Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ancient Cart-tracks of Malta

The barren hill-tops of Malta are scored in many places by ancient ruts cut deeply into the rock. They can be seen also on the slopes and on the lower plains, but less frequently because these areas are normally under agricultural soil. They always occur in pairs from 52 to 58 inches apart and were quite clearly used by vehicles. They have been discussed in print for 300 years but no agreement has been reached on how, when or why they were made or what vehicles used them. In fact, there are as many theories as there are authors. Of these writers only Captain E. G. Fenton and Professor Sir T. Zammit appear to have done any serious field work, and none has published a map. The present writer, therefore, decided to attempt the laborious task of plotting them, making such other observations and measurements as he could. Zammit, in the paper cited, reproduced some excellent photographs from both the ground and the air, to which the reader is referred. Time did not permit an examination of the whole island and few observations were made in the low-lying south-eastern part. A fairly intensive survey was made of the high ground as far north as the Baida Ridge, which joins the northern shores of Ghain Tuffieha Bay and St. Paul’s Bay. Two portions of the map are reproduced here. Where there are a number of parallel tracks in close proximity they are shown on the map as one on account of the necessarily small scale used. The gaps in the routes are mainly due to cultivated patches, and no attempt has been made to bridge them by conjecture.
Effect of brief daily exercise on headache among adults--secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE This paper investigates secondary outcomes (headache) in a randomized controlled trial with physical exercise among office workers with neck/shoulder pain. METHODS A total of 198 office workers with frequent neck/shoulder pain were randomly allocated to either one of two intervention groups (10 weeks of resistance training with elastic tubing for 2 or 12 minutes per day, 5 times a week) or the control group, which received weekly health information. Secondary outcomes included changes in frequency, intensity, and duration of headache after ten weeks. RESULTS Compared with the control group, headache frequency decreased in the 2- and 12-minute intervention groups [0.64 days/week (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) 0.23-1.0) and 0.79 days/week (95% CI 0.37-1.2), corresponding to a 43% and 56% decrease from baseline, respectively]. Intensity and duration of the remaining headaches were unaffected. CONCLUSIONS Two minutes of daily resistance training for ten weeks reduces headache frequency among office workers with neck/shoulder pain. The vast number of adult workers suffering from one or two days of weekly headaches and who could potentially comply with and benefit from brief exercise programs stresses the applicability of our findings.
Temperature Decision Support for the Sacramento River Background

Background NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) has developed a decision support tool (DST) for temperature management on the Sacramento River below Keswick Dam related to winter‐run Chinook salmon habitat. This DST is based on a physically‐based water temperature model, the River Assessment for Forecasting Temperature (RAFT). This report provides a description of the RAFT model, how it was applied in water management during the 2015 temperature control season, how it is the foundation of the DST, and planned improvements to the DST scheduled to be implemented in 2016‐2017.
Embryonic stem cells: a promising tool for cell replacement therapy

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are revolutionizing the field of developmental biology as a potential tool to understand the molecular mechanisms occurring during the process of differentiation from the embryonic stage to the adult phenotype. ES cells harvested from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the early embryo can proliferate indefinitely in vitro while retaining the ability to differentiate into all somatic cells. Emerging results from mice models with ES cells are promising and raising tremendous hope among the scientific community for the ES‐cell based cell replacement therapy (CRT) of various severe diseases. ES cells could potentially revolutionize medicine by providing an unlimited renewable source of cells capable of replacing or repairing tissues that have been damaged in almost all degenerative diseases such as diabetes, myocardial infarction and Parkinson's disease. This review updates the progress of ES cell research in CRT, discusses about the problems encountered in the practical utility of ES cells in CRT and evaluates how far this approach is successful experimentally.
Investigating the Role of Project Champions in e- Government Integration Initiatives in Local Government Domain

