Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crowdfunding and Innovation

Entrepreneurs have started relying on crowdfunding to fund their investments. This paper surveys the literature linking crowdfunding with innovation in entrepreneurial firms. Two distinct areas are discussed. First, crowdfunding has the potential to foster innovation by offering new sources of capital to innovation‐driven firms and thereby reduce the funding gap for innovative startups. Second, crowdfunding offers a way for the crowd to participate in the innovation process by providing feedback to the entrepreneur. This feedback can take various forms, including providing ideas on the development of the product during and after the campaign (in the spirit of crowdsourcing), and providing valuable information on the future demand for the new product.
Facet Joint Orientation in Spondylolysis and Isthmic Spondylolisthesis

Study Design The orientation of facet joints (FJs) in a normal population and isthmic spondylolisthesis (IS) population was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging in the lumbar spine. Objective To document the difference in FJ orientation (FJO) between a normal population and a population with spondylolysis of L5 and IS. Summary of Backgound Data Spondylolysis and IS have both a familial and mechanical etiology, yet the phenotypic expression of the familial etiology is unknown except for the observation of spinal bifida occulta. Other posterior element abnormalities are unrecognized, and any FJO abnormality below the pars defect has been ignored because of presumed previous mechanical defunctioning by the development of that pars defect at an earlier age. The recognition of multilevel sagittal FJO in L4/5 degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), raises the possibility that more proximal segment examination may reveal FJ variations in IS. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging scans were used to measure the orientation of the FJ at L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1 in 30 individuals with normal scans, and 30 patients with IS. The angular measurement recorded was in relation to the coronal plane. Repeated measurements confirmed the validity of the method. Results Mean measurement of axial FJO at L3/4 and L4/5 was 51.1 and 42.5 degrees in the controls, and 45.2 and 35.0 degrees in IS. The more coronal angulation at the levels above a pars defect in IS was highly statistically significant (P=<0.001 at L3/4 and P=<0.0001 at L4/5). At L5/S1, orientations were the same (39 degrees) in each group. Conclusions Relative coronal FJO in the lumbar spine may be the phenotypic expression of the familial etiology of IS. This may result in increased stress concentration in the pars between or below coronally oriented FJs. These more coronal FJOs in IS may also explain the common observation of retrolisthesis at L4/5 above IS when the L4/5 disc degenerates, lateral overhang of the L4/5 FJ to the L5 pedicle entry point above an IS, and the rare combination of DS at L4/5 and IS at L5/S1 when both disorders are separately common. This latter observation can be explained by the observation that DS occurs in those individual with sagittal lumbar facets, and that IS occurs in those with more coronal FJs.
Estimation of Minimum Sterol 14α-Demethylation-Inhibitory Concentration of Azoles in Candida Yeasts Using Acetate-Mediated Growth Inhibition: Potential Utility in Susceptibility Testing

ABSTRACT We have recently shown that 14α-demethylation-deficient cells ofCandida albicans are subject to growth arrest by 0.24 M acetate in a yeast extract-peptone-glucose medium and that the minimum concentration of an azole antifungal agent required for total inhibition of sterol 14α-demethylation (MDIC for minimum demethylation-inhibitory concentration) is practically identical to its MIC determined in the acetate-supplemented medium (O. Shimokawa and H. Nakayama, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 43:100–105, 1999). In the present study we estimated the MDICs of three different azoles (fluconazole, ketoconazole, and itraconazole) for strains of variousCandida species using this method and compared them with the MICs determined in the corresponding acetate-free medium. The results demonstrated that the test strains were divided into two classes. One class of strains was characterized by tolerance to 14α-demethylation deficiency (MIC > MDIC) and consisted of strains of C. albicans, C. guilliermondii,C. kefyr, and C. tropicalis. The other class was intolerant to 14α-demethylation deficiency (MIC ≈ MDIC) and comprised strains of C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. parapsilosis. We also showed that replacement of the yeast extract-peptone-glucose medium with RPMI 1640 medium did not affect the results substantially. Furthermore, the 80% inhibitory concentration (IC80) in RPMI 1640 medium, recommended as a substitute for the conventional MIC in susceptibility testing, was found to be close to the MDIC.
Explaining institutional strength: the case of national human rights institutions in Europe and its Neighbourhood

