Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of Bleeding Meckel's Diverticulum in Adults

Background and Aims Various modalities have been used to diagnose Meckel's diverticulum (MD) in practice, but with their diagnostic accuracy deemed to be unsatisfactory for clinical practice. Moreover, the usefulness of these modalities has not been evaluated for the diagnosis of bleeding MD in adults, due to the relative rarity of this condition. Therefore, the aim of our multicenter study was to determine the most accurate modality for the preoperative diagnosis of bleeding MD in adults. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the diagnostic accuracy for small bowel bleeding associated with MD of different modalities in patients ≥18 years old who underwent assessment for MD, with confirmation at the time of explorative surgery. Diagnostic accuracy of the different modalities was evaluated against the diagnosis obtained using technetium-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy (also known as Meckel's scan), considered to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of bleeding MD in pediatrics. Results Thirty-five adults were identified with bleeding in MD over the study period, between 2005 and 2012. Among these patients, only 24 (68.6%) were diagnosed with MD preoperatively. The mean (95% confidence interval) diagnostic accuracy of selected modalities was as follows: Meckel’s scan, 21.4% (5.7%-51.2%); capsule endoscopy, 35.7% (14.0%-64.4%); balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE), 85.0% (61.1%-96.0%); angiography, 0.0% (0.0%-80.2%); computed tomography, 31.8% (14.7%-54.9%); and small-bowel follow-through, 62.5% (25.9%-90.0%). The diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher for BAE than for Meckel’s scan (P = 0.001). Conclusions Among available diagnostic modalities, BAE provides the highest accuracy for the diagnosis of bleeding MD in adults and, therefore, should be considered as the preferred modality for preoperative diagnosis.
Developing “middle leaders” in the public services?: The realities of management and leadership development for public managers

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the actual contribution to organisational change of management and leadership development (MLD) activity for middle managers (MMs) in public service organisations (PSOs). Design/methodology/approach – Using the case study approach, the paper compares the content and outcomes of management and leadership training interventions for MMs in two large PSOs. The organisations, a fire brigade and a train operating company, are leaders in their sectors with respect to management development and “modernisation” of their services.Findings – The paper demonstrates how, in one case, MM development was largely an exercise in regulatory compliance, with little effect on individual MMs' performance or organisational outcomes. The second case demonstrates how MMs were effectively trained to enforce specific human resource policies which contributed to the successful implementation of top‐down strategy yet paid little attention to the potential leadership role of MMs.Research limitations.
Neuro-fuzzy system in web client-side caching

Web caching is a well-known strategy for improving performance of Web-based system by keeping web objects that are likely to be used in the near future closer to the client. Although most researchers focused on designing efficient caching with proxy and origin servers, the potential gain of exploiting client-side caching based on neuro-fuzzy system is not yet being investigated. Hence, this paper proposes a splitting web client-side cache to two caches, short-term cache and long-term cache. Initially, a web object is stored in short-term cache. The web objects that are visited more than the pre-specified threshold value will be moved to long-term cache and other objects in short-term cache are removed with time. Thus, we ensure that the preferred web objects are cached in long-term cache for longer time. In this study, neuro-fuzzy is employed to determine which web objects should be removed in order to create more spaces for the new web objects. By implementing this mechanism, the cache space is used properly. Experimental results have shown that the proposed approach has better performance compared to the most common caching policies and has improved the performance of client-side caching substantially.
The Consistency of Merger Decisions in a Developing Country: The South African Competition Commission

Merger decisions made by the South African Competition Commission from April 2002 to March 2010 are analyzed to empirically identify the factors, which have historically in uenced prohibition, conditional approval and unconditional approval. The key explanatory variables are linked to provisions of the 1998 Competition Act, as well as the timing of merger noti cations, such that the analysis provides insight into the consistency of merger decisions with respect to the legal requirements speci ed in the Act. Although the legislation includes standard economic concerns, it also includes a provision for advancing public interests and development concerns. Initial results point to di ering behaviour over the time period, which suggests that the Commission is inconsistent; however, the majority of those inconsistencies are removed, once additional measures of market contestibility are included in the analysis. The nal results suggest that the Commission is less likely to approve mergers that they link to markets that are less contestable. Furthermore, in addition to protecting competition, the Commission is simultaneously protecting other public interests. Therefore, our research supports the hypothesis that the Commission consistantly applies its legislative remit.
Qualitative Approach to Build the Concept of Social Responsibility Disclosures Based on Shari’ah Enterprise Theory

