Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intraoperative Ultrasound for Immediate Evaluation of Anterior Cervical Decompression and Discectomy

Study Design. An evaluation of whether the immediate operative results can be improved in anterior cervical surgery in patients in whom disc fragments could remain hidden behind a vertebral body or far laterally in the foramen or in canal stenosis that involved a significant amount of a vertebral body. Objectives. To determine whether intraoperative ultrasonography can provide immediate evaluation of the decompression. Summary of Background Data. The anterior cervical approach has anatomic limitations that prevent good visualization of deep structures. Sequestered disc fragments can be hidden behind the bone of the vertebral body. Even careful preoperative measurements cannot ensure adequate length and width of decompression for stenotic lesions. Methods. Three groups of patients were studied. Group 1 contained seven patients with soft disc herniations that were either behind the vertebral body or extended laterally into the neural foramen. Group 2 consisted of five patients with canal stenosis involving at least one third of the length of a vertebral body and causing myelopathic signs and symptoms. Group 3 consisted of four patients with radicular and cord symptoms. All were studied with either magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography myelography or both. The size of the desired decompression was measured from these studies. A standard anterior decompression using magnification was performed that satisfied the surgeon's visual and tactile evaluation. The operative site was imaged ultrasonically and the decompression extended until present imaging criteria were met. These criteria were clear root visualization for radiculopathy and good dural pulsations for stenotic lesions. Results. Twelve of the 16 patients did not meet the set criteria on initial imaging, and 11 had their decompression extended. A hidden lateral disc fragment was found in one. In this selected group of 16 patients with complicated cervical pathology, 14 improved neurologically after the use of ultrasonic guidance intraoperatively. One error of interpretation was made. One patient who did not meet the ultrasonic decompression criteria and did not have the decompression extended did not improve after surgery. Conclusions. In complicated anterior cervical decompressions, intraoperative ultrasonic imaging provides immediate evaluation of the extent of the decompressive procedure and may improve the operative result.
Using control groups to target on predicted lift: Building and assessing uplift model

Various authors have independently proposed modelling the difference between the behaviour of a treated and a control population and using this as the basis for targeting direct marketing activity. We call such models Uplift Models. This paper reviews the motivation for such an approach and compares the various methodologies put forward. We present results from using uplift modelling in three real-world examples. We also introduce quality measures appropriate to assessing the performance of uplift models, for both binary outcomes (purchase, attrition, click, default) and continuous outcomes (spend, response size or value lost). Finally, we discuss some of the challenges faced when building uplift models and suggest some key challenges for future research.
Metabolic Capacity of Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) meliloti Strains as Determined by Phenotype MicroArray Analysis

ABSTRACT Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil bacterium that fixes atmospheric nitrogen in plant roots. The high genetic diversity of its natural populations has been the subject of extensive analysis. Recent genomic studies of several isolates revealed a high content of variable genes, suggesting a correspondingly large phenotypic differentiation among strains of S. meliloti. Here, using the Phenotype MicroArray (PM) system, hundreds of different growth conditions were tested in order to compare the metabolic capabilities of the laboratory reference strain Rm1021 with those of four natural S. meliloti isolates previously analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). The results of PM analysis showed that most phenotypic differences involved carbon source utilization and tolerance to osmolytes and pH, while fewer differences were scored for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur source utilization. Only the variability of the tested strain in tolerance to sodium nitrite and ammonium sulfate of pH 8 was hypothesized to be associated with the genetic polymorphisms detected by CGH analysis. Colony and cell morphologies and the ability to nodulate Medicago truncatula plants were also compared, revealing further phenotypic diversity. Overall, our results suggest that the study of functional (phenotypic) variability of S. meliloti populations is an important and complementary step in the investigation of genetic polymorphism of rhizobia and may help to elucidate rhizobial evolutionary dynamics, including adaptation to diverse environments.
Allergic rhinitis is a risk factor for traffic safety.

BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects up to 30% of the adult population and symptomatic patients continue to engage in daily life activities, including car driving. Previous studies have shown that AR can impair cognitive functions, especially during longer-lasting tasks. Other reports suggest negative effects on psychomotor functions such as driving, but no clear evidence has been presented yet. OBJECTIVES Primary objective was to determine the effect of AR per se on actual driving performance and compare it with the effects of treated AR. METHODS Nineteen patients with documented AR history underwent a unique and validated 1-h on-the-road driving test outside the pollen season. In a 4-leg repeated measures design, patients underwent a nasal provocation test with either pollen or inactive control prior to the driving test. In the three conditions with pollen provocation, patients were pretreated with either cetirizine 10 mg, fluticasone furoate 27.5 μg, or placebo to alleviate the provoked AR symptoms. RESULTS The driving performance of patients when symptomatic and not treated was significantly impaired compared to the placebo condition. When engaging in a secondary memory task during driving, their performance deteriorated further. The magnitude of impairment was relevant and comparable to that seen at a blood alcohol level of 0.05%, the legal limit in many countries. Treatment of AR symptoms partially counteracted the effect of AR on driving. CONCLUSIONS Untreated AR can impair driving ability and put patients at risk. Drug therapy reduces this impairment, and AR patients should therefore be advised to always treat their condition.
Potential effects of incorporating fertility control into typical culling regimes in wild pig populations

