Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Awareness of Mobile Internet Technologies on the Healthcare Sector in India

Recent advances in Internet enabled mobile devices have paved the way for remote patient monitoring applications. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the scope and nature of mobile technologies in the healthcare sector on one of the largest countries by population and the fastest growing economy, India. The motivation for the research came from an analysis of the potential benefits Mobile Information Technology could have on large, but often disparate and geographically remote population. Increasing demand for quality services for from a limited resource needs to be matched through massively improved efficiencies in delivery of timely diagnoses and effective treatment. The work presented highlights the possibilities to provide such efficiency gains due, in part, to the awareness of modern ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) systems by young medical practitioners and the ever expanding Mobile Infrastructure in India.
A combined genotype of KIR3DL1 high expressing alleles and HLA-B*57 is associated with a reduced risk of HIV infection

Objectives:Coexpression of certain combinations of natural killer cell receptor KIR3DL1 and HLA-B alleles is associated with slower time to AIDS. The strongest protection in terms of disease outcome in KIR3DL1 homozygotes (3DL1 hmz) is coexpression of HLA-B*57 and a set of KIR3DL1 genotypes (3DL1*h/*y) lacking alleles expressed at low levels on natural killer cells. We questioned whether this allele combination could also influence resistance to infection. Design:The genetic distribution of 3DL1*h/*y and HLA-B*57 was compared in 41 HIV-exposed uninfected and 186 recently HIV-infected 3DL1 hmz. Methods:KIR3DL1 subtyping was performed by sequencing the exons 3, 4, 5, 7–9. The major histocompatibility complex class IB locus was typed by sequence specific oligonucleotide PCR and sequencing to resolve Bw4 and Bw6 alleles and the amino acid present at position 80. Results:Percentage carriers of HLA-B*57 in HIV-exposed uninfected and individuals in a primary infection cohort was 12.2 and 4.3%, respectively (P = 0.0631), whereas that of 3DL1*h/*y was similar in both populations (P = 0.221). The 3DL1*h/*y-HLA-B*57 combined genotype was more frequent in exposed uninfected individuals (12.2%) than individuals in primary infection (2.7%) (P = 0.019; odds ratio, 5.03; 95% confidence intervals, 1.38–18.3). Conclusion:Coexpression of 3DL1*h/*y and B*57, which has been associated with a reduced risk of progressing to AIDS in HIV-infected individuals also lowers the risk of HIV infection in exposed uninfected individuals.
Peer support in mental health services

Purpose of review Considering international diversity in the implementation of mental health peer support and an increasing research interest in peer support work (PSW), this review focuses on priorities in current research and practice. With grassroots in informal services for people with mental health problems, peer support has been strengthened by the recovery paradigm in mental health policy, and there are steps towards integration in statutory services. Recent findings Current issues include benefits of peer support, its efficacy and effectiveness. The value of peer support in formal and informal settings is discussed, and organizational change processes and the challenges in peer support implementation are discussed. Recent studies have identified the need for a clarification of roles, competencies and job structure and for adequate training and supervision. Along with reported benefits for consumer and PSW involvement in care revealed by mixed method studies, destigmatization at the personal and system level is a crucial PSW component. Summary Various types of peer support merit further evaluation. Assessing the impact of peer support on service users, peer providers and organizations require complex intervention studies, using mixed methods designs with qualitative exploration of underlying processes and experiences to complement high-quality controlled trials.
Influence of sun elevation, azimuth and X-ray bursts on long distance VLF radio propagation

This paper presents some preliminary data sets regarding the propagation of VLF radio waves during high Solar activity. Data were acquired in Romania in 2013 using a proprietary radio receiver developed at BITNET CCSS. The purpose of this experiment was to estimate the impact of significant solar X-ray bursts on long distance radio propagation at frequencies lower than 30 KHz.
Information Effects in Valuation of Electricity and Water Service Attributes Using Contingent Valuation

