Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The characteristics and clinical outcome of adult patients with aplastic anemia and abnormal cytogenetics at diagnosis

The characteristics and clinical outcome of 600 adult patients with aplastic anemia (AA) that had successful cytogenetic studies at the time of diagnosis were retrospectively evaluated. Among these, 572 (95.3%) had normal cytogenetics and 28 (4.7%) had abnormal cytogenetics. The most frequent abnormality was trisomy 8 (n = 15), followed by monosomy 7/deletion of 7q (n = 5), and deletion of 1q (n = 5). There were no statistically significant differences with respect to gender, hepatitis viral infection, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or severity of disease between the patients in the normal and abnormal cytogenetics groups; however, the patients with abnormal cytogenetics were generally younger than those with normal cytogenetics (P < 0.001). Abnormal cytogenetics was associated with a higher cumulative leukemic transformation rate (P < 0.001) and lower leukemic transformation‐free survival (P = 0.021). Furthermore, abnormal cytogenetics was an independent predictor of a poor response to immunosuppressive therapy (HR = 0.255; 95% CI = 0.077–0.839; P = 0.024). These analyses suggest that patients with AA and abnormal cytogenetics have different clinical characteristics compared to patients with AA and normal cytogenetics. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Method for detecting production of zearalenone, zearalenol, T-2 toxin, and deoxynivalenol by Fusarium isolates

Three methods for detecting toxigenic fusaria in culture were compared by using known producers of zearalenone, zearalenol, T-2 toxin, and deoxynivalenol. Moist, autoclaved rice cultures of known toxigenic isolates grown in 20-ml tubes yielded oily extracts containing compounds which interfered with qualitative and quantitative analysis for the mycotoxins. Vermiculite moistened with nutrient broth in 20-ml tubes yielded a much cleaner extract. Growing the fungi on a liquid medium required a shorter incubation period, but yields of T-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol were low and variable, and the method required greater space in the incubator. Screening of the extracts by thin-layer chromatography with colorimetric spray reagents to detect the presence of these toxins permitted reduction in the number of extracts quantified by the more lengthy gas-liquid chromatographic method. Culturing in nutrient broth on vermiculite in tubes coupled to a qualitative screen before quantitation proved to be a convenient, inexpensive, and relatively rapid method that enabled reliable screening of a large number of Fusarium isolates for toxin production as compared with prior methods.
Robot contest concept for distance education

This paper describes a concept for an interdisciplinary robot contest that is suitable for distance learning universities. Its usability for project tasks in bachelor courses and for research topics for bachelor theses is shown by comparing several robot contest formats. Adequacy and practicability for different levels during the bachelor courses at a distance learning university are compared. The most suitable contest requirements are then developed into a concept of implementation at the Wilhelm Büchner University of Applied Sciences, Germany’s largest private university for technology. This concept will be included in the 2018 curriculum.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the pygmy squid, Idiosepius (Cephalopoda: Decapodiformes): the first representative from the family Idiosepiidae

Abstract We report the first complete mitochondrial genome of the pygmy squid, Idiosepius, (Idiosepiidae). The mtDNA genome is 16,183 bp long with an AT content of 75.4%. All conserved metazoan mitochondrial genes are identified with the addition of a 1018 bp non-coding region. Idiosepius gene order most closely resembles that of the bobtail squid Semirossia (Sepiolidae).
Appearance of the hymen in prepubertal girls.

The recent increase in requests for genital examinations in girls who may have been sexually abused has necessitated detailed information not previously available on normal anatomy of the prepubertal girl. This study was undertaken to document the genital anatomy of 211 girls between the ages of 1 month and 7 years who presented for well child care or nongynecologic complaints and who had no history of sexual abuse. Each child's genitalia was examined and photographed, with findings reported reflecting those observed photographically. The study population consisted of 36% blacks, 33.6% white non-Hispanics, 29.9% Hispanics, and 0.5% Asians. Subjects had a mean age of 21 +/- 20.6 (SD) months. Extensive labial agglutination sufficient to obscure the hymen was noted in 5% (10/211) and partial agglutination in an additional 17% (35/211). A significant difference was noted in hymenal configuration by age, with a fimbriated hymen the most common type (46%) in infants aged 12 months or younger and a crescentic hymen the most common (51%) in girls older than 24 months (P less than or equal to .001). No significant difference was noted in hymen configuration by race. Hymenal bumps (mounds) were observed in 7%, hymenal tags in 3%, vestibular bands in 98%, longitudinal intravaginal ridges in 25%, and external ridges in 15% of subjects in whom the anatomy under study could be visualized. Hymenal notches (clefts) occurred superiorly and laterally on the hymenal rim but none were found inferiorly on the lower half of the hymen. A narrow rounded hymenal ring with a transection was observed in only 1 (0.5%) of 201 subjects and was not considered a normal finding. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rapid simulation of multi-resonant LLCC converters with capacitive output filter based on an extended first harmonic approximation

