Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ro 32-3555, an orally active collagenase selective inhibitor, prevents structural damage in the STR/ORT mouse model of osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of a selective inhibitor of collagenases in an animal model of osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS Ro 32-3555, an orally active collagenase selective inhibitor, was administered to STR/ORT mice. Microfocal x-ray-generated images of the hind limbs were visually scored for joint space narrowing, osteophyte formation, and calcification of tendons. Histologic sections of the knees were scored for cartilage changes including loss of surface matrix, fibrillation, and eburnation. RESULTS Significant inhibition of joint space narrowing and osteophyte formation was achieved in groups of animals treated with 10-50 mg/kg(-1) of Ro 32-3555. These effects were confirmed histologically in the same groups of animals: histologic analysis revealed that Ro 32-3555 protected cartilage from degradative changes. CONCLUSION Ro 32-3555, a collagenase selective inhibitor, inhibits both the cartilage and bone changes in this mouse model of OA, and thus shows great potential as a treatment of OA in humans.
The fun semantic differential scales

In this paper, we report on our experience developing an evaluation tool called the Fun Semantic Differential Scales (FSDS). The FSDS has been developed for use with and by very young children (3 to 5 years old) to express their feelings when interacting with computer products. We applied an iterative approach in designing and evaluating early versions before finalising the FSDS. A series of small studies have been conducted in one UK local nursery to investigate and understand how young children respond to all the FSDS versions.
BLOOD VOLUMES IN PREMATURE INFANTS OF DIABETIC AND NON‐DIABETIC MOTHERS, CORRELATED WITH THE TIME OF CLAMPING OF THE UMBILICAL CORD

Newborn infants of diabetic mothers are often seen to develop clinical signs indicative of hypervolaemia. Thus, tachypnoea, tachycardia and plethora are common findings and, in some cases, cardiomegaly may be visualized by X-ray examination. Furthermore, an increased development of the haemopoietic tissue has been demonstrated (5). The present report concerns the blood volume of infants of diabetic mothers, calculated on the basis of direct determination of the blood volume and haematocrit value. The results are compared with those obtained from infants of identical gestational ages and born of non-diabetic mothers, using one and the same technique for the clamping of the umbilical cord. The plasma volume has been found to be lower among infants of diabetic mothers than in those of non-diabetic mothers. An explanation of this finding and the importance of the placental transfusion in relation to the neonatal haemodynamic adaptation will be discussed.
A new calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate.

Calcium sulfate hydrates receive significant attention due to numerous large scale industrial applications. There has been a long debate on the possible existence of two gypsum hemi-hydrate polymorphs, denoted alpha- and beta-CaSO(4). 0.5H(2)O. In this work, a new crystal structure of calcium sulfate hemi-hydrates is presented, denoted beta-CaSO(4). 0.5H(2)O. The structure was solved using powder neutron diffraction data, the space group is P3(1) and the unit cell in a hexagonal setting a = 6.9268(1), c = 12.7565(3) A. The structure has two calcium-oxygen coordination polyhedra: Ca1 is eight coordinated and has Ca-O bond lengths in the range 2.31(3) to 2.89(2) A and Ca2 is nine coordinated and has one Ca-O(water) bond length of 2.43(3) A, and eight Ca-O bonds in the range 2.30(4) to 2.86(4) A. Two sulfate ions have S-O bonds in the range 1.47(3) to 1.49(4) A, and 1.47(3) to 1.50(3) A, respectively. The water molecule forms a hydrogen bond of 2.55(4) A to an oxygen atom in one of the sulfate ions. The structure of the hemi-hydrate beta-CaSO(4). 0.5H(2)O has one-dimensional channels running parallel to the c-axis where the water molecules are located. This relates the structures of alpha- and beta-CaSO(4). 0.5H(2)O and soluble anhydrite AIII-CaSO(4), which all have similar channel structures. The water molecules in the structure of beta-CaSO(4). 0.5H(2)O are packed in the channels with a three fold (3(1)) symmetry in a different way as compared to the pseudo hexagonal found in the structure of alpha-CaSO(4). 0.5H(2)O.
Clinical scaphoid score (CSS) to identify scaphoid fracture with MRI in patients with normal x-ray after a wrist trauma