Effective management of widespread invasive species such as wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is limited by resources available to devote to the effort. Better insight of the effectiveness of different management strategies on population dynamics is important for guiding decisions of resource allocation over space and time. Using a dynamic population model, we quantified effects of culling intensities and time between culling events on population dynamics of wild pigs in the USA using empirical culling patterns and data-based demographic parameters. In simulated populations closed to immigration, substantial population declines (50–100%) occurred within 4 years when 20–60% of the population was culled annually, but when immigration from surrounding areas occurred, there was a maximum of 50% reduction, even with the maximum culling intensity of 60%. Incorporating hypothetical levels of fertility control with realistic culling intensities was most effective in reducing populations when they were closed to immigration and when intrinsic population growth rate was too high (> = 1.78) to be controlled by culling alone. However, substantial benefits from fertility control used in conjunction with culling may only occur over a narrow range of net population growth rates (i.e., where net is the result of intrinsic growth rates and culling) that varies depending on intrinsic population growth rate. The management implications are that the decision to use fertility control in conjunction with culling should rely on concurrent consideration of achievable culling intensity, underlying demographic parameters, and costs of culling and fertility control. The addition of fertility control reduced abundance substantially more than culling alone, however the effects of fertility control were weaker than in populations without immigration. Because these populations were not being reduced substantially by culling alone, fertility control could be an especially helpful enhancement to culling for reducing abundance to target levels in areas where immigration can’t be prevented.
Structural Times Series Modelling of Energy Demand.

The derived demand for energy comes from the desire to consume energy services such as lighting, heating, and transportation. Consequently, in addition to the economic drivers (income and price), there are number of exogenous factors that drive energy demand. This research therefore uses the Structural Time Series Model to estimate energy demand relationships for Turkish electricity, OECD-Europe natural gas and US per capita gasoline and these relationships are then used to project future demand. The main findings are: •Estimated long run Turkish industrial energy demand output and price elasticities of 0. 15 and -0. 16 respectively, with a generally increasing UEDT. Estimated long-run Turkish residential electricity demand income and price elasticities of 1. 57 and -0. 38 with highly stochastic estimated UEDT with increasing (energy using) and decreasing (energy saving) periods. Estimated Turkish aggregate electricity demand long run income and price elasticities of 0. 17 and -0. 11 respectively with a generally upward sloping (energy using) estimated UEDT, but at a generally decreasing rate. - Based on these estimates it is projected that for Turkey in 2020 industrial electricity demand will be between 97 and 148 TWh; residential electricity demand will be between 48 and 80 TWh; and aggregate electricity demand will be between 259 and 368 TWh. •Estimated long run OECD-Europe natural gas demand income and price elasticities of 0. 95 and -0. 18 respectively with an increasing and decreasing an estimated UEDT over the estimation period. - Based on this relationship OECD-Europe natural gas demand is projected to be between 442 and 531 mtoe in 2020. •Estimated long run US per capita gasoline demand income, price maximum, price recovery and price cut elasticities of around 0. 42, -0. 31, -0. 17, and zero respectively with a generally increasing estimated UEDT from 1949 to 1976, but generally declining from 1977 to 1996, and generally increasing from 1997 until 2008. - Based on this relationship US per capita gasoline demand is projected to be between 10 and 13 barrels (1590 litres and 2067 litres) in 2020.
Increased oxidative stress in pemphigus vulgaris is related to disease activity and HLA-association

