Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taking the Con Out of Pennsylvania: Did Hip and Knee Replacement Patients Benefit?

Policymakers and the general public have expressed increasing concern over rising health care costs. The Certificate-of-Need (CON) programs began at the federal level in 1974 to stem the increase in costs by limiting hospital expansion and acquisition of equipment. The federal requirement for CON programs ended in 1987; however, 37 states and DC still maintain various forms of CON programs. We examine the effect of the expiration of Pennsylvania's CON law on indicators of quality and cost of health care for patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery. We use the standard difference-in-differences method and the Synthetic Control method. Our preferred method indicates that the expiration had no statistically significant effect on our various measures of quality and cost.
Chattering free sliding mode control law for position control of the drive employing induction motor

Principles of forced dynamics control and sliding mode control are combined to derive control algorithm for position control of the drive with induction motor. The controller is of the cascade structure, comprising an inner speed control loop based on forced dynamics control and an outer position control loop based on sliding mode control. The inner speed control loop respects the principles of vector control and requires an estimate of the load torque, which is estimated in an observer. To obtain chattering free position control algorithm smoothing integrator is introduced into outer control loop. For the final version of the sliding mode control law the signum function is replaced by the high gain enabling rearrangement of the block diagram to avoid extra output derivative, which results due to smoothing integrator insertion. The simulations and preliminary experimental results indicate that the proposed control system exhibits the desired robustness and therefore warrants further development and investigation.
Analysing radiation from a cylindrical-rectangular microstrip patch antenna loaded with a superstrate and an air gap, using the electric surface current model

This paper presents an analysis of radiation from a cylindrical-rectangular microstrip patch antenna loaded with a superstrate and an air gap between the substrate and the superstrate, using the full-wave approach and the electric surface current model. Numerical results are presented in the form of normalized radiation patterns for various thicknesses of the air gap and also for superstrates made of lossy dielectric material, to show the effects of these on the radiation from the antenna.
Self-organizing maps as a tool for segmentation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most prevalent demyelinating disease of the Central Nervous System, being the Relapsing-Remitting (RRMS) its most common subtype. We explored here the viability of use of Self Organizing Maps (SOM) to perform automatic segmentation of MS lesions apart from CNS normal tissue. SOM were able, in most cases, to successfully segment MRIs of patients with RRMS, with the correct separation of normal versus pathological tissue especially in supratentorial acquisitions, although it could not differentiate older from newer lesions.
Low power wide area machine-to-machine networks: key techniques and prototype

As one of the fastest growing technologies, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications are expected to provide ubiquitous connectivity. M2M devices can be used for a wide range of emerging applications that have various communications requirements. While M2M communications have been developed for many years, major challenges still remain with their efficient implementation from the perspective of low energy consumption and wide coverage. To address these challenges, low power wide area (LPWA) technology is investigated as one of the potential candidate solutions. In this article, we first introduce some typical LPWA M2M application scenarios. Given their requirements, we highlight key techniques and standards that are explicitly designed for LPWA M2M communications. Finally, we present an LPWA prototype system to evaluate its performance and demonstrate its potential in bridging a technological gap for future Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications.
Matching Bandwidth Limits for Arrays Backed by a Conducting Ground Plane

Matching bandwidth limits are developed for antenna arrays backed by a perfect electrically conducting (PEC) ground plane. We model a general array in the long wavelength limit as a thin PEC-backed slab and use Fano's method to determine a limit for the frequency integral of the reflection coefficient. This yields a simple expression for the maximum bandwidth of the array under TE or TM excitation, subject to a specified tolerance for mismatch and efficiency. The limit also depends on the array's thickness, scan angle, and static permeability. The special case of a thin planar radiating sheet placed above a ground plane is also considered, which has a maximum impedance bandwidth of 8.3:1 at broadside when no materials are used $({\hbox{VSWR}}\leq {\hbox{2{:}1}})$. Previous empirical approximations for the minimum height of a wideband array and maximum bandwidth of a tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA) are compared with the theoretical limits and found to be in good agreement.
Pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis in animals: genes, enzymes, and regulation of UMP biosynthesis.

