Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Methods for Evaluating Oral Surface Sensation

Neurological methods for investigating skin sensations have not been systematically applied to oral mucosae. Several procedures have recently been employed to fulfil this need. Three teen-age patients afflicted with athetoid cerebral palsy and thirty normal male and female individuals between ages ten and forty served as subjects. Method I. Ten plastic geometric configurations of varied shape (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, etc.), 0.5 cm. in thickness and 1.4 cm. in length, were placed individually on the mid-dorsal surface of the subject's tongue, while his view was obscured. He was then asked to select a duplicate shape from a series of objects mounted on a placard nearby. Subjects were first requested to distinguish the series of shapes without using the teeth or lips, in order to assess only lingual and palatal taction. They were then asked to elevate the test objects against the posterior hard palate with the tongue and to place the tongue tip against the palatal surface of the maxillary anterior teeth. Lingual movement was thus restricted to evaluate tactile discriminability of posterior palatal and lingual surfaces. These procedures were repeated after covering the hard palate with a prosthesis and again after bilateral lingual nerve block anesthesia with 2 per cent lidocaine hydrochloride and 1/100,000 epinephrine. Method II. Two-point tactile discriminations were performed on the tongue at its tip, lateral margins, and dorsum. These assessments were made with a modified pair of bow dividers suspended from the center of rotation of a dynamometer* to insure less than 0.5 gm. contact force against the tissue. The neurologically impaired patients responded inconsistently to these methods. However, all normal individuals were able to identify at least 70 per cent of the geometric shapes by actively manipulating the objects against the palate with the tongue. These identifications were possible when the objects did not contact the teeth or lips and also when palatal discriminations were prevented by the prosthesis between the objects and the mucosa. Shapes could not be differentiated when objects were held by the middorsal surface of the tongue against the posterior hard palate. They were also indistinguishable after lingual anesthesia unless the objects contacted the teeth or lips. These findings indicate that such oral discriminations depend primarily on the anterior lingual surfaces. Regional differences were also evident in lingual two-point discriminations. Normal subjects distinguished two separate contacts at the tip and anterior of the tongue dorsum when the distance between points of contact was greater than 2-3 mm. apart. Similar distinctions at the lateral margins and posterior dorsal regions of the tongue required at least 1 cm. separation. These findings are compatible with the regional variation of oral surface sensory elements revealed by review of histological literature.
Improvements in pain outcomes in a Canadian pediatric teaching hospital following implementation of a multifaceted knowledge translation initiative.

BACKGROUND A previous audit performed at a tertiary ⁄ quaternary pediatric hospital in Toronto, Ontario, demonstrated suboptimal assessment and treatment of children's pain. Knowledge translation (KT) initiatives (education, reminders, audit and feedback) were implemented to address identified care gaps; however, the impact is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the impact of KT initiatives on pain outcomes including process outcomes (eg, pain assessment and management practices) and clinical outcomes (eg, pain prevalence and intensity); and to benchmark additional pain practices, particularly opioid administration and painful procedures. METHODS Medical records at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario) were reviewed on a single day in September 2007. Pain assessment and management practices, and pain prevalence and intensity in the preceding 24 h were recorded on a standardized data collection form. Where possible, pain outcomes were compared with previous audit results. RESULTS Records of 265 inpatients were audited. Sixty-three per cent of children underwent a documented pain assessment compared with 27% in an audit conducted previously (P<0.01). Eighty-three per cent of children with documented pain received at least one pain management intervention. Overall, 51% of children received pharmacological therapy, and 15% received either a psychological or physical pain-relieving intervention. Of those assessed, 44% experienced pain in the previous 24 h versus 66% in the previous audit (P<0.01). Fewer children experienced severe pain compared with the first audit (8.7% versus 26.1%; P<0.01). One-third of children received opioids; 19% of these had no recorded pain assessment. Among 131 children who underwent a painful procedure, 21% had a concurrent pain assessment. Painful procedures were accompanied by a pain-relieving intervention in 12.5% of cases. CONCLUSIONS Following KT initiatives, significant improvements in pain processes (pain assessment documentation and pain management interventions) and clinical outcomes (pain prevalence, pain intensity) were observed. Further improvements are recommended, specifically with respect to procedural pain practices and opioid utilization patterns.
Bayesian Nonparametric Spatial Modeling With Dirichlet Process Mixing

