Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Academic Publishing: A Faustian Bargain?

This paper documents and shares our experience of navigating the journal-review process. By providing a personal account we aim to provide a piece that will resonate with those who have had similar experiences. We adopted a case-study approach using the reviews of the manuscript by two anonymous reviewers and the authors' responses. The paper confirms the emotive nature of the manuscript-review process and details some of the vagaries associated with the review process, highlighting our frustrations with it. An extensive literature critiquing the manuscript peer-review process exists. This is understandable given the requirement for academics to publish their research findings in peer-reviewed journals. In view of this extensive literature, what is surprising is the dearth of studies detailing how authors have managed to navigate their way through the process.
Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) Program for Glycemic Control

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate the impact of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. The goals were to improve glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) and improve patient satisfaction. Methods: A quality improvement project using the Iowa model was implemented in a primary care setting in Southern California to provide DSME program for adults with type 2 diabetes. A nurse practitioner conducted three DSME group sessions, which were done for 90 minutes per session in a 4-month period. The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) 7 self-care behavior guidelines were used to develop the DSME program. Five patients with type 2 DM participated in the program. Patient satisfaction and A1C levels were collected at baseline and after the completion of the program. Results: The average AIC for patients at the initiation of DSME was 9%. After the completion of DSME program, the mean change in A1C was 1.44%, and the range change was 1% to 1.8%. Twenty percent of total participants met the objective of decreased A1C level below 7%. Five patients, (100%), had 10% decrease in their A1C levels after completing the program and scored highly satisfied” with the DSME program. Conclusion: As the prevalence and incidence of diabetes increase, a coordinated model of care can meet the growing demand for access and utilization of DSME programs. Health care providers in primary care settings can replicate DSME programs focusing on chronic conditions to improve outcomes.
Measurement of the zeta potential of planar surfaces with a rotating disk

The technique of the rotating disk was used to measure the zeta potential of planar surface of different materials, like minerals, polymeric materials, and films of paints and particles. This technique is simple and reliable from the experimental point of view. The results are discussed concerning the principles of the technique, the rheological characteristics and the applications of these materials.
A meta‐analysis on the effect of canthaxanthin on egg production in brown egg layers

ABSTRACT A meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of the carotenoid canthaxanthin on production performance in layer hens. The data set contained 576 performance measurements from 34 trials. The trials were all conducted according to a similar experimental protocol from 1997 to 2012. The age of the animals ranged from 21 to 65 weeks. The experimental diets were predominantly wheat/SBM based, fed in mash form ad libitum. Depending on the trial and the treatment group considered, canthaxanthin supplementation was in the range of 0 to 8 mg/kg of feed. Using a linear mixed model regression applied to all 34 trials simultaneously, significant dose‐dependent increases were found in egg yolk mass (+0.53% per ppm of canthaxanthin inclusion in the feed, P < 0.001), in egg mass (+0.47% per ppm, P = 0.0132), egg weight (+0.17% per ppm, P = 0.046), and in feed intake (+0.32% per ppm, P = 0.0054). A numerical increase was found in egg production (+0.28%, P = 0.14). The FCR decreased numerically (−0.24% per ppm, P = 0.36). The deposition of canthaxanthin in the egg yolk was 2.25 ppm per ppm of canthaxanthin in the feed (P < 0.001). It is concluded that in addition to egg yolk pigmentation, antioxidant effect, enhanced reproduction, and immune‐modulation, canthaxanthin can significantly increase egg mass, thereby enhancing the productivity of the flock. Mechanisms relating to carotenoid metabolism and functions in avian species are a new research area that will require further investigation to explain the observed effects.
EFFECT OF VANILLIN AND ITS ACID AND ALCOHOL DERIVATIVES ON THE DIPHENOLASE ACTIVITY OF MUSHROOM TYROSINASE

A B S T R A C T For the first time in the present study the effects of vanillin, vanillyl alcohol, vanillic acid, as well as the newly synthesized vanillin derivative, bis -vanillin, were investigated on the oxidation of dopamine hydrochloride by mushroom tyrosinase. Among them, vanillin and bis-vanillin act as activators, while vanillyl alcohol and vanillic acid exhibited inhibitory effects, the IC50 values being estimated 1.5 and 1.0 mM, respectively. These compounds were mixed inhibitors. The presence of aldehyde and metoxy groups at the meta position of aromatic compounds seems to cause them to react as tyrosinase activators, as observed in the case of vanillin and bis -vanillin. The presence of both groups in bis-vanillin results in a stro nger activation effect compared to vanillin. The results indicate that the electron -withdrawing capacity of the functional group at the C-1 position is essential for the inhibitory potency of vanillin derivatives. In comparison with other benzoic acid derivatives, the results obtained in this study suggest that the relative positioning of hydroxy and methoxy groups at meta and para positions plays an important role in the inhibition effects of benzoic acids and their inhibition potency.
Role of vaccine therapy for renal cell carcinoma in the era of targeted therapy