The realisation of technological innovations has often been associated with the presence of a champion who performs the imperative functions of transformational leadership, facilitation, and endorsement of different technical projects. This study investigates the role of project champions in electronic Government (e-Government) integration initiatives in local government domain. In this context, governments across the globe are reforming their e-Government initiatives and progressing towards more integrated transformational Government (t-Government) (e.g. the cases of UK, Norway, and Sweden are a manifestation of such reforms). It is highly acknowledged in the normative literature that integration (i.e. at the data, object and process levels) is a core objective and a critical success factor for achieving a mature level of government – horizontally and vertically. While, there is a surfeit of literature that have outlined the various organisational and technical challenges posed during the implementation of e-Government integration initiatives, the research that examines the role of project champions during such initiatives is rather deficient. The shortage of such research studies presents a knowledge gap that needs to be sanctioned. Project champions possess specific domain knowledge and expertise that are crucial to the success of e-Government integration initiatives. In this regard, the authors empirically examine the dynamic nature and importance of their role, and comprehend why their domain knowledge and expertise are vital for e-Government integration initiatives; from an in-depth multiple case study based research in the local government domain.
Curcumin: an orally bioavailable blocker of TNF and other pro‐inflammatory biomarkers

TNFs are major mediators of inflammation and inflammation‐related diseases, hence, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of blockers of the cytokine, TNF‐α, for the treatment of osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and ankylosis. These drugs include the chimeric TNF antibody (infliximab), humanized TNF‐α antibody (Humira) and soluble TNF receptor‐II (Enbrel) and are associated with a total cumulative market value of more than $20 billion a year. As well as being expensive ($15 000–20 000 per person per year), these drugs have to be injected and have enough adverse effects to be given a black label warning by the FDA. In the current report, we describe an alternative, curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a component of turmeric (Curcuma longa) that is very inexpensive, orally bioavailable and highly safe in humans, yet can block TNF‐α action and production in in vitro models, in animal models and in humans. In addition, we provide evidence for curcumin's activities against all of the diseases for which TNF blockers are currently being used. Mechanisms by which curcumin inhibits the production and the cell signalling pathways activated by this cytokine are also discussed. With health‐care costs and safety being major issues today, this golden spice may help provide the solution.
Autonomic neuropathy : treatment

Autonomic neuropathy has numerous causes, some of them common, such as diabetic autonomic neuropathy, and others rare, such as Fabry disease, but all can produce disabling symptoms. Autonomic neuropathy can affect the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric branches of the autonomic nervous system to variable degrees, causing dysfunction of different organs such as heart, intestinal tract, and urinary bladder. In this article, the authors review the available symptomatic treatments of these dysfunctions, focusing mainly on orthostatic hypotension, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), gastroparesis, bladder hypomotility, and erectile dysfunction. A brief physiological and pathophysiological review and a discussion of available treatments are included for each disease discussed.
A Review of the Relationship between Poverty, Population Growth, and Environment

A discussion is presented on demographic transition that was successfully completed by developed countries, whereas developing countries are still at various stages of this transition. The paper suggests that in developing countries the condition of poverty has a strong influence on population growth rates. The paper presents an analysis regarding approaches followed by different schools of thought on the relationship between population, poverty and the environment. These schools agree that poverty and population growth rates have strong links, but they provide contrasting explanations for this link. As a result of this, they suggest divergent policy options to reach the common goal of sustainable population growth
Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Compositae Plants Growing in Taif Area , Saudi Arabia

Family Compositae (Asteraceae) is one of the largest family of flowering plants. In Taif area KSA, there are 28 plants belonging to 21 genera. In this study, the methanolic extracts of some Compositae plants were tested for their in-vitro anti-microbial activity against different strains of bacteria and fungi, and invitro cytotoxic screening on different human cancer cell lines. The plants of this study are Psiadia punctulata, Osteospermum vaillantii, Echinops spinosissimus, Euryops arabicus, Launaea mucronata, Verbesina encelioides, Pulicaria crispa and Onopordum heteracanthum. The antibacterial assay was performed by disc diffusion method and the cytotoxic activity was achieved against breast (MCF7), ovarian (A2780) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines. The obtained results showed that, Pulicaria crispa, Verbesina encelioides and Psiadia punctulata have the most remarkable antibacterial activity while the other plant extracts were less active. Only the extracts of Pulicaria crispa and Psiadia punctulata exhibited antifungal activity. The cytotoxicity study revealed that Osteospermum vaillantii and Onopordum heteracanthum have a promising cytotoxicity against different cancer cell lines that somehow show some selectivity toward certain cancer cell types.
The Code of Ethics for Professional Rehabilitation Counselors

