Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
(99m)Tc-sestamibi retention characteristics during pharmacologic hyperemia in human myocardium: comparison with coronary flow reserve measured by Doppler flowire.

UNLABELLED The aim of the study was to investigate the increase in myocardial (99m)Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (sestamibi) retention in humans during pharmacologic vasodilation. METHODS For calculation of the increase in (99m)Tc-sestamibi retention during hyperemia, baseline and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-induced hyperemic stress sestamibi studies were performed using a same-day rest-stress protocol. On the injection of sestamibi, left ventricular dynamic data were obtained for 90 s. The increase in sestamibi retention from baseline to hyperemia was calculated by the formula [abstract: see text] where Cm(h)(t) and Cm(b)(t) are myocardial counts on the tomographic image, and Cb(b)(tau) and Cb(h)(tau) are the left ventricular blood-pool counts during the first transit of sestamibi at baseline and during hyperemia, respectively. Coronary flow increase during intravenous ATP stress was measured using intracoronary Doppler flow guide wire and compared with the scintigraphic results of 28 measurements in 22 patients. RESULTS Sestamibi retention increased as coronary flow velocity increased but plateaued at >2.5-3 times baseline flow velocity. The relationship between the increase in sestamibi retention (Y) and the increase in flow (X) is expressed as follows: Y = 0.44 + 0.60X - 0.068X(2) (r = 0.82). CONCLUSION In humans, the increase in (99m)Tc-sestamibi myocardial retention underestimates coronary flow reserve, particularly at high flow rates. Knowledge of these tracer retention characteristics will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the manner and interpretation of stress sestamibi imaging.
Career Concerns and Short-Term Contracts

We study optimal incentive contracts when commitments are limited, and agents have multiple tasks and career concerns. The agent career concerns are determined by the outside market. We show that the optimal compensation contract optimizes the combination of implicit incentives from both career concerns and ratchet effects. In contrast to existing results, implicit and explicit incentives might be complements, and the principal might want to give strongest explicit incentives for agents far from retirement to account for the fact that career concerns might induce behavior in conflict with the principal’s preferences. Furthermore, we show that maximized welfare might be decreasing in the strength of the career concerns. ∗Corresponding author. Programme for Health Economics, Department of Economics, University of Bergen. Fosswinckelsg. 6, N-5007 Bergen. Norway. Email: oddvar.kaarboe@econ.uib.no URL http://www.econ.uib.no/stab/oddvar.html †Department of Finance and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, and The Norwegian Centre in Organization and Management (LOS Centre). Email: trond.olsen@nhh.no
The Development of a Contextual Measure of Alienation

Although alienation is one of the central concepts in sociology, it is encumbered with a multiplicity of meanings. One source of confusion has resulted from the failure of researchers to specify empirically the context within which alienation responses are measured. Thus, alienation has frequently been operationally defined "as if it represented some 'free-floating' human condition irrespective of specific ontexts which produce such mental states" (Aiken and Hage, 1966: 497). While several investigators have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of some kinds of contextual measurement approaches (e.g., Clark, 1959; Aiken and Hage, 1966; Olsen, 1969; and Rosenstock and Kutner, 1967), there is a dearth of methodological information on multiple-item, multi-dimensional, context-bound measures of alienation. The purpose of the present research note is to demonstrate an approach to the development of an exemplary multiple-item contextual measure of alienation, one that allows for conceptual complexity within a reduced context. The powerlessness, meaninglessness, and social estrangement components are selected to represent he concept's many hypothesized imen-
Improving RBF-DDA Performance on Optical Character Recognition through Weights Adjustment

The dynamic decay adjustment (DDA) algorithm is a fast constructive algorithm for training RBF neural networks. This paper proposes a method for improving RBF-DDA generalization performance by adjusting the weights of the connections between hidden and output units. The method proposed here has been evaluated on three optical character recognition datasets from the UCI repository. The results show that the proposed method considerably improves performance of RBF-DDA in these tasks without increasing the size of the networks. The results are compared to MLP, k-NN, AdaBoost and SVM results reported in the literature. It is shown that the proposed method outperforms MLP and AdaBoost and obtains results comparable to k-NN and SVM on these datasets.
Overexpressed WAFl / Cipl Renders Glioblastoma Cells Resistant to Chemotherapy Agents l , 3-Bis ( 2-chloroethyl )-l-nitrosourea and Cisplatin 1

