Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiofrequency catheter ablation for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in children: Insights on its safety and efficacy from a lower middle-income country

OBJECTIVE: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is a safe and effective treatment for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in adults. However, data on its use in children, particularly from low- and middle-income countries, are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RFCA in children with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia from Vietnam. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted from January 2009 to July 2016 at the University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Ninety-five children diagnosed with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia were enrolled; 90 patients underwent cardiac electrophysiology and RFCA. The patients were followed up for 3-12 months, with a mean follow-up period of 7.5 ± 2.3 months. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 10.5 ± 3 years, with the youngest patient being 4 years old; 46.3% of the patients were female and 53.7% were male. The patients' average weight was 35.2 ± 9.6 kg. Atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia accounted for 72.6% of the cases and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia for 27.4% of the cases; no patients had atrial tachycardia. The success rate of RFCA was 98.9% (89/90 patients). During the 12-month follow-up, 5.6% of the patients experienced recurrence but were successfully treated with a second ablation. No severe complications were reported during the procedure and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study found RFCA to be a safe and effective treatment for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in children. It demonstrated a high success rate and low recurrence and complication rates for RFCA in children, thereby highlighting the potential advantages of the procedure as a treatment option.
Technology diffusion in climate mitigation modeling and implications for mitigation targets

Title of Document: TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN CLIMATE MITIGATION MODELING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION TARGETS Francisco Carlos de la Chesnaye, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Directed By: Professor Anand Patwardhan, School of Public Policy, Univ. of Maryland Professor Matthias Ruth, Northeastern University Global climate mitigation analyses have been used to evaluate the challenges of reducing greenhouse gases and to inform climate change policymaking for over 30 years. Studies traditionally focus on projections of greenhouse gases over the 21 century based on key drivers such as population growth, economic growth, and the rate of technological change especially in climate mitigation or energy technologies. Any one of these factors can have an appreciable impact on emissions levels and the cost of mitigation particularly in the face of stringent mitigation targets. One area that has not been sufficiently studied is the impact of different rates of technology diffusion of advanced energy technologies between high-income and lowand middle-income countries. This is the topic of this dissertation. The standard approach in climate economic modeling is to assume that all technologies are available at the same time and rate across countries with different incomes and technological capabilities. This study applies the literature related to economic and technological convergence to first develop new estimates of technology diffusion for energy-related sectors across 112 countries of varying income levels. Then new greenhouse gas scenarios are developed with the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) to test the importance of different assumptions on technology diffusion versus other key modeling assumptions. The modeling results from this research show that the cost of meeting the same climate target could be as high as 60% to 80% in marginal cost terms and about 30% greater in total policy costs when different assumptions on diffusion rates of climate mitigation technologies between countries are used. These results clearly point to the need for greater evaluation on the importance of technology diffusion in climate mitigation modeling and also in the consideration of these results for climate change policy decision making. TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN CLIMATE MITIGATION MODELING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION TARGETS
LOCAL USE OF FOREST PRODUCTS IN KUYONGON, SABAH, MALAYSIA

ABSTRACT This article examines the use of forest products in Kuyongon, Sabah, Malaysia. An interdisciplinary approach of this study has enable scientific identification of the forest products and a meaningful assessment of the importance of these products in terms of subsistence and income generation. The article discusses the importance of the nearby Crocker Range National Park to the surrounding communities as the source of their forest products in relation to other forest areas near Kuyongon. Our study showed that forest products are used extensively in the villagers’ daily lives for a wide range of purposes; especially as wild vegetables, firewood and for construction and handicrafts. For most households, the income from forest products is small but for low-income groups, this could be appreciably substantial. The majority of forest products are collected at different stages of the secondary forest regeneration and this can explain the need for long periods of fallow in between shifting cultivation so as to allow growth of harvestable forest products required by the villagers. The Crocker Range National Park is however not a widely used gathering site for most of the villagers, with the exception of an occasional use for hunting and collection of special products.
Agonist-promoted ubiquitination differentially regulates receptor trafficking of endothelin type A and type B receptors

Agonist-stimulation induces different intracellular trafficking of endothelin receptors (ET A/B R) after internalization. The mechanism is unclear. Results: Stimulation induces ubiquitination, lysosomal targeting and decreased cell surface ET B R levels. Non-ubiquitinated ET A R and ET B R mutant recycled to plasma membrane with smaller changes in the levels. Conclusion: Ubiquitination determines intracellular trafficking of endothelin receptors. Significance: ET ubiquitination fine-tunes cellular responses to agonist, by regulating cellular receptor levels. ABSTRACT Two types of G protein-coupled receptors for
Melt and Solution Processability of PBS-DLS Copolymers Modified with PEG using 3D Printing and Electrospinning

