Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of extracranial-intracranial bypass using quantitative magnetic resonance angiography.

OBJECT To date, angiography has been the primary modality for assessing graft patency following extracranial-intracranial bypass. The utility of a noninvasive and quantitative method of assessing bypass function postoperatively was evaluated using quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. METHODS One hundred one cases of bypass surgery performed over a 5.5-year period at a single institution were reviewed. In 62 cases, both angiographic and quantitative MR angiographic data were available. Intraoperative flow measurements were available in 13 cases in which quantitative MR angiography was performed during the early postoperative period (within 48 hours after surgery). There was excellent correlation between quantitative MR angiographic flow and angiographic findings over the mean 10 months of imaging follow up. Occluded bypasses were consistently absent on quantitative MR angiograms (four cases). The flow rates were significantly lower in those bypasses that became stenotic or reduced in diameter as demonstrated by follow-up angiography (nine cases) than in those bypasses that remained fully patent (mean +/- standard error of the mean, 37 +/- 13 ml/minute compared with 105 +/- 7 ml/minute, p = 0.001). Flows were appreciably lower in poorly functioning bypasses for both vein and in situ arterial grafts. All angiographically poor bypasses (nine cases) were identifiable by absolute flows of less than 20 ml/minute or a reduction in flow greater than 30% within 3 months. Good correlation was seen between intraoperative flow measurements and early postoperative quantitative MR angiographic flow measurements (13 cases, Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.70, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Bypass grafts can be assessed in a noninvasive fashion by using quantitative MR angiography. This imaging modality provides not only information regarding patency as shown by conventional angiography, but also a quantitative assessment of bypass function. In this study, a low or rapidly decreasing flow was indicative of a shrunken or stenotic graft. Quantitative MR angiography may provide an alternative to standard angiography for serial follow up of bypass grafts.
Openness and Agricultural Performance in Ghana

The paper examined the relationship between openness and agricultural performance using data covering the period 1995 to 2009. Representing openness as foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade openness, the results showed that there is no long run relationship between FDI and trade openness on one hand and agricultural performance on the other. In the short run, vtrade openness and FDI exerted a statistically significant negative effect on agricultural performance. Though inelastic, the sign of the coefficients showed that increased openness of Ghana’s agriculture through trade and FDI do not promote performance of the sector. These results provide evidence for an examination of the type of FDI attracted into the sector. Also, the detrimental effect of trade openness suggests a re-examination of the free trade policy to provide some cushion to sections of the sector to enhance output thereby increasing performance. Keywords : Openness, trade openness, foreign direct investment, agricultural performance, Ghana
Periodontal disease is not associated with preeclampsia in Canadian pregnant women.

BACKGROUND The findings from the studies on the relationship between periodontal disease and preeclampsia are inconsistent. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between periodontal disease and preeclampsia. METHODS A multicenter case-control study was conducted in Quebec, Canada. Preeclampsia was defined as blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg and ≥1+ proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. Periodontitis was defined as the presence of ≥4 sites with a probing depth ≥5 mm and a clinical attachment loss ≥3 mm at the same sites. RESULTS A total of 92 preeclamptic women and 245 controls were analyzed. The percentage of periodontal disease was 18.5% in preeclamptic women and 19.2% in normotensive women (crude odds ratio [OR] = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52 to 1.77). After adjusting for confounding variables, periodontitis remained not associated with preeclampsia (adjusted OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.59 to 2.17). CONCLUSION This study does not support the hypothesis of an association between periodontal disease and preeclampsia.
An extension of the Analytical Hierarchy Process using OWA operators

The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) provides a comprehensive methodology for the solution of multicriteria decision problems which makes considerable use of comparison generated importances to help in the aggregation of lower order concepts in the formulation of higher order concepts. We introduce an extension of the Analytical Hierarchy Process using the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) operators. This extension, which generalizes the aggregation process used in the AHP, allows more flexibility in the formulation of higher order concepts and provides the AHP an even greater facility for modeling human decision making. Using the OWA operators we are able to model situations where the number of sub-criteria needed to satisfy a higher order concept can be expressed in terms of linguistic quantifiers.
Drivers of customer loyalty and word of mouth intentions: moderating role of interactional justice

