Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MOJAVE: MONITORING OF JETS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI WITH VLBA EXPERIMENTS. XI. SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTIONS

We have obtained milliarcsecond-scale spectral index distributions for a sample of 190 extragalactic radio jets through the Monitoring of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei with the VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) project. The sources were observed in 2006 at 8.1, 8.4, 12.1, and 15.4 GHz, and we have determined spectral index maps between 8.1 and 15.4 GHz to study the four-frequency spectrum in individual jet features. We have performed detailed simulations to study the effects of image alignment and (u, v)-plane coverage on the spectral index maps to verify our results. We use the spectral index maps to study the spectral index evolution along the jet and determine the spectral distributions in different locations of the jets. The core spectral indices are on average flat with a mean value of +0.22 ± 0.03 for the sample, while the jet spectrum is in general steep with a mean index of −1.04 ± 0.03. A simple power-law fit is often inadequate for the core regions, as expected if the cores are partially self-absorbed. The overall jet spectrum steepens at a rate of about −0.001 to −0.004 per deprojected parsec when moving further out from the core with flat spectrum radio quasars having significantly steeper spectra (mean −1.09 ± 0.04) than the BL Lac objects (mean −0.80 ± 0.05). However, the spectrum in both types of objects flattens on average by ∼0.2 at the locations of the jet components indicating particle acceleration or density enhancements along the jet. The mean spectral index at the component locations of −0.81 ± 0.02 corresponds to a power-law index of ∼2.6 for the electron energy distribution. We find a significant trend that jet components with linear polarization parallel to the jet (magnetic field perpendicular to the jet) have flatter spectra, as expected for transverse shocks. Compared to quasars, BL Lacs have more jet components with perpendicular magnetic field alignment, which may explain their generally flatter spectra. The overall steepening of the spectra with distance can be explained with radiative losses if the jets are collimating or with the evolution of the high-energy cutoff in the electron spectrum if the jets are conical. This interpretation is supported by a significant correlation with the age of the component and the spectral index, with older components having steeper spectra.
Household and community income, economic shocks and risky sexual behavior of young adults: evidence from the Cape Area Panel Study 2002 and 2005

Objective:To describe recent trends in adolescent sexual behavior in Cape Town, South Africa, and to determine whether household and community poverty and negative economic shocks predict risky sexual behavior. Data:Matched survey data on 2993 African and coloured youth from the Cape Area Panel Study 2002 and 2005. Main outcome measures:Sexual debut, multiple sexual partners in past year, condom use at last sex, measured in 2002 and 2005. Methods:We tested for changes over time in reported sexual behavior and estimate multivariate probit models to measure the association between 2002 individual, household and community characteristics and 2005 sexual behavior. Results:There was a statistically significant increase in condom use and a decrease in the incidence of multiple sexual partners between 2002 and 2005 for young women aged 17–22 years. Young women in households with 10% higher income were 0.53% less likely to debut sexually by 2005; young men in communities with a 10% higher poverty rate were 5% less likely to report condom use at last sex. Negative economic shocks are associated with a 0.04% increase in the probability of multiple partnerships for young women. Education is positively correlated with sexual debut for young women and with multiple partnerships for both sexes. Conclusion:Trends in sexual behavior between 2002 and 2005 indicate significant shifts towards safer practices. There is little evidence of a relationship between negative economic shocks, household and community poverty, and risky behavior. We hypothesize that the unexpected positive relationship between education and sexual debut may be driven by peer effects in schools with substantial age mixing.
Medial temporal lobe epilepsy: gender differences

