Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Diversity in Indigenous Landraces of Brassica napus based on Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics using Multivariate Techniques

In order to assess genetic diversity of Brassica napus L. , the seventy indigenous landraces along with two check cultivars (Shiralee and Pakola) were collected from different regions of Pakistan. The said germplasm was evaluated for 25 morphological and biochemical traits under field conditions during 2012 and 2013 at University of Haripur, Pakistan. Significant genotypic variability was observed among the tested landraces of B. napus for majority of traits during both years of studies. Among B. napus germplasm, the foremost genetic variability producing traits were, plant height and maturity, while adequate variations were recorded for flower initiation and completion, main raceme length and silique per main raceme and glucosinolate content. During 2012, cluster analysis divided the total 70 landraces of B. napus into nine main groups and contribution of five principal components (PCs) was 14.13, 13.11, 10.55, 9.85 and 8.25%, respectively. However, during 2013, the genotypes were categorized in seven main groups and the contribution of five PCs was 22.54, 16.69, 7.91, 6.54 and 6.11%, respectively. Based on two year studies, genotypes i.e., 24876, 24864, 24866 and 24901 were found promising with maximum genetic diversity and may be selected for future breeding program. © 2017 Friends Science Publishers
Standard operation procedures for conducting the on-the-road driving test, and measurement of the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP)

This review discusses the methodology of the standardized on-the-road driving test and standard operation procedures to conduct the test and analyze the data. The on-the-road driving test has proven to be a sensitive and reliable method to examine driving ability after administration of central nervous system (CNS) drugs. The test is performed on a public highway in normal traffic. Subjects are instructed to drive with a steady lateral position and constant speed. Its primary parameter, the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), ie, an index of ‘weaving’, is a stable measure of driving performance with high test–retest reliability. SDLP differences from placebo are dose-dependent, and do not depend on the subject’s baseline driving skills (placebo SDLP). It is important that standard operation procedures are applied to conduct the test and analyze the data in order to allow comparisons between studies from different sites.
Transforming growth factor-β1 induces EMT by the transactivation of epidermal growth factor signaling through HA/CD44 in lung and breast cancer cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process closely related to tumor development, is regulated by a variety of signaling pathways and growth factors, such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Hyaluronan (HA) has been shown to induce EMT through either TGF-β1 or EGF signaling and to be a regulator of the crosstalk between these two pathways in fibroblasts. In this study, in order to clarify whether HA has the same effect in tumor cells, we utilized the lung cancer cell line, A549, and the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, and found that the effects of stimulation with TGF-β1 were more potent than those of EGF in regulating the expression of EMT-associated proteins and in enhancing cell migration and invasion. In addition, we observed that TGF-β1 activated EGF receptor (EGFR) and its downstream AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. Furthermore, we found that TGF-β1 upregulated the expression of hyaluronan synthases (HAS1, HAS2 and HAS3) and promoted the expression of CD44, a cell surface receptor for HA, which interacts with EGFR, resulting in the activation of the downstream AKT and ERK pathways. Conversely, treatment with 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU; an inhibitor of HAS) prior to stimulation with TGF-β1, inhibited the expression of CD44 and EGFR, abolished the interaction between CD44 and EGFR. Furthermore, the use of shRNA targeting CD44 impaired the expression of EGFR, deactivated the AKT and ERK pathways, reversed EMT and decreased the migration and invasion ability of cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that TGF-β1 induces EMT by the transactivation of EGF signaling through HA/CD44 in lung and breast cancer cells.
Payer nuit gravement à la santé : une étude de l’impact du renoncement financier aux soins sur l’état de santé

Cet article propose d’analyser des determinants du renoncement aux soins pour raisons financieres puis d’etudier ses consequences sur l’evolution de l’etat de sante quatre ans plus tard a partir des donnees de l’Enquete Sante Protection Sociale. L’analyse des determinants du renoncement montre le role important joue par l’acces a une couverture complementaire, au cote de celui de la situation sociale presente, passee et anticipee. L’analyse montre ensuite que le renoncement aux soins a un effet causal sur la degradation de l’etat de sante ulterieur. Elle suggere ainsi que les difficultes d’acces aux soins contribuent aux inegalites de sante.
Deep Leadership Coaching Effectiveness

