Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volunteering personal information on the internet: Effects of reputation, privacy notices, and rewards on online consumer behavior

Accurate personal information provision is one of the most important determinants of the commercial development of the Web. However, consumers are usually reluctant to provide personal information or tend to provide false information online because of their concern about privacy violation risks. We employ a 2× 2× 2 experimental design to examine the effects of reputation, privacy notices, and rewards on online consumer behavior in volunteering two types of personal information on the Internet: demographic information and personally identifiable information. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.
FILOCHAT: handwritten notes provide access to recorded conversations

We present a novel application which integrates handwriting and recorded audio in a semi-portable device: It allows users to straightforwardly access particular points in recorded spontaneous speech via handwritten notes using temporat indexing. Initiat interviews with 23 users and 28 non-users of office audio showed a requirement for supplementing handwritten meeting notes with a verbatim speech record of the conversation, as well as problems in accessing particular points in long audio recordings. On the basis of this, we built a prototype system that combined co-indexed handwritten notes and recorded audio in a digital notebook. The prototype was tested on 67 users in field and laboratory trials. Laboratory studies showed objective benefits of combined notes and audio over notes alone. The utility of the access method was shown by improved performance over current audio technology such as dictaphones. We also found perceived benefits of higher quatity meeting minutes in field trials. An unforeseen benefit was the use of this device as an audio editing tool. We discuss further technical extensions and user issues in relation to the prototype.
Incidence and spectrum of health problems among travellers to Myanmar

Background The number of international travellers visiting Myanmar increases each year. However, information about pre-travel preparation and incidence of health problems among these travellers is limited. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at three international airports in Thailand. Travellers returning from Myanmar completed questionnaires querying demographic profile, pre-travel health preparations and health problems during their stay in Myanmar. Results From March 2015 to May 2017, we collected and analysed questionnaires completed by 397 Thai and 467 non-Thai travellers (total: 50.1% men, median age 37 years). Non-Thai travellers were from Europe (59%), Northern America (21.4%), Asia (16.5%) and Australia or New Zealand (3.0%). Approximately 74% of non-Thais sought pre-travel health information; only 36% of Thais did so. Tourism was the main purpose for travel among both Thais (58.4%) and non-Thais (85.2%). Non-Thais were more likely than Thais to travel as backpackers and perform outdoor activities such as trekking, cycling or swimming. The average length of stay in Myanmar among non-Thais was significantly longer than that of Thais (26.58 days vs 7.08 days, P < 0.001). Health problems were reported by 22.9% of non-Thais; the most common was diarrhoea (21.0%) followed by upper respiratory tract symptoms (9.2%), fever (3.4%) and skin problems (3.0%). Only 12.6% of Thais reported health problems, the most common being upper respiratory tract symptoms (7.6%), followed by diarrhoea (3.1%), fever (2.8%) and skin problems (2.0%). Most health problems were mild and self-limited in both groups. Only one Thai and eight non-Thai travellers required a doctor's visit during their trip to Myanmar, and two non-Thais required hospitalization. Conclusions Health problems are not very common among travellers to Myanmar. Overall, health problems were reported among 18.2% of travellers in our study. Most problems were mild, with spontaneous recovery. Only two foreign travellers required hospitalization.
3C.08: 24H CENTRAL BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE WAVE VELOCITY MONITORING IN NORMOTENSIVE, HYPERTENSIVE, WHITE COAT HYPERTENSION AND MASKED HYPERTENSION YOUNG ADULTS

