Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Absence of Adrenal Gland Enlargement during Septic Shock Predicts Mortality: A Computed Tomography Study of 239 Patients

Background:Assessment and management of septic shock associated adrenal function remain controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic value of adrenal gland volume in adults with septic shock. Methods:A short cosyntropin test and determination of adrenal volume by computed tomography were performed within 48 h of shock in patients with septic shock (n = 184) and in 2 control groups: 40 ambulatory patients and 15 nonseptic critically ill patients. The primary endpoint was intensive care unit mortality. Results:At intensive care unit discharge, 59 patients with septic shock died. Adrenal volume was 12.5 cm3 [95% CI, 11.3–13.3] and 8 cm3 [95% CI, 6.8–10.1] in the nonseptic group (P < 0.05 with both septic cohorts) and 7.2 cm3 [95%CI, 6.3–8.5] in the ambulatory patient group (P < 0.05 in patients with septic shock). In patients with septic shock, adrenal volume less than 10 cm3 was associated with higher 28-day mortality rates with an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.84 [95% CI, 0.78–0.89]. Adrenal volume above 10 cm3 was an independent predictor of intensive care unit survival (hazard ratio = 0.014; 95% CI [0.004–0.335]). Conclusion:A total adrenal gland volume less than 10 cm3 during septic shock was associated in univariate and multivariate analysis with mortality at day 28 in patients with septic shock. Whether adrenal gland volume can be a surrogate of adrenal gland function and used to guide hydrocortisone therapy in septic shock patients needs to be further investigated.
Mapeando Diagramas da Teoria da Atividade em Modelos Organizacionais Baseados em i*

Resumo. Abordagens modernas de engenharia de requisitos dividem o processo de elicitacao em dois estagios: um voltado para analise do contexto onde o futuro software sera usado e outro focado em projetar alternativas de software adequados a este contexto. Um adequado Framework teorico para apoiar a realizacao de analises de contexto e oferecido pela Teoria da Atividade. A Teoria da Atividade e uma estrutura filosofica e interdisciplinar usada para estudar diferentes formas de praticas humanas atraves do uso da atividade como unidade basica de analise. No entanto, constata-se na atualidade uma carencia por abordagens que integrem analises de contexto baseadas na Teoria da Atividade com tecnicas de especificacao de requisitos. Em publicacao anterior os autores apresentaram um processo de engenharia de requisitos que integra analises etnograficas baseadas na Teoria da Atividade com modelagens organizacionais baseados em i*. Neste artigo apresentamos uma evolucao do processo de engenharia de requisitos proposto atraves da inclusao de um conjunto de diretrizes de mapeamento que transformam, de forma sistematica, modelos de atividades da Teoria da Atividade em Modelos Organizacionais baseados em i*. As aplicacoes das diretrizes sao demonstradas atraves da construcao de um estudo de caso para um sistema de ensino baseado em projeto
Report please! : a survey on players' perceptions towards the tools for fighting toxic behavior in competitive online multiplayer video games

The fast paced and highly competitive online video game environment can cause players to act in bad ways towards their teammates or the enemy team, also known as "toxic behavior". Games usually offer players tools (such as reporting and blocking) to fight back and deal with toxic behavior in the immediate situation. This study focused on these tools designed to combat toxicity and conducted a survey for different competitive games players to figure out the tools’ perceived effectiveness in the players’ eyes. The collected data suggests that the tools are seen as an effective line of defense, but are far from perfect as they can be misused or the punishments are easily bypassed.
Proteome profiling in the aorta and kidney of type 1 diabetic rats

Diabetes is associated with a number of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors that contribute to a high rate of microvascular and macrovascular complications. The risk factors and mechanisms that contribute to the development of micro- and macrovascular disease in diabetes are not fully explained. In this study, we employed mass spectrometric analysis using tandem LC-MS/MS to generate a proteomic profile of protein abundance and post-translational modifications (PTM) in the aorta and kidney of diabetic rats. In addition, systems biology analyses were employed to identify key protein markers that can provide insights into molecular pathways and processes that are differentially regulated in the aorta and kidney of type 1 diabetic rats. Our results indicated that 188 (111 downregulated and 77 upregulated) proteins were significantly identified in the aorta of diabetic rats compared to normal controls. A total of 223 (109 downregulated and 114 upregulated) proteins were significantly identified in the kidney of diabetic rats compared to normal controls. When the protein profiles from the kidney and aorta of diabetic and control rats were analyzed by principal component analysis, a distinct separation of the groups was observed. In addition, diabetes resulted in a significant increase in PTM (oxidation, phosphorylation, and acetylation) of proteins in the kidney and aorta and this effect was partially reversed by insulin treatment. Ingenuity pathway analysis performed on the list of differentially expressed proteins depicted mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative phosphorylation and acute phase response signaling to be among the altered canonical pathways by diabetes in both tissues. The findings of the present study provide a global proteomics view of markers that highlight the mechanisms and putative processes that modulate renal and vascular injury in diabetes.
Many unbalanced translocations show duplication of a translocation participant. Clinical and cytogenetic implications in myeloid hematologic malignancies