Abstract The effectiveness of a coaching process called Deep Lead, deriving from the leadership training of the Finnish Defence Forces, has not been studied efficiently in different civil organisations. This article presents an insight into the effectiveness of this coaching method in two different work communities (PVO-Vesivoima and TAC Finland Inc. Service). The main research question in this article is how to ensure the effectiveness of this particular type of leadership coaching / training. To achieve the best possible results, methodological triangulation was needed in this survey. In this article, two contributing models were introduced (figures 2 and 3) for examining coaching or training effectiveness. By means of these, it can hopefully be examined in the future whether the coaching / training process remains to be a cost, or whether it is an essential investment for the work communities. According to the leadership coaching effectiveness research results of the study at PVO-Vesivoima, such areas as co-operation, interaction and feedback culture were strengthened. As a conclusion, it can be stated that this leadership coaching process works as a practical leadership tool for management in developing the work community both internally and externally. Another example was a work community (TAC Finland Inc Service) that aimed to improve customer satisfaction, evoke know-how, and improve profits by using the deep lead -coaching method. According to the research results, remarkable improvements were accomplished in every field mentioned compared to the time preceding the leadership coaching process or the beginning of the leadership coaching process. In both examples, results were studied using different indicators, different time spans, different methods, and by different reports done by different people. As an outcome of these researches, the leadership coaching process was considered to be effective in PVO-Vesivoima and in TAC, and in the conclusion a practical description of leadership coaching / training or other educational intervention verified on an individual level is introduced.
Design of sensor electronics for electrical capacitance tomography

The design of the sensor electronics for a tomographic imaging system based on electrical capacitance sensors is described. The performance of the sensor electronics is crucial to the per- formance of the imaging system. The problems associated with such a measurement process are discussed and solutions to these are described. Test results show that the present design has a resolution of 0.3 femtofarad (For a 12-electrode system imaging an oil/gas flow, this represents a 2% gas void fraction change at the centre of the pipe) with a low noise level of 0.08 fF (rms value), a large dynamic range of 76 dB and a data acqui- sition speed of 6600 measurements per second. This enables sensors with up to 12 electrodes to be used in a system with a maximum imaging rate of 100 frames per second, and thus provides an improved image resolution over the earlier 8- electrode system and an adequate electrode area to give sufficient measurement sensitivity.
The Australian Social Inclusion Agenda: A New Approach to Social Policy?

The Social Inclusion Agenda ('SIA') was introduced by the Australian Labor Party ('ALP') in the lead up to the 2007 federal election. The rhetoric was hopeful, proposing to reframe the government's approach to disadvantage. Rhetoric aside, what the then opposition meant when it talked of building social inclusion ('SI') was less clear than may have immediately met the eye. This paper offers an introductory analysis and review of the SIA. It first considers why Australia might benefit from a readjustment in its social policy direction, reflecting on the concepts of poverty and Amartya Sen's 'capabilities approach'. Second, it offers a critical overview of the main conceptions of SI/Social Exclusion. Third, it applies these first two parts of analysis to developments to date with the SIA. This part, whilst limited in scope and preliminary at best, offers some general comments as to the possibilities and pitfalls of the SIA and proposes the way forward from an analytical perspective in terms of guiding the SIA in a desirable direction.
Legitimacy, Communication, and Leadership in the Turnaround Game

We study the effectiveness of leaders for inducing coordinated organizational change to a more efficient equilibrium, i.e., a turnaround. We compare communication from leaders to incentive increases and also compare the effectiveness of randomly selected and elected leaders. Although all interventions yield shifts to more efficient equilibria, communication from leaders has a greater effect than incentives. Moreover, leaders who are elected by followers are significantly better at improving their group's outcome than randomly selected leaders. The improved effectiveness of elected leaders results from sending more performance-relevant messages. Our results are evidence that the way in which leaders are selected affects their legitimacy and the degree to which they influence followers. Finally, we observe that a combination of factors-specifically, incentive increases and communication from elected leaders-yields near-universal turnarounds to full efficiency. This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
Clinical effects and tolerability of high-dose, high-frequency recombinant interferon β-1a in patients with multiple sclerosis: maximizing therapy through long-term adherence