The present study investigated the gender differences in medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with regard to clinical history, seizure semiology, and EEG data. To avoid the influence of pathological and localisation differences, we included only MTLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis. Patients who had long term video EEG recordings with registered seizures and unilateral hippocampal sclerosis proved by high resolution MRI were included. There were 153 patients (86 women and 67 men) who met our inclusion criteria. The mean age of the patients was 33.5 years (range 16–59). The mean age at epilepsy onset was 10.8 years. Although there were more women than men, this difference was not significant (p = 0.15). We found that male patients experienced generalised seizures significantly more often, and isolated auras significantly less often than female patients. Analysing EEG data, we found that a seizure pattern lateralised to the side of the hippocampal sclerosis occurred more often in female patients. In the logistic regression analysis, we found that all three factors were associated independently with gender. Odds ratio (OR) for female gender in patients with generalised seizures was 0.44 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.21 to 0.92; p<0.05). In patients with isolated auras OR for female gender was 2.1 (95% CI 1.1 to 4.2; p<0.05). OR for female gender in patients with lateralised seizure pattern was 8.8 (95% CI 1.8 to 42.7; p<0.01). Men more often had secondarily generalised tonic−clonic seizures, while women had isolated auras and lateralised EEG seizure pattern more often. Our data suggest that the seizure spread is more extended or occurs more frequently in men than in women.
The meaning of career success

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the concept of career success has been subject to reification, and identify potential implications for individuals, organizations, and societies.Design/methodology/approach – The current paper offers an in‐depth analysis of the different contextual forces contributing to the reification of careers (i.e. history, culture and ideology), and how these have impacted on the social reality of career and the definitions of career success held by different relevant actors.Findings – In total, eight research propositions are identified that need to be addressed in future research in order to advance knowledge and understanding of career success in context.Social implications – One manifest outcome of career reification is the establishment of collective norms prescribing what a “normal”, “successful” career is – and what is not. Consequently, all careers not conforming to these norms are devaluated, which is inappropriate given the present‐day c.
Comparison of video-recorded laryngeal movements during swallowing by normal young men with piezoelectric sensor and electromyographic signals

The movement of the larynx in five young men during the swallowing of a liquid was examined by simultaneously recording a video-movie, the trajectory of a piezoelectric sensor, and the surface electromyogram of the suprahyoid muscles (SH). The movies revealed swallowing was associated with four characteristic spatial points of laryngeal movement: (1) a slight movement in the superoposterior direction (1.9 ± 1.2 s; mean ± SD of the time elapsed after the command to swallow was issued); (2) the initiation of anterosuperior elevation (2.3 ± 1.3 s); (3) the turn at the highest position (3.2 ± 1.2 s); and (4) the return to the initial position (4.1 ± 1.4 s). The piezoelectric sensor and the SH electromyogram also detected characteristic temporal points that closely corresponded to the characteristic temporal points captured by the video. The advantages of using movies in swallowing research are discussed.
Response of glutathione S‐transferase Pi (GSTP1) to neoadjuvant therapy in rectal adenocarcinoma

Aim The response of rectal adenocarcinoma to neoadjuvant therapy is variable. Accurate prediction of response would enable selective administration of therapy. The enzyme glutathione S‐transferase Pi (GSTP1) has been shown to influence response to therapy in some solid tumours. Few data are available for rectal cancer.
Hierarchical Image Saliency Detection on Extended CSSD

Complex structures commonly exist in natural images. When an image contains small-scale high-contrast patterns either in the background or foreground, saliency detection could be adversely affected, resulting erroneous and non-uniform saliency assignment. The issue forms a fundamental challenge for prior methods. We tackle it from a scale point of view and propose a multi-layer approach to analyze saliency cues. Different from varying patch sizes or downsizing images, we measure region-based scales. The final saliency values are inferred optimally combining all the saliency cues in different scales using hierarchical inference. Through our inference model, single-scale information is selected to obtain a saliency map. Our method improves detection quality on many images that cannot be handled well traditionally. We also construct an extended Complex Scene Saliency Dataset (ECSSD) to include complex but general natural images.
Nephron pO2 and renal oxygen usage in the hypertensive rat kidney.

