Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Significance of the Capitate Supra-Fronto Orbital Bristles of Male Medflies (Ceratitis capitata) (D?ptera, Tephritidae)

Experimental removal of the sexually dimorphic supra-fronto-orbital bristles from male Ceratitis capitata lowered the chances that courting males would succeed in mounting females. Bristle removal did not affect male courtship behavior, and females often did not contact male bristles, so the male bristles probably function as visual display devices, despite the surprising fact that neither placement of the bristles nor courtship behavior are ap propriate to display either the bristles' exaggerated length or the expansions at their tips to full effect. Indirect evidence suggests that male eye colors are also important in courtship, but that bristle asymmetry is not. Despite the fact that the medfly Ceratitis capitata Wied. is a serious agricultural pest that causes millions of dollars of damage annually, many aspects of its biology are as yet unstudied. One such poorly understood characteristic is the pair of sexu ally dimorphic bristles on the supra fronto orbital area of the head (hereafter the male "bristles"). In male medflies these bristles have a relatively long, light-colored stem that is bent dorsally near the base, and a dark, flattened, more or less diamond-shaped expansion at the tip (Figs. 1, 2). Arita and Kaneshiro (1983) mention that the mod ified bristles may contact the female during courtship. A second hypothesis, derived from the possibility that "Every aspect of the courtship ritual is directed at dispers ing the pheromone toward the female" (Kaneshiro, 1993:26), is that they affect pheromone concentrations near the female. A third possibility is that the bristles form part of a visual courtship display: the colors of male eyes differ from those of fe males (below), and male courtship behavior performed immediately preceding male attempts to mount females includes rapid head rotations that are combined with smaller turning and nodding movements (Fig. 3) (Feron, 1962; Brice? o et al., 1996). Hasson and Rossler (in prep.) note that the degree of asymmetry in size of male bris tles is negatively associated with their size, and suggest that the asymmetry may re veal male quality. This note presents data on the morphology and positioning of the bristles on the male's head, and on the effects of bristles on female responses to male courtship. These data suggest that the bristles function as visual display devices.
A cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in New Hampshire: A possible role for toxic cyanobacteria blooms

Abstract Cyanobacteria produce many neurotoxins including ß-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) that has been liked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and neurodegenerative disease. A number of ALS cases have been diagnosed among residents of Enfield, NH, a town encompassing a lake with a history of cyanobacteria algal blooms. To investigate an association between toxic cyanobacterial blooms in New Hampshire and development of ALS, we reviewed records from our institution and other community databases to obtain demographic information on patients diagnosed with ALS within New England. We identified nine ALS patients who lived near Lake Mascoma in Enfield, NH, an incidence of sporadic ALS that is 10 to 25 times the expected incidence of 2/100,000/year. We suggest that the high incidence of ALS in this potential cluster could be directly related to chronic exposure to cyanobacterial neurotoxins such as BMAA. Possible routes of toxin exposure include inhalation of aerosolized toxins, consuming fish, or ingestion of lake water. Further investigation, including analysis of brain tissue for cyanobacterial toxins, will be helpful to test for an association between BMAA and ALS.
Lights and Siren Transport and the Need for Hospital Intervention in Trauma Patients