Fabrication of complex structures usually requires a combination of different advanced manufacturing techniques at different length scales. In this work, we discuss the structure-properties relationship of recently developed biodegradable poly(butylene succinate-dilinoleic succinate) (PBS-DLS) copolymers modified with hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) towards their processibility via 3D printing and electrospinning. Notably, filaments suitable for 3D printing with 1.75mm in diameter were fabricated directly from the reactor after the synthesis of copolymers through extruding polymer melt into a water bath thus overcoming the post-processing. Two series of copolymers containing 60 wt% and 70
Inoculation Can Reduce the Perceived Reliability of Polarizing Social Media Content

Little research is available on psychological interventions that counter susceptibility to polarizing online content. We conducted 3 studies ( n 1 = 472, n 2 = 193, n 3 = 772) to evaluate whether psychological resistance against polarizing social media content can be conferred, using the Bad News game, a “technique-based inoculation” intervention that simulates a social media feed. We investigate (1) whether technique-based inoculation can reduce susceptibility to content designed to fuel intergroup polarization; (2) whether technique-based inoculation can offer cross-protection against misinformation techniques that people were not inoculated against; and (3) whether political ideology plays a role in how people engage with anti-misinformation interventions. In Studies 1 and 3 (but not Study 2), we found that technique-based inoculation significantly reduces the perceived reliability of polarizing content and offers partial cross-protection against untreated misinformation techniques. We found no effect for attitudinal certainty and news-sharing intentions. Finally, we report preliminary evidence that people may choose to engage with politically congruent news topics within the intervention.
海洋底 = The sea floor

Visit the US Geological Survey at http://pubs.usgs. gov/pdf/planet.pdf or the Marine Geology and Geophysics Division of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Geophysics Data Center (NGDC) at the URL: http://ngdc.noaa. gov/mgg/mggd.html compared to ~840 m average height of the continents; and comprise <200 Ma old basaltic floor; but were plausibly created ~3.7 Ga ago; O E C A 7
Measurement of social skills treatment outcome in autism: Moving beyond informant report and considering diversity

Social skills interventions (SSIs) are one of the most commonly utilized treatment approaches for autistic individuals across the lifespan, with the goal of mitigating negative impacts of the social communication differences associated with autism, including peer rejection, social isolation, and poor mental health. Thorough and accurate assessment of the efficacy of SSIs is critical in this population, given its widespread use in the autism community. The current paper serves as a scoping review of outcome measurement in SSI research in autistic populations. The strengths and limitations of measurement methodologies (e.g., questionnaires, observational measures) are considered, with commonly used outcome measures discussed in detail, including psychometric properties when available. The role of diversity factors, including race/ethnicity and gender, in relation to outcome measurement is reviewed. Overall, results of this review indicate a need for continued research in measurement to refine the field ’ s ability to assess treat-ment response following SSIs. In particular, a greater understanding of how existing measures operate in autistic samples is needed. Further, given the historical heavy reliance on and limitations of questionnaire measures in SSI research, multi-method, multi-informant assessment approaches to outcome measurement are indicated for future SSI research.
Delusional belief flexibility and informal caregiving relationships in psychosis: a potential cognitive route for the protective effect of social support

Aims. For people with psychosis, contact with informal caregivers is an important source of social support, associated with recovery, and with better outcomes following individual cognitive therapy (CBTp). In this study, we tested whether increased flexibility in delusional thinking, an established predictor of positive outcome following CBTp, was a possible mechanism underlying this effect. Methods. 219 participants with delusions (mean age 38 years; 71% male; 75% White) were grouped according to the presence of a caregiver (37% with a caregiver) and caregiver level of expressed emotion (High/Low EE, 64% Low). Delusional belief flexibility was compared between groups, controlling for interpersonal functioning, severity of psychotic symptoms, and other hypothesised outcome predictors. Results. Participants with caregivers were nearly three times more likely than those without to show flexibility (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 5.0, p = 0.001), and five times more likely if the caregiving relationship was Low EE (OR = 5.0, 95% CI 2.0–13.0, p = 0.001). ORs remained consistent irrespective of controlling for interpersonal functioning and other predictors of outcome. Conclusions. This is the first evidence that having supportive caregiving relationships is associated with a specific cognitive attribute in people with psychosis, suggesting a potential cognitive mechanism by which outcomes following CBTp, and perhaps more generally, are improved by social support.
A functional evaluation of anti-fatigue and exercise performance improvement following vitamin B complex supplementation in healthy humans, a randomized double-blind trial