Importance of the field: High-dose, high-frequency IFN β-1a in multiple sclerosis (MS) can prevent lesion formation, decrease the frequency/severity of relapses and delay progression of disability, with a proven safety profile. Rates of non-adherence are high. There are drugs under investigation that may have greater efficacy and different safety profiles from existing therapies. Areas covered in this review: Evidence supporting the efficacy of IFN β-1a, factors contributing to non-adherence, and strategies to combat non-adherence. It is hoped that these strategies, coupled with future advances in pharmacogenetics, might lead to better outcomes. The PubMed database was searched using the terms “multiple sclerosis” and “interferon beta-1a”, for papers published between 1998 and 2010. Relevant manuscripts and pivotal papers from clinical trials were cited. Searches of abstracts from congresses were also performed to obtain recent findings. What the reader will gain: An overview of early pivotal trials, comparative studies with other treatments, and recent studies assessing the development of this therapy. Take home message: Long-term treatment with IFN β-1a has benefits in MS and a good safety profile. Although adherence outside of clinical trials can be poor, injection devices, better tolerated drug formulations and education regarding treatment expectations are some of the strategies employed to help patients to adhere to treatment in the hope of improving outcomes.
Random walks in the quarter plane absorbed at the boundary: exact and asymptotic

Nearest neighbor random walks in the quarter plane that are absorbed when reaching the boundary are studied. The cases of positive and zero drift are considered. Absorption probabilities at a given time and at a given site are made explicit. The following asymptotics for these random walks starting from a given point $(n_0,m_0)$ are computed : that of probabilities of being absorbed at a given site $(i,0)$ [resp. $(0,j)$] as $i\to \infty$ [resp. $j \to \infty$], that of the distribution's tail of absorption time at $x$-axis [resp. $y$-axis], that of the Green functions at site $(i,j)$ when $i,j\to \infty$ and $j/i \to \tan \gamma$ for $\gamma \in [0, \pi/2]$. These results give the Martin boundary of the process and in particular the suitable Doob $h$-transform in order to condition the process never to reach the boundary. They also show that this $h$-transformed process is equal in distribution to the limit as $n\to \infty$ of the process conditioned by not being absorbed at time $n$. The main tool used here is complex analysis.
Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review

ABSTRACT Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness.
Atazanavir trough plasma concentration monitoring in a cohort of HIV-1-positive individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES Atazanavir is a recently approved HIV protease inhibitor (PI). As with other PIs, careful attention to potential pharmacokinetic drug interactions in clinical practice is necessary. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical associations with plasma atazanavir concentrations in HIV-positive individuals. METHODS Individuals established on an atazanavir-containing regimen, completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire recording atazanavir dosing characteristics, concomitant medication use and adherence. After completion, plasma atazanavir concentrations were measured. RESULTS Of 100 individuals, mean trough plasma atazanavir concentrations (mug/L) were 282 (95% CI 95-468, n = 19) and 774 (95% CI 646-902, n = 81) in those on non- and ritonavir-boosted atazanavir regimens, respectively. Eighty-five individuals had HIV RNA <50 copies/mL. Seven individuals had atazanavir plasma concentrations below the assay limit of detection (<50 microg/L), all of whom had undetectable plasma HIV RNA. In a multivariate analysis, nevirapine use was associated with significantly lower trough atazanavir concentrations (P = 0.011) and lopinavir/ritonavir use with higher trough atazanavir concentrations (P = 0.032). Dosing characteristics (including food taken), concomitant medications (including drugs used for dyspepsia) and HIV RNA were not significantly associated with trough atazanavir concentrations. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort, despite the wide inter-individual variability of atazanavir trough concentrations, no significant association with dosing characteristics, concomitant medication (with the exception of nevirapine and lopinavir/ritonavir) or virological response was observed. Further work is needed to assess the optimal dosing regimen when using atazanavir with nevirapine.
Attenuation of Systolic Blood Pressure and Pulse Transit Time Hysteresis During Exercise and Recovery in Cardiovascular Patients

