Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Countrywide Estimates of Forest Variables Using Satellite Data and Field Data from the National Forest Inventory

Abstract About 55% of the land area in Sweden is covered by forest. Presently, there is no uniform and geographically explicit description of the forest cover for Sweden. Independent data sources already existing are satellite data from Landsat TM and SPOT HRV, map masks and forest inventory plots. Together, they provide the possibility of computing estimates of forest variables such as stem volume and stand age. The accuracy for these estimations will be low on the pixel level, but higher on a stand level. This type of raster-based forest data is useful for authorities when planning how timber resources should be utilized or for monitoring purposes. The production line that was developed to create a countrywide database of forest variable estimates in a cost-efficient way is described. Accuracy of forest variable estimates for an area in southwestern Sweden was assessed at stand level. Results showed 33% overall root mean square error for the estimates of total wood volume, and 23% for the age estimates.
Dose-related inhibition of aflatoxin B1 induced hepatocarcinogenesis by the phenolic antioxidants, butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene.

The effect of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on the carcinogenicity in rats of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was investigated. AFB1 was administered by gastric intubation to male F344 rats at 25 micrograms/kg body wt three times a week such that a total dose of 1.5 mg/kg (0.48 mmol/kg) body wt was given over a period of 20 weeks and diets containing either 1000 or 6000 p.p.m. BHA or BHT were fed starting one more week before carcinogen, during administration and for one week after cessation. Animals were killed during exposure and at intervals up to 24 weeks after cessation. Liver altered foci and neoplasms were quantified using the exclusion of cellular iron after iron-loading and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase reaction, as well as conventional staining for identification. Exposure to AFB1 alone induced substantial numbers of altered foci after 20 weeks, and at 24 weeks after cessation of exposure, the incidence of hepatocellular neoplasms was 63%. In the groups receiving BHA or BHT together with AFB1, the numbers of altered foci were decreased at all time points and at termination, the final incidence of liver cell neoplasms and number of neoplasms per animal were also reduced in a dose-related manner. Neoplasms in other organs were rare and were not affected by antioxidant treatment, except for a possible reduction of colon cancer. Thus, BHA and BHT inhibited the hepatocarcinogenesis of concurrently administered AFB1 without shifting the organotropism.
Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in Graves' Disease: Its Association to Thyroid Status and Thyroid Receptor Stimulating Antibodies

month. Serum sVCAM-1 levels were significantly elevated in TRAb+ patients compared to TRAb- (860 versus 499 ng/mL, p<0.001). The level decreased significantly to 537 ng/mL with treatment but remained higher than in TRAb- patients (p=0.003). Irrespective of TRAb status, all but one patient had elevated serum sICAM-1 levels that remained unaffected by carbimazole therapy. In contrast, IL-6 levels of hyperthyroid patients were within the reference range of 1.4-14.1 pg/mL. Baseline and post-treatment sVCAM-1, and not TRAb levels, were significantly correlated to thyroid hormones. Conclusion: Compared to other inflammatory markers, sVCAM-1 showed significant correlation to thyroid stimulating antibodies and was most sensitive to changes in thyroid status. The significance of these findings in relation to Graves’ disease warrants further investigation.
The Potential of Mobile Apps for Improving Asthma Self-Management: A Review of Publicly Available and Well-Adopted Asthma Apps

Background Effective disease self-management lowers asthma’s burden of disease for both individual patients and health care systems. In principle, mobile health (mHealth) apps could enable effective asthma self-management interventions that improve a patient’s quality of life while simultaneously reducing the overall treatment costs for health care systems. However, prior reviews in this field have found that mHealth apps for asthma lack clinical evaluation and are often not based on medical guidelines. Yet, beyond the missing evidence for clinical efficacy, little is known about the potential apps might have for improving asthma self-management. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential of publicly available and well-adopted mHealth apps for improving asthma self-management. Methods The Apple App store and Google Play store were systematically searched for asthma apps. In total, 523 apps were identified, of which 38 apps matched the selection criteria to be included in the review. Four requirements of app potential were investigated: app functions, potential to change behavior (by means of a behavior change technique taxonomy), potential to promote app use (by means of a gamification components taxonomy), and app quality (by means of the Mobile Application Rating Scale [MARS]). Results The most commonly implemented functions in the 38 reviewed asthma apps were tracking (30/38, 79%) and information (26/38, 68%) functions, followed by assessment (20/38, 53%) and notification (18/38, 47%) functions. On average, the reviewed apps applied 7.12 of 26 available behavior change techniques (standard deviation [SD]=4.46) and 4.89 of 31 available gamification components (SD=4.21). Average app quality was acceptable (mean=3.17/5, SD=0.58), whereas subjective app quality lied between poor and acceptable (mean=2.65/5, SD=0.87). Additionally, the sum scores of all review frameworks were significantly correlated (lowest correlation: r36=.33, P=.04 between number of functions and gamification components; highest correlation: r36=.80, P<.001 between number of behavior change techniques and gamification components), which suggests that an app’s potential tends to be consistent across review frameworks. Conclusions Several apps were identified that performed consistently well across all applied review frameworks, thus indicating the potential mHealth apps offer for improving asthma self-management. However, many apps suffer from low quality. Therefore, app reviews should be considered as a decision support tool before deciding which app to integrate into a patient’s asthma self-management. Furthermore, several research-practice gaps were identified that app developers should consider addressing in future asthma apps.
Relationships and social rules: Teens' social network and other ICT selection practices