ABSTRACT National human rights institutions have spread rapidly across Europe and its Neighbourhood consolidating their powers to protect human rights. Yet, we know little about the causes for change in the strength of national human rights institutions over time. We propose an analysis of institutional strength along two dimensions of safeguards – durability and enforcement – based on original data for 50 states. We illustrate the quantitative analysis with two case studies – Hungary and Poland. We find that European Union membership conditionality is the strongest predictor of increased strength in national human rights institutions. Additionally, we find evidence of democratic ‘lock-in’, as newly democratized states seek to increase the durability of their institutions. The influence of the United Nations and the European Union, through state networks, increases the strength of national human rights institutions, particularly their durability. The Council of Europe has a positive impact on the institutional safeguards for enforcement.
Overlap of Mukutani Administrative Boundary and its Definition of the East Pokot–Il Chamus Conflict in North Western Kenya

Mukutani is both an area and a name for a particular administrative centre in North Western Kenya. The boundary and position of the administrative centre of Mukutani on the “boundary” of East Pokot pastoralists and Il Chamus agro-pastoralists is a long contested matter. This paper presents the history of the centre, its current status and the fluidity and shifting of the boundary between the East Pokot and Il Chamus communities, the contest over the correct name, the emergence of No-Man’s Land and the inaction by the government of Kenya. The key question investigated in this paper is: Is the East Pokot boundary defined by River Mukutani or it is nine kilometers to the North of the River? The stalemate and absence of government direction has confused people and compromised access to public services and pasture. The paper concludes that the government of Kenya has the civic duty to resolve inter-community boundary disputes.
The Effects of Noise and Reverberation on Listening Effort in Adults With Normal Hearing

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of background noise and reverberation on listening effort. Four specific research questions were addressed related to listening effort: (A) With comparable word recognition performance across levels of reverberation, what are the effects of noise and reverberation on listening effort? (B) What is the effect of background noise when reverberation time is constant? (C) What is the effect of increasing reverberation from low to moderate when signal to noise ratio is constant? (D) What is the effect of increasing reverberation from moderate to high when signal to noise ratio is constant? Design: Eighteen young adults (mean age 24.8 years) with normal hearing participated. A dual-task paradigm was used to simultaneously assess word recognition and listening effort. The primary task was monosyllable word recognition, and the secondary task was word categorization (press a button if the word heard was judged to be a noun). Participants were tested in quiet and in background noise in three levels of reverberation (T30 < 100 ms, T30 = 475 ms, and T30 = 834 ms). Signal to noise ratios used were chosen individually for each participant and varied by reverberation to address the specific research questions. Results: As expected, word recognition performance was negatively affected by both background noise and by increases in reverberation. Furthermore, analysis of mean response times revealed that background noise increased listening effort, regardless of degree of reverberation. Conversely, reverberation did not affect listening effort, regardless of whether word recognition performance was comparable or signal to noise ratio was constant. Conclusions: The finding that reverberation did not affect listening effort, even when word recognition performance was degraded, is inconsistent with current models of listening effort. The reasons for this surprising finding are unclear and warrant further investigation. However, the results of this study are limited in generalizability to young listeners with normal hearing and to the signal to noise ratios, loudspeaker to listener distance, and reverberation times evaluated. Other populations, like children, older listeners, and listeners with hearing loss, have been previously shown to be more sensitive to reverberation. Therefore, the effects of reverberation for these vulnerable populations also warrant further investigation.
Na(+), Cl(-), Ca(2+) and Zn(2+) transport by fish gills: retrospective review and prospective synthesis.

