Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Outcomes of the Ross Procedure Versus Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement: Propensity-Matched Cohort Study

Background: The ideal aortic valve substitute in young and middle-aged adults remains unknown. We sought to compare the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing the Ross procedure and those receiving a mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Methods: From 1990 to 2014, 258 patients underwent a Ross procedure and 1444 had a mechanical AVR at a single institution. Patients were matched into 208 pairs through the use of a propensity score. Mean age was 37.2±10.2 years, and 63% were male. Mean follow-up was 14.2±6.5 years. Results: Overall survival was equivalent (Ross versus AVR: hazard ratio, 0.91, 95% confidence interval, 0.38–2.16; P=0.83), although freedom from cardiac- and valve-related mortality was improved in the Ross group (Ross versus AVR: hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.034–0.86; P=0.03). Freedom from reintervention was equivalent after both procedures (Ross versus AVR: hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.76–4.94; P=0.18). Long-term freedom from stroke or major bleeding was superior after the Ross procedure (Ross versus AVR: hazard ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.02–0.31; P<0.001). Conclusions: Long-term survival and freedom from reintervention were comparable between the Ross procedure and mechanical AVR. However, the Ross procedure was associated with improved freedom from cardiac- and valve-related mortality and a significant reduction in the incidence of stroke and major bleeding. In specialized centers, the Ross procedure represents an excellent option and should be considered for young and middle-aged adults undergoing AVR.
Digital game-based learning

Research published by University of Rochester neuroscientists C. Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier has grabbed national attention for suggesting that playing "action" video and computer games has the positive effect of enhancing student's visual selective attention. But that finding is just one small part of a more important message that all parents and educators need to hear: Video games are not the enemy, but the best opportunity we have to engage our kids in real learning.
An experimental study of the thermal performance of the square and rhombic solar collectors

Solar collectors are the key part of solar water heating systems. The most widely produced solar collectors are flat plate solar collectors. In the present study, two types of flat plate collectors, namely square and rhombic collectors are experimentally tested and compared and the thermal performance of both collectors is investigated. The results show both collectors have the same performance around noon (≈ 61%), but the rhombic collector has better performance in the morning and afternoon. The values for rhombic and square collectors are approximately 56.2% and 53.5% in the morning and 56.1% and 54% in the afternoon respectively. The effect of flow rate is also studied. The thermal efficiency of rhombic and square flat plate collectors increases in proportion to the flow rate. The results indicated the rhombic collector had better performance in comparison with the square collector with respect to the mass flow rate.
Formulation of noodles using apple pomace and evaluation of its phytochemicals and antioxidant activity

Antioxidants and phytochemicals in foods or pharmaceutical supplements are bioactive compounds that have the ability to scavenge free radicals leading to oxidative stress and also to provide protection against several degenerative diseases. Apple is a temperate fruit widely consumed throughout the world for its health benefits. During juice processing, a large amount of apple pomace is generated which may result in serious environmental problems. On the contrary, apple pomace is known to be a good source of bioactive compounds like phytochemicals, antioxidants and dietary fibre. The aim of the present study, was to incorporate apple pomace powder into an extruded product (noodles) at three different levels (10, 15 & 20%) and to analyze its impact on the cooking properties and sensory characteristics of noodles. It was observed that the total dietary fibre and protein content of the noodles increased from 6.0 to 13.28% and 10.20 to 11.80%, respectively, as compared to the control noodles. The apple pomace enriched noodles exhibited improved antioxidant activity. The cooking loss of the noodles increased from 9.84 to 11.16%, and the swelling index increased from 1.85 to 2.31% upon incorporation of apple pomace powder. Incorporation of 10% apple pomace powder into wheat flour yielded high quality noodles. Thus, the results indicate that by incorporating apple pomace powder, it is possible to enhance the nutritional value of noodles without influencing its cooking, sensory and textural properties. Apple pomace can be used as a potential source for the development of functional foods. GC-MS analysis of apple pomace extract revealed the presence of 4H-Pyran-4-one, 2, 3-dihydro-3, 5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-, 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 Tetracosahexaene, 2, 6, 10, 15, 19, 23-hexamethyl-,(all E)-, γ–Sitosterol, and 2-Furancarboxaldehyde, 5(hydroxymethyl), Vitamin E and fatty acids, all of which have significant therapeutic uses.
The impact of credit risk management on financial performance of commercial banks in Nepal

