Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The possible use of telemedicine in developing countries

Telemedicine may be a useful technique for delivering health care in the developing world. However, there is little practical experience to draw on and real concerns that if additional resources were to become available telemedicine might not be the most appropriate use for them. The logical steps to determine the place of telemedicine in the developing world therefore appear to be: 1 to identify potential telemedicine projectsthe Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union is trying to do this and has recently sponsored missions to various countries in Africa and Asia; 2 to carry out properly controlled pilot projects in order to demonstrate technical feasibility and to quantify the benefits to the healthcare system; 3 to calculate the costs of large-scale deployment. Assuming that telemedicine is shown to be beneficial, it is only at this final stage that a rational decision can be made about whether telemedicine would be an appropriate use of additional resources in a developing country, as opposed to alternative uses of those resources to solve other important problems of health care.
GABAB receptor modulation of Ca2+ currents in rat sensory neurones by the G protein G(0): antisense oligonucleotide studies.

1. Calcium channel currents (IBa) were recorded in cultured dorsal root ganglion neurones (DRGs), 24‐32 h after microinjection with 20‐mer phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides complementary either to a G alpha o or a G alpha i unique sequence, or with a nonsense sequence. 2. The ability of the GABAB agonist (‐)‐baclofen (50 microM) to inhibit IBa was examined. The maximum peak current was inhibited by 35.3 +/‐ 4.0% (n = 11) in control non‐injected cells, and by 38.1 +/‐ 2.6% (n = 11) and 34.8 +/‐ 4.2% (n = 5) in nonsense‐ and G alpha i oligonucleotide‐injected cells. Following G alpha o oligonucleotide injection, (‐)‐baclofen inhibited IBa by 21.0 +/‐ 3.2% (n = 19). 3. Confocal immunocytochemical localization of G alpha o showed prominent staining at the plasma membrane in control DRGs, and this was also present in G alpha i and nonsense oligonucleotide‐injected cells. The G alpha o staining at the plasma membrane was reduced by 76% in G alpha o oligonucleotide‐injected cells. In contrast, confocal immunocytochemical localization of G alpha i showed immunostaining in the membrane and cytoplasm of control, G alpha o‐ and nonsense‐injected DRGs, whereas this was depleted by 68% in G alpha i oligonucleotide‐injected cells. 4. These results indicate that the GABAB receptor couples to voltage‐sensitive calcium channels via the G protein G(o) and not Gi, and that antisense oligonucleotides can be used to deplete G proteins in DRGs.
Genotyping of Giardia isolates in Scotland: a descriptive epidemiological study

SUMMARY Giardiasis, caused by the intestinal protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis (synonyms: G. lamblia, G. duodenalis), is one of the most frequent parasites to infect the Scottish population. Transmission of the infective cysts in faecal matter is commonly via food and/or water. Giardia is subdivided into assemblages, where clinical and epidemiological differences have been described between assemblages A and B. This snapshot descriptive epidemiological study examines 30 positive cases of Giardia of which 72% (n = 21) were shown to be assemblage A, 14% (n = 4) assemblage B and 10% (n = 3) mixed assemblages (A and B). There was a 2:3 female:male ratio of affected individuals with foreign travel recorded in 22 of these cases. The commonest symptom was diarrhoea which was reported in 80% of cases followed by tiredness. Five cases required hospitalization emphasizing the importance of gaining a greater understanding of how Giardia assemblages influence clinical outcomes to assist in formulating guidelines to manage potential Giardia outbreaks.
Reduction of Brain and Sense Organs in the Fossil Insular Bovid Myotragus

Our study of the fossil rupicaprine bovid Myotragus [Bate, 1909] from the Mediterranean island Majorca (Spain) provides evidence that this animal underwent significant changes (reduction) in the relative size of brain and sense organs after geographic isolation at the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Miocene-Pliocene boundary, 5.2 Mya). The changes in the central nervous system of Myotragus parallel the pattern reported for domesticated animals, in which decrease in relative brain size is accompanied by a decrease in the relative size of their sense organs. We interpret the important size reduction of brain and sense organs in Myotragus as an adaptive strategy for more efficient energy use under the special environmental conditions of the insular ecosystem, characterized by absence of predation and limitation of trophic resources.
Hemiarch replacement with concomitant antegrade stent grafting of the descending thoracic aorta versus total arch replacement for treatment of acute DeBakey I aortic dissection with arch tear†.

