Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ON CONVERGENCE OF STOCHASTIC PROCESSES

It is clear that for given I,un } and t, the better theorem of this kind would be the one in which (2) is proved for the larger class of functions f. In this paper we shall show that certain known "invariance principles" can under some hypotheses be improved by considerably enlarging the class of functions for which (2) holds. This will be done by considering spaces S other than the customary ones. For example, in studying convergence to the Wiener process, it is usual to let S be the space (denoted e) of continuous functions with the uniform topology. However, this choice does not fully exploit the pleasant properties of the Wiener path-functions, which are not only continuous but also Holder continuous of any order up to 1/2. Therefore we shall attempt to use spaces Lip5 in place of e as the function-space S. When weak convergence can be established using such spaces, the class of functionals for which (2) is known to hold becomes much larger than before. To carry out the idea sketched above it is necessary to have a criterion which guarantees that the sample functions of a stochastic process are a.s.
Thyroid Lesions: FNAC and Histopathology Correlation in Our Experience.

Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology is considered the gold standard diagnostic test for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Fine needle aspiration cytology is a cost effective procedure that provides a specific diagnosis rapidly with minimal complications. Based on the cytology findings, patients can be followed up in cases of benign diagnosis and subjected to surgery in cases of malignant diagnosis thereby decreasing the rate of unnecessary surgery. The purpose of the present study was to correlate the fine needle aspiration cytology findings with histopathology of excised specimens. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted on 310 consecutive patients between June 2012 and May 2015. All patients with clinically diagnosed thyroid nodule were included in the study. Results: In our study sensitivity of the thyroid FNAC ranges from 93.02% to 100% and its specificity from 60.42% to 96.62% respectively. Positive predictive value is 94.44% and negative predictive value is 100%. Commonest benign condition is multinodular goiter and malignancy is papillary carcinoma. Most difficult thyroid lesions to be reported are those in the intermediate category as cytomorphological features are overlapping.Conclusion: Fine needle aspiration cytology is a simple, easy to perform, cost effective, and easily repeated procedure for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. It is recommended as the first line investigation for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.
Does online perceived risk depend on culture? Individualistic versus collectivistic culture

Abstract The study examines the different effects of privacy concerns, evidence of security protection and e-retailer reputation on perceived risk in cross-cultural perspectives. The study empirically tested the model using cross-cultural data collected from two countries typically representing individualistic and collectivistic cultures. The results of the study support the theoretical argument that culture affects the influence of privacy concerns, evidence of security protection and e-retailer reputation on perceived risk. The study also contributes to managerial development by providing important insights for multinational online business managers.
Psychologie sociale de l'image

Nous voyons et representons notre environnement social non pas tel qu'il est, mais tel que nous croyons qu'il est. Cet ouvrage fait le lien entre l'image et la pensee sociale. L'auteur apporte des elements conceptuels et methodologiques illustres de nombreux exemples permettant de comprendre cette relation. Il repond a trois questions : des individus partageant des croyances differentes a propos d'un objet donne produisent-ils les memes images de cet objet ? Interpretent-ils de la meme maniere une meme image de cet objet ? Lorsqu'une source et un recepteur ne partagent pas un meme ensemble de croyances a l'egard d'un objet, la representation iconographique de cet objet sera-t-elle comprise par le recepteur ? S'appuyant sur les acquis de la psychologie sociale, les reponses confirment la these du lien entre croyances et iconographie.
Influence of sizes of abutments and fixation screws on dental implant system: a non-linear finite element analysis

Abstract The purpose of this study is to discuss the influence of sizes of abutments and fixation screws on immediately loaded dental implants in mandibular bones using nonlinear finite element methods. Abutments with three unilateral wall thicknesses and fixation screws with three diameters are analyzed to compare the stresses and deformations under a vertical or oblique force of 130 N. The nonlinearity due to friction contacts between the fixation screw, the abutment, the implant, and the bone is taken into account. The results showed that improper sizes of abutments and fixation screws would increase the stress and deformation of the dental implant system. If possible, the diameter of fixation screw should not be smaller than Φ1. 0 mm, the diameter between Φ1. 0 mm and Φ1. 2 mm is acceptable. The fixation screw diameter preferably exceeds Φ1. 4 mm. The unilateral wall thickness >0.5 mm is optimal selection for abutments.
A method of estimating the frequency of abnormal autosomal recessive genes in man.

