Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Is the Content of the World's Technologically Mediated Information and Communication Capacity: How Much Text, Image, Audio, and Video?

This article asks whether the global process of digitization has led to noteworthy changes in the shares of the amount of text, images, audio, and video in worldwide technologically stored and communicated information content. We empirically quantify the amount of information that is globally broadcast, telecommunicated, and stored (1986–2007) and assess the evolution of the respective content shares. Somewhat unexpectedly, it turns out that the transfer from analog to digital has not led to toward increasing shares of media-rich audio and video content, despite vastly increased bandwidth. First, there is a certain inertia in the evolution of content, which seems to stick to stable proportions independent of its technological medium (be it analog vinyl and VHS tapes, or digital CDs and hard disks). Second, the relative share of text and still images actually captures a larger portion of the total amount than before the digital age. Text merely represented 0.3% of the (optimally compressed) bits that flowed through global information channels in 1986 but grew to almost 30% in 2007. On another level, we are seeing an increasing transition of text and images from one-way information diffusion networks (like newspapers) to digital storage and two-way telecommunications networks, where they are more socially embedded. Both tendencies are good news for big-data analysts who extract intelligence from easily analyzable text and image data.
Protein glycosylation in infectious disease pathobiology and treatment

A host of bacteria and viruses are dependent on O-linked and N-linked glycosylation to perform vital biological functions. Pathogens often have integral proteins that participate in host-cell interactions such as receptor binding and fusion with host membrane. Fusion proteins from a broad range of disparate viruses, such as paramyxovirus, HIV, ebola, and the influenza viruses share a variety of common features that are augmented by glycosylation. Each of these viruses contain multiple glycosylation sites that must be processed and modified by the host post-translational machinery to be fusogenically active. In most viruses, glycosylation plays a role in biogenesis, stability, antigenicity and infectivity. In bacteria, glycosylation events play an important role in the formation of flagellin and pili and are vitally important to adherence, attachment, infectivity and immune evasion. With the importance of glycosylation to pathogen survival, it is clear that a better understanding of the processes is needed to understand the pathogen requirement for glycosylation and to capitalize on this requirement for the development of novel therapeutics.
Quality of life in Hepatitis C virus infection: assessment of rural patients living in north-western New South Wales.

OBJECTIVE To measure the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of rural Australian Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients living in north-western New South Wales. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey, including the Short Form 36 (SF36) questionnaire as well as topics concerning demographic data and items relating to the perceived mode and duration of HCV infection. SUBJECTS A total of 80 patients with HCV infection were identified, using non-random, convenience sampling, during October 2004 to June 2005. These patients attended either the Hepatitis C clinic, the Alcohol and Other Drugs clinic or general practitioner surgeries in rural north-western New South Wales. Of the 80 patients selected, 65 completed the survey instrument, yielding a response rate of 81%. MEASUREMENTS HRQOL in terms of the standard eight SF36 subscores as well as aggregate physical and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores based on the SF36. RESULTS Patients attending the Alcohol and Other Drugs clinic had a significantly (P = 0.024) lower vitality score than patients attending either the Hepatitis C clinic or the general practice surgeries. Otherwise, the three groups had similar scores in respect of the remaining seven SF36 dimensions. Most participants (86%) stated that their families are aware of their HCV status and 74% of participants mentioned that their families are supporting them in respect of their HCV status. CONCLUSION Our rural HCV-infected patients have comparable HRQOL measures to their counterparts selected from patients attending the Liver Diseases Clinic or the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Adelaide. Both groups have reduced HRQOL compared with the Australian population norm.
Fully integrated, high yielding, high reliability DC contact MEMS switch technology & control IC in standard plastic packages

