Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of circulating osteocalcin in rats during growth and under experimental conditions.

Osteocalcin is the most abundant non-collagenous protein produced in the process of bone formation. A specific radioimmunoassay has been developed using a rabbit antiserum raised against osteocalcin extracted from rat bone. The sensitivity of the assay was tested in male and female rats under different experimental conditions: ovariectomy led to a mild increase in circulating osteocalcin (70.6 +/- 6.9 vs 51.6 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) and deprivation of dietary calcium elevated plasma levels further (119 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.01). As expected, pharmacological enhancement of bone turnover with calcitriol produced a significant increase in plasma osteocalcin (296 +/- 24.1 vs 89.5 +/- 5.1 ng/ml; p < 0.01), whereas prednisolone, a steroidal compound known to inhibit osteoid mineralization, significantly reduced circulating concentrations of this protein (70 +/- 7.4 vs 100 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05). Plasma kinetics recorded in female rats between birth and the 100th week revealed a highly significant (p < 0.001) elevation peaking at the third week (231 +/- 70.6 ng/ml) and slowly declining to reach values measured at birth (41.3 +/- 9.2 ng/ml) at the 16th week (47 +/- 4.6 ng/ml). Subsequently, a small but significant (p < 0.05) decline towards senescence was recorded. The osteocalcin surge preceded the period of rapid growth (weeks 3 to 11) estimated by vertebral length progression, showing a tendency to stabilize as growth spurt slowed down. A moderate but significant (p < 0.01) increment was observed after mating (87.8 +/- 5.1 vs 69.5 +/- 4.0 ng/ml). Although plasma osteocalcin remained stable during lactation, average levels were elevated in comparison with age-matched non-pregnant controls. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Extensive glycosylation changes revealed by lectin histochemistry in morphologically normal prenatal tissues of the mouse mutant undulated (un/un)

Recently we observed that in human embryos and fetuses with a variety of malformations, not only malformed tissues, but also several non‐malformed tissues displayed alterations in the glycosylation pattern. It was the aim of this work to investigate this more or less inexplicable phenomenon under experimental conditions. To this end, we studied a well known mouse model, the mouse mutant undulated, which has an exactly defined genetic defect (substitution in the pax‐1 gene) leading to a localized malformation in the vertebral column. The glycosylation pattern was studied using lectin histochemistry. Distribution of binding sites for the lectins RCA I, Con A, SNA, SBA, PNA, LTA and WGA was studied during the organogenesis stages (i.e., days 11–18). It was striking that in mutants, changes in the glycosylation pattern were found not only in the malformed organ (i.e., vertebral anlage), but also in other embryonic tissues, which showed normal morphology. This suggests that the altered glycosylation seems to be a part of genetically determined phenomena throughout the entire organism. Our results show that a defect in a gene with a very restricted expression can cause universal changes in the glycosylation pattern during development. Anat Rec 258:243–251, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Environmental Factors and Myopia: Paradoxes and Prospects for Prevention

AbstractThe prevalence of myopia in developed countries in East and Southeast Asia has increased to more than 80% in children completing schooling, whereas that of high myopia has increased to 10%–20%. This poses significant challenges for correction of refractive errors and the management of pathological high myopia. Prevention is therefore an important priority. Myopia is etiologically heterogeneous, with a low level of myopia of clearly genetic origins that appears without exposure to risk factors. The big increases have occurred in school myopia, driven by increasing educational pressures in combination with limited amounts of time spent outdoors. The rise in prevalence of high myopia has an unusual pattern of development, with increases in prevalence first appearing at approximately age 11. This pattern suggests that the increasing prevalence of high myopia is because of progression of myopia in children who became myopic at approximately age 6 or 7 because age-specific progression rates typical of East Asia will take these children to the threshold for high myopia in 5 to 6 years. This high myopia seems to be acquired, having an association with educational parameters, whereas high myopia in previous generations tended to be genetic in origin. Increased time outdoors can counter the effects of increased nearwork and reduce the impact of parental myopia, reducing the onset of myopia, and this approach has been validated in 3 randomized controlled trials. Other proposed risk factors need further work to demonstrate that they are independent and can be modified to reduce the onset of myopia.
Human cold exposure, adaptation, and performance in high latitude environments