WITHIN the past few years it has become obvious that the average person must be carrying a number of genes for abnormalities, but not even the order of magnitude of this number has been estimated from any observations. Muller (1950), by making various assumptions, has estimated on the basis of indirect information that there is a minimum of approximately eight deleterious genes per person. Recently Reed (1954) has noted that reasonably unbiased information on recessive genes may be obtained from the rare fatherdaughter and brother-sister matings which occur in man. Because father-daughter and brother-sister matings are rare, they would yield information at a very slow rate. However, if the average number of recessives is large, even first cousin marriages should produce offspring indicating the inheritance of a number of genes in common. Since information on moderately large numbers of first cousin marriages can be collected, this would afford an excellent mode of calculating the probable number of abnormal recessive genes in man directly from observational data.
Prediction of loop geometries using a generalized born model of solvation effects

We have carried out an extensive exploration of the possibility of predicting the structure of long loops in proteins, using an 8‐ and a 12‐residue loop in ribonuclease A as models. The native X‐ray structure is used as a template while allowing for template flexibility; this makes our work relevant to the problem of homology modeling in which the template is not precisely known. Energies are calculated with the AMBER* and AMBER94 molecular mechanics potentials and the generalized Born continuum solvation model; and conformational space is sampled by means of a combination of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods. Our AMBER94 results demonstrate that we can successfully generate loops with low root‐mean‐square deviations from the native as well as excellent energetic rankings. Proteins 1999;35:173–183. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Retrospective Cyberbullying and Suicide Ideation: The Mediating Roles of Depressive Symptoms, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Thwarted Belongingness

Research suggests that being cyberbullied is associated with increased risk for suicide ideation; however, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms of this relation, and fewer have examined this relation within a theory of suicide. Specifically, the interpersonal theory of suicide posits that thwarted belongingness (indicated by loneliness and a lack of reciprocal caring relationships) and perceived burdensomeness (indicated by feelings of liability and self-hatred) increase risk for suicide ideation. The current study aimed to examine depressive symptoms, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness as mediators between intensity of being cyberbullied and suicide ideation. Participants were college students (N = 348) who completed assessments of retrospective peer victimization, thwarted interpersonal needs (i.e., thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness), and suicide ideation. The results indicated that after adjusting for sexual orientation, depressive symptoms significantly mediated the relation between intensity of being cyberbullied and suicide ideation. Furthermore, depressive symptoms and perceived burdensomeness serially mediated the relation between intensity of being cyberbullied and suicide ideation; however, thwarted belongingness was not a significant mediator. Clinical and research implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
THE JANUS-FACED NATURE OF DEBT: RESULTS FROM A DATA-DRIVEN COINTEGRATED SVAR APPROACH

In this paper, we investigate the causal effects of public and private debts on US output dynamics. We estimate a battery of Cointegrated Structural Vector Autoregressive models, and we identify structural shocks by employing Independent Component Analysis, a data-driven technique which avoids ad-hoc identification choices. The econometric results suggest that the impact of debt on economic activity is Janus-faced. Public debt shocks have positive and persistent influence on economic activity. In contrast, rising private debt has a milder positive impact on gross domestic product, but it fades out over time. The analysis of the possible transmission mechanisms reveals that public debt crowds in private consumption and investment. In contrast, mortgage debt fuels consumption and output in the short-run, but shrinks them in the medium-run.
A meta‐analysis of “hospital in the home”

195 MJA 198 (4) · 4 March 2013 A meta-analysis of “hospital in the home” TO THE EDITOR: Caplan et al1 include in their meta-analysis a trial by Mather et al that compared home care with intensive care management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between 1966 and 1968.2 A joint working party of the Royal College of Physicians and British Cardiac Society dismissed the results of this study because of design defects.3,4 Kalra et al5 performed a randomised trial with three arms for patients with acute stroke: stroke unit care, general ward care with stroke team support, and domiciliary care. Stroke units achieved a significantly lower mortality than general ward or domiciliary care. Caplan et al ignore the heterogeneity of the hospital arms, and sum their mortalities, creating a non-existent advantage for domiciliary care over hospital care. This meta-analytic technique is simplistic and invalid. Hill et al describe home versus hospital management for patients with suspected AMI,2 as do Mather et al.2 Studies of obsolete treatments, such as home management of patients with AMI, should have been excluded from the meta-analysis. Rudd et al studied the effect of early discharge after stroke using a 1976 clinical definition of stroke.6 No details of imaging or comorbidities were given. The assumption of equipoise in the trial arms regarding morbidity is not met, and the study is not suitable for inclusion in the metaanalysis. Indredavik et al7 studied the effect of early supported discharge versus ordinary care in patients with stroke, with 13 deaths at 26 weeks in the experimental group against 15 deaths in the control group. However, Caplan et al incorrectly report this as 21 and 26 deaths, respectively. If these five most heavily weighted studies are excluded, no significant difference in mortality is seen (243 hospital-in-the-home deaths [n = 2747] v 245 hospital deaths [n = 2435], two-sided P = 0.14). Moreover, meta-analysis of the effect of location on mortality where the circumstances of the location are not defined and not expected to be homogenous is invalid and makes the mathematical exercise futile.
Serum bile acid as a screening tool in workers occupationally exposed to mixtures of organic solvents

