Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing a game based persuasive technology to promote pro-environmental behaviour (PEB)

It is generally argued that the current state of degradation to environment is predominantly due to lack of appropriate human behaviour. Members of the civil society are slowly awakening to the ill-effects of inefficient waste disposal and are trying to contribute to the well-being and maintenance of the world we live in. While rules and regulations have been formulated by the governing bodies for segregating waste, efforts in this direction have not translated into a veritable pro-environmental behaviour among citizens. Pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) refers to behaviour that benefits the environment or harms the environment as little as possible. Many social processes and norms exert influence over our behavior. According to a popular thesis on human behaviour, known as the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), an individual's intention towards behavior, subjective norms and perceived control over his/her behaviour together leads to intentions and behavior [1]. School children exhibit a responsibility to induce changes in social norms for environmental friendly behaviours and are also natural early adopters of technology in this endeavor. We explore the use of persuasive technologies where behaviour-oriented design techniques are employed to change behaviors of users through persuasion and social influence. In this paper, we propose an approach for designing persuasive technologies for stoking pro-environmental behaviour and initiating waste segregation at source.
The translocation-associated tox1 locus of Cochliobolus heterostrophus is two genetic elements on two different chromosomes.

Previously, Tox1 was defined as a single genetic element controlling the difference between races of Cochliobolus heterostrophus: race T is highly virulent on T-cytoplasm corn and produces the polyketide T-toxin; race O is weakly virulent and does not produce T-toxin. Here we report that Tox1 is two loci, Tox1A and Tox1B, on two different chromosomes. Evidence for two loci derives from: (1) the appearance of 25% Tox+ progeny in crosses between induced Tox1(-) mutants, one defective at Tox1A, the other at Tox1B; (2) the ability of Tox1A- + Tox1B- heterokaryons to complement for T-toxin production; and (3) electrophoretic karyotypes proving that Tox1(-) mutations are physically located on two different chromosomes. Data showing Tox1 as a single genetic element are reconciled with those proving it is two loci by the fact that Tox1 is inseparably linked to the breakpoints of a reciprocal translocation; the translocation results in a four-armed linkage group. In crosses where the translocation is heterozygous (i.e., race T by race O), all markers linked to the four-armed intersection appear linked to each other; in crosses between induced Tox1(-) mutants, complications due to the translocation are eliminated and the two loci segregate independently.
Model for measuring customer loyalty towards a service provider

The paper aims to create a valid model for measuring customer loyalty towards a service provider. Principal solutions for designing a model of loyalty measurement have emerged from the clarified role of customer loyalty and evaluation problems. The worked out solutions include selecting a proper concept (1), loyalty specification (2), determining a period necessary for loyalty measurement (3), differentiation of loyalty measurement depending on accessible data (4) and measuring a stage of loyalty (5). The conducted research referred to an example of a catering company, thus adopting an original mathematical model for the empirical measurement of customer loyalty. The obtained results have revealed that the loyalty of the customers of the investigated service provider is of an intermediate level. The findings have also showed the superiority of the proposed model for measuring the state of customer loyalty and for obtaining better solutions to the development of customer loyalty in the service industry.
Gait recognition: a challenging signal processing technology for biometric identification

This article provides an overview of the basic research directions in the field of gait analysis and recognition. The recent developments in gait research indicate that gait technologies still need to mature and that limited practical applications should be expected in the immediate future. At present, there is a potential for initial deployment of gait for recognition in conjunction with other biometrics. However, future advances in gait analysis and recognition - an open, challenging research area - are expected to result in wide deployment of gait technologies not only in surveillance, but in many other applications as well. This article exposes the gait analysis and recognition problem to the signal processing community and it will stimulates the involvement of more researchers in gait research in the future.
Mortality in necrotizing fasciitis.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the mortality rate in patients presenting with Necrotizing Fasciitis. This prospective study was conducted at ward 26, JPMC Karachi over a period of two years from March 2001 to Feb 2003. METHODS All patients above the age of 12 years diagnosed to be having Necrotizing Fasciitis and admitted through the Accident and emergency department were included in this study. After resuscitation, the patients underwent the emergency exploration and aggressive surgical debridement. Post-operatively, the patients were managed in isolated section of the ward. The patients requiring grafting were referred to plastic surgery unit. The patients were followed up in outpatients department for about two years. RESULTS Over all, 25 male and 5 female patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. The common clinical manifestations include redness, swelling, discharging abscess, pain, fever, skin necrosis and foul smelling discharge etc. The most common predisposing factor was Diabetes mellitus whereas the most commonly involved site was perineum. All patients underwent aggressive and extensive surgical debridements. The common additional procedures included Skin grafting, Secondary suturing, Cystostomy and Orchidectomy. Bacteroides and E. coli were the main micro-organisms isolated in this study. Bacteroides was the most common microorganism isolated among the eight patients who died. CONCLUSION Necrotizing Fasciitis is a potentially life threatening emergency condition and carries the mortality rate of about 26.6%. The major contributing factors to increase the mortality missed initially diagnosed, old age, diabetes mellitus truncal involvement and late presentation. Anorectal involvement of disease carry worse prognosis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and proper use of unprocessed honey reduced the mortality rate.
Mucous membrane pemphigoid: recent advances