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a conceptual model of the antecedents of customer loyalty and word of mouth (WOM) intentions with the moderating influence of interactional justice. Using data from 500 tourist respondents at six different tourist locations in the districts of the northern province of Pakistan, the study reported here extends the theoretical and empirical body of evidence regarding customers’ perceptions of the quality and value of hotel services and their impact on customer loyalty and WOM intentions. The moderating role of interactional justice perceptions is also studied. The results show that service quality and relationship quality are significant predictors of customer loyalty and WOM intentions. Perceived service value also significantly mediated all the conceptualized relationships. Interactional justice moderated the mediated relationships. Surprisingly, the image of hotels appeared insignificant and did not mediate the most of the relationships. The findings demonstrate that hotel marketers should not assume that all customers’ perceptions represent similar underlying value in developing loyalty and WOM intentions.
Transfer Function Method to Diagnose Axial Displacement and Radial Deformation of Transformer Winding

Short circuit currents or forces during transport can cause mechanical displacements of transformer windings. The transfer function method is presented as a tool to detect these displacements. In order to be able to evaluate the measurements, the correlation between the characteristics of transfer functions and possible damages must be known. Axial displacement and radial deformation of transformer windings have been studied-in this research work using two test transformers. The primary winding of the first transformer for axial displacement has 31 double disk coils (1.3 MVA, 10 kV) and the secondary winding is a four-layer winding. The second transformer for the study of radial deformation has 30 double disk coils (1.2 MVA, 10 kV) as primary winding and a one-layer winding as secondary winding. The detailed mathematical models were developed for the test objects and a comparison was carried out between measured and calculated results. It is shown that this model can present the behavior of the transformer windings in the frequency domain in the case of sound and displaced conditions.
Japanese Text Classification by Character-level Deep ConvNets and Transfer Learning

Temporal (one-dimensional) Convolutional Neural Network (Temporal CNN, ConvNet) is an emergent technology for text understanding. The input for the ConvNets could be either a sequence of words or a sequence of characters. In the latter case there are no needs for natural language processing that depends on a language such as morphological analysis. Past studies showed that the character-level ConvNets worked well for news category classification and sentiment analysis / classification tasks in English and romanized Chinese text corpus. In this article we apply the character-level ConvNets to Japanese text understanding. We also attempt to reuse meaningful representations that are learned in the ConvNets from a large-scale dataset in the form of transfer learning, inspired by its success in the field of image recognition. As for the application to the news category classification and the sentiment analysis and classification tasks in Japanese text corpus, the ConvNets outperformed N-gram-based classifiers. In addition, our ConvNets transfer learning frameworks worked well for a task which is similar to one used for pre-training.
Programming exercise intensity in patients on beta-blocker treatment: the importance of choosing an appropriate method

Aim To verify the usefulness of current recommended level of target exercise heart rate (HR) and of different HR-based methods for calculating target HR in patients with and without beta-blocker treatment. Methods We studied 53 patients not treated with beta-blocker and 159 patients on beta-blocker treatment. All patients underwent a maximal exercise test with gas analysis, and first ventilatory threshold (VT1 or aerobic threshold), second ventilatory threshold (VT2 or anaerobic threshold), time of exercise, maximum load, metabolic parameters, HR at rest (HRrest), HRpeak, HR at VT1 (HRVT1) and at VT2 (HRVT2), and 75, 80, and 85% of HRmax (HR75%, HR80%, HR85%) were calculated. Exercise HR was also determined using the Karvonen formula, applying 60, 70, and 80% of the heart rate reserve (HRR) (HRKarv0.6, HRKarv0.7, and HRKarv0.8). Results This study included 102 patients on a beta-blocker and 39 not treated with negative cronotropic effect drugs. Maximum load, metabolic parameters, HRrest, HRpeak, HRVT1, and HRVT2 were significantly lower in patients on beta-blocker treatment. The proportion of patients with a HR75%, HR80%, HR85%, HRKarv0.6, HRKarv0.7, and HRKarv0.8 VT2 was very high and depended on whether patients were on beta-blocker treatment. Conclusions Prescribed exercise intensity should be within VT1 and VT2, so that the efficacy and safety is guaranteed. If determining VT1 and VT2 is not possible, HR-based methods can be used, but with caution. In fact, there will be always a proportion of patients training below VT1 or above VT2. On the other hand, recommendations for patients on a beta-blocker should be different from patients not receiving a beta-blocker. Patients not treated with a beta-blocker should exercise at HRKarv0.7 or at HR85%. In patients on a beta-blocker, we recommend preferentially a target HR of HRKarv0.6 or HR80%.
Nurses' utilization and perception of the community/public health nursing credential.