Abstract Emergent ambulance transportation is associated with increased risk of collision, injury, and death for EMS professionals, patients, and the general public. Time saved using lights and siren (L&S) is typically small, and often provides minimal clinical benefit. Our objective was to investigate the frequency of L&S transports, describe the precision of the decision to employ L&S to predict the need for a time critical hospital intervention (TCHI) within 15 minutes of hospital arrival, identify clinical predictors of a TCHI, and compare clinical outcomes in patients transported by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with and without L&S in a trauma-specific population. EMS patient care reports and trauma registry data were retrospectively reviewed for trauma patients consecutively transported from the field by three EMS agencies to three trauma centers within urban and suburban settings over a two-year period. TCHIs were collaboratively developed by the study team. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were utilized to report the precision of the decision to employ L&S to predict the need of a TCHI. Univariate and multivariate analyses determined predictors of a TCHI and compared clinical outcomes. 2,091 patients were included in the study. Of the 19.8% of patients transported with L&S, 22.9% received a TCHI. The most common TCHI was airway or respiratory procedures (87.2% of all TCHI's). The sensitivity and specificity of L&S to predict the need for a TCHI was 87.2% (95% CI 79.4–92.8) and 84.0% (95% CI 82.2–85.5), respectively. PPV was 23.0% (95% CI 23.53–38.01); NPV was 99.2% (95% CI 98.6–99.6). L&S was predictive for the need for a TCHI (p < 0.001), as was abnormal Glasgow Coma Score (p < 0.001), abnormal systolic blood pressure and age (p < 0.05 for all). Among patients that received a TCHI, over a third that were transported with L&S (36.8%) expired, compared with two of 14 patients (14.3%) not transported L&S. EMS professionals in this study demonstrated a high ability to discern which trauma patients did not require L&S. Nevertheless, L&S transport resulted in a TCHI less than one quarter of the time, suggesting an opportunity for further reduction of L&S transports in trauma patients.
Expression of Functional TLR4 Confers Proinflammatory Responsiveness to Trypanosoma cruzi Glycoinositolphospholipids and Higher Resistance to Infection with T. cruzi1

TLRs function as pattern recognition receptors in mammals and play an essential role in the recognition of microbial components. We found that the injection of glycoinositolphospholipids (GIPLs) from Trypanosoma cruzi into the peritoneal cavity of mice induced neutrophil recruitment in a TLR4-dependent manner: the injection of GIPL in the TLR4-deficient strain of mice (C57BL/10ScCr) caused no inflammatory response. In contrast, in TLR2 knockout mice, neutrophil chemoattraction did not differ significantly from that seen in wild-type controls. GIPL-induced neutrophil attraction and MIP-2 production were also severely affected in TLR4-mutant C3H/HeJ mice. The role of TLR4 was confirmed in vitro by testing genetically engineered mutants derived from TLR2-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 fibroblasts that were transfected with CD14 (CHO/CD14). Wild-type CHO/CD14 cells express the hamster TLR4 molecule and the mutant line, in addition, expresses a nonfunctional form of MD-2. In comparison to wild-type cells, mutant CHO/CD14 cells failed to respond to GIPLs, indicating a necessity for a functional TLR4/MD-2 complex in GIPL-induced NF-κB activation. Finally, we found that TLR4-mutant mice were hypersusceptible to T. cruzi infection, as evidenced by a higher parasitemia and earlier mortality. These results demonstrate that natural resistance to T. cruzi is TLR4 dependent, most likely due to TLR4 recognition of their GIPLs.
One-stage surgery and early loading of three implants for maxillary overdentures: a 1-year report.

BACKGROUND Maxillary implant overdentures opposing mandibular two-implant overdentures are an underused treatment option for edentulous patients. Fewer implants, simple surgery, and short healing periods may increase patients' acceptance of this treatment concept. PURPOSE To determine implant success, after overdenture loading, of three narrow-diameter roughened-surface implants placed in edentulous maxillas, using a one-stage surgical procedure, a 12-week healing period, and opposing mandibular two-implant overdentures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty edentulous participants with mandibular two-implant overdentures were allocated to two groups with similar implant systems. Each group had three narrow-diameter roughened-surface implants placed into their edentulous maxillas in a one-stage surgical procedure. Standardized intraoral radiography and implant stability tests were performed sequentially at surgery, at 12 weeks (prior to loading), and at 64 weeks (after 1 year of loading with maxillary overdentures). RESULTS One hundred seventeen implants were placed in 39 participants. After 1 year of loading, 15 implants had failed in 11 patients, 4 implants have been "put to sleep" in 3 patients, and 1 patient has died. Data on marginal bone loss and resonance frequency analysis showed no significant differences between the implant systems. The mean marginal bone loss was 1.30 mm (+/- 0.44 mm) from surgery to 12 weeks and 0.32 mm (+/- 0.48 mm) between 12 and 64 weeks with loading. The mean implant stability quotient and resonance frequency values showed a statistically significant improvement over time, at 56.05 (5,891 Hz), 57.54 (5,981 Hz), and 60.88 (6,167 Hz) at surgery, 12 weeks, and 64 weeks, respectively. The overall success rate for all implants combined was 81%, and the cumulative survival rate was 84.61%. CONCLUSION In patients with mandibular two-implant overdentures, three narrow-diameter roughened-surface implants can be placed in the edentulous maxilla, using a one-stage surgical procedure, and can be loaded within 12 weeks with overdentures for 1 year.
Perception of Chromatic Motion Requires Luminance Interaction

