect of delivery type on physical health was moderately large (β = −5.96; P = <.01), and breastfeeding was associated with an increased frequency of postpartum symptoms (β = 4.63; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS These mothers experienced several childbirth-related symptoms at 5 weeks postpartum, indicating a need for ongoing rest and recovery. Health concerns were greater for women who were breastfeeding and for those whose babies were delivered by cesarean section, suggesting a need for greater support for these women and a reassessment by the medical community of the progressively growing practice of cesarean deliveries.
Intrauterine tobacco smoke exposure and hyaline membrane disease amongst triplets

We assessed the association between prenatal smoking and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) among triplets using a population-based retrospective cohort of 12,169 triplet live births in the United States between 1995 and 1997. Analysis was conducted using the generalised estimating equation framework to adjust for intra-cluster correlations. A total of 938 cases of RDS were reported comprising 35 among smoking (7.2%) and 903 among non-smoking gravidas (7.7%). The likelihood of RDS was comparable in both smoking categories [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.65-1.32]. The risk for RDS due to smoking diminished with declining birth weight albeit non-significantly: low birth weight (OR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.40 – 2.42), very low birth weight (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.39 – 1.86), and extremely low birth weight (OR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.30 – 1.58). In conclusion, among triplet neonates, smoking during pregnancy was not associated with respiratory distress syndrome.