The secondary active Cl(-) secretion in seawater (SW) teleost fish gills and elasmobranch rectal gland involves basolateral Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and NKCC, apical membrane CFTR anion channels, and a paracellular Na(+)-selective conductance. In freshwater (FW) teleost gill, the mechanism of NaCl uptake is more controversial and involves apical V-type H(+)-ATPase linked to an apical Na(+) channel, apical Cl(-)-HCO-3 exchange and basolateral Na(+),K(+)-ATPase. Ca(2+) uptake (in FW and SW) is via Ca(2+) channels in the apical membrane and Ca(2+)-ATPase in the basolateral membrane. Mainly this transport occurs in mitochondria rich (MR) chloride cells, but there is a role for the pavement cells also. Future research will likely expand in two major directions, molded by methodology: first in physiological genomics of all the transporters, including their expression, trafficking, operation, and regulation at the molecular level, and second in biotelemetry to examine multivariable components in behavioral physiological ecology, thus widening the integration of physiology from the molecular to the environmental levels while deepening understanding at all levels.
Structural changes of tailless bacteriophage ΦX174 during penetration of bacterial cell walls

Significance One of the unresolved mysteries of tailless bacteriophages is how they recognize potential targets and translocate their genomes across the periplasmic space of their hosts. In this study, bilayers consisting of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from bacterial cells were found to trigger genome ejection from ΦX174. We investigated the structural response of ΦX174 and showed that the phage binds to LPS through one of its pentameric spikes. Dissociation of the spike, followed by conformational changes in the major capsid proteins, cause DNA ejection through preformed tubes consisting of viral H proteins. This unique infection strategy may give ΦX174 and other members of the Microviridae family an evolutionary advantage by allowing them to protect the DNA conduit until a specific target is identified. Unlike tailed bacteriophages, which use a preformed tail for transporting their genomes into a host bacterium, the ssDNA bacteriophage ΦX174 is tailless. Using cryo-electron microscopy and time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering, we show that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) form bilayers that interact with ΦX174 at an icosahedral fivefold vertex and induce single-stranded (ss) DNA genome ejection. The structures of ΦX174 complexed with LPS have been determined for the pre- and post-ssDNA ejection states. The ejection is initiated by the loss of the G protein spike that encounters the LPS, followed by conformational changes of two polypeptide loops on the major capsid F proteins. One of these loops mediates viral attachment, and the other participates in making the fivefold channel at the vertex contacting the LPS.
Measuring energy expenditure in habitually active and sedentary pregnant women.

PURPOSE To describe patterns of energy expenditure (EE) during pregnancy and to assess the convergent validity of three methods of estimating EE. METHODS We administered heart rate (HR) telemetry, accelerometry, and a physical activity record (PAR) over two consecutive days at weeks 20 and 32 of pregnancy and 12 wk postpartum to 28 habitually active and 28 habitually sedentary women. RESULTS Mean daily waking-time EE at 20 wk by HR telemetry was 1814 (SD 443) kcal in active women and 1738 (448) kcal in sedentary women (P > 0.50), and did not change over the period of study (for active women P > 0.40; for sedentary women P > 0.70). Compared with HR telemetry, accelerometry underestimated EE by approximately 400 kcal x d-1, and the PAR overestimated EE by a similar amount, at all time periods in both active and sedentary women. EE, expressed per unit body weight, was consistently higher for active than for sedentary women during pregnancy. Pairwise correlations between methods ranged from 0.37 to 0.90 across time periods in both active and sedentary women. Correlations were lower (range 0.07-0.81) when adjusted for the length of the recording day. CONCLUSIONS All methods were sensitive to variation in both the rate of EE and the duration over which activity was monitored. Accelerometry and PAR are useful methods for categorizing EE in epidemiologic studies among pregnant women but absolute estimates are biased relative to HR.
Acoustic intensity fluctuations induced by South China Sea internal tides and solitons