The issue of how teens choose social networks and information communication technologies (ICT's) for personal communication is complex. This study focused on describing how U.S. teens from a highly technological suburban high school select ICT's for personal communication purposes. Two research questions guided the study: (a) What factors influence high school seniors’ selection of online social networks and other ICT's for everyday communication? (b) How can social network theory (SNT) help to explain how teens select online social networks and other ICT's for everyday communication purposes? Using focus groups, a purposive sample of 45 teens were asked to discuss (a) their preferred methods for communicating with friends and family and why, (b) the reasons why they chose to engage (or not to engage) in online social networking, (c) how they selected ICT's for social networking and other communication purposes, and (d) how they decided whom to accept as online “friends. ” Findings indicated that many factors influenced participants’ ICT selection practices including six major categories of selection factors: relationship factors, information/communication factors, social factors, systems factors, self-protection factors, and recipient factors. SNT was also helpful in explaining how “friendship” was a major determining factor in their communication media and platform choices. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collaboration and innovation outputs

The role of collaboration in the creation and diffusion of innovations has received a considerable amount of interest in the past decade from both innovation economists and European policy makers. The European Commission (EC), for example, requires collaboration for research funded under the Framework Programmes (FPs) and encourages national policies to increase the rate of collaboration between firms and between firms and public research organizations (PROs) such as universities and publicly- funded research institutes (Hagedoorn et ai. 2000). Part of the increased attention given to collaboration is due to a shift in economic theories of innovation from a linear to an interactive model and to a recognition of the importance of tacit knowledge to innovation and technology transfer. The first shift places greater importance on information and knowledge flows. This is partly because there are more linkages within an interactive or chain-link innovation system and partly because modern innovation theories stress the diffusion of knowledge among many different actors
Age, pattern of consultation, and functional disability in elderly patients in one general practice.

OBJECTIVE--To examine how functional disability varies with sex, age, and other variables in patients aged 75 and over living in the community and to ascertain whether a statistical model derived from the variables in this population usefully predicted functional disability in another of similar age. DESIGN--Retrospective study of data collected by interview and by examination of medical records. SETTING--An urban general practice with five partners and a list of 15,000 patients, very few of whom belonged to ethnic minorities. PATIENTS--775 Patients (252 men, 523 women) aged 75 and over living in the community between September 1985 and August 1986; 13 other patients considered to be unsuitable and 14 who declined an interview were excluded. Also 94 patients who became 75 or joined the practice after August 1986. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--The proportions of fit, partially disabled, and severely disabled (housebound) patients. RESULTS--90 Men (35.7%) and 128 women (24.5%) were fit, and 27 men (10.7%) and 116 women (22.2%) were housebound; in all age groups women were significantly more likely to be disabled than men. A significant trend towards greater disability was shown with increasing age and, more noticeably, with pattern of consultation when patients were divided into three categories based on the number of times they had attended the surgery and been visited at home over about two years. Statistical models gave the forecast percentage of fit and severely disabled patients for each sex, age group, and pattern of consultation, and a simple scheme was derived to identify from information wholly contained in medical records most of those patients most prone to severe disability. The scheme was verified applying it to a population of 94 elderly patients in 1988-9. CONCLUSION--Sex, age, and pattern of consultation together provide a quick indication of elderly patients' tendency to severe disability, which can help in screening and in day to day consultations.
Design of an PIFA-IFA-monopole in dual-SIM mobile phone for GSM/DCS/Bluetooth operations

This paper presents a dual subscriber identity model (SIM) mobile phone design which integrates a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA), a inverted-F antenna (IFA) and a monopole. Several solutions are simulated, fabricated and measured to improve the isolation of antennas. By adjusting antennas layout and the gap and angle of antennas, the isolation S12 decrease below -11 dB. For PIFA and monopole, total radiated power (TRP) of GSM900 band and DCS1800 band is larger than 27 dB and 25 dB respectively, and total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) of GSM900 band and DCS1800 band is lesser than -102 dBm as the BER=2.44%. The gain of IFA is about -2.7 dB~3.79 dB. The present ways are very useful in the design of dual SIM mobile phone.
Fluvastatin attenuates myocardial interstitial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction in diabetic rats by inhibiting over-expression of connective tissue growth factor.