OBJECTIVES I explored the underutilization of the community/public health nursing (C/PHN) credential by examining the individual characteristics of public health nurses, the value these nurses perceive for certification, the barriers they perceive to obtaining or maintaining a C/PHN credential, and their credential status. METHODS I surveyed a national sample of 655 public health nurses regarding this more than 20-year-old credential. I analyzed variables related to perceived value, barriers, and characteristics of public health nurses. RESULTS The perceived value of credentialing did not differ among public health nurses relative to whether they had ever had a C/PHN credential. The C/PHN credential, however, was obtained significantly more often by public health nurses in academic settings than by those working in practice settings. CONCLUSIONS The C/PHN credential appears to be disproportionately underutilized and unknown to public health nurses in the practice community. Findings suggest, however, that utilization could be improved by increasing the credential's visibility outside of academic environments and by establishing system-level changes that provide external recognition, such as salary increases and career advancement, for specialty credentials.
OxyR-dependent formation of DNA methylation patterns in OpvABOFF and OpvABON cell lineages of Salmonella enterica

Phase variation of the Salmonella enterica opvAB operon generates a bacterial lineage with standard lipopolysaccharide structure (OpvABOFF) and a lineage with shorter O-antigen chains (OpvABON). Regulation of OpvAB lineage formation is transcriptional, and is controlled by the LysR-type factor OxyR and by DNA adenine methylation. The opvAB regulatory region contains four sites for OxyR binding (OBSA-D), and four methylatable GATC motifs (GATC1–4). OpvABOFF and OpvABON cell lineages display opposite DNA methylation patterns in the opvAB regulatory region: (i) in the OpvABOFF state, GATC1 and GATC3 are non-methylated, whereas GATC2 and GATC4 are methylated; (ii) in the OpvABON state, GATC2 and GATC4 are non-methylated, whereas GATC1 and GATC3 are methylated. We provide evidence that such DNA methylation patterns are generated by OxyR binding. The higher stability of the OpvABOFF lineage may be caused by binding of OxyR to sites that are identical to the consensus (OBSA and OBSc), while the sites bound by OxyR in OpvABON cells (OBSB and OBSD) are not. In support of this view, amelioration of either OBSB or OBSD locks the system in the ON state. We also show that the GATC-binding protein SeqA and the nucleoid protein HU are ancillary factors in opvAB control.
The high toll of traffic injuries : unacceptable and preventable

An estimated 1.25 million people are killed on the world’s roads every year, and between 20 and 50 million people are seriously injured. Every traffic crash is an individual loss. Existing estimates of the economic impact of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in the developing world are imprecise and rely on extrapolation from high-income settings. Since economic impact is an important factor in setting budget priorities for health policy makers and transport or urban planning officials, this gap in the global knowledge base has undermined government efforts to address RTIs. The present report represents an attempt to address this critical gap. Reframing the problem of RTIs in economic terms can be transformative, both among policymakers responsible for protecting the health and prosperity of their people, and among their development partners. The study shows significant welfare gains associated with the decrease of RTIs in the five developing countries when evaluated over a period of 24 years.
Effects of the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Enalapril on the Long‐term Progression of Left Ventricular Dilatation in Patients With Asymptomatic Systolic Dysfunction

BackgroundPatients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) manifest progressive LV dilatation, which is prevented by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. In patients with asymptomatic LV systolic dysfunction, in whom there is less activation of the renin-angiotensin system, ventricular remodeling might be less rapid and the benefit of ACE inhibitors less discernible. Methods and ResultsOne hundred eight patients enrolled in the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) Prevention Trial, with left ventricular ejection fraction <0.35 but without clinical heart failure, underwent radionuclide ventriculograms, and 49 underwent left heart catheterizations. Measurements were made before and after double-blinded randomization to enalapril (2.5 to 20 mg/d) or placebo. Repeated-measures analysis of all time points showed significant differences for change in end-diastolic volume (EDV) between enalapril and placebo groups. Significant difference between the enalapril and placebo groups (P<.05) was present for change in EDV at 1 year within the catheterization study and at a mean of 25 months within the radionuclide study. Radionuclide EDV increased in placebo patients (119±28 to 124±33 mlm2, mean+SD) and decreased in enalapril patients (120±25 to 113±25 mLum2). Differences between the two groups were significantly less than previously described in patients with symptomatic heart failure (P<.02), with less increase in LV volumes in the placebo group and less decrease in volumes in the enalapril group. ConclusionsChronic ACE inhibitor treatment slows or reverses LV dilatation in patients with asymptomatic LV systolic dysfunction. Compared with symptomatic patients, asymptomatic patients manifest a slower rate of spontaneous LV dilatation and less reduction in LV volumes by enalapril.
Aggression, cooperation, and relatedness among colonies of the invasive ant, Monomorium pharaonis, originating from different areas of the world