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor originating from the kidney. Compared with other solid tumors, it does not respond to traditional management modalities, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, it is well known that renal cell carcinoma represents one of the most immune‐responsive cancers and several immunotherapeutic strategies have been investigated in the management of renal cell carcinoma with variable degrees of success. The development of immunotherapy with α‐interferon or high‐dose interleukin‐2 is the best established treatment, and is associated with durable disease control. Although the lack of defined antigens in renal cell carcinoma has hindered more specific vaccine development, research regarding vaccination therapy has been of special interest for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma for more than 30 years. At present, there are three types of cell‐based vaccines in renal cell carcinoma treatment: autologous tumor‐cell vaccines, genetically modified tumor vaccines and dendritic cell‐based vaccines. A further type is peptide‐based vaccination with tumor‐associated antigens as possible targets, such as carbonic anhydrase IX, survivin and telomerase that are overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma. In the present article, we review data from completed clinical trials of vaccine therapy, and discuss future trials to assess the current knowledge and future role of vaccine therapy for renal cell carcinoma in the era of recently developed targeted therapy.
Conformational transition and liquid crystalline state of regenerated silk fibroin in water

The conformational transition of molecular chains of regenerated silk fibroin (SF) aqueous solution is systematically investigated by circular dichroism, Raman, IR, and UV–vis spectroscopies. It is found that an initial random coil conformation of the SF can be readily changed into an ordered β‐sheet structure by optimizing the solution conditions, such as the SF concentration, pH, temperature, or metal‐ion content. Circular dichroic spectra quantitatively confirm a steadily decreased content of the random coil conformation but a significantly increased β‐sheet content after an ultrasonic or extruding treatment. Furthermore, the extrusion is more powerful to achieve high β‐sheet content than the ultrasonic. It is interesting that the polarized optical micrographs of the SF aqueous solution extruded by injection illustrate the formation and existence of liquid crystalline state. A study of extrusion in vitro could be used as a model system to understand the natural silk spinning process in silkworm. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 89: 497–505, 2008.
Variation in sugar maple root respiration with root diameter and soil depth.

Root respiration may account for as much as 60% of total soil respiration. Therefore, factors that regulate the metabolic activity of roots and associated microbes are an important component of terrestrial carbon budgets. Root systems are often sampled by diameter and depth classes to enable researchers to process samples in a systematic and timely fashion. We recently discovered that small, lateral roots at the distal end of the root system have much greater tissue N concentrations than larger roots, and this led to the hypothesis that the smallest roots have significantly higher rates of respiration than larger roots. This study was designed to determine if root respiration is related to root diameter or the location of roots in the soil profile. We examined relationships among root respiration rates and N concentration in four diameter classes from three soil depths in two sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) forests in Michigan. Root respiration declined as root diameter increased and was lower at deeper soil depths than at the soil surface. Surface roots (0-10 cm depth) respired at rates up to 40% greater than deeper roots, and respiration rates for roots < 0.5 mm in diameter were 2.4 to 3.4 times higher than those for roots in larger diameter classes. Root N concentration explained 70% of the observed variation in respiration across sites and size and depth classes. Differences in respiration among root diameter classes and soil depths appeared to be consistent with hypothesized effects of variation in root function on metabolic activity. Among roots, very fine roots in zones of high nutrient availability had the highest respiration rates. Large roots and roots from depths of low nutrient availability had low respiration rates consistent with structural and transport functions rather than with active nutrient uptake and assimilation. These results suggest that broadly defined root classes, e.g., fine roots are equivalent to all roots < 2.0 mm in diameter, do not accurately reflect the functional categories typically associated with fine roots. Tissue N concentration or N content (mass x concentration N) may be a better indicator of root function than root diameter.
COPD in Helsinki, Finland: socioeconomic status based on occupation has an important impact on prevalence

Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is globally a major, but often undiagnosed, cause of morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of COPD in Helsinki, Finland, with international diagnostic criteria and to analyse risk factors including socioeconomic status, and disease severity. Methods: A general population sample of 628 adults (368 women) completed flow-volume spirometry with bronchodilation test and a structured interview. Post-bronchodilation spirometry was assessed both using the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria and relative to the fifth percentile of the reference value (lower limit of normal, LLN). Results: According to GOLD criteria, 37 (5.9%), and by using the LLN criteria, 43 subjects (6.8%) had airway obstruction consistent with COPD. Using the GOLD criteria, four subjects or 0.6% of the population had severe, 3.0% moderate, and 2.2% mild COPD. Of those with post-bronchodilator obstruction, 49% had no previous diagnosis of obstructive airways disease and did not use medication for any respiratory disease. The prevalence of undiagnosed COPD defined by GOLD was 2.9% (LLN 3.3%). In addition to age, smoking history, and prior history of asthma, socioeconomic status based on occupation was significantly related to COPD in the population. Manual workers in industry (GOLD 10.0%, LLN 11.7%) and non-manual assistant employees (10.2%, 10.2%) had a significantly higher prevalence of COPD than professionals (2.8%, 2.3%). Conclusions: Although smoking is the main modifiable risk factor for COPD, the disease was significantly related to manual workers and non-manual assistant employees, i.e. socioeconomic groups reflecting occupation.
A randomized controlled clinical trial of a psychosocial and communication intervention carried out by GPs for patients with medically unexplained symptoms

Background. Somatizing patients are a challenge to general practitioners (GPs). A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to asses the effect of specific communication techniques delivered by GPs on somatizing patients' self-perceived health. Method. Thirty-nine GPs were assigned randomly to two parallel groups. GPs in the intervention group treated somatic patients according to specific communication techniques focused on offering a physical explanation – release of hormones – and approaching sensitive topics in the patient's experience indirectly. Control GPs used the standard Goldberg reattribution technique. A total of 156 patients, aged 18–65 years, were selected randomly from a list of 468 patients with six or more active symptoms for women and four or more for men. All patients had six programmed 30-min consultations. Health-related quality of life (assessed with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, SF-36) and a summary utility index were used as outcome measures. Patients were interviewed at home at baseline and at 3, 8 and 12 months after the beginning of the intervention. Results. Patients in both groups improved in all dimensions of the SF-36. The time course of the quality of life was significantly better for the intervention group in five of the eight scales of the SF-36 (bodily pain, mental health, physical functioning, vitality, and social functioning) and in the utility index (p<0·039). Conclusions. Communication techniques were found to have a clinically relevant impact on body pain. This finding, together with a trend towards better scores in the remaining scales, justifies the use of these techniques in psychosocial interventions delivered to patients with medically unexplained symptoms.
Toxicity of biosolids‐derived triclosan and triclocarban to six crop species

Biosolids are an important source of nutrients and organic matter, which are necessary for the productive cultivation of crop plants. Biosolids have been found to contain the personal care products triclosan and triclocarban at high concentrations relative to other pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The present study investigates whether exposure of 6 plant species (radish, carrot, soybean, lettuce, spring wheat, and corn) to triclosan or triclocarban derived from biosolids has an adverse effect on seed emergence and/or plant growth parameters. Plants were grown in soil amended with biosolids at a realistic agronomic rate. Biosolids were spiked with triclosan or triclocarban to produce increasing environmentally relevant exposures. The concentration of triclosan and triclocarban in biosolids‐amended soil declined by up to 97% and 57%, respectively, over the course of the experiments. Amendment with biosolids had a positive effect on the majority of growth parameters in radish, carrot, soybean, lettuce, and wheat plants. No consistent triclosan‐ or triclocarban‐dependent trends in seed emergence and plant growth parameters were observed in 5 of 6 plant species. A significant negative trend in shoot mass was observed for lettuce plants exposed to increasing concentrations of triclocarban (p < 0.001). If best management practices are followed for biosolids amendment, triclosan and triclocarban pose a negligible risk to seed emergence and growth of crop plants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:1840–1848. © 2014 SETAC
POST-TRAUMATIC EPILEPSY AND EEG ABNORMALITY IN DEPRESSED FRACTURES

Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is the most important problem in patients who are able to return to a normal life after head injuries. Depressed fractures are commonly accepted as risk factors increasing development of PTE. In this study PTE was found in 9 % of 122 patients with depressed fractures and 3 % in 200 patients with closed head injury. PTE was found to significantly increased in patients with complicated depressed fractures (p 0.05). There was a weak relationship between anti-convulsant therapy and PTE development. EEG abnormalities' were more common in cases with depressed fractures even in non-convulsive patients (p 0.05).
Noise reduction of speech signal using bayesian state-space Kalman filter

