Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early peak of hydrogen during lactose breath test predicts intestinal motility

Lactose breath test (LBT) is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of lactose malabsorption. The test is considered positive for a peak of hydrogen (H2) ≥ 20 parts per million (ppm) above the baseline. Some patients (pts) showed a rapid peak between 30 and 90 minutes after lactose ingestion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of an early peak during a LBT and an accelerated oro-cecal transit time (OCTT). We retrospectively analyzed all pts who referred to our Gastroenterology unit for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, from January to September 2012, who performed LBT, glucose and lactulose breath test. We consider a positive LBT for a peak of H2 > 20 ppm, a positive GHBT for a peak >12 ppm and we considered a normal OCCT a peak of H2 ≥ 10 ppm between 75 ± 105 min after lactulose load. The correlation between LBT and OCTT was evaluated by Pearson score. 93 pts (65 F/28 M mean age 47 ± 6 years) with a positive LBT, without small intestinal bacterial overgrowth were analyzed: 46 pts (32 F/14 M; mean age 48 ± 6 years) with an early peak (2 (≥20 ppm) were enrolled as case, and 47 pts matched for sex and age with a peak of H2 after 90 min were enrolled as controls. 72% (33/46) of the group with an early peak showed an accelerated, 17% (8/46) a normal and 11% (5/46) a delayed OCTT. Meanwhile, in control group 40.4% (19/47) showed a normal, 57.5% (27/47) a delayed and just 1 pts an accelerated OCTT. The specificity and sensibility of LBT for an accelerated OCTT were 97.9% and 71.7% respectively. The positive predictive value of LBT for an accelerated OCTT is 97.1%; the negative predictive value is 78%. There is a significant correlation between LBT and OCTT (p The presence of an early peak of H2 between 30 and 90 min after the ingestion of 25 gr of lactose could predict the presence of an accelerated OCTT in 97% of pts. If confirmed by further study, in this subset of pts, lactulose breath test for evaluating OCTT could be avoided.
Analytical Investigation of Innovation Dynamics Considering Stochasticity in the Evaluation of Fitness

We investigate a selection-mutation model for the dynamics of technological innovation, a special case of reaction-diffusion equations. Although mutations are assumed to increase the variety of technologies, not their average success ("fitness"), they are an essential prerequisite for innovation. Together with a selection of above-average technologies due to imitation behavior, they are the "driving force" for the continuous increase in fitness. We will give analytical solutions for the probability distribution of technologies for special cases and in the limit of large times. The selection dynamics is modeled by a "proportional imitation" of better technologies. However, the assessment of a technology's fitness may be imperfect and, therefore, vary stochastically. We will derive conditions under which a wrong assessment of fitness can accelerate the innovation dynamics, as has been found in some surprising numerical investigations.
A theoretical synopsis of Evolutionary Phonology

Abstract 1. An overview of Evolutionary Phonology 1.1. Explaining sound patterns Phonology is the study of sound patterns of the world's languages. In all spoken languages, we find sound patterns characterizing the composition of words and phrases. These patterns include overall properties of contrastive sound inventories (e.g. vowel inventories, consonant inventories, tone inventories), as well as patterns determining the distribution of sounds or contrastive features of sounds (stress, tone, length, voicing, place of articulation, etc.), and their variable realization in different contexts (alternations). A speaker's implicit knowledge of these patterns is often evident in their extension to novel items and in experiments probing phonological well-formedness. This implicit knowledge – its content, formalization, and representation, – is the central focus of modern theoretical phonology, including generative phonology and many of its derivatives (natural phonology, government phonology, dependency phonology, optimality theory).
Psychische Belastungen nach Auslandseinsätzen Erste Ergebni sse einer Be fragung von Soldate n des Einsatzkontinge ntes ISAF VII Psychological Strain F ollowing Foreign A ssignment Results of an Investigation Among German Soldier s Serving in ISAF VII