BACKGROUND The kidney has a high rate of oxygen usage (QO2) that is closely dependent on tubular Na+ transport (TNa). However, little is known concerning the regulation of the cortical partial pressure of oxygen (pO2). METHODS First, the pO2 was measured in the outer cortical proximal (PT) and distal tubules (DT), efferent arterioles (EA), and superficial (SC) and deep cortical (DC) tissues in normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) using an ultramicrocoaxial O2 electrode. We next assessed the determinants of QO2 and tubular reabsorption of sodium (TNa) for whether they could account for any differences in renal cortical pO2 in SHRs. RESULTS The pO2 in the EA was reduced 40 to 50% compared with arterial values but was similar in the two strains (WKY rats 45 +/- 2 vs. SHRs 41 +/- 1 mm Hg, P = NS). The pO2 value in the PT, DT, and SC did not differ within strains. All were significantly (P < 0. 001) lower in SHRs (for example, pO2 in PT of WKY rats 39 +/- 1 vs. SHRs, 30 +/- 1 mm Hg). The pO2 in the renal vein was above that at any site in the EA or the cortex, implying a precapillary shunting of O2 from the artery to vein. SHRs had reduced renal blood flow (RBF) leading to a reduced (P < 0.05) rate of O2 delivery (WKY rats 42 +/- 6 vs. SHRs 30 +/- 1 micromol. min-1. g-1) and a reduced glomerular filtration rate, leading to a lower (P < 0.001), TNa (WKYs 115 +/- 9 vs. SHRs 66 +/-8 micromol. min-1. g-1). However, despite the 43% reduction in TNa, the renal O2 usage was not significantly different between strains (WKY rats 7.6 +/- 0.8 vs. SHRs 9.0 +/- 1.0 micromol. min-1. g-1). Therefore, the SHRs had a sharp reduction (P < 0.001) in the O2 efficiency for Na+ reabsorption (TNa/QO2; WKY rats 15.1 +/- 1.6 vs. SHRs 7.3 +/-1.0 micromol-1). CONCLUSIONS A precapillary O2 shunt reduces the pO2 of cortical nephrons. The pO2 is reduced further in SHRs because of less efficient O2 usage for Na+ transport.
Total protein synthesis in elderly people: a comparison of results with [15N]glycine and [14C]leucine.

1. Total body protein turnover was studied in six elderly patients. 2. During the study they were fed by continuous infusion of a liquid formula through a nasogastric tube. l-[1- 14 C]Leucine and [ 15 N]glycine were infused at a constant rate for 30 h. The labelled glycine was infused into the intragastric line; the labelled leucine was given either by this route or intravenously. 3. The specific radioactivity of free leucine in plasma and the rate of output of 14 CO 2 in expired air both reached a plateau at 10 h, and remained constant until the end of the infusion at 30 h. 4. The 15 N abundance in urinary urea and total N was very similar. In neither was a plateau reached by 30 h but in four out of the six patients the abundance in urinary NH 4 + had attained a plateau by the end of the infusion. 5. Flux rates and rates of protein synthesis were calculated in four ways: (A) from the specific radioactivity of plasma leucine at plateau; (B) from the proportion of dose excreted as 14 CO 2 at plateau; (C) from the final rates of 15 N excretion in urea or total urinary N; (D) from the final or plateau rates of 15 N excretion in urinary NH 4 + . 6. On average, the estimates of synthesis rate obtained by methods B and C agreed closely; those given by methods A and D were lower. Methods A, B and D ranked the individual patients in almost identical order. 7. The comparison of methods makes it possible to examine the validity of the assumptions on which the different methods depend. Method B is probably theoretically the most satisfactory and, of the methods used in this work, probably gives the best estimate of the absolute turnover rate. The other methods can be used for comparative purposes. 8. The results suggest that the rate of protein turnover is reduced in the elderly, compared with younger subjects.
Enhanced sensitivity to higher ozone in a pathogen-resistant tobacco cultivar

