Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patient’s Satisfaction of Surgical Outpatient Department Using Concise Outpatient Department User Satisfaction Scale

Objective: To find out patient satisfaction with the Surgical Outpatient Department of a tertiary care teaching hospital using Concise OPD User Satisfaction Scale. Methodology: From March to May 2008, new patients attending the surgical OPD of Civil Hospital, Karachi, were included in this observational study after taking informed consent. The Concise Outpatient Department User Satisfaction Scale was used to measure patient satisfaction. The items in this score were (i) physical environment, (ii) equipment and facilities, (iii) appointment arrangement, (iv) waiting time, (v) service of the dispensary, (vi) support staff, (vii) physician’s professionalism, (viii) explanation given by the case physician, (ix) consultation time. Results: A total of 395 patients, 243 (61.2%) males and 154 (38.8%) females attending the Surgical Outpatient Department of Civil Hospital, Karachi, were included in this cross-sectional study from March to May 2008. Physician’s professionalism scored maximum with a mean ± SD score of 8.06 ± 0.96 and service of dispensary scored minimum with a mean ± SD of 1.35 ± 2.94. Significant difference was found between gender, with males satisfied more in terms of support staff, physician’s professionalism and explanation given by physicians. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction level was overall good with the Surgical Outpatient Department. The patients were most satisfied with physician’s professionalism and least satisfied with service of dispensary.
Changing Faces: A Detection Advantage in the Flicker Paradigm

Observers seem surprisingly poor at detecting changes in images following a large transient or flicker. In this study, we compared this change blindness phenomenon between human faces and other common objects (e.g., clothes). We found that changes were detected far more rapidly and accurately in faces than in other objects. This advantage for faces, however, was found only for upright faces in multiple-object arrays, and was completely eliminated when displays showed one photograph only or when the pictures were inverted. These results suggest a special role for faces in competition for visual attention, and provide support for previous claims that human faces are processed differently than stimuli that may be of less biological significance.
QuaterNet: A Quaternion-based Recurrent Model for Human Motion

Deep learning for predicting or generating 3D human pose sequences is an active research area. Previous work regresses either joint rotations or joint positions. The former strategy is prone to error accumulation along the kinematic chain, as well as discontinuities when using Euler angle or exponential map parameterizations. The latter requires re-projection onto skeleton constraints to avoid bone stretching and invalid configurations. This work addresses both limitations. Our recurrent network, QuaterNet, represents rotations with quaternions and our loss function performs forward kinematics on a skeleton to penalize absolute position errors instead of angle errors. On short-term predictions, QuaterNet improves the state-of-the-art quantitatively. For long-term generation, our approach is qualitatively judged as realistic as recent neural strategies from the graphics literature.
Sodium nitrate ingestion increases skeletal muscle nitrate content in humans.

Nitrate ([Formula: see text]) ingestion has been shown to have vasoactive and ergogenic effects that have been attributed to increased nitric oxide (NO) production. Recent observations in rodents suggest that skeletal muscle tissue serves as an endogenous [Formula: see text] "reservoir. " The present study determined [Formula: see text] contents in human skeletal muscle tissue in a postabsorptive state and following ingestion of a sodium nitrate bolus (NaNO3). Seventeen male, type 2 diabetes patients (age 72 ± 1 yr; body mass index 26.5 ± 0.5 kg/m2; means ± SE) were randomized to ingest a dose of NaNO3 (NIT; 9.3 mg [Formula: see text]/kg body wt) or placebo (PLA; 8.8 mg NaCl/kg body wt). Blood and muscle biopsy samples were taken before and up to 7 h following [Formula: see text] or placebo ingestion to assess [Formula: see text] [and plasma nitrite ([Formula: see text])] concentrations. Additionally, basal plasma and muscle [Formula: see text] concentrations were assessed in 10 healthy young (CON-Y; age 21 ± 1 yr) and 10 healthy older (CON-O; age 75 ± 1 yr) control subjects. In all groups, baseline [Formula: see text] concentrations were higher in muscle (NIT, 57 ± 7; PLA, 61 ± 7; CON-Y, 80 ± 10; CON-O, 54 ± 6 µmol/l) than in plasma (NIT, 35 ± 3; PLA, 32 ± 3; CON-Y, 38 ± 3; CON-O, 33 ± 3 µmol/l; P ≤ 0.011). Ingestion of NaNO3 resulted in a sustained increase in plasma [Formula: see text], plasma [Formula: see text], and muscle [Formula: see text] concentrations (up to 185 ± 25 µmol/l) in the NIT group (time effect P < 0.001) compared with PLA (treatment effect P < 0.05). In conclusion, basal [Formula: see text] concentrations are substantially higher in human skeletal muscle tissue compared with plasma. Ingestion of a bolus of dietary [Formula: see text] increases both plasma and muscle [Formula: see text] contents in humans.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Literature of the pharmacokinetics following dietary nitrate ingestion is usually limited to the changes observed in plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations. The present investigation assessed the skeletal muscle nitrate content in humans during the postabsorptive state, as well as following dietary nitrate ingestion. We show that basal nitrate content is higher in skeletal muscle tissue than in plasma and that ingestion of a dietary nitrate bolus strongly increases both plasma and muscle nitrate concentrations.
The Europe 2020 Strategy: Can it Maintain the EU’s Competitiveness in the World?

