Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testicular volume: comparison of orchidometer and US measurements in dogs.

PURPOSE To compare the accuracy and precision of orchidometer and ultrasonographic (US) measurements of testicular volume in a canine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Volume measurements of 18 canine testes were obtained by using Prader and Rochester orchidometers. Testes were scanned with two linear-array US transducers with imaging frequencies of 6-13 MHz and 5-10 MHz. For each transducer, testicular volumes were calculated by using three formulas: length (L) x width (W) x height (H) x 0.52, L x W(2) x 0.52, and L x W x H x 0.71. Testes were weighed following bilateral orchiectomies. True testicular volume was determined by using the formula volume = weight/density. Paired t tests were used to assess whether mean measurement biases differed significantly from zero. The relationship between true and measured volume was evaluated with a linear regression model. RESULTS US volume measurements demonstrated lower variability and better linear fit compared with orchidometry (R(2) = 0.75-0.90 vs R(2) = 0.14-0.38). The formula L x W x H x 0.71 had the smallest mean bias relative to true volume with use of either transducer over the entire volume range. CONCLUSION US methods of testicular volume measurement are more accurate and precise than orchidometry. The formula L x W x H x 0.71 provides a superior estimate of testicular volume and should be used in clinical practice.
Psoriasis induced by topical imiquimod

We report the provocation of localized psoriasis at the sites of application of topical imiquimod, possibly evolving into a generalized flare. A patient with pre‐existing psoriasis that had been stable for 14 years was treated with imiquimod 5% cream daily for 6 weeks to three superficial basal cell carcinomas. During treatment one of the lesions developed severe local skin reactions necessitating rest periods, and received only 18 applications in 6 weeks. The other two lesions were treated for all 42 days. Psoriasiform changes developed at all three application sites. Nine‐and‐a‐half weeks after completing treatment the patient developed disseminated small psoriatic lesions. Other recognized triggers of psoriasis were not identified. The psoriasis resolved slowly with conventional treatment.
Success factors of entrepreneurial small and medium sized enterprises in the Gnosjö municipality

Date of final Seminar: June 8th, 2012Title: Success factors of entrepreneurial small and medium sized enterprises in Gnosjo municipalityAuthors: Johan Eriksson and Muyu LiGroup Number: 2898Supervisor: Michael Le DucExaminer: Ole LiljeforsResearch Question: What important factors affect the success of entrepreneurial SMEs in the Gnosjo municipality? Background: With the economic crisis and recession, the world has begun to take notice of SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises). With an unemployment rate of just 1% and about 1500 companies - most of them successful by almost any definition and with a population of 9500, if there is such a thing as an SME region in Sweden, the Gnosjo municipality is it.Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyze some of the factors that influence the success of companies with a special focus on entrepreneurial SMEs in the Gnosjo municipality.Method: The main method of this study is to use primary data in the form of interviews with local company owners or executives, with the interview questions being based on theories generated from the critical literature review. The authors are able to distinguish successful SMEs with an entrepreneurial focus among companies located in the Gnosjo municipality. By utilizing the method of semi-structured interviews, the authors gathered data from a sample of 20 top performing companies. With the theory generated from literature, the authors analyze the primary data, thus being able to find the answer to the research question.Conclusion: There is a relationship between general company success factors and factors driving success for companies in Gnosjo. However, compared to best-in-class, there is definite room for improvement, with regards to company operations as well as to the external factors that affect companies in Gnosjo.Keywords: Gnosjo, definition of entrepreneur, definition of success, success factors.
Auction Markets, Dealership Markets and Execution Risk

Dealers are suppliers of liquidity; in this respect their role is similar to that played by speculators in auction markets. However, dealers are a special kind of speculator, because of the many obligations and privileges conferred upon them. The most obvious constraint on dealers' behaviour is their obligation to quote firm prices publicly; this implies that, in contrast with what happens on auction markets, traders are insured against execution risk, i.e., the risk of finding few or no counterparty to trade. The normative issue then is: when is it efficient for customers to buy insurance from dealers rather than bearing execution risk themselves? In our model the relevant condition is that dealers must be sufficiently less risk-averse than their customers. The dealership market is superior if dealers are risk-neutral and customers are risk- averse, while it is dominated by the auction market if dealers have the same degree of risk aversion as their customers. There is also an intermediate region of parameter values where the comparison between the two systems is ambiguous: if the fundamental risk of the security is low, the dealership mechanism dominates the auction, while for high-risk securities the reverse is true.
Outcome Evaluation of a High-Intensity Inpatient Sex Offender Treatment Program