Objective: To investigate CBP and PWV in 24 hours, awake and sleep periods in individuals 18 to 50 years old classified according to the behavior of office BP and 24 h monitoring brachial BP. Design and method: A total of 104 subjects (60 females (57.7%) and 44 males (42.3%)), 48 (46.2%) individuals 18–35 yo and 56 (53.8%) individuals 36–50 yo. Exclusion criteria were: use of antihypertensive drugs, body mass index > =35 kg/m2, eGFR < 60 ml/min, diabetes, and smoking. All were submitted to clinical and laboratory evaluation, measurement of office BP with oscillometric sphygmomanometer OMRON, model HEM-705CP, and 24 h brachial BP, CBP, Augmentation Index (AIx) and PWV monitoring with Mobil-O-Graph equipment (DINA MAP cardios - ESI GmbH, Stolberg, Germany). They were classified in normotensives (N), hypertensives (H), WCH and MH, according to the presence or not of abnormal BP in office BP and/or awake brachial BP. Results: Study population was 36.99 ± 8.53 yo, and BMI mean was 25.80 ± 3.82 kg/m2. There were 56.7% true normotensives (N), 13.5% true hypertensives (H), 19.2% WCH, and 10.6% MH. Systolic CBP means (24 h, awake and sleep periods) were different among the groups. For 24 h and awake periods, group H showed higher means than N and WCH, but MH did not differ from H (p < 0.001). For sleep period, H presented higher means than N. WCH and MH were not different from H (p = 0.001). 24 h and sleep diastolic CBP presented higher means in group H than in group N (p = 0.001), although WCH and MH groups did not differ from H. For awake diastolic CBP, higher means were observed in group H than N, WCH and MH (p < 0.001). Group H showed higher PWV means in 24 h (p = 0.003) and awake (p = 0.002) periods than group N; WCH and MH were not different from H. MH showed higher sleep PWV mean than N (p < 0.007). Conclusions: MH and WCH showed intermediate 24 h, awake and sleep CBP and PWV means, between normotension and hypertension, and most comparisons did not show differences to true hypertension. These results suggest that central BP and PWV could contribute to risk stratification in WCH and MH young adults.
American College of Endocrinology Pre-Diabetes Consensus Conference: Part Three

The American College of Endocrinology held a Consensus Conference in Washington, DC, on 21–22 July 2008 on the topic of pre-diabetes, organized around a series of interrelated questions. This is the second of a three-part series summarizing presentations at the conference. Scott Grundy (Dallas, TX) and Christie Ballantyne (Houston, TX) discussed aspects of the nonglycemic goals of pre-diabetes treatment, addressing obesity, blood pressure, and lipid management, as well as goals of thrombus prevention. Ballantyne discussed the concept of the metabolic syndrome, pointing out that a number of commonly measured clinical variables may be used in predicting diabetes (such as waist circumference, hypertension, family history of diabetes, ethnicity, age, fasting glucose, and lipids [1]) and suggesting that the metabolic syndrome thus offers a practical means of allowing physicians to integrate many of these factors rather than itself adding to risk. For cardiovascular disease prediction, Ballantyne suggested, blood glucose is less important than blood pressure and HDL cholesterol, which are particularly important, as metabolic syndrome components (2); and, of course, LDL cholesterol and cigarette use are additional factors that must be taken into account. Other measures, such as microalbuminuria, retinal abnormalities, A1C, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, carotid ultrasound, and coronary calcium score, may be useful as well. Recognizing that 98% of women have a Framingham risk score below 10%, Ballantyne proposed redefining intermediate risk as between 5 and 20% per decade. Grundy described metabolic syndrome as a subtype of obesity, caused by environmental (increased dietary calories and lack of exercise) and genetic factors, resulting in atherogenic dyslipidemia, hypertension, a prothrombotic state, and many other conditions, as well as pre-diabetes. The National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey II, carried out from 1988 to 1994, showed substantial overlap between pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome (3), which Grudy termed the cardiovascular disease–centric and …
Inverse kinematics of multilink flexible robots for high-speed applications

A straightforward inverse kinematic algorithm for multilink flexible robots is proposed to improve the control performance. The inclusion of a dynamic constraint maximizes the performance of feedback controllers in high-speed applications. To obtain a numerically feasible solution, the singular perturbation approach is employed, which decomposes the inverse kinematics into an averaged part (slow part) and a parasitic part (fast part). The solution of the averaged part is considered the desired inverse kinematics, while the parasitic part is intentionally removed. The parameter expansion is carried out to obtain the solution sequentially. The implicit expansion method, which is a refined version of the expansion method, reduces computing time considerably. The formula in discrete time offers efficiency in computer applications. In addition, a requirement on differentiability of the desired task trajectory is derived.
Simplified Support Vector Decision Rules