OBJECTIVES For acute DeBakey I aortic dissection with arch tear, conventional distal reconstruction entails total arch replacement (TAR). Some surgeons at our institution have utilized an alternative reconstructive strategy-primary arch tear repair and transverse hemiarch reconstruction (THR) with concomitant antegrade thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). We assessed early and mid-term outcomes comparing these two surgical strategies for arch tear management. METHODS A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained institutional aortic dissection database was carried out to compare early and mid-term outcomes for patients undergoing intervention for DeBakey I aortic dissection with arch tear. Hemiarch reconstruction with concomitant antegrade TEVAR was compared against conventional TAR. Arch tear at the origin of great vessels or greater curve was primarily repaired with interrupted sutures in TEVAR patients. RESULTS From 2006 to 2013, 61 of 284 DeBakey I aortic dissection patients undergoing intervention for arch tear were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-one patients had TAR (TAR group) and 30 patients had hemiarch + TEVAR (TEVAR group). Demographics and clinical presentation were similar. TEVAR group had more patients presenting in cardiogenic shock [3% (n = 1) vs 13% (n = 4), P = 0.2] and tamponade [10% (n = 3) vs 23% (n = 7), P = 0.2]. Intraoperatively, TEVAR group had lower cardiopulmonary bypass (239 ± 34 vs 313 ± 80 min, p0.001) and circulatory arrest (60 ± 15 vs 78 ± 45 min, P = 0.04) times. TAR group had higher in-hospital/30-day mortality [26% (n = 8) vs 13% (n = 4), P = 0.3], but stroke rates were similar [6% (n = 2) vs 7% (n = 2), P = 1]. One-year (80 ± 7.3 vs 71 ± 8.3%), 3-year (73 ± 8.3 vs 67 ± 8.6%) and 5-year (73 ± 8.3 vs 67 ± 8.6%) actuarial survival were improved in TEVAR group, although not significantly (log-rank, P = 0.56). TEVAR promoted increased false lumen thrombosis (43 vs 85%, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION In treating DeBakey I aortic dissection with arch tear, hemiarch replacement with primary tear repair and concomitant TEVAR is a safe alternative to conventional TAR, with improved distal aortic remodelling.
Midtarsal joint locking: New perspectives on an old paradigm

We investigated the existence of a midtarsal joint locking mechanism using cadaveric simulations of normal gait. Previous descriptions of this phenomenon led us to hypothesize that non‐coupled rotations of the calcaneocuboid and talonavicular (i.e., midtarsal) joints and cubonavicular and talocalcaneal joints occur at heel strike and during weight acceptance, after which joint rotations cease with all bone‐to‐bone orientations remaining constant during the latter portions of stance phase. Three‐dimensional kinematics of the talus, calcaneus, cuboid, and navicular were recorded along with muscle and ground reaction forces. Finite helical axis parameters and joint angles of directly articulating bones were subsequently derived and examined. During weight acceptance, the midtarsal joints everted with obvious changes in the relative orientation of their helical axes. The relative non‐parallel orientation of these axes then remained constant until late in stance when these joints inverted and dorsiflexed toward their original pre‐stance orientation. The cubonavicular and talocalcaneal joints demonstrated complimentary behavior. Contrary to our hypothesis, the midtarsal joints remained compliant during foot flat and even more so during push‐off, despite divergent joint axes. Joint rotations were present after weight acceptance, thereby challenging the concept that midtarsal joint locking produces a rigid lever during push‐off. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:110–115, 2014.
Automatic image cropping using saliency map