The treatment outcome of a high-intensity inpatient sex offender treatment program was evaluated by comparing the sexual recidivism rates of 472 treated and 282 untreated sex offenders. The program is designed for moderate- to high-risk sex offenders and follows the principles of effective correctional treatment. The current investigation is an extension of an earlier study (Nicholaichuk et al., 2000) with the addition of 176 participants, an extra 4 years follow-up, and the use of Cox regression survival analysis to control for three potentially confounding variables: age of release, sexual offending history, and length of follow-up. Treated offenders sexually recidivated significantly less than the comparison group over nearly 20 years of follow-up, even after controlling for the aforementioned variables. The substantive findings suggest that treatment adhering to the what works principles can reduce long-term sexual recidivism for a moderate- to high-risk group of sex offenders.
Carbonic Anhydrase in Oligodendrocytes and Myelin in the Central Nervous System a

Almost forty years ago Ashby proposed the oligodendroglia to be the site of carbonic anhydrase in the central nervous system. ' During the ensuing 30 years the observations of high activity in neuropil and bulk-isolated nonneuronal cell^^-^ resulted in the designation of carbonic anhydrase as a glial enzyme, without distinguishing which type of glial cell, the astroglia or the oligodendroglia, had the higher activity. Since cells of the latter type were known to synthesize m y e h 6 and the target of hexachlorophene (HCP) in uiuo was known to be the myelin sheath,' it seemed logical to measure carbonic anhydrase, as a parameter which might be affected, during the course of HCP intoxication. The findings included a slight deficit in the carbonic anhydrase activity in the brains from affected animals, inhibition of carbonic anhydrase by HCP in uitro (pK1 5) , and significant carbonic anhydrase activity in normal pure m y e h 8 At the time of the HCP study myelin was regarded as an inert membrane; therefore, the last of those observations was quite surprising. It was confirmed rapidly,9,'0 however, and carbonic anhydrase is now known to have significant activity in myelin from >6 species, at several developmental stages, and in all the myelin subfractions, characterized by their slightly differing densities. " The highest activities found in myelin occur in the mouse (FIG. I ) , and, in the rat, the myelin from spinal cord has lower activity than does that from brain1*. I3 (FIG. I ) . Oligodendroglia, isolated in bulk from rat brains and well characterized, have much higher activity than do neurons or astrocytes from the same tissue.I4 FIGURE 1 shows threefold enrichment in these cells, over brain homogenates, but because of loss of oligodendroglial cytoplasm, fivefold is probably a more realistic figure.14 In view of the role of HCP in the initiation of these biochemical studies, it is ironic that the mechanism of HCP toxicity still remains uncertain.I5
The posterior maxilla : an update of anatomical notions based on advances in endosseous implant surface technology

Objective: Fixed implant-supported rehabilitation of the posterior maxilla is a challenge to dental professionals. Limitations of technique and material have established wrong concepts, especially with regard to bone classification. For instance, the concept of poor-quality bone has been associated with high rates of therapeutic failure because of implants with poorly evolved surfaces. A literature review on the embryological origin of tissues and the anatomy of the maxilla highlight the high regenerative ability of trabecular bone, which is rich in mesenchymal cells. Methods: The present report describes a case of failure of a machined-surface implant placed by osteotomy at the maxillary first molar region. The implant was replaced by a sandblasted, large grit, acid-etched SLA surface with a six-year survival rate follow-up. Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed every six months. Results: Data revealed implant osseointegration stability as well as tissue biocompatibility and prosthetic functionality. Conclusion: The literature on technically advanced implant surfaces suggests that the posterior maxilla is a safe and predictable site for fixed implant-supported rehabilitation.
Psychological profile of patients suffering from Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD, n= 61) and ulcerative colitis (UC, n= 24) were studied using an interview and a series of percept‐genetic tests describing anxiety, defensive strategies, and the self‐image. Attention was specifically directed at a subgroup of CD (n= 15) with its inflammation limited to the colon (colon Crohn, CC). There was also a control group (n= 43). CC had more immature parent relations than the other groups. They were more childishly concrete and more alexithymic. While CC differ from other Crohn patients in many respects, the real cleft opens up with regard to UC, in spite of location of their illness. CC patients obviously have a psychological profile of their own.
A trait database for Guianan rain forest trees permits intra- and inter-specific contrasts