There is an ongoing debate related to whether chromatic motion perception arises as a consequence of a chromatic signal only (eg Wandell et al 1999 Neuron 24 901–909) or a signal that is essentially based on luminance processes (luminance artifacts) (Mullen et al 2003 Vision Research 43 1235–1247). These two views conform to the idea that colour and luminance processes are physiologically independent (Livingstone and Hubel 1988 Science 240 740–749), but according to other reports many primary cortical ‘V1’ cells respond to both colour and luminance contrast (eg Vidyasagar et al 2002 European Journal of Neuroscience 16 945–956). A psychophysical task was designed to test whether possible interaction between luminance and chromatic contrast could account for perception of chromatic motion. It is shown that subjects respond in a manner that reflects involvement of both processes.
Working Capital Management and Corporate Profitability: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between working capital management and corporate profitability of Vietnamese listed firms. We propose a different interpretation of the empirical evidence that takes into account the dependency of collection and payment decisions. This helps establish the causal relationship between working capital management and firm profitability, which made the interpretation of the empirical results more meaningful and consistent with the real practice of firms. The analysis results based on a sample of 374 Vietnamese listed firms in the period from 2008 to 2014 show that working capital management positively affects the performance of Vietnamese listed companies. However, the results also indicate that Vietnamese firms do not intentionally use trade credit policy to enhance firms’ performance and the observed relationship between trade credit and profitability, though significant, is just by coincidence.
Pengaruh Budaya Organisasi dan Lingkungan Kerja terhadap Kepuasan Kerja dan Kinerja Karyawan

Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) is a public company engaged in serving electricity in Indonesia. The company is a state-owned company which has a lot of human resources both from the level of general education up to the highest level of education. The rapid development of industrialization and technological innovation makes the company must be more competitive in facing the increasing of fierce competition in the current era of globalization. This study aims to analyze and prove the influence of organizational culture and work environment on employee performance through job satisfaction as a mediator or as an intervening variable. The study was conducted at PT. PLN (PERSERO) Distribution West Java Area Majalaya. Data were collected using questionnaires distributed to 146 employees and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) which was run by using AMOS 21.0 software. The results show that the organizational culture and work environment of PLN West Java Distribution Area Majalaya have a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction. Furthermore, the organizational culture, work environment, and job satisfaction of PLN employees have a positive influence on employee performance.
The copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire II (COPSOQ II) in Spain--a tool for psychosocial risk assessment at the workplace.

AIMS To describe the second version of the Spanish Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire and to present evidence of its validity and reliability. METHODS The original Danish long COPSOQ II questionnaire was adapted to the labor market, cultural, and linguistic setting of Spain and included in the 2010 Spanish Psychosocial Risks Survey. Analysis involved the assessment of psychometric characteristics and associations among psychosocial scales and health scales. Medium and short versions were derived from the long one. RESULTS The long questionnaire was configured with 24 dimensions (92 items); medium-length questionnaire with 20 dimensions (69 items); and short questionnaire with 14 dimensions (28 items). All scales showed acceptable reliability and concordance between versions. Most associations among psychosocial scales and Mental Health, Stress, and Burnout scales were in the expected direction, except the scale of Influence, that showed some incongruent associations. CONCLUSION Results support the validity and reliability of Spanish COPSOQ II questionnaires as tools for psychosocial risk assessment at the workplace, however, better scales should be developed specially for the dimension of Influence.
Rethinking Social Desirability Scales