Launched in March 2010 by the European Commission, the Europe 2020 strategy aims at achieving “smart, sustainable and inclusive” growth. This growth is intended to be driven by three sets of engines: knowledge and innovation, a greener and more efficient use of resources and higher employment combined with social and territorial cohesion. This CEPS report takes an in-depth look at the Europe 2020 strategy and the goals it sets for the EU, with the aim of shedding light on the question of whether the strategy will succeed in fostering the global competitiveness of the European Union. While finding that the Europe 2020 strategy identifies the right key indicators for its targets, the authors advise that it should be revised in several important respects and conclude with relevant policy steps to foster the future capability of European economies and their prosperity.
Efficient end-to-end learning for quantizable representations

Embedding representation learning via neural networks is at the core foundation of modern similarity based search. While much effort has been put in developing algorithms for learning binary hamming code representations for search efficiency, this still requires a linear scan of the entire dataset per each query and trades off the search accuracy through binarization. To this end, we consider the problem of directly learning a quantizable embedding representation and the sparse binary hash code end-to-end which can be used to construct an efficient hash table not only providing significant search reduction in the number of data but also achieving the state of the art search accuracy outperforming previous state of the art deep metric learning methods. We also show that finding the optimal sparse binary hash code in a mini-batch can be computed exactly in polynomial time by solving a minimum cost flow problem. Our results on Cifar-100 and on ImageNet datasets show the state of the art search accuracy in precision@k and NMI metrics while providing up to 98X and 478X search speedup respectively over exhaustive linear search. The source code is available at this https URL
Student interactions in online discussion forums: their perception on learning with business simulation games

ABSTRACT Digital technology offers new teaching methods with controversial results over learning. They allow students to develop a more active participation in their learning process although it does not always drive to unequivocal better learning outcomes. This study aims to offer additional evidence on the contribution of business simulation games to students’ learning outcomes, considering student interactions in online discussion forums. We conducted a qualitative research with the online discussion forums of 5 different courses at bachelor and master levels, which involves 41 students’ teams. The final sample was composed of 3681 messages posted by the students. The results reveal that some generic and specific managerial skills exert a positive influence on learning outcomes. Students mostly highlighted teamwork, decision-making, information processing, reaching agreements, and dealing with uncertainty as the most relevant contributions of the game towards their learning. These results have instructional and pedagogical implications for determining the best way to enhance students’ motivation and learning outcomes when using digital technology methods, which involves recommendations that affect their design and monitoring.
Low responsiveness to IFN‐γ, after pretreatment of mouse macrophages with lipopolysaccharides, develops via diverse regulatory pathways

We have investigated the mechanisms by which prior exposure of mouse macrophages to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induces a state of low responsiveness to subsequent exposure to IFN‐γ. We demonstrate that induction of this state requires both de novo gene expression and the suppression of phosphorylation events that lead to activation of transcription factor Stat1α. These observations are mechanistically consistent with the known induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)‐1 and SOCS‐3 proteins by LPS. In this regard, we demonstrate that overexpression of either SOCS protein suppresses induction of the mouse inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene promoter: apparently by suppressing interactions between Stat1α and IFN‐γ activated sites present in both the iNOS, and interferon regulatory factor‐1, gene promoters. The induction of SOCS‐1 and SOCS‐3 by LPS or IFN‐β (an autocrine/paracrine mediator of LPS‐induced SOCS‐1 mRNA synthesis)occurs by way of multiple protein kinase pathways that include protein tyrosine kinases, protein kinase C, and mitogen‐activated protein kinases. These results provide insight that may allow discriminationbetween LPS‐induced inhibition of macrophage functions that are detrimental to the host (e.g. continued exposure to LPS) versus those that might potentially be beneficial (e.g. exposure to subsequent agonists that induce more specific macrophage functions).
Incidence and impact of stroke during Hajj