Customary modeling for continuous point-referenced data assumes a Gaussian process that is often taken to be stationary. When such models are fitted within a Bayesian framework, the unknown parameters of the process are assumed to be random, so a random Gaussian process results. Here we propose a novel spatial Dirichlet process mixture model to produce a random spatial process that is neither Gaussian nor stationary. We first develop a spatial Dirichlet process model for spatial data and discuss its properties. Because of familiar limitations associated with direct use of Dirichlet process models, we introduce mixing by convolving this process with a pure error process. We then examine properties of models created through such Dirichlet process mixing. In the Bayesian framework, we implement posterior inference using Gibbs sampling. Spatial prediction raises interesting questions, but these can be handled. Finally, we illustrate the approach using simulated data, as well as a dataset involving precipitation measurements over the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.
Morphology of HRP-injected spinocervical tract neurons: effect of dorsal rhizotomy

Twenty-five physiologically identified spinocervical tract (SCT) neurons in the sixth lumbar segment of the cat were filled with HRP by intracellular injection. All were reconstructed from sagittal sections using the camera lucida, and a subset (n = 18) was also reconstructed using a computer reconstruction system. Thirteen cells were in intact preparations, nine were in spared root preparations (L5, L6, S1, S2 cut; L7 spared), and three were in preparations with L5 through S2 cut. Analysis of the dendritic tree of these neurons revealed little change in gross morphology after partial deafferentation despite increased proportions sensitive to nociceptive input (Sedivec et al., 1983). The dendrites still largely respected the lamina II-III border, and relatively few dendrites were directed ventrally from the cell body, although the ratio of ventral to dorsal dendrites was greater than normal. The major change was an increase in surface area and volume caused by changes in diameter (but not length) of the dendrites. Larger- than-usual maximum branch order of individual dendritic trees of some cells was also observed after chronic deafferentation. Thus, SCT cells in deafferented segments do not undergo atrophy, but show, rather, limited signs of growth and the possibility of dendritic reorganization. We have also computed correlations between different parameters of these cells (cell body size, number and size of primary dendrites, total area and length of individual dendrites) and have found that, as in motoneurons, diameter of the primary dendrite measured 30 micron from the soma is significantly correlated with total dendritic surface area and length. SCT neurons tend to have more dendrites than spinal alpha-motoneurons, but total surface area is smaller for a given diameter of a proximal dendrite.
Synthesis of Todorokite

Todorokite of chemical composition (Mg0.77Na0.03)(Mg0.18Mn2+0.60Mn4+5.2222) O12�3.07 H2O was synthesized by a two-step procedure. First, sodium birnessite was synthesized and magnesium was exchanged for sodium to form magnesium birnessite, which was autoclaved under a saturated steam pressure at 155�C for 8 hours to form well-crystallized todorokite. Synthesized todorokite particles consisted of fibers extending from a central plate. The plate itself was made of twinned fibers forming a trilling pattern. The infrared spectra and x-ray diffraction patterns were similar to those of natural todorokite samples. Calcium birnessite and nickel birnessite, when autoclaved under conditions similar to those for magnesium birnessite, yielded a todorokite structure. However, the formation of todorokite from calcium and nickel birnessite was less extensive.
Renegotiation of Cash Flow Rights in the Sale of VC-Backed Firms