The aim of the present study was to find out the potential impact of occupational exposure to mixtures of organic solvents on liver function tests. Serum bile acid (BA) was evaluated as a marker of early hepatic derangement and compared to routine liver function tests. The study included two comparable groups: 57 male workers exposed to organic solvents from a paints factory and 59 administrative male controls. Occupational and medical data and serum analysis for liver function parameters (BAs, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total and direct bilirubin) were obtained. Bile acids showed significantly elevated mean levels in the exposed workers compared to the controls (50.2 ± 47.9 and 5.4 ± 2.7 µmol/L, respectively, p < 0.01). Bile acids were elevated in almost all exposed workers (87.7%) but in none of the controls. Bile acids had significant positive correlation with duration of exposure to organic solvents and lifetime hydrocarbon exposure score (HES) (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). All other liver function tests exhibited normal mean levels and did not show statistically significant differences between both groups. The performance of BA versus combined liver enzymes is evaluated using receiver–operating characteristic (ROC) curve and likelihood ratios. The area under the curve was significantly high (0.687 > 0.5, p = 0.012) and had optimal decision level (8 µmol/L). Serum BA can be recommended as a screening test for exposure to organic solvents. It can be suggested for follow-up every 1–2 years or accordingly.
Rescue of the early vascular defects in Tek/Tie2 null mice reveals an essential survival function

Disruption of the signaling pathways mediated by the receptor tyrosine kinase Tek/Tie2 has shown that this receptor plays a pivotal role in vascularization of the developing embryo. In this report, we have utilized the tetracycline‐responsive binary transgenic system to overcome the early lethal cardiovascular defects associated with the tekΔsp null allele in order to investigate the role of Tek in later stages of vessel growth. We show for the first time in vivo that synchronized loss of tek expression correlates with rapid endothelial cell apoptosis in hemorrhagic regions of the embryo, demonstrating an ongoing requirement for Tek‐mediated signal transduction in vascular maintenance.
Circadian Rhythms Confer a Higher Level of Fitness to Arabidopsis Plants1

Circadian rhythms have been demonstrated in organisms across the taxonomic spectrum. In view of their widespread occurrence, the adaptive significance of these rhythms is of interest. We have previously shown that constitutive expression of theCCA1 (CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1) gene in Arabidopsis plants (CCA1-ox) results in loss of circadian rhythmicity. Here, we demonstrate that these CCA1-ox plants retain the ability to respond to diurnal changes in light. Thus, transcript levels of several circadian-regulated genes, as well as CCA1 itself and the closely related LHY, oscillate robustly if CCA1-ox plants are grown under diurnal conditions. However, in contrast with wild-type plants in which transcript levels change in anticipation of the dark/light transitions, the CCA1-ox plants have lost the ability to anticipate this daily change in their environment. We have used CCA1-ox lines to examine the effects of loss of circadian regulation on the fitness of an organism. CCA1-ox plants flowered later, especially under long-day conditions, and were less viable under very short-day conditions than their wild-type counterparts. In addition, we demonstrate that two other circadian rhythm mutants, LHY-ox and elf3, have low-viability phenotypes. Our findings demonstrate the adaptive advantage of circadian rhythms in Arabidopsis.
Materials and methods Bacterial strains and environmental samples

