Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cutting Edge: Developmental Regulation of IFN-γ Production by Mouse Neutrophil Precursor Cells

Neutrophils are an emerging cellular source of IFN-γ, a key cytokine that mediates host defense to intracellular pathogens. Production of IFN-γ by neutrophils, in contrast to lymphoid cells, is TLR- and IL-12–independent and the events associated with IFN-γ production by neutrophils are not understood. In this study, we show that mouse neutrophils express IFN-γ during their lineage development in the bone marrow niche at the promyelocyte stage independently of microbes. IFN-γ accumulates in primary neutrophilic granules and is released upon induction of degranulation. The developmental mechanism of IFN-γ production in neutrophils arms the innate immune cells prior to infection and assures the potential for rapid release of IFN-γ upon neutrophil activation, the first step during responses to many microbial infections.
High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line Echo Cancellation

The authors explore the issues of complexity, precision, and dynamic range and practical implementation issues such as nonlinearities in high bit rate digital subscriber line (HDSL) echo cancelers. The approach taken is to study these issues analytically using computer simulations, and then to verify simulation results with laboratory prototyping. One of the objectives was to determine whether HDSL echo cancellation will be practical and cost effective within the next several years, consistent with the desire to develop and deploy a repeaterless T1 capability by 1993. Thus, attention is given to practical design issues. >
Accurate staging, selective preoperative therapy and optimal surgery improves outcome in rectal cancer: a review of the recent evidence

Objective The current optimal management of locally advanced rectal cancer has evolved from surgical excision followed by postoperative therapy in patients with involved margins, to an increasing use of a preoperative strategy to ‘down‐stage and/or down‐size’ the tumour. This treatment strategy is based on the relationship of the tumour to the mesorectal fascia, the optimal surgical circumferential resection margin that can be achieved by total mesorectal excision. We have reviewed the recent evidence for this strategy.
Effect of oligofructose-enriched inulin (OF-IN) on bacterial composition and disease activity of patients with Crohn's disease: results from a double-blinded randomised controlled trial

With great interest, we have read the manuscript by Benjamin et al 1 on the effect of fructo-oligosaccharides in patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). We recently completed a single-centre randomised placebo-controlled trial with a similar study design. In our study, 67 patients with inactive and mild to moderately active CD were randomised to receive oligofructose-enriched inulin (OF-IN) or placebo 10 g twice daily for 4 weeks. Clinical disease activity was assessed …
Study on the Status and Needs of Beauty Welfare in Welfare Facilities to Train Beauty Care Social Workers

본 연구는 노인 및 장애인 복지 시설에서 미용 서비스의 현황과 실태를 알아보고, 복지시설의 미용복지사에 대한 요구도를 조사하고자 하였다. 본 연구의 대상은 노인 및 장애인 복지 시설에 근무하는 종사자 251명을 대상으로 하였으며, 연구 기간은 2018년 1월 29일부터 2월 9일까지 설문조사를 실시하였다. 연구를 진행한 결과 노인 및 장애인 복지 시설에서 미용 관련 봉사 또는 프로그램은 ‘현재 진행’ 중이며, ‘정기적 방문 무료봉사활동’으로 진행되는 시설이 많았으며, 미용 관련 봉사자를 섭외하는 방법에 대해서는 ‘지역 미용 교육기관(학원, 학교)연계’하여 진행하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 미용 관련 봉사 또는 프로그램 중 참여도와 만족도가 높았던 프로그램 및 희망하는 프로그램 모두 ‘헤어커트’로 나타났으며, 미용복지사에 대한 요구도를 알아본 결과 ‘미용 관련 봉사를 시행함에 있어 예산 편성이 필요하다’고 나타났다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 미용복지사를 양성하기 위한 교육과정을 개발하고, 적용하여 만족도를 알아보고, 다양한 교육 프로그램을 연구하는 등 전문 인력을 양성하는데 체계적이고 효율적인 기초 자료로 활용하고자 한다.
Coefficient adjustment matrix inversion approach and architecture for massive MIMO systems

Thanks to hundreds of antennas, spectral efficiency of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has drastically increased. However, the resulting huge dimension of matrices involved in massive MIMO MMSE detection causes prohibitive complexity. Although large scale matrix inversion with Neumann approximation achieves good tradeoff between complexity and accuracy for i.i. d. massive MIMO channel, its convergency speed degrades seriously for correlated massive MIMO channel. To this end, in this paper the matrix inversion approach based on coefficient adjustment (CA), which is more adaptable to correlated channel with higher throughput, is proposed. The corresponding hardware architecture is also given. FPGA results have shown that for 4 × 32 MIMO system, the proposed architecture can achieve 69.4% higher frequency with only 49.1% hardware cost compared to Cholesky decomposition method. CA approach can also achieve 37.9% higher throughput than Neumann scheme for correlated channel on average.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Food Handlers on Food Safety and Personal Hygiene During Arbaeenia Mass Gathering, Baghdad, Iraq, 2014: Cross-Sectional Study