Consumers constantly make decisions on the goods and services they purchase, in most cases with incomplete information. Many products that are available in stores, in catalogues, or over the internet are not presented with a full list of attributes or technical specifications. Lack of information is most apparent in non-market goods such as utility service attributes. This paper examines information effects on consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a number of electricity and water attributes using two contingent valuation surveys administered in the UK. The attributes considered include WTP for a carbon cleaner electricity fuel mixture as well as increasing security of supply. The results indicate that the quantity and complexity of information can potentially lead individuals to ignore the information presented. The relevance of the attribute to the respondent is found to be a significant motivator in the processing of the information presented. The survey data also reveal a number of socio-economic, attitudinal and behavioural factors that affect WTP for the attributes considered.
Investigating interference between LoRa and IEEE 802.15.4g networks

The rapid growth of new radio technologies for Smart City/Building/Home applications means that models of cross-technology interference are needed to inform the development of higher layer protocols and applications. We systematically investigate interference interactions between LoRa and IEEE 802.15. 4g networks. Our results show that LoRa can obtain high packet reception rates, even in presence of strong IEEE 802.15. 4g interference. IEEE 802.15. 4g is also shown to have some resilience to LoRa interference. Both effects are highly dependent on the LoRa radio's spreading factor and bandwidth configuration, as well as on the channelization. The results are shown to arise from the interaction between the two radios' modulation schemes. The data have implications for the design and analysis of protocols for both radio technologies.
Comorbidity in patients after stroke: impact on functional outcome.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the incidence of comorbid diseases and their impact on functional outcome in patients after stroke. DESIGN A prospective study. SUBJECTS A total of 140 patients after stroke. METHODS Comorbidities were assessed with the Liu comorbidity index. Functional independence was evaluated using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The relationship between comorbidities and functional outcomes were investigated. The impact of comorbidities on functional outcome was examined with multiple stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS Ninety-four (67%) of 140 patients completed the study. The most frequent comorbid condition was hypertension at the initial visit. The weighted comorbidity index at baseline was negatively correlated with the follow-up FIM score and functional gain. Multiple regression analysis revealed that follow-up FIM score could be best explained by FIM at admission and the contribution of the weighted comorbidity index to functional outcome was 3.1%. CONCLUSION Comorbid diseases are common among patients after stroke. They were shown to have a negative correlation with functional outcome; however, their impact on functional outcome was not clear. The proper evaluation of comorbid conditions should be included in stroke outcome research.
The Correlation Between Dietary Soy Phytoestrogens and Neuropathic Pain Behavior in Rats After Partial Denervation

Soy diets suppress the development of neuropathic pain behavior in rats undergoing partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSL) injury. Phytoestrogens, plant isoflavones and lignans, abundantly found in soy products, have powerful estrogenic properties. Because, in some preparations, steroid estrogens were found to exert antinociception, we examined whether the analgesic effect of dietary soy is mediated by phytoestrogens. Male Wistar rats were fed five different diets containing 8–180 &mgr;g of phytoestrogens per gram. These diets were administered 2 wk before and 2 wk after PSL injury. Levels of tactile allodynia and mechanical and heat hyperalgesia of these rats were determined on Days 3, 8, and 14 after PSL injury. Plasma levels of two major phytoestrogens (genistein and daidzein) and two daidzein metabolites (equol and dihydrodaidzein) were assessed on Day 14 postoperatively. We found that the plasma concentration of these phytoestrogens and the levels of allodynia and hyperalgesia varied highly among dietary groups. Average plasma concentrations of phytoestrogens were associated with reduced levels of tactile allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia, but not with reduced heat allodynia. Low and high plasma phytoestrogen levels were not analgesic in these tests. This report is the first to show that, at certain plasma concentrations, phytoestrogens reduce neuropathic pain in rats.
In ovo temperature manipulation influences post-hatch muscle growth in the turkey