Between late April and May 23, 2001, a suite of acoustic and oceanographic sensors was deployed by a team of U.S., Taiwan, and Singapore scientists in the northeastern South China Sea to study the effects of ocean variability on low-frequency sound propagation in a shelfbreak environment. The primary acoustic receiver was an L-shaped hydrophone array moored on the continental shelf that monitored a variety of signals transmitted along and across the shelfbreak by moored sources. This paper discusses and contrasts the fluctuations in the 400-Hz signals transmitted across the shelfbreak and measured by the vertical segment of the listening array on two different days, one with the passage of several huge solitons that depressed the shallow isotherms to near the sea bottom and one with a much less energetic internal wavefield. In addition to exhibiting large and rapid temporal changes, the acoustic data show a much more vertically diffused sound intensity field as the huge solitons occupied and passed through the transmission path. Using a space-time continuous empirical sound-speed model based on the moored temperature records, the observed acoustic intensity fluctuations are explained using coupled-mode physics.
Pulmonary vagal reflexes and breathing pattern are not altered in elastase-induced emphysema in rats.

The role of nonmyelinated and myelinated vagal afferents in pulmonary reflexes and breathing pattern was examined in elastase-treated emphysemic rats. Fourteen to 17 days after intratracheal instillation of 1 IU/gm of porcine pancreatic elastase or 0.5 mL of saline, elastase-treated rats had a decreased alveolar surface area to volume of parenchyma (Sv) (42.44 +/- 1.7 vs. 31.51 +/- 1.1 mm2/mm3), increased quasistatic compliance (QSC) (1.05 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.25 +/- 0.09 mL/cm H2O), functional residual capacity (FRC) (4.31 +/- 0.10 vs. 5.88 +/- 0.37 mL), residual volume (RV) (3.02 +/- 0.14 vs. 4.27 +/- 0.31 mL), and total lung capacity (TLC) (14.04 +/- 0.28 vs. 15.58 +/- 0.54 mL). There were no changes in the strength of the pulmonary chemoreflex, the strength of the Hering-Breuer inflation reflex, or breathing pattern before or after vagal perineural capsaicin treatment (VPCT) or vagotomy. There were, however, significant negative correlations between Sv and TLC, FRC and RV, and a near significant (p < .09) negative correlation between Sv and QSC, but no significant correlations between Sv and indices of either the pulmonary chemoreflex or Hering-Breuer inflation reflex. The results indicate that pulmonary vagal nonmyelinated and myelinated reflex activity and breathing pattern are not affected by elastase-induced emphysema in rats.
Measurement for temperature on a LED lamp

LED demonstrates a number of benefits compared to traditional incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps. However, the thermal problem that is brought by heat generated within the LED itself is still a bottleneck that limits the stability, reliability and lifetime of high power LED. In order to understand the temperature characteristics of the LED lamp, this paper utilized the thermocouples to measure the temperature on LED lamp. The effects of the ambient temperature on the surface temperature of the LED lamp were presented.
Extracorporeal 'phantom' tics in Tourette's syndrome

Article abstract-Some tics are intentional movements made in an attempt to diminish uncomfortable sensations. These sensations, sometimes termed sensory tics, are focal and usually arise in the part of the body involved in the subsequent motor act. We report a patient whose sensations associated with tics were felt in other people and in objects. The discomfort associated with his out-of-body sensations was temporarily relieved by touching or scratching the object involved. The definition of premonitory sensations should be expanded to include extracorporeal sensations, and a history of external sensations should be sought in patients with Tourette's syndrome. Theories on the generation of tics must incorporate an explanation for extracorporeal sensations. NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 38-40
Myoelectric Walking Mode Classification for Transtibial Amputees

