Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hinged external fixation of the elbow: optimal axis alignment to minimize motion resistance.

OBJECTIVE To establish an optimal single hinge axis position for application of hinged external fixation to the elbow joint. DESIGN Cadaveric biomechanical investigation. SETTING A customized motion transducer applied passive elbow motion to six cadaveric upper extremities. The instant rotation axis of the humero-ulnar articulation was determined from three-dimensional kinematic data acquired by an electromagnetic motion tracking system. For each specimen, an optimal fixator hinge position was calculated from these motion data. INTERVENTION A prototype articulated external fixator was applied to the elbow, first with its hinge aligned along the computed optimal position. Then the fixator was mounted in sixteen distinct off-axis positions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Additional resistance to joint motion (in terms of energy) corresponding to deliberately introduced amounts of relative malalignment between the optimal elbow axis and the actual fixator hinge axis. RESULTS Aligning the fixator hinge along the optimized axis position resulted in a minimal amount of energy (0.15 joules) needed to rotate the elbow through a prescribed range of motion. Malpositioning the hinge by ten millimeters caused up to ten times that amount of motion resistance. CONCLUSIONS An optimal fixator hinge position can be determined to minimize the increase in motion resistance due to fixator application. The severely increased motion resistance associated with small amounts of malalignment between the fixator hinge and the anatomic elbow axis suggests the need for highly accurate fixator hinge application.
Pathogenesis and Inhibition of Flaviviruses from a Carbohydrate Perspective

Flaviviruses are enveloped, positive single stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses with various routes of transmission. While the type and severity of symptoms caused by pathogenic flaviviruses vary from hemorrhagic fever to fetal abnormalities, their general mechanism of host cell entry is similar. All pathogenic flaviviruses, such as dengue virus, yellow fever virus, West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and Zika virus, bind to glycosaminglycans (GAGs) through the putative GAG binding sites within their envelope proteins to gain access to the surface of host cells. GAGs are long, linear, anionic polysaccharides with a repeating disaccharide unit and are involved in many biological processes, such as cellular signaling, cell adhesion, and pathogenesis. Flavivirus envelope proteins are N-glycosylated surface proteins, which interact with C-type lectins, dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) through their glycans. In this review, we discuss both host and viral surface receptors that have the carbohydrate components, focusing on the surface interactions in the early stage of flavivirus entry. GAG-flavivirus envelope protein interactions as well as interactions between flavivirus envelope proteins and DC-SIGN are discussed in detail. This review also examines natural and synthetic inhibitors of flaviviruses that are carbohydrate-based or carbohydrate-targeting. Both advantages and drawbacks of these inhibitors are explored, as are potential strategies to improve their efficacy to ultimately help eradicate flavivirus infections.
PERCEPTIONS OF THE EDUCATION OFFICER'S ROLE IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN BARBADOS

School inspection as a tool for monitoring public education has a long history in the Caribbean having been practised from the time of colonial rule. Although school inspection has been widely researched, the focus has largely been on the relationship between inspection and school improvement as well as on accountability. However, less attention has been devoted to highlighting the role of the key personnel who conduct the monitoring on behalf of Ministries of Education. In this thesis, I explored perceptions of the education officer’s role in supervision and inspection of education in Barbados. I argue that lack of clarity of the education officer’s role, changes in policy over the last fifty years which resulted in changes in the structure of the education system, and the influence of the plantation society and economy have impacted perceptions of the education officer’s role. These occurrences may have rendered the officer’s role and the supervision and inspection process less effective. Qualitative methods, consisting of semi-structured interviews and document analysis, were used to collect data for the study. Twelve (12) persons from three levels of Barbados’ education system (primary and secondary schools, and the Ministry of Education) were selected based on their involvement in the monitoring process to comprise the study’s non-probability purposive sample. Through the use of a grounded theory approach, the participants’ responses were examined and analysed for emerging theories as well as recurring themes. Based on my interpretation of the findings of the study, I concluded that perceptions of the education officer’s role were both positive and negative across the three groups of participants. Additionally, slight differences were found in the perceptions of teachers at the primary and secondary levels and between teachers, principals and education officers. Furthermore, I found that there is a lack of clarity of the education officer’s role.
Inequities in health status and use of health services in Colombia: 1990-2000.