This article provides an overview of the ethical and professional trends and concerns that led to the formation of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification "Ethics Task Force. " This task force has been charged with rewriting the ethical code for rehabilitation counselors. Historical issues, the Commission's ethics review process, and the present code are briefly analyzed. Procedures used by the task force for revising the code are outlined. Code revisions should serve the profession by guiding ethical and professional practice well into the 21st century.
HUBUNGAN ANTARA PENDAMPING PERSALINAN, UMUR DAN PARITAS IBU HAMIL DENGAN TINGKAT KECEMASAN IBU HAMIL MENJELANG PERSALINAN DI KLINIK KESEHATAN IBU DAN ANAK PUSKESMAS MABELOPURA KECAMATAN PALU SELATAN SULAWESI TENGAH

A bstrak LatarBelakang: Di Dunia, dua ratus juta perempuan hamil dengan berbagai risiko kehamilan dijumpai setiap tahun. Komplikasi yang disebabkan faktor risiko dalam masa kehamilan sebesar 40%, salah satunya adalah kecemasan. Beberapa faktor penyebab kecemasan pada ibu hamil menjelang persalinan adalah usia, paritas, pendamping persalinan dan pengetahuan tentang persalinan. Tujuan: Mengetahui hubungan antara usia, paritas, dan pendamping ibu hamil dengan Tingkat Kecemasan Ibu Hamil Menjelang Persalinan Metode: Desain penelitian adalah cross sectional dengan jumlah subjek sebanyak 59 orang yang dipilih menggunakan accidental sampling. Hasil: Penelitian menunjukan bahwa faktor adanya pendamping persalinan secara statistik mempunyai hubungan bermakna untuk terjadinya kecemasan pada ibu hamil menjelang persalinan (CI 95%, p = 0,000), sedangkan faktor usia dan jumlah paritas secara statistik tidak mempunyai hubungan bermakna (CI 95%, p = 0,378 dan p = 0,115 ) Kesimpulan: Pada ibu hamil menjelang persalinan , pendamping persalinan merupakan faktor risiko untuk terjadinya kecemasan, sedangkan usia dan jumlah paritas ibu tidak merupakan faktor risiko untuk terjadinya kecemasan. Kata kunci : Kecemasan, ibu hamil, Usia, Paritas, Pendamping persalinan
The reliability and minimal detectable change of the cardiovascular response and self-selected exercise intensity during forward and backward treadmill exercise in individuals with Parkinson disease

Objective: This study examined test–retest relative (intraclass correlation coefficient) and absolute (minimum detectable change) reliabilities for heart rate, blood pressure, rate of perceived exertion, and the cerebral oxygen response during both forward and backward treadmill walking in clients with Parkinson disease. In addition, the intensity of exercise based on the individual’s heart rate response during forward and backward walking treadmill work was assessed. Design: Test–retest reliability study. Subjects: A total of 22 clients with Parkinson disease (Hoehn and Yahr stages 1–3). Main measures: Outcome measures of heart rate, blood pressure, and cerebral oxygen response were assessed during forward and backward walking on a treadmill for a total of 20 minutes up to an intensity based on the clients’ prior treadmill work and their rate of perceived exertion. Results: Good to excellent 6–8 day test–retest findings for both forward (intraclass correlation coefficient(2,1), 0.89–0.99) and backward (intraclass correlation coefficient(2,1), 0.82–0.99) treadmill walking were found for heart rate, blood pressure, cerebral oxygen response, and the participants’ rate of perceived exertion. Low minimum detectable change (MDC)95 values were found for heart rate (4.9 and 4.8), rate of perceived exertion (1.0 and 1.6), and cerebral oxygen response (1.2 and 0.92), during forward and backward walking, respectively. All treadmill exercise heart rates attained by participants were within an intensity of 54%–87% of the client’s predicted maximal heart rate. Conclusion: Treadmill exercise training can be included in Parkinson disease exercise programs with relative confidence in test–retest reliability of cardiovascular response. It was also demonstrated that individuals with Parkinson disease previously involved with exercise consistently self-select walking speeds which induce heart rates within recommended guidelines for positive cardiovascular adaptation.
Quorum sensing contributes to activated B cell homeostasis and to prevent autoimmunity

