Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Climate and Human Health: Relations, Projections, and Future Implementations

It is widely accepted by the scientific community that the world has begun to warm as a result of human influence. The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, arising primarily from the combustion of carbon fossil fuels and agricultural activities, generates changes in the climate. Indeed various studies have assessed the potential impacts of climate change on human health (both negative and positive). The increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, the reduction in cold-related deaths, the increased floods and droughts, and the changes in the distribution of vector-borne diseases are among the most frequently studied effects. On the other hand, climate change differs from many other environmental health problems because of its gradual onset, widespread rather than localized effect, and the fact that the most important effects will probably be indirect. Some recent and important publications show that only the collaboration between the meteorological and the public health communities can help us to thoroughly study the link between climate and health, thus improving our ability to adapt to these future changes. The aim of this editorial is to give different perspectives on a widely discussed topic, which is still too complicated to be addressed to a satisfactory extent. Moreover, it is necessary to underline the importance of using new biometeorological indices (i.e. thermal indexes, etc.) for future projections, in order to reduce the impacts of negative outcomes, protecting the population through adaptation measures and public awareness.
Five-Year Survival in Comparable HD and PD Patients: One Center's Experience

Several studies have yielded conflicting results regarding morbidity and mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. We performed a retrospective analysis in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in our department, who were equally distributed between HD and PD, in order to compare 5-year survival probabilities and hospitalization rates in the two modalities. Of the total 94 new ESRD patients who initiated dialysis in our department from January 1995 to December 2000, 48 were allocated to PD and 46 to HD. All patients were followed up for five years. There were no significant differences regarding demographics and serious co-morbidities upon dialysis initiation between HD and PD patients. Unadjusted 5-year survival probability in as-treated analysis was higher in PD patients (0.79 vs 0.6, p=0.04), whereas there was no significant difference in intent-to-treat analysis between HD and PD patients (p=0.5). Hospitalization rates were similar in both modalities. Despite the small number of patients included in our study, it seems that when HD and PD are both available in one department they have equivalent results regarding morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore we suggest that, when possible, PD and HD should be equally offered to all ESRD patients.
RGB-D object recognition and pose estimation based on pre-trained convolutional neural network features

Object recognition and pose estimation from RGB-D images are important tasks for manipulation robots which can be learned from examples. Creating and annotating datasets for learning is expensive, however. We address this problem with transfer learning from deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) that are pre-trained for image categorization and provide a rich, semantically meaningful feature set. We incorporate depth information, which the CNN was not trained with, by rendering objects from a canonical perspective and colorizing the depth channel according to distance from the object center. We evaluate our approach on the Washington RGB-D Objects dataset, where we find that the generated feature set naturally separates classes and instances well and retains pose manifolds. We outperform state-of-the-art on a number of subtasks and show that our approach can yield superior results when only little training data is available.
Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose — a review of diagnosis, clinical implications and management

The diagnostic categories of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were established in an effort to identify populations at risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Both IGT and IFG are associated with increased risk of developing T2DM, but recent analyses found that the thresholds of risk vary among different populations and an even lower diagnostic threshold of IFG may be appropriate. IGT has been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and some analyses have demonstrated an increased mortality risk compared with patients with normal glucose tolerance. In contrast, a continuum of increased risk of microvascular manifestations of T2DM has been demonstrated with IFG but an association of IFG with cardiovascular events has not been well established. Although both IGT and IFG are associated with resistance to insulin and increased insulin secretion, they do not identify the identical patient populations and are not equivalent in predicting development of T2DM or cardiovascular events. IFG and IGT have been associated with other features of insulin resistance, including dyslipidaemia, hypertension, abdominal obesity, microalbuminuria, endothelial dysfunction, and markers of inflammation and hypercoagulability, traits collectively referred to as the metabolic syndrome. Analyses of combinations of these components have also been associated with progression to T2DM, cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. The foundation of treatment for IGT, IFG, and the metabolic syndrome is lifestyle modification, including both dietary change and routine exercise. To date, several clinical trials have found that lifestyle modification is the most efficacious strategy to prevent progression to T2DM. Alternative treatments include pharmacotherapy with metformin or acarbose, both of which have been demonstrated to decrease the development of T2DM. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating newer pharmacotherapies, including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists, metglitinides and thiazolidinediones, to prevent both T2DM and cardiovascular events. In combination with lifestyle modification, these therapies offer hope for effective prevention of T2DM and its consequences in high-risk patients.
Risk factors for human cysticercosis morbidity: a population-based case-control study