This study try to explore various parameters pertinent to credit risk management as it affect banks’ financial performance. Such parameters covered in the study were; default rate, cost per loan assets and capital adequacy ratio. Financial report of 31 banks were used to analyze for eleven years (2001-2011) comparing the profitability ratio to default rate, cost of per loan assets and capital adequacy ratio which was presented in descriptive, correlation and regression was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that all these parameters have an inverse impact on banks’ financial performance; however, the default rate is the most predictor of bank financial performance. The recommendation is to advice banks to design and formulate strategies that will not only minimize the exposure of the banks to credit risk but will enhance profitability.
Extreme Rainfall Mechanisms Exhibited by Typhoon Morakot (2009)

Moderate Typhoon Morakot (2009) became the most catastrophic typhoon in Taiwan on record. The MM5 numerical experiments with and without bogus data assimilation (BDA) were used to investigate the extreme rainfall mechanisms in Taiwan associated with the westbound typhoon. The BDA, based on 4DVAR, helps MM5 to maintain a more consolidated typhoon vortex and better predict the observed track after landfall, thus producing realistic extreme rainfall (about 2400 mm) at the southern and Central Mountain Range (CMR) of Taiwan. Severe rainfall in Taiwan is dominated by the CMR that hence modulates rainfall predictability.Model analyses indicate that the synoptic environment provides low-level preconditioning with large convective available energy (CAPE) in the southwest monsoon conveying belt in conjunction with the cyclonic Morakot. When Morakot passed slowly over north Taiwan, the developing Tropical Storm Goni, originating west of Hong Kong, facilitated the moist southwesterly flow to converge with the northerly cyclonic flow of Morakot. These processes contributed to enhanced rainfall in south Taiwan. In an experiment whereby the Goni vortex was initially deactivated by BDA, the southwesterly prevailing flow, southwest of Taiwan, weakened considerably and shifted southward at a later time, resulting in one-third reduction in total accumulated rainfall in south Taiwan. Conversely, total accumulated rainfall in Taiwan is greatly reduced when the initial Morakot vortex is deactivated. Removal of Taiwan topography results in a significant reduction in total accumulated rainfall by more than 50%, due to lack of orographic lift by the CMR.
The Impact of Corporate Governance on the Performance of Lebanese Banks

This study examines the impact of corporate governance on financial performance of Lebanese banks during five years (from 2006 to 2010). Based on 182 observations, a quantitative method of data analysis was employed to investigate the relevance of corporate governance mechanisms. The first finding reveals a positive impact of independent boards on the performance of Lebanese banks. The research also finds a significant and negative relationship between CEO duality and bank performance. Finally, the paper reveals a positive impact of insider ownership concentration on the return of Lebanese banks indicating the more shares held by insiders, the better the performance. The weaknesses of corporate governance in some Lebanese banks might be compensated by higher insider ownership concentration.
Political communication in a high-choice media environment: a challenge for democracy?