Maintenance of plasma IgM levels is critical for immune system function and homeostasis in humans and mice. However, the mechanisms that control homeostasis of the activated IgM-secreting B cells are unknown. After adoptive transfer into immune-deficient hosts, B-lymphocytes expand poorly but fully reconstitute the pool of natural IgM-secreting cells and circulating IgM levels. By using sequential cell transfers and B cell populations from several mutant mice, we were able to identify novel mechanisms regulating the size of the IgM-secreting B cell pool. Contrary to previous mechanisms described regulating homeostasis, which involve competition for the same niche by cells having overlapping survival requirements, homeostasis of the innate IgM-secreting B cell pool is also achieved when B cells populations are able to monitor the number of activated B cells by detecting their secreted products. Notably, B cell populations are able to assess the density of activated B cells by sensing their secreted IgG. This process involves the Fc{\gamma}RIIB, a low-affinity IgG receptor that is expressed on B cells and acts as a negative regulator of B cell activation, and its intracellular effector the inositol phosphatase SHIP. As a result of the engagement of this inhibitory pathway the number of activated IgM-secreting B cells is kept under control. We hypothesize that malfunction of this quorum-sensing mechanism may lead to uncontrolled B cell activation and autoimmunity.
Refresher corner Cellular changes in atrial fibrillation

Chronic atrial fibrillation represents one of the main risk factors for the occurrence of thromboembolic events. At present it is clear that thrombus formation is triggered, not only by irregular rhythm, but also by reduced intrinsic atrial contractility. Apart from the thromboembolic risk, reduced atrial contractility might contribute to reduced cardiac output in patients with ventricular heart disease. Hence, the clinical importance of atrial dysfunction induced by atrial fibrillation prompts research into the underlying mechanisms involved in reduced atrial contractility that may serve to develop new therapeutic strategies. This review addresses both structural and functional cellular alterations involved in contractile dysfunction associated with chronic atrial fibrillation. Heart Metab. 2006;33:31–34.
A new Escherichia coli cell division gene, ftsK

A mutation in a newly discovered Escherichia coli cell division gene, ftsK, causes a temperature-sensitive late-stage block in division but does not affect chromosome replication or segregation. This defect is specifically suppressed by deletion of dacA, coding for the peptidoglycan DD-carboxypeptidase, PBP 5. FtsK is a large polypeptide (147 kDa) consisting of an N-terminal domain with several predicted membrane-spanning regions, a proline-glutamine-rich domain, and a C-terminal domain with a nucleotide-binding consensus sequence. FtsK has extensive sequence identity with a family of proteins from a wide variety of prokaryotes and plasmids. The plasmid proteins are required for intercellular DNA transfer, and one of the bacterial proteins (the SpoIIIE protein of Bacillus subtilis) has also been implicated in intracellular chromosomal DNA transfer.
MULTIMODAL OPTOSPECTRAL INVESTIGATION OF MELANOCYTIC SKIN LESIONS : A CORRELATION STUDY USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND DERMOSCOPY

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is one of the best options, in terms of skin penetration depth and resolution, for skin lesion diagnosis. This study reports on the use of OCT for the in vivo imaging analysis of 67 melanocytic skin lesions in 34 patients. The OCT results have been compared with the dermoscopy – the standard non-invasive, visible-light-based skin imaging technique. The variations of the OCT imaging correlate with the dermoscopic pattern and presence of dermoscopic structures, like globules, blotches and regression areas. Our study shows that OCT is a promising non-invasive imaging technique for the diagnosis of skin lesions and in combination with dermoscopy, it could complement and extend the morphologic information obtained in vivo and could offer the premise for new diagnostic approaches.
Takeover regulation to protect shareholders: Wealth creation or wealth destruction?