PERSPECfIVES AND SUMMARY 253 INTRODUCfION 256 GENES AND PROTEIN PRODUCfS 257 Drosophila 257 Mammals 258 Multienzyme pyr1-3 258 DBO dehydrogenase 260 Multienzyme pyrj,6 260 CHARACfERlSTICS OF DHOdeHase AND MULTIENZYMES pyrI-3 AND pyrS,6 262 Activities of Multienzyme pyrl-3 262 Carbamyl phosphate synthetase 262 Aspartate transcarbamylase 263 Dihydroorotase 263 Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase 266 Activities of Multienzyme pyrS,6 266 REGULATION OF UMP BIOSYNTHESIS 269 Regulation by Metabolites 269 Regulation by Orotic Acid and Orotidine Accumulation 273 Channeling of CA�P, CAasp, and aMP 275
Differential Expression of Sclerostin in Adult and Juvenile Mouse Calvariae

Background: An understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling bone formation is central to skeletal tissue engineering efforts. The observation that immature animals are able to heal calvarial defects while adult animals are not has proven to be a useful tool for examining these mechanisms. Thus, the authors compared expression of sclerostin, a bone inhibitor, between the calvariae of juvenile and adult mice. Methods: Parietal bone was harvested from juvenile (6-day-old; n = 20) and adult (60-day-old; n = 20) mice. Sclerostin transcript and protein levels were compared between the parietal bone of juvenile and adult mice using polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Finally, osteoblasts from the parietal bone of juvenile and adult mice were harvested and cultured under osteogenic differentiation conditions with and without recombinant sclerostin (200 ng/ml). Terminal osteogenic differentiation was assessed at 21 days with alizarin red staining. Results: Polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry all confirmed greater expression of sclerostin in the parietal bone of adult mice when compared with that of juvenile mice. Osteoblasts, whether from juvenile or adult parietal bones, demonstrated reduced capacity for osteogenic differentiation when exposed to recombinant sclerostin. Conclusions: Given the role of sclerostin in inhibiting bone formation, the authors' findings suggest that differences in expression levels of sclerostin may play a role in the differential regenerative capacity of calvariae from juvenile and adult animals. These findings suggest it as a potential target to abrogate in future tissue engineering studies.
Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Sugarcane Plantation Soil in Thailand

: Continuous measurements of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted from soils are required to understand diurnal and seasonal variations in soil emissions and related mechanism. This understanding plays an important role in appropriate quantification and assessment of the overall change in soil carbon flow and budget. This study proposes to monitor GHGs emissions from soil under sugarcane cultivation in Thailand. The measurements were conducted over 379 days. The results showed that the total net amount of GHGs emitted from sugarcane plantation soil amounts to 36 Mg CO2eq ha-1. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) were found to be the main contributors to the emissions. For methane (CH4), the net emission was found to be almost zero. The measurement results also confirmed that soil moisture content and GHGs emissions are positively correlated.
Purification , partial amino acid sequence and mode of action of pediocin PD-1 , a bacteriocin produced by Pediococcus damnosus NCFB 1832

Pediocin PD-1 is a ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptide produced by Pediococcus damnosus NCFB1832. It inhibits the growth of several food spoilage bacteria, including malolactic bacteria isolated from wine. Pediocin PD-1 is 2866.87F0. 4 Da in size, has an isoelectric point (pI) of ca. 9.0 and, on amino acid composition, has partial homology to the lantibiotic plantaricin C. The highest activity of pediocin PD-1 against cells of Oenococcus oeni was observed at an external pH of 5.0 and at 25 8C. The primary mode of action of pediocin PD-1 is most probably due to pore formation, as indicated by the efflux of K from metabolically active cells of O. oeni. In the presence of 10 mM gadolinium (Gd), pediocin PD-1 did not affect cells of O. oeni. This suggests that the mode of action of pediocin PD-1 relies on a net negatively charged cell surface. In comparison to nisin, pediocin PD-1 is less active against non-growing cells of O. oeni. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The probe spectrum access method