Purpose of review This review article summarizes the recent literature in regards to advancements in the diagnosis and management of mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) published in the English literature since May 2011. Recent findings MMP is an uncommon, subepithelial blistering conjunctivitis that is commonly associated with vision loss. Distinct subgroups of MMP have recently been identified using advanced immunohistochemical techniques. Antiepiligrin MMP has been described as a distinct entity with a relationship to certain solid organ malignancies. There is evidence that conventional immunomodulators such as mycophenolate mofetil and biologics such as rituximab are effective in halting disease progression. Unfortunately, the majority of patients at presentation to tertiary centers already have advanced disease. Novel regenerative techniques such as stem cell therapy as well as traditional surgical approaches such as keratoprosthesis might be required for the restoration of vision in patients with significant corneal scarring. Summary Despite advances in available immunosuppressive treatment regimens, significant ocular morbidity persists possibly secondary to difficulty in diagnosis. Additionally, absence of clinically detectable inflammation in a significant proportion of patients causes delay in the treatment and leads to progressive scarring. Surgical management of the complications of MMP remains challenging, with high failure rates over long-term follow-up.
Determinants of Child Labour Participation: Review of Issues and Implications for Policy

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates the number of working children in the world in the age group of 5–14 years to be 250 million. In this article, we have discussed the various determinants of child labor in developing countries and its effects on a child's overall long-term development. Though, there are many non poverty factors contributing to child labor, but poverty has still been found to be the primary factor behind child labor. We have also proposed various policy measures for decision makers to tackle the problem of child labor effectively.
High-Current Pulsed Vacuum-Arc Evaporator for Surface-Alloying Technologies

Plasma sources based on vacuum-arc discharge have a big disadvantage due to the high fraction of droplets in plasma flow produced during the operation of cathode spots. To avoid droplets, various kinds of curved magnetic filters are used. We have suggested one more approach to reduce the droplet content in an arc-discharge plasma basing on the intense evaporation of droplets caused by the ignition of ldquodroplet spotsrdquo in a discharge cell. A Penning-type arc discharge provides favorable conditions for the ignition and operation of droplet spots. In such a cell, a uniform plasma column is formed, whose temperature and density are much higher than those of a usual vacuum arc at the same discharge current. A further increase in energy density in the plasma of a reflective-discharge cell could be achieved by means of both the increase in discharge current and B-field optimization. This paper presents the results of the development and characterization of the pulsed plasma-source model combining a well-known high-current vacuum-arc evaporator with a Penning discharge cell. It has been recognized that the ion-current amplitude at the source output is as high as 800 A, plasma density is as high as 1014 cm-3, and electron temperature range is 6-8 eV. Those conditions lead to an intensive evaporation of droplets on the fly. The copper film-deposition rate was measured to be at 1.5 nm/pulse, which corresponds to an instantaneous deposition rate of 2000 nm/s. The first results of the use of the evaporator for surface alloying are also presented.
The Transmembrane Domains of the ABC Multidrug Transporter LmrA Form a Cytoplasmic Exposed, Aqueous Chamber within the Membrane*

The ABC multidrug transporter LmrA ofLactococcus lactis consists of six putative transmembrane segments (TMS) and a nucleotide binding domain. LmrA functions as a homodimer in which the two membrane domains form the solute translocation path across the membrane. To obtain structural information of LmrA a cysteine scanning accessibility approach was used. Cysteines were introduced in the cysteine-less wild-type LmrA in each hydrophilic loop and in TMS 6, and each membrane-embedded aromatic residue was mutated to cysteine. Of the 41 constructed single cysteine mutants, only one mutant, L301C, was not expressed. Most single-cysteine mutants were capable of drug transport and only three mutants, F37C, M299C, and N300C, were inactive, indicating that none of the aromatic residues in the transmembrane regions of LmrA are crucial for substrate binding or transport. Modification of the active mutants with N-ethylmaleimide blocked the transport activity in five mutants (S132C, L174C, S206C, S234C, and L292C). All cysteine residues in external and internal loops were accessible to fluorescein maleimide. The labeling experiments also showed that this thiol reagent cannot cross the membrane under the conditions used and confirmed the presence of six TMSs in each monomeric half of the transporter. Surprisingly, several single cysteines in the predicted TMSs could also be labeled by the bulky fluorescein maleimide molecule, suggesting unrestricted accessibility via an aqueous pathway. The periodicity of fluorescein maleimide accessibility of residues 291 to 308 in TMS 6 showed that this membrane-spanning α-helix has one face of the helix exposed to an aqueous cavity along its full-length. This finding, together with the solvent accessibility of 11 of 15 membrane-embedded aromatic residues, indicates that the transmembrane domains of the LmrA transporter form, under nonenergized conditions, an aqueous chamber within the membrane, which is open to the intracellular milieu.
The relative contribution of outcome domains in the total economic benefit of addiction interventions: a review of first findings.

