Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethnic differences in peripheral arterial disease in the NHLBI Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study

Few studies have investigated whether ethnic groups differ in the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We compared the distribution of the ankle-brachial index (ABI), a measure of PAD, between African Americans and non-Hispanic white individuals. Subjects (n = 931) belonged to the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study, a community-based study of hypertensive sibships, and included 453 African Americans from Jackson, Mississipi (mean age 72 6 years, 69% women) and 478 non-Hispanic white individuals from Rochester, Minnesota (mean age 58 7 years, 64% women). ABI was determined at two sites in each lower extremity and the lowest of four indices was used in the analyses. PAD was defined as an ABI of 0.95. Information about conventional risk factors was derived from interviews and from blood samples drawn at the study visit. The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was significantly higher in African Americans than in non-Hispanic white individuals. After adjusting for age, African American subjects had a lower mean ABI (women 0.97 vs 1.04, p < 0.001; men 0.96 vs 1.12, p < 0.001) and a greater prevalence of PAD (women 34% vs 22%, p = 0.010; men 33% vs 11%, p < 0.001) than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. In multiple regression analyses, African American ethnicity was a predictor of a lower ABI and the presence of PAD in each sex after adjusting for age and other conventional risk factors. In conclusion, the lower ABI and greater prevalence of PAD in African Americans than in non-Hispanic white individuals is not explained by differences in conventional risk factors. Identifying additional ‘novel’ risk factors that account for the ethnic differences in PAD is an important next step towards understanding why such differences exist and developing more effective strategies to reduce the burden of PAD.
Clinical estimation of intraocular pressure with a non-contact tonometer and Goldman applanation tonometer as a tool for mass screening and its correlation with central corneal thickness : A comparative hospital based study

Purpose To assess the mean difference between intra-ocular pressure measurement by Goldmann applanation tonometer and Non Contact tonometer to determine the suitability of tonometer for community or mass screening and the variation in intra-ocular pressure between the two devices with respect to CCT. Material and Methods The proposed study was conducted on 300 eyes of 150 patients. The IOP assessment with the Goldmann applanation tonometer was always subsequent to that with the air-puff noncontact tonometer (AT-555). An average of three readings taken 15 seconds apart, with each method was taken to get final intraocular pressure reading for each eye. The central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements were performed using the pachymeter. Results Majority of the eyes were found to be in the 12-24 mmHg group i.e. 51 % eyes in the right eye and 64 % in the left eye. 3. Mean IOP measured with NCT was 22.30±10.149 mmHg and with GAT was 18.31±7.427 mmHg, thus showing a difference of 3.99 mmHg. In patients where IOP was <12mmHg the first group (G1), the mean difference was 1.28mm Hg in right eye and 1.63mmHg in left eye(p=0.006). In patients with IOP 12-24 mmHg mean IOP difference in right eye was 2.28mmHg and in left eye was 4.24mmHg (p<0.001). In patients with IOP >24mm Hg the difference in the mean IOP for right eye was 5.69mmHg and for left eye 7.84mmHg (p<0.001). Both the methods of IOP measurement showed positive correlation with central corneal thickness. The NCT was more influenced by CCT than GAT; for every 10 micron CCT change, the IOP change expected with NCT was 0.47 mmHg and GAT was 0.29 mmHg. Conclusion Thus we can conclude that NCT can be used as a screening procedure in tertiary care centres catering to a large number of patients wherein it is not possible to do Goldmann applanation tonometry on all patients. However, intraocular pressure readings may require adjustment, especially when measured with NCT in those patients who have a CCT that is significantly different from population mean. GJMEDPH 2015; Vol. 4, issue 4 1 Postgraduate, Department of Ophthalomology, GMC, Srinagar *Corresponding Author: Arshi Nazir Post Graduate, Department of Ophthalmology, GMC, Srinagar House No. 173B. Government Housing Colony, Sanatnagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, 190005 arshi.nazir. 3@gmail.com Telephone Number: 00919858006885 Conflict of Interest—none
Temporal lobe magnetic resonance imaging can differentiate Alzheimer's disease from normal ageing, depression, vascular dementia and other causes of cognitive impairment