This paper describes the probe spectrum access method. This dynamic spectrum access method can be used in the TV band to enable a system to transmit at high power levels (>1 W) without causing harmful interference. Each "Frequency Agile Radio" (FAR) transceiver measures the background spectrum to identify potential available channels. The system uses a high-processing gain probe waveform that enables propagation measurements to be made with minimal interference to the non-cooperative users. The system uses a modulation method to identify the FAR signal to all non-cooperative users via on/off amplitude modulation, allowing easy resolution of interference claims. Other TV band spectrum access methods do not enable high transmit power levels (>1 W) without causing interference to the existing users
A pilot study of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in myotonic dystrophy

We studied the effect of IV administration of a dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) preparation (200 mg/day for 8 weeks) in 11 patients with myotonic dystrophy (MyD). After DHEAS, activities of daily living improved, muscle strength increased, and myotonia decreased. Conduction block and premature beats also improved in the four patients with cardiac involvement. This pilot study may provide a rationale for a controlled study of DHEAS in MyD.
Acute Dystonia, Akathisia, and Parkinsonism Induced by Ziprasidone

Ziprasidone is a second-generation antipsychotic with a lower propensity to cause extrapyramidal adverse effects that are seen at higher doses. We report a patient who developed acute dystonia, parkinsonism, and severe akathisia with ziprasidone 80 mg/d. These adverse effects subsided after dose reduction and specific treatment for akathisia and parkinsonism.
Management of Entrepreneur in Industry Cluster

One decisive element for the development of industry cluster is the human intelligence deployed especially those who possess knowledge for the potential development for the cluster. Entrepreneurs are special group of people who can create tacit and explicit knowledge and influence the cluster development with their creative and innovative behavior. This research then illustrates how to attract these core human intelligence, manage their knowledge to the most possible beneficiary.
Sentiment Analysis over Social Networks: An Overview

The rapid increase in data on social media creates a need for mining such data to get valuable insights. The data type can be unstructured with large volumes. Sentiment analysis addresses such need by detecting opinions or emotions on the social media text. Sentiment analysis can be performed in various domains such as social, medical and industrial applications. This paper presents a survey about sentiment analysis addressing the different concepts in this area, problems and its solutions, available APIs, tools used and presenting a list of open challenges in this area.
Therapeutic Monitoring of New Antipsychotic Drugs

Abstract: Typical antipsychotic drugs qualify for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) primarily for the following reasons: control of compliance and avoidance of extrapyramidal side effects by keeping chronic exposure to minimal effective blood levels. For the atypical antipsychotic clozapine, drug safety is another reason to use TDM. With regard to the new antipsychotics risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, amisulpride, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole, which have been introduced in the clinic during the last few years, the rationale to use TDM is a matter of debate. Positron emission tomography (PET), which enables measurement of the occupancy of dopamine D2 receptors, revealed that receptor occupancy correlated better with plasma concentrations than with doses of the antipsychotics. Regarding plasma levels related to therapeutic effects, optimal concentrations have been established for clozapine (350–600 ng/mL), risperidone (20–60 ng/mL), and olanzapine (20–80 ng/mL) but not for the other new antipsychotics. Studies that included analyses of drug levels in blood reported mean concentrations of 68 ng/mL for quetiapine and 317 ng/mL for amisulpride under therapeutic doses of the antipsychotic drugs. For ziprasidone or aripriprazole, data on therapeutic drug concentrations are so far lacking. In conclusion, evidence is growing that TDM may improve efficacy and safety in patients treated with the new antipsychotic drugs, especially when patients do not respond or develop side effects under therapeutic doses. The few reported investigations, however, need to be confirmed and extended.
Conductance properties of the Na(+)‐activated K+ channel in guinea‐pig ventricular cells.

