Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of moment of inertia on restricted motion swing speed

In many sports, the maximum swing speed of a racket, club, or bat is a key performance parameter. Previous research in multiple sports supports the hypothesis of an inverse association between the swing speed and moment of inertia of an implement. The aim of this study was to rigorously test and quantify this relationship using a restricted swinging motion. Eight visually identical rods with a common mass but variable moment of inertia were manufactured. Motion capture technology was used to record eight participants' maximal effort swings with the rods. Strict exclusion criteria were applied to data that did not adhere to the prescribed movement pattern. The study found that for all participants, swing speed decreased with respect to moment of inertia according to a power relationship. However, in contrast to previous studies, the rate of decrease varied from participant to participant. With further analysis it was found that participants performed more consistently at the higher end of the moment of inertia range tested. The results support the inverse association between swing speed and moment of inertia but only for higher moment of inertia implements.
Gibberellin-producing endophytic fungi isolated from Monochoria vaginalis.

The role of endophytic fungi in plant growth and development is well documented. However, endophytic fungi with growth promotion capacity have never been isolated from weeds previously. In the current study, we isolated 8 fungal endophytes from the roots of Monochoria vaginalis, a serious weed of rice paddy in Korea. These isolates were screened on Waito-C, in order to identify plant growth promoting metabolites. Two fungal isolates (M5.A & M1.5) significantly promoted the plant height and shoot length of Waito-C during preliminary screening experiments. The culture filtrates (CFs) of M5.A and M1.5 also promoted the shoot length of Echinocloa crusgalli. Gibberellins (GAs) analysis of the CFs of M5.A and M1.5 showed that these endophytic fungi secrete higher quantities of GAs as compared with wild-type G. fujikuroi KCCM12329. The CF of M5.A contained bioactive GAs (GA3, 2.8 ng/ml; GA4, 2.6 ng/ml, and GA7, 6.68 ng/ml) in conjunction with physiologically inactive GA9 (1.61 ng/ml) and GA24 (0.18 ng/ml). The CF of M1.5 contained physiologically active GAs (GA3, 1.64 ng/ml; GA4, 1.37 ng/ml and GA7, 6.29 ng/ml) in conjunction with physiologically inactive GA9 (3.44 ng/ml), GA12 (0.3 ng/ml), and GA24 (0.59 ng/ml). M5.A and M1.5 were identified as new strains of Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. , respectively, based on their 18S rDNA sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis.
Interbudgetary Distribution of Taxes in Russia: Concentration of Power or Management Decentralization

For Russia as a democratic federal state, federal relations are basic for the whole social development of the country. In this regard, it is particularly important to strike a balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces. The analysis of budget indicators presented in the article revealed the growing process of centralization, which enabled to conclude the low efficiency of the modern mechanism of tax allocation and its non-compliance to the principles of fiscal federalism. The growing budget crisis of the regions and the long-felt need of the structural reforming of Russian tax system require speedy implementation of internal reserves. Among these provisions, Russian scientists including the Institute of Socio-Economic Development of Territories of the Russian Academy of Sciences see the urgent need of the structural reform of the tax system in the Russian Federation. The results of the scientific search for answers to the questions of how and what it is expedient to amend, supplement, and delete in the Russian tax system are presented. In order to create incentives for the territorial authorities to increase the income, the algorithm of the distribution of tax revenue between the federal and regional budgets is developed on the basis of the estimations of the ratio of the volume of tax revenues collected in the region and received by the federal budget. Experimental calculations on the example of 83 subjects of the Russian Federation have identified the existing provisions of tax revenue growth in 36 subjects that could increase revenues by 2 â€“12 %. The authors have proposed a set of key measures for optimizing the tax incentive policies, involving the development of selective and differential principles of tax incentives, the introduction of compensatory forms of the loss of income as a result of benefits. The main measures to enhance the collection of regional and local property taxes are systematized.
Pancreas Transplantation Under Alemtuzumab (Campath-1H) and Tacrolimus: Correlation Between Low T-Cell Responses and Infection

Background. Alemtuzumab induction and tacrolimus-based immunosuppression has been effective in pancreas transplantation. Despite the encouraging results of this minimalistic approach to immunosuppression, infection still remains a significant cause of morbidity. The Cylex ImmunoKnow assay was used in this study to compare pancreas recipient clinical states (stable, rejection, infection) with T cell responses. Methods. Blood samples were taken from pancreas recipients pretransplant and at approximately three-month intervals posttransplant for analysis of T cell responses. When possible, T cell responses were also quantified during changes in clinical status (infection or rejection). Results. A range between 100–300 ng/ml adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was found in stable patients (mean 194±123, n=51) with good graft function and no infection or rejection. A low T cell response was highly correlated with infectious states. The fourteen patients with infections/posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease had a mean ATP of 48 ng/ml. Risk hazard analysis showed that patients with ATP levels <100 ng/ml were four to seven times more susceptible to infection compared to stable patients. Four patients with rejection showed a T cell response of 550 ng/ml ATP, which was statistically significant compared to stable patients, although the sampling numbers (9) were too small to be conclusive. Conclusion. The Cylex ImmunoKnow assay is a valuable tool to more precisely modulate immunosuppression in pancreas transplant patients. In particular, the assay is extremely useful in detecting overly immunosuppressed patients vulnerable to infections.
Radio resource management games in wireless networks: an approach to bandwidth allocation and admission control for polling service in IEEE 802.16 [Radio Resource Management and Protocol Engineering for IEEE 802.16]