Incomplete contracting theory suggests that venture capitalist (VC) cash flow rights, including liquidation preferences, could be subject to renegotiation. Using a hand-collected data set of sales of Silicon Valley firms, we find common shareholders do sometimes receive payment before VCs' liquidation preferences are satisfied. However, such deviations from VCs' cash flow rights tend to be small. We also find that renegotiation is more likely when governance arrangements, including the firm's choice of corporate law, give common shareholders more power to impede the sale. Our study provides support for incomplete contracting theory, improves understanding of VC exits, and suggests that choice of corporate law matters in private firms.
Machine Learning for Image Based Motion Capture

Image based motion capture is a problem that has recently gained a lot of attention in the domain of understanding human motion in computer vision. The problem involves estimating the 3D configurations of a human body from a set of images and has applications that include human computer interaction, smart surveillance, video analysis and animation. This thesis takes a machine learning based approach to reconstructing 3D pose and motion from monocular images or video. It makes use of a collection of images and motion capture data to derive mathematical models that allow the recovery of full body configurations directly from image features. The approach is completely data-driven and avoids the use of a human body model. This makes the inference extremely fast. We formulate a class of regression based methods to distill a large training database of motion capture and image data into a compact model that generalizes to predicting pose from new images. The methods rely on using appropriately developed robust image descriptors, learning dynamical models of human motion, and kernelizing the input within a sparse regression framework. Firstly, it is shown how pose can effectively and efficiently be recovered from image silhouettes that are extracted using background subtraction. We exploit sparseness properties of the relevance vector machine for improved generalization and efficiency, and make use of a mixture of regressors for probabilistically handling ambiguities that are present in monocular silhouette based 3D reconstruction. The methods developed enable pose reconstruction from single images as well as tracking motion in video sequences. Secondly, the framework is extended to recover 3D pose from cluttered images by introducing a suitable image encoding that is resistant to changes in background. We show that non-negative matrix factorization can be used to suppress background features and allow the regression to selectively cue on features from the foreground human body. Finally, we study image encoding methods in a broader context and present a novel multi-level image encoding framework called ‘hyperfeatures' that proves to be effective for object recognition and image classification tasks.
Unexpected Potency Differences between B-Cell–Activating Factor (BAFF) Antagonist Antibodies against Various Forms of BAFF: Trimer, 60-Mer, and Membrane-Bound

Therapeutic agents antagonizing B-cell–activating factor/B-lymphocyte stimulator (BAFF/BLyS) are currently in clinical development for autoimmune diseases; belimumab is the first Food and Drug Administration–approved drug in more than 50 years for the treatment of lupus. As a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily, BAFF promotes B-cell survival and homeostasis and is overexpressed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. BAFF exists in three recognized forms: membrane-bound and two secreted, soluble forms of either trimeric or 60-mer oligomeric states. To date, most in vitro pharmacology studies of BAFF neglect one or more of these forms. Here, we report a comprehensive in vitro cell-based analysis of BAFF in assay systems that measure all forms of BAFF-mediated activation. We demonstrate the effects of these BAFF forms in both a primary human B-cell proliferation assay and in nuclear factor κB reporter assay systems in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing BAFF receptors and transmembrane activator and calcium-modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI). In contrast to the mouse system, we find that BAFF trimer activates the human TACI receptor. Further, we profiled the activities of two clinically advanced BAFF antagonist antibodies, belimumab and tabalumab. Unexpectedly, we revealed differences in inhibitory potencies against the various BAFF forms, in particular that belimumab does not potently inhibit BAFF 60-mer. Through this increased understanding of the activity of BAFF antagonists against different forms of BAFF, we hope to influence the discovery of BAFF antagonist antibodies with distinct therapeutic mechanisms for improvement in the treatment of lupus or other related autoimmune pathologies.
Diatom preservation: differential preservation of sedimentary diatoms in two saline lakes