Introduction The aim of this study was to compare a combination of three commonly used tests to identify scaphoid fractures with MRI in patients with normal x-ray after a wrist trauma. Patients and methods This prospective MRI study included patients between 18 years and 49 years, who attended the Emergency Department, Bergen, Norway after sustaining an acute wrist trauma within the previous week. Initial x-rays of the wrist were normal. MRI was done within a median of 1 day after the trauma. The study period lasted 1 year. The patients were examined with three commonly used clinical scaphoid tests; tenderness in the anatomical snuffbox with the wrist in ulnar deviation (3 points), tenderness over the scaphoid tubercle (2 points) and pain upon longitudinal compression of the thumb (1 point). The clinical scaphoid score (CSS) is a sum of these points, which was compared with MRI verified fracture of the scaphoid. Results We included 154 patients with wrist sprain and normal x-rays; 13 had occult scaphoid fracture. A CSS of 4 or more was the only statistically significant ‘cut-off’ value to identify occult scaphoid fractures (p<0.05). Diagnostic sensitivity increased with more experienced Emergency Department doctors. Conclusions If a patient with wrist pain after injury and normal x-ray has a CSS≥4 (pain in the anatomical snuffbox in addition to pain at scaphoid tubercle or longitudinal compression or both) we recommend MRI. A CSS <4 has a negative predictive value of 96%, which makes scaphoid fracture unlikely.
Blockchain-Based ICOs: Pure Hype or the Dawn of a New Era of Startup Financing?

This study explores the determinants of initial coin offering (ICO) success, where success is defined as the amount of capital a project could raise. ICOs are a tool for startups in the blockchain ecosystem to raise early capital with relative ease. The market for ICOs has grown at a rapid pace since its start in 2013. We analyze a unique dataset of 278 projects that finished their ICOs by August 2017 to assess determinants of funding success that we derive from the crowdfunding and venture capital literature. Our results show that ICOs exhibit similarities to classical crowdfunding and venture capital markets. Specifically, we identify resemblances in determinants of funding success regarding human capital characteristics, business model quality, project elaboration, and social media activity.
Frequency of group a rotavirus in piglet stool samples from non-vaccinated Brazilian pig herds

ABSTRACT Neonatal diarrhea is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in piglets, and it leads to significant economic losses for pig farmers worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of diagnosis, age group, and association of group A rotavirus (GARV) infection with diarrhea in piglets from pig herds in two (south and center-west)Brazilian geographical regions. The frequency of GARV diagnosis was evaluated between 2004 and 2007, using SS-PAGE on 681 fecal samples (428 diarrheic and 253 with normal consistency) from 1-4 week-old piglets. The animals were selected from 130 pig herds and 80 counties in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Parana, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Mato Grosso, Brazil. None of the herds were vaccinated against porcine GARV. Rotaviruses with the typical GARV electrophoretic pattern was identified in 193 (28.3%) fecal samples, and of these, 157 (81.3%) were diarrheic (p=0.001). Porcine GARV infection was identified in animals from all age groups evaluated, and the highest infection rate (54.7%; p=0.001) occurred in diarrheic piglets between 21 and 28 days of age. Diarrheic feces from 1-7 day-old piglets also had a high rate of rotavirus presence (32.3%), suggesting a failure in passive immunity. The high rate of porcine GARV infection in all geographical regions studied demonstrates the involvement of rotavirus in the etiology of neonatal diarrhea in Brazilian pig herds. This study highlights the importance of GARV infection for pig raising and the need of control and prophylactic measures for porcine rotavirus infection, including vaccination in the main areas of pork production in Brazil. Key words: piglet, neonatal diarrhea, group A rotavirus, SS-PAGE
Morphological Studies of Stomoxys spp. (Diptera: Muscidae) in Central Thailand