Previous studies have shown that the negative cell cycle regulator WAFl/Cipl is often overexpressed in human gliomas and that WAF1/ Cipl overexpression may be a factor in cancer chemoresistance. We established a doxycycline-inducible WAFl/Cipl expression system in two glioblastoma cell lines and examined the role of WAFl/Cipl in their response to the chemotherapy agents l,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-l-nitrosourea (BCNU) and ri'. v-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin), in an isogeneic background. Our results showed that the induction of WAFl/Cipl expres sion rendered glioma cells resistant to cell death induced by BCNU and cisplatin. Using an in vivo host-cell reactivation DNA repair assay, we demonstrated that WAFl/Cipl enhances the repair of BCNU-induced DNA damage. We conclude that WAFl/Cipl allows repair of BCNUand cisplatin-damaged DNA and protects glioma cells from chemotherapy agent-induced apoptosis. Thus, blocking WAFl/Cipl production or func tion may serve as a useful chemosensitization regimen for glioma.
Realist studies of oppression, emancipation and resistance

This article introduces two papers in a special section of this journal. It explains why realist studies of oppression, emancipation and resistance are needed. We trace the development of studies in this area, noting their Marxist roots, divergence with post-structural theorising and more recent critical realist advancements. We conclude by highlighting the weaknesses in studies of this area and by arguing that progress is important for understanding how emancipation from oppression might be possible.
The sweet ‘truth’ of Gujarat – Gujarati diet & lifestyle and diabetogenesis

Abstract Gujarat is a state in Western part of India. It is well known for its cuisine which is predominantly lacto-vegetarian and has characteristic ‘sweet tinge’ in all the food items. The occupation and lifestyle of Gujarati people is mainly sedentary and participation in sports and other physical activities is limited. In this article we have explored the components and characteristics of Gujarati diet and lifestyle in relation to the risk of diabetes. Though prima facie the Gujarati diet and lifestyle may seem more diabetogenic compared to the cuisine of other states of India, there is very little objective evidence to suggest the same. Infact, the prevalence of diabetes in the state of Gujarat is lower compared to other states with equivalent GDP. In this is article we have also tried to find possible explanations of this paradoxical observation.
Reliability and Validity of a Single-Item Measure of Job Satisfaction

Purpose. To investigate the reliability and validity of a single-item overall job satisfaction measure. Methods. Public agency employees (n = 745) were surveyed regarding job satisfaction, work, personality, and health variables. The single-item measure underwent the following analyses: correction for attenuation formula to estimate minimum reliability; correlations with multiple-item job satisfaction, work, personality, and health measures to determine concurrent validity, construct validity, and specific relevance to health promotion; and logistic regression to determine the predictability of turnover intention. Results. For the single-item measure the minimum reliability estimate was high, all correlational tests for validity were significant, logistic regression indicated substantial predictability of turnover intention, and correlations with the health measures were significant. Discussion. These results are consistent with other studies and support the psychometric properties of this single-item overall job satisfaction measure. Limitations of the study and its implications for worksite health promotion are discussed.
Multiple Genome Segments Determine Virulence of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 8

ABSTRACT Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes bluetongue, a major hemorrhagic disease of ruminants. In order to investigate the molecular determinants of BTV virulence, we used a BTV8 strain minimally passaged in tissue culture (termed BTV8L in this study) and a derivative strain passaged extensively in tissue culture (BTV8H) in in vitro and in vivo studies. BTV8L was pathogenic in both IFNAR−/− mice and in sheep, while BTV8H was attenuated in both species. To identify genetic changes which led to BTV8H attenuation, we generated 34 reassortants between BTV8L and BTV8H. We found that partial attenuation of BTV8L in IFNAR−/− mice was achieved by simply replacing genomic segment 2 (Seg2, encoding VP2) or Seg10 (encoding NS3) with the BTV8H homologous segments. Fully attenuated viruses required at least two genome segments from BTV8H, including Seg2 with either Seg1 (encoding VP1), Seg6 (encoding VP6 and NS4), or Seg10 (encoding NS3). Conversely, full reversion of virulence of BTV8H required at least five genomic segments of BTV8L. We also demonstrated that BTV8H acquired an increased affinity for glycosaminoglycan receptors during passaging in cell culture due to mutations in its VP2 protein. Replication of BTV8H was relatively poor in interferon (IFN)-competent primary ovine endothelial cells compared to replication of BTV8L, and this phenotype was determined by several viral genomic segments, including Seg4 and Seg9. This study demonstrated that multiple viral proteins contribute to BTV8 virulence. VP2 and NS3 are primary determinants of BTV pathogenesis, but VP1, VP5, VP4, VP6, and VP7 also contribute to virulence. IMPORTANCE Bluetongue is one of the major infectious diseases of ruminants, and it is listed as a notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The clinical outcome of BTV infection varies considerably and depends on environmental and host- and virus-specific factors. Over the years, BTV serotypes/strains with various degrees of virulence (including nonpathogenic strains) have been described in different geographical locations. However, no data are available to correlate the BTV genotype to virulence. This study shows that BTV virulence is determined by different viral genomic segments. The data obtained will help to characterize thoroughly the pathogenesis of bluetongue. The possibility to determine the pathogenicity of virus isolates on the basis of their genome sequences will help in the design of control strategies that fit the risk posed by new emerging BTV strains.
Gait ataxia—specific cerebellar influences and their rehabilitation