Myoelectric control algorithms have the potential to detect an amputee's motion intent and allow the prosthetic to adapt to changes in walking mode. The development of a myoelectric walking mode classifier for transtibial amputees is outlined. Myoelectric signals from four muscles (tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius (MG), vastus lateralis, and biceps femoris) were recorded for five nonamputee subjects and five transtibial amputees over a variety of walking modes: level ground at three speeds, ramp ascent/descent, and stair ascent/descent. These signals were decomposed into relevant features (mean absolute value, variance, wavelength, number of slope sign changes, number of zero crossings) over three subwindows from the gait cycle and used to test the ability of classification algorithms for transtibial amputees using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers. Detection of all seven walking modes had an accuracy of 97.9% for the amputee group and 94.7% for the nonamputee group. Misclassifications occurred most frequently between different walking speeds due to the similar nature of the gait pattern. Stair ascent/descent had the best classification accuracy with 99.8% for the amputee group and 100.0% for the nonamputee group. Stability of the developed classifier was explored using an electrode shift disturbance for each muscle. Shifting the electrode placement of the MG had the most pronounced effect on the classification accuracy for both samples. No increase in classification accuracy was observed when using SVM compared to LDA for the current dataset.
Can the mild clinical course of crimean–congo hemorrhagic fever in children be explained by cytokine responses?

Cytokines are possibly one of the factors responsible for death due to Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). This study aimed to determine the differences between the cytokine levels in children and adult patients with CCHF; the influence of cytokines; and the severity of the course of the disease, which seems to be milder in children. Thirty‐four children and 36 adult patients diagnosed with CCHF between 2010 and 2011 were included in this study. Diagnosis was performed by serology or by the polymerase chain reaction for CCHF virus. Levels of IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐9, IL‐10, IL‐12 p70, IL‐13, IL‐17A, and IL‐22 were measured in all serum samples. Although the disease had a fatal course in three adult patients, there were no deaths in children. Statistically significant differences were not observed between the cytokine concentrations in the adults and children. No differences were detected between the serum cytokine levels in the children with moderate and those with a severe clinical course of the disease. In the adult patients with fatal outcome, significantly higher serum levels of IL‐2, IL‐5, IL‐9, IL‐12 p70, and IL‐13 were detected as compared to the cytokine levels in patients who survived the infection. No differences were detected between the serum levels of IFN‐γ, IL‐1β, IL‐17A, IL‐22, IL‐10, IL‐6, IL‐4, and TNF‐α in the patients who died and those who survived. Thus, the milder clinical course in children with CCHF cannot be explained by the cytokine network alone. The incomplete maturation of the immune system and timing and scale of immune responses could change the outcome dramatically. J Med. Virol. 85:1955–1959, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Elderly women diagnosed with nonspecific chest pain may be at increased cardiovascular risk.

BACKGROUND Women are more likely than men to have nonspecific chest pain (NSCP) symptoms. The long-term outcomes in women discharged with a diagnosis of NSCP are unknown. METHODS The Women's Health Initiative Observational Study enrolled postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years. After excluding those with prior cardiovascular disease (CVD), 83,622 women were studied. NSCP cases were defined as having an initial primary hospital discharge diagnosis of NSCP (ICD-9 codes 786.50, 786.51, 786.59) without a prior diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Risks of subsequent CHD events were estimated from Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) models stratified by clinic and adjusted for baseline age, cardiovascular risk factors, and hormone use. RESULTS Over an average of 8 years of follow-up, 11% (230 of 2,092) of women with NSCP experienced a cardiovascular event compared with 9.5% (7,724 of 81,530) who did not. Compared with women without a hospitalization for NSCP during follow-up, those with NSCP had a greater than 2-fold higher risk of a subsequent hospitalization for clinically diagnosed angina (HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.66-2.86) and at least a 1.5-fold higher risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) (HR 1.59, 1.10-2.31), revascularization (HR 1.67, 1.28-2.20), and congestive heart failure (HR 1.75, 1.27-2.41). Women with NSCP who subsequently experienced a CHD event were more likely to be over age 65 or to have cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Older women discharged with a diagnosis of NSCP may be at increased risk of CHD morbidity. Further research is needed to replicate these findings in other populations.