Im Oktober und November 2006 sind wiederholt Bilder deutscher Soldaten, die mit skelettierten menschlichen Uberresten posierten, veroffent− licht worden. Diese Verfehlungen entfachten die offentliche Diskussion zum Einsatz deutscher Soldaten in Afghanistan. Eine der Hauptfragen war, ob die Soldaten ausreichend ausgebildet werden, um mit den Situationen vor Ort umge− hen zu konnen. Um diese Frage zu beantworten ist es notwendig, die psychische Belastung der Soldaten in bzw. nach einem Auslandseinsatz zu betrachten. Die vorliegende Studie gibt einen Einblick zum Thema psychische Belastung bei deutschen Soldaten, die sich zwischen Januar und August 2005 im Auslandseinsatz in Afgha− nistan befanden. Am 20. Dezember 2001 beschloss der Weltsi− cherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen mit der UN− Resolution 1386 die Aufstellung der International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Deren Aufgabe ist es, die afghanische Regierung bei der Wah− rung der Menschenrechte sowie bei der Herstel− lung der inneren Sicherheit zu unterstutzen. Weiterhin zahlt die Auslieferung von Hilfsgutern und Koordinationshilfe bei der Ruckkehr von Kriegsfluchtlingen zu ihren Aufgaben. Die in Af− ghanistan eingesetzten deutschen Soldaten blei− ben nach intensiver Vorausbildung fur vier Mo− Zusammenfassung !
Long Period Gratings in New Generation Optical Fibers

The development of fiber gratings has had a significant impact on research and development in telecommunications and fiber optic sensing. Fiber gratings are intrinsic devices that allow control over the properties of light propagating within the fiber—they are used as spectral filters, as dispersion compensating components and in wavelength division multiplexing systems (Erdogan, 1997). The sensitivity of their properties to perturbation of the fiber by the surrounding environmental conditions has led to extensive study of their use as fiber sensor elements (Kersey et al., 1997). Fiber gratings consist of a periodic perturbation of the properties of the optical fiber, generally of the refractive index of the core and/or geometry, and fall into two general classifications based upon the period of the grating. Short-period fiber gratings, or fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), have a sub-micron period and act to couple light from the forward-propagating core mode of the optical fiber to a backward, counter-propagating one (Kashyap, 1999; Canning, 2008; Cusano et al., 2009a). The long-period gratings (LPGs), instead, have period typically in the range 0.1-1 mm (James & Tatam, 2003). The LPG promotes coupling between the propagating core mode and co-propagating cladding modes. The high attenuation of the cladding modes results in the transmission spectrum of the fiber containing a series of attenuation bands centred at discrete wavelengths, each attenuation band corresponding to the coupling to a different cladding mode. The exact form of the spectrum, and the centre wavelengths of the attenuation bands, are sensitive to the period of the LPG, the length of the LPG and to the local environment: temperature, strain, bend radius and the refractive index (RI) of the medium surrounding the fiber. The peculiar spectral features of LPGs made them broadly used in many applications ranging from telecommunications to sensing (Bhatia, 1999). In particular, LPGs represent above all one of the most promising fiber grating technological platforms, to be employed in a number of chemical applications because of their intrinsic sensitivity to surrounding RI (SRI) changes (Shu et al., 2002). Up to now great efforts have been done in order to enhance the performance of LPGs in single mode fibers (SMFs) in terms of tuning capability and/or sensitivity. For instance several approaches have been proposed to achieve remarkable sensitivities such as cladding etching, LPG design for coupling to higher order modes near their dispersion turning points or in-fiber complex
Frühwirkungen genotoxischer und nichtgenotoxischer Kanzerogene (Fluorene) auf die Zellteilung verschiedener `Nicht-Targetgewebe´ bei jungen männlichen Ratten

