Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multidimensional Analysis of Gender and Age Differences in News Consumption

Using 103,133 news items collected from Daum News, the second most popular news portal in South Korea, we provide multidimensional analyses of gender and age differences in news consumption. We quantify such differences in four different dimensions: 1) by actual news items; 2) by topic 3) by issue; and 4) by angle. We found that angle preferences can better explain the difference of news consumptions, not topics nor issues.
Invention of the solid‐state amplifier

The obituary column of a recent issue of Physics Today carried the announcement of the death of Julius E. Lilienfeld at his home in the Virgin Islands. Dr. Lilienfeld was a native of Poland, formerly a professor of physics at the University of Leipzig, and became a United States citizen in 1935. The announcement of the passing of Dr. Lilienfeld recalled to mind an experience which the author had in 1953 when he was engaged in a patent search in connection with the development of the germanium transistor. The patent search disclosed three patents granted in the years 1930, 1932, and 1935, respectively, to Julius Edgar Lilienfeld of Brooklyn and Cedarhurst, New York. The attorney who prepared the patent was Fred'k F. Schuets. A brief inquiry failed to locate either the inventor or his attorney and, inasmuch as the patents had already lapsed, the matter was dropped.
Selenium: a micronutrient essential for maintaining human health

Selenium is an fundamental importance to human health. It is an essential trace element for major metabolic pathways, since selenium is an essential component of Glutathione peroxidase enzyme. Diet is the main source of selenium. Selenoproteins in mammalian cells indicated that essential role of selenium in the bodys antioxidant defense system.
Caveolin‐1, cancer and therapy resistance

Resistance of solid tumors to chemo‐ and radiotherapy remains a major obstacle in anti‐cancer treatment. Herein, the membrane protein caveolin‐1 (CAV1) came into focus as it is highly expressed in many tumors and high CAV1 levels were correlated with tumor progression, invasion and metastasis, and thus a worse clinical outcome. Increasing evidence further indicates that the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment, also known as the tumor stroma, contributes to therapy resistance resulting in poor clinical outcome. Again, CAV1 seems to play an important role in modulating tumor host interactions by promoting tumor growth, metastasis, therapy resistance and cell survival. However, the mechanisms driving stroma‐mediated tumor growth and radiation resistance remain to be clarified. Understanding these interactions and thus, targeting CAV1 may offer a novel strategy for preventing cancer therapy resistance and improving clinical outcomes. In this review, we will summarize the resistance‐promoting effects of CAV1 in tumors, and emphasize its role in the tumor‐stroma communication as well as the resulting malignant phenotype of epithelial tumors.
Calcium and phosphorus utilization in growing sheep supplemented with dicalcium phosphate

SUMMARY The objective of the current study was to evaluate the utilization of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in growing sheep consuming increasing amounts of dicalcium phosphate. Eighteen growing sheep, aged 8 months, were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 12·5 and 25 g of dicalcium phosphate/day. During the experiment, animals were injected intravenously with 7·4 MBq of 45Ca and 32P and samples of plasma, faeces and urine were subsequently taken daily for 1 week after injection. Rumen fluid was sampled on days 4–7 after injection. Specific radioactivity in plasma and in faeces were used to determine true absorption of Ca and P, whereas plasmatic and ruminal specific radio-activities were used to determine endogenous P flow into the rumen and turnover time of rumen P. Increasing dicalcium phosphate intake led to linear increases in faecal excretion of endogenous Ca and P (P<0·05), suggesting that surpluses of ingested Ca and P were voided through secretion to the gut. True absorption coefficients for 0, 12·5 and 25 g of dicalcium phosphate ingested daily were 0·54, 0·41 and 0·38 for Ca, and 0·66, 0·62 and 0·64 for P, respectively. Flows of endogenous P into the rumen increased linearly and ruminal turnover time of P decreased linearly (P<0·01) as P intake was increased. Concentrations of Ca and P in bone were not affected by the increased amounts of these minerals ingested (P<0·05). In conclusion, increasing ingestion of dicalcium phosphate increases faecal excretion of Ca and P, thus decreasing the efficiency of utilization of both minerals. Moreover, increasing levels of dietary P increased endogenous P excretion, contributing to the amount of P disposed of in the environment.
BMP 2-induced gene profiling in dental epithelial cell line