ABSTRACT During the last decennia media environments and political communication systems have changed fundamentally. These changes have major ramifications for the political information environments and the extent to which they aid people in becoming informed citizens. Against this background, the purpose of this article is to review research on key changes and trends in political information environments and assess their democratic implications. We will focus on advanced postindustrial democracies and six concerns that are all closely linked to the dissemination and acquisition of political knowledge: (1) declining supply of political information, (2) declining quality of news, (3) increasing media concentration and declining diversity of news, (4) increasing fragmentation and polarization, (5) increasing relativism and (6) increasing inequality in political knowledge.
Psychometric parameters of the attitude/motivation test battery instrument in a mexican environment

In the last decades, research in the field of language learning has focused on understanding the motivational processes beneath people’s interest in studying a second language (L2). For this reason, the attitude/motivation test battery (AMTB) was created in order to assess motivation towards L2. This questionnaire was adapted to the Mexican environment, nevertheless no validation process was carried out. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Mexican version of AMTB. A sample of 252 University students filled in the questionnaire. After removing 11 items, the instrument showed high internal validity and suitable factorial structure. The final version of the Mexican AMTB, composed by 43 items distributed into 9 dimensions, can be considered a proper instrument for assessing motivation towards L2 in Mexican students.
On the dual graph of Cohen-Macaulay algebras

Given a projective algebraic set X, its dual graph G(X) is the graph whose vertices are the irreducible components of X and whose edges connect components that intersect in codimension one. Hartshorne's connectedness theorem says that if (the coordinate ring of) X is Cohen-Macaulay, then G(X) is connected. We present two quantitative variants of Hartshorne's result: 1) If X is a Gorenstein subspace arrangement, then G(X) is r-connected, where r is the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of X. (The bound is best possible; for coordinate arrangements, it yields an algebraic extension of Balinski's theorem for simplicial polytopes.) 2) If X is a canonically embedded arrangement of lines no three of which meet in the same point, then the diameter of the graph G(X) is not larger than the codimension of X. (The bound is sharp; for coordinate arrangements, it yields an algebraic expansion on the recent combinatorial result that the Hirsch conjecture holds for flag normal simplicial complexes.)
EFFECT OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON GROWTH , YIELD AND EXPORTABLE QUALITY OF CUT

India has an age old tradition of growing flowers for various aspects. Introduction of green house technology for cultivation of cut flowers in India in the recent past years has changed the scenario of Indian floriculture (Ramalingam, 2008). Huge capital investment has been made by the growers for the production of cut flowers meant to be 100 per cent export oriented. Among the cut flowers grown in India primarily for export, rose tops the area grown under protected conditions (Arun, 1999). Though roses occupy the top places in all international cut flower markets, competitions are very intensive where quality plays a priority role. A fierce competition exists in the international flower market, where Indian roses suffer from poor prices due improper pre and post harvest handling techniques (Patel et al., 2007). The causes of this low quality can be primly attributed to non-adoption of scientific management practices namely; low quality planting material, improper nutritional and plant protection practices and lack of technical knowledge regarding the various crop regulation and post harvest practices (Sharma et al., 2001). The optimum quality for export of cut roses can be achieved by adopting proper pre and post harvest handling techniques (Chakradhar and Khiratkar, 2003; Hashemabadi and Zarchini, 2010).
High ‐ value human resource management practices and organisational performance : An exploratory study

This paper investigates the relative importance and effectiveness of “high value” human resource management (HRM) practices used by Australian listed companies. The preliminary findings indicate that the most effective high‐value HRM practices involved those dealing with internal promotion on the basis of merit, employee participation in decisions and information sharing, a cooperative and trustful climate, extensiveness in the employee selection process, opportunity and variety in employee training, and individual compensation schemes. This appears to fit with current HRM thinking which emphasises merit‐based schemes, and employee participation in decision‐making within the context of HRM leadership that emphasises values directed toward development of others rather than self‐serving management and stakeholder objectives. The study also found that employee appraisal systems and training were correlated with both return on investment and lower turnover, whereas communication and long‐ term focus, and equity and fairness in selection and promotion were correlated with lower turnover. The results suggest that businesses which emphasise these high‐value HRM practices are more likely to improve organisational performance. This may have implications for transformational leadership approaches to HRM that endeavour to improve performance through creating a culture that is conducive to spiritual growth based on appropriate individual and collective “corporate family” values, attitudes and beliefs.
A Matrix Model for Non-Abelian Quantum Hall States