Cropping is one of the image processing techniques mainly utilized to remove unwanted areas from an image and to improve presentation of visual elements in an image. Selection of the picture window via processing is subjective in nature and typically a manual task. This paper describes an approach for automatic image cropping which is based on saliency map detection to preserve salient region in image. Proposed method uses resultant image of saliency map detection to eliminate unwanted regions from an image. Further, entire process is repeated iteratively until optimum cropping is achieved. Here, cropped image improves visual composition of image and it used in a variety of application in printing industry, photography, and cinematography. Experimental results using subjective analysis show effectiveness of the proposed method.
DETACHMENT FROM WORK : AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF WORK-DISCONTINUANCE INTENTION

Information Technology (IT) becomes more and more part of our lives both at home and at work. However, theory-based research concerning the question how information technology can be designed to facilitate employees’ work-life-balance is scarce. We fill in this gap building upon boundary theory to identify design-relevant constructs in the context of work-life-balance. As boundary theory suggests that holding up strong boundaries between work and private life is beneficial for health and well-being, we focused on the design of IT that supports employees’ discontinuance of work when reaching the end of their working time. We used nudge theory to derive 14 possible design options for the IT artifact, including one non-nudge design option that represents the enforcement of work discontinuance. Based on survey data from 67 industry employees, we tested how the design options influenced the work discontinuance intention of employees compared to enforcement. Our results indicate that nudging through disclosure, eliciting intentions and increasing ease has a significantly higher effect on work discontinuance intention than enforcement while nudging through a reminder has a significantly lower impact.
Phylogeographical Analysis of a Cold-Temperate Freshwater Fish, the Amur Sleeper (Perccottus glenii) in the Amur and Liaohe River Basins of Northeast Asia

The Amur sleeper Perccottus glenii (Perciformes, Gobioidei, Odontobutidae) is well known as an invasive fish in the river basins of Eastern and Central Europe, but its genetic background is unavailable across its native habitats in northeast Asia. In this study, we used the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene by sampling 19 populations of P. glenii across its native distributional areas of Liaohe and Amur River basins to explore its evolutionary history. Phylogenetic analyses identified three major clades within P. glenii, among which Clade A and Clade B were co-distributed in the Liaohe and Amur River basins, and Clade C was restricted to the latter. Molecular dating showed that the splits of Clades A, B and C have happened in the late Early-early Middle Pleistocene and the most recent common ancestors of these clades have been presented in the late Middle-early Late Pleistocene. The P. glenii showed very high levels of genetic structure among populations (&PHgr;ST = 0.801), probably due to the characters of its life histories with very limited dispersal ability. The admixture of different clades in some populations of P. glenii probably reflects historical secondary contact. These findings indicate that Pleistocene climatic oscillation and river capture were major determinants for genetic variations and evolutionary history of the P. glenii.
Interaction between hemoglobin and glutathione in the regulation of blood flow in normal and septic pigs*

Background Hemoglobin (Hb) induces vasoconstriction by heme group binding nitric oxide in an irreversible fashion. Recent in vitro studies indicate that the thiol groups in Hb reversibly bind nitric oxide and participate in trans-nitrosylation reactions with other thiols. Sepsis is a pathophysiologic state characterized by vasodilation mediated, at least in part, by an excessive release of nitric oxide. The role of nitrosothiols (RSNOs) in these changes is unknown. Objectives We tested the following in a porcine model of sepsis: (i) whether glutathione (GSH) reverses the hemodynamic effects of Hb; (ii) whether GSH induces an increase in blood flow in sepsis; (iii) whether RSNO plasma concentration increases in sepsis and is related to hypotension. Design Nonrandomized animal controlled study. Setting Animal research facility in a university hospital. Subjects Anesthetized pigs were monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter and ultrasonic blood flow probes in the mesenteric artery and the portal vein for measurement of systemic, mesenteric, and portal blood flows (QTOT, QMES, and QPOR, respectively). Four groups of pigs were studied: nonseptic, septic, nonseptic treated with Hb (stroma-free purified porcine hemoglobin), and septic treated with Hb (n = 6 in each group). Interventions Sepsis was induced at 0 min by the administration of live Escherichia coli. Hb (400 mg/kg/hr) was administered at 240 mins, followed by glutathione (1 g iv). Measurements and Main Results Hb induced a pressor response and a decrease in QTOT, QMES, and QPOR. Glutathione reversed the effects of Hb on QMES and QPOR. In septic pigs not treated with Hb, GSH induced an increase in QPOR. RSNO plasma concentration increased after the induction of sepsis and correlated significantly with blood pressure. Conclusions These results indicate the reversibility of the effects of Hb by GSH, probably by interactions between nitric oxide and the reduced sulfhydryl groups in Hb, and suggest a role of RSNOs in the cardiovascular changes of sepsis.
Tn10-derived transposons active in Bacillus subtilis