Abstract Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare blistering skin disorder characterized by the disadhesion of keratinocytes due to autoantibody attack against epidermal targets including desmoglein (Dsg) 3, Dsg 1 and possibly other adhesion and non-adhesion molecules. The mechanisms leading to immune-mediated pathology in PV are multifactorial and not fully understood. Recently, oxidative stress (antioxidant/oxidant disequilibrium) has been proposed as a contributory mechanism of autoimmune skin diseases, including PV. In this study, we directly assessed oxidative stress via measurement of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) using ELISA in 47 PV patients, 25 healthy controls and 18 bullous pemphigoid (BP) patients. We also performed microarray gene expression analysis on a separate set of 21 PV patients and 10 healthy controls to evaluate transcriptional dysregulation in oxidative stress-related pathways. Our data indicate that there is a significant reduction in TAC levels in PV patients compared with healthy controls, as well as BP patients. Furthermore, PV patients with active disease have significantly lower TAC levels than PV patients in remission. We also find that HLA allele status has a significant influence on oxidative stress. These findings are corroborated by microarray analysis showing differentially expressed genes involved in oxidative stress between the aforementioned groups. Collectively, our findings provide support for a role of oxidative stress in PV. Whether increased oxidative stress leads to disease manifestation and/or activity, or if disease activity leads to increased oxidative stress remains unknown. Future longitudinal studies may help to further elucidate the relationship between PV and oxidative stress.
Two edged role of mannose binding lectin in rheumatoid arthritis: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE We investigated whether polymorphisms in the gene of mannose binding lectin (MBL) may be associated with onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and whether MBL in conjunction with aggregated agalactosyl IgG (IgG-G0) may be associated with clinical and paraclinical variables. METHODS MBL genotypes and serum concentrations were measured by polymerase chain reaction and ELISA in 189 patients with established RA. Binding of purified MBL to IgG-G0 in serum was assessed and clinical and paraclinical variables were recorded. RESULTS The median age at onset of RA in the 3 genotypes (normal: A/A, hetero: A/0, and homozygous: 0/0 for variant alleles) was 54.1 (n = 108), 47.0 (n = 68), and 38.4 years (n = 13), respectively (p = 0.01). The frequency of variant alleles in patients with onset below the median age (50.8 yrs) was 0.32, but was 0.17 in patients with onset above 50.8 years (p = 0.003) and 0.20 in 250 controls (p = 0.001). Stratification according to erosion score (no, small, large) revealed an increasing tendency among the different groups in binding of MBL to IgG-G0, increased Health Assessment Questionnaire score, and acute phase reactants in A/A individuals, while no difference was seen among carriers of variant alleles. This effect was most pronounced in those with late onset RA. CONCLUSION Presence of MBL variant alleles was associated with early onset of RA. MBL deficiency may, therefore, accelerate the disease. However, in patients with late onset and advanced disease our results indicate that the A/A type may be associated with additional inflammation different from that seen in carriers of variant alleles.
Labor’s Share of Income: Another Key to Understand China’s Income Inequality

Introduction. - Theoretical and Empirical Development of Research on Labor's Share. - Estimation and Analysis of Movements of Real Labor's Share. - The Structure Factors of Movement of Labor's Share: Comparison Analysis of Income Approach of GDP and Flow of Funds Account of China. - Economic Growth and Labor's Share: Evidence from Chinese Household Survey Data. - Kuznets Stylized Effects and Decrease of Labor's Share: Evidence from Chinese Provincial Data. - Change of Trade Mode and Decrease of Labor Share: Empirical Evidence from China's Industrial Sector. - Firm Heterogeneity, Ownership Structure, and Labor's Share: Evidence from Chinese Firms. - Conclusion.
Who or What Creates? A Conceptual Framework for Social Creativity

Creativity is increasingly understood as a social phenomenon, especially in organizational contexts. This article offers a conceptual framework for social creativity that integrates perspectives from published literature. The foundational questions that structured the literature review are twofold. First, because both individuals and entities, such as teams, can be agents of creativity, who or what creates? Second, through what sites of action or contexts does creative engagement by individuals, groups, and organizations occur? An integrative review of the literature reveals that the engagement occurs in individuals, in individuals interacting, in group work, and in complex multilevel systems. A concept map is used to represent the literature in this domain. This is then discussed with reference to the representative authors in each of the identified sectors. A set of names for the outcomes of the creative process is suggested, including individually generated creative outcomes, socially influenced creative outcomes, socially constructed creative outcomes, and socially generated creative outcomes.
Association of HLA class II alleles with hepatitis C virus clearance and persistence in thalassemia patients from Iran

There is no published data on association of HLA class II alleles with clearance or persistence after acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients from Iran. HLA DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 alleles were determined using polymerase chain reaction amplification with sequence specific primers (PCR‐SSP) on a total of 117 thalassemia patients (63 with chronic infection, and 54 with viral clearance) and 120 healthy controls. HLA‐DRB1*0301 and DQA1*0501 alleles were found significantly present in patients with HCV clearance compared to those with chronic infection (P = 0.03 and P = 0.0007, respectively). By contrast, DRB1*0701, DQA1*0201, and DQB1*0602 alleles occurred significantly in those with chronic infection compared to those with viral clearance (P = 0.004, P = 0.007, and P = 0.02, respectively). As compared to the controls, DRB1*0301, DRB1*11, DQA1*0501, and DQB1*0301 alleles showed a significant decrease in chronic patients (P = 0.002, P = 0.001, P = 0.0001, and P = 0.0004, respectively). Furthermore, the haplotype frequencies of DRB1*0301, DQA1*0501, DQB1*0201, and DRB1*1101, DQA1*0501, DQB1*0301 were found significantly higher (P = 0.004 and P = 0.04, respectively) in patients with HCV clearance than those with chronic infection. By contrast, the haplotype DRB1*0701, DQA1*0201, DQB1*0201 occurred more frequently (P = 0.02) in those with chronic infection compared with those with viral clearance. These findings suggest that particular HLA alleles and related haplotypes may have an influence on the outcome of HCV infection among the Iranian patients. Some of the HLA alleles found in the Iranian patients are different from those reported elsewhere, suggesting that the immunogenetic makeup for HCV clearance or persistence may vary based on the ethnicity. J. Med. Virol. 87:1565–1572, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Microcalorimetric monitoring of growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: osmotolerance in relation to physiological state