Tooth development is regulated by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and their reciprocal molecular signaling. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is known as one of the inducers for tooth development. To analyze the molecular mechanisms of BMP2 on ameloblast differentiation (amelogenesis), we performed microarray analyses using rat dental epithelial cell line, HAT-7. After confirming that BMP2 could activate the canonical BMP-Smads signaling in HAT-7 cells, we analyzed the effects of BMP2 on 14,815 gene expressions and profiled them. Seventy-three genes were up-regulated and 28 genes were down-regulated by BMP2 treatment for 24 hours in HAT-7 cells. Functional classification revealed that 18% of up-regulated genes were ECM/adhesion molecules present in the enamel organ. Furthermore, we examined the expression of several differentiation markers in dental epithelial four cell-lineages including inner enamel epithelium (ameloblasts), stratum intermedium, stratum reticulum, and outer enamel epithelium. The results indicated that BMP2 might induce at least two different cell-lineage markers including a BMP antagonist expressed in HAT-7 cells, suggesting that BMP2 could accelerate amelogenesis via BMP signaling. J. Med. Invest. 55 : 216-226, August, 2008
Solvation Using Polarizable Atomic Multipole Potential

The alkaline earth metals calcium and magnesium are critically involved in many biomolecular processes. To understand the hydration thermodynamics of these ions, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations using a polarizable potential. Particle-mesh Ewald for point multipoles has been applied to the calculation of electrostatic interactions. The parameters in this model have been determined from an ab initio quantum mechanical calculation of dimer interactions between ions and water. Two methods for ion solvation free energy calculation, free energy perturbation, and the Bennett acceptance ratio have been compared. Both predict results consistent with other theoretical estimations while the Bennett approach leads to a much smaller statistical error. Based on the Born theory and the ion xygen radial distribution functions, we estimate the effective size of the ions in solution, concluding that K + > Na+ = Ca2+ > Mg2+. There appears to be much stronger perturbation in water structure, dynamics, and dipole moment around the divalent cations than the monovalent K+ and Na+. The average water coordination numbers for Ca 2+ nd Mg2+ are 7.3 and 6, respectively. The lifetime of water molecules in the first solvation shell of Mg 2+ is on the order of hundreds of picoseconds, in contrast to only few picoseconds for Ca 2+, K+, or Na+.
Perioperative Conditions Affect Long-term Hypertrophic Scar Formation

Corticosteroids are widely used as treatment for excessive scarring by intralesional injection with variable success rates. It is conceivable that systemically administered corticosteroids affect a wider range of inflammatory processes that influence wound healing and may be more successful in preventing hypertrophic scar formation. To study this presumption, we have used a standardized model of presternal scars caused by cardiothoracic surgery through a median sternotomy incision. During cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, 1 mg/kg dexamethasone was administered preoperatively, and 0.5 mg/kg 8 hours postoperatively. The presternal scars were evaluated prospectively 2, 4, 6, 12, and 52 weeks postoperatively at standardized measuring points. The height and width of the scars were measured 12 and 52 weeks postoperatively using both a slide caliper and a 7.5-MHz ultrasound probe. Cardiopulmonary bypass was used in 31 of the 43 participants. Eleven patients (35%) in the dexamethasone group developed clinical hypertrophic scars compared with 4 patients (33%) in the control group. These differences were not statistically significant. However, cranial scars became significantly wider in the dexamethasone group compared with the control group (P = 0.04). Twelve weeks postoperatively scars were significantly higher in the dexamethasone group, both cranial (P = 0.05) and caudal (P = 0.03). The differences in scar width and height were mainly present in patients that developed hypertrophic scars. The present results suggest that administration of high-dose perioperative dexamethasone does not prevent hypertrophic scar formation. Its use together with the cardiopulmonary bypass, however, did affect scar dimensions negatively up to 52 weeks after surgery. These findings contribute to the concept of the involvement of perioperative immunologic responses in the etiology of hypertrophic scar formation.
Recording microscale variations in snowpack layering using near-infrared photography