We present a plant trait database covering autecology for rain forest trees of French Guiana. The database comprises more than thirty traits including autecology (e.g., habitat associations and reproductive phenology), wood structure (e.g., density and tension characteristics) and physiology at the whole plant (e.g., carbon and nitrogen isotopes) and leaf level (e.g., specific leaf area, photosynthetic capacity). The current database describes traits for about nine hundred species from three hundred genera in one hundred families. For more than sixty species, data on twelve morphological and ecophysiological traits are provided for individual plants under different environmental conditions and at different ontogenetic stages. The database is thus unique in permitting intraspecific analyses, such as the effects of ontogenetic stages or environmental conditions on trait values and their relationships. RésuméNous présentons une base de données sur l’autécologie des arbres de la forêt tropicale de Guyane française. La base contient des données sur plus de trente traits concernant l’autécologie (par exemple, les préférences d’habitat et la phénologie reproductive), la structure du bois (par exemple, la densité et les caractéristiques du bois de tension) et la physiologie aux niveaux de la plante entière (par exemple, les isotopes du carbone et de l’azote) et de la feuille (par exemple, la surface spécifique ou la capacité photosynthétique). Dans son état actuel, la base décrit les traits d’environ neuf cents espèces de trois cents genres dans cent familles. Pour plus de soixante espèces, des données sur douze traits morphologiques et écophysiologiques sont fournis au niveau individuel pour des plants dans différentes conditions environnementales à différents stades ontogéniques. Cette base de données permet donc des analyses intraspécifiques, comme les effets des stades ontogéniques ou des conditions environnementales sur les valeurs des traits et leurs relations, ce en quoi elle n’a pas d’équivalent.
The effect of a social support boosting intervention on stress, coping, and social support in caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS.

BACKGROUND Caring for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected child is challenging and affects the entire family system. Studies have shown that social support can mitigate caregiver stress and enhance coping; however, social support may not always result in a positive outcome for the recipient. OBJECTIVES To measure caregiver stress, coping, and social support, and to test the effect of a social support boosting intervention on levels of stress, coping, and social support among caregivers of children with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). METHODS An experimental design was used with monthly social support boosting interventions implemented. The stratified randomized sample included 70 primary caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS. The sample strata were seropositive caregivers (biological parents) and seronegative caregivers (foster parents and extended family members). Study measures included the Derogatis Stress Profile, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, and the Tilden Interpersonal Relationship Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measure MANOVA. RESULTS Statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found on changes in the dependent variables over time when caregiver strata were included as a factor in the analysis; no statistically significant results were found when caregiver strata were combined. Univariate Ftests indicated that the level of social support for caregivers who were seronegative in the experimental group was significantly different from seronegative caregivers in the control group and seropositive caregivers in both groups. No significant treatment group differences were found for seropositive caregivers. CONCLUSIONS Seronegative caregivers derived substantial benefit from the social support boosting intervention. Seronegative caregivers who acquire a child with HIV/AIDS are confronted with a complex stressful situation; the critical need to enhance their social support is achievable through the intervention tested in this study.
Liability Driven Investment by Disappointment-Averse Managers

We introduce a liability driven investment framework where the manager has disappointment aversion preferences. We show that disappointment aversion can be interpreted as penalty in the manager's objective based on the expected payoff of a put option on the funding ratio return. The optimal strategy of the manager is to allocate the assets of the fund to two portfolios, the standard mean-variance efficient portfolio, and a liability-hedge portfolio that is connected to the covariance between assets and liabilities. We analyze how the weights attached to these two risky portfolios depend on the risk aversion, disappointment aversion, and disappointment threshold of the manager.
Soaking It Up: Absorptive Capacity in Interorganizational New Product Development Teams

Prior research has acknowledged the importance of an organization's absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire new knowledge and information, assimilate, transform, and exploit it—for innovation purposes. Because innovations are usually developed by project teams, this suggests that absorptive capacity, as a construct, may also be usefully applied at the team level. Consequently, this study developed a measure for team-level absorptive capacity, investigated the potential influencing factors, and examined its relationship to team effectiveness in terms of product innovativeness in an interorganizational context. Specifically, building on the theory of homophily and information and decision-making theories, three factors (social-category similarity, work-style similarity, and knowledge complementarity between the recipient and the partner organization teams) were identified as likely antecedents of team absorptive capacity. The hypotheses were tested on data from 98 interorganizational new product development teams and included responses from team members, team leaders, and team-external managers. With regard to the antecedents of team absorptive capacity in interorganizational settings, the results showed a significant positive association with partners' work-style similarity and an inverted U-shaped relationship with partners' knowledge complementarity. Social-category similarity was not significantly associated with team absorptive capacity. We also examined whether team absorptive capacity was related to interorganizational team effectiveness and found a significant positive relationship between team absorptive capacity and product innovativeness. The study demonstrates that absorptive is indeed related to team effectiveness outcomes in an interorganizational context, which underlines the importance of team-level absorptive capacity for product innovation management and suggests paying more attention to the lower levels of absorptive capacity
Beta 1-selective and non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blockade, anaerobic threshold and respiratory gas exchange during exercise.