Ziel der experimentellen Krebsforschung ist schon seit langem, potenzielle Kanzerogene kurzfristig zu identifizieren, um aufwendige, kostenintensive Langzeitexperimente zu umgehen. Von der Uberlegung ausgehend, das Kanzerogene bekannter Organotropie auch kurzfristig in sogenannten "Nicht-Targetgeweben" Begleitwirkungen entfalten, die moglicherweise mit dem kanzerogenen Prozes in Zusammenhang stehen, suchten wir nach Veranderungen der Proliferationsaktivitat in Organen, die gegenuber der tumorigenen Wirkung der Testkanzerogene resistent sind. Parallel dazu untersuchten wir einige Kanzerogenwirkungen in Abhangigkeit von physiologischen zirkadianen Proliferationsschwankungen und uberpruften die Zuverlassigkeit der Wirkung gebrauchlicher metaphasenblockierender Substanzen, die zur Rationalisierung der Mitoseerfassung Anwendung finden.
A Longitudinal Study Using Ultrasound to Assess Flow-Mediated Dilatation in Normal Human Pregnancy

Objective: To develop normal ranges of endothelial function in normal human pregnancy to use as a screening test for preeclampsia. Methods: In this longitudinal study, women were studied five times during pregnancy and once postpartum using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). FMD is a noninvasive ultrasound technique used to assess endothelial function. Healthy nonpregnant women were controls. Results: FMD increased non-significantly in pregnancy until 32 weeks, when it decreased significantly at 36+ weeks (n = 47). Conclusion: The fall in FMD in the third trimester has not been previously reported. This indicates the importance of gestational age when assessing FMD as a screening test for preeclampsia.
Results of percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusions of coronary arteries: a single center report.

OBJECTIVES Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTOs) is associated with lower rates of procedural success and higher complication rates compared with PCIs in non-CTO lesions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between lesion characteristics and procedural success rates and in-hospital outcomes after PCI for CTO with novel equipment. STUDY DESIGN We evaluated the prospectively entered data of 63 consecutive patients undergoing PCI for CTO at our institute between August 2009 and June 2012. RESULTS A total of 63 patients (mean age: 64±11, 71% male) with one CTO lesion each underwent PCI. There were 46 patients (mean age: 63±10, 70% male) in the CTO success group and 17 patients (mean age: 65±13, 76.5% male) in the CTO failure group. Successful revascularization was achieved in 73% of patients. We used antegrade approach in 61 cases and retrograde approach in 2 cases. Our predominant strategy was single-wire technique, which was used in 54 cases (85.7%), followed by parallel-wire technique in 7 cases (11.1%). Moderate-to-severe tortuosity (odds ratio [OR]: 9.732, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.783-53.115, p=0.009) and occlusion duration (OR: 1.536, 95% CI: 1.178-2.001, p=0.002) were independent predictors of procedural failure in the multivariate analysis. No in-hospital major cardiac events occurred. CONCLUSION We have reported a study with a relatively high success rate of PCI with very low procedural and in-hospital complications. Moderate-to-severe tortuosity was observed as the most challenging problem despite the utilisation of novel equipment and techniques for CTO recanalization.
An absorptive frequency selective surface with wideband transmission above absorption band

A new method to design frequency selective surface (FSS) structure with absorptive/ transmissive property is presented in this paper. It is characterized by a wideband transmission at high frequency and a wideband absorption performance over lower band. The FSS structure is composed of a resistive sheet and a metallic bandpass FSS layer. The resistive element is realized by inserting a strip-type parallel LC structure into a resistor-loaded dipole. The bandpass FSS is based on coupled resonator spatial filter (CRSF) seeking for a flattop bandpass response. To achieve wideband passband, the inductance is enlarged by using rectangle spiral inductor. The absorptive/ transmissive performance of the AFSS is numerically simulated.
Role of the Dihydrofolate Reductase DfrA (Rv2763c) in Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (Co-Trimoxazole) Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