Pulse transit time (PTT) is a cardiovascular parameter of emerging interest due to its potential to estimate blood pressure (BP) continuously and without a cuff. Both linear and nonlinear equations have been used in the estimation of BP based on PTT. This study, however, demonstrates that there is a hysteresis phenomenon between BP and PTT during and after dynamic exercise. A total of 46 subjects including 16 healthy subjects, 13 subjects with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, and 17 patients with cardiovascular disease underwent graded exercise stress test. PTT was measured from electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram of the left index finger of the subject, i.e., a pathway that includes predominately aorta, brachial, and radial arteries. The results of this study showed that, for the same systolic BP (SBP), PTT measured during exercise was significantly larger than PTT measured during recovery for all subject groups. This hysteresis was further quantified as both normalized area bounded by the SBP-PTT relationship (AreaN) and SBP difference at PTT during peak exercise plus 20 ms (ΔSBP20). Significant attenuation of both AreaN (p <; 0.05) and ΔSBP20 (p <; 0.01) is observed in cardiovascular patients compared with healthy subjects, independent of resting BP. Since the SBP-PTT relationship are determined by the mechanical properties of arterial wall, which is predominately mediated by the sympathetic nervous system through altered vascular smooth muscle (VSM) tone during exercise, results of this study are consistent with the previous findings of autonomic nervous dysfunction in cardiovascular patients. We further conclude that VSM tone has a nonnegligible influence on the BP-PTT relationship and thus should be considered in the PTT-based BP estimation.
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Gabapentin Enacarbil in Subjects with Neuropathic Pain Associated with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Gabapentin enacarbil (GEn), a transported prodrug of gabapentin, provides sustained, dose‐proportional gabapentin exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dose response of GEn to select the optimal dose(s) for clinical use in subsequent diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) trials.
New High-performance Liquid Chromatography-DAD Method for Analytical Determination of Arbutin and Hydroquinone in Rat Plasma

Natural substances present in herbal preparations should be carefully used because they can give toxic or therapeutic effects despite of their amount or the way of administration. The safety of products of vegetable origin must be assessed before commercialisation by monitoring the active ingredients and their metabolites. This study was therefore designed to identify and quantify arbutin and its metabolite hydroquinone, naturally present in Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng plant in rat plasma, after an acute and subacute administration of aqueous arbutin solution in Wistar rats. For this purpose a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection was developed to assess the pharmacokinetic of arbutin and hydroquinone in plasma of female rats treated with aqueous arbutin solutions. The detection (arbutin: 0.0617 µg/ml and hydroquinone 0.0120 µg/ml) and quantification (arbutin: 0.2060 µg/ml and hydroquinone: 0.0400 µg/ml) limits were determined. At the arbutin concentration level of 10.7 µg/ml repeatability was 13.33% and its recovery 93.4±6.93%, while at the hydroquinone concentration level of 10.6 µg/ml repeatability was 11.66% and its recovery 92.9±7.75%. Furthermore the method was fully validated and the obtained data indicate that the new method provides good performances.
Label-Embedding for Attribute-Based Classification

Attributes are an intermediate representation, which enables parameter sharing between classes, a must when training data is scarce. We propose to view attribute-based image classification as a label-embedding problem: each class is embedded in the space of attribute vectors. We introduce a function which measures the compatibility between an image and a label embedding. The parameters of this function are learned on a training set of labeled samples to ensure that, given an image, the correct classes rank higher than the incorrect ones. Results on the Animals With Attributes and Caltech-UCSD-Birds datasets show that the proposed framework outperforms the standard Direct Attribute Prediction baseline in a zero-shot learning scenario. The label embedding framework offers other advantages such as the ability to leverage alternative sources of information in addition to attributes (e.g. class hierarchies) or to transition smoothly from zero-shot learning to learning with large quantities of data.
Curb feature based localization of a mobile robot in urban road environments

Urban road environments that have pavement and curb are characterized as semi-structured road environments. In semi-structured road environments, the curb provides useful information for robot navigation. In this paper, we present a practical localization method for outdoor mobile robots using the curb features in semi-structured road environments. The curb features are especially useful in urban environment, where the GPS failures take place frequently. A curb extraction is conducted on the basis of the Kernel Fisher Discriminant Analysis (KFDA) to minimize false detection. We adopt the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to combine the curb information with odometry and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The uncertainty models for the sensors are quantitatively analyzed to provide a practical solution.