Investigations of the effects of elevated ozone (O3) on the virus–plant system were conducted to inform virus pathogen management strategies better. One susceptible cultivar of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Yongding) and a resistant cultivar (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Vam) to Potato virus Y petiole necrosis strain (PVYN) infection were grown in open-top chambers under ambient and elevated O3 concentrations. Above-ground biomass, foliage chlorophyll, nitrogen and total non-structural carbohydrate (TNCs), soluble protein, total amino acid (TAA) and nicotine content, and peroxidase (POD) activity were measured to estimate the effects of elevated O3 on the impact of PVYN in the two cultivars. Results showed that under ambient O3, the resistant cultivar possessed greater biomass and a lower C/N ratio after infection than the susceptible cultivar; however, under elevated O3, the resistant cultivar lost its biomass advantage but maintained a lower C/N ratio. Variation of foliar POD activity could be explained as a resistance cost which was significantly correlated with biomass and C/N ratio of the tobacco cultivar. Chlorophyll content remained steady in the resistant cultivar but decreased significantly in the susceptible cultivar when stressors were applied. Foliar soluble protein and free amino acid content, which were related to resistance cost changes, are also discussed. This study indicated that a virus-resistant tobacco cultivar showed increased sensitivity to elevated O3 compared to a virus-sensitive cultivar.
Relationship between acute kidney injury before thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair and in-hospital outcomes in patients with type B acute aortic dissection

Objective Acute kidney injury (AKI) frequently occurs after catheter-based interventional procedures and increases mortality. However, the implications of AKI before thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) of type B acute aortic dissection (AAD) remain unclear. This study evaluated the incidence, predictors, and in-hospital outcomes of AKI before TEVAR in patients with type B AAD. Methods Between 2009 and 2013, 76 patients were retrospectively evaluated who received TEVAR for type B AAD within 36 h from symptom onset. The patients were classified into no-AKI vs. AKI groups, and the severity of AKI was further staged according to kidney disease: improving global outcomes criteria before TEVAR. Results The incidence of preoperative AKI was 36.8%. In-hospital complications was significantly higher in patients with preoperative AKI compared with no-AKI (50.0% vs. 4.2%, respectively; P < 0.001), including acute renal failure (21.4% vs. 0, respectively; P < 0.001), and they increased with severity of AKI (P < 0.001). The maximum levels of body temperature and white blood cell count were significantly related to maximum serum creatinine level before TEVAR. Multivariate analysis showed that systolic blood pressure on admission (OR: 1.023; 95% CI: 1.003–1.044; P = 0.0238) and bilateral renal artery involvement (OR: 19.076; 95% CI: 1.914–190.164; P = 0.0120) were strong predictors of preoperative AKI. Conclusions Preoperative AKI frequently occurred in patients with type B AAD, and correlated with higher in-hospital complications and enhanced inflammatory reaction. Systolic blood pressure on admission and bilateral renal artery involvement were major risk factors for AKI before TEVAR.
The long-term effect of successful mitral balloon valvotomy on left atrial size.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY The study aim was to determine the extent of regression of left atrial (LA) enlargement following mitral balloon valvotomy (MBV) for mitral stenosis. METHODS Data obtained from 205 patients before, and at a mean of 31.0 +/- 21.1 months (range: 6 to 86.3 months) after successful MBV were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS The invasively determined mitral valve area increased from 0.81 +/- 0.27 cm2 at baseline to 1.73 +/- 0.54 cm2 immediately after valvotomy (p <0.0001), and the mean mitral gradient fell from 15.6 +/- 5.3 to 5.4 +/- 2.5 mmHg (p <0.0001). Similar changes were noted in Doppler-determined mitral valve area (0.89 +/- 0.16 to 1.97 +/- 0.29 cm2; p <0.0001) and gradient (12.6 +/- 5.3 to 4.9 +/- 1.7 mmHg; p <0.0001). In comparison with baseline, significant (p <0.0001) reductions were noted at follow up in the echocardiographic anteroposterior (48.7 +/- 6.9 to 42.4 +/- 6.6 mm), superior-inferior (68.5 +/-8.1 to 59.6 +/- 8.2 mm) and medial-lateral LA dimension (51.2 +/- 6.7 to 44.1 +/- 7.7 mm) and calculated LA volume (91.6 +/- 29.1 to 60.7 +/- 23.8 cm3) Patients in atrial fibrillation had larger LA dimensions, but substantially smaller absolute and relative reduction in LA size at follow up than patients in sinus rhythm. Among patients with prevalvotomy LA enlargement, normalization of LA dimension at follow up was seen in 29.2% of patients in sinus rhythm, but in none of the 32 with atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS Successful MBV results in significant long-term reduction in LA size in most patients, but normalization of LA size is unusual.
The effects of transformational leadership and ERP system self-efficacy on ERP system usage