In this paper we present a fully integrated, high yielding, high reliability DC contact microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch technology. A high voltage double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (DMOS) driver application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is co-packaged with a single-pole-four-throw (SP4T) DC contact MEMS switch in a 5×4×1mm 24-pin quad flat no leads (QFN) plastic package. The MEMS switch process yields >90% on 6 inch wafers and plastic package devices have been subjected to standard IC qualification testing as well as MEMS switch specific lifetime testing over −40°C to 85°C with industry leading results. The MEMS switch is actuated with 80V generated by the control ASIC and exhibits cycle lifetime of > 3 Billion (3×109) cycles when toggled at 5 kHz. The switches are targeted at radio frequency (RF) switching applications and have insertion loss/isolation of 0.4dB/25dB at 6 GHz. Key challenges overcome were, design of the MEMS switch to ensure high yield and reliability, low thermal sensitivity under the influence of the packaging process, optimization of the contact system, and design of the actuation waveform to enhance lifetime.
Neuropeptides and catecholamines in efferent projections of the nuclei of the solitary tract in the rat

This study focuses on the involvment of catecholamines and nine different peptides in efferents of the nucleus of the solitary tract to the central nucleus of the amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and different parabrachial and hypothalamic nuclei in the rat. A double‐labeling technique was used that combines a protein‐gold complex as the retrograde tracer with immunohistochemistry.
[Surgical and non-surgical treatment of vaginal agenesis: analysis of a series of cases].

PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the results of neovaginoplasty by a modified McIndoe-Bannister technique and by the non-surgical Frank technique. METHODS This retrospective study was conducted on a convenience sample of 25 women with vaginal agenesis undergoing surgical or conservative treatment at an Infant-Pubertal Gynecology Outpatient Clinic. Data were obtained from the medical records. Fifteen women underwent the surgical McIndoe-Bannister modified technique Surgical Group, and 10 women underwent the non-surgical Frank technique Frank Group. The following parameters were considered for comparative analysis between the two samples: vaginometry, surgical and non-surgical complications, and sexual satisfaction after treatment. Sexual satisfaction was assessed by a simple question: How is your sex life? RESULTS There were differences related to vaginal length before and after performing exercises in both Frank Group (initial vaginal length 2.4±2.0 cm versus 6.9±1.1 cm after treatment, p<0.0001) and Surgical Group (initial vaginal length 0.9±1.4 cm versus 8.0±0.8 cm after treatment, p<0.0001). Increased vaginal length was observed in Surgical Group compared to Frank Group (Frank Group=7.0±0.9 cm versus Surgical Group=8.0±0.8 cm, p=0.0005). Forty percent of Surgical Group women had surgical complications versus no complications with the Frank technique. All women reported to be satisfied with their sexual life. CONCLUSION The present data indicate that both the surgical and Frank techniques are effective for the treatment of vaginal agenesis, resulting in the construction of a vagina that pewrmits sexual intercourse and sexual satisfaction. The favorable aspects of the Frank technique are related to its low cost and to the low rates of major complications.
Screening for hypertension in the dental office.

Dentists and the dental health teams can contribute significantly to the health of their patients by screening for hypertension in the dental office. In a study, 861 randomly selected dental clinic patients were screened for hypertension. A systolic blood pressure value of 140 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure value of 90 mm Hg were used as the cut-off points. Of the patients, 29.8% were potential hypertensives, and 22.9% of these individuals made regular yearly visits to their dentists but not to their physicians. A discussion of the results of this study as compared with those of other studies is presented, and some recommendations for future investigations are made.
Principles and Applications of Nonlinear Optical Elements in Fiber Optics Code Division Multiple Access Networks (FO-CDMA)

In this paper we introduce, for the first time, the use of nonlinear optical elements in fiber optics code division multiple access (FO-CDMA) networks using optical orthogonal codes, newly invented sets of orthogonal codes for positive systems, with desired auto- and cross correlation properties. Specifically, we consider a class of nonlinear optical elements in which their nonlinearities are achieved only as a result of their input light intensity. We use optical orthogonal codes to demonstrate the principles and advantages (e.g., reducing the interference signal's intensity) of nonlinear optical elements in FO-CDMA environment. Then, system performance based on optical orthogonal codes and nonlinear optical elements in FO-CDMA is analyzed. For example, we show that, for an error rate of 10¿10, FO-CDMA networks with nonlinear optical elements can accommodate 5 times as many more users w.r. t. FO-CDMA networks without the nonlinear optical elements.
THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF STIGMA