Game theory is a mathematical tool developed to understand competitive situations in which rational decision makers interact to achieve their objectives. Game theory techniques have recently been applied to various engineering design problems in which the action of one component impacts (and perhaps conflicts with) that of any other component. In particular, game theory techniques have been successfully used for protocol design and optimization (e.g., radio resource management, power control) in wireless networks. In this article we present an overview of different game theory formulations. Then a survey on the game-theory-based resource management and admission control schemes in different wireless networks is presented, and several open research issues are outlined. To this end, we propose an adaptive bandwidth allocation and admission control scheme for polling service in an IEEE 802.16-based wireless metropolitan area network. A noncooperative game is formulated, and the solution of this game is determined by the Nash equilibrium for the amount of bandwidth offered to a new connection. The admission control policy ensures QoS for all connections in the system
Fat/water separation in single acquisition steady‐state free precession using multiple echo radial trajectories

Phase detection in fully refocused SSFP imaging has recently allowed fat/water separation without preparing the magnetization or using multiple acquisitions. Instead, it exploits the phase difference between fat and water at an echo time at the midpoint of the TR. To minimize the TR for improved robustness to B0 inhomogeneity, a 3D projection acquisition collecting two half echoes at the beginning and end of each excitation was previously implemented. Since echoes are not formed at the midpoint of the TR, this method still requires two passes of k‐space for fat/water separation. A new method is presented to linearly combine the half echoes to separate fat and water in a single acquisition. Separation using phase detection provides superior contrast between fat and water voxels. Results from high resolution angiography and musculoskeletal studies with improved robustness to inhomogeneity and a 50% scan time reduction compared to the two pass method are presented. Magn Reson Med, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transport of lactate and other short-chain monocarboxylates in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae IGC4072 grown in lactic acid medium transported lactate by an accumulative electroneutral proton-lactate symport with a proton-lactate stoichiometry of 1:1. The accumulation ratio measured with propionate increased with decreasing pH from ca. 24-fold at pH 6.0 to ca. 1,400-fold at pH 3.0. The symport accepted the following monocarboxylates (Km values at 25 degrees C and pH 5.5): D-lactate (0.13 mM), L-lactate (0.13 mM), pyruvate (0.34 mM), propionate (0.09 mM), and acetate (0.05 mM), whereas apparently a different proton symport accepted formate (0.13 mM). The lactate system was inducible and was subject to glucose repression. Undissociated lactic acid entered the cells by simple diffusion. The permeability of the plasma membrane for undissociated lactic acid increased exponentially with pH, and the diffusion constant increased 40-fold when the pH was increased from 3.0 to 6.0.
Rat Intestinal Acyl Coenzyme A: Cholesterol Acyl Transferase Properties and Localization

Abstract Microsomal acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase activity of rat intestinal mucosa was measured as the incorporation of [1-14C]oleic acid into cholesterol esters. Exogenous cholesterol and sterol carrier protein singly and together extended the time over which the reaction rate was linear. Cholesterol esterification was suppressed by 2-monooleoyl glyceryl ether a 2-monoglyceride analog and potential substrate, but was unaltered by α-glycerophosphate or lysolecithin. Esterifying activity was lowest in microsomes from the intestinal segment 0–15 cm distal to the pylorus and highest in microsomes from the 30- to 45-cm segment. The total and specific activities of acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase were highest in cells isolated from the crypt zones. The location and level of activity were unaffected by diversion of either pancreatic juice or pancreatic juice and bile from the intestinal lumen. These findings question the physiological significance of acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyl transferase in the regulation of the absorption of exogenous cholesterol.
Dynamic Prize Linked Savings: Maximizing Savings and Managing Risk