In case of resonant converters, the corresponding steady-state analysis is in general more cumbersome than in case of PWM converters, as often a multitude of modes has to be regarded and resonant oscillations with durations impossible to calculate directly are encountered. Therefore, approximations are required in order to facilitate the design process. An extension to the well-known first harmonic approximation is investigated for the multi-resonant LLCC converter with capacitive output filter in this paper, revealing a new degree of simplification regarding the resulting closed-form solution. By means of this approximation, the design of the fourth-order resonant LLCC converter is significantly simplified, providing a tool for rapid simulation combined with a very high accuracy. The accuracy of the investigated approach was double-checked by means of exact calculations. The loss-breakdown on several prototypes shows a very high correspondence between prediction and measurement.
The International Trade Credit Channel: Implications for Industry Performance

Trade credit is an important feature of many trade contracts offering buyers a means of financing purchases using credit from suppliers. This paper aims to identify a channel through which international trade credit and international trade affect industry investment. I use an interaction variable approach, first implemented by Rajan and Zingales (1998), where industries are ranked by different propensities to use trade credit according to their industry specific production properties. This ranking is then interacted with measures of aggregate trade credit and trade openness at the country level to examine how industry investment in industries with higher or lower dependence on trade credit responds to the availability of trade credit. The dataset includes 23 manufacturing industries in 20 countries from 1999-2009. Controlling for industry size along with access to and dependence on domestic external finance, I show that industries with a higher propensity to use trade credit benefit from greater international trade credit and greater trade openness in terms of a higher investment share relative to economy-wide investment.
The Impact of Credit Counseling on Consumer Outcomes: Evidence from a National Demonstration Program

Despite purported benefits, relatively little is known about credit counseling’s impact on consumer outcomes. This analysis leverages data on more than 6,000 consumers completing credit counseling through a national demonstration program implemented by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Administrative data are linked to quarterly credit report data for 18 months after completion of counseling services. In partnership with Experian, a matched comparison group is generated through Coarsened Exact Matching. We estimate a series of differences-in-differences models to trace the evolution of credit outcomes for the counseled group relative to the matched comparison group. The results demonstrate that counseled consumers have reductions in both total debt and revolving debt relative to the matched comparison group. These reductions hold even when accounting for consumer bankruptcies, foreclosures, debt charge-offs, or participation in debt management plans. Consumers with weaker credit profiles also demonstrate improvements in payment delinquency metrics relative to the comparison group. Acknowledgements: This manuscript has been prepared as part of an evaluation of the Sharpen Your Financial Focus program, which is being jointly conducted by The Ohio State University and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. This research is funded by Chase Bank in conjunction with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. The credit data in this evaluation were provided by Experian. 1 Assistant professor; address: One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63112; phone: 513-310-8277; email: roll.48@osu.edu 2 Associate professor; address: 1810 College Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43210; phone: 614-247-8161; email: moulton.23@osu.edu
Trust in workplace canteens – using Germany and the UK as market examples.

It is estimated, that most employees eat one or more meals per day whilst they are at work, which is forming an important element of their overall diet. However, consumers struggle to make an informed dish decision due to a lack of information provided. Additionally, past food scares in Germany and the UK have created distrust and interest in food information. This study is identifying what is important to consumers, indicating their information needs and establishes the format that is most appropriate for the delivery of food information in workplace canteens in Germany and the UK. Providing consumers with enhanced food information can strengthen the relationship between consumer and canteen operator as well as establish trust in the food served. A mixed methodological, sequential approach was employed. Four focus groups were used to inform the design of a questionnaire (n=317), which tested criteria of importance and types of information provision that are relevant when making food choice in a workplace setting using Best-worst scaling. Through semi-structured interviews (n=10) canteen operators’ views on meeting customer needs and establishing trust in the food served were identified. Informational criteria of importance have been identified whereby, Nutrition, Value for Money and Naturalness are key elements that consumers require to make a decision about dish selection. Consumers fall into different segments; Health Conscious, Socially Responsible and Value Driven and hence rate the importance of certain informational criteria differently impacting on dish selection. Traffic Light Labelling, Information Boxes and Quality Assurance have been shown to be the most favourable way of receiving food information. Consumers align to different segments; Tech-savvy, Heuristic Processors, Brand Orientated and Systematic Processors, hence various communication channels can be explored to most effectively target consumers. This study has provided an understanding of consumers’ information requirements thus enabling canteen operators to be more competitive. The provision of food information that targets different consumer segments can demonstrate shared customers’ values and consequently, evidence operators’ commitment towards a relationship that is based on transparency and trust.
A Conditional Selection of Orthogonal Legendre/Chebyshev Polynomials as a Novel Fingerprint Orientation Estimation Smoothing Method