We propose a matrix quantum mechanics for a class of non-Abelian quantum Hall states. The model describes electrons which carry an internal SU(p) spin. The ground states of the matrix model include spin-singlet generalisations of the Moore-Read and Read-Rezayi states and, in general, lie in a class previously introduced by Blok and Wen. The effective action for these states is a U(p) Chern-Simons theory. We show how the matrix model can be derived from quantisation of the vortices in this Chern-Simons theory and how the matrix model ground states can be reconstructed as correlation functions in the boundary WZW model.
Measurement of Particulate n-alkanes and PAHs Inside and Outside a Temple in Xiamen, China

Total suspended particles samples inside and outside the South Pu-Tuo Temple (SPT), a traditional Buddhist temple in Xiamen, China were collected and further analyzed for n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the periods of worship. It was observed that the concentrations of particulate n-alkanes at SPT were abnormally higher compared to the surrounding bus terminus and campus. In addition, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) equivalent concentrations at SPT (7.1-26.3 ng/m^3) were significantly higher than those at the bus terminus (5.1-6.9 ng/m^3) although the PAH concentrations were comparable. The hazard potential of PAHs in terms of the carcinogenicity of BaP inside SPT is not acceptable because the indoor air quality standard of BaP recommended by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China is 1 ng/m^3 (daily mean). Ratios of fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene, indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene to indeno [1,2,3-cd] pyrene plus benzo [g,h,i]perylene and 1,7-DMP (dimethylphenanthrene) to 2,6-DMP plus 1,7-DMP were further calculated; the values of these three together with the ratio of retene to phenanthrene separated the SPT samples from the bus terminus samples, in that SPT samples showed a strong influence of wood burning (such as bamboo sticks, stick coatings, and joss paper).
Acculturation, Religiosity, and Ethnicity Predict Mothers’ Causal Beliefs About Separation Anxiety Disorder and Preferences for Help-Seeking

This study examined causal beliefs about separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and preferences for help-seeking among 117 Indian American, Puerto Rican, and European American mothers. Mothers completed measures of acculturation and strength of religious faith (SORF) and, after reading vignettes describing SAD, made judgments about the etiology of symptoms and the likelihood of various forms of help-seeking for youth SAD symptoms. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that acculturation to mainstream American culture and SORF predicted mothers’ causal beliefs and preferences for help-seeking. In addition, Puerto Rican mothers were more likely than European American mothers to attribute symptoms to medical causes after accounting for cultural variables. Results highlight the importance of examining cultural constructs that contribute to ethnic group differences. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
Robust Portfolio Choice with Ambiguity and Learning About Return Predictability

We analyze the optimal stock-bond portfolio under both learning and ambiguity aversion. Stock returns are predictable by an observable and an unobservable predictor, and the investor has to learn about the latter. Furthermore, the investor is ambiguity-averse and has a preference for investment strategies that are robust to model misspecifications. We derive a closed-form solution for the optimal robust investment strategy. We find that both learning and ambiguity aversion impact the level and structure of the optimal stock investment. Suboptimal strategies resulting either from not learning or from not considering ambiguity can lead to economically significant losses.
Activity-dependent bidirectional regulation of terminal neuronal maturation in the adult hippocampus

9 INTRODUCTION . 10 RESULTS . 11 DISCUSSION . 21 Chapter 2: Alteration of excitation/inhibition balance bidirectionally regulates maturataion of granule cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocmpus ABSTRACT . 23. 23 INTRODUCTION . 24 RESULTS . 25 DISCUSSION . 35 Chapter 3: Involvement of mature granule cell dematurataion in the adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus ABSTRACT . 37. 37 INTRODUCTION . 38 RESULTS . 39 DISCUSSION . 48 CONCLUSIONS . 50 MATERIALS AND METHODS . 52 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 64 REFERENCES . 65
Comparison of the Effects of Transcervical Ccatheter, Laminaria and Isosorbide Mononitrate on Cervical Ripening