In 1993 Law 100 completely reformed the organization financing and delivery of health services in Colombia. Before 1993 the health system had three parallel and independent subsystems. The 1993 health reform created a single structure which combined the principles of equity solidarity and universality. Previous studies show important health inequalities among poor and non-poor or by socioeconomic status. Despite the enormous contribution of existing studies to an understanding of the relationship between health (status access and use) and its determinants more work needs to be done on the contribution of these elements to the inequities observed in health. This document seeks to make advances in that direction and it has two objectives: first secondary information is used to measure socioeconomic inequities and to describe trends between 1990 and 2000 with regard to health status and access and use of health services. Second this paper attempts to advance in the knowledge of the causes for the observed inequities in health status - infant mortality - by analyzing its determinants and their contribution to the problem. Thus results will allow policy recommendations to be made in the search for universal coverage and great equity in health. Results indicate that in both 1995 and 2000 inequities in access and use of health services tend to be greater in rural areas than in the cities and those in health status are greater in urban areas than in rural areas. Thus rural areas are in a worse position in both levels and inequities in access and use of health services while the health status is at a lower level but more equitable. In other words health status of a rural area is worse than that of an urban area but there is a smaller difference between individuals. In urban areas the differences in health status by socioeconomic level are much more marked although on average health status is better than in rural areas. With regard to access and use of health services rural areas have lower average coverage and greater differences between individuals than urban areas. (excerpt)
Monopoly Power in the Oil Market and the Macroeconomy

Abstract This paper studies the macroeconomic consequences of oil price shocks caused by innovations in the monopoly power in the oil market. Monopoly power is interpreted as oil producers' ability to charge a markup over marginal costs. We propose a novel way to identify markup shocks based on meetings of the OPEC and show their unique macroeconomic consequences compared to supply and demand shocks. In particular, global real economic activity expands when oil producers' monopoly power rises. A general equilibrium model suggests that higher monopoly profits attract investments in oil producing capital which drive down marginal costs and stimulate economic growth.
Physician's Use of Mandatory Information Systems: An Exploratory Research in German Hospitals

Physician ́s use of information systems remains a highly interesting area for information systems research to the recent days. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the enablers and inhibitors of such use. However, no study has yet provided comprehensive insights. To advance efforts in this field, this research takes a step back and investigates the issue in an exploratory research layout. 47 informants provided input accompanied by more than 40 hours of workplace shadowing in two German hospitals. Our findings show that focusing only on physicians does not help to answer the question. The root causes for successful system deployment are a combined approach to focus not only on the user but also on the process and the system. The three factors influence each other. Our findings also underline the importance of leadership and organizational setting.
EPs 7630 in Acute Respiratory Tract Infections - A systematic Review and Meta - Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Objective: We review the efficacy and safety of Pelargonium sidoides preparation EPs 7630 in children, adolescents, and adult patients with acute bronchitis (AB), acute rhinosinusitis (ARS), and acute tonsillopharyngitis (ATP). Methods: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials were eligible for inclusion. Suitable trials were entered into meta-analyses performed separately for each indication. Efficacy analyses were based on change of disease specific symptom scores and on complete remission. Safety was analyzed based on the pooled data from all eligible trials, by comparing the incidence of adverse events in a set of pre-defined system groups between EPs 7630 and placebo. Results: 13 trials with a total of 3,392 participants were included, 10 of which could be entered into meta-analyses of efficacy (AB: 6/8 trials; ARS: 2/2 trials; ATP: 2/3 trials). In ARS, all trials included adults only, whereas studies in ATP had been conducted with children only. Compared to placebo, the analysis of safety showed slightly higher rates of events belonging to the known spectrum of adverse drug reactions to the herbal product, but risk increases ? 1% could be excluded for all investigated system groups except gastrointestinal disorders and epistaxis. No serious adverse drug reactions were reported in any trial. In the meta-analyses of efficacy, EPs 7630 was superior to placebo in reducing both symptom severity and time until complete recovery for all indications investigated. Significant advantages for the herbal drug were also observed for time until the onset of a meaningful treatment effect, global therapy outcome, and days off work, school, or kindergarten. In AB, efficacy could also be shown for both subsets defined by age. Conclusion: EPs 7630 is an efficacious, safe, and well-tolerated herbal medicine in the management of acute respiratory tract infections such as AB, ARS, and ATP in children, adolescents and adults.
(De)industrialisation and lessons for industrial policy in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract Over the past two and a half decades, the economic landscape of Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) has considerably changed. The demise of traditional industries and the rise of the service sector during the 1990s inclined economic structure towards deindustrialisation. In years that followed, new industries emerged in many of these countries and brought them back on the route of reindustrialisation. Across countries, this process developed at an uneven pace. The recent rise of awareness about the importance of industrial development for the well-being of nations makes it relevant to investigate the sources behind changes in the economic structure of CEECs. Our findings reveal that reindustrialisation takes place at an uneven pace. No support was found for horizontal economy-wide industrial policies advocated within new classical economics. Strong impulse to reindustrialisation comes through improvements in export sophistication. Such findings are in line with those on the position of CEECs in global value chains.
Feasibility of the 2-Point Method for Determining the 1-Repetition Maximum in the Bench Press Exercise.