1. The Na(+)‐activated K+ channel current was recorded from inside‐out membrane patches excised from single ventricular cells of guinea‐pig hearts. 2. The single channel current‐voltage relations showed inward‐going rectification with an asymptotic conductance of 180‐210 pS for the inward current at 150 mM [K+]o, when [K+]i was changed between 5.4 and 150 mM. The reversal potential indicated the PNa/PK of about 0.02. 3. The amplitude of outward current was reduced by increasing [Mg2+]i or [Na+]i, but no obvious blocking noise was recorded. The outward current, which remained shortly after quick removal of both [Na+]i and [Mg2+]i, revealed an ohmic conductance of the K+ channel. 4. The [Mg2+]i and [Na+]i block was increased e‐fold by depolarizing the membrane by 49 mV, while the inward current was not blocked. 5. The Na(+)‐activated K+ channel showed frequent subconductance levels. The variance‐mean analysis resolved at least ten major sublevels. The density distribution of the sublevels were measured by composing the conventional amplitude histogram, excluding clear closed state currents, and then dividing the histogram into five segments. The probability of staying in each segment (Pn) was almost always voltage independent, and the grand averages were P1 = 9.5 +/‐ 5.9%, P2 = 6.3 +/‐ 2.1%, P3 = 4.2 +/‐ 1.8%, P4 = 7.8 +/‐ 2.5%, and P5 = 39.3 +/‐ 5.6%, from the lowest segment, respectively. 6. The values of Pn in partially blocked conditions by Na+ and Mg2+ (outward current) were not clearly different from those without any channel block (inward current). The values of Pn, measured before and after applying Ba2+ in the pipette, were also very similar. 7. The above findings indicate that the inward‐going rectification of the Na(+)‐activated K+ channel is due to the Na+ and Mg2+ block. The subconductance of the channel is not due to any channel block by Na+ or Mg2+, but may be attributable to multiple open states of a single‐barrel channel, which has a large conductance. The channel may be blocked from any open conformation with an equal probability and with very fast kinetics.
Soil properties affecting the toxicity of CuCl2 and NiCl2 for soil microbial processes in freshly spiked soils

It generally is unknown to what extent the toxicity of Cu and Ni for soil microbial processes varies among different soils. A comparative study was made using three different microbial assays (nitrification potential, glucose‐induced respiration, and C‐mineralization of a plant residue) in 19 (for Cu) or 16 (for Ni) soils with contrasting soil properties. Each soil was spiked with CuCl2 or NiCl2 at seven different concentrations, and the bioassays were started after a 7‐d equilibration period. The Cu and Ni toxicity thresholds varied 19‐ to 90‐fold among soils. The differences in both Cu and Ni toxicity among soils were neither explained by soil solution metal concentrations nor by free ion activities calculated from soil solution composition. Copper toxicity thresholds (total concentrations) increased with increasing organic matter content or cation exchange capacity (CEC) and, surprisingly, decreased with increasing pH depending on the assay. Nickel toxicity thresholds consistently increased with increasing CEC, background Ni, and clay content for all three assays. Thresholds expressed as soil solution free ion activities all significantly decreased with increasing soil solution pH (r2 = 0.57–0.93), consistent with a decreased H+:M2+ competition at the biological membrane. That competition largely counteracts the H+:M2+ competition for sorption, effectively explaining the insignificant or weak effect of pH on total Ni or Cu toxicity thresholds. It is concluded that free metal‐ion activity alone does not explain variation in metal toxicity among soils.
Food Hypersensitivity and Dietary Management in Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract: Although immune dysfunction it known to play an integral rote In the development of atopic dermatitis, no clear delineation of the underlying pathogenic mechanism(s) responsible for this disorder has been proposed. Several factors are known to trigger flares of ttople dermatitis, in the extrinsic form of this disorder, food and airborne allergans may provoke Hares of eczema. Research Implicating food hypersensitivity in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis includes studies of food sliergen avoidance In newborn Infants at high risk for atopic disease, Investigations of children with blinded food challenges, and therapeutic trials of allergen‐elimination diets. Taken together, these studies demonstrate a significant pathogenic role for food hypesensltivity In about one‐third of children with atopic dermatitis.
Chemical composition of Artemisia Vulgaris L . from Kashan area isolated by nano scale injection