The effect of oral doses of the beta 1-selective adrenoceptor antagonist atenolol (50 mg), the non-selective antagonist propranolol (40 mg) and placebo was investigated during exercise in a crossover comparison in six healthy but untrained subjects. Descriptors of ventilation, respiratory gas exchange, and arterialized blood lactate and glucose were obtained during steady state bicycle ergometric exercise at 20% and 60% of the subjects' previously determined maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). At these work intensities, the previously reported increase of respiratory exchange ratio (RER) during non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blockade was found to be trivial (placebo = 0.96 +/- 0.03 s.e. mean; propranolol = 0.97 +/- 0.01; atenolol = 0.97 +/- 0.04; 60% VO2 max, 10 min exercise) and only present during the early minutes of effort. Oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production did not differ between treatments. Both drugs produced highly significant falls in peak expiratory flow (PEF) rates and tidal volume (VT) which were compensated by an increase in respiratory rate. PEF, 60% VO2 max: placebo = 3.8 +/- 0.3 l/s; propranolol 3.6 +/- 0.3 l/s (P less than 0.03); atenolol 3.1 +/- 0.3 l/s (P less than 0.01). VT, 60% VO2 max: placebo 2.0 +/- 0.1 l; propranolol 1.8 +/- 0.21 (P less than 0.05); atenolol 1.7 +/- 0.1 1 (P less than 0.01). Arterialized lactate was significantly elevated during work at 20% and 60% VO2 max, but rose progressively at the 60% VO2 max load. Ventilation, oxygen uptake and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide also rose progressively at this workload. Ventilatory equivalent for oxygen showed no significant rise. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
First report of Lymnaea cousini Jousseaume, 1887 naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Trematoda: Digenea) in Machachi, Ecuador.

We report the first finding of Lymnaea cousini naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica in Ecuador. A sample of 70 snails was collected in April 2005 from a wetland located in a valley at approximately 3000 m a.s. l. , near the locality of Machachi, Pichincha Province. The prevalence of natural infection in L. cousini was 31.43%, which is the highest value ever recorded for naturally infected lymnaeid species.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depressive symptoms is ambiguous in the literature. PURPOSE To investigate if there is a correlation between depressive symptoms and the severity of OSA. METHOD A retrospective, cross-sectional study of data from 123 consecutive adults patients with neither mental illness nor psychotropic drugs intake, referred to a sleep laboratory for an evaluation of OSA. For the statistical analysis (uni- and multivariate), we used the following variables: gender and age, as well as scores based on several scales and indexes such as Beck Depressive Inventory (BDI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Body Mass Index (BMI) and Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). RESULTS Univariate analysis found a weak but statistically significant negative correlation between BDI and AHI. However, with the multivariate logistic regression analysis model, the inverse relation between AHI and BDI no longer has statistical significance. CONCLUSION There is no causal relationship between OSA and depressive symptoms in the population studied.
p13suc1 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe regulates two distinct forms of the mitotic cdc2 kinase

suc1 is an essential gene initially identified for its ability to rescue certain temperature-sensitive alleles of cdc2 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The role of suc1 in the regulation of the cdc2 kinase is not well understood. In our study, we have characterized the biochemical effect of loss of suc1 function on specific cdc2-cyclin complexes. We show that the cig1 cyclin is associated with cdc2 and that the cdc2-cig1 kinase is activated at mitosis, with kinetics similar to those of the cdc2-cdc13 kinase. We provide evidence that loss of suc1 function affects the kinase activity of the two distinct mitotic forms of the cdc2 kinase. We also show that a dramatic increase in the level of the cdc13 protein is associated with loss of suc1. These results suggest that mitosis cannot be properly completed in the absence of suc1, possibly because of an increase in the level of cdc2-cdc13 complex, and support the idea of a role for suc1 in the regulation of multiple forms of the cdc2 kinase.
Maximizing Awareness about HIV in Social Networks of Homeless Youth with Limited Information

This paper presents HEALER, a software agent that recommends sequential intervention plans for use by homeless shelters, who organize these interventions to raise awareness about HIV among homeless youth. HEALER’s sequential plans (built using knowledge of social networks of homeless youth) choose intervention participants strategically to maximize influence spread, while reasoning about uncertainties in the network. While previous work presents influence maximizing techniques to choose intervention participants, they do not address two real-world issues: (i) they completely fail to scale up to real-world sizes; and (ii) they do not handle deviations in execution of intervention plans. HEALER handles these issues via two major contributions: (i) HEALER casts this influence maximization problem as a POMDP and solves it using a novel planner which scales up to previously unsolvable real-world sizes; and (ii) HEALER allows shelter officials to modify its recommendations, and updates its future plans in a deviationtolerant manner. HEALER was deployed in the real world in Spring 2016 with considerable success.