1. The effect of manipulating egg incubation temperature for short periods on turkey muscle development was determined using the M. semitendinosus, a thigh muscle, as the model. 2. Experiment 1. Eggs were incubated at a control temperature of 37·5°C. For a 4-d period of 0 to 4, 5 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 to 16, 17 to 20 or 21 to 24 embryonic days (ED) eggs were transferred to either 38·5 or 35·5°C. A regime of 38·5°C at 5 to 8 and 9 to 12 ED caused an increased myonuclei number and muscle fibre number, respectively. 3. Experiment 2. Eggs were incubated at a control temperature of 37·5°C. At 5 to 8 ED eggs were transferred to 38·5 or 35·5°C. Temperature-manipulated embryos showed a delay in differentiation (myogenin expression) of the semitendinosus muscle compared to controls. 4. Manipulating the incubation temperature for 4 d in early incubation alters muscle development in the turkey with no observation of deformities or reduction in hatchability. We speculate that this increase in temperature may result in an improved muscle growth in the post-hatch bird.
Mechanisms of immune suppression for CD8+ T cells by human corneal endothelial cells via membrane-bound TGFbeta.

PURPOSE To determine whether CD8(+) T cells in vitro are suppressed or converted into regulators (Treg cells) by human corneal endothelial (HCE) cells. METHODS HCE cell lines were established from primary HCE cells, and allogeneic CD8(+) T cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors. T-cell activation was assessed for proliferation by [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation. Expression of TGFbeta on HCE cells was evaluated by flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Anti-TGFbeta-neutralizing antibodies or TGFbeta siRNA was used to abolish the HCE-mediated inhibitory function. CD8(+) T cells exposed to HCE cells were used as Treg cells, to induce Treg cells in vitro by exposure to HCE cells. Expression of CD25 or Foxp3 on Treg cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS Cultured HCE cells produced the membrane-bound active TGFbeta isoform 2. HCE surface TGFbeta2 was necessary, to inhibit CD8(+) T-cell activation via direct cell contact. In addition, although HCE cells were found to constitutively express costimulatory molecules, such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2, and secreted thrombosponsin-1, only membrane-bound TGFbeta2 was actually delivered to the CD8(+) T cells. HCE cells were also found to convert some CD8(+) T-cell populations into Treg cells via their membrane-bound TGFbeta. These HCE-induced Treg cells produced soluble forms of TGFbeta1, but not of TGFbeta2, and they also acquired a regulatory phenotype that expressed CD25(high) and Foxp3. CONCLUSIONS Ocular resident tissue-exposed T cells can be suppressed or induced to become regulators within the human peripheral microenvironment.
Potential of interferon-&ggr;-inducible protein 10 in improving tuberculosis diagnosis in HIV-infected patients

To the Editors: In patients latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis , immunosuppression significantly augments the risk of progression to active tuberculosis (TB) and TB is still one of the most frequent opportunistic infections worldwide. Prevention of TB in HIV-positive patients using the tuberculin skin testing (TST) followed by targeted preventive treatment is an effective strategy, but has thus far shown limited clinical success, in part due to the lack of a reliable test for latent TB infection (LTBI) 1. Interferon (IFN)-γ release assays (IGRAs) have shown great potential in the improvement of LTBI diagnosis, but the tests perform suboptimally in immunocompromised populations. We and others have previously shown that HIV-positive patients have high rates of indeterminate QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-IT) results and that this, at least in part, is due to low CD4 T-cell count 2–4. We and others have also shown that IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL-10) is an alternative biomarker may improve immunodiagnosis of M. tuberculosis infection. IP-10 is induced specifically and in large quantities upon in vitro stimulation of whole blood with M. tuberculosis -specific antigens. We have developed an IP-10 based test 5 and shown that the IP-10 test performs comparably to the QFT-IT in adult patients with intact immune function 6. We compared the sensitivity of an IP-10 based test with the QFT-IT for diagnosing M. tuberculosis infection in HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients with culture-confirmed active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). 300 patients newly diagnosed with PTB were recruited prospectively through the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme (Mwanza, Tanzania). Blood was drawn for IGRA and HIV testing, and CD4 cell counts. Sputum was collected for microscopy and M. tuberculosis culture. Patients >15 yrs of age with a positive sputum culture result were enrolled. All HIV-positive patients were newly diagnosed in the study …
The Surveillant Simulation of War: Entertainment and Surveillance in the 21st Century