■ Abstract This chapter addresses the psychological effects of social stigma. Stigma directly affects the stigmatized via mechanisms of discrimination, expectancy confirmation, and automatic stereotype activation, and indirectly via threats to personal and social identity. We review and organize recent theory and empirical research within an identity threat model of stigma. This model posits that situational cues, collective representations of one’s stigma status, and personal beliefs and motives shape appraisals of the significance of stigma-relevant situations for well-being. Identity threat results when stigma-relevant stressors are appraised as potentially harmful to one’s social identity and as exceeding one’s coping resources. Identity threat creates involuntary stress responses and motivates attempts at threat reduction through coping strategies. Stress responses and coping efforts affect important outcomes such as self-esteem, academic achievement, and health. Identity threat perspectives help to explain the tremendous variability across people, groups, and situations in responses to stigma.
Anti-hyperglycaemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Ocimum basilicum Aqueous Extract in Diabetic Rats

The hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects of the aqueous extract of Ocimum basilicum (OB) whole plant were investigated in normal and streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. After a single oral administration, OB significantly reduced blood glucose levels in normal (p<0.01) and diabetic rats (p<0.001). After 15 days of repeated oral administration, OB produced a potent reduction on blood glucose levels (p<0.001) in diabetic rats and a less reduction in normal rats (p<0.05). Total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides levels were significantly reduced after repeated oral administration in diabetic rats (p<0.001) and (p<0.05) respectively. However, no change was observed in total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides levels in normal rats after both single and repeated oral administration. In addition, plasma insulin levels and body weight remained unchanged over 15 days of oral administration in normal and diabetic rats. We conclude that the aqueous extract of OB exhibits potent anti-hyperglycaemic and hypolipidemic activities in diabetic rats without affecting basal plasma insulin concentrations.
California Verbal Learning Test Indicators of Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction

The present study used well-defined traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mixed neurological (other than TBI) and psychiatric samples to examine the specificity and sensitivity to Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction (MND) of four individual California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) variables and eight composite CVLT malingering indicators. Participants were 275 traumatic brain injury and 352 general clinical patients seen for neuropsychological evaluation. The TBI patients were assigned to one of five groups using the Slick, Sherman, and Iverson (1999) criteria: no incentive, incentive only, suspect, and malingering (both Probable MNDand Definite MND). Within TBI, persons with the strongest evidence for malingering (Probable and Definite) had the most extreme scores. Good sensitivity (approximately 50%) in the context of excellent specificity (> 95%) was found in the TBI samples. Issues related to the appropriate clinical application of these data are discussed.
Histologic and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Pheochromocytomas in 20 Clouded Leopards (Neofelis nebulosa)

Clouded leopards in North American zoological institutions have a high frequency of pheochromocytomas and were identified in 32 of 70 (45%) animals necropsied. Archival sections of adrenal gland from 20 adult clouded leopards with unilateral or bilateral pheochromocytomas collected between 1984 and 2011 were examined by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry, and case demographics were reviewed. Affected leopards were older than 10 years of age (mean, 16 years; range, 11–19 years), and males were overrepresented (12 males, 8 females). Pedigree analysis yielded no evidence for heritability. Five clouded leopards had bilateral neoplasms. Pheochromocytoma was the cause of death due to invasion of the caudal vena cava and fatal hemorrhage in 4 cases. Most pheochromocytomas were well-demarcated, nodular, and expansile masses composed of cords and packets of neoplastic polygonal cells. Five pheochromocytomas had vascular invasion, of which 4 resulted in hemorrhage that was the cause of death. One of the latter pheochromocytomas also had pulmonary metastasis. Ultrastructurally, neoplastic cells had cytoplasmic structures consistent with both norepinephrine- and epinephrine-containing granules. In all cases, neoplasms were immunohistochemically positive for chromogranin A, protein gene product 9.5, and synaptophysin. A subset of neoplasms evaluated by tissue microarray were positive for met-enkephalin and β-endorphin and negative for melan-A. Histologically, 7 of 20 (35%) clouded leopards with pheochromocytomas had retinal detachment, retinal degeneration, or intramyocardial muscular arteriosclerosis, suggestive of hypertension. Pheochromocytomas can cause mortality and may be a source of clinically significant hypertension in clouded leopards. These neoplasms share similar histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics with those of other species.
Single L‐type calcium channel conductance with physiological levels of calcium in chick ciliary ganglion neurons.