Background Millions of pilgrims attend Arbaeenia mass gathering (MG) in Iraq each year. Thousands of individuals work voluntarily at temporary rest areas (locally called Mawakib), distributed in most of Iraq governorates, to provide food and other services to the MG attendees. The potential for improper handling of food at Mawakib increases the risk of waterborne and foodborne diseases. Objective This study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of food handlers in Mawakibs in Baghdad city during Arbaeenia MG. Methods A random sample of 100 Mawakibs was selected in Baghdad, 50 from the eastern side (Rusafa) and 50 from the western side (Kerkh), and five food handlers were randomly selected from each Mawakib. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic data and KAP for food safety and personal hygiene. The questionnaire included 25 questions addressing knowledge, 10 addressing attitudes, and 14 addressing practices of the food handlers with respect to food safety and personal hygiene. Questions on knowledge and attitudes were answered through direct interview with the food handlers, whereas the questions on practices were answered through direct observation while handling or serving the food. SPSS version 20 (IBM SPSS Statistics 20) was used for data analysis and describing proportions. Results There was a varied knowledge of food safety practices among the individuals interviewed. On a scale of 3, the overall average score for both the attitude and practices for food safety and personal hygiene was 2, which corresponds to fair attitude and practices. The attitudes varied significantly by location, age group, and education, whereas the practices varied by location, age groups, employment, and previous experiences. Conclusions The food handlers had unsatisfactory attitudes and practices toward food handling and personal hygiene. Their participation in food handling at Mawakib carries a potential risk of spreading foodborne and waterborne diseases. All individuals intending to serve in Mawakib as food handlers should be licensed from the Ministry of Health after completing a formal training in food safety and personal hygiene.
Severe Acute Mountain Sickness Complicated by Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome

Severe acute mountain sickness accompanied with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a severe, critical mountain illness characterized by high altitude pulmonary or cerebral edema, complicated by 24 hours of unresponsiveness to treatment and the dysfunction or failure of 2 or more organs. Not only is it a severe illness with a high mortality rate, but the treatment for it, is also very difficult.
The impact of the media on the corporate financial information environment

We examine the role of voluntary corporate disclosures about firms’ financial performance as a stimulus for business press coverage. We provide evidence that media coverage is affected by firm level disclosure management; a firm’s issuance of press releases attracts more media articles about the firm leading to greater abnormal returns and trading volumes. We find that there is a spike of media articles on the same day and one trading day following firms’ press releases. We use a unique experiment, which differentiates between the online and print versions of the Wall Street Journal, to establish a causal relation between press releases and media coverage. Our results are robust to controlling for firm characteristics, different model specifications as well as regular earnings announcements, which have been the focus of prior literature. We also show that our inferences are not sensitive to managers’ duty to disclose material information to investors. Ultimately, our findings challenge the common assumption in the literature that media coverage is exogenous to the firm.
Chemosensory function and response in idiopathic environmental intolerance.

This chapter reviews the current literature on the possible role of olfactory and trigeminal chemosensory function in idiopathic environmental intolerances (IEI). Two general points emerge from the review. First, studies of chemosensory function in IEI patients indicate that, despite their self-reported "heightened sensitivity" and enhanced responsivity to environmental odors, when compared to healthy controls they generally are found to be equally or even less sensitive to odors as measured by objective psychophysical and electrophysiological measures of olfactory function. These studies point towards alterations in the cognitive processing of olfactory information as the major characteristic of IEI. Second, studies of the role of sensitivity and bias in olfactory and trigeminal chemosensory functioning indicate that nonsensory factors (e.g., attention, bias, personality) can dramatically alter the self-reported impact of exposure to volatile chemicals. Together, these general points suggest a perspective on IEI that views many symptoms of the disorder to primarily reflect the influence of nonsensory, cognitive processes on responses to environmental odors.
Further studies on the serological relationships of group C arthropod-borne viruses and the application of these relationships to rapid identification of types.