A Support Vector Machine SVM is a uni versal learning machine whose decision sur face is parameterized by a set of support vec tors and by a set of corresponding weights An SVM is also characterized by a kernel function Choice of the kernel determines whether the resulting SVM is a polynomial classi er a two layer neural network a ra dial basis function machine or some other learning machine SVMs are currently considerably slower in test phase than other approaches with sim ilar generalization performance To address this we present a general method to signif icantly decrease the complexity of the deci sion rule obtained using an SVM The pro posed method computes an approximation to the decision rule in terms of a reduced set of vectors These reduced set vectors are not support vectors and can in some cases be computed analytically We give ex perimental results for three pattern recogni tion problems The results show that the method can decrease the computational com plexity of the decision rule by a factor of ten with no loss in generalization perfor mance making the SVM test speed com petitive with that of other methods Fur ther the method allows the generalization performance complexity trade o to be di rectly controlled The proposed method is not speci c to pattern recognition and can be applied to any problem where the Sup port Vector algorithm is used for example regression INTRODUCTION SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES Consider a two class classi er for which the decision rule takes the form
The Relationship Between MRI Signal Intensity Changes, Clinical Presentation, and Surgical Outcome in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Analysis of a Global Cohort

Study Design. Retrospective analysis of prospective data. Objective. To assess the relationship between MRI signal intensity changes, clinical presentation, and surgical outcome in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). Summary of Background Data. Several studies have sought to assess the extent of spinal cord dysfunction and the potential for postoperative neurological recovery through the evaluation of spinal cord signal change on T2-weighted (T2WI) and T1-weighted images (T1WI). There remains ambiguity if T2WI and T1WI signal changes (1) relate to baseline severity, and (2) predict neurological recovery after surgical treatment. Methods. Four hundred nineteen MRIs from two prospective multicenter studies were examined. Images were assessed for the presence, levels, and location of spinal cord signal intensity changes and compared with clinical data. Signal changes were also evaluated for the prediction of 2-year postoperative outcome using mJOA parameters. Results. MRIs were categorized by T1WI and T2WI signal change: no signal change (28.9%), T2WI hyperintensity-only (T2WI-only, 51.8%), and T2WI-hyperintensity and T1WI-hypointensity (T1WI+T2WI, 19.3%). T2WI-hyperintensity was present at multiple levels in 27% of patients overall. Baseline severity increased from no signal change to T2WI-only to T2WI+T1WI (P < 0.0001), and there was an incremental increase in the frequency of signs/symptoms. There were no differences in outcomes between no signal change and T2WI-only groups. The presence of T1WI-hypointensity correlated with reduced recovery ratio (P = 0.03) and likelihood of an optimal surgical outcome (P = 0.005), adjusting for baseline mJOA. A greater number of T2WI-hyperintensity levels was also associated with worse baseline severity (P < 0.0001) and recovery ratio (P = 0.001). Conclusion. This analysis of a global cohort of DCM patients shows a stepwise trend toward increasing impairment from no signal change to T2WI-hypertensity to T1WI-hypointensity. T1WI signal change indicates more permanent injury, portending decreased functional recovery. T2WI-hyperintensity alone does not predict outcomes. Multiple levels of T2WI-hyperintensity suggest additional tissue injury, correlating with worse clinical impairment and recovery potential. Level of Evidence: 2
11C-choline PET/CT and whole-body MRI including diffusion-weighted imaging for patients with recurrent prostate cancer