A population-based case-control study to determine social and behavioural risk factors for Taenia solium cysticercosis in humans was carried out in a rural area, Shandong province, China. Forty-eight cases with cysticercosis were ascertained through a prevalence survey conducted among 7281 persons in 1993. For each case, four controls residing in the same village and matched for age and sex were randomly selected. Information regarding demographic, social and behavioural factors was collected during house visits through interviews and direct observation. Risk factors strongly associated with human cysticercosis included poor personal hygiene, being unable to recognize cysticerci-containing meat, poor pig-raising practices and a history of passing tapeworm proglottides. The results indicate that health education in combination with chemotherapy for taeniasis is required for the control of cysticercosis in humans.
Effects of the probiotic agent Saccharomyces Boulardii on the DNA damage in acute necrotizing pancreatitis induced rats

Pancreatitis is a mild and self-limiting disease. Although severe forms such as acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) are rare it is associated with significant mortality rate reported to be 30—70%. Probiotics are viable microbial dietary supplements when introduced in sufficient quantities can have beneficial effects. The physiological effects of probiotics include suppression of bacterial infections, production of some digestive enzymes and vitamins and reconstruction of normal intestinal microflora. In the present study, the aim was to investigate the role of probiotics on the DNA damage in the peripheral lymphocytes, in the exfoliated epithelial cells and lymphocytes of the peritoneal fluids and in the pancreatic acinar cells of ANP induced rats. DNA damage was determined by COMET assay. ANP was induced by intravenous infusion of cerulein and superimposed infusion glycodeoxycholic acid into biliopancreatic duct. Saccharomyces Boulardii was used as the probiotic agent. DNA damage in pancreatic acinar cells and exfoliated epithelial cells and the lymphocytes of the peritoneal fluids; was significantly higher in pancreatitis group compared to the controls and probiotic treated groups (P <0.001). No significant difference was observed in the DNA damage between the groups in the peripheral lymphocytes. In conclusion; our results support that probiotic agent Saccharomyces Boulardii can diminish bacterial infections and offer health benefits in the therapy of pancreatitis. Human & Experimental Technololgy (2007) 26, 653—661
Vapor-Phase Self-Assembled Monolayers for Anti-Stiction Applications in MEMS

We have investigated the anti-stiction performance of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that were grown in vapor phase from six different organosilane precursors: CF<sub>3</sub>(CF<sub>2</sub>)<sub>5</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SiCl<sub>3</sub> (FOTS), CF<sub>3</sub>(CF<sub>2</sub>)<sub>5</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>Si(OC<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>)<sub>3</sub> (FOTES), CF<sub>3</sub>(CF<sub>2</sub>)<sub>5</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>Si(CH<sub>3</sub>)Cl<sub>2</sub> (FOMDS), CF<sub>3</sub>(CF<sub>2</sub>)<sub>5</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>Si(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>Cl (FOMMS), CF<sub>3</sub>(CF<sub>2</sub>)<sub>7</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SiCl<sub>3</sub> (FDTS), and CH<sub>3</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>17</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SiCl<sub>3</sub> (OTS). The SAM coatings that were grown on silicon substrates were characterized with respect to static contact angle, surface energy, roughness, nanoscale adhesive force, nanoscale friction force, and thermal stability. The best overall anti-stiction performance was achieved using FDTS as precursor for the SAM growth, but all coatings show good potential for solving in-use stiction problems in microelectromechanical systems devices.
A Guided Tour of the Market Microstructure Approach to Exchange Rate Determination

We propose a critical review of recent developments in exchange rate economics. This new strand of research is motivated by some very stark empirical evidence, relating exchange rate returns to order flow. Plenty of empirical evidence shows that order flow, i.e. the imbalance in the sequence of purchases and sales of foreign currencies in the markets for foreign exchange, is an extremely powerful determinant of short-run exchange rate movements. With a simplified analytical framework we see how, according to the rational expectation paradigm of asset pricing, such a relation reflects liquidity and information effects of portfolios shifts.
The effect of carvedilol on blood glucose levels in normal albino rats.