Morphological characteristics of Stomoxys spp. were studied and recorded for the first time in Thailand. Specimens were collected in central Thailand at Nakhon Pathom, Kanchanaburi and Saraburi Province, using Vavoua traps and sweep net. It was found that Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) was the most commonly abundant species, followed by Stomoxys sitiens Rondani, Stomoxys indica Picard and Stomoxys bengalensis Picard. Externall morphological characteristics and male genitalia of each species were described and illustrated.
Automatic Friction Identification and Compensation with a Self-Adapting Dual Relay

Abstract The application of a dual relay feedback approach towards the identification of frictional effects in servo-mechanisms will be presented in this paper. The friction model, thus identified, will consist of Coulomb (including possibly directional Coulomb or load bias) and viscous friction components, both of which can be automatically extracted from suitably designed relay experiments. At the same time, from the same experiments, the dynamical model of the servomechanical system can be obtained from the experiments. These models will be directly useful in the design of the feedback controller and the friction compensator. Results from simulation and experiments are presented to illustrate the practical appeal of the proposed method.
Markovian Queueing Network Models for Performance Analysis of a Single-Bus Multiprocessor System

An exact solution for the performance analysis of a typical single-bus multiprocessor system is presented. The multiprocessor system is modeled by a Markovian queueing network. An r-stage hypoexponential distribution or an r-stage hyperexponential distribution is used to represent the nonexponential service times. Consequently, the equilibrium probabilities of two-dimensional Markov chains are expressed by simple recurrence relations. Processing efficiency is used as the primary measure of performance. To investigate the effects of different service time distributions on system performance, comparative results are obtained for a large set of input parameters. The numerical results illustrate that processing efficiency attains its maximum value for a constant (deterministic) service time; if service time of common memory is hypoexponentially distributed, then approximating the service time by an exponential distribution produces less than 6% error on the system performance. >
Public Procurement in the Health Services: Application, Compliance and Challenges

Public procurement is a strategic partner in achieving the public good. The purpose of the study was to examine the public procurement in the health services. A mixed method approach through the survey with Pearson Correlation and Kendall Coefficient of Concordance aided the analysis of the study. The study found that training enhanced the application knowledge whereas documentation verification was a key compliance modality. The bureaucracy was a challenge while the Medical Superintendent and the hospital Administrator were the officers for policy approval and supervision of the Public Procurement Act. The paper suggests the need for regular training of staff and stronger stakeholder participation in the procurement processes.
Does Size Matter for IPO Survival? Empirical Evidence from India

This article examines the effect of size of new issues on their survival profile in the aftermarket. The relationship between the probability of delisting and the time duration of initial public offerings (IPOs) on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is tested using logistic regression and parametric survival analysis models. The models take a range of information concerning offering, market and corporate specific characteristics as well to explore the outcome of IPOs on the trading exchange. The analysis of Kaplan–Meier curves provides insight about how size matters in determining the survival and hazard trend of IPO in the aftermarket. Overall, the study reveals that issues with large size exhibits more market confidence as well as ability to withstand the rough market situations in the aftermarket, and hence, they survive longer in the market. The analysis of other variables shows a positive influence of age, lead manager’s reputation and IPO demand, whereas negative influence of risk, list delay, underpricing, market level and IPO activity on the survival probability as well as duration of IPOs in the aftermarket. Further, the survival prospects are analysed across several industrial sectors as well. The present study provides useful insight to several parties associated with IPOs, such as investors, issuers, creditors and regulators, who can utilize this information for taking rational decisions.
Structure-Function Relationship of Atg12, a Ubiquitin-Like Modifier Essential for Autophagy