Purpose To compare the detection efficacy of 11C-choline positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) with whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with suspected recurrent prostate cancer. Materials and Methods Fifty-seven patients (mean age 68, range 54-80 years) underwent 11C-choline PET/CT and MRI using T1-weighted (T1w), short-tau inversion recovery (STIR), and DWI. Two readers visually rated suspicious lesions on a 5-point scale in 20 different regions. Clinical follow-up and histopathology served as the standard of reference (SOR). Results Fifty patients (mean PSA 29.9, range 1.0-670 ng/mL) had at least one positive lesion according to the SOR. Twenty-four patients had local recurrence (LR), 27 had lymph node (LN) involvement, and 22 had bone metastases. The overall detection rates for PET/CT and MRI on a patient basis were 94% and 88%, respectively (p = 0.07). The PSA level (>2 ng/mL vs ≤2 ng/mL) significantly influenced the overall performance of PET/CT (p = 0.003) and MRI (p = 0.03). PET/CT was significantly superior to MRI in detecting LR (p = 0.03) and bone metastasis (p = 0.02). We found no difference with respect to the detection of LN metastasis (p = 0.65). Conclusion 11C-choline PET/CT was superior in the detection of local recurrence and bone metastasis on a regional basis. Whole-body MRI including DWI showed similar diagnostic accuracy only for detecting lymph node metastases. Compared with 11C-choline PET/CT, therefore, whole-body MRI including DWI cannot serve as alternative imaging modality for restaging prostate cancer.
From social media to social customer relationship management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the augment of the authors, who are IBM consultants, that companies need to meld social media programs with customer relationship management (CRM). This new paradigm – Social CRM – recognizes that instead of just managing customers, the role of the business is to facilitate collaborative social experiences and dialogue that customers value.Design/methodology/approach – Social media holds enormous potential for companies to get closer to customers and, by doing so, increase revenue, cost reduction and efficiencies. However, using social media as a channel for customer engagement will fail if the traditional CRM approaches are not reinvented,Findings – According to IBM research, there is a large perception gap between what the customers seek via social media and what companies offer. Consumers are far more interested in obtaining tangible value, suggesting businesses may be confusing their own desire for customer intimacy with consumers' motivations for enga.
Budlein A, a Sesquiterpene Lactone From Viguiera robusta, Alleviates Pain and Inflammation in a Model of Acute Gout Arthritis in Mice

Background: Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis worldwide. It is a painful inflammatory disease induced by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joints and peri-articular tissues. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are secondary metabolite biosynthesized mainly by species from the family Asteraceae. It has been demonstrated that SLs present anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antitumoral, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial activities. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the SL budlein A in a model of acute gout arthritis in mice. Methods: Experiments were conducted in male Swiss or male LysM-eGFP mice. Animals were treated with budlein A (1 or 10 mg/kg) or vehicle 30 min before stimulus with MSU (100 μg/10 μL, intra-articular). Knee joint withdrawal threshold and edema were evaluated using electronic von Frey and caliper, respectively, 1–15 h after MSU injection. Leukocyte recruitment was determined by counting cells (Neubauer chamber), H&E staining, and using LysM-eGFP mice by confocal microscopy. Inflammasome components, Il-1β, and Tnf-α mRNA expression were determined by RT-qPCR. IL-1β and TNF-α production (in vitro) and NF-κB activation (in vitro and in vivo) were evaluated by ELISA. In vitro analysis using LPS-primed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) was performed 5 h after stimulation with MSU crystals. For these experiments, BMDMs were either treated or pre-treated with budlein A at concentrations of 1, 3, or 10 μg/mL. Results: We demonstrated that budlein A reduced mechanical hypersensitivity and knee joint edema. Moreover, it reduced neutrophil recruitment, phagocytosis of MSU crystals by neutrophils, and Il-1β and Tnf-α mRNA expression in the knee joint. In vitro, budlein A decreased TNF-α production, which might be related to the inhibition of NF-κB activation. Furthermore, budlein A also reduced the IL-1β maturation, possibly by targeting inflammasome assembly in macrophages. Conclusion: Budlein A reduced pain and inflammation in a model of acute gout arthritis in mice. Therefore, it is likely that molecules with the ability of targeting NF-κB activation and inflammasome assembly, such as budlein A, are interesting approaches to treat gout flares.
Mycobacterium abscessus and β-Lactams: Emerging Insights and Potential Opportunities