Summary In studies by HI and CF tests of the serological reactions of 200 strains of group C virus, 199 strains reacted similarly to one of the six prototype viruses; examples are given of HI and CF reaction patterns for each type. The one exception, strain H 5546, reacted by HI like Caraparu and by CF like Oriboca and Murutucu. These serological relationships have suggested a method of combined CF and HI techniques for the rapid identification of new group C isolates. Since 1959, 576 isolates have been identified to type by this method.
Zahl attending hospital following self-poisoning or self-injury Value of measuring suicidal intent in the assessment of people

References http://bjp.rcpsych. org/content/186/1/60#BIBL This article cites 0 articles, 0 of which you can access for free at: permissions Reprints/ permissions@rcpsych.ac. uk write to To obtain reprints or permission to reproduce material from this paper, please to this article at You can respond http://bjp.rcpsych. org/cgi/eletter-submit/186/1/60 from Downloaded The Royal College of Psychiatrists Published by on March 2, 2012 http://bjp.rcpsych. org/
Macroprudential Policy with Capital Buffers

This paper studies optimal bank capital requirements in a model of endogenous bank funding conditions. I find that requirements should be higher during good times such that a macroprudential “buffer” is provided. However, whether banks can use buffers to maintain lending during a financial crisis depends on the capital requirement during the subsequent recovery. The reason is that a high requirement during the recovery lowers bank shareholder value during the crisis and thus creates funding-market pressure to use buffers for deleveraging rather than for maintaining lending. Therefore, buffers are useful if banks are not required to rebuild them quickly.
No Milk Today? Challenges of Maintaining a Vegan Diet in Germany

Purpose: The aim of this research is to identify the variables influencing the maintenance of a vegan diet in Germany. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is used as a theoretical framework in order to analyse the intention of vegan consumers who try to maintain their dietary behaviour. Background: Animal agriculture has a number of negative consequences on the environment, such as accelerating climate change and water pollution, and is further linked to world hunger. Consumers’ dietary behaviour can thus make a significant difference, especially when opting for a strict vegan diet. However, research found that about 70 % of vegan consumers abandon this dietary choice. By studying German vegan consumers (recent and long-term), this thesis will examine the challenges and potential barriers those individuals encounter when trying to uphold their vegan diet. Method: An explanatory strategy with a deductive, quantitative approach was applied. The theoretical framework is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour by Ajzen (1991). Additional constructs based on previous findings of research on food and meat were added to the original model, and six hypotheses were developed and tested. The data was collected at first through formative research, followed by an online questionnaire, based upon self-selection and snowballing sampling in various German vegan groups on Facebook. Findings and conclusion: Maintaining a vegan diet in Germany is not easy. The study identified a number of challenges, amongst which a lack of perceived behavioural control and an attachment for cheese have been identified as the biggest ones. Especially these two factors lead to a strong ambivalence among vegans on whether to maintain their dietary behaviour or not. Education campaigns could foster general knowledge on the preparation and nutritive value of plant-based diets and address common myths regarding meat production and consumption.
Characterization of hprt mutations following 1,2-epoxy-3-butene exposure of human TK6 cells.

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is an indirect-acting mutagen that is bioactivated in laboratory animals to at least two mutagenic metabolites, 1,2-expoxy-3-butene (EB) and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB). In the present study, the cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and mutational spectrum at hprt were determined after EB-exposure of human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells (TK6 cells). EB was cytotoxic at concentrations ranging from 200 to 1000 microM x 24 h; at 400 microM x 24 h, the cell survival relative to unexposed controls was approximately 10%. Exposure of TK6 cells to EB (400 microM x 24 h) resulted in a 5-9-fold increase in the hprt mutant frequency. Molecular characterization of EB-induced hprt mutants indicated that 78% of the mutations at hprt were single base substitutions. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in A:T-->T:A transversions was observed compared with spontaneous hprt mutants isolated during these studies. All of the A:T-->T:A transversions in EB-induced mutants occurred with the A in the non-transcribed strand. These data indicate that a primary mode of genotoxicity induced by EB in human TK6 cells is the induction of single base substitutions.
Estimates of health care system costs of unsafe abortion in Africa and Latin America.

CONTEXT Each year, 19 million unsafe abortions occur in developing countries, and an estimated five million women are treated for the resulting serious medical complications. Meanwhile, the economic impact of postabortion care on health care systems in Africa and Latin America is poorly understood (data for Asia are lacking). METHODS Two main approaches were used to estimate the cost of postabortion care: calculating the average cost of care per patient, as represented in 20 empirical studies, and analyzing treatment costs using the WHO Mother-Baby Package model, which enumerates the costs of specific components of treatment related to postabortion complications. The average cost estimates from each approach were multiplied by the annual number of cases of hospitalization for postabortion care to generate regional cost estimates. Three methods (low severity, weighted severity, and inclusion of overhead and capital costs) were used to generate a range of per-patient and regional cost estimates. RESULTS The average per-patient cost of postabortion care ranged from $83 in Africa to $94 in Latin America (2006 US$); estimates based on the WHO Mother-Baby Package model were between $57 and $109 per case. The health system costs of postabortion care in the two regions combined ranged from $159 million to $333 million per year. The average estimates from the two approaches were similar: $280 million and $274 million, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The costs of treating medical complications from unsafe abortion constitute a significant financial burden on public health care systems in the developing world, and postabortion complications are a significant cause of maternal morbidity.
Evaluation of the correlation between serum biochemical values and liver ultrasonographic indices in periparturient cows with different body condition scores.