Social desirability (specifically, impression management) scales are widely used by researchers and practitioners to screen individuals who bias self-reports in a self-favoring manner. These scales also serve to identify individuals at risk for psychological and health problems. The present review explores the evidence with regard to the ability of these scales to achieve these objectives. In the first part of the review, I present six criteria to evaluate impression management scales and conclude that they are unsatisfactory as measures of response style. Next, I explore what individual differences in impression management scores actually do measure. I compare two approaches: a defensiveness approach, which argues that these scales measure defensiveness that stems from vulnerable self-esteem, and an adjustment approach, which suggests that impression management is associated with personal well-being and interpersonal adjustment. Data from a wide variety of fields including social behavior, affect and well-being, health, and job performance tend to favor the adjustment approach. Finally, I argue that scales measuring impression management should be redefined as measures of interpersonally oriented self-control that identify individuals who demonstrate high levels of self-control, especially in social contexts.
Variability in measuring physical activity in children with cerebral palsy.

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to establish the variability in the measurement of habitual physical activity using the ActiGraph® GT3X+ accelerometer in children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD Repeated measures: Independently ambulant children with unilateral CP (n = 30; age, 11 yr 3 months (2 yr 4 months)) completed standardized tasks over two consecutive days, wearing an ActiGraph® GT3X+ accelerometer and HR monitor. Testing protocol comprised 5 min of seated rest (REST), walking at light, moderate, and vigorous pace, and rapid stepping on/off a step. Agreement was calculated between days using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (two-factor mixed agreement model). Minimum detectable difference was calculated (minimum detectable difference = [SD√1 - ICC] × 1.96√2). Performance variability: Participants (n = 102) wore an ActiGraph® GT3X+ accelerometer for 4 d in the community. Activity counts were converted into activity intensity using uniaxial-derived cut points to classify the time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Between-day intraclass reliability coefficients (R) and Spearman-Brown prophecy formula ([ICCdesired/(1 - ICCdesired)][(1 - ICCestimated)]/ICCestimated]) were calculated. RESULTS Agreement between repeated measures was strong for light physical activity and MVPA (ICC, 0.80). For MVPA, the minimum detectable difference was 1412 counts per minute. In the community, 345 d (87%) were recorded. Three days of monitoring produced acceptable variability estimates of MVPA (R = 0.63-0.73). Spearman-Brown prophecy analysis estimated that 3 d would achieve a reliability coefficient of 0.7 and 11 d would achieve 0.9. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of habitual physical activity using the ActiGraph® GT3X+ accelerometer is reliable under controlled walking and stepping conditions as well as in a community environment in independently ambulant children and adolescents with CP.
Identification of HIV patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis using urine based polymerase chain reaction assay

BACKGROUND Despite the increased dissemination of tuberculosis among HIV infected patients, the diagnosis is difficult to establish. Traditional microbiological methods lack satisfactory sensitivity. We have developed a highly sensitive and specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) capable of detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in urine specimens and have used this test to examine urine specimens from HIV patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS Urine specimens from 13 HIV infected patients with microbiologically proven active pulmonary tuberculosis, 10 AIDS patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection (documented by blood culture), 53 AIDS patients with no evidence of mycobacterial disease, and 80 healthy subjects (25 with positive skin test to purified protein derivative) were tested forM tuberculosis using PCR, acid fast staining (AFS), and culture. RESULTS Of the urine specimens from patients with active tuberculosis, all tested positive by PCR, two by culture, and none by AFS. No reactivity was observed in urine specimens from patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection. Of the 53 AIDS patients without mycobacterial infection, one had a positive urine PCR. Normal subjects were all negative. CONCLUSIONS Urine based nested PCR for M tuberculosis may be a useful test for identifying HIV patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Proposing a Customized Model of Safety Culture and Behavior in a Car Manufacturing Company