This paper pulls together some strands in Surveillance Studies to make a case for the analytical advantages of a future direction. Conceptualizing surveillance as entertainment helps sensitize Surveillance Studies to emerging patterns of surveillance in the relationship between the military-industrial complex and entertainment. I describe four examples of this, which include both video game simulations of surveillance as well as actual military surveillance technologies and practices. Army developed video games and simulators designed to recruit, along with unmanned aerial vehicles and sports broadcasting technologies provide contemporary examples of the blurring boundaries between civilians and soldiers, war and entertainment, and work and play. Focusing on surveillance as entertainment, I suggest, furnishes us with several analytical advantages that help make sense of the complex global surveillance realities of the 21 st century.
Disruption of the Right Temporoparietal Junction Impairs Probabilistic Belief Updating

Generating and updating probabilistic models of the environment is a fundamental modus operandi of the human brain. Although crucial for various cognitive functions, the neural mechanisms of these inference processes remain to be elucidated. Here, we show the causal involvement of the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) in updating probabilistic beliefs and we provide new insights into the chronometry of the process by combining online transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with computational modeling of behavioral responses. Female and male participants performed a modified location-cueing paradigm, where false information about the percentage of cue validity (%CV) was provided in half of the experimental blocks to prompt updating of prior expectations. Online double-pulse TMS over rTPJ 300 ms (but not 50 ms) after target appearance selectively decreased participants' updating of false prior beliefs concerning %CV, reflected in a decreased learning rate of a Rescorla–Wagner model. Online TMS over rTPJ also impacted on participants' explicit beliefs, causing them to overestimate %CV. These results confirm the involvement of rTPJ in updating of probabilistic beliefs, thereby advancing our understanding of this area's function during cognitive processing. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Contemporary views propose that the brain maintains probabilistic models of the world to minimize surprise about sensory inputs. Here, we provide evidence that the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) is causally involved in this process. Because neuroimaging has suggested that rTPJ is implicated in divergent cognitive domains, the demonstration of an involvement in updating internal models provides a novel unifying explanation for these findings. We used computational modeling to characterize how participants change their beliefs after new observations. By interfering with rTPJ activity through online transcranial magnetic stimulation, we showed that participants were less able to update prior beliefs with TMS delivered at 300 ms after target onset.
Fairness in electronic commerce

Commerce over open networks like the Internet, sometimes referred to as electronic commerce, is becoming more widespread. This makes it important to study, and solve the security problems associated with electronic commerce. There are three prominent characteristics of commerce which are relevant in this respect. First, the crux of a commercial transaction is usually one or more exchanges of items of value. Second, players in a commercial transaction do not necessarily trust each other fully. Thus, protecting players from each other is as important as protecting them from outside attackers. Third, commercial transactions have legal significance. Therefore, it must be possible to gather sufficient evidence during the transaction to enable correctly behaving players to win any subsequent disputes. This dissertation addresses the problem of fairness in electronic commerce. A system that does not discriminate against a correctly behaving player is said to be fair. Several protocols are proposed for performing exchanges fairly. The protocols are practical, and provide a high degree of fairness. The basic approach optimises for the common case that all players behave correctly. This is known as the optimistic approach. These protocols attempt to guarantee fairness during a protocol run. This is known as strong fairness. When strong fairness is not possible, one can fall back on gathering enough evidence so that fairness can be restored later by initiating a dispute. This is known as weak fairness. An analysis of the protocols leads to the conclusion that the exchange of generatable items can be guaranteed to be strongly fair. Various techniques to add generatability to items, including one technique which uses a cryptographic primitive called verifiable encryption, are presented. In the case of weak fairness, a subsequent dispute is necessary to restore fairness. In general, disputes can occur even after a correctly concluded transaction. Non-repudiation techniques are used to gather evidence that can be later used in disputes, A novel nonrepudiation technique called server-supported signatures is proposed. The issue of handling disputes in electronic commerce is complex and hitherto not well- understood. Some aspects of the problem, within the limited context of electronic payment systems, are addressed. First, a unified definition of electronic payment systems, called the generic payment service is presented. Based on the generic payment service, a uniform way to express payment dispute claims is proposed. The need for a coherent framework for handling disputes in electronic payment systems is motivated.
Schizophrenia as a complex trait: evidence from a meta-analysis of twin studies.