We thank Wang et al. for clarifying the role of the dihydrofolate reductase DfrA (Rv2763c) in isoniazid (INH) resistance ([16][1]). Concerning potential candidates for the unknown INH resistance mechanism(s), we would like to point out that the aldC ( Rv2858c ) T21A mutation is also present in
Temperature and loading considerations for cast coil transformers-a user's perspective

This paper reviews operating temperatures within windings of cast coil small power distribution transformers. The paper considers how temperature instrumentation can be used to monitor winding temperature, to activate fans to provide higher loading (within rated temperature rise), to notify operations at selected temperature values, and to even reduce I/sup 2/R losses. The paper sets a criterion for loading small power distribution transformers to assure that insulation system life is not a limiting factor when seeking 40 to 45 year service in a continuous process industry (such as pulp and paper mills). <<ETX>>
The palaeolithic societies of Europe (second edition)

Palaeolithic societies have been a neglected topic in the discussion of human origins. In this book, which succeeds and replaces The Palaeolithic Settlement of Europe, published by Cambridge University Press in 1986, Clive Gamble challenges the established view that the social life of Europeans over the 500,000 years of the European Palaeolithic must remain a mystery. In the past forty years archaeologists have recovered a wealth of information from sites throughout the continent. Professor Gamble now introduces a new approach to this material. He examines the archaeological evidence from stone tools, hunting and campsites for information on the scale of social interaction, and the forms of social life. Taking a pan-European view of the archaeological evidence, he reconstructs ancient human societies, and introduces new perspectives on the unique social experience of human beings.
Kinetics and mechanisms of Zn complexation on metal oxides usin EXAFS spectroscopy

Zn(II) sorption onto Al and Si oxides was studied as a function of pH (5.1–7.52), sorption density, and ionic strength. This st carried out to determine the role of the various reaction conditions and sorbent phases in Zn complexation at oxide surfaces. Exte absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy was used to probe the Zn atomic environment at the metal oxide/aqueous int both amorphous silica and high-surface-area gibbsite, Zn sorption kinetics were rapid and reached completion within 24 h. In co sorption on low-surface-area-gibbsite was much slower, taking nearly 800 h for a sorption plateau to be reached. In the case of silic revealed that Zn was in octahedral coordination with first-shell oxygen atoms up to a surface loading of approximately 1 μmol m −2, changing to tetrahedral coordination as surface loading and pH increased. For the high-surface-area gibbsite system, the Zn–O first-shell d intermediate between values for tetrahedral and octahedral coordination over all loading levels. Zn formed inner-sphere adsorption on both silica and high-surface-area gibbsite over all reaction conditions. For Zn sorption on low-surface-area gibbsite, formation layered double hydroxide (LDH) occurred and was the cause for the observed slow Zn sorption kinetics. The highest pH sample the Zn–amorphous silica system resulted in the formation of an amorphous Zn(OH) 2 precipitate with tetrahedral coordination between and O. Aging the reaction samples did not alter the Zn complex in any of the systems. The results of this study indicate the var Zn complexation at surfaces prevalent in soil and aquatic systems and the importance of combining macroscopic observations wi capable of determining metal complex formation mechanisms.  2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Exact analysis of the Lempel-Ziv algorithm for i.i.d. sources

A new analysis shows that, when we apply the Lempel-Ziv incremented parsing algorithm to i.i. d. source with probabilities:pi, i = 1,. , m, the expected length E|W/sub t/| of the t-th parsed segment W/sub t/ is given by a simple formula. Following this approach we can show a VF(Variable to Fixed length) version of Ziv-Lempel universal coding theorem.
Relationship between ca 125 and progesterone production in women with ovarian carcinoma