Abstract Deposition of snow from precipitation and wind events creates layering within seasonal snowpacks. The thickness and horizontal continuity of layers within seasonal snowpacks can be highly variable, due to snow blowing around topography and vegetation, and this has important implications for hydrology, remote sensing and avalanche forecasting. In this paper, we present practical field and post-processing protocols for recording lateral variations in snow stratigraphy using near-infrared (NIR) photography. A Fuji S9100 digital camera, modified to be sensitive to NIR wavelengths, was mounted on a rail system that allowed for rapid imaging of a 10 m long snow trench excavated on the north side of Toolik Lake, Alaska (68°38′ N, 149°36′ W). Post-processing of the images included removal of lens distortion and vignetting. A tape measure running along the base of the trench provided known locations (control points) that permitted scaling and georeferencing. Snow layer heights estimated from the NIR images compared well with manual stratigraphic measurements made at 0.2 m intervals along the trench (n = 357, R 2 = 0.97). Considerably greater stratigraphic detail was captured by the NIR images than in the manually recorded profiles. NIR imaging of snow trenches using the described protocols is an efficient tool for quantifying continuous microscale variations in snow layers and associated properties.
Dexamethasone sodium phosphate-loaded Chitosan based delivery systems for buccal application

Chitosan (CH) was used as a biocompatible and bioadhesive polymer material to prepare solid dispersions as well as hydrogels loaded with dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP), a steroidal anti-inflammatory agent clinically used for treatment of different mouth diseases. Binary solid dispersions at various drug-to-polymer weight ratios were prepared by freeze-drying; their direct compression gave tablets which were characterized for the swelling behaviour and drug release in vitro. Similarly, DSP-loaded hydrogels composed of CH and glycerine were prepared and characterized. CH and DSP showed a good physical compatibility. A slow and prolonged release of the drug was observed in vitro from both kinds of systems. The swelling properties of the polymer seemed to be the main parameter affecting the drug release profile from both tablets and hydrogels at the pH value of mouth. In vivo buccal application of both the systems allowed to obtain a prolonged release of DSP, as compared with a glycerine solution of the drug. From the in vitro swelling studies and in vivo test, the 2:1 CH-DSP solid dispersion in particular can be designated for further investigation.
CT and appendicitis: evaluation of correlation between CT diagnosis and pathological diagnosis

Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between appendiceal size measured by contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis and the size of surgically removed appendixes on gross pathological examination. Materials and methods: The initial database consisted of the cases of 301 children, collected over 2 years, of which 56 met inclusion criteria. Both the radiology and surgical pathology reports of these patients were reviewed. Results: The mean size of appendixes meeting the CT size criteria of appendicitis was 10.3 mm, and that of the surgical pathology specimens was 10.4 mm. The pathological diagnosis of acute appendicitis was confirmed in 54 of 56 cases, yielding a positive predictive value of 96.4%. The Pearson product–moment correlation coefficient was calculated to be 0.5443 (95% CI 0.329 to 0.706). The slope of the linear correlation was 0.5788. The mean absolute difference in CT size versus pathological size was 2.2 mm. Conclusion: The data reveal a strong correlation in ability of CT to predict the presence of acute appendicitis, with moderate correlation in the size estimate of acutely inflamed appendixes, as imaged on CT, and the pathological specimen status after appendectomy.
Screening to detect carbohydrate disturbances in welfare home residents in Rzeszów.