Prize linked savings accounts provide a return in the form of randomly chosen accounts receiving large cash prizes, in lieu of a guaranteed and uniform interest rate. This model became legal for American national banks upon bipartisan passage of the American Savings Promotion Act in December 2014, and many states have deregulated this option for state chartered banks and credit unions in recent years. Prize linked savings programs have unique appeal and proven societal benefits, but the product is still not available to the vast majority of Americans. There is demonstrated interest in these products, but the supply side may be the bottleneck, because the prevailing consensus is that prize linked savings primarily appeal to low income consumers. This paper examines a less common, dynamic prize, model of prize linked savings and shows why it might result in a larger average account size. The paper proposes three methods of managing risk under this model, and tests two of them using a Monte Carlo simulation. We conclude that both tested methods are effective at mitigating the most severe risks.
Maintenance therapy with continuous or switch strategy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Maintenance therapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has gained extensive interest. Varying results for this treatment underpin the need for a synthesis of evidence. METHODS Trials investigating maintenance therapy with either a continuous or a switch strategy for patients with nonprogressing NSCLC compared with placebo or observation were identified. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity. RESULTS Eight trials of 3,736 patients were included in the analysis. Switch maintenance therapy substantially improved OS compared with placebo or observation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.92; P < .001). A similar trend of improved OS was found in continuous maintenance therapy, despite lacking statistical significance (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74-1.04; P = .124). The interaction test suggested that the difference in OS between the two maintenance strategies was not statistically significant (P = .777). Clinically substantial and statistically significant improvement in PFS was found with both maintenance strategies (switch maintenance therapy HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57-0.78; continuous maintenance therapy HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.43-0.65; interaction P = .128). Subgroup analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in OS or PFS between switch maintenance therapy with cytotoxic agents and that with tyrosine kinase inhibitor agents. Toxicity was greater in maintenance therapy. CONCLUSIONS Maintenance therapy with either a continuous or a switch strategy significantly increases OS and PFS compared with placebo or observation. However, the benefits must be balanced against toxicity.
Doxorubicin-transferrin conjugate selectively overcomes multidrug resistance in leukaemia cells

Neoplastic cells frequently have an increased number of transferrin receptors. Coupling transferrin to an anti-neoplastic drug has the potential to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR). The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution and action of doxorubicin-transferrin conjugate (DOXTRF) in a leukaemia cell line (HL60), a multidrug-resistant leukaemia cell line (HL60ADR) and a normal tissue cell line (human fibroblasts). The intracellular accumulation of DOX and DOX-TRF was monitored by direct fluorescence. More DOX-TRF than free DOX was delivered to the tumour cells, and consecutively the levels of DNA double-strand breaks and apoptosis increased even in the multidrug-resistant cell line. In the normal tissue cell line, DOX-TRF did not accumulate, and therefore, the levels of DNA double-strand breaks and apoptosis did not increase. Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. The IC50 for DOX-TRF was lower than the IC50 value for the free drug in both leukaemia cell lines. The IC50 values for the HL60 cells were 0.08 μM for DOX and 0.02 μM for DOX-TRF. The IC50 values for HL60ADR cells were 7 μM for DOX and 0.035 μM for DOX-TRF. In conclusion, DOX-TRF was able to overcome MDR in the leukaemia cell lines while having only a very limited effect on normal tissue cells.
Smoking exposure as a risk factor for prevalent and recurrent colorectal adenomas.

Colorectal adenomatous polyps are considered to be the precursor lesion of colorectal cancer (1-3). Greater understanding of the association between smoking and adenoma development enable better detection and prevention of colorectal cancer. This study was conducted in men and women, ages 40-80, participating in a randomized trial testing the effects of wheat bran fiber supplement on adenoma recurrence. First, we investigated smoking exposure (status, cigarettes/day, and years of smoking) and colorectal adenoma characteristics (location, histology, size, and multiplicity) at baseline colonoscopy (n = 1429). Second, we evaluated smoking exposure and adenoma recurrence (n = 1304). The prevalence of distal versus proximal adenomas was greater for < or =30 cigarettes/day [odds ratio (OR), 1.48; 95% CI, 1.02-2.16] and 15 to <25 years of smoking (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.23-3.09) compared with never smokers. Tubular versus villous histology prevalence was increased for > or =30 cigarettes and > or =35 years of smoking (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.21-2.49 and OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.24-2.45, respectively) compared with never-smokers. Years of smoking increased prevalence of multiple versus single adenomas, whereas cigarettes/day and years of smoking were associated with large adenomas (> or =1 cm) prevalence as compared with small lesions (< or =0.5 cm). Greater than 35 years of smoking was significantly associated with an increased risk of adenoma recurrence (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.01-1.98). These results suggest that the association between smoking and adenoma prevalence varies by the characteristic of the lesion. Furthermore, the association between smoking and adenoma recurrence is modest and was only significant after a long duration of exposure. Additional investigations that characterize the genetic changes in specific subgroups of prevalent and recurrent adenomas associated with smoking exposure are needed.
Pioneering and Interprofessional Pediatric Dentistry Programs Aimed at Reducing Oral Health Disparities