It is well known that the cerebellum is important for movement control and plays a critical role in balance and locomotion. As such, one of the most characteristic and sensitive signs of cerebellar damage is gait ataxia. However, characterizing ataxic gait is no easy task, because gait patterns are highly variable. This variability seems to result from the interaction of different factors, namely, (1) the primary motor deficits in balance control and multi‐joint coordination and oculomotor dysfunction, (2) the safety strategies used, and (3) inaccurate adjustments in patients with loss of balance. In this report, we review different approaches to analyzing ataxic gait and studies to identify and quantify the different factors contributing to this movement disorder. We also discuss the influence of the cerebellum in adaptive locomotor control, the interaction between cognitive load and gait in dual‐task paradigms, and the recent advances in rehabilitation of gait and posture for patients with cerebellar degeneration. In the second part, we discuss open questions concerning cerebellar mechanisms in multi‐joint coordination during different walking conditions. Furthermore, we point out potential future directions in motor rehabilitation, with the objective of identifying predictors of rehabilitation outcome and the development of individualized training programs that potentially involve rehabilitation technology. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
User-aided data authentication

All classical authentication protocols are based on pre-shared authentic information such as long-term secret keys or a public key infrastructure. However, there are many practical settings, where participants can additionally employ authentic Out-Of-Band (OOB) communication, e.g., manual message transfer. In this paper, we study the corresponding user-aided message authentication and key agreement protocols. In particular, we give a unified treatment of many previous results and outline common design principles. We also show that certain properties of user-aided protocols simplify the security analysis in complex environments compared to the standard authentication protocols.
Surveillance of bloodstream infections in pediatric cancer centers – what have we learned and how do we move on?

Pediatric patients receiving conventional chemotherapy for malignant disease face an increased risk of bloodstream infection (BSI). Since BSI may represent an acute life-threatening event in patients with profound immunosuppression, and show further negative impact on quality of life and anticancer treatment, the prevention of BSI is of paramount importance to improve and guarantee patients’ safety during intensive treatment. The great majority of all pediatric cancer patients (about 85%) have a long-term central venous access catheter in use (type Broviac or Port; CVAD). Referring to the current surveillance definitions a significant proportion of all BSI in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia is categorized as CVAD-associated BSI. This state of the art review summarizes the epidemiology and the distinct pathogen profile of BSI in pediatric cancer patients from the perspective of infection surveillance. Problems in executing the current surveillance definition in this patient population are discussed and a new concept for the surveillance of BSI in pediatric cancer patients is outlined.
The Computer as a Communication Device

In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face. That is a rather startling thing to say, but it is our conclusion. As if in confirmation of it, we participated a few weeks ago in a technical meeting held through a computer. In two days, the group accomplished with the aid of a computer what normally might have taken a week. We shall talk more about the mechanics of the meeting later; it is sufficient to note here that we were all in the same room. But for all the communicating we did directly across that room, we could have been thousands of miles apart and communicated just as effectively-as people-over the distance. Our emphasis on people is deliberate. A communications engineer thinks of communicating as transferring information from one point to another in codes and signals. But to communicate is more than to send and to receive. Do two tape recorders communicate when they play to each other and record from each other? Not really-not in our sense. We believe that communicators have to do something nontrivial with the information they send and receive. And we believe that we are entering a technological age in which we will be able to interact with the richness of living information—not merely in the passive way that we have become accustomed to using books and libraries, but as active participants in an ongoing process, bringing something to it through our interaction with it, and not simply receiving something from it by our connection to it. To the people who telephone an airline flight operations information service, the tape recorder that answers seems more than a passive depository. It is an often-updated model of a changing situation—a synthesis of information collected, analyzed, evaluated, and assembled to represent a situation or process in an organized way. Still there is not much direct interaction with the airline information service; the tape recording is not changed by the customer’s call. We want to emphasize something beyond its one-way transfer: the increasing significance of the jointly constructive, the mutually reinforcing aspect of communication—the part that transcends “now we both know a fact that only one of us knew before. ” When minds interact, new ideas emerge. We want to talk about the creative aspect of communication.
Experimental analysis of the retention behavior of shales