INTRODUCTION To screen for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and other disturbances of the glucose metabolism in welfare home residents in Rzeszów. MATERIAL AND METHODS 478 residents of four randomly selected welfare homes in Rzeszów were initially enrolled in the study. Among them were 66 residents with previously diagnosed diabetes. Of the remaining 412 adults, 191 (39 males) aged 66.0 ± 17.7 years were enrolled in the study having completed informed consent. All subjects underwent measurements of fasting glucose levels using a glucose meter (Roche Accu-Chek Active, Mannheim, Germany). In participants whose glucose levels exceeded 99 mg/dL, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. The results of OGTT were qualified as impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or diabetes mellitus (DM). RESULTS Among the 191 participants, we found 26 cases of IFG (13.6%), 25 of IGT (13.1%), and ten (5.2%) cases of newly diagnosed T2DM. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights that in Polish welfare homes greater medical vigilance is needed in order to optimise the health of residents.
Effect of pea root exudate on the antagonism of some rhizosphere micro-organisms towards Fusarium oxysporum f. pisi.

SUMMARY: The microbial populations of rhizosphere soil from pea varieties On-ward, susceptible to wilt by Fusariurn oxysporum f. pisi race 1, and Wilt-Resistant Alaska were assessed at six successive plant-growth stages, by the dilution plate technique. The most commonly found rhizosphere organisms were: Gliocladium roseurn, Penicillium spp. , bacteria, Fusarium roseurn, F. oxysporum, F. solani, Mortierella spp. , Rhizopus stohifer and Trichodemna wiride. Root exudate from variety Onward stimulated growth and sporulation of some of the more prevalent 24 of 60 different species among 137 morphologically different isolates of fungi and bacteria. Testing the rhizosphere isolates for their in witro effects on the pathogenic Fusarium showed that 15 yo had no effect, 29 yo were slightly inhibitory, 42 yo con-siderably more and 14 yo strongly inhibitory, Prominent among the strongest inhibitors were a few bacteria, Gliocladium roseurn and strains of F. oxysporum, the last showing that intraspecific inhibition occurs among the Fusaria. When ten of the more prevalent rhizosphere fungi were grown in media containing rhizosphere soil extract, root exudate or both, their ability to inhibit the pathogenic Fusarium greatly increased; the most inhibition was obtained with culture filtrates of fungi grown in the presence of both rhizosphere soil extract and root exudate. Morphologically different isolates of Gliocladium roseurn and Fusarium ozysporum inhibited the pathogenic Fusarium to different extents, showing that these species contain physiologic strains that could act differentially towards F. oxysporum f. pisi in the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere of the wilt-resistant variety Alaska contained no more inhibitory isolates than the rhizosphere of the wilt-susceptible Onward. Although there were more micro-organisms per unit of dry rhizosphere soil of the susceptible variety, the species isolated from the rhizospheres of the susceptible and resistant varieties did not differ qualitatively. Rhizosphere micro-organisms that were more prevalent up to the time that Fusa-rium invaded the host roots were not prominent among the group most antagonistic towards the Fusarium. In addition, there was no correlation between stimulation of rhizosphere organisms by root exudate and their antagonism towards the Fusarium. This implies that competition between pathogenic Fusarium and the other rhizo-sphere micro-flora for nutrients in root exudates may be at least as important as overcoming antibiosis in maintaining successful growth of the pathogen near host-root surfaces. Although these results were obtained in vitro, they suggest that rhizo-sphere soil extract and microbial metabolites together deter the growth of Pusarium oxyspmm f. pisi near pea roots, and that the growth-promoting effects of root exudate from the wilt-susceptible pea variety Onward are partially offset by its ability to increase inhibition by some of the other rhizosphere inhabitants.
10 MHz peak current mode dc-dc converter IC with calibrated current observer

Current program mode controllers have not been widely adopted in low-power high frequency dc-dc converters due to the need for an integrated high gain-bandwidth current sensor circuit. This paper presents a peak current program mode controller IC with integrated power-stage that operates at 10 MHz and does not require any high gain-bandwidth analog circuitry in current or voltage loops. A custom bidirectional hybrid delay-line architecture emulates the inductor current based on input and output voltages. A novel calibration circuit is introduced to remove the mismatches between the actual and observed inductor current slopes. The controller consumes 210 µA when the calibration block is off and 430 µA during calibration and the peak efficiency of the converter is 87%.
Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems using Conley Index Theory