The integrity of all sedimentary diatom assemblages is influenced to some degree by taphonomic processes. Recognising these processes with regard to preservation pathways for diatom assemblages and for individual species can be instructive for interpreting sediment core diatom records. Diatoms deposited in saline lakes are usually particularly exposed to both chemical and physical processes that promote poor preservation. Aspects of diatom preservation are explored in two markedly different saline lakes (one in North America and one in Egypt) and observations are used to make some initial inferences about diatom preservation. By applying dissolution indices to evaluate differences in valve preservation states between assemblages and between species in an objective manner, sedimentation processes and valve characteristics are indicated important implications for interpreting sedimentary diatom records. It is further argued that, by taking account of diatom dissolution states, both qualitative and quantitative inferences about past environments can be extended.
Increased immunoreactivity of cdk5 activators in hippocampal sclerosis

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is important in several in-vitro neurodegeneration paradigms. Whether cyclin-dependent kinase 5 contributes to cell death in human neurodegenerative diseases remains uncertain, particularly because post-mortem delay and other extrinsic factors might influence cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activity. Here we demonstrate increased immunoreactivity for the activators of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in post-mortem human hippocampi affected by the neurodegenerative condition hippocampal sclerosis, but not in histologically normal hippocampi. Moreover, in post-mortem brain tissue from patients with unilateral hippocampal sclerosis, increased immunoreactivity for cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activators was detected in the hippocampus with sclerosis, but not in the contralateral hippocampus, suggesting that extrinsic factors are unlikely to account for the differential staining observed. Our findings suggest that deregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 might contribute to the pathogenesis of hippocampal sclerosis.
The Various Impacts External Factors can have on Latino Youth’s Outcomes

This manuscript serves as an extensive literature review surrounding many different external factors that can impact Latino youth, and their outcomes. This manuscript explores the various impacts role models, siblings, family cohesion, mental health services, protective factors, risk factors, and SES levels can have on Latino youth’s mental health treatment outcomes, substance use, obesity rates, and other health disparities, as well as their sexual acting-out behaviors, academic success, and health development/adjustment. Key information was gleaned from empirical, as well as theoretical research to inform on the aforementioned topic areas.
Does Board Ethnic Diversity Promote Banks' Performance? A Panel Data Investigation into Nigeria's Banking Sector

The major objective of this study is to find out the relationship between board ethnic diversity and banks’ performance in Nigeria, with specific reference to other control variables for a period of 6 years (2004 to 2009). This study chose a sample of 14 listed banks on the floor of the Nigerian stock exchange using non-probability sampling method in the form of availability sampling technique. Using fixed and random effects estimators after Hausman specification test for the best model selection, the findings of the study reveal that ethnic diversity and foreign directorship have significant negative influence on Banks’ performance while board size has a significant non-linear negative impact on banks’ performance. However, gender diversity tends to exert no significant influence on banks’ performance. These findings have the implication that ethnic diversity and an increase in the number of foreign directors on a bank’s board will impede banks’ performance.
Corticofugal connections between the cerebral cortex and the vestibular nuclei in the rat

The distribution of cortical efferent connections to the vestibular nuclei was quantitatively analyzed by means of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase, wheat germ agglutinin‐horseradish peroxidase, and Fast Blue in rats. The tracer substances were injected into the spinal vestibular nucleus (SpVe), the caudal part of the medial vestibular nucleus (MVe), and nucleus X of Brown Norwegian rats. Projections to the vestibular nuclei were revealed bilaterally, but predominantly contralaterally from five cortical areas: (1) the parietotemporal region (PT) which occupied the caudal two‐thirds of the secondary somatosensory area and spread over the caudal part of the primary somatosensory area and the visceral cortex; (2) the anterior forelimb (AF) overlapping the anterior part of the forelimb area and the transitional zone; (3) the anterior hindlimb (AH) overlapping the anterior part of the hindlimb area and the transitional zone; (4) the lateral forelimb (LF) centered in the intercalated zone lateral to the forelimb area; and (5) the ventrotemporal region (VT) located at the ventral part of the temporal cortex. In addition to these cortical fields, the frontal cortex was found to project directly to the vestibular nuclei. These corticofugal projections were verified in experiments in which biocytin was injected into the rat PT. Anterogradely labelled fibers were traced predominantly contralaterally to the SpVe, caudal part of the MVe, and nucleus X. It is suggested that the rat corticofugal projections to the caudal vestibular nuclei modify vestibular reflexes to assist in coordinating eye, head and body movements during locomotion. J. Comp. Neurol. 420:363–372, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Variability in cost of coronary bypass surgery in New York State: potential for cost savings.