Purpose – During the past decade, there has been vast investment in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system packages, in addition to a significant increase in the importance of acceptance by users of the ERP system regarding the success or failure of ERP implementation. The purpose of this paper is to identify the external factors which influence ERP system acceptance. The work is motivated by the realization that transformational leadership (TL) and ERP system self-efficacy are critical external factors that can affect ERP system acceptance. Design/methodology/approach – A framework has been developed from a study of literature in the field of TL, ERP system self-efficacy and the technology acceptance model (TAM). A survey utilizing a questionnaire was used to collect data and a total of 151 usable responses were analyzed by using the partial least squares method. Findings – The results of the study indicate that TL can either directly or indirectly influence perceived usefulness via the assimilation o.
Self-reported risk factors related to the most frequent musculoskeletal complaints among Czech dentists

The purpose of the study was to describe the occurrence of the most common complaints related to MSDs in Czech dentists and to assess the risk factors affecting them. A questionnaire survey of 581 Czech dentists (the response rate 72.6%) was conducted in 2011. The questionnaire ascertained general information about the respondents, their work habits and environment along with the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders. The respondents filled out the questionnaires during the educational events organized by the Czech Dental Chamber. At least mild difficulties associated with the motoric system were reported by 96.9% of the respondents, with 66.3% of respondents reporting moderate or major difficulties. Back and neck pain followed by shoulder pain and headache were the most common complaints in our sample. According to our data: age, gender, length of practice, a history of serious MSDs, the occurrence of MSDs in blood relatives, the perception of work as psychologically demanding, and especially a perceived moderate/bad general health were significantly associated with the four most common musculoskeletal complaints. Some of the factors were found as protective. This study suggests that MSDs represent a significant burden for Czech dentists and further research is needed to elucidate this issue.
Object Affordances Tune Observers' Prior Expectations about Tool-Use Behaviors

Learning about the function and use of tools through observation requires the ability to exploit one's own knowledge derived from past experience. It also depends on the detection of low-level local cues that are rooted in the tool's perceptual properties. Best known as ‘affordances’, these cues generate biomechanical priors that constrain the number of possible motor acts that are likely to be performed on tools. The contribution of these biomechanical priors to the learning of tool-use behaviors is well supported. However, it is not yet clear if, and how, affordances interact with higher-order expectations that are generated from past experience – i.e. probabilistic exposure – to enable observational learning of tool use. To address this question we designed an action observation task in which participants were required to infer, under various conditions of visual uncertainty, the intentions of a demonstrator performing tool-use behaviors. Both the probability of observing the demonstrator achieving a particular tool function and the biomechanical optimality of the observed movement were varied. We demonstrate that biomechanical priors modulate the extent to which participants' predictions are influenced by probabilistically-induced prior expectations. Biomechanical and probabilistic priors have a cumulative effect when they ‘converge’ (in the case of a probabilistic bias assigned to optimal behaviors), or a mutually inhibitory effect when they actively ‘diverge’ (in the case of probabilistic bias assigned to suboptimal behaviors).