The cooperation and aggression between five laboratory colonies of Monomorium pharaonis were compared using an aggressiveness test and pupa-carrying test in laboratory arenas. The colonies were derived from field collections in different parts of Europe and USA. Generally, inter-colony aggressiveness was low and acceptance of pupae from other colonies was high. Workers from one colony (Lužiny, CZ), however, frequently displayed aggressive behavior when paired with workers from other colonies, and the Lužiny pupae were avoided by workers of other colonies in pupa-carrying tests. Behavioral tests were only partly consistent with the phylogenetic relatedness of ants because the Wisconsin colony (USA) grouped with the Lužiny colony (and not with the other three colonies) in the phylogenetic analysis but grouped with the other three colonies in the behavioral tests.
Modification by Baroreceptor Feedback of Circulatory Responses to Noxious Stimuli During Anaesthesia in Cats

In eight cats anaesthetized with chloralose, the carotid sinus on one side was either exposed to systemic arterial pressure or perfused with a pump in order to control sinus pressure. Baroreceptor influences from the contralateral carotid sinus and from the aortic arch were interrupted by denervation. Arrangements were made for intermittent electric stimulation of pain fibres in somatic and visceral nerves with stimulation parameters chosen to elicit reproducible increases in arterial blood pressure and in skeletal muscle vascular resistance. The elicited increases in arterial pressure and muscle vascular resistance were both about 40% smaller when the carotid sinus was exposed to systemic arterial pressure in comparison with the experimental condition of a constant carotid sinus pressure. I. v. metoprolol (0.1‐0.3 mg kg‐1) reduced base‐line arterial pressure, but did not attenuate the arterial blood pressure increase in response to pain stimulation. The baroreceptor modulation of the haemodynamic response to the pain stimulation was not affected by metoprolol.
Does the Profit and Loss Sharing Financing increase the Performance of Islamic Banks

The profit and loss sharing financing may be effect on the performance indicators of Islamic banks. This paper aims to tests the relationship between PLSF and profitability, liquidity and risk indicators and analyzes why the Islamic banks neglect the long term financing, based on empirical case of thirteen bank at level of thirteen Islamic countries namely: Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Dubai, Indonesia, Iran Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, during 1997 to 2013. We use the regression analysis model with unbalanced panel data. The relationship between PLSF and performance indicators (Profitability, liquidity, risk) is significant, and the dual fixed effects model is accepted which shows the difference in the relationship between the variables differs depending on the characteristics of the bank and the country as well as period. We propose to re-test this problematic with distinction between Mudharaba, Musharaka and PLSF, and the use of other econometrics method.
Bank Leverage Limits and Regulatory Arbitrage: New Evidence on a Recurring Question

Banks are regulated more than most firms, making them good subjects to study regulatory arbitrage (avoidance). Their latest arbitrage opportunity may be the new leverage rule covering the largest U.S. banks; leverage rules require equal capital against assets with unequal risks, so banks can effectively relax the leverage constraint by increasing asset risk. Consistent with that conjecture, we find that banks covered by the new rule shifted to riskier, higher yielding securities relative to control banks. The shift began almost precisely when the rule was finalized in 2014, well before it took effect in 2018. Security-level analysis suggests banks actively added riskier securities, rather than merely shedding safer ones. Despite the risk-shifting, overall bank risk did not increase, evidently because the banks most constrained by the new leverage rule significantly increased leverage capital ratios.
Tumor Heterogeneity and Lesion-Specific Response to Targeted Therapy in Colorectal Cancer.

UNLABELLED How genomic heterogeneity associated with acquired resistance to targeted agents affects response to subsequent therapy is unknown. We studied EGFR blockade in colorectal cancer to assess whether tissue and liquid biopsies can be integrated with radiologic imaging to monitor the impact of individual oncogenic alterations on lesion-specific responses. Biopsy of a patient's progressing liver metastasis following prolonged response to cetuximab revealed a MEK1(K57T) mutation as a novel mechanism of acquired resistance. This lesion regressed upon treatment with panitumumab and the MEK inhibitor trametinib. In circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), mutant MEK1 levels declined with treatment, but a previously unrecognized KRAS(Q61H) mutation was also identified that increased despite therapy. This same KRAS mutation was later found in a separate nonresponding metastasis. In summary, parallel analyses of tumor biopsies and serial ctDNA monitoring show that lesion-specific radiographic responses to subsequent targeted therapies can be driven by distinct resistance mechanisms arising within separate tumor lesions in the same patient. SIGNIFICANCE Molecular heterogeneity ensuing from acquired resistance drives lesion-specific responses to subsequent targeted therapies. Analysis of a single-lesion biopsy is inadequate to guide selection of subsequent targeted therapies. ctDNA profiles allow the detection of concomitant resistance mechanisms residing in separate metastases and assessment of the effect of therapies designed to overcome resistance.