Atg12, a post-translational modifier, is activated and conjugated to Atg5 by a ubiquitin-like conjugation system, though it has no obvious sequence homology to ubiquitin. The Atg12-Atg5 conjugate is essential for autophagy, an intracellular bulk degradation process. Here, we show that the carboxyl-terminal region of Atg12 that is predicted to fold into a ubiquitin-like structure is necessary and sufficient for both conjugation and autophagy, which indicates that the domain essential for autophagy resides in the ubiquitin-fold region. We further show that two hydrophobic residues within the ubiquitin-fold region are important for autophagy: mutation at Y149 affects conjugate formation catalyzed by Atg10, an E2-like enzyme, while mutation at F154 has no effect on Atg12-Atg5 conjugate formation but its hydrophobic nature is essential for autophagy. In response to the F154 mutation, Atg8-PE conjugation, the other ubiquitin-like conjugation in autophagy, is severely reduced and autophagosome formation fails. Gel filtration analysis suggests that F154 plays a critical role in the assembly of a functional Atg12-Atg5? Atg16 complex that is requisite for autophagosome formation.
Connecting the poor: the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa

Purpose The increased adoption of internet-enabled phones in Africa has caused much speculation and optimism concerning its effects on financial inclusion. Policymakers, the media and various studies have all flaunted the potentials of internet and mobile phones for financial inclusion. An important question therefore is “Can the internet and mobile phones spur the inclusion of the financially excluded poor? This study therefore aims to examine the relationship and causality between internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa for the 2000-2016 period. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis followed these three steps: examination of the stationarity of the variables; testing for the cointegration; and evaluation of the effects of the internet and mobile phones on financial inclusion in Africa for the 2000-2016 period using three outcomes of panel FMOLS approach and Granger causality tests. Findings The empirical evidence shows that internet and mobile phones have significant positive relationship with financial inclusion, meaning that rising levels of internet and mobile phones are associated with increased financial inclusion. There is also uni-directional causality from internet and mobile phones to financial inclusion, implying that internet and mobile phones cause financial inclusion. The study also shows that macroeconomic factors such as capital formation, primary enrollment, bank credit, broad money, population growth, remittances, agriculture and interest rate, as well as institutional factors such as regulatory quality are important underlying factors for financial inclusion in Africa. Originality/value In the literature, there is a dearth of research on the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion, especially in Africa. Most of the related studies are conceptual and micro-based, with little empirical attention to the relationship and causality between internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion. In fact, this dearth of rigorous empirical studies has been attributed as the main cause of inadequate policy guidance in enhancing information communication technologies (Roycroft and Anantho, 2003), despite saturation levels in developed economies. This study fills the gap by evaluating the effects of the Internet and mobile phones on financial inclusion for 44 African countries for the 2000-2016 period.
Full-length tropomyosin-related kinase B expression in the brainstem in response to persistent inflammatory pain

Supraspinal descending pathways from the periaqueductal gray and rostral ventromedial medulla dynamically modulate nociceptive transmission in the spinal dorsal horn. We examined the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor receptor trkB in response to inflammation. No difference was observed in the number of neurons expressing trkB in the periaqueductal gray or rostral ventromedial medulla 3 h after inflammation; however, by 24 h, there was a significant increase in trkB expression in the periaqueductal gray (P<0.05) and rostral ventromedial medulla (P<0.05), compared with naïve levels, which persisted to 7 days and returned to naïve levels by 21 days. These results demonstrate a temporal increase in the number of cells expressing trkB in response to persistent inflammation, suggesting a role for trkB signaling in activity-dependent plasticity in the pain modulatory circuitry.
A Study of Prevalence of Diabetes and Prediabetes in Patients of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Impact of Diabetes on Liver Histology in Coastal Eastern India