PURPOSE This study compared the concurrent validity and reliability of previously proposed generalized group equations for estimating the bench press (BP) 1-repetition maximum (1RM) with the individualized load-velocity relationship modeled with a 2-point method. METHODS Thirty men (BP 1RM relative to body mass: 1.08 [0.18] kg·kg-1) performed 2 incremental loading tests in the concentric-only BP exercise and another 2 in the eccentric-concentric BP exercise to assess their actual 1RM and load-velocity relationships. A high velocity (≈1 m·s-1) and a low velocity (≈0.5 m·s-1) were selected from their load-velocity relationships to estimate the 1RM from generalized group equations and through an individual linear model obtained from the 2 velocities. RESULTS The directly measured 1RM was highly correlated with all predicted 1RMs (r = .847-.977). The generalized group equations systematically underestimated the actual 1RM when predicted from the concentric-only BP (P < .001; effect size = 0.15-0.94) but overestimated it when predicted from the eccentric-concentric BP (P < .001; effect size = 0.36-0.98). Conversely, a low systematic bias (range: -2.3 to 0.5 kg) and random errors (range: 3.0-3.8 kg), no heteroscedasticity of errors (r2 = .053-.082), and trivial effect size (range: -0.17 to 0.04) were observed when the prediction was based on the 2-point method. Although all examined methods reported the 1RM with high reliability (coefficient of variation ≤ 5.1%; intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ .89), the direct method was the most reliable (coefficient of variation < 2.0%; intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ .98). CONCLUSIONS The quick, fatigue-free, and practical 2-point method was able to predict the BP 1RM with high reliability and practically perfect validity, and therefore, the authors recommend its use over generalized group equations.
Resolving Over-Constrained Temporal Problems with Uncertainty through Conflict-Directed Relaxation