Objective: To investigate the incidence of stroke among pilgrims and describe factors associated with presentation and management during Hajj. Physical stress, age and vascular risk factors render pilgrims at a high risk of stroke. Methods: This is a prospective registry of all acute stroke patients admitted to 6 hospitals during the 2015 Hajj season from 9 September to 4 November. Participating hospitals were King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Al-Noor, King Abdulaziz hospital, King Faisal hospital, Hira, and Mena general hospitals; all in Makkah city. Stroke diagnosis was confirmed by imaging. Clinical, demographic and outcome variables were collected. Results: The incidence of stroke during 2015 Hajj season is 8.9/100,000; 186 cases. The peak incidence was noted on the day after Arafat. Saudis represented 17.2% while 36% were females. Hemorrhagic stroke occurred in 35 patients (18.8%). The mean age was 60.8±12.9 years while the most common risk factors were hypertension (57%) and diabetes (40.9%). Only 5 patients received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. The median length of hospital stay was 4 days. Twenty-one patients (11.3%) died during hospitalization. The only factor that approached significance in predicting mortality was hemorrhagic stroke (odds ratio of 1.62; 95% CI: 0.97 to 2.70; p=0.063). Conclusion: Stroke is a major health burden during Hajj. Educational programs for pilgrims and healthcare workers together with protocol-driven care are expected to positively impact stroke care.
The Evolutionary Dynamics of the Odorant Receptor Gene Family in Corbiculate Bees

Insects rely on chemical information to locate food, choose mates, and detect potential predators. It has been hypothesized that adaptive changes in the olfactory system facilitated the diversification of numerous insect lineages. For instance, evolutionary changes of Odorant Receptor (OR) genes often occur in parallel with modifications in life history strategies. Corbiculate bees display a diverse array of behaviors that are controlled through olfaction, including varying degrees of social organization, and manifold associations with floral resources. Here we investigated the molecular mechanisms driving the evolution of the OR gene family in corbiculate bees in comparison to other chemosensory gene families. Our results indicate that the genomic organization of the OR gene family has remained highly conserved for approximately 80 million years, despite exhibiting major changes in repertoire size among bee lineages. Moreover, the evolution of OR genes appears to be driven mostly by lineage-specific gene duplications in few genomic regions that harbor large numbers of OR genes. A selection analysis revealed that OR genes evolve under positive selection, with the strongest signals detected in recently duplicated copies. Our results indicate that chromosomal translocations had a minimal impact on OR evolution, and instead local molecular mechanisms appear to be main drivers of OR repertoire size. Our results provide empirical support to the longstanding hypothesis that positive selection shaped the diversification of the OR gene family. Together, our results shed new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of olfaction in insects.
Free Vibration of Axially Functionally Graded Beam

Axially functionally graded (AFG) beam is a special kind of nonhomogeneous functionally gradient material structure, whose material properties vary continuously along the axial direction of the beam by a given distribution form. There are several numerical methods that have been used to analyze the vibration characteristics of AFG beams, but it is difficult to obtain precise solutions for AFG beams because of the variable coefficients of the governing equation. In this topic, the free vibration of AFG beam using analytical method based on the perturbation theory and Meijer G-Function are studied, respectively. First, a detailed review of the existing literatures is summarized. Then, based on the governing equation of the AFG Euler-Bernoulli beam, the detailed analytic equations are derived on basis of the perturbation theory and Meijer G-function, where the nature frequencies are demonstrated. Subsequently, the numerical results are calculated and compared, meanwhile, the analytical results are also confirmed by finite element method and the published references. The results show that the proposed two analytical methods are simple and efficient and can be used to conveniently analyze free vibration of AFG beam.
Mapping the spatial disparities in urban health care services using taxi trajectories data

The understanding of spatial inequality in health care services is critical for reasonable policy‐making and management. In this study, we present a novel approach to analyze the demand–supply of health care services using taxi data. Taxi data provide observations of individual travel activities, and hence can be used to characterize the actual demand–supply of health care services. We apply the proposed approach in Guangzhou, China to carry out a case study. The results show the spatial disparities in health care service access. About 21.05% of the total population has high hospital accessibility, while the remaining 78.95% has relatively low hospital accessibility (i.e., roughly an “80/20” distribution). It is found that 6.29% of the population lives in high‐density suburban communities but has relatively low hospital accessibility. Most of the hospitals serve a population that is compatible with their capacity. One hospital is found to have a small capacity but to serve a large population, while two hospitals have relatively high capacities but serve small populations. These findings can help improve our understanding of spatial inequalities in public service provision, and may also provide useful information to address the health care problems of an aging population in contemporary, rapidly urbanizing China.
Outcomes of Reconstruction of the Stage II Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity in Older Patients