Small derivatives of the Escherichia coli transposon Tn10, comprising IS10 ends and a chloramphenicol resistance gene, were introduced in Bacillus subtilis on a thermosensitive plasmid, pE194. In the presence of the Tn10 transposase gene fused to signals functional in B. subtilis, these derivatives transposed with a frequency of 10(-6) per element per generation. They had no highly preferred insertion site or region, as judged by restriction analysis of the chromosomal DNA, and generated auxotrophic and sporulation-deficient mutants with a frequency of about 1%. These results suggest that Tn10 derivatives might be a useful genetic tool in B. subtilis and possibly other gram-positive microorganisms.
Alliance Portfolio Internationalization and Firm Performance

Alliance research has traditionally focused on structural and relational aspects of the networks in which firms are situated, paying less attention to the inherent characteristics of their partners. This study introduces the notion of alliance portfolio internationalization (API), which refers to the degree of foreignness of partners in a firm's collection of immediate alliance relationships. We develop a framework to explain how API impacts firm performance. We suggest that as a firm's API increases, financial performance is expected to initially decline, then improve, and finally decline again. This sigmoid relationship between API and financial performance is ascribed to evolving learning effects that shape the net benefits of API. When the firm's alliance portfolio, on average, consists of proximate foreign partners, the firm may fail to recognize latent national differences, but at moderate levels of API, its absorptive capacity and specialized collaborative routines support the exchange of valuable network resources. Nevertheless, high levels of API undermine firm performance because of the failure of collaborative routines and mounting liabilities of cross-national differences. We test the framework using data on the alliance portfolios of U.S.-based software firms from 1990 to 2001. The results provide support for the sigmoid relationship as well as for our predictions that firms, which have gained experience with foreign partners and maintained wholly owned subsidiaries in their partners' countries of origin, can overcome some of the liabilities of API and better leverage its benefits.
CRLH metamaterial leaky-wave and resonant antennas

Composite right-/left-handed (CRLH) transmission-line (TL) metamaterials, with their rich dispersion and fundamental right-/left-hand duality, represent a paradigm shift in electromagnetics engineering and, in particular, for antennas. This paper presents an overview of the most practical leaky-wave and resonant CRLH antennas, which all exhibit functionalities or/and performance superior to prior state of the art. The leaky-wave antennas provide full-space dynamic scanning capability, with fan beams, conical beams in uni-planar configurations, pencil beams without any complex feeding network, and actively shaped beams based on the concept of aperture digitization. The resonant antennas offer alternative properties and a solution to beam-squinting when no scanning is required, including multi-band (dual/tri-band) operation, zeroth-order high efficiency, high directivity, and planar electric and magnetic monopole radiators.
CD20 positive cells are undetectable in the majority of multiple myeloma cell lines and are not associated with a cancer stem cell phenotype

Although new therapies have doubled the survival of multiple myeloma patients, this remains an incurable disease. It has been postulated that the so-called myeloma cancer stem cells would be responsible for tumor initiation and relapse but their unequivocal identification remains unclear. Here, we investigated in a panel of myeloma cell lines the presence of CD20+ cells harboring a stem-cell phenotype. Thus, only a small population of CD20dim+ cells (0.3%) in the RPMI-8226 cell line was found. CD20dim+ RPMI-8226 cells expressed the plasma cell markers CD38 and CD138 and were CD19−CD27−. Additionally, CD20dim+ RPMI-8226 cells did not exhibit stem-cell markers as shown by gene expression profiling and the aldehyde dehydrogenase assay. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CD20dim+ RPMI-8226 cells are not essential for CB17-SCID mice engraftment and show lower self-renewal potential than the CD20− RPMI-8226 cells. These results do not support CD20 expression for the identification of myeloma cancer stem cells.
Response to Plasma Exchange and Steroids as Combined Therapy for Patients with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