Background. Previous work suggests that temporal lobe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can distinguish those with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) from healthy age-matched controls. However, its specificity with regard to conditions such as vascular dementia, depression and other disorders associated with cognitive impairment has not been determined. Methods. We studied 222 subjects using T1 weighted MRI with 5·1 mm coronal slices throughout the temporal lobe. Subjects included: healthy controls (N=40); DSM-III-R major depression (N=61); NINCDS/ADRDA DAT (N=77) and OTHER (N=44, comprising subjects with vascular dementia, Huntington's disease, schizophrenia, alcohol related cognitive impairment and a group of ‘memory complainers’). Hippocampus, amygdala, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus and cerebral cortex were rated visually on a 0–3 scale by two experienced neuroradiologists blind to clinical diagnosis. Results. Ratings of temporal lobe atrophy provided good separation between those with AD and all other groups. For example, anterior hippocampal atrophy had a sensitivity of 83% for detecting DAT, a specificity of 80% for controls, 87% for depressed subjects and 89% for OTHER. Other regions were less sensitive, but more specific for the diagnosis of DAT. In particular parahippocampal gyrus and entorhinal cortex had high specificity (97% for depressed subjects and 98% for OTHER). Because of an age-related increase in atrophy, sensitivity was highest for those over the age of 75, while specificity was highest for younger subjects. Significant correlations were observed between atrophy ratings of hippocampus, amygdala, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus and CAMCOG memory score and length of history. Conclusions. Temporal lobe MRI may have an important role in assisting with the clinical diagnosis of DAT, particularly its differentiation from depression and other disorders that may cause diagnostic difficulties in clinical practice.
How Many and What Kind? The Role of Strategic Orientation in New Product Ideation

Existing studies on the role that strategic orientation plays in companies' innovation efforts primarily focus on identifying the relationship between strategic orientation and innovation performance for launched new products. In contrast, this article investigates how the different types of strategic orientation (i.e., customer, competitor, and technology orientations) influence the front end of innovation. Specifically, this research examines how strategic orientation relates to new product ideation outcomes such as ideation volume (i.e., how many new product ideas are generated) and ideation novelty (i.e., how innovative ideas are). The model developed in this study includes both direct effects of strategic orientation on new product ideation and indirect effects on ideation, mediated by an organization's market search behavior targeted at uncovering new product ideas. A survey of 182 marketing and technical managers, whose responses are analyzed with Partial Least Squares (PLS), reveals that firms characterized by a competitor orientation search their markets significantly more for new product ideas than firms marked by a technology or customer orientation. An emphasis on market search behavior, in turn, leads to significantly greater quantities of new product ideas generated by the firm. Neither a competitor nor a customer orientation significantly enhances the novelty of new product ideas, which is augmented only by technology orientation. The data also reveal that product ideation novelty is significantly enhanced by a technology orientation regardless of the level of market turbulence faced by the innovating firm. Together, these findings suggest that market orientation may have a greater influence on the implementation and commercialization stages of new product development than on new product ideation.
Interferon-γ Can Stimulate Post-proteasomal Trimming of the N Terminus of an Antigenic Peptide by Inducing Leucine Aminopeptidase*

Most antigenic peptides presented on major histocompatibility complex class I molecules are generated during protein breakdown by proteasomes, whose specificity is altered by interferon-γ (IFN-γ). When extended versions of the ovalbumin-derived epitope SIINFEKL are expressed in vivo, the correct C terminus is generated by proteasomal cleavage, but distinct cytosolic protease(s) generate its N terminus. To identify the other protease(s) involved in antigen processing, we incubated soluble extracts of HeLa cells with the 11-mer QLESIINFEKL, whichin vivo is processed to the antigenic 8-mer (SIINFEKL) by a proteasome-independent pathway. This 11-mer was converted to the 9-mer by sequential removal of the N-terminal residues, but surprisingly the extract showed little or no endopeptidase or carboxypeptidase activity against this precursor. After treatment of cells with IFN-γ, this N-terminal trimming was severalfold faster and proceeded to the antigenic 8-mer. The IFN-treated cells also showed greater aminopeptidase activity against many model fluorogenic substrates. Upon extract fractionation, three bestatin-sensitive aminopeptidase peaks were detected. One was induced by IFN-γ and was identified immunologically as leucine aminopeptidase (LAP). Purified LAP, like the extracts of IFN-γ-treated cells, processed the 11-mer peptide to SIINFEKL. Thus, IFN-γ not only promotes proteasomal cleavages that determine the C termini of antigenic peptides, but also can stimulate formation of their N termini by inducing LAP. This enzyme appears to catalyze the trimming of the N terminus of this and presumably other proteasome-derived precursors. Thus, susceptibility to LAP may be an important influence on the generation on immunodominant epitopes.
P 16 INK 4 a overexpression and survival in osteosarcoma patients : a meta analysis

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common primary bone malignancies. Although there is a significant improvement of survival on osteosarcoma patients in the past decades, treatment of osteosarcoma is still unsatisfactory for the development of pulmonary metastasis. The potential prognostic value of p16INK4a in osteosarcoma has been investigated, however, the results from different studies were somewhat controversial. To elucidate whether p16INK4a is indeed a prognostic factor of osteosarcoma, we conducted a meta-analysis of the published literatures to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the significance of p16INK4a expression in patients with osteosarcoma. Eight studies with a total of 354 patients with osteosarcoma were examined. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated to evaluate the effect of p16INK4a expression on overall survival. Meta-analysis showed that patients with high p16INK4a expression were significantly associated with favourable overall survival when compared to their counterparts with low or undetectable p16INK4a expression (OR = 0.270, 95% CI 0.162-0.451, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis suggested the pooled OR was stable and not significantly changed when a single study was removed. In conclusion, the results from this meta-analysis highlight that p16INK4a is an effective biomarker of survival in patients with osteosarcoma.
Exploring customers’ zone of tolerance for B2B professional service quality