This research aims to develop the concept and characteristics of social responsibility disclosure and items for the social responsibility disclosure of Islamic banks. This research was conducted based on the critical paradigm by using Habermas's Theory of Communication Action in understanding social reality. Habermas's Communication Theory of Action that is used extended with spirituality. This study also use Shari'ah Enterprise Theory to analyze and to produce the concept of social responsibility disclosure for Islamic banks. This research uses a qualitative approach in gathering and analyzing data. Analysis conducted on the annual reports of three Islamic banks in Indonesia, Bank Mega Syariah, Bank Syariah Mandiri and Bank Muamalat Indonesia. In addition the analysis was also conducted based on the results of interviews with stakeholders, including direct and indirect stakeholders. As a result of the analysis of the interests of stakeholders, the study found spiritual values. These values are sharing, rahmatan lil alamin and maslaha. These values are used as a guide in developing items of social responsibility disclosure. Further a concept of social responsibility disclosure is derived based on the Shari'ah Enterprise Theory. This research ultimately propose a form of social responsibility disclosure for Islamic banks that show efforts to meet the vertical accountability to God, and horizontal accountability to the people and the environment, considering the material and spiritual needs of stakeholders and disclose information both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Multiple Regulatory Mechanisms to Inhibit Untimely Initiation of DNA Replication Are Important for Stable Genome Maintenance

Genomic instability is a hallmark of human cancer cells. To prevent genomic instability, chromosomal DNA is faithfully duplicated in every cell division cycle, and eukaryotic cells have complex regulatory mechanisms to achieve this goal. Here, we show that untimely activation of replication origins during the G1 phase is genotoxic and induces genomic instability in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our data indicate that cells preserve a low level of the initiation factor Sld2 to prevent untimely initiation during the normal cell cycle in addition to controlling the phosphorylation of Sld2 and Sld3 by cyclin-dependent kinase. Although untimely activation of origin is inhibited on multiple levels, we show that deregulation of a single pathway can cause genomic instability, such as gross chromosome rearrangements (GCRs). Furthermore, simultaneous deregulation of multiple pathways causes an even more severe phenotype. These findings highlight the importance of having multiple inhibitory mechanisms to prevent the untimely initiation of chromosome replication to preserve stable genome maintenance over generations in eukaryotes.
Estimating individual total costs of domestic violence

This paper estimates total individual costs of domestic violence. It draws on a cross-section survey that includes data on self-reported victimization variables, individual income and a self-reported life satisfaction variable. Using a life satisfaction approach, it estimates the variation in income needed to compensate for the presence of domestic violence, approximating the shadow price of domestic violence. It accounts for socio-demographic characteristics, relative bargaining power, local crime rates and personality. Results show that the valuation respondents place on violence depends both on income and on whether they are men and women. Men's valuation tends to be more significant for low income levels and for low vulnerability levels. Women's valuation and marginal utility of income does not seem to depend significantly on violence. As such, women's average valuation is estimated to be approximately £12500 and men's goes from roughly £1000 up to £25000.
Modulation of the antioxidant status of the hearts and brains of genetically modified hypercholesterolemic mice overproducing HDL cholesterol following acute bitter yam supplementation

The bitter yam tuber is consumed as a staple in various regions of the world and is known to possess medicinal properties due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as saponins. These compounds may induce health complications resulting in tissue damage in cases of overconsumption. This study was geared towards determining the effects of Jamaican bitter yam (5%) on tissue damage parameters in mice hearts and brains. Mice were fed diets with or without bitter yam supplementation for a period of four weeks after which they were sacrificed. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant parameters were determined in the heart and brain. Significant increases in lipid peroxidation were observed in the hearts of mice fed bitter yam supplemented diets and in the brains of hypercholesterolemic mice only. Bitter yam supplementation significantly reduced glutathione peroxidase activities in the hearts of hypercholesterolemic mice and the hearts and brains of normocholesterolemic mice. Significant increase in catalase activity was only seen in the hearts of hypercholesterolemic mice fed a supplemented diet when compared to mice fed an unsupplemented diet. The results indicate that dietary supplementation with the Jamaican bitter yam at a high concentration may induce oxidative stress in mice hearts and brains.
The Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Employees in the Kingdom of Bahrain between October 2010 and March 2011: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Workplace Health Campaign