In this paper, a new approach to fingerprint ridge orientation estimation smoothing by a conditional selection of orthogonal polynomials is proposed. This method can smooth the low coherence and consistency areas of fingerprint OF. Also, it is able to estimate the Orientation Field (OF) for fingerprint areas of no ridge information This method does not need any basis information of Singular Points (SPs). The algorithm uses a consecutive application of filtering-based and model-based orientation smoothing methods. A Gaussian filter has been employed for the former. The latter conditionally employs one of the orthogonal polynomials such as Legendre and Chebyshev type I or II, based on the results of the filtering based stage. The experiments have been conducted on the fingerprint images of FVC2000 DB2_A, FVC2004 DB3_A and DB4_A. The results show coarse ridge orientation estimation improvement even in very poor quality images where the orientation information cannot be clearly extracted.
Volatility and the cross-section of returns on FX options

We study the cross-section of returns on FX options sorting currencies based on implied volatilities (IV). Long straddle positions in currencies with low (high) implied volatilities perform well (poorly). A long low IV-short high IV strategy produces large average returns after transactions costs. Total volatility matters rather than any component or transformation of volatility. The returns are distinct from those in the literature on foreign exchange returns or equity option returns and cannot be explained convincingly by standard risk factors. We argue cross-sectional differences in hedging demand combined with limits to arbitrage contribute to misspricing in FX options.
Department of Human Resource Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

The main focus of this study is on the impact of safety and health on job satisfaction in selected branches of Utility Service Supply Organization in Western Province North. The research problem for the study is to identify, „how safety and health impact on job satisfaction among field employees in selected branches of Utility Service Supply Organization in Western province north? ‟The universal sampling method was used to collect data from 116 field employees in Utility Supply Organization in Western province north with a structured questionnaire indicating the statements of safety and health as well as job satisfaction with 5 points Likert Scale. Data thus collected were subject to analysis using univariate, correlation and regression analysis with the SPSS (16.0 Versions). It was found that there was a positive impact of safety and health on job satisfaction among field employees in selected branches of Utility Service Supply Organization in Western province north. The results of the simple regression analysis showed that the safety and health have ability to predict the variance of job satisfaction by nearly 46.6%. It is concluded that there is a positive impact of safety and health on job satisfaction of field employees. If the safety and health in selected branches of Utility Service Supply Organization is further increased, the job satisfaction among field employees could be further enhanced.
The Technology Acceptance Model of Online Game in Indonesian Adolescents

Online games have become a mainstream source of entertainment in the world, including Indonesia. The present study uses an adaptation of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to help us understand how online game is accepted in Indonesia. The participants were school students (N = 1 498) from Year 7 to Year 12 recruited from several schools in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. A modified version of the original measures of the TAM was used to assess perceived ease of use and usefulness of online game. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the construct validity of each measure and path analysis with structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results confirmed the relevance of previous established constructs, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention in an online game setting in Indonesia, as well as the hypothesized relationships among these constructs according to TAM. Furthermore, the good model fit suggests that TAM is a valid and relevant research model to understand online game usage among Indonesian school students. Although further studies are necessary, the results support the notion that online games in the setting of Indonesian school students is just like any other technology in adult and business settings.
Mirror movements in patients with essential tremor

Mirror movements (MM), which occur in age‐related neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), have never been studied in essential tremor (ET). The objective of this work is to study the prevalence and clinical correlates of MM in ET cases and controls. In a clinical‐epidemiological study in New York, participants performed repetitive motor tasks; MM (hands and feet) were rated. MM occurred in 35/107 (32.7%) ET cases versus 23/97 (23.7%) controls (OR 1.56, P = 0.16). Total MM score was 2× higher in cases (3.9 ± 7.7 vs. 1.9 ± 3.9, P = 0.02). MM (hands) occurred in 16 (15.0%) cases versus 5 (5.2%) controls (OR 3.24, P = 0.03) and total hand MM score was three to four times higher in ET cases (1.4 ± 4.5 vs. 0.4 ± 2.0, P = 0.03). MMs were not correlated with age, tremor duration, or severity and were most severe in cases with rest tremor. Thus, it was concluded that MM occurred in 1/3 of ET cases. These results further expand the spectrum of nontremor, motor phenomenology seen in ET. Whether, as in PD, MMs in ET represent a failure of subcortical structures to support the cortical network involved with the initiation of unilateral motor activity, requires future neurophysiological investigation. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Diarrhea in Young Red Deer Associated with Infection with Cryptosporidium