The analysis of the volumetric behavior and the consolidation of shales require the involved materials to be tested under high confining stresses. The paper presents the apparatuses and the techniques that have been developed recently for testing shales under high-stress conditions. An advanced oedometric cell is introduced to analyse the transition from the over- to the normally consolidated state of shales; the apparatus allows investigating the volume change behavior of shales at high vertical stress (up to 100 MPa) in controlled suction and temperature conditions. The procedure for specimen preparation is also discussed. Selected test results are presented for two shales from the northern region of Switzerland.
Applying deep learning techniques on medical corpora from the World Wide Web: a prototypical system and evaluation

BACKGROUND: The amount of biomedical literature is rapidly growing and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep manually curated knowledge bases and ontologies up-to-date. In this study we applied the word2vec deep learning toolkit to medical corpora to test its potential for identifying relationships from unstructured text. We evaluated the efficiency of word2vec in identifying properties of pharmaceuticals based on mid-sized, unstructured medical text corpora available on the web. Properties included relationships to diseases ('may treat') or physiological processes ('has physiological effect'). We compared the relationships identified by word2vec with manually curated information from the National Drug File - Reference Terminology (NDF-RT) ontology as a gold standard. RESULTS: Our results revealed a maximum accuracy of 49.28% which suggests a limited ability of word2vec to capture linguistic regularities on the collected medical corpora compared with other published results. We were able to document the influence of different parameter settings on result accuracy and found and unexpected trade-off between ranking quality and accuracy. Pre-processing corpora to reduce syntactic variability proved to be a good strategy for increasing the utility of the trained vector models. CONCLUSIONS: Word2vec is a very efficient implementation for computing vector representations and for its ability to identify relationships in textual data without any prior domain knowledge. We found that the ranking and retrieved results generated by word2vec were not of sufficient quality for automatic population of knowledge bases and ontologies, but could serve as a starting point for further manual curation.
Comparative Brain Stem Lesions on MRI of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, Neuromyelitis Optica, and Multiple Sclerosis

Background Brain stem lesions are common in patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives To investigate comparative brain stem lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among adult patients with ADEM, NMO, and MS. Methods Sixty-five adult patients with ADEM (n = 17), NMO (n = 23), and MS (n = 25) who had brain stem lesions on MRI were enrolled. Morphological features of brain stem lesions among these diseases were assessed. Results Patients with ADEM had a higher frequency of midbrain lesions than did patients with NMO (94.1% vs. 17.4%, P<0.001) and MS (94.1% vs. 40.0%, P<0.001); patients with NMO had a lower frequency of pons lesions than did patients with MS (34.8% vs. 84.0%, P<0.001) and ADEM (34.8% vs. 70.6%, P = 0.025); and patients with NMO had a higher frequency of medulla oblongata lesions than did patients with ADEM (91.3% vs. 35.3%, P<0.001) and MS (91.3% vs. 36.0%, P<0.001). On the axial section of the brain stem, the majority (82.4%) of patients with ADEM showed lesions on the ventral part; the brain stem lesions in patients with NMO were typically located in the dorsal part (91.3%); and lesions in patients with MS were found in both the ventral (44.0%) and dorsal (56.0%) parts. The lesions in patients with ADEM (100%) and NMO (91.3%) had poorly defined margins, while lesions of patients with MS (76.0%) had well defined margins. Brain stem lesions in patients with ADEM were usually bilateral and symmetrical (82.4%), while lesions in patients with NMO (87.0%) and MS (92.0%) were asymmetrical or unilateral. Conclusions Brain stem lesions showed various morphological features among adult patients with ADEM, NMO, and MS. The different lesion locations may be helpful in distinguishing these diseases.
Examining the Relationship of Social Skills, Problem Solving and Bullying in Adolescents

Article History: Received 02.07. 2015 Received in revised form 08.09. 2015 Accepted 06.10. 2015 Available online 20.12. 2015 This study aims to analyze the relationships among social skills level, problem solving and bullying in adolescents. The research is carried out according to the surveying model with a sample of 392 students (210 female and 182 male) who completed a measurement package which contained the Turkish versions of Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY), Problem Solving Inventory for Children and Bullying Questionnaire. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients and stepwise regression analysis were utilized in analyzing the data. While the study concluded a positive and significant relationship between positive social skills degrees and subcategories of ‘trust’ and ‘avoidance’, a negative significant relationship is observed between negative social skills degrees and ‘trust’, ‘self-discipline’ and ‘avoidance’ subcategories of problem solving. Moreover, as a negative significant relationship is explored positive social skills degrees and bullying behavior degrees, a positive significant relationship is found between negative social skills degrees and bullying behavior and being bullied degrees. © 2016 IOJES. All rights reserved