AIMS This paper provides a focused summary of the relative contribution of addiction intervention outcomes to total economic benefit, based upon a compilation of published economic studies from the United States. DESIGN The relevant literature was searched extensively, and 11 economic studies were selected for review. SETTING The selected addiction interventions address both alcohol use/abuse and illicit drug use/abuse and represent various treatment modalities, including a brief physician intervention and long-term residential programs. PARTICIPANTS Study participants included community-based drug users, pregnant and/or parenting women, problem drinkers, and criminal offenders. MEASUREMENTS These studies estimated the economic benefits of an addiction intervention(s) in terms of one or more of the following outcome domains: criminal activity, health services utilization, employment earnings, and expenditures on illicit drugs and alcohol. FINDINGS The primary finding of this review was that avoided criminal activity was the greatest economic benefit of addiction interventions and contributed more, as a separate outcome domain, to the total economic benefit of addiction interventions than any other outcome domain. Reduced utilization of health care services was also a noteworthy economic benefit of addiction interventions. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a detailed exposition of economic benefits estimation and highlights the potential impact of individual outcomes, thus providing a useful resource for substance abuse researchers and administrators as they design and evaluate future interventions.
Shunt surgery for hydrocephalus complicating cryptococcal meningitis in human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients.

From 1988 through 2001, 27 patients with cryptococcal meningitis who had hydrocephalus were identified and were treated by placement of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. To assess the predictive value of the response to VP shunts in terms of outcome in these patients, univariate analysis for variables was performed. Poor outcome was associated with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of <or=8 (P<.001) and duration of altered consciousness of >48 h (P=.02). Use of VP shunts did not result in a good response or outcome in comatose patients. Thus, any delay in the diagnosis or treatment of patients with hydrocephalus could cause a deterioration of consciousness and is associated with poor outcome.
Cost Effectiveness of Risk Management Practices

Despite the increasing importance of risk management in a successful business organization, virtually no research has been undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of various risk management practices. Through analysis of data obtained from a survey of risk management professionals, such an evaluation has been made and is reported here. Results include the expected effects of lower costs associated with higher levels of retention, increased size, and less risky industries. The relationship of higher costs with the use of a captive, and the ineffectiveness of centralization or use of analytical tools were unexpected.
Prevention Of Chronic Rejection And Graft Arteriosclerosis By Tolerance Induction

Chronic rejection is a major cause of graft failure in solid organ transplants after the first year. A characteristic lesion in a variety of chronically rejecting organs is a fibrointimal proliferative arteriosclerosis. It has been speculated that approaches to tolerance induction may be effective in obviating not only acute, but also chronic, rejection. A picture of chronic rejection develops naturally in heart grafts transplanted from the Lewis-to-F-344 strain of rat. We examined whether tolerance induction by bone marrow transplantation and development of hematopoietic chimerism or tolerance induction by intrathymic inoculation of alloantigen could effectively prevent chronic rejection in an established model of chronic rejection. Bone marrow chimeras were developed in F-344 hosts by transplantation of T cell-depleted allogeneic marrow (TCD A BMT). Another set of F-344 hosts was inoculated with intrathymic allogeneic bone marrow cells. Heart grafts in these animals demonstrated tolerance for 120 days after transplantation. Control F-344 animals treated with a short course of cyclosporine consistently developed chronic rejection by 120 days following heart transplantation. Strikingly absent from the tolerant animals was any sign of graft arteriosclerosis, which was demonstrated in the vast majority of control animals. Analysis of cytokine mRNA profiles at 30 days following heart transplantation demonstrated differences between control and tolerant animals. These results suggest that tolerance induction can effectively prevent chronic rejection.
Natural history of growth hormone receptor deficiency