Background: Reconstruction of the stage II adult-acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) often requires the use of multiple osteotomies and soft tissue procedures that may not heal well in older patients. The purpose of our study was to determine whether patients older than 65 years with stage II AAFD had inferior clinical outcomes or an increased number of subsequent surgical procedures after flatfoot reconstruction when compared with younger patients. Methods: One-hundred forty consecutive feet (70 right, 70 left) with stage II AAFD in 137 patients were divided into 3 groups based on age: younger than 45 years (young; n = 21), 45 to 65 years (middle-aged; n = 87), and 65 years and older (older; n = 32). Preoperative and postoperative Foot and Ankle Outcome Scores (FAOSs) at a minimum of 2 years were compared. Hospital records were reviewed to determine if patients underwent a subsequent procedure postoperatively. Results: Patients in the older group did not demonstrate any differences in changes in FAOS subscales compared with patients in the young and middle-aged groups (all P > .15). The older group had significant preoperative to postoperative improvements in all the FAOS subgroups (P < .01). In addition, patients in the older group were not more likely to undergo a subsequent surgery than were the younger patients (all P > .10). Conclusions: Our study found that patients older than 65 years with stage II AAFD have improvements in patient-reported outcomes and rates of revision surgery after surgical reconstruction that were not significantly different than those of younger patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III, comparative series.
Exposure to methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in rat

Abstract 1. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is commonly used as an octane booster and oxygenate additive to gasoline. The assumed toxic effects of MTBE on human health are a matter of great debate. Exposure to MTBE has been shown to induce oxidative damage and no mechanistic explanation is available so far. Our goals were to determine whether MTBE is a mitochondrial toxicant, if so, what mechanism(s) is involved. 2. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were received MTBE in drinking water for 3 months. At the end of treatments, animals were killed, liver and blood samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological studies, and oxidative stress biomarkers. The rat liver mitochondria were isolated and several mitochondrial indices were measured. 3. We found that zinc plasma levels were remarkably declined with MTBE and N, N, N′, N′-Tetrakis (2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN; a zinc chelator) exposure. MTBE induced oxidative damage and caused mitochondrial dysfunctions in rats. Supplementation with zinc was able to protect against MTBE-induced cellular and sub-cellular toxicity. 4. Our results demonstrated that long-term exposure to MTBE is associated with zinc deficiency, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial energy failure in rat.
Plasma Cytokine Fluctuations over Time in Healthy Controls and Patients with Fibromyalgia

We examined the pattern of cytokine secretion across the 24-hr day for women with widespread pain and tenderness having the diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) and matched healthy controls. Subjects were given time to habituate to being in a clinical research laboratory environment and then were sampled for cytokines without their being disturbed for a 24-hr period including an 8-hr sleep period. Cytokine levels were uniformly low but characterized by bursts of secretion. Bursting occurred either in singlets or in doublets with a range from 88 to 131 mins between doublet bursts. There was an element of synchronization of these bursts with most occurring at the beginning of sampling. FM patients showed a shift to increased IL-10 in the nighttime compared to controls. The relation between this anti-inflammatory cytokine to the pro-inflammatory cytokines studied also differed between groups: FM patients showed an increased ratio of IL-10 burst amplitude to that of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α. We interpret this to indicate a skew away from the normal balance favoring pro-inflammatory cytokines in controls toward one favoring an anti-inflammatory response in FM. These changes toward anti-inflammatory predominance in FM may explain their common complaint of disturbed sleep because these cytokines are known to disrupt sleep.
Process characterization and nutrient profiling of traditional meat products of the Borana communities in northern Kenya

Livestock products, specifically, milk and meat occupy a special place in the Borana diet for a variety of reasons including availability, preference, tradition and prestige. Cattle are Kenya’s most important source of red meat, supplying by value about 80% of the nation’s ruminant off take for slaughter1 whereas goats are mainly kept for meat production for household consumption. Goat meat accounts for more than 70 % of all meat consumed in pastoral households in Marsabit.2 Borana people produce different type of traditional meat products from Boran cattle (Bos indicus) and goat (Capra hircus) for nutritional supplement and snacks for special occasions and to meet seasonal fluctuation in the available protein in their diet. They have developed unique recipes and storage methods that increase products shelf‒life under the traditional pastoral production environment. Meat is a concentrated nutrient source essential for optimal growth and development. The importance of meat in the diet is due to the fact that it is highly nutritious and provides proteins of high biological value.3