Over-subscription, that is, being assigned too many things to do, is commonly encountered in temporal scheduling problems. As human beings, we often want to do more than we can actually do, and underestimate how long it takes to perform each task. Decision makers can benefit from aids that identify when these failure situations are likely, the root causes of these failures, and resolutions to these failures. In this paper, we present a decision assistant that helps users resolve over-subscribed temporal problems. The system works like an experienced advisor that can quickly identify the cause of failure underlying temporal problems and compute resolutions. The core of the decision assistant is the Best-first Conflict-Directed Relaxation (BCDR) algorithm, which can detect conflicting sets of constraints within temporal problems, and computes continuous relaxations for them that weaken constraints to the minimum extent, instead of removing them completely. BCDR is an extension to the Conflict-Directed A* algorithm, first developed in the model-based reasoning community to compute most likely system diagnoses or reconfigurations. It generalizes the discrete conflicts and relaxations, to hybrid conflicts and relaxations, which denote minimal inconsistencies and minimal relaxations to both discrete and continuous relaxable constraints. In addition, BCDR is capable of handling temporal uncertainty, expressed as either set-bounded or probabilistic durations, and can compute preferred trade-offs between the risk of violating a schedule requirement, versus the loss of utility by weakening those requirements. BCDR has been applied to several decision support applications in different domains, including deep-sea exploration, urban travel planning and transit system management. It has demonstrated its effectiveness in helping users resolve over-subscribed scheduling problems and evaluate the robustness of existing solutions. In our benchmark experiments, BCDR has also demonstrated its efficiency on solving large-scale scheduling problems in the aforementioned domains. Thanks to its conflict-driven approach for computing relaxations, BCDR achieves one to two orders of magnitude improvements on runtime performance when compared to state-of-the-art numerical solvers.
All‐trans‐retinoic acid up‐regulates CD38 but not c‐Kit antigens on human marrow CD34+ cells without recruitment into cell cycle

Retinoids, especially all‐trans‐retinoic acid (ATRA), are well known for their differentiating activity on HL‐60 cells. Moreover ATRA induces CD38 antigen overexpression on these cells. In this study we examined the effects of ATRA on purified normal CD34+ cells from adult human marrows incubated with ATRA (1 μM) or stem cell factor (SCF) after 7 d liquid cultures in serum‐deprived medium. Before and after the incubation, CD34+ cells were studied by flow cytometry to evaluate the cell‐surface expression of CD38 and c‐Kit antigens and the cycle status of these cells using high‐resolution analysis (DNA content v Ki‐67 antigen expression) to clarify the functional meaning of antigenic variations. When compared with control cultures, ATRA‐treated cells displayed changes in their immunophenotypic profile. Particularly relevant was the up‐regulation of CD38 antigen with a mean (±SEM) fold increase of 2.1 ± 0.1 (P = 0.028) for geometric mean fluorescence intensity (GMFI), without modulation of c‐Kit expression. SCF only down‐regulated expression of c‐Kit with a fold decrease of 4.6 ± 0.9 for GMFI (P = 0.043). Unlike SCF, ATRA did not induce CD34+ cells to entry into cell cycle despite increased levels of surface CD38 antigen. Moreover morphological and functional assays did not argue for an ATRA‐induced maturation process. Contrary to steady‐state cells, CD34+ cells treated with pharmacological doses of ATRA alone displayed CD38 over‐expression without change in c‐Kit levels and cycle status, suggesting an absence of maturation pressure.
Sensitivity of [11C]phenylephrine kinetics to monoamine oxidase activity in normal human heart.

UNLABELLED Phenylephrine labeled with 11C was developed as a radiotracer for imaging studies of cardiac sympathetic nerves with PET. A structural analog of norepinephrine, (-)-[11C]phenylephrine (PHEN) is transported into cardiac sympathetic nerve varicosities by the neuronal norepinephrine transporter and stored in vesicles. PHEN is also a substrate for monoamine oxidase (MAO). The goal of this study was to assess the importance of neuronal MAO activity on the kinetics of PHEN in the normal human heart. MAO metabolism of PHEN was inhibited at the tracer level by substituting deuterium atoms for the two hydrogen atoms at the alpha-carbon side chain position to yield the MAO-resistant analog D2-PHEN. METHODS Paired PET studies of PHEN and D2-PHEN were performed in six normal volunteers. Hemodynamic and electrocardiographic responses were monitored. Blood levels of intact radiotracer and radiolabeled metabolites were measured in venous samples taken during the 60 min dynamic PET study. Myocardial retention of the tracers was regionally quantified as a retention index. Tracer efflux between 6 and 50 min after tracer injection was fit to a single exponential process to obtain a washout half-time for all left ventricular regions. RESULTS Although initial heart uptake of the two tracers was similar, D2-PHEN cleared from the heart 2.6 times more slowly than PHEN (mean half-time 155+/-52 versus 55+/-10 min, respectively; P < 0.01). Correspondingly, heart retention of D2-PHEN at 40-60 min after tracer injection was higher than PHEN (mean retention indices 0.086+/-0.018 versus 0.066+/-0.011 mL blood/ min/mL tissue, respectively; P < 0.003). CONCLUSION Efflux of radioactivity from normal human heart after uptake of PHEN is primarily due to metabolism of the tracer by neuronal MAO. Related mechanistic studies in the isolated rat heart indicate that vesicular storage of PHEN protects the tracer from rapid metabolism by neuronal MAO, suggesting that MAO metabolism of PHEN leaking from storage vesicles leads to the gradual loss of PHEN from the neurons. Thus, although MAO metabolism influences the rate of clearance of PHEN from the neurons, MAO metabolism is not the rate-determining step in the observed efflux rate under normal conditions. Rather, the rate at which PHEN leaks from storage vesicles is likely to be the rate-limiting step in the observed efflux rate.
Risk of cutaneous melanoma in a cohort of infertile women