Essential oil from aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. , was obtained by hydro-distillation to produce oil in the yield of 0.25% (w/w). The oil was analyzed by capillary gas chromatography, using mass spectrometric detection. The amount of the samples injected by nano scale included were 1.0 nL (diluted 1.0 μL of sample in 1000 ml of n-pentane, v/v). Twenty three bioactive and flavour molecules were identified in the oil of Artemisia vulgaris with Trans-Caryophyllene (24.76%), 1,8-Cineol (18.64%), Trans-Salvene (14.87%), ß -Cubebene (11.82%), and α -Humulene (5.47%) as main constituents.
The microbial metabolite butyrate regulates intestinal macrophage function via histone deacetylase inhibition

Significance The mammalian intestines contain an enormous number of microorganisms within the lumen. Given the constant exposure to these microbes, the intestinal immune system has the difficult task of maintaining tolerance to commensal bacteria while remaining responsive to potential pathogens. The mechanisms by which this balance is achieved are relatively unknown. Here, we identify a bacterial metabolite, n-butyrate, that exerts immunomodulatory effects on intestinal macrophages and renders them hyporesponsive to commensals that reside in the colon. Our studies elucidate a possible mechanism that contributes to immune homeostasis in the intestines. Given the trillions of microbes that inhabit the mammalian intestines, the host immune system must constantly maintain a balance between tolerance to commensals and immunity against pathogens to avoid unnecessary immune responses against otherwise harmless bacteria. Misregulated responses can lead to inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. The mechanisms by which the immune system maintains this critical balance remain largely undefined. Here, we demonstrate that the short-chain fatty acid n-butyrate, which is secreted in high amounts by commensal bacteria, can modulate the function of intestinal macrophages, the most abundant immune cell type in the lamina propria. Treatment of macrophages with n-butyrate led to the down-regulation of lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, IL-6, and IL-12, but did not affect levels of TNF-α or MCP-1. These effects were independent of toll-like receptor signaling and activation of G-protein–coupled receptors, two pathways that could be affected by short-chain fatty acids. In this study, we provide several lines of evidence that suggest that these effects are due to the inhibition of histone deacetylases by n-butyrate. These findings elucidate a pathway in which the host may maintain tolerance to intestinal microbiota by rendering lamina propria macrophages hyporesponsive to commensal bacteria through the down-regulation of proinflammatory effectors.
Levels of Silicon in Maternal, Cord, and Newborn Serum and Their Relation With Those of Zinc and Copper

Background: Evidence of silicon's importance to health has been gradually accumulating. Nevertheless, there are few studies comparing serum silicon levels in newborns with maternal levels. Likewise, little is known concerning the inter-relation between silicon and other trace elements. Objective: The present study evaluated maternal and newborn levels of serum silicon and their relation to those of zinc and copper. Methods: We measured serum silicon, copper, and zinc in 66 pregnant women, in the umbilical cord of their infants, and in 44 newborns, by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. All the samples were from fasted subjects. Results: Serum silicon level in term newborns (20.6 ± 13.2 &mgr;mol/L) was significantly higher than in umbilical cord (8.9 ± 3.5 &mgr;mol/L; P < 0.0001). Mean serum silicon level in maternal vein (7.7 ± 3.4 &mgr;mol/L) was lower than that in umbilical cord, although differences were not significant. We also found higher levels of zinc (P = 0.008) and lower levels of copper (P < 0.0001) in cord blood compared with maternal blood. Umbilical venous/maternal venous level ratios of zinc, copper, and silicon were 1.5 ± 0.5, 0.2 ± 0.1, and 1.3 ± 0.7, respectively. There was a positive correlation between silicon and zinc levels (r = 0.32), and a negative correlation between copper and zinc levels (r = −0.35). Conclusions: It seems that there is a positive gradient of silicon from the mother to her fetus. Silicon levels were higher in newborn than in cord blood, and correlated significantly with that of zinc but not copper. Additional investigations are needed to further define the role of silicon and its interaction with other trace elements during the perinatal period.