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cervical ripening plays a pivotal role in successful induction of labor. Considering the importance of vaginal delivery, numerous methods have been proposed to ripen the cervix before proceeding with labor induction. This study aimed to compare the effects of transcervical catheter, Laminaria, and Isosorbide mononitrate on cervical ripening. METHODS: This clinical study was conducted at Kosar Teaching Hospital of Qazvin, Iran on 75 singleton nulliparous women with gestational age of ≥39 weeks and Bishop score of less than four. Participants were randomly divided into three groups of transcervical catheter, Laminaria, and isosorbide mononitrate. In the first group, oxytocin was administered after the spontaneous discharge of catheter, and immediately after obtaining the Bishop score of >4 in the other groups. The following parameters were recorded and compared between the study groups: interval between the time of labor induction and cervical ripening, Bishop score at the time of induction, interval between oxytocin administration and full cervical dilation, duration of the second and third labor phases, mode of delivery, and maternal and neonatal complications (IRCT: 2014012616368N1). FINDINGS: In this study, mean duration of cervical ripening was 150±42.42 minutes in the catheter group, 337.77±99.38 minutes in the Laminaria group, and 732.63±105.03 minutes in the isosorbide mononitrate group (p=0.001). Bishop scores at the time of labor induction and during the interval between induction and full cervical dilation were significantly lower in the transcervical catheter group (p=0.001). Moreover, no significant differences were observed between the study groups in terms of the duration of the second and third labor phases, mode of delivery, and maternal and neonatal complications. CONCLUSION: According to results of this study, use of transcervical catheter led to the improvement of the Bishop score and reduced length of labor phases.
Capillary surfaces in wedge domains

We consider capillary surfaces u(x, y) in a vertical tube whose sections contain a corner (wedge) with opening 2, 0<2 < 2 , and with contact angle data 1, 2 on the adjacent sides. We interpret geometrically and improve conditions of Lancaster and Siegel on criteria for boundedness of solutions. In the case that the solutions are unbounded we give growth estimates and in the classical case of downward gravity field a power representation asymptotic to any prescribed order. The coefficients of this expansion are independent of the particular solution considered.
In Vitro Antioxidant Activity and Nitric Oxide Scavenging Activity of Citrullus Lanatus Seeds.

Citrullus lanatus (water melon) is a commonly consumed fruit worldwide . The seeds are often thrown away without considering its potential nutritional and medicinal benefits. In this study, a methanol extract of citrullus lanatus seeds was analyzed for the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites and to determine its ability to scavenge 2, 2? diphenyl ? 1? picrylhydrazyl (DPPH . ) radical, superoxide anion radical (O 2 . ? ), and nitric oxide radical (NO . ). Quantitative phytochemical analysis was done spectrophotometrically using standard methods. The result showed that the total phenol concentration was 0.96 ± 0.12 mg RE and flavonoid was 9.96 ± 0.86 mg GAE. The extract showed a potent DPPH radical scavenging activity by changing the extract spots from purple to yellow on the thin layer chromatographic (TLC) plate. At the concentration of 1000 µg/ml the extract had its maximum inhibition of 93.85 ± 4.73 % compared to that of ascorbate (95.70 ± 1.71 %). The extract also had a good O 2 - anion radical scavenging ability with IC 50 = 44.65 ± 3.21 µg/mL compared to rutin (IC 50 = 12.01 ± 2.59 ? g/mL). In the 5 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP) only medium the levels of nitrite and hence nitric oxide (NO . ) was significantly higher (p<0.05) at every time interval compared to the observed levels in the presence of the citrullus lanatus seed extract. This therefore suggests that the citrullus lanatus seed could be a good source of antioxidants to ameliorate conditions in diseases whose pathogenesis implicates oxidative stress. Key w ords ; Citrullus lanatus, oxidative stress, antioxidants,Scavenging activity,Metabolites.