Cold exposure is present to significant amounts in the everyday occupational and leisure time activities of circumpolar residents. A cross‐sectional population study demonstrated that Finns reported being exposed to cold on average 4% of their total time. Factors modifying cold exposure are: age, gender, employment, education, health, and amount of physical exercise. Several symptoms and complaints are associated with wintertime cold exposure and start to appear more commonly when temperatures decrease below −10°C. Urban circumpolar people do not evidently demonstrate cold acclimatization responses in terms of changes in thermoregulation, probably due to behavioral factors (adequate protective clothing, short cold exposures, and high housing temperatures). With regard to performance, we observed that moderate cold exposure, which may occur in everyday life, affects cognition negatively through the mechanisms of distraction and both positively and negatively through the mechanism of arousal (increased vigilance). It seems that especially simple cognitive tasks are adversely affected by cold, while in more complex tasks performance may even improve in mild or moderate cold. Repeated, short cold exposures in the laboratory, causing cold habituation responses, do not markedly improve neuromuscular or cognitive performance. The article discusses the functional significance of cold exposure, adaptation, and the specific environmental conditions and physiological mechanisms that affect behavior and performance in high latitude environments. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 19:155–164, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Solving EMI-Related Problems for Reliable High-Power Converters Design With Precomputed Electromagnetic Models

Interactions between low-power control circuits such as DSP or field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and high-power switching components that generate high ¿i/¿t greatly decrease the reliability of power converters. Moreover, they increase substantially the product's time to market when introducing a new design. The analysis of these couplings is traditionally done by using the finite elements method, which requires high technical expertise for complex 3-D circuit geometries. To overcome this requirement, the authors propose an approach based on the use of a precomputed electromagnetic model (PEM) library, which includes several metallic conducting structures present in modern power converters. Transistor cases, as well as printed circuit board (PCB) copper traces, are included in this library. By using these library models, high-coupling areas with higher flux density can be quickly identified in the converter 3-D layout. This helps to develop a remedial strategy for avoiding higher flux density areas. The proposed approach is used to analyze the electromagnetic behavior of a bidirectional matrix converter cell. Experimental results are also presented to further demonstrate the viability of the new proposed approach.
Posture stabilization for a personal mobility robot using feedback compensation with an unstable pole

The present paper introduces a novel posture control approach using feedback compensation with an unstable pole. A narrow and small personal mobility robot (PMR) requires control of its posture in order to achieve quick turning and high acceleration. However, in the conventional control approach that uses the posture angle as a controlled variable, the zero moment point (ZMP) cannot be set to the desired point if an unknown disturbance force acts on the PMR, if the center of gravity of the PMR fluctuates, or if the conditions between the tires and the road surface change. In the present paper, a novel control method using feedback compensation with an unstable pole is proposed in order to achieve the desired ZMP at the steady state. The proposed controller changes the control input for the actuator of the posture control to zero in order to achieve the desired posture angle. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified experimentally using a prototype PMR.
Is Economic Growth Pro-Poor in Vietnam? Evidence from the Period 1993-1998

Economic reforms initiated in the late 1980s significantly changed the economy of Vietnam from severe crisis in the 1980s to high growth with an average annual rate of nearly 6% in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita during the 1990s. These economic achievements in turn resulted in significant success in poverty reduction. Between 1993 and 1998, the percentage of the population that was poor declined considerably from 58.1% to 37.4%. This paper found that the “growth with equity” strategy that Vietnam chose to follow during the 1990s was partially successful. Although economic growth was pro-poor during the period 1993-1998, the poor still benefited proportionally less than the rich from economic growth. In addition, the benefits gained from overall economic growth differed considerably between different socioeconomic groups of the poor. On the whole, the poor in the urban areas, which are dominated by the Kinh majority and where the industrial and services sectors are concentrated, benefited proportionally much more than the poor in the mountainous and remote areas where ethnic minorities reside, and the rural areas where the agricultural sector dominates.
Bone stress analysis of various angulations of mesiodistal implants with splinted crowns in the posterior mandible: a three-dimensional finite element study.

PURPOSE Ideally, implants for dental prostheses should be placed parallel to each other. However, anatomic limitations sometimes make nonparallel implants necessary. The purpose of this study was to determine the bone stresses on implants tilted at various angles and to determine what arrangements might carry a higher risk of failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional finite element models were constructed using the mean values measured for the Asian mandible in the first and second molar areas. Eight implants were divided into three tilting types: parallel implants (P1(PP), P2(MM), and P3(DD)), convergent implant apices (C1(PD) and C2(MP)), and divergent implant apices (D1(DP), D2(DM), and D3(PM)). A biting load of 200 N was applied vertically and obliquely on the occlusal central fossa of the splinted crowns. The main effects of each level of the three investigated factors (loading type, relationship of implant apices, and distal tilting of one or both implants) in terms of the stress values were computed for all models. RESULTS The loading type was the main factor affecting the stress in bone when comparing implant apices and distal tilting of the implant body. When loading was combined with distal tilting, the stress values were significantly increased, especially in models P3(DD) and C1(PD). CONCLUSION The loading type is the main factor affecting the stress distribution for different implantation arrangement. Moreover, placement of the implants with distal tilting should be avoided in the posterior mandible.
The Effect of Individual Factors on Health Behaviors Among College Students: The Mediating Effects of eHealth Literacy