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is the most chronic childhood disease and more predominant in low-income and underserved children. Although easily transmitted, ECC is entirely preventable. Dr. Ramos-Gomez and his team at the University of California, Los Angeles put together an interprofessional curriculum where both medical and dental knowledge and practice is integrated to prepare dentists and primary care providers to more cost effectively address ECC and thereby reduce disparities in oral health. The curriculum, known as the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD), consists of nine evidence-based training modules: applied statistics and research, community partners, interprofessional education/training, quality improvement, policy and advocacy, disease management/risk assessment, ethics/professionalism, cultural competency and children with special heath-care needs. SPICE aims to prepare pediatric dental residents and primary care providers to provide preventive, culturally competent, and minimally invasive oral care for underserved, low income, and special needs children. Additionally, the Infant Oral Care Program (IOCP), located at a local community health clinic, provides culturally sensitive preventive oral health care for children aged 0–5 years. The medical–dental integration model utilized at IOCP helps reduce oral health disparities by providing a systems-based and cost-effective approach to combat the burden of ECC. To track the progress of SPICE, a comprehensive evaluation framework has been designed, which aligns goals and objectives with program activities, desired outcomes, and measured indicators.
Peginterferon alfa‐2b and weight‐based or flat‐dose ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: A randomized trial

This prospective, multicenter, community‐based and academic‐based, open‐label, investigator‐initiated, U.S. study evaluated efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (PEG‐IFN) alfa‐2b plus a flat or weight‐based dose of ribavirin (RBV) in adults with chronic hepatitis C. Patients (n = 5027) were randomly assigned to receive PEG‐IFN alfa‐2b 1.5 μg/kg/week plus flat‐dose (800 mg/day) or weight‐based (800‐1400 mg/day) RBV for 48 weeks (patients with genotype 1, 4, 5, or 6) and for 24 or 48 weeks (genotype 2/3 patients). Primary end point was sustained virologic response (undetectable [<125 IU/mL] serum hepatitis C virus RNA at 24‐week follow‐up). Sustained virologic response, but not end‐of‐treatment, rates were significantly higher with weight‐based than with flat‐dose RBV (44.2% versus 40.5%; P = 0.008). Sustained virologic response rates by intention‐to‐treat analysis were 34.0% and 28.9%, respectively, in genotype 1 patients (P = 0.005) and 31.2% and 26.7%, respectively, in genotype 1 patients with high baseline viral load (P = 0.056). In genotype 2/3 patients, rates were not significantly different (61.8% and 59.5%, respectively) regardless of treatment duration. Besides greater hemoglobin reductions with weight‐based RBV, safety profiles were similar across RBV dosing groups, including the 1400‐mg/day group. Conclusion: PEG‐IFN alfa‐2b plus weight‐based RBV is more effective than flat‐dose RBV, particularly in genotype 1 patients, providing equivalent efficacy across all weight groups. RBV 1400 mg/day is appropriate for patients 105 to 125 kg. For genotype 2/3 patients, 24 weeks of treatment with flat‐dose RBV is adequate; no evidence of additional benefit of extending treatment to 48 weeks was demonstrated. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;46:971–981.)
Transition state structure of purine nucleoside phosphorylase and principles of atomic motion in enzymatic catalysis.

Immucillin-H [ImmH; (1S)-1-(9-deazahypoxanthin-9-yl)-1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-ribitol] is a 23 pM inhibitor of bovine purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) specifically designed as a transition state mimic [Miles, R. W. , Tyler, P. C. , Furneaux, R. H. , Bagdassarian, C. K. , and Schramm, V. L. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 8615-8621]. Cocrystals of PNP and the inhibitor are used to provide structural information for each step through the reaction coordinate of PNP. The X-ray crystal structure of free ImmH was solved at 0.9 A resolution, and a complex of PNP.ImmH. PO(4) was solved at 1.5 A resolution. These structures are compared to previously reported complexes of PNP with substrate and product analogues in the catalytic sites and with the experimentally determined transition state structure. Upon binding, ImmH is distorted to a conformation favoring ribosyl oxocarbenium ion formation. Ribosyl destabilization and transition state stabilization of the ribosyl oxocarbenium ion occur from neighboring group interactions with the phosphate anion and the 5'-hydroxyl of the ribosyl group. Leaving group activation of hypoxanthine involves hydrogen bonds to O6, N1, and N7 of the purine ring. Ordered water molecules provide a proton transfer bridge to O6 and N7 and permit reversible formation of these hydrogen bonds. Contacts between PNP and catalytic site ligands are shorter in the transition state analogue complex of PNP.ImmH. PO(4) than in the Michaelis complexes of PNP.inosine. SO(4) or PNP.hypoxanthine. ribose 1-PO(4). Reaction coordinate motion is dominated by translation of the carbon 1' of ribose between relatively fixed phosphate and purine groups. Purine and pyrimidine phosphoribosyltransferases and nucleoside N-ribosyl hydrolases appear to operate by a similar mechanism.