CONTEXT There are many published twin studies of schizophrenia. Although these studies have been reviewed previously, to our knowledge, no review has provided quantitative summary estimates of the impact of genes and environment on liability to schizophrenia that also accounted for the different ascertainment strategies used. OBJECTIVE To calculate meta-analytic estimates of heritability in liability and shared and individual-specific environmental effects from the pooled twin data. DATA SOURCES We used a structured literature search to identify all published twin studies of schizophrenia, including MEDLINE, dissertation, and books-in-print searches. STUDY SELECTION Of the 14 identified studies, 12 met the minimal inclusion criteria of systematic ascertainment. DATA SYNTHESIS By using a multigroup twin model, we found evidence for substantial additive genetic effects-the point estimate of heritability in liability to schizophrenia was 81% (95% confidence interval, 73%-90%). Notably, there was consistent evidence across these studies for common or shared environmental influences on liability to schizophrenia-joint estimate, 11% (95% confidence interval, 3%-19%). CONCLUSIONS Despite evidence of heterogeneity across studies, these meta-analytic results from 12 published twin studies of schizophrenia are consistent with a view of schizophrenia as a complex trait that results from genetic and environmental etiological influences. These results are broadly informative in that they provide no information about the specific identity of these etiological influences, but they do provide a component of a unifying empirical basis supporting the rationality of searches for underlying genetic and common environmental etiological factors.
Propionibacterium acnes: an under-appreciated cause of post-neurosurgical infection.

BACKGROUND Propionibacterium acnes is increasingly recognized as a cause of post-neurosurgical infection. This review of patients with P. acnes neurosurgical infection was carried out in order to determine clinical characteristics and outcomes in relation to duration of antimicrobial treatment. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the charts of consecutive patients with P. acnes isolated from neurosurgical specimens from 1 January 1999 to 30 June 2005. We defined P. acnes neurosurgical infection as isolation of P. acnes alone from a sterile neurosurgical site in a patient who clinically improved following treatment with an appropriate antibiotic. RESULTS We identified 28 patients with definite P. acnes neurosurgical infection; median age 49 years (range 23-77); 15 (54%) male. All patients had prior neurosurgical procedures: 27 (96%) post-craniotomy. The median time from surgery to presentation was 54 days (range 12-1,578). Eighteen out of 28 (64%) patients who met the definition of neurosurgical infection had Gram-positive bacilli seen in at least one surgical specimen compared with only 2/56 (4%) patients who did not meet the definition (P < 0.0001). Intravenous benzyl penicillin +/- oral penicillin VK was the most common treatment. The median duration of antibiotic treatment for intracranial infection was 29 days. Five of nine patients who had extracranial bone-flap-associated infection had <or=7 days of intravenous treatment and were cured. Two patients had relapse or reinfection. CONCLUSIONS P. acnes neurosurgical infection often presents in an indolent fashion. Gram-positive bacilli on Gram stain should not be discounted as a contaminant in neurosurgical specimens. Associated bone flaps should be removed. Intravenous benzyl penicillin +/- oral penicillin VK remains effective treatment.