BACKGROUND Diabetic myocardiopathy is characterized by myocardial interstitial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction. Statins were found to exert protective effects on cardiovascular disease by suppressing activation of small G proteins, independently of their lipid-lowering effect. The study investigated the effect of fluvastatin on myocardial interstitial fibrosis, cardiac function and mechanism of its action in diabetic rats. METHODS Twenty-four male SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control rats (n = 8), streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (n = 8), and diabetic rats treated with fluvastatin (administered fluvastatin orally, 10 mg/kg body weight per day, n = 8). Twelve weeks later, miniature cardiac catheter was inserted into the left ventricle to conduct hemodynamic examination. Then myocardium tissues were collected, collagen content was detected by picro-sirius red staining, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of CTGF. Rho activity was determined by pull-down assay. RESULTS After 12 weeks, the left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and maximum rate of left ventricular (LV) pressure rise and fall (+dP/dt max and -dP/dt max) were significantly lower and left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was higher in the diabetic rats than those in the control rats (P < 0.01). Moreover, in LV myocardial tissue of diabetic rats the collagen content, fibronectin, mRNA and protein expression of CTGF and the activity of RhoA were all significantly increased compared with the control rats (P < 0.01). Administration of fluvastain obviously improved the cardiac function of diabetic rats, attenuated fibronectin expression, mRNA and protein expression of CTGF and the activity of RhoA in LV myocardium of diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS Fluvastatin attenuates cardiac dysfunction and myocardial interstitial fibrosis of diabetic rat by inhibiting activity of RhoA to down-regulate the overexpression of CTGF, and Rho/Rho-kinase pathway may be an important target in the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
How to mitigate private-label success in recessions? A cross-category investigation

This study investigates whether managerial practice in correspondence with the business cycle is partly responsible for the intensified popularity of private labels in recessionary periods. First of all, the results show that private-label share behaves countercyclically, and that part of the boost in private-label share is permanent. Moreover, most managers seem to adjust their behavior in response to economic downturns by cutting advertising budgets, scaling back innovation activity, and lessening price-promotional activity. More interestingly, this managerial behavior is linked to the cyclical sensitivity in private-label share, which in turn is strongly related to this long-lasting effect of a recession on private-label share. Hence, the dominant practice of reducing brand support in a recession enhances the success of private labels during and beyond the recession.
Financial appraisal and the IS/IT investment decision making process

This paper explores the techniques used by organizations to appraise Information Systems (IS)/Information Technology (IT) investments, and concentrates, in particular, on techniques of capital investment appraisal. We draw on relevant studies reported in both the accounting and finance, and the IS literature, which have addressed their usage. Where possible comparisons are drawn between both sets of literatures. The results of a survey that specifically examined IS/IT investment appraisal practices of a sample of UK companies is also presented. Among the issues discussed include the extent to which capital investment appraisal techniques are used to appraisal investments, the importance of the techniques used and the problems attendant on the decision making process.
The trail from quantum electro dynamics to informative medicine

Abstract Several years ago just before Christmas, in a small meeting room at the Institute of Pharmacology at the University of Rome, we had the opportunity to attend a meeting on “The role of QED in medicine” by Emilio Del Giudice and Giuliano Preparata. Before that meeting, we were more oriented towards a mechanistic view of Biochemistry and Medicine, believing that chemical reactions could only take place when a random collision between molecules with a gain in energy takes place. We envisioned water as just a solvent in which was possible to dissolve a solute. After we listened to Giuliano’s and Emilio’s speech on the “New physics of water”, and on “The possible origin of coherence in cell, tissues and the interaction of very weak and low frequency magnetic fields with the ions, systems of the cell”, we realized that living organisms are complex electrochemical systems which evolved in a relatively narrow range of well-defined environmental parameters. Environmental natural electro-magnetic fields are an ubiquitous factor in nature. If nature gave certain organisms the ability to receive information about the environment via invisible electromagnetic signals, then there must also the capability to discriminate between significant and meaningless ones. Bearing in mind that electromagnetic fields can be perceived by living organisms by means a resonance effect, we should not be amazed if they can be able to induce different biological effects. The work that we will present in memory of Emilio is based on the hypotheses that an aqueous system a chemical differentiation agent such as retinoic acid (RA) were electronically captured and transferred to the culture medium of Neuroblastoma Cell Line (LAN-5) and the proliferation rate was assessed to assess cell responses to the electromagnetic information transfer through the aqueous system. Like those enfolded in living organisms could play a synergic role in modulating biological functions, generating dissipative structures under appropriate patterns of electromagnetic signals providing basis for storing and retrieving biological activities. An external electro-magnetic stimulus from a source molecule can be stored, translated, and transferred by the aqueous systems to the biological target, selectively driving their endogenous activity and mimicking the effect of a source molecule.
IgG Subclass Values from Normal Children in Cape Town