Purpose – This paper aims to extend the current research on zone of tolerance (ZOT) and its antecedents, to the context of business-to-business (B2B) professional services from both client and service firms’ perspectives, with a modified ZOT framework including five client and service firms attributes as antecedents of desired (DSL) and adequate (ASL) service levels. Prior research on zone of tolerance (ZOT) and its antecedents mostly focuses on business-to-consumer services and customers’ perspective. The authors address these gaps with a modified ZOT framework with five attributes of client and service firms as antecedents of customer expectations, namely, desired service level (DSL) and adequate service level (ASL), for business-to-business (B2B) professional services. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (online survey) research methods with managers of professional audit firms and their clients, using a reduced AUDITQUAL instrument with 39 items a.
Representation Learning on Large and Small Data

Deep learning owes its success to three key factors: scale of data, enhanced models to learn representations from data, and scale of computation. This book chapter presented the importance of the data-driven approach to learn good representations from both big data and small data. In terms of big data, it has been widely accepted in the research community that the more data the better for both representation and classification improvement. The question is then how to learn representations from big data, and how to perform representation learning when data is scarce. We addressed the first question by presenting CNN model enhancements in the aspects of representation, optimization, and generalization. To address the small data challenge, we showed transfer representation learning to be effective. Transfer representation learning transfers the learned representation from a source domain where abundant training data is available to a target domain where training data is scarce. Transfer representation learning gave the OM and melanoma diagnosis modules of our XPRIZE Tricorder device (which finished $2^{nd}$ out of $310$ competing teams) a significant boost in diagnosis accuracy.
Characterization of the Antirrhinum floral homeotic MADS‐box gene deficiens: evidence for DNA binding and autoregulation of its persistent expression throughout flower development.

We have determined the structure of the floral homeotic deficiens (defA) gene whose mutants display sepaloid petals and carpelloid stamens, and have analysed its spatial and temporal expression pattern. In addition, several mutant alleles (morphoalleles) were studied. The results of these analyses define three functional domains of the DEF A protein and identify in the deficiens promoter a possible cis‐acting binding site for a transcription factor which specifically upregulates expression of deficiens in petals and stamens. In vitro DNA binding studies show that DEF A binds to specific DNA motifs as a heterodimer, together with the protein product of the floral homeotic globosa gene, thus demonstrating that the protein encoded by deficiens is a DNA binding protein. Furthermore, Northern analysis of a temperature sensitive allele at permissive and non‐permissive temperatures provides evidence for autoregulation of the persistent expression of deficiens throughout flower development. A possible mechanism of autoregulation is discussed.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW NICKEL FERRITIC-AUSTENITIC CORROSION RESISTANT CAST STEEL

The article presents the results of microscopic examinations of corrosion resistant cast steel with reduced nickel content obtained in a test casting with varying wall thickness. Investigations were carried out in as-cast condition and after heat treatment. Regardless of the casting wall thickness, increasing the manganese and nitrogen content to about 5 % and 2 500 ppm, respectively, yields the material with a two-phase microstructure containing ferrite in an amount of 55,6 ÷ 57,2 % (magnetic method) and 52,3 ÷ 55,2 % (analytical method). Based on the results of metallographic examinations, total elimination of the secondary austenite from the microstructure was observed. Microhardness measurements showed average values of 352,3 µHV 20 and 267 µHV 20 for the chromium ferrite and austenite, respectively.
Online Reviews, Helpfulness Ratings, and Consumer Attitudes: An Extension of Congruity Theory to Multiple Sources in Web 2.0

In online shopping, users may contribute reviews that are subject to overt evaluations from other users' helpfulness ratings. Still other users may provide comments indicating agreement or disagreement with the original reviewer. This research modified congruity theory (Osgood & Tannenbaum, 1955) to predict effects on attitudes of readers who observe contributions from three potential sources of influence: review valence, other users' aggregated helpfulness rating of the review, and another user's verbal agreement or disagreement with the review. Results supported the hypothesized interaction effect among the 3 factors affecting attitudes toward a product, toward reviewers, and commenters. The findings suggest that congruity theory provides a framework for understanding effects from a juxtaposition of sources and messages within a participatory Web system. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Computer Use and Earnings