Work-related accidents and illnesses are a great concern in developed countries. Numerous researches have been performed to find an appropriate approach to decrease occupational accidents. This descriptive-analytical study was designed based on the retrospective and field studies to develop a customized model of the safety culture and identify the effective factors of safety culture in a car manufacturing company. In order to present a new customized model of safety culture questionnaire, the study was designed in three phases: 1) Proposing a customized model, 2) Constructing a validated questionnaire, and 3) Conducting a field study. A total number of 619 cases completed the questionnaire (321 injured and 298 uninjured people). Cronbach's alpha of the questionnaire was 0.855. The injured population noticeably acquired more points than the uninjured workers in all items of the questionnaire except for "safety rules and regulations"; though, this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) only in the 7 items. The correlation between almost all of the safety culture components in the injured and uninjured workers was positive (P<0.05 P <0.001). Developing a customized model and questionnaire for a car manufacturing industry is an important finding of the present study. The results showed that the safety culture of the injured subjects was higher than those uninjured. Therefore, it can be stated that the occupational accident is the milestone for the evaluation of the safety culture.
Pharmacokinetics (PK), Pharmacodynamics (PD), and PK-PD Integration of Danofloxacin in Sheep Biological Fluids

ABSTRACT The fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drug danofloxacin was administered to sheep intravenously (i.v.) and intramuscularly (i.m.) at a dose of 1.25 mg/kg of body weight in a two-period crossover study. The pharmacokinetic properties of danofloxacin in serum, inflamed tissue cage fluid (exudate), and noninflamed tissue cage fluid (transudate) were established by using a tissue cage model. The in vitro and ex vivo activities of danofloxacin in serum, exudate, and transudate against a pathogenic strain of Mannheimia haemolytica were established. Integration of in vivo pharmacokinetic data with the in vitro MIC provided mean values for the area under the curve (AUC)/MIC for serum, exudate, and transudate of 60.5, 85.6, and 45.7 h, respectively, after i.v. dosing and 55.9, 77.9, and 49.1 h, respectively, after i.m. dosing. After i.m. dosing, the maximum concentration/MIC ratios for serum, exudate, and transudate were 10.8, 3.0, and 1.6, respectively. The ex vivo growth inhibition data after i.m. dosing were fitted to the inhibitory sigmoid Emax equation to provide the values of AUC/MIC required to produce bacteriostasis, bactericidal activity, and elimination of bacteria. The respective values for serum were 17.8, 20.2, and 28.7 h, and slightly higher values were obtained for transudate and exudate. It is proposed that use of these data might provide a novel approach to the rational design of dosage schedules.
Avoiding neuromuscular stimulation in liver irreversible electroporation using radiofrequency electric fields

Electroporation-based treatments typically consist of the application of high-voltage dc pulses. As an undesired side effect, these dc pulses cause electrical stimulation of excitable tissues such as motor nerves. The present in vivo study explores the use of bursts of sinusoidal voltage in a frequency range from 50 kHz to 2 MHz, to induce irreversible electroporation (IRE) whilst avoiding neuromuscular stimulation. A series of 100 dc pulses or sinusoidal bursts, both with an individual duration of 100 µs, were delivered to rabbit liver through thin needles in a monopolar electrode configuration, and thoracic movements were recorded with an accelerometer. Tissue samples were harvested three hours after treatment and later post-processed to determine the dimensions of the IRE lesions. Thermal damage due to Joule heating was ruled out via computer simulations. Sinusoidal bursts with a frequency equal to or above 100 kHz did not cause thoracic movements and induced lesions equivalent to those obtained with conventional dc pulses when the applied voltage amplitude was sufficiently high. IRE efficacy dropped with increasing frequency. For 100 kHz bursts, it was estimated that the electric field threshold for IRE is about 1.4 kV cm−1 whereas that of dc pulses is about 0.5 kV cm−1.