Sensitive and reproducible enzyme‐linked immunoabsorbent assays (ELISA) have been developed to quantitate IgG subclass levels using monoclonal antibodies. Normal values for serum IgG subclass levels were determined in 300 healthy children between 6 months and 14 years of age and in SO adults. High levels of IgG 1 and delayed maturational development of IgG 2 in children from Cape Town are different to results reported from developed countries. Genetic differences may account for this.
Filopodial focal complexes direct adhesion and force generation towards filopodia outgrowth

Filopodia are key structures within many cells that serve as sensors constantly probing the local environment. Although filopodia are involved in a number of different cellular processes, their function in migration is often analyzed with special focus on early processes of filopodia formation and the elucidation of filopodia molecular architecture. An increasing number of publications now describe the entire life cycle of filopodia, with analyses from the initial establishment of stable filopodium-substrate adhesion to their final integration into the approaching lamellipodium. We and others can now show the structural and functional dependence of lamellipodial focal adhesions as well as of force generation and transmission on filopodial focal complexes and filopodial actin bundles. These results were made possible by new high resolution imaging techniques as well as by recently developed elastomeric substrates and theoretical models. The data additionally provide strong evidence that formation of new filopodia depends on previously existing filopodia through a repetitive filopodial elongation of the stably adhered filopodial tips. In this commentary we therefore hypothesize a highly coordinated mechanism that regulates filopodia formation, adhesion, protein composition and force generation in a filopodia dependent step by step process.
Are ultrasonographic signs of inflammation predictors for response to intra-articular glucocorticoids in knee osteoarthritis?

OBJECTIVES To investigate the predictive value of ultrasound (US) characteristics for the effect of intra-articular glucocorticoids in knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS In this prospective cohort study, 62 patients with symptomatic knee OA (clinical knee OA criteria, pain>4 on a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS; 0-10)) received an intra-articular glucocorticoid injection (40 mg triamcinolone acetonide). Patients with NRS pain ≤4 at 4 weeks were defined as responders. On inclusion, demographics, clinical data (body mass index, local swelling) knee x-rays and knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire were collected. Six US features were assessed including: effusion, synovial hypertrophy, Baker's cyst, infrapatellar bursitis, meniscal protrusion and cartilage thickness. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses with forward selection were conducted to identify possible predictors. RESULTS At 4 weeks, 42% of the study participants reached a NRS ≤4; an effect comparable to existing literature. Regression analyses showed that patients who used analgesics at baseline were less likely to have a good response. The small proportion of patients with infrapatellar bursitis was more likely to respond to the injection. CONCLUSIONS No patient, disease or US characteristic of inflammation, turned out to be a reliable and clinically meaningful predictor for the effect of intra-articular glucocorticoids after four weeks in knee OA.
How Informative is Risk Reporting? - a Review of Disclosure Models

Risk reporting is an emerging reporting challenge in Europe. Current literature assumes corporate risk reporting to be informative for its users. The purpose of this paper is to investigate in how far risk disclosures can meet the information function alleged. Embedded in frameworks of economics of information and of risk management, a substantial review and discussion of discretionary disclosure models, including cheap talk-models, provides a sound basis for assessing the information value provided by risk reports. The results are manifold. First, the review highlights strong incentives for discretion and manipulation by the manager who can use the report as a measure of handling derivative risks. These margins particularly stem from the uncertainty of availability and the non-verifiability of risk information. Second, the review exposes regulative implications to assist the information function of risk reporting. Those include the need for comparable reporting repelling a pure management approach, and for supplemental information on corporate risk management. Third, the discussion qualifies common arguments concerning risk reporting. E.g., the ex post nominal/actual value comparison is inappropriate to assess credibility, the fear of self-fulfilling prophecies does not reason opt-out clauses. However, the alerting main result of the paper is that, even in a regulated accounting environment, the information value of risk reports must not be overestimated.