BACKGROUND Carvedilol is a commonly used drug in hypertension, congestive heart failure in diabetics. It has moderate calcium channel blocking property in addition to α1 and non selective β antagonistic activity. Though some studies bring forth the beneficial effects of Carvedilol in cardiovascular comorbidities in diabetes, there is no consensus on its effects on glycaemic levels. AIMS To evaluate the effect of oral Carvedilol administration for 5 days on blood glucose levels in normal albino rats through Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twelve adult albino rats of either sex weighing between 150 - 200 g were selected from central animal facility and randomly divided into 2 groups - Control [Distilled water (1ml/rat orally)] and Test (0.8mg/kg body weight orally) and the respective drugs were administered over 5 days. Following overnight fasting, on the fifth day 1 hour after the last dose of the respective drug, OGTT was performed. The CBG (Capillary Blood Glucose) levels were measured at 0 min, glucose (2g/kg body weight) dissolved in water was administered to all the rats orally. The blood sample from tail vein (obtained by tail snipping) at 60 and 150 minutes were analysed for CBG levels using a standardized glucometer. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Data was presented as Mean ± SEM. One way ANOVA, independent samples t-test, non-parametric tests, percentages and cross tabs were used in the analysis of data within the same group and between different groups when required. RESULTS Carvedilol group showed higher CBG levels at all time intervals of OGTT as compared to the Control group i.e., 0, 60 and 150 minutes, the highest being (103.8±5.029 )mg/dl at 60 minutes and was statistically significant. Carvedilol group however showed lesser inter-interval variation compared to the Control group at the same time intervals respectively but was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS Carvedilol has hyperglycaemic potential when given orally for 5 days in normal albino rats. Though it may be beneficial in diabetics for various comorbid conditions, the glycaemic control may worsen during its use in subjects with prediabetes, diabetes, high risk diabetes.
Performance analysis of an improved MMSE multiuser receiver for mismatched delay channels

Motivated by the fact that time delays in a practical direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) system can never be perfectly estimated, an improved minimum-mean squared-error (MMSE)-based receiver is proposed and analyzed. Via the simple assumption of a probability distribution for the delay estimation errors, the proposed receiver can achieve a performance superior to that of the conventional MMSE (CMMSE) receiver. The performances of this improved receiver and the CMMSE receiver are compared in terms of the mean squared error (MSE), probability of error, and asymptotic multiuser efficiency (AME). As the original definition of AME does not consider mismatched channels, the behavior of three single-user receivers bearing imperfect delay estimation is also investigated. These single-user receivers are employed to define a more appropriate AME. Finally, an efficient update mechanism to accommodate dynamic channel statistics, and thus practical implementation, is proposed.
A Population Rate Code of Auditory Space in the Human Cortex

Background Previous work on the human auditory cortex has revealed areas specialized in spatial processing but how the neurons in these areas represent the location of a sound source remains unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we performed a magnetoencephalography (MEG) experiment with the aim of revealing the neural code of auditory space implemented by the human cortex. In a stimulus-specific adaptation paradigm, realistic spatial sound stimuli were presented in pairs of adaptor and probe locations. We found that the attenuation of the N1m response depended strongly on the spatial arrangement of the two sound sources. These location-specific effects showed that sounds originating from locations within the same hemifield activated the same neuronal population regardless of the spatial separation between the sound sources. In contrast, sounds originating from opposite hemifields activated separate groups of neurons. Conclusions/Significance These results are highly consistent with a rate code of spatial location formed by two opponent populations, one tuned to locations in the left and the other to those in the right. This indicates that the neuronal code of sound source location implemented by the human auditory cortex is similar to that previously found in other primates.
Ecological Characterization of Aedes aegypti Larval Habitats (Diptera: Culicidae) in Artificial Water Containers in Girardot, Colombia

ABSTRACT: The establishment of habitats for immature Ae. aegypti is regulated by biotic and abiotic factors and interactions between these factors. This study aimed to determine the effects of physico-chemical variables and planktonic algae on immature Ae. aegypti habitats in 101 water tanks (50 of them containing Ae. aegypti pupae and/or larvae) in Girardot, Colombia. Physical data were collected from the water tanks (volume, capacity, material, detritus, and location), along with the physico-chemical variables (temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential, dissolved oxygen, percentage of oxygen saturation, nitrates, nitrites, and orthophosphates). The richness and abundance of the planktonic organisms were also measured. A chi-square test showed that the occurrence of detritus was greater and the container volume was smaller in the tanks that were positive for larvae. Only Cyanobacteria had a positive correlation with the abundance of immature-stage Ae. aegypti. The results could be important for understanding the vector ecology and envisaging its probable control in the domestic water tanks of Girardot.
Design capabilities development in a Malaysian automotive vendor company