β-lactams, the most widely used class of antibiotics, are well-tolerated, and their molecular mechanisms of action against many bacteria are well-documented. Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a highly drug-resistant rapidly-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Only in recent years have we started to gain insight into the unique relationship between β-lactams and their targets in Mab. In this mini-review, we summarize recent findings that have begun to unravel the molecular basis for overall efficacy of β-lactams against Mab and discuss emerging evidence that indicates that we have yet to harness the full potential of this antibiotic class to treat Mab infections.
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae as a hospital-acquired pathogen in the intensive care unit in Mansoura, Egypt.

Introduction Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) are variants of K. pneumoniae that come up worldwide. hvKP is known in community-acquired infections but little is known about its role in hospital-acquired (HA) infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of hvKP among HA K. pneumoniae infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to compare virulence and antibiotic susceptibility between hvKP and classical K. pneumoniae (cKP). Methods String test, biofilm formation, serum bactericidal assay, capsular polysaccharide genes (K1, K2, K5, K20, K54, K57), virulence genes: rmpA, rmpA2, iucA, iroB and antimicrobial susceptibility were assessed in HA K. pneumoniae strains isolated from the ICU in Mansoura, Egypt. Results Probable hvKP represented 4 out of 65 (6.2%) K. pneumoniae. K1 and K2 genes were present in 2 and 1 isolate respectively in probable hvKP. rmpA genes were significantly associated with hvKP; at the same time biofilm production and serum resistance were not significantly associated with the hypervirulent group. There was no significant difference between hvKP and cKP strains in terms of resistance pattern. Conclusion hvKP in critically ill patients from the ICU may form a new threat especially in the presence of antibiotic resistance. Although the validity of the string test in detecting metastatic Klebsiella is questionable, it is a simple and easy test that can be done in any laboratory indicating the presence of this organism. Serotypes and genomic background may provide helpful and confirmatory tools to diagnose hvKP.
In Silico Investigation of the Decline in Clinical Efficacy of Artemisinin Combination Therapies Due to Increasing Artemisinin and Partner Drug Resistance

Antimalarial treatment currently relies on an artemisinin derivative and a longer-acting partner drug. With the emergence of resistance to the artemisinin derivatives and the potential pressure this exerts on the partner drugs, the impact of resistance to each drug on efficacy needs to be investigated. ABSTRACT Antimalarial treatment currently relies on an artemisinin derivative and a longer-acting partner drug. With the emergence of resistance to the artemisinin derivatives and the potential pressure this exerts on the partner drugs, the impact of resistance to each drug on efficacy needs to be investigated. An in silico exploration of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and mefloquine-artesunate, two artemisinin-based combination therapies that are commonly used in Southeast Asia, was performed. The percentage of treatment failures was simulated from a within-host pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) model, assuming that parasites developed increasing levels of (i) artemisinin derivative resistance or (ii) concomitant resistance to both the artemisinin derivative and the partner drug. Because the exact nature of how resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites respond to treatment is unknown, we examined the impact on treatment failure rates of artemisinin resistance that (i) reduced the maximal killing rate, (ii) increased the concentration of drug required for 50% killing, or (iii) shortened the window of parasite stages that were susceptible to artemisinin derivatives until the drugs had no effect on the ring stages. The loss of the ring-stage activity of the artemisinin derivative caused the greatest increase in the treatment failure rate, and this result held irrespective of whether partner drug resistance was assumed to be present or not. To capture the uncertainty regarding how artemisinin derivative and partner drug resistance affects the assumed concentration-killing effect relationship, a variety of changes to this relationship should be considered when using within-host PKPD models to simulate clinical outcomes to guide treatment strategies for resistant infections.