CA 125 and steroid production is compared in a group of 48 women with ovarian epithelial carcinoma. The histologic types were I C (n = 20), II C (n = 5), III C (n = 11), or V (n = 12). The number of patients in Stage I was six; Stage II, 11; Stage III, 16; and Stage IV, 15. All patients were naturally or surgically postmenopausal. Blood samples were taken at the first admission to the hospital and 14 cases with large tumors were followed with monthly sampling during chemotherapy, and in 13 cases until a recurrence of the tumor. CA 125 and steroid production were analyzed using radioimmunoassay. The results show a high correlation between initial CA 125 and especially progesterone plasma concentration. Both decreases during chemotherapy parallel the shrinkage of the tumor and increase 1 to 4 months before recurrence. Progesterone and CA 125 together predicted all recurrences but none of the factors alone. The prognostic value for 5‐year survival was somewhat higher for progesterone than CA 125. CA 125 correlated highly with sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and negatively with albumin. The correlation may be due to the intercorrelation with tumor burden.
Towards conceptual foundations for service-oriented requirements engineering: bridging requirements and services ontologies

The engineering of a service-oriented system requires the specification of functions that Web services (WSs) should provide, before WSs are built or selected. Written in a service description language, the service specification instantiates concepts different than those used for requirement engineering (RE): the former speaks in terms of operations, metrics and bindings, whereas the latter manipulates, goals, evaluations and domain assumptions. It is, however, clear that functions expected of WSs to select or build will be relevant to the stakeholders if they satisfy the stakeholders' requirements. As a result, there is a gap between the two specifications which must be bridged in order to ensure that the WS system is adequate w.r. t. requirements. This study proposes mappings between the concepts of requirements ontology and those of service taxonomy induced by the WSLD and the WSLA languages. A working prototype is presented that implements the mappings and is used to translate the instances of RE concepts into instances of WSLD and WSLA concepts. The mappings and the prototype facilitate the engineering of WS systems, as fragments of WS descriptions can be generated from requirements as a first specification of a service request.
Antiageing concepts and cardiovascular disease.

This editorial refers to ‘Association of growth differentiation factor 11/8, putative anti-ageing factor, with cardiovascular outcomes and overall mortality in humans: analysis of the Heart and Soul and HUNT3 cohorts’, by K.A. Olson et al . , on page doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv385. Cardiovascular ageing contributes to the development of heart failure and death, and thus to a significant decrease in lifespan, but also in healthspan. The major cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome including hyperlipoproteinaemia and type 2 diabetes, show a sharply rising incidence with ageing and promote atherosclerotic lesion formation and pathological cardiac remodelling, finally leading to myocardial infarction, heart failure, and death of the patient. Cardiovascular disease indeed develops due to a combination of the genetic make-up of an individual and the interaction with cardiovascular risk factors accumulating during ageing. The increasing age and, with that, the increasing amount of cardiovascular disease cases in the elderly is a major burden for both patients and European healthcare systems. For instance, it is estimated that heart failure alone consumes up to €10 billion/year of the …
Development of prognostic tools in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Lessons from modern day registries

Summary Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterised by increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries leading to right-sided ventricular failure, and death. Identification of factors that affect patient survival is important to improve patient management and outcomes. The first registry to evaluate survival and develop a prognostic model was the National Institutes of Health (NIH) registry in 1981. Importantly this prognostic model is based on data collected prior to availability of PAH-targeted therapies and does not reflect survival rates for treated patients. Since the 1980s, however, four modern registries of PAH now exist which compensate for the NIH equations shortcomings and include the French National registry, Pulmonary Hypertension Connection registry, the Mayo registry, and the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL). The similarities and difference in these registries are highlighted in this review and although similar in many respects, the four registries vary in patient population, including the numbers of newly and previously diagnosed patients, as well as the era of observation, period of survival, and timing of assessment of potential predictive factors. Despite this, the predictive factors identified in each registry and described in detail within the body of this manuscript share surprising homology in that disease aetiology, patient gender and factors reflective of right heart failure are integral in depicting survival. Future modifications of modern prognostic equations should be an ongoing goal of the PAH community in order to provide increased accuracy with identification of novel risk factors and prediction of disease course.