1. Single L‐type calcium channels in chick ciliary ganglion neurons were studied at high current resolution in cell‐attached patch recordings using quartz‐glass micropipettes. 2. A single open‐channel current amplitude was observed when Ba2+ was the charge carrier with a conductance of 26 pS at 110 mM barium. However, with 110 mM calcium two current fluctuation amplitudes were observed. These were termed low and high fluctuation amplitudes, CaL and CaH, and had conductances of 8.8 and 12 pS, respectively. These two levels probably reflect two different channel species. CaL was identified as an L‐type calcium channel on the basis of resistance to inactivation, conductance, and dihydropyridine sensitivity. 3. Single‐channel current fluctuations could be detected with calcium concentrations as low as 1.0 mM. Although the unitary conductance (gamma) was much greater with barium than calcium at every concentration tested, the concentration dependence of conductance was similar for gamma Ba, gamma CaH and gamma CaL. Fitting the concentration dependencies of these conductances with a Langmuir isotherm gave KD estimates of 4.7, 5.6 and 5.0 mM for barium, CaL and CaH, respectively 4. The single‐channel conductance of the L‐type channel (gamma L) can be described by the relation: conductance (in pS) = 9.2/(1 + 5.6/[Ca]) where [Ca] is the external calcium concentration in the 1.0‐110 mM range. Thus, at a physiological external calcium concentration of 2 mM the conductance is 2.4 pS. 5. Ca2+ transport through the L‐type calcium channel is particularly sensitive to changes in external calcium concentration in the physiological range but approaches saturation at about 10 mM. this characteristic may optimize the responsiveness of the cell to small changes in ambient calcium concentrations while limiting excess entry in the presence of abnormally high calcium levels.
The optimal distance measure for nearest neighbor classification

A local distance measure is shown to optimize the performance of the nearest neighbor two-class classifier for a finite number of samples. The difference between the finite sample error and the asymptotic error is used as the criterion of improvement. This new distance measure is compared to the well-known Euclidean distance. An algorithm for practical implementation is introduced. This algorithm is shown to be computationally competitive with the present nearest neighbor procedures and is illustrated experimentally. A closed form for the corresponding second-order moment of this criterion is found. Finally, the above results are extended to
Functional recovery and axonal growth following spinal cord transection is accelerated by sustained l‐DOPA administration

The eel, Anguilla anguilla, as with other fish species, recovers well from spinal cord injury. We assessed the quality of locomotion of spinally transected eels from measurements made from video recordings of individuals swimming at different speeds in a water tunnel. Following transection of the spinal cord just caudal to the anus, the animals displayed higher tail beat frequencies and lower tail beat amplitudes than before surgery, owing to the loss of power in this region. Swimming performance then progressively recovered, appearing normal within 1 month of surgery. Eels with similar transections, but given regular, repeated intraperitoneal injections (50 mg/kg) of l‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (l‐DOPA) showed an equivalent pattern of decline and recovery that was 10–20 days shorter than that seen in non‐treated fish. Axonal growth into the denervated cord, as determined from anterograde labelling experiments, was also more rapid in the drug‐treated fish. l‐DOPA treatment increased the activity of all fish for up to 18 h, and accelerated the spontaneous movements (‘spinal swimming’) made by the denervated, caudal portion of the animal that appeared following transection. We suggest that this enhancement of locomotion underlies the accelerated axonal growth and, hence, functional recovery.
Low birth weight in relation to multiple induced abortions.