The noise exists in almost all environments such as cellular mobile telephone systems. Various types of noise can be introduced such as speech additive noise which is the main factor of degradation in perceived speech quality. At some applications for example at the receiver of a telecommunication system, the direct value of interfering noise is not available and there is just access to noisy speech. In these cases the noise cannot be cancelled totally but it may be possible to reduce the noise in a sensible way by utilizing the statistics of the noise and speech signal. In this paper the proposed method for noise reduction is Bayesian recursive state-space Kalman filter, which is a method for estimation of a speech signal from its noisy version. It utilizes the prior probability distributions of the signal and noise processes, which are assumed to be zero-mean Gaussian processes, to implement the noise reduction. The function of Kalman filter is assessed for SNR values of -5 dB and 5 dB respectively. Evaluation results indicate that this method of noise reduction yields better speech perceived quality and efficient results.
Literal Meaning and the Comprehension of Metaphors

Based on psychological studies which show that metaphors and other nonliteral constructions are comprehended in the same amount of time as comparable literal constructions, some researchers have concluded that literal meaning is not computed during metaphor comprehension. In this paper, we suggest that the empirical evidence does not rule out the possibility that literal meaning is constructed. We present a computational model of metaphor comprehension which is consistent with the data, but in which literal meaning is computed. This model has been implemented as part of a unification-based natural language processing system, called LINK.
Umlagesystem versus Kapitaldeckung in der Alterssicherung

Das Umlage- und das Kapitaldeckungsverfahren werden verglichen. Das Kapitaldeckungsverfahren hat eine grosere Rendite fur den einzelnen und bringt gesamtwirtschaftliche Effizienzgewinne mit sich: Es wird mehr Kapital gebildet, und Verzerrungen am Arbeitsmarkt werden beseitigt. Bei einem Ubergang mussen die Altanspruche aus dem Umlagesystem honoriert werden. Ubergangsszenarien werden explizit untersucht. Langfristig ist damit zu rechnen, das das Kapitaldeckungsverfahren eine grosere Bedeutung gewinnt.
A phase II clinical trial of mefloquine in Brazilian male subjects.

Mefloquine was compared with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for safety and efficacy in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial in adult males from a malaria-endemic area of Brazil. A total of 99 oligosymptomatic and symptomatic volunteers with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia took part in the trial; 49 were given 1000 mg of mefloquine and the remainder received 1500 mg of sulfadoxine plus 75 mg of pyrimethamine, in a single oral dose.Mefloquine was 100% successful in clearing parasitaemia within 7 days; there were no recrudescences. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine was less successful; 35 cases showed an S-type response, 8 an RI response, 3 an RII, and 2 an RIII response. The side-effects of mefloquine were mild and transient and included headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhoea. A satisfactory weight gain and rise in haemoglobin level were seen in both groups.
Circulatory collapse after pneumonectomy (an unusual complication from the use of a Carlens catheter): case report.

~ ~ Y E A R O L D man with a diagnosis of A bronchogenic carcinoma was hospitalized for a left thoracotomy and possible pneumonectomy. He had a long history of smoking and a recent history of hemoptysis and weight loss. He weighed 75 kg and was still in good nutritional state. Laboratory findings were normal except for x-ray evidence of progressive atelectasis of the lingulae. Electrocardiographic changes in Q waves of leads 11, 111, and AVF, and nonspecific ST changes, were compatible with an old inferior infarct.
Backside-illuminated high-current photodiode for analog optical links

We fabricated a backside-illuminated high-current InGaAs/InP photodiode, and demonstrated an RF power of 25.8 dBm at 5 GHz. The third-order intercept point was 34.2 dBm at the photocurrent of 100 mA, 5.2 GHz.
Limits of cache-aided wireless BC: Interplay between coded-caching and CSIT feedback

We consider the K-user cache-aided wireless multi-antenna broadcast channel (BC) with random fading and imperfect feedback, and analyze the throughput performance as a function of feedback statistics and cache size, identifying the optimal cache-aided degrees-of-freedom (DoF) performance within a factor of 2. In our setting where a single transmitter communicates — using non-timely and imperfect-quality channel state information (CSIT) — to K independent users with pre-filled caches, the work identifies near-optimal schemes that combine data caching, folding and precoding, to efficiently utilize caching and feedback resources. Our schemes will reveal interesting connections between MAT-type schemes and caching. Interestingly in the large K setting, where the schemes are often DoF optimal, the derived limits reveal the surprising fact that full (perfect) CSIT can be completely substituted (without performance losses) by combining a vanishingly small portion of delayed CSIT, with a vanishingly small fraction of the files content per user’s cache. The key lies in finding the right balance between cache-induced gains of multicasting common information, and CSIT-induced gains of broadcasting private information. It also builds on the retrospective nature shared by both coded caching and (communicating with) non-timely feedback, where in both cases the transmitter — which has timely knowledge of the information content — must act retrospectively to compensate for not knowing the ‘destination’ (channel and user identity) of this content.