We assessed the risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma associated with the presence of ovulatory abnormalities and with the use of ovulation-inducing agents (such as clomiphene citrate) in a cohort of 3,837 women evaluated at infertility clinics in Seattle, WA, between 1974 and 1985. Computer linkage with a population-based tumour registry was used to identify women diagnosed with melanoma before 1992. Data regarding infertility testing and treatment were abstracted from the infertility clinic medical records for women who developed cancer and a randomly selected subcohort. Twelve women in the cohort developed cutaneous malignant melanoma, in comparison with an expected number of 6.8 cases (standardized incidence ratio = 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–3.1). Within the cohort, risk was increased among women who had used clomiphene during 12 or more menstrual cycles (relative risk = 2.2; 95% CI 0.5–10.2). All four of the women with this duration of clomiphene use who developed melanoma had ovulatory abnormalities, and three had also used human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). No elevation in risk associated with the presence of ovulatory abnormalities was observed in the absence of at least 12 cycles of clomiphene exposure; also, there was no increased risk associated with long-term use of clomiphene among women without ovulatory abnormalities, but the number of such women was very small. Thus, it is not certain to what extent the observed increased risk of melanoma in this cohort (if not due to chance) may be attributable to the use of clomiphene or HCG, or is a reflection of some underlying hormonal abnormality for which the drug was administered.
Critical power derived from a 3-min all-out test predicts 16.1-km road time-trial performance

Abstract It has been shown that the critical power (CP) in cycling estimated using a novel 3-min all-out protocol is reliable and closely matches the CP derived from conventional procedures. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive validity of the all-out test CP estimate. We hypothesised that the all-out test CP would be significantly correlated with 16.1-km road time-trial (TT) performance and more strongly correlated with performance than the gas exchange threshold (GET), respiratory compensation point (RCP) and V̇O2 max. Ten club-level male cyclists (mean±SD: age 33.8±8.2 y, body mass 73.8±4.3 kg, V̇O2 max 60±4 ml·kg−1·min−1) performed a 10-mile road TT, a ramp incremental test to exhaustion, and two 3-min all-out tests, the first of which served as familiarisation. The 16.1-km TT performance (27.1±1.2 min) was significantly correlated with the CP (309±34 W; r=−0.83, P<0.01) and total work done during the all-out test (70.9±6.5 kJ; r=−0.86, P<0.01), the ramp incremental test peak power (433±30 W; r=−0.75, P<0.05) and the RCP (315±29 W; r=−0.68, P<0.05), but not with GET (151±32 W; r=−0.21) or the V̇O2 max (4.41±0.25 L·min−1; r=−0.60). These data provide evidence for the predictive validity and practical performance relevance of the 3-min all-out test. The 3-min all-out test CP may represent a useful addition to the battery of tests employed by applied sport physiologists or coaches to track fitness and predict performance in atheletes.