This paper uses longitudinal data for the UK to investigate the observed correlation between computer use at work and labor market earnings. Our findings suggest that there are no returns to computer use at work. This is evidence against the productivity interpretation of these returns and supports the view that the premium can be attributed to unobserved characteristics.
Exploring the criteria used by managers to measure the effectiveness of customer loyalty programs

Since the 1970s there has been a paradigm shift away from mass marketing towards the establishment and maintenance of individual relationships known as relationship marketing. Customer loyalty programs can be seen as the tactical strategies that have resulted from this change in focus, as they attempt to retain existing customers by developing a long-term, mutually satisfying relationship. The first of these such strategies was introduced in 1981, and they are still a relatively new and unexplored phenomenon. The limited research on these strategies conducted thus far has shown the many purported advantages to be doubtful at best, yet their number and scope continue to increase exponentially (Bejou, 1997). As a result of this apparent contradiction between the published research and what is being observed in practice, this study used exploratory, qualitative methods to investigate the objectives of management when implementing loyalty programs as well as the criteria they used to assess the effectiveness of these programs. The sample for this study comprised six managers of several large organisations within Australia. Individual depth-interviews probed managers' motivations for implementing customer loyalty programs and their perceptions of the performance of these programs to date. The results of this study suggest that the objectives behind the implementation of customer loyalty programs may have evolved over time to a more bottom-line orientation. Furthermore, the informants contend tha~xclusive loyalty is virtually impossibl~to achieve with a loyalty program, or any other method.
A cephalometric evaluation of pretreatment and post-treatment outcome using Tetragon analysis: a retrospective study.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Few cephalometric analyses have been put forward to assess the treatment outcome after orthodontic treatment. However, these analyses are somewhat complicated and time consuming. The Tetragon analysis is introduced with measurement of treatment outcome as one of its objectives. PURPOSE OF STUDY The study was undertaken to evaluate the treatment outcome by checking the skeletal and dental changes using pretreatment and post-treatment radiographs and to evaluate the efficiency of treatment in the Department of Orthodontics, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere, using the Tetragon analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Records of 35 finished patients with fixed orthodontic therapy using preadjusted edgewise appliance were selected. The samples were analyzed separately for the skeletal parameters consisting of skeletal class I, II and III using Tetragon analysis. RESULTS The post-treatment reduction of upper incisor palatal plane angle was found to be statistically significant in skeletal class I (p < 0.01) and skeletal class II patients (p < 0.05). The post-treatment increase in interincisal angle was found to be statistically significant in skeletal class I (p < 0.01) class II patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Fixed appliance therapy reduced the proclination of upper incisors and increased the interincisal angle in skeletal class I and II cases but not in skeletal class III cases. The lower incisal angulation and the maxilla-mandibular plane angle did change significantly and so were the angles of the Trigon. The Tetragon analysis proved easy to measure the treatment outcome.
Home blood pressure monitoring in an ethnically diverse inner-city cardiology practice.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) in an inner city cardiology practice. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Inner city cardiology practice. PATIENTS Consecutive patients were evaluated for hypertension and had > or = 8 home blood pressure recordings during 2-4 weeks while clinically stable on a medical regimen. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Blood pressure differences, blood pressure load, defined as %HBPM systolic blood pressure readings > 140 and/or diastolic blood pressure readings > 90 mm Hg. RESULTS 55 patients, (33 female, age 62 +/- 12.5 years). Office systolic, diastolic and mean BPs were higher than HBPM values (147 +/- 19 mmHg vs 139 +/- 17 mmHg, P = < .0001), (86 +/- 10 mm Hg vs 79 +/- 10 mm Hg, P < .0001), and (106 +/- 11 mm Hg vs 99 +/- 10 mmHg, P < .0001) respectively. Office and home pulse pressure (PPs) were similar (61 +/- 17 mm Hg vs 60 +/- 17 mm Hg, P = .42). Office and home PPs were more strongly correlated (r = .78, P < .0001) than were systolic (r = .51, P < .0001), diastolic (r = .51, P < .0001). Blood pressure load increased in a step-wise manner with increasing office blood pressure, 7.5% for patients with office blood pressure < 120/80 mm Hg to 73.5% in patients with office blood pressure > 160/100 mm Hg (P = .02). Office BPs showed 10/55 patients were normal or controlled (blood pressure < 140/ 90 mmHg) and 45 were high or uncontrolled (blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg). HBPM reclassified 2/10 patients as high/uncontrolled whereas 17/45 patients became normal/controlled. CONCLUSIONS Office systolic and diastolic BPs are 7-8 mm Hg higher than home recordings in ethnically diverse patients. Office and home PPs are more strongly correlated than systolic, diastolic or mean arterial BPs. Blood pressure load is related to office BPs. HBPM reclassified approximately one third of the patients. HBPM appears useful in managing minority populations with hypertension.