Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systemic effects of controlled exposure to diesel exhaust: a meta-analysis from randomized controlled trials

Abstract Introduction: Ambient air pollution is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the short-term association between air pollution and cardiovascular effects on healthy volunteers. Methods: We searched databases to identify randomized trials with controlled human exposures to either of two models for studying ambient particulate matter: diesel-exhaust or concentrated ambient particles. Estimates of size effect were performed using standardized mean difference (SMD). Heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics. Outcomes were vascular function estimated by forearm blood flow (FBF), blood pressure, heart rate, and blood analysis. Results: Database searches yielded 17 articles (n = 342) with sufficient information for meta-analyses. High levels of heterogeneity for the some outcomes were analyzed using random-effects model. The pooled effect estimate showed that short-term exposure to air pollution impaired FBF response from 2.7 to 2.5 mL/100 mL tissue/min (SMD 0.404; p = .006). There was an increase in 5000 platelet/mm3 following pollution exposure (SMD 0.390; p = .050) but no significant differences for other outcomes. Conclusion: Controlled human exposures to air pollution are associated with the surrogates of vascular dysfunction and increase in platelet count, which might be related to adverse cardiovascular events. Given the worldwide prevalence of exposure to air pollution, these findings are relevant for public health. KEY MESSAGES Controlled exposure to air pollution impairs vasomotor response, which is a surrogate for adverse cardiovascular events. This is the first meta-analysis from randomized clinical trials showing short-term association between air pollution and cardiovascular effects on healthy volunteers. Given the worldwide prevalence of exposure to air pollution, this finding is important for public health.
The chemical toxicology of 2-deoxyribose oxidation in DNA.

Damage to DNA and RNA caused by oxidative mechanisms has been well-studied for its potential role in the development of human disease. Only recently, though, have we begun to appreciate that oxidation of the 2-deoxyribose moiety in DNA is also a determinant of the genetic toxicology of oxidative stress and inflammation, with involvement in more than just "strand breaks", such as complex DNA lesions, protein-DNA cross-links, and protein and DNA adducts. As an update to a 1992 review of 2'-deoxyribose oxidation by bleomycin and the enediynes published in Chemical Research in Toxicology [Dedon, P. C. , and Goldberg, I. H. (1992) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 5, 311-332], this review focuses on recent developments in the chemical biology, bioanalytical chemistry, and genetic toxicology of 2-deoxyribose oxidation products in DNA under biologically relevant conditions.
Asociación de exposición a ruido laboral y ambiental con daño auditivo en trabajadores de la industria eléctrica

El ruido constituye un contaminante tanto laboral como ambiental. El impacto del ruido industrial sobre la salud ocupacional de los rabajadores es un evidente problema que afecta a la poblacion expuesta y mas en paises de desarrollo como Mexico, en cuyo caso la poblacion en riesgo es considerablemente alta. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la asociacion de ruido laboral y ambiental con dano auditivo en trabajadores de la industria electrica.
New NRC ( 2012 ) Nutrient Requirements of Swine

During the summer of 2012, the 11th revised edition of “Nutrient Requirements of Swine” from the National Research Council (NRC, 2012) was released. For this publication extensive reviews of the scientific literature were conducted on the nutritional value of feed ingredients and nutrient requirements. Dynamic and biology based mathematical models were developed to represent the partitioning of energy intake and to estimate amino acid, phosphorus and calcium requirements of groups of growing-finishing pigs, lactating sows and gestating sows. These models can be used to estimate requirements at varying levels of animal performance in a relatively disease and stress free environment. Nutrient requirements can be explored on individual days or across days and body weight ranges, for the development of phase feeding programs for growing-finishing pigs and sows. The model includes a data base of feed ingredients and a simple feed formulation system, which allows for comparison of estimated nutrient requirements with nutrient levels in formulated diets and to estimate nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon losses into the environment.
Storage management for an implementation of SNOBOL4

The implementation of the SNOBOL4 programming language requires some scheme for dynamic allocation and reclamation of storage. This paper describes the method used in a machine‐dependent implementation of SNOBOL4 called SITBOL. Available storage is divided into two regions: one for the allocation of storage for permanent or immovable objects and one for objects that are subject to reclamation. Reclamation is accomplished by a four‐phase algorithm, which includes marking, address adjustment and compaction. The reclamation process is supplemented by several heuristics that reduce the cost of reclamation and increase the amount of storage reclaimed. The storage overhead of the technique is analysed and compared with an alternate method. Some empirical measurements of actual SNOBOL4 programs are given that substantiate the results of the analysis.
Optimal Spinning Reserve for a Wind-Thermal Power System Using EIPSO