The occurrence of Actinobacteria in water-damaged building materials as well as the clinical relevance of some Actinobacteria (e.g. Saccharopolyspora spp., Mycobacterium spp., Nocardia spp., etc.), led us to develop a detection system to examine the actinobacterial community. A new primer system, Com2xf/Ac1186r (16S rRNA gene based) specific for Actinobacteria was designed. The adequacy for the intended use of the primer system was first investigated in silico using sequences of 164 different species belonging to 75 different genera of the class Actinobacteria. To test the primer specificity in complex environmental samples, four 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were generated (plaster material, compost material, compost plantand duck house bioaerosols). Overall, 87% of obtained sequences were assigned to actinobacterial genera. To verify the applicability of the new designed primer system in water-damaged building material, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of 18 different water-damaged materials were screened for their affiliation to Actinobacteria. A total of 88% of all ‘Actinobacteria-positive’ detected plasmid inserts were affiliated correctly. Results of SSCP-fingerprinting clearly showed differences of the species detected by the Actinobacteria-specific primer system within the different samples. Overall results obtained in this study indicate the applicability of the developed primer system for its intended use.
Cysteine Residues in the Transmembrane Regions of M13 Procoat Protein Suggest that Oligomeric Coat Proteins Assemble onto Phage Progeny

ABSTRACT The M13 phage assembles in the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. During maturation, about 2,700 copies of the major coat protein move from the membrane onto a single-stranded phage DNA molecule that extrudes out of the cell. The major coat protein is synthesized as a precursor, termed procoat protein, and inserts into the membrane via a Sec-independent pathway. It is processed by a leader peptidase from its leader (signal) peptide before it is assembled onto the phage DNA. The transmembrane regions of the procoat protein play an important role in all these processes. Using cysteine mutants with mutations in the transmembrane regions of the procoat and coat proteins, we investigated which of the residues are involved in multimer formation, interaction with the leader peptidase, and formation of M13 progeny particles. We found that most single cysteine residues do not interfere with the membrane insertion, processing, and assembly of the phage. Treatment of the cells with copper phenanthroline showed that the cysteine residues were readily engaged in dimer and multimer formation. This suggests that the coat proteins assemble into multimers before they proceed onto the nascent phage particles. In addition, we found that when a cysteine is located in the leader peptide at the −6 position, processing of the mutant procoat protein and of other exported proteins is affected. This inhibition of the leader peptidase results in death of the cell and shows that there are distinct amino acid residues in the M13 procoat protein involved at specific steps of the phage assembly process.
The involvement of executive functions in prospective memory performance of adults

The present study examines the relationship between prospective memory performance and executive functioning. The four phases of the prospective memory process—intention formation, intention retention, reinstantiation of the intention, and intention execution—are assumed to require different amounts of executive processing, most of which is demanded in the phases of intention formation and intention execution. At present, though, it is still unclear whether, and to what extent, prefrontal executive systems are involved in different kinds of prospective memory tasks, as some findings suggest that prospective memory might rather rely on nonstrategic processes that are unlikely to depend on prefrontal executive systems. Therefore, this study focuses on the following questions: (1) to what degree does executive functioning predict prospective memory performance in different standard prospective memory tasks and, furthermore, are certain executive measures better predictors than others; (2) are age‐related eff.
Quality in health care: medical or managerial?

Explores the notion that the introduction of total quality management (TQM) in the public health care sector indicates a conceptual break with a tradition in which the authority to define and interpret the meaning of medical practice has been located solely within the medical profession. It also serves to shift the focus of medical practice away from its contextual and interactional character towards numerical representations and codification in monetary terms. Further, it is argued that the realization of management ideals in everyday practice is dependent more on the availability of pre‐existing technologies and standard procedures than on the ingenuity of particular organizational and institutional actors. These arguments are illustrated with the reutilization for TQM purposes of “local incident reports” in a Swedish hospital organization.
Circuit racing, track texture, temperature and rubber friction

ABSTRACT Some general observations relating to tyre shear forces and road surfaces are followed by more specific considerations from circuit racing. The discussion then focuses on the mechanics of rubber friction. The classical experiments of Grosch are outlined and the interpretations that can be put on them are discussed. The interpretations involve rubber viscoelasticity, so that the vibration properties of rubber need to be considered. Adhesion and deformation mechanisms for energy dissipation at the interface between rubber and road and in the rubber itself are highlighted. The enquiry is concentrated on energy loss by deformation or hysteresis subsequently. Persson's deformation theory is outlined and the material properties necessary to apply the theory to Grosch's experiments are discussed. Predictions of the friction coefficient relating to one particular rubber compound and a rough surface are made using the theory and these are compared with the appropriate results from Grosch. Predictions from Persson's theory of the influence of nominal contact pressure on the friction coefficient are also examined. The extent of the agreement between theory and experiment is discussed. It is concluded that there is value in the theory but that it is far from complete. There is considerable scope for further research on the mechanics of rubber friction.