Background College students’ health behavior is a topic that deserves attention. Individual factors and eHealth literacy may affect an individual’s health behaviors. The integrative model of eHealth use (IMeHU) provides a parsimonious account of the connections among the digital divide, health care disparities, and the unequal distribution and use of communication technologies. However, few studies have explored the associations among individual factors, eHealth literacy, and health behaviors, and IMeHU has not been empirically investigated. Objective This study examines the associations among individual factors, eHealth literacy, and health behaviors using IMeHU. Methods The Health Behavior Scale is a 12-item instrument developed to measure college students’ eating, exercise, and sleep behaviors. The eHealth Literacy Scale is a 12-item instrument designed to measure college students’ functional, interactive, and critical eHealth literacy. A nationally representative sample of 525 valid college students in Taiwan was surveyed. A questionnaire was administered to collect background information about participants’ health status, degree of health concern, major, and the frequency with which they engaged in health-related discussions. This study used Amos 6.0 to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis to identify the best measurement models for the eHealth Literacy Scale and the Health Behavior Scale. We then conducted a multiple regression analysis to examine the associations among individual factors, eHealth literacy, and health behaviors. Additionally, causal steps approach was used to explore indirect (mediating) effects and Sobel tests were used to test the significance of the mediating effects. Results The study found that perceptions of better health status (t520=2.14-6.12, P<.001-.03) and greater concern for health (t520=2.58-6.95, P<.001-.003) influenced college students’ development of 3 dimensions of eHealth literacy and adoption of healthy eating, exercise, and sleep behaviors. Moreover, eHealth literacy played an intermediary role in the association between individual factors and health behaviors (Sobel test=2.09-2.72, P<.001-.03). Specifically, higher levels of critical eHealth literacy promoted students’ health status and their practice of multiple positive health behaviors, including eating, exercise, and sleep behaviors. Conclusions Because this study showed that eHealth literacy mediates the association between individual factors and health behaviors, schools should aim to enhance students’ eHealth literacy and promote their health behaviors to help them achieve high levels of critical eHealth literacy. Although some of the study’s hypotheses were not supported in this study, the factors that influence health behaviors are complex and interdependent. Therefore, a follow-up study should be conducted to further explore how these factors influence one another.
Intelligent exploration and surveillance algorithms for multi-agents robotics systems

In this work are considered two problems in a multi-agent robotics surveillance scenario, exploration and surveillance, with which intruder entities must be detected and tracked. The goals are minimize the overall exploration time and increase the time in which intruders are tracked by the agents in a static environment. An intelligent approach is presented for the coordination of multiple robots using a market-based model considering three levels to find the suitable task for an agent: knowledge acquired, decision making algorithm and social interactions. For the two problems the decision making algorithms have been implemented using computational intelligent techniques. The proposed approach has been implemented in an indoor real-world environment using cell maps and its performance is tested in simulation runs. Experimental results and conclusions emphasize the advantages of using the coordination mechanisms developed in this work by contrasting the effectiveness in coverage area and tracking tasks to similar non-intelligent approaches.
Family environment in families with versus families without parental bipolar disorder: a preliminary comparison study.

OBJECTIVES To compare family environmental characteristics of families with at least one bipolar parent and families with parents without any Axis I disorder. METHODS Family environment of 24 families with at least one parent with bipolar disorder (BPD) and 27 families with healthy parents (healthy families, HF) were assessed using the Family Environment Scale (FES). We compared FES subscale scores between BPD and HF. We also compared FES normative scores with scores of BPD families. RESULTS Seventeen (71%) of the 24 BPD families had at least one child with a mood disorder and one (3.7%) of the 27 HF had a child with a mood disorder. Families with BPD reported lower cohesion (p = 0.009) and expressiveness (p = 0.03) scores compared with HF, after controlling for group socioeconomic status differences. Bilineal BPD families had higher cohesion scores than unilineal BPD families (p = 0.05). We found no significant differences in any subscales between BPD families with (n = 9) versus without (n = 15) children with BPD. Compared with normative FES data BPD families reported lower cohesion (C) (p = 0.02) and independence (IND) (p = 0.004) scores and higher conflict (CON) (p = 0.02), intellectual-cultural orientation (ICO) (p = 0.05), moral-religious emphasis (MRE) (p < 0.001) and control (CTL) (p < 0.001) scores. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that members of BPD families may have difficulty communicating effectively with one another, suggesting that interventions aimed at improving this may be beneficial to patients with BPD. Results suggest that the impact of different lifestyles in different communities may influence FES scores, and thus it is important to use demographically matched comparison groups.
Fluid dynamic design for low hemolysis in a hydrodynamically levitated centrifugal blood pump