This paper presents an evolutionary iteration particle swarm optimization (EIPSO) algorithm to solve the nonlinear optimal scheduling problem. A new index called iteration best is incorporated into particle swarm optimization (PSO) to improve the solution quality. The new PSO, named iteration PSO (IPSO), is embedded into evolutionary programming (EP) to further improve the computational efficiency. The EIPSO is then applied to solve the optimal spinning reserve for a wind-thermal power system (OSRWT). Results are used to evaluate the effects of wind generation on the spinning reserve selection of a power system. The OSRWT program considers the outage cost as well as the total operation cost of thermal units to evaluate the level of spinning reserve. The up spinning reserve (USR) and down spinning reserve (DSR) are also introduced into the OSRWT problem. The optimal scheduling of spinning reserve was reached while minimizing the sum of total operation cost and outage cost. Two practical power systems are used as numerical examples to test the new algorithm. The feasibility of the new algorithm is demonstrated by the numerical example, and EIPSO solution quality and computational efficiency are compared to those of other algorithms.
Association of menstrual and reproductive factors with breast cancer risk: Results from the Shanghai breast cancer study

The incidence of breast cancer among women in Shanghai, a traditionally low‐risk population, has increased substantially over the past 20 years. To evaluate the association of menstrual and reproductive factors with breast cancer risk and the influence of these factors on the temporal trend of breast cancer incidence, we analyzed data from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study, a population‐based case‐control study of breast cancer recently completed among Chinese women in urban Shanghai. In‐person interviews were completed for 1,459 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer between ages 25 and 64 and for 1,556 controls frequency‐matched to cases by age. Unconditional logistic regression was employed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) related to menstrual and reproductive factors. Earlier menarcheal age, nulliparity, and later age at first live birth were associated with increased risk of breast cancer among both pre‐ and post‐menopausal women, while never having breast‐fed and later age at menopause were associated with elevated risk only among post‐menopausal women. Among controls, 32% of younger women (≤40 years) and 24% of older women (>40 years) reported starting menarche at age of 13 or younger, and this factor contributed to 44% of cases diagnosed among younger women and 26% to 28% of cases in older women. Older age at first live birth or at menopause explained a considerable portion of cases diagnosed in older, but not younger, women. Our study suggests that the changes in menstrual and reproductive patterns among women in Shanghai have contributed to the recent increase in breast cancer incidence, particularly among younger women. Int. J. Cancer 87:295–300, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Motivation and Virtual Education in Computer Science: Case Universidad de Medellín-Colombia

Virtual education raises to students and teachers important challenges, normally different to those faced in conventional education. In the context of virtual education, a question that remains to be solved is associated with the level of motivation possessed by the students during the course. Usually, at the School of Engineering in the University of Medellín, this issue is tackled through activities such as chats and forums. Mostly, these activities are not enough to motivate the student in the activities related with the learning process. This work proposes two motivation strategies based on gamification and constructivism. These strategies are validated in a course called programming fundamentals, taught to all bachelor degrees given in the School of Engineering. Results obtained through the experiments suggest that proposed strategies improve the student's performance and satisfaction in the course. Therefore, when teaching at the virtual scenario, using Information and Communication Technologies in the educational environment is not only the way to contact the student, it is the mean to develop pedagogical-didactic approaches that finally enrich the educational process and consequently motivate the student to perform well.
Data-Hiding for Halftone Images Using an Improved CPT scheme

In publishing applications, it is advantageous to embed data in halftone images. The CPT scheme (Chen-Pan-Tseng, 2000) is a steganographic data hiding scheme that was proposed for binary images, e.g., facsimiles. The CPT scheme uses a secret key and weight matrix to protect the hidden data and can hide as many as r = [log₂(m×n+1)]? bits of data in the image by changing at most 2 bits in the image. Our proposed scheme also uses a secret key to protect it from being compromised and a weight matrix to increase the data hiding rate. Our scheme improves the performance of the CPT scheme by using the simple principle of splitting each block into two parts. Our proposed scheme is called improved CPT (ICPT) and has a very high embedding capacity compared to previous schemes. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed scheme generally has higher performance than previous schemes.
Optimizing glycemic control: lixisenatide and basal insulin in combination therapy for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Despite availability of new treatments for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), optimal management of glycemic control remains challenging. Treatment with basal insulin can improve HbA1c, but may not be sufficient to control postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) levels. Both fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and PPG levels contribute to overall glycemic control. In patients with moderate hyperglycemia, PPG excursions have a greater contribution to overall hyperglycemia, with this contribution being greatest when HbA1c is approximately 7–8% 1. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been designed to restore and maintain GLP-1 levels and attenuate PPG excursions. GLP-1RAs that predominantly affect PPG may complement the FPG lowering provided by basal insulin, possibly improving overall glycemic control without additional weight gain and with limited incidence of hypoglycemia. Lixisenatide as an add-on to basal insulin lowers PPG levels, improves HbA1c control and has a beneficial effect on weight in T2DM patients.
Optimizing Outcomes in Schizophrenia: Long-acting Depots and Long-term Treatment

Antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for patients with schizophrenia. However, these medications only work if they are taken and perhaps work best if they are taken for longer periods of time than seen in typical research trials. Here we explore the idea of “time as a drug” by reviewing the data showing the potential benefits of long-term antipsychotic use. We also discuss the utility of depot antipsychotic formulations for improving the chances of attaining long-term therapeutic results.
Perception of Polish neutral and affective speech by native and non-native listeners

In this paper a preliminary study of perceptual judgements of Polish dialogue utterances using a two-dimensional (activation-valence), continuous feature space is described. The speech material consists of utterances selected from a corpus of task oriented dialogues, realized before and after a (fake) negative evaluation of the speakers' performance. The group of the test participants includes: (1) native speakers of Polish, (2) participants of various countries of origin without any knowledge of the Polish language.The results show e.g., that the groups of participants tend to differ more in their opinions in the dimension of valence. An additional goal of the study was a verification of the perception test procedures and feature extraction techniques (with Annotation Pro tool) as regards their future applicability for a speaker identification and characterisation project.
Extracting Records from the Web Using a Signal Processing Approach

Extracting records from web pages enables a number of important applications and has immense value due to the amount and diversity of available information that can be extracted. This problem, although vastly studied, remains open because it is not a trivial one. Due to the scale of data, a feasible approach must be both automatic and efficient (and of course effective). We present here a novel approach, fully automatic and computationally efficient, using signal processing techniques to detect regularities and patterns in the structure of web pages. Our approach segments the web page, detects the data regions within it, identifies the records boundaries and aligns the records. Results show high f-score and linearithmic time complexity behaviour.
Techniques for monitoring water absorption in fibre-reinforced polymer composites.

Prolonged, or even short term, exposure to aqueous environments can cause irreversible changes in the chemical and physical properties of fibre-reinforced polymer composites. These changes often compromise the load carrying properties of the material with the level of degradation increasing as moisture content increases. Reductions in stiffness and strength, and changes in thermo-mechanical behaviour can often be linked directly to the amount of moisture absorbed. The extent and rate of moisture absorbed by the composite material depends on a number of factors including temperature, relative humidity, moisture equilibrium levels, area of exposed surface, fibre content and diffusivity.
Multiple night‐time light‐emitting diode lighting strategies impact grassland invertebrate assemblages

White light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are rapidly replacing conventional outdoor lighting technologies around the world. Despite rising concerns over their impact on the environment and human health, the flexibility of LEDs has been advocated as a means of mitigating the ecological impacts of globally widespread outdoor night‐time lighting through spectral manipulation, dimming and switching lights off during periods of low demand. We conducted a three‐year field experiment in which each of these lighting strategies was simulated in a previously artificial light naïve grassland ecosystem. White LEDs both increased the total abundance and changed the assemblage composition of adult spiders and beetles. Dimming LEDs by 50% or manipulating their spectra to reduce ecologically damaging wavelengths partially reduced the number of commoner species affected from seven to four. A combination of dimming by 50% and switching lights off between midnight and 04:00 am showed the most promise for reducing the ecological costs of LEDs, but the abundances of two otherwise common species were still affected. The environmental consequences of using alternative lighting technologies are increasingly well established. These results suggest that while management strategies using LEDs can be an effective means of reducing the number of taxa affected, averting the ecological impacts of night‐time lighting may ultimately require avoiding its use altogether.
Cleft palate in cattle.

Cleft palate can be a serious problem in large domestic animals because, when so afflicted, they inhale food or water and death may re-sult from inhalation pneumonia (11). In addition, they may die of starvation. Consequently, animals with cleft palate are generally de-stroyed at birth because they are difficult to care for and because the owners fear the condition to be hereditary. Surgical correction of this condition is economically unfeasible and, indeed, undesirable in animals used for breeding purposes.
Analysis on increasing transparency for penalty-based six degree-of-freedom haptic rendering

Virtual coupling is commonly used to maintain stability of penalty-based haptic rendering. However, due to dozens of design parameters involved in the dynamics and force model, to increase transparency while maintaining stability using virtual coupling remains a challenge for 6-Degree-of-Freedom (DOF) haptic rendering. Using an equivalent-angle analysis, we transform 3-DOF rotation into 1-DOF rotation, thereby transforming the 6-DOF dynamics into six 1-DOF dynamics. For each 1-DOF dynamics, a damped vibration model is proposed to analyze the computation of the ‘graphic tool’. The equilibrium position/angle is defined to analyze the convergence of numerical integration. With this approach, we can improve the transparency of 6-DOF haptic rendering in both free space and constraint space by experimentally determining only two parameters: the integration time step and the number of integrations in each simulation loop. Using this method, we can improve the coupling stiffness to fully exploit the display capability of the haptic device and maintain the stability of the haptic rendering.
Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape

A tenable genre development of Internet memes is introduced in three categories to describe memetic transformation: spreadable media, emergent meme, and meme. We argue that memes are remixed, iterated messages which are rapidly spread by members of participatory digital culture for the purpose of continuing a conversation. We understand that memes develop from emergent memes, which we define as altered or remixed spreadable media. We have adapted and modified Jenkins’ term “spreadable media” to refer to original or non-parodied messages. Our analysis benefits from the inclusion of Anthony Giddens’ structuration theory to aid in understanding how memes as artifacts of participatory digital culture are created. Our genre development of memes demonstrates the generative capacity for continued memetic transformation and for participation among members of digital culture. We use structuration to position these dynamic components as the core of a duality of structure for Internet memes.
Player-centric adaptation of a car driving video game

Dynamic player-centric adaptation continues being a challenge for software applications and, in particular, in video games. The paper presents a dynamic adjustment of difficulty and visual effects in a car driving 3D video game based on changes of both the player performance (outcomes) shown within the game session and, on the other hand, the player arousal (excitement) recognized by a special, free game component. The component is applied for estimation of arousal inferred by the electrodermal activity of an individual player measured by a cheap custom device. The paper proposes a simple model for keeping the player in flow while adjusting dynamically both task difficulty and game visual effects, providing a better immersion, challenge, and tension. The presented initial results are statistically significant and answer positively to the main research question of the study: does the adaptive version of the game provide a better gaming experience than the non-adaptive one?
Achievable rate and power consumption in source/relay wireless networks

We compute the optimal communication rate achieved by the nodes of a wireless network with arbitrary topology. The network nodes operate in half-duplex mode and generate information that has to be delivered to a gateway node, possibly through a decode-and-forward relaying strategy. Moreover, nodes are energy-constrained, as in the case of battery-powered or energy-harvesting communication networks. By solving a linear optimization problem, we devise the optimal communication strategy that maximizes the data rate in our network scenario. Our results highlight the tradeoff that exists between data rate and power constraints, and show the maximum rate performance when the average power consumption at the nodes is constrained to target values.
Targeting IL-8 signalling to inhibit breast cancer stem cell activity

Although survival from breast cancer has improved significantly over the past 20 years, disease recurrence remains a significant clinical problem. The concept of stem-like cells in cancer has been gaining currency over the last decade or so, since evidence for stem cell activity in human leukaemia and solid tumours, including breast cancer, was first published. Evidence indicates that this sub-population of cells, known as cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), is responsible for driving tumour formation and disease progression. In breast cancer, there is good evidence that CSCs are intrinsically resistant to conventional chemo-, radio- and endocrine therapies. By evading the effects of these treatments, CSCs are held culpable for disease recurrence. Hence, in order to improve treatment there is a need to develop CSC-targeted therapies. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), an inflammatory cytokine, is upregulated in breast cancer and associated with poor prognostic factors. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that IL-8, through its receptors CXCR1/2, is an important regulator of breast CSC activity. Inhibiting CXCR1/2 signalling has proved efficacious in pre-clinical models of breast cancer providing a good rationale for targeting CXCR1/2 clinically. Here, we discuss the role of IL-8 in breast CSC regulation and development of novel therapies to target CXCR1/2 signalling in breast cancer.
Antioxidant, EUK-8, prevents murine dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND Mice lacking manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity exhibit the typical pathology of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In the present study, presymptomatic and symptomatic mutant mice were treated with the SOD/catalase mimetic, EUK-8. METHODS AND RESULTS Presymptomatic heart/muscle-specific Mn-SOD-deficient mice (H/M-Sod2(-/-)) were treated with EUK-8 (30 mg x kg(-1) . day(-1)) for 4 weeks, and then cardiac function and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in their heart mitochondria were assessed. EUK-8 treatment suppressed the progression of cardiac dysfunction and diminished ROS production and oxidative damage. Furthermore, EUK-8 treatment effectively reversed the cardiac dilatation and dysfunction observed in symptomatic H/M-Sod2(-/-) mice. Interestingly, EUK-8 treatment repaired a molecular defect in connexin43. CONCLUSIONS EUK-8 treatment can prevent and cure murine DCM, so SOD/catalase mimetic treatment is proposed as a potential therapy for DCM.