BACKGROUND Most studies report that a single induced abortion does not increase risk for delivering a low birth weight infant in a subsequent pregnancy. However, the effect of multiple abortions has not been adequately evaluated. METHODS This relationship was studied in 6541 White women who delivered their first child between 1984 and 1987. We compared the frequencies of low birth weight (less than 2500 g) among infants born to 1999 women without prior induced abortion and 1999 women with one abortion with the frequencies of low birth weight among infants born to women with two (n = 1850), three (n = 520), and four or more (n = 173) prior induced abortions. RESULTS After adjustment for confounding variables, we found no linear relationship in risk of low birth weight among women with one (relative risk [RR] = 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.9-1.5), two (RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1-2.0), three (RR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.8-1.9), or four or more (RR = 1.6, 95% CI = 0.9-2.9) prior induced abortions. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm earlier reports of little or no evidence of harmful effects on birth weight by one or by two or more induced abortions. We further report that risk is not significantly elevated even in women with three, four, or more prior terminations of pregnancy when compared with women with one or two abortions.
Long-term renal and patient outcome in idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis treated with prednisone.

BACKGROUND Primary medical treatment of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) increasingly is accepted. However, the optimum treatment strategy is still unclear. STUDY DESIGN Case series. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Single tertiary care referral center. 24 patients with idiopathic RPF treated with prednisone for 1 year, if needed, with (urgent) renal drainage from June 1991 through October 2006. OUTCOME & MEASUREMENTS Clinical improvement, laboratory parameters, repeated computed tomographic (CT) scanning. Treatment was considered successful if the following criteria were met at the end of the 1-year treatment period: significant subjective clinical improvement, (near-)normalization of acute-phase reactants, improvement in renal function with disappearance of ureteral obstruction, and CT-documented mass regression. Recurrence is defined as need for retreatment because of return of signs and symptoms after the 1-year treatment period in patients with initial treatment success. RESULTS 22 patients reported significant to complete resolution of symptoms after median treatment duration of 2.0 weeks (0.7 to 3.0). Follow-up showed decreases in erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level (both P < 0.0001), and serum creatinine level (P = 0.0230) at 6 weeks, which persisted during the treatment period. Repeated CT scanning showed mass regression in 19 patients during the treatment period. Six patients were considered treatment failures, and there were 23 recurrences 10 months (7 to 14) after prednisone withdrawal in 13 of 18 patients with initial treatment success. At the end of follow-up (median, 55 months), 7 patients had impaired renal function; 1 patient reached end-stage renal disease. The mortality rate was 8%. LIMITATIONS There was no comparison with other treatments. CONCLUSION One-year treatment with prednisone is associated with a high rate of initial success, but a high recurrence rate. Despite frequent disease relapse, long-term renal and patient outcome was good.
Polymeric nanospheres for topical delivery of vitamin D3

This study investigates the potential application of polymeric nanospheres (known as TyroSpheres) as a formulation carrier for topical delivery of cholecalciferol (i.e., Vitamin D3, VD3) with the goal to improve the skin delivery and stability of VD3. High drug loading and binding efficiencies were obtained for VD3 when loaded in TyroSpheres. VD3 was released from TyroSpheres in a sustained manner and was delivered across the stratum corneum, which occurred independent of the initial drug loading. An ex vivo skin distribution study showed that TyroSphere formulations delivered 3–10 μg of active into the epidermis which was significantly higher than that delivered from Transcutol® (the control vehicle). In addition, an in vitro cytotoxicity assay using keratinocytes confirmed that VD3 encapsulation in the nanoparticles did not alter the drug activity. Photodegradation of VD3 followed zero-order kinetics. TyroSpheres were able to protect the active against hydrolysis and photodegradation, significantly enhancing the stability of VD3 in the topical formulation.