Background and Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is more common in diabetic patients. There are limited studies on clinical, biochemical and histological features of NAFLD patients who are diabetic. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in a cohort of NAFLD patients and to compare anthropometry, biochemical and metabolic parameters and hepatic histology of diabetic NAFLD patients with non-diabetic NAFLD patients. Methods: 515 consecutive NAFLD patients diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound and 100 healthy controls were subjected to detailed anthropometric measurements and biochemical assays including blood sugars, LFT, lipid profile and HOMA. Diabetes and prediabetes were defined according to WHO criteria. Patients were categorized and compared according to the presence or absence of diabetes. Liver biopsy was performed in 240 NAFLD patients and the liver histology was also compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS 16. Results: 124 out of the 515 (24.08%) NAFLD patients were diabetics, 118 out of 515 (22.9%) were pre-diabetics, while only 3 out of 100 controls had impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetic patients were older. NAFLD patients with diabetes had significantly higher waist circumference [98.02 ± 12.01 vs 93.89 ± 8.8, p = 0.000] as compared to the NAFLD patients without diabetes. Fasting blood sugar [124 ± 46.3 vs 90.8 ± 10.2, p = 0.000], triglyceride level [218.4 ± 17.6 vs 192 ± 9, p = 0.03] and HOMA-IR [2.6 ± 0.36 vs 1.84 ± 0.2, p < 0.001] were significantly higher in NAFLD-diabetes group. Hypertension [35% vs 11.7%, p = 0.000] was commoner in diabetic NAFLD patients. Histopathology in the diabetic patients revealed steatosis alone in 34.2% cases, borderline NASH in 31.4% and definite NASH in 34.2%. Fatty change alone was noted in 16.5% cases, borderline NASH in 34.1%, while 49% had definite NASH on liver biopsy of NAFLD patients without diabetes. Fibrosis was noted in 31.4% in diabetic and 27% in non-diabetic patients. IR alone had a linear correlation with necroinflammatory activity. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes is six times more in NAFLD patients than in healthy controls. NAFLD patients with diabetes have higher metabolic risk factors such as large waistline, hypertension, high triglyceride levels and increased insulin resistance. Diabetes or pre diabetes patients per se do not have histologically severe disease, rather insulin resistance play an important role in increasing the severity of the disease.
THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF AWARENESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROCUREMENT MANUAL COMPLIANCE’S BARRIERS AND COST PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Public Procurement Manual (PPM) are the procedural guidelines for executing public procurement practices including construction procurement. Compliance with PPM among construction procurement parties has been facing serious challenges which affects the performance of construction projects especially cost aspect. This study identified fraudulent practices as the major procurement manual compliances’ barriers affecting cost performance of construction projects. The paper examines the mediating effects of awareness on procurement manual compliance’s barriers affecting cost performance. Data was collected from the procurement entities of nine selected Nigerian federal universities. A mediation analysis was performed via bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence interval approach using Process Macro package. The indirect effects obtained was positive and different from zero, and the confidence interval within which the effect occur do not include zero indicating that awareness can mitigate the effects of fraudulent practices been compliance barriers affecting cost performance of construction projects.
Reducing MMF harmonics and core loss effect of non-overlap winding wound rotor synchronous machine (WRSM)

Wound rotor synchronous machines have gained popularity as an alternative to permanent magnet synchronous machines and methods to improve the efficiency of these machines are continuously sought after. At the same time, non-overlap windings have gathered ground because of its associated lower cost and good torque density. However, non-overlap windings are also characterized by relatively high sub and higher order MMF harmonics. Recent research has developed methods to reduce these harmonics and thereby improve machine performance. This paper applies the phase-shifting technique to a non-overlap winding of a wound rotor synchronous machine with an 8/9 combination. Special focus is paid to the effect of the technique on the working and sub harmonics of the combination. A distribution factor is developed for the phase-shifted three-phase winding. The effect of the technique in combination with the use of rotor yoke flux barriers on, amongst others, the core loss is shown.
Factors Determining the Innovation Types of Manufacturing SMEs in India

The objective of this study is to identify the linkage, firm characteristic and R&D variables affecting the innovation types of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India. The study is based on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed by using multinomial logistic regression. The results of the study exhibit that interconnections with government institutions, research institutions, customers and technical institutors are the most significant linkage variables boosting various types of innovations in SMEs. It also identified that the technical background of the entrepreneurs and investments in R&D also has the likelihood of increasing various kinds of innovations in Indian manufacturing SMEs.