B vitamins play a crucial role in maintaining fundamental cellular functions and various essential metabolic pathways in the body. Although they do not directly provide energy, each B vitamin acts as a cofactor in energy metabolism processes. Based on the evidence presented above, we hypothesized that a 28-day supplementation of vitamin B would enhance physical performance and reduce physical fatigue. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-fatigue effect of vitamin B supplementation, specifically vitamin B1, B2, B6, and B12, and its potential to improve exercise performance. We employed a randomized double-blind crossover design with a 28-day supplementation period. Sixteen male and sixteen female subjects, aged 20-30 years, were divided into two groups: the placebo group (n=16, equal gender distribution) and the Ex PLUS® group (n=16, equal gender distribution). The participants received either placebo or Ex PLUS® (one tablet per day) for 28 consecutive days. Following the intervention, there was a 14-day wash-out period during which the subjects did not receive any further interventions. After supplementation with Ex PLUS®, we found a significant increase in the running time by 1.26-fold (p < 0.05) to exhaustion compared to that before supplementation and that in the placebo group. In addition, the Ex PLUS® supplementation group presented significantly reduced blood lactate and blood ammonia concentrations during exercise and at rest after exercise compared with placebo (p < 0.05). In conclusion, 28 consecutive days of vitamin B complex (Ex PLUS®) supplementation significantly improved exercise endurance performance and reduced exercise fatigue biochemical metabolites in not athletes. In addition, it does not cause adverse effects in humans when taken at appropriate doses.
Pain at the Pump : How Gasoline Prices Affect Automobile Purchasing ∗

In this paper we make use of detailed, transaction-level data on automobile purchases and monthly, ZIP-code level data on retail gasoline prices to investigate the effect of fuel prices on four aspects of automobile purchasing in the U.S.: market shares, new car prices, trade-in utilization, and new car inventories. We find statistically and economically significant effects in all four aspects, all of which point to consumers being responsive to gasoline prices in their car choices. Among our results, we find that gasoline price increases lead to overall increased market share for fuel efficient cars and decreased market share for fuel inefficient cars, but that there are also significant market share shifts within car segments. We find that transactions prices of fuel efficient cars rise when gas prices increase, while prices of fuel inefficient cars fall. We find that customers buy more fuel efficient new cars relative to their trade in cars when gas prices increase, and that the trade-in of fuel inefficient cars is accelerated when gasoline prices increase, while the trade-in of fuel efficient cars is delayed. Finally, we find substantial effects on inventories: fuel inefficient cars sit on dealer lots longer when gasoline prices rise, while fuel efficient cars are sold more quickly.
Geology and ground-water appraisal of the Naval Air Missile Test Center area, Point Mugu, California

The Naval Air Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, Calif. , is at the southeast edge of the Oxnard Plain in southern Ventura County. The Oxnard Plain is about 15 miles long and is traversed by the Santa Clara River near its northwest margin and by Calleguas Creek on the southeast. On the north and east the plain is bounded by highland areas underlain by rocks that are, for the most part, not water bearing. The water-bearing deposits beneath the plain are composed of floodplain and marine sedimentary deposits that yield large quantities of water to wells. The water body generally is semiconflned between lenses of clay and is contained in deposits of silt and sand of late Tertiary and Quaternary age. The semiconflned water body beneath the test center area extends continuously from beyond Hueneme Road on the north to beneath the Pacific Ocean on the south and west and to the base of the Santa Monica Mountains on the east. The chemical quality of the ground water varies with depth. Water in the deposits extending from land surface to about 150 feet below land surface is reported to be brackish or salty, but in the deposits from about 150 to about 1,000 feet, the water is generally relatively fresh and is predominantly a calcium sodium sulfate type. The water from about 1,000 to about 1,550 feet beT ow land surface is brackish or salty. Sea-water encroachment into the deposits containing fresh water has begun near Port Hueneme where water in some wells is reported to be salty. Owing to a landward hydraulic gradient, sea-water encroachment is a definite threat to the water supply at the test center. Fowever, conclusive evidence of sea-water encroachment into the deposits beneath the test center is lacking. Ground-water discharge (pumping and natural discharge) has exceeded recharge beneath the test center proper and the Oxnard Plain in general. Consequently, a decrease in the amount of ground water in storage has occurred. However, much of this decrease may have occurred in the area of urconflned aquifers to the north of the test center, and a lesser amount of this decrease has occurred in the semiconfined deposits of clay, silt, and sand urderlying the test center. An expanding need for water at the test center necessitates an orderly plan of development of the existing water supply in the area. To supply the ir^reasing demand for water, three possible sources for future use are: continued use SI S2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HYDROLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES of deep, 500 to 750 feet, aquifers at the test center and expansio^ of that source, either by construction of new wells or by purchase of existing wells, or both; development or purchase of a supply of water from a source outside the test center and far enough inland so that the threat of sea-water encroachment would be greatly reduced; and possible development of water from the depth between 750 and 950 feet beneath the test center.
Climate change impacts: can Africa cope with the challenges?