Takeover regulation is fundamental to the efficient workings of the market for corporate control since it affects the size and distribution of expected gains to shareholders of targets and acquirers. To investigate the impact of takeover regulation on shareholders’ wealth distribution, we first construct a dynamic takeover law index consisting of six legal provisions for major European countries. Our index reveals that takeover law in the European Union has changed substantially over the past 25 years. We further examine the wealth effects of takeover law in European takeovers between 1986 and 2010. Our empirical results suggest that the effect of takeover law on target announcement returns and takeover premiums is positive, economically large, and statistically significant. We also find evidence that stricter takeover law does not reduce the returns to bidders. Overall, the effect of takeover law on total wealth effects from mergers and acquisitions is significantly positive. Finally, in terms of the components of our takeover law index, we find that the mandatory bid rule significantly increases the takeover premium, target announcement returns and combined returns; the ownership disclosure rule leads to higher target announcement returns and higher combined returns; whilst the fair-price rule and the squeeze-out rights rule may reduce the total gain enjoyed by the combined companies.
Data adaptive rank-shaping methods for solving least squares problems

There are two types of problems in the theory of least squares signal processing: parameter estimation and signal extraction. Parameter estimation is called "inversion" and signal extraction is called "filtering". In this paper, we present a unified theory of rank shaping for solving overdetermined and underdetermined versions of these problems. We develop several data-dependent rank-shaping methods and evaluate their performance. Our key result is a data-adaptive Wiener filter that automatically adjusts its gains to accommodate realizations that are a priori unlikely. The adaptive filter dramatically outperforms the Wiener filter on a typical realizations and just slightly under-performs it on typical realizations. This is the most one can hope for in a data-adaptive filter. >
Helicobacter pylori-associated antibodies in patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To associate Helicobacter pylori-associated antibodies with clinical disease in groups of patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, oesophageal adenocarcinoma and normal mucosa. DESIGN Prospective observational sero-epidemiology study. Identification of consecutive in-patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, oesophageal adenocarcinoma and normal mucosa. Analyses of sera for antibodies to whole H. pylori, Cag A and Vac A antigens using ELISA and Western blot. Statistical analyses. SETTING Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, a district general hospital that serves a population of 350,000. PARTICIPANTS Consecutive in-patients with an endoscopic diagnosis of duodenal ulcer (n = 31), gastric adenocarcinoma (n = 31), oesophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 40) and normal mucosa (n = 46). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES A profile of antibodies was constructed for each patient group and between-group comparisons were made. A logistic regression model determined the H. pylori-associated antibody that could best predict a patient's diagnosis. A discriminatory power for each antibody was calculated. RESULTS Whole H. pylori, Cag A and Vac A antibodies are found more commonly in duodenal ulcer patients when compared to oesophageal adenocarcinoma (P < 0.003) and normal mucosa patients (P < 0.015). Similarly, gastric adenocarcinoma patients have antibodies to whole H. pylori, Cag A and Vac A more frequently than oesophageal adenocarcinoma (P< 0.002) and normal mucosa patients (P < 0.006). Vac A antibodies discriminate between duodenal ulcer/gastric adenocarcinoma and oesophageal adenocarcinoma/normal mucosa patients (odds ratio 5.56, log likelihood -90.06, P < 0.001) more effectively than Cag A antibodies (odds ratio 4.17, log likelihood -91.88, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Similar profiles of H. pylori-associated antibodies are seen in patients with duodenal ulcer and gastric adenocarcinoma, confirming that virulent H. pylori are involved in the pathogenesis of both diseases. Antibodies to Vac A could be used to identify patients at increased risk of developing H. pylori-associated disease.