OBJECTIVE Previous analyses of variability in bypass resource use have not focused on hospital-level variation or adequately explored the influence of patient risk. We combined a clinical database with claims data to fully characterize patient level and hospital level variability in bypass surgery cost and length of stay in New York State and explored the extent to which lower cost is associated with worse quality of care. METHODS By use of 1992 clinical and claims data, we identified by multivariable regression which patient characteristics influence bypass cost and length of stay. Hospital was then incorporated as a random variable in mixed linear models to determine its impact on resource use. The relationship between risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality and cost was then explored. RESULTS In the 21 hospitals for which cost data were available, mean leveled cost (exclusive of professional fees and noncomparable costs) was $15,713, with a mean length of stay of 14 days (n = 12,087). One fifth of the variation in resource use was explained by baseline patient risk. After adjustment for patient risk, hospital explained an additional 42% of variation in cost and an additional 8% of variation in length of stay. Among hospitals, risk-adjusted cost varied almost 3-fold and risk-adjusted length of stay varied 50%. There was no association between cost and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS As of 1992, there was considerable interhospital variability in bypass surgery cost after patient baseline risk was accounted for. This suggests that reductions in bypass cost could be achieved by normalizing clinical practice.
Selectively oncolytic mutant of HSV-1 lyses HeLa cells mediated by Ras/RTN3

The selectively oncolytic mtHSV, a HSV icp34.5 mutant with lacz gene insertion, was proved that it was targeted for treating tumors but not other organs, however, its oncolytic mechanism is under confirmation. The results showed that HeLa cells could be lysed efficiently by mtHSV in vitro. In the flow cytometry and Western blot experiment, Ras protein was obviously down-regulated on plasma membrane (PM) while the whole Ras protein didn’t change along with up-regulation of reticulon 3(RTN3) protein at 48h post infection of mtHSV in HeLa cells . Expression of Ras protein on PM and whole Ras protein in HeLa cells was down-regulated by siFTa（inhibitor ofαsubunits of human farnesyltransferase with siRNA）and siRTN3(inhibitor of RTN3 with siRNA) respectively, and HeLa cells could be killed effectively by siFTa and siRTN3 at 48h post transfection. So siFTa and siRTN3 effectively suppressed mtHSV infection of HeLa cells. Further, experiments were made to study the relationship between Ras and RTN3 using confocal colocalization and co-immunoprecipitation. The results exhibited that Ras could interact with RTN3 at endoplasmic reticulum. The data put forward that Ras/RTN3 is an important access to HeLa cells for mtHSV. The molecular interaction between Ras and RTN3 may further improve the understanding of the function of Ras and RTN3 in mtHSV infection. The results provide further theoretical evidence that mtHSV may be used as an oncolytic agent for cancer therapy.
HOSPITALITY ENGLISH FOR SPA THERAPISTS IN BANYAN TREE HOTELS AND RESORTS

This study is a preliminary study of research and design for hospitality English for SPA therapist in Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts at Bintan Island. The purpose of this study is to help the English teacher to provide a successful English training since a good English proficiency used in the hospitality industry is obliged, especially for an-international-five-star-hotel-brand. The nature of the study is qualitative using RD approach. Since this is only a preliminary study, need analysis becomes the primary focus. The data were collected through interview and observation. The participants were people who are working in SPA department in Banyan Tree Bintan, such as SPA trainer, SPA therapist, and SPA manager.DOI:doi.org/10.24071/llt.2018. 210103