Since the 1990s, scientists and policy makers alike have been focusing attention more closely on the meeting point between environment and development. There is little doubt today that human activities are contributing to environmental degradation on a global scale, seriously affecting the lives of billions of people world-wide. The ecological drama currently unfolding may take unpredictable dimensions. Among these is the possible accentuation of socio-economic disparities, particularly in the least developed countries, as the number of displaced people increases and economic migrants from the South flood to the North, exacerbating racial and xenophobic tensions. The determination of countries around the globe to take on the challenge of sustainable development is translated in the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), by linking the issues of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and development. Scientific uncertainty regarding the scope, timing and magnitude of climate change still abounds. However, following a ‘no regrets’ (Catrinus and Munasinghe, 1998) policy the imperative to curb the trend of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere and thus limit anthropogenic interference with the climate system, remains. At the same time, developing countries must be supported in exploring ways to achieve development objectives in a more sustainable manner. With the help of industrialised countries, developing countries should also start adopting environmentally sound policies that are compatible with their development needs, thus avoiding the mistakes of the past. International decisions on climate change will have far-reaching and long term effects on global economics, politics and international law, where many of the issues raised have never been confronted before. From a global perspective, the climate change issue is already a vital component of long term policy and planning. The approach taken by individual countries to address the problem and the extent of their involvement in the overarching decision-making framework will largely decide their place in the development of a global future. Since the majority of developing countries are highly vulnerable to the potential effects of a changing global climate, the climate change question has not been fully appreciated
Clusters of Organic Operations and their Impact on Regional Economic Growth in the United States

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of clusters of certified organic operations on county-level general economic indicators in order to assess the potential of organic clustering as an economic development tool. We first identify clusters of organic operations using the Local Moran’s I test statistic, which tests the null hypothesis of no spatial autocorrelation, and data from the National Organic Program and the U.S. Census. We then use these spatially defined clusters, as well as county-level data from publicly available sources such as the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, and the USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), to analyze the impact of clustering on county-level economic indicators. To do this, we use a treatment effects model in which the dependent variable is a county-level economic indicator and the treatment is being in a cluster of organic operations. For comparison, we also perform these analyses for general agricultural establishments.
The effects of perceived organizational support, perceived supervisor support and intra‐organizational network resources on turnover intentions: A study of Chinese employees in multinational enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of perceived organizational support (POS), perceived supervisor support (PSS) and intra‐organizational network resources on the turnover intentions of the Chinese employees of multinational enterprises.Design/methodology/approach – The study utilized structured equation modeling to analyze survey data from 437 Chinese employees of five multinational enterprises operating in the Chinese service sector.Findings – The study found that POS was positively related to affective organizational commitment, which in turn was negatively related to turnover intentions. A direct relationship was revealed between PSS and turnover intentions, as well as a mediated relationship through POS. In contrast, the relationship between intra‐organizational network resources and turnover intentions was fully mediated through POS.Research limitations/implications – The cross sectional design is a limitation of the study. Another limitation regards the generalisabilit.
Precision Navigation Using Pre-Georegistered Map Data

Abstract : Navigation performance in small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is adversely affected by limitations in current sensor technology for small, lightweight sensors. Because most UAVs are equipped with cameras for mission-related purposes, it is advantageous to utilize the camera to improve the navigation solution. This research improves navigation by matching camera images to a priori georegistered image data and combining this update with existing image-aided navigation technology. The georegistration matching is done by projecting the images into the same plane, extracting features using the techniques Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF). The features are matched using the Random Scale and Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm, which generates a model to transform feature locations from one image to another. In addition to matching the image taken by the UAV to the stored images, the effect of matching the images after transforming one to the perspective of the other is investigated. One of the chief advantages of this method is the ability to provide both an absolute position and attitude update.