We have developed a hydrodynamically levitated centrifugal blood pump for extracorporeal circulatory support as a bridge to decision pump. The impeller is levitated using hydrodynamic bearings without any complicated control circuit or displacement sensor. However, the effect of the outer circumferential velocity and the bearing area on the hemolytic property has not been clarified, even if the bearing gap is same size. The purpose of this study is to experimentally evaluate the effect of the outer circumferential velocity and the bearing area in the bearing gaps on the hemolytic property in a hydrodynamically levitated centrifugal blood pump. We prepared three models for testing. These models have the same bearing gap size by adjusting the impeller levitation position. However, the outer circumferential velocity of the impeller and the bearing area in the minimum bearing gaps are different. The outer circumferential velocity of the impeller and the bearing area were assumed to be related to the maximum shear rate and the exposure time. For the evaluation, we conducted an impeller levitation performance test and an in vitro hemolysis test. As a result, the normalized index of hemolysis (NIH) was reduced from 0.084 g/100L to 0.040 g/100L corresponding to a reduction in the outer circumferential velocity and a reduction in the bearing area, even if the minimum bearing gaps were same size. We confirmed that, even if the bearing gap was same size under the stably levitated condition, the outer circumferential velocity and the bearing area should be decreased in order to improve the hemolytic property.
Compact Wideband Loop Antenna Partially Loaded With Mu-Negative Metamaterial Unit Cells for Directivity Enhancement

A wideband and unidirectional loop antenna partially loaded with mu-negative (MNG) metamaterial unit cells is presented. To reduce the electrical size of the antenna, its first resonance is formed by capacitively loading a conventional one-wavelength loop antenna to excite the mu-zero resonance that is independent of the resonator's size. As a result of partial loop loading using properly designed and distributed slots, the amplitude of the surface current can be engineered to be higher in the feeding arm while achieving a zero phase shift along each arm of the loop structure. Consequently, unidirectional radiation with a moderate front-to-back ratio (FBR) is achieved without using any reflectors. Moreover, as a result of the capacitive loading, the loop antenna is divided into an array of dipoles that are excited with a 90° phase difference, enabling unidirectional radiation at the loop-mode resonance. To both enhance the impedance matching of the antenna at lower frequencies and excite an additional resonance, a strip patch is added in the vicinity of the loop. The proposed structure is smaller by 80% than similar MNG loaded loops and achieves a wide fractional bandwidth of 52% (0.64-1.1 GHz) with a peak FBR and gain values of 12 dB and 3.2 dBi, respectively.
Episodes of Low Back Pain: A Proposal for Uniform Definitions to Be Used in Research

Study Design. Literature review and group discussions. Objective. To propose uniform definitions for low back pain episodes to be used in research. Background. Different definitions of episodes have been used in low back pain studies. This hampers comparison of study results. Definitions are proposed for episodes of low back pain, care for low back pain, and work absence because of low back pain. Methods. In a Medline search, we identified about 1200 papers, of which 81 possibly contained a definition of episodes. In group discussions, we decided which definitions to propose and discussed their applicability. Results. We found few definitions in the literature. In the group discussions we decided to define an episode of LBP as a period of pain in the lower back lasting for more than 24 hours, preceded and followed by a period of at least 1 month without low back pain. An episode of care for low back pain was defined as a consultation or a series of consultations for low back pain, preceded and followed by at least 3 months without consultation for low back pain. An episode of work absence due to low back pain was defined as a period of work absence due to low back pain, preceded and followed by a period of at least 1 day at work. Conclusions. In many studies, episodes of low back pain are mentioned without a clear definition. We consider our proposed definitions of episodes to be arbitrary but well considered. We advise that they be tested for use in future research.
Effect of omeprazole on the distribution of metronidazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin in human gastric juice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The mechanism by which antimicrobial therapy against Helicobacter pylori is enhanced by acid suppression is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of omeprazole on gastric juice, plasma, and saliva concentrations of metronidazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin. METHODS Single doses of antibiotic were administered intravenously to 24 healthy men (each antibiotic to 8 subjects) while taking placebo or omeprazole. Antibiotic concentrations were measured in gastric juice, plasma, and saliva. The pharmacokinetic parameters gastric clearance and gastric transfer fraction were calculated for each antibiotic. RESULTS In the omeprazole group compared with the placebo group, mean maximum antibiotic gastric juice concentrations (in milligram per liter) of metronidazole decreased from 33.6 to 8.3 (P = 0.0001), whereas those of clarithromycin were unchanged, and those of amoxicillin increased from 0.13 to 0.68 (P = 0.02). Omeprazole increased salivary concentrations of metronidazole (P = 0.02) but had no effect on clarithromycin concentrations (no amoxicillin was detectable in saliva). CONCLUSIONS Omeprazole decreases the intragastric concentrations of metronidazole by reducing acid secretion and increases intragastric concentrations of amoxicillin partly by reducing gastric juice volume. Novel pharmacokinetic parameters have been described that provide an insight into the mechanisms underlying drug transfer across the blood-stomach barrier.