Background. High prevalence of CVD risk factors has been reported in Bahrain. Objective. This study aims to estimate the CVD risk factors prevalence among government employees in Bahrain. Design. A cross-sectional study design. Setting. Different government workplaces in Bahrain. Method. Data was collected from 1139 employees between October 2010 and March 2011 through interviews, including physical measurements, patient blood testing, and expired carbon monoxide (CO) levels as particles per million (ppm) for smokers. A summary of composite CVD risk factors was identified. Results. The following overall prevalence rates were reported: overweight and obesity 78.4% and reported hypertension 36.9% (included both those who were on and not on treatments), with an estimated prevalence of 21.6% for measured systolic blood pressure (Sbp) ≥ 140 mmHg and 23.3% for diastolic blood pressure (dbp) ≥90 mmHg. The prevalence of total cholesterol levels ≥5.2 mmol/dl was 24.2% and LDL levels >3.3 mmol/dl 10.8%. Prevalence of HDL-C levels (≤1.03 mmol/dl) was 47.55% and (≥1.5 mmol/dl) in 12.31%. The low HDL level (<1.03 mmol/dl) among males was 64.1%, while it was 26.6% among females. Half the participants (50.8%) do not engage in any type of physical activity. Moreover, 24.3% were not eating daily servings of fruits and vegetables. About 16.1% of them were current smokers. The majority of the participants (95.35%) had either no or less than 3 CVD risk factors. Only 4.65% had 3–5 risk factors. Conclusions. Among the employees in Bahrain, the high CVD risk factors prevalence is evident. CVD risk factors prevention and control are a priority.
Teratogenic Effects of Alcohol on Brain and Behavior

Children prenatally exposed to alcohol can suffer from serious cognitive deficits and behavioral problems as well as from alcohol-related changes in brain structure. Neuropsychological studies have identified deficits in learning and memory as well as in executive functioning both in children with fetal alcohol syndrome and in children with less severe impairments. Both groups of children also exhibit problem behaviors, such as alcohol and drug use, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and poor socialization and communication skills. Brain imaging studies have identified structural changes in various brain regions of these children—including the basal ganglia, corpus callosum, cerebellum, and hippocampus—that may account for the cognitive deficits. Functional brain imaging studies also have detected changes in alcohol-exposed children indicative of deficits in information processing and memory tasks.
Renminbi Undervaluation, China's Surplus, and the US Trade Deficit

The impact of China's exchange rate on both its current account balance and the US-China bilateral trade balance is considerable. A 1 percent rise in the real effective exchange rate would cause a reduction in China's current account surplus of 0.30 to 0.45 percent of GDP. A 10 percent real effective appreciation would bring China's current account surplus down by roughly $170 billion to $250 billion annually with a corresponding improvement in the US current account balance ranging from $22 billion to $63 billion annually. William R. Cline also warns that the increasing trend for China's current account surplus, combined with the negative trend for the US deficit, indicate that adjustments accomplished through exchange rate correction at any one time will have a tendency to erode unless the renminbi successively appreciates by around 2 percent annually to reflect its rapid productivity growth. Special Chinese efforts to shift the economy away from external to domestic demand are important complements of exchange rate adjustment, without which the long-term trend toward a rising trade surplus could cause excess demand to grow and increase inflationary pressures on the economy.
Effect of diet and ration on the relationship between plasma GH and IGF-1 concentrations in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.)

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether dietary ration or diet composition influence the relationship between plasma growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.). The pattern of changes in plasma GH and IGF-1 concentrations was examined in fish fed at different ration levels (0%, 0.35% and 0.70% BW day−1) for 5 weeks, and in fish fed diets containing different lipid:crude protein (LCP) ratios. Ration level significantly affected plasma GH and IGF-1 concentrations; at 5 weeks the levels of both hormones in the food-deprived group were significantly lower than in fish fed the 0.70% BW day−1 ration. Also, plasma IGF-1 levels in fish of each ration treatment group were significantly correlated with individual final body weight; no such correlation was found for GH. To examine the effects of dietary LCP ratios, fish were fed for up to 18 weeks, with one of four formulated diets that had LCP ratios (dry matter basis) of 0.35 (Diet 1), 0.43 (Diet 2), 0.51 (Diet 3) or 0.59 (Diet 4), or a commercial diet (Diet 5) which had an LCP ratio of 0.38. Statistical differences in plasma GH and IGF-1 concentrations were found only after 18 weeks. Growth hormone was significantly lower in fish fed Diets 1 and 2 compared with Diets 3 and 5, and IGF-1 was significantly lower in fish fed Diet 1 compared with Diets 2 and 5. Significant correlations between plasma GH and IGF-1 concentrations were found only for fish fed Diets 1 and 5, suggesting that the influence of diet composition on the relationship between GH and IGF-1 varies with the dietary LCP ratio in this species. The decline in plasma IGF-1 concentrations during food deprivation is similar to that described in other species; however, the unexpected decrease in plasma GH during food deprivation in this study may represent a species-specific response.
GoCAD: GPU-Assisted Online Content-Adaptive Display Power Saving for Mobile Devices in Internet Streaming