Rosenbloom AL, Martinez V, Kranzier JH, Bachrach LK, Rosenfeld RG, Guevara‐Aguirre J. Natural history of growth hormone receptor deficiency. Acta Pædiatr 1999; Suppl 428: 153–6. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5326
The prognostic role of E‐cadherin and β‐catenin overexpression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) consists of a rapid and reversible change in the cellular phenotype toward the mesenchymal cell phenotype that facilitates cell migration and invasion of the tumor into surrounding tissues followed by metastasis. In the present study, we sought to determine the clinical significance of E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin, β‐catenin, α‐catenin, γ‐catenin, caveolin‐1, and vimentin in a cohort of patients with stage I to IVA laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) treated with surgery with or without adjuvant therapy using immunohistochemical analyses.
Optimal Consumption with a Stochastic Income Stream and Two Interest Rates

An individual's choice between consumption and investment is very complex and simplifications must be introduced in every model building. A common simplification is the elimination of uncertainty from the model by replacing random variables by their expected values, since in general the deterministic case is much simpler than its probabilistic counterpart. Examples of such random variables are future labor incomes and investment returns. Another type of simplification is the elimination of variables or opportunities from the model. For example, borrowing may be excluded from the individual's financial opportunities or it may be assumed that there exists only one interest rate, common to borrowers and lenders. A combination of the above attitudes has led to an important result obtained by Mirman [8] and Leland [4] in two period models, and Miller [6] and Mendelson and Amihud [5] in a multiperiod model. They have proved that in the case of one interest rate and additive utility functions, concavity and positive third derivative of the utility functions imply an increase in consumption when going from a random labor income case to its deterministic counterpart. In [5] and [7] this result is extended, and it is shown that consumption also increases when a random sequence of labor income is replaced by a less risky sequence. The importance of the above results is twofold; they supply qualitative knowledge on the impact of increased uncertainty in future labor income on the consumer's decisions, and they give an upper bound on the immediate consumption in probabilistic models. These results can be explained as follows: The assumptions imply convexity of the marginal utility functions which tend therefore to increase when randomness is introduced or increased. Therefore the expected marginal utility of future consumption (related to present savings) increases. This leads to an increased preference for future consumption at the expense of immediate consumption.
DNA binding by MADS-box transcription factors: a molecular mechanism for differential DNA bending

The serum response factor (SRF) and myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) represent two human members of the MADS-box transcription factor family. Each protein has a distinct biological function which is reflected by the distinct specificities of the proteins for coregulatory protein partners and DNA-binding sites. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism of DNA binding utilized by these two related transcription factors. Although SRF and MEF2A belong to the same family and contain related DNA-binding domains, their DNA-binding mechanisms differ in several key aspects. In contrast to the dramatic DNA bending induced by SRF, MEF2A induces minimal DNA distortion. A combination of loss- and gain-of-function mutagenesis identified a single amino acid residue located at the N terminus of the recognition helices as the critical mediator of this differential DNA bending. This residue is also involved in determining DNA-binding specificity, thus indicating a link between DNA bending and DNA-binding specificity determination. Furthermore, different basic residues within the putative recognition alpha-helices are critical for DNA binding, and the role of the C-terminal extensions to the MADS box in dimerization between SRF and MEF2A also differs. These important differences in the molecular interactions of SRF and MEF2A are likely to contribute to their differing roles in the regulation of specific gene transcription.
Immunohistochemical detection of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein in Reed-Sternberg cells and variants of Hodgkin's disease.

A total of 186 specimens of Hodgkin's disease of various histologic types (127 nodular sclerosis, 39 mixed cellularity, 14 lymphocyte predominance, 3 lymphocyte depleted, and 3 unclassified) were evaluated for the presence of latent membrane protein (LMP) and Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-2, two Epstein-Barr virus encoded gene products that appear to play important roles in cell transformation and oncogenesis. Immunoreactivity for LMP was observed in Reed-Sternberg cells and variants of 27/39 (69%) cases of mixed cellularity type, 18/127 (14%) of nodular sclerosis type, 2/3 cases of lymphocyte depleted type, and 1/3 cases of unclassified type. All cases of lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin's disease were nonreactive for LMP. In cases that were reactive for LMP, staining was restricted to Reed-Sternberg cells and variants. Other cells within the proliferation, e.g., lymphocytes, histiocytes, eosinophils, fibroblasts, etc., were nonreactive. The pattern of immunoreactivity for LMP was characterized by strong diffuse cytoplasmic staining, occasionally with membrane accentuation and/or paranuclear staining. Reactivity for LMP was demonstrated in cryostat sections and was also well preserved in paraffin sections of B5- or formalin-fixed tissues. Five of six specimens of Hodgkin's disease (4 mixed cellularity and 2 nodular sclerosis type) that occurred in HIV-positive patients exhibited immunoreactivity for LMP in Reed-Sternberg cells and variants. Cryostat section studies for Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-2 using monoclonal antibody PE-2 failed to reveal staining for 43 cases (26 nodular sclerosis, 12 mixed cellularity, and 5 lymphocyte predominance) after a 2-h incubation with primary antibody. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)