In this paper, we use Conley index theory to develop necessary and sufficient conditions for stability of equilibrium and periodic solutions of nonlinear continuous-time, discrete-time, and impulsive dynamical systems. The Conley index is a topological generalization of Morse theory which has been developed to analyze dynamical systems using topological methods. In particular, the Conley index of an invariant set with respect to a dynamical system is defined as the relative homology of an index pair for the invariant set. The Conley index can then be used to examine the structure of the system invariant set as well as the system dynamics within the invariant set, including system stability properties. Efficient numerical algorithms using homology theory have been developed in the literature to compute the Conley index and can be used to deduce the stability properties of nonlinear dynamical systems
Histamine release by neuromuscular blocking agents.

Sir,—The design of the study by Naguib and colleagues [1] on the histamine releasing potencies of various neuromuscular blocking drugs resulted in cardiovascular changes which were profound, adverse and predictable. For example, the data sheet for mivacurium suggests administration over 5–15 s. The authors chose 5 s, despite quoting references which showed potential adverse haemodynamic changes caused by rapid administration of some benzylisoquinolinium neuromuscular blockers. Three minutes after administration of mivacurium, the control mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 76.0 mm Hg had decreased to a mean of 58.1 mm Hg, 2 SD below which gives an MAP of 43.7 mm Hg. Hypotension and tachycardia represents the worst possible combination of cardiovascular variables for myocardial perfusion, already compromised by covert coronary atherosclerosis at 60 yr of age, the maximum age in the study sample.
Deoxyribonucleic acid homology and base composition in some thermophilic lactobacilli.

Summary: Thirty-two culture collection strains of the thermophilic species of the genus Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus helveticus, L. jugurti, L. bulgaricus and L. lactis) and 13 field strains from natural whey cheese cultures were examined by routine physiological and serological tests. Genetic relatedness was determined by DNA–DNA molecular hybridization. General agreement was observed between the phenotypic traits and genome homology. The close phenotypic resemblance between Lactobacillus helveticus and L. jugurti and between L. bulgaricus and L. lactis was confirmed by the genetic findings.
Effect of HIV and Chlamydia Infection on Rectal Inflammation and Cytokine Concentrations in Men Who Have Sex with Men

ABSTRACT Asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infections are common in HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). Although C. trachomatis combined with HIV would be likely to enhance inflammation, the asymptomatic course suggests otherwise. We assessed local inflammation, mucosal damage, and cytokine concentrations in rectal mucosal fluid samples from patients with HIV (with or without the use of combination antiretroviral therapy [cART]) and with or without the presence of rectal C. trachomatis. Rectal swabs from 79 MSM (with and without C. trachomatis, HIV, and cART use) who reported a history of receptive anal sex were analyzed for neutrophil activation (measured by myeloperoxidase [MPO]), mucosal leakage (measured by albumin and alpha-2-macroglobulin), and proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. C. trachomatis infection, HIV infection, and cART use in MSM had no differential effects on rectal neutrophilic inflammation and mucosal damage. Interleukin 8 (IL-8) was found to correlate with MPO, and MPO correlated with markers of mucosal damage. In HIV-negative participants, men with C. trachomatis infection had lower concentrations of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), IL-1α, and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) than men without rectal C. trachomatis infection (P = 0.005, 0.007, and 0.07, respectively). We found no difference in anal cytokine concentrations in HIV-infected participants in relation to the presence of C. trachomatis infection or cART use. In participants with rectal C. trachomatis infection, those who were HIV negative had lower median concentrations of IL-8 and IL-1α than those with HIV (P = 0.05 and 0.06, respectively). The slope of the regression line between MPO and IL-8 was reduced in participants with rectal C. trachomatis infection. C. trachomatis dampens cytokine concentrations but not in HIV-infected patients. The extent of mucosal damage was comparable in all patient groups. The apparent reduced neutrophil response to IL-8 in HIV-infected patients with C. trachomatis infection is in accordance with its asymptomatic course.