We describe our experience in the management of 11 consecutive patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) treated with a combined therapy of plasma exchange (PE) and steroids. Nine patients (82%) achieved complete remission (CR) after a median of 6 rounds of PE (range 2–22). There were 3 early relapses managed in the same way as the initial episode. One patient relapsed 23 months after diagnosis achieving CR with standard therapy; another patient suffered several relapses, and splenectomy was performed after the last one. Three patients died, 2 of them with resistant disease 9 and 38 days after diagnosis, and the remaining one died due to AIDS-related complications while he was in CR. Eight patients are alive in CR with a median follow-up of 38 months (range 8–74). The combination of PE and steroids is a well-tolerated and effective treatment of TTP, but improvements in therapy are needed to manage refractory patients.
Effects on schooling function in mackerel of sub-lethal capture related stressors: Crowding and hypoxia

The selectivity of fishing gears with respect to fish species and size is important, both for fisheries management and fishing operations. Purse seining is an efficient, environmentally friendly fish capture methodology generally targeting single species aggregations, but once a fish school has been selected and surrounded by the seine, there is no selections for individual size, species or catch quantity. A common practice for evaluating the catch is to haul the seine to a point where physical samples or inspections of catch composition can be made. The release process is called slipping and may lead to mortality in the released fish. The objective of this study was to simulate a crowding situation and investigate how the behaviour was affected in response to increased fish density, decreased oxygen levels, or a combination of the two, and to see if there is a behavioural measure that can be used to set safe crowding limits. The experiment was conducted on Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) held in net pens. The volume of the net pen was reduced to increase fish density, and a tarpaulin bag was wrapped around the pen to reduce the oxygen levels. Oxygen, fish density and space occupancy was monitored during the experiment, and the behavioural reactions was assessed using an imaging sonar. The main result was that the schooling function, i.e. the response to a predator model, was significantly reduced during crowding but not in response to hypoxia. There were some indications of a slow recovery of the function post-treatment. We conclude that crowding causes behavioural responses that occur before densities that induce fish mortality. Consequently, there is a behavioural response that could be used as a proxy for setting safe crowding limits.
The Effects of Exercise on Serum Chemistry, Non-Esterified Fatty Acid, Insulin and Glucagon Dynamics during a 400 Meter Sprint in Racing Greyhounds

The effects of Greyhound racing on plasma insulin, glucagon and non-esterified fatty acid have not been extensively studied. We sought to examine the effects of exercise in 19 greyhounds trialed over 400 meters on serum biochemistry, osmolality, nonessential fatty acids, and the major glucoregulatory hormones insulin and glucagon, before and after racing. Due to the non-traditional dietary patterns of many racing Greyhounds, the diet was analyzed for macro and micro-nutrient assessment to determine adequacy of the diet. Many significant biochemical changes were observed and agreed with previous studies, except for low resting glucose, low post-exercise globulin and phosphorus concentrations, and a high CK both before and after exercise. Insulin concentrations increased 10 minutes post-exercise which might be a result of the rise in serum glucose observed. Non-esterified fatty acids decreased 10 minutes post-exercise, as a likely result of the insulin facilitated cellular uptake of fatty acids early in recovery. Glucagon concentrations did not change after exercise despite the rise in insulin. The diet analysis found some mineral deficiencies in sodium, selenium, iodine and copper; and contained a far higher protein and fat content, being atypical of diets that have been shown to improve the performance in racing Greyhounds.
The Impact of the Potential Entry of Copycats: Entry Conditions, Consumer Welfare, and Social Welfare

This article examines the implications of the potential entry of a copycat who produces and sells a copycat (i.e., imitation) product that competes with the incumbent product. By analyzing a two-period dynamic noncooperative game between these two firms, we identify conditions under which the copycat can gain successful market entry. More importantly, we find that the potential entry of a copycat creates (implicit) pressure for the incumbent to lower its selling price; hence, it improves consumer welfare. Finally, we identify conditions under which the potential entry of a copycat can increase social welfare (i.e., consumer welfare and the profit of both firms).