During Internet streaming, a significant portion of the battery power is always consumed by the display panel on mobile devices. To reduce the display power consumption, backlight scaling, a scheme that intelligently dims the backlight has been proposed. To maintain perceived video appearance in backlight scaling, a computationally intensive luminance compensation process is required. However, this step, if performed by the CPU as existing schemes suggest, could easily offset the power savings gained from backlight scaling. Furthermore, computing the optimal backlight scaling values requires per-frame luminance information, which is typically too energy intensive for mobile devices to compute. Thus, existing schemes require such information to be available in advance. And such an offline approach makes these schemes impractical. To address these challenges, in this paper, we design and implement GoCAD, a GPU-assisted Online Content-Adaptive Display power saving scheme for mobile devices in Internet streaming sessions. In GoCAD, we employ the mobile device's GPU rather than the CPU to reduce power consumption during the luminance compensation phase. Furthermore, we compute the optimal backlight scaling values for small batches of video frames in an online fashion using a dynamic programming algorithm. Lastly, we make novel use of the widely available video storyboard, a pre-computed set of thumbnails associated with a video, to intelligently decide whether or not to apply our backlight scaling scheme for a given video. For example, when the GPU power consumption would offset the savings from dimming the backlight, no backlight scaling is conducted. To evaluate the performance of GoCAD, we implement a prototype within an Android application and use a Monsoon power monitor to measure the real power consumption. Experiments are conducted on more than 460 randomly selected YouTube videos. Results show that GoCAD can effectively produce power savings without affecting rendered video quality.
Performance of Older Persons in a Simulated Shopping Task Is Influenced by Priming with Age Stereotypes

Previous research suggests that older persons show cognitive deficits in standardized laboratory tests, but not in more natural tests such as the Multiple Errands Task (MET). The absence of deficits in the latter tests has been attributed to the compensation of deficits by strategies based on life-long experience. To scrutinize this view, we primed older participants with positive or negative stereotypes about old age before administering MET. We found that compared to unprimed controls, priming with positive age stereotypes reduced the number of errors without changing response times, while priming with negative stereotypes changed neither errors not response times. We interpret our findings as evidence that positive age priming improved participants’ cognitive functions while leaving intact their experience-based compensation, and that negative age priming degraded participants’ cognitive functions which, however, was balanced by an even stronger experience-based compensation.
Europe as a Demoi-cratic Polity

The question of democratic legitimacy in Europe has resurfaced with a particular gravity after the French and Dutch rejection of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2005. By concentrating on the supranational or international level of governance in the EU, accounts of European democracy propounded since the early 1990s have diverted attention away from the national level. Since the latter remains the primary locus not only of national law-making, but also of European legal enforcement, however, it is important not to underestimate its importance in the European legitimation process. Of course, reverting entirely to traditional statist conceptions of democracy would be vain and theoretical models need to adapt to the post-national legal reality in Europe. The legitimacy gap in the European Union will not be filled before European constitutional pluralism is matched by a corresponding model of democratic legitimacy. The paper identifies three dimensions of a model of European democracy that is sensitive to the new post-national institutional reality in Europe: first, democracy should be understood as pluralistic both in the quantity of democratic subjects participating in European democracy and in the quality of their individual constituency; second, and this is a consequence of its pluralism, European democracy should not only be denationalized, but also deterritorialized so as to include all those affected in each and every single one of the many democratic subjects identified; finally, European democracy should be deliberative so as to be as flexible and dynamic as possible and match its inherent plurality and deterritorialization.