OBJECTIVE To determine alterations of serum biochemical variables in relation to changes of near- and far-field mean grayscale histogram (MGSH) and attenuation rates in liver ultrasonograms of periparturient cows. ANIMALS 67 Holstein cows. PROCEDURES Cows were allocated on the basis of body condition score into underconditioned (n = 21), moderately conditioned (23), and overconditioned (23) groups. Serum samples (obtained every 10 days from 30 days before to 30 days after calving) were analyzed for aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyltransferase activities and BUN, albumin, calcium, and inorganic phosphorus concentrations along with digital estimation of near- and far-field MGSH values of liver ultrasonograms and deep attenuation. Values were compared among groups and within each group, and their correlations were determined in the pre- and postpartum periods. RESULTS Serum biochemical variables did not differ significantly among groups. Aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase activities increased in the postpartum period. Fluctuations of alanine aminotransferase activity were not significant; BUN decreased significantly in the peripartum period. Albumin concentration decreased prior to parturition and remained low, but significantly increased after parturition. Calcium concentration decreased on day 10 but subsequently increased. Phosphorus concentration decreased stepwise until day 10 after calving. Postpartum biochemical variables had weak correlations with near- and far-field MGSH values in overconditioned cows. The highest levels of sound attenuation were found in overconditioned cows on calving day. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Liver ultrasonographic features were poorly correlated with changes of serum biochemical variables. This suggests that liver ultrasonography is not a good technique for estimating functional liver abnormalities in periparturient cows.
Panel Data Analysis of Profitability Determinants: Evidence from Indian Telecom Companies

The elements determining the profitability of companies have warranted special attention over time. The levels of rising debt, increased concerns for liquidity and risks of bankruptcy have impacted the revenue of manufacturing sector companies in general and service sector companies in particular. In this study, an attempt has been made to study the financial health of companies belonging to Indian telecom industry. For this purpose, a balanced panel dataset of five Indian telecom companies listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) has been used to examine the determinants of profitability over the period of 2004-2017. Profitability has been taken as an explained variable whereas size, leverage, liquidity, non-debt tax shield (NDTS), tangibility, growth opportunities and bankruptcy probability (Altman Z-score) have been considered as explanatory variables. The findings of the study reveal that the size and growth have a direct relationship with profitability, whereas the leverage has an inverse relationship. Tangibility, NDTS, liquidity and Z-score indicate insignificant impact on profitability.
A morphological investigation of an early reflex pathway in developing rat spinal cord

The early development of the disynaptic cutaneous reflex pathway in the brachial spinal cord of rat fetuses was investigated both light and electron microscopically. The spinal cord areas which contain the neurons (association interneurons and lateral motor nucleus neurons) involved in this reflex pathway were identified in both neurofibrillar (silver‐stained) and semithin plastic embedded specimens. Equivalent areas were identified in adjacent ultrathin preparations for electron microscopy and micrographs of these sample areas were taken of specimens at embryonic days 13.5–19.5 as well as for postnatal day 4 and adult specimens. The relative volume of association and dorsolateral motor neuropils occupied by synaptic boutons in these micrographs was determined using stereological methods. The mean number of synaptic junctions and boutons per 100 μ2 was also determined for the two neuropil areas at each developmental stage. These analyses show that synaptic junctions and boutons occur in the dorsolateral motor neuropil before they can be found in association neuropil. Synapses within motor neuropil are first seen at embryonic day 13.5. Synaptogenesis in the dorsolateral motor neuropil is temporally correlated with the presence of numerous fibers which, in silver‐stained specimens, can be seen to arise from the association interneurons and to course into the dorsolateral aspects of the motor nucleus. Synaptic junctions and boutons are not observed in the association neuropil until embryonic day 14.5 and this correlates well with the time when collaterals of the primary afferent fibers can first be observed penetrating into the dorsal half of the intermediate zone from the anlage of the dorsal funiculus. The precocious development of synaptic junctions in dorsolateral motor neuropil in comparison to the association neuropil continues throughout the developmental period examined. These data support a retrograde pattern of synaptogenesis in the early development of the spinal cutaneous reflex pathway. Association interneurons make synaptic contacts with motor neurons before synapses are formed between primary sensory neurons and association cells. This sequence is the reverse of the normal flow of nerve impulses through spinal reflex pathways.