The importance of the physiological state of a culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for tolerance to sudden osmotic dehydration was studied, and it was investigated whether specific osmotolerance factors were demonstrable. The microcalorimeter was used to monitor growth, and different physiological states of the culture were selected and their osmotolerance was tested. In addition to cells in the stationary phase, cells from the transition phase between respirofermentative and respiratory catabolism were osmotolerant. S. cerevisiae exhibited ever-changing metabolism during batch growth on either glucose or ethanol as the carbon source. Instantaneous heat production per biomass formation (dQ/dX) and specific activity of sn-glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) (EC 1.1.1.8) were shown to differ for different physiological states. Neither high respiratory activity nor low total cellular activity, nor factors involved in osmoregulation, i.e., intracellular glycerol or activity of GPDH, correlated with the osmotolerant phenotype.
Mapping Across Feature Spaces in Forensic Voice Comparison: The Contribution of Auditory-Based Voice Quality to (Semi-)Automatic System Testing

In forensic voice comparison, there is increasing focus on the integration of automatic and phonetic methods to improve the validity and reliability of voice evidence to the courts. In line with this, we present a comparison of long-term measures of the speech signal to assess the extent to which they capture complementary speaker-specific information. Likelihood ratio-based testing was conducted using MFCCs and (linear and Mel-weighted) long-term formant distributions (LTFDs). Fusing automatic and semi-automatic systems yielded limited improvement in performance over the baseline MFCC system, indicating that these measures capture essentially the same speaker-specific information. The output from the best performing system was used to evaluate the contribution of auditory-based analysis of supralaryngeal (filter) and laryngeal (source) voice quality in system testing. Results suggest that the problematic speakers for the (semi-)automatic system are, to some extent, predictable from their supralaryngeal voice quality profiles, with the least distinctive speakers producing the weakest evidence and most misclassifications. However, the misclassified pairs were still easily differentiated via auditory analysis. Laryngeal voice quality may thus be useful in resolving problematic pairs for (semi-)automatic systems, potentially improving their overall performance.
Hepatic iron accumulation in copper-deficient rats

1. Studies of anaemia and tissue iron distribution were carried out in copper-deficient rats and pair-fed control animals given Fe orally or parenterally in varying doses. 2. The anaemia of Cu deficiency was partially but incompletely corrected by oral Fe supplementation of one-to five-fold normal dietary levels or by intramuscular Fe supplementation. 3. Serum Fe increased in Cu-deficient animals as the dose of supplemental Fe was increased. 4. Hepatic Fe accumulation occurred in Cu-deficient rats which were administered with either oral Fe in two-to five-fold excess or low doses of intramuscular Fe. This difference was not seen in animals receiving high doses of intramuscular Fe, but similar relativedifferences were seen in Cu-deficient and Cu-replete rats which had been given no Fe supplementation. 5. Duodenal Fe was not increased in Cu deficiency. Bone marrow Fe was present in Cu-deficient animals receiving either parenteral or oral Fe supplementation. 6. Present studies suggest that a decrease in caeruloplasmin (EC 1. 16. 3. 1) activity does not wholly explain the anaemia of Cu deficiency.Fe accumulation may be restricted to the liver, suggesting that Cu may be required for normal intracellular Fe metabolism.
Differential Prediction of Alcohol Use and Problems: The Role of Biopsychological and Social‐Environmental Variables

This study examined the differential prediction of alcohol use and problems by biopsychological (i.e., affective and cognitive variables) and social‐environmental (i.e., social norms) variables. Undergraduate students (N = 231) were assessed twice separated by a 30–day interval. Time 1 impulsivity, affect lability, social norms, and perceived conflict between personal strivings and alcohol use were each significant predictors of alcohol use–related problems at Time 2 (T2). Structural equation models indicated that impulsivity and affect lability were related directly with use‐related problems, while social norms and use‐strivings conflict were related indirectly with use‐related problems (mediated by use frequency). Impulsivity moderated the T2 use to use‐related problems relationship. Use frequency was associated more strongly with use‐related problems among more impulsive participants.