Global competition has made manufacturing enhancement saturated. Manufacturers have to find new ways of increasing their competitiveness. A company's capability to conduct design determines the success of innovative products as a main determinant of profit attainment, especially in the technological industry. Design capability (DC) is defined as the availability of technical manpower skills and facilities to conduct design, namely, R&D, testing equipment and prototyping facilities, and the presence of technology to support current and future manufacturing innovations. DC is a company unique resource and can be deployed as a strategy to response in any circumstances and enable a company to anticipate future market demands and to manage global challenges. However, not many Malaysian automotive vendors have full in-house DC. Prior studies also found that Malaysian vendors have limited capabilities in finance, technology and facilities which have impeded the DC development. There is a number of critical success factors (CSFs) involved in developing successful DC. Currently, studies on vendors DC, particularly in Malaysia are very limited, making the development process more complicated. A study was conducted in an automotive vendor company that has successfully developed an in-house DC and was able to improve its business performance. Productivity, reputation and the company's competitive advantage were increased. Thus, the DC development of the company was studied and a framework was proposed. This study is to enable other vendor companies to emulate and understand the DC requirements and serve as a guide for other companies intending to develop their DC.
Media coverage, family ownership, and corporate philanthropic giving: evidence from China

Abstract Using a sample of Chinese family firms during the period of 2004–2010, we examine the influence of media coverage on corporate philanthropic giving and the moderating role of family ownership. Specifically, we document that media coverage is significantly positively associated with corporate philanthropic giving, suggesting that media coverage as an informal system plays an important role in motivating Chinese family firms to establish business ethics, shape socially responsible images, and enhance corporate philanthropy. Moreover, family ownership attenuates the positive association between media coverage and corporate philanthropic giving. Our findings are robust to a variety of sensitivity tests and are still valid after controlling for the potential endogeneity between media coverage and corporate philanthropy. Our study is one of few studies to investigate the impact of media coverage on corporate philanthropic giving in an emerging market.
Skin perfusion pressure of the foot is a good substitute for toe pressure in the assessment of limb ischemia.

PURPOSE Noninvasive measurements of limb systolic pressures are used routinely in the assessment of the severity of peripheral arterial disease, including the evaluation for critical limb ischemia. However, ankle pressures cannot be measured reliably in patients with medial calcification, which is especially common among patients with diabetes. Skin lesions on the toes or previous digital amputations may preclude the measurement of toe pressures. Measurements of skin perfusion pressure (SPP) are not subject to such limitations and were shown to be useful in the assessment of the severity of peripheral arterial disease. Because toe pressure is often used in the evaluation of severity of arterial disease and in the assessment for critical ischemia, we undertook to study whether there is a sufficient correlation between toe pressure and foot SPP that would allow the use of SPP measurements when toe pressures cannot be measured. METHODS Measurements were carried out in 85 limbs of 71 patients referred to the vascular laboratory for evaluation for peripheral arterial disease. Diabetes mellitus was present in 43 patients. Each patient had foot SPP and toe pressure measurements. Toe pressures measured with photoplethysmography were correlated with foot SPP measured with laser Doppler scanning. RESULTS There was a strong linear correlation between SPP and toe pressure (r = 0.87; P <.01). Also, significant correlation was found in both the patients with diabetes and the patients without diabetes (r = 0.85 and 0.93, respectively; P <.01 in both cases). CONCLUSIONS We concluded that SPP measured in the foot correlates well with toe pressure and can be substituted for toe pressure measurement in patients in whom toe pressures cannot be measured.
Molecular Interactions between Prions as Seeds and Recombinant Prion Proteins as Substrates Resemble the Biological Interspecies Barrier In Vitro

Prion diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, Scrapie in sheep or bovine spongiform encephalopathy are fatal neurodegenerative diseases, which can be of sporadic, genetic, or infectious origin. Prion diseases are transmissible between different species, however, with a variable species barrier. The key event of prion amplification is the conversion of the cellular isoform of the prion protein (PrPC) into the pathogenic isoform (PrPSc). We developed a sodiumdodecylsulfate-based PrP conversion system that induces amyloid fibril formation from soluble α-helical structured recombinant PrP (recPrP). This approach was extended applying pre-purified PrPSc as seeds which accelerate fibrillization of recPrP. In the present study we investigated the interspecies coherence of prion disease. Therefore we used PrPSc from different species like Syrian hamster, cattle, mouse and sheep and seeded fibrillization of recPrP from the same or other species to mimic in vitro the natural species barrier. We could show that the in vitro system of seeded fibrillization is in accordance with what is known from the naturally occurring species barriers.