Abstract In an outbreak of diarrhea among 82 artificially reared red deer calves, 56 developed the disease and 20 subsequently died. During the outbreak 80% of diarrheal and 50% of apparently healthy calves excreted cryptosporidial oocysts in feces. The coincidence of infection with Cryptosporidium and clinical diarrhea suggested a causal relationship. Histologic examination of intestinal sections from a necropsied deer calf showed lesions consistent with field and experimental cryptosporidiosis in other species. The deer Cryptosporidium subclinically infected newborn mice; in indirect immunofluorescence tests, it could not be distinguished from a calf Cryptosporidium.
The FruA signal transduction protein provides a checkpoint for the temporal co‐ordination of inter‐ cellular signals in Myxococcus xanthus development

During fruiting body morphogenesis in Myxococcus xanthus, the intercellular C‐signal induces aggregation, sporulation and developmental gene expression. To understand how a single signal system may induce temporally separated processes, we have focused on the class II gene, which codes for an essential component in the C‐signal transduction pathway. We report that class II is identical to fruA and codes for a DNA binding response regulator. Transcription of fruA is developmentally regulated and depends on the early acting intercellular A‐ and E‐signals. However, fruA transcription is independent of C‐signal. Rather, genetic evidence suggests that C‐signal controls FruA activity post‐translationally. Genetic evidence strongly indicates that FruA is activated by phosphorylation. We propose that C‐signalling results in the phosphorylation of FruA, thus activating FruA to interact with downstream targets. In the motility branch of the C‐signalling pathway, FruA interacts with the Frz motility system; in the sporulation branch, we show that FruA is required for transcription of the sporulation locus devRS. On the basis of the two levels of control of FruA activity, we propose that FruA serves as a control point for the temporal co‐ordination of intercellular signals during M. xanthus development.
Literature search framework by analyzing key aspects

Quickly moving to an unfamiliar field for researchers is painful due to a mass of scientific articles to study without knowing their research contents. Research point and its implementation method are two helpful aspects. However these two aspects are difficult to be achieved without appropriate semantic tools. This paper proposes a literature search framework which supports a new perspective retrieval of research point and implementation method of articles. This framework contains four components: extracting the above two aspects from articles, analyzing them by semantic similarity, ontology population and index building. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of this framework. And we apply this framework to the field of computer science, demonstrate the prototype system.
Mechanism of Pneumocystis carinhi Attachment to Cultured Rat Alveolar Macrophages

Pneumocystis carinji (PC) pneumonia begins as an intra-al-veolar process resulting in injury to the alveolar epithelium with subsequent invasion of the lung interstitium. The clearance of PC organisms from the alveolar space is a critical function of alveolar macrophages (AM), the resident alveolar phagocytic cells. In this study the mechanism of PC attachment' to AM was determined using 51Cr-labeled organisms, with PC attachment reaching a maximum of 18.9±2.5% after 4 h. Attachment was significantly decreased'by preincubation of the AM with' a monoclonal anti-fibronectin antibody directed againstthe cell attachment site of fibronectin (from 17.8±2.2% to 8.3±1.0%, P <'0.01), or by addition of the fibronectin cell binding site analogue Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) (from 18.1±2.3% to 2.9±0.8%, P < 0.01). An anti-fibronectin monoclonal antibody directed against the heparin binding domain of fibronectin had no effect on PC attachment. Addition of the specific calcium ion chelating agent EGTA to the culture media similarly decreased attachment from 16.9±2.0% to 5.1±1.1% (P < 0.01). Fibronectin-mediated attachment of PC to AM did not result'in phagocytosis of the organisms by the AM as determined by chemiluminescence measurements. Therefore, the data indicate that PC attachment to AM is a calcium-de-pendent process mediated by the cell binding domain of fibronectin which does not trigger a phagocytic response by the AM. (J. Clin. Invest. 1990. 86:1678-1683.)
Population structure and variation in Persian sturgeon ( Acipenser percicus) from the Caspian Sea as determind from mitochondrial DNA sequences of the control region Progress in Biological Sciences

Mitochondria1 DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences were analyzed to evaluate the population genetic structure of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) in Caspian Sea. A total of 45 specimens were collected from the different locations of the Caspian Sea. MtDNA control region was amplified using PCR. Direct sequencing was performed according standard method. The results showed that 12 haplotypes were observed between 45 samples in the method. The highest numbers of haplotypes were observed in Sefidroud River in which 3 haplotypes A, B and E among them were specific for the river and were not observed in the other locations. The average haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.795±0.037 and 0.0062±0.0046, respectively. The results of FST based on kimura- 2 parameters method and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated that most variations occurred between samples from Sefidroud River in the south Caspian Sea and that the samples include three distinct populations including Sefidrud, Russia and Azerbaijan (P<0.001). As mtDNA control region is hypervariable segment, this can be provide potential marker for identifying probable populations and for determining their management and conservation units, leading to the useful application of molecular genetics in investigating conservation biology of the Persian sturgeon.