If a translocation is followed by loss of one of the two derivative chromosomes, the result is an unbalanced translocation, showing monosomy for the segments making up the lost derivative. We have found that in most unbalanced translocations, a third event takes place: a morphologically normal copy of one of the two translocation participants is added to the karyotype. This creates a complex abnormal karyotype with monosomy, disomy, and trisomy for different segments of the translocation participants. We have examined 82 unbalanced translocations from 77 patients, 73 of whom had a myeloid hemopoietic malignancy. Acquisition of a normal copy of a translocation participant was found in 49 translocations. Twenty‐five of these showed trisomy for 1q. In 16 of the 25 1q‐trisomic cases the translocation was t(1;7)(q10;p10) (trisomy for 1q and monosomy for 7q). Patients with trisomy for 1q were younger than the remaining patients. Whereas those with t(1;7))(q10;p10) showed brief survivals, those with trisomy 1q but monosomy for regions other than 7q survived longer than the remaining patients. We conclude that most unbalanced translocations involve a partial trisomy, that 1q is trisomic far more frequently than any other segment, and that partial trisomy is associated with patient age and survival. Am. J. Hematol. 64:161–169, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Applications of Internet of Things in manufacturing

The Internet of Things (IoT) envisions the seamless interconnection of the physical world and the cyber space. This provides a promising opportunity to build powerful services and applications for manufacturing. This paper provides an overview of key research issues to be addressed and the latest advances in the area of IoT-enabled manufacturing. We first introduce the core technologies of IoT, such as Radio Frequency Identification, Wireless Sensor Networks, Cloud computing, and Big Data. Then we discuss some key research issues of IoT-enabled manufacturing in term of architecture, deployment and business model, data acquisition and processing, model-based decision-making, dynamic service composition, user-centric pervasive environment and latency reduction with state-of-the-art reviews. Finally, we point out some potential application areas of IoT in manufacturing.
Seeing the community for the trees : assessing locally - developed sustainability indicators for the Angkor community forest project, Cambodia

The vision behind community forestry is to ensure the sustainability of local forests, by engaging the local communities who depend on these resources. Community forestry is practiced widely across the globe, with varying degrees of success. This study focuses on alternative approaches and tools used to evaluate project performance (in terms of sustainability) and increase participation at the evaluation stage of a project. I selected a representative case study, the Angkor Community Forest Project, located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I conducted a comparative analysis between a participatory 'bottom-up' approach and conventional 'top-down' approach to develop indicators as tools to assess sustainability. I assessed performance of the indicator sets against the Sustainability Indicators Standard (SIS). Locally-developed indicators perform better than the conventional indicators. However, neither set is a perfect match for sustainability. The Local Indicators (LI) perform better in gauging site-specific measures, identifying intangible benefits, and targeting participation, capacity building and education as critical measures of project success. The conventional or Project Indicators (PI), are better at measuring economic viability of the project, identifying both the short and long-term benefits, and capture a blend of local and broader goals associated with the public good. Overall, I found that the two indicators sets are complementary and could be used together for a more comprehensive evaluation. Participatory approaches are not suited for all projects, and guidelines have been established to help decide under what circumstances participatory project evaluations should be used. iv My research demonstrates that alternative forms of project evaluation exist, and that a participatory approach can assess sustainability of community forestry projects and as well, increase participation by local beneficiaries. By using a mix of approaches and tools, it is possible to produce a comprehensive set of indicators to measure sustainability. Project evaluation is a necessary part of the learning process for international development agencies and local communities. Invigorating the process with new approaches and tools could produce more accurate project evaluations and engage meaningful participation by local beneficiaries.
Better oral reading and short-term memory in midlife, postmenopausal women taking estrogen

ObjectiveConsiderable controversy surrounds the issue of whether estrogen influences cognitive function in postmenopausal women, and the results are far from consistent. For the most part, the cognitive processes studied have involved memory; to our knowledge, no previous studies have specifically examined the effects of estrogen on women's reading ability. DesignTo investigate reading and short-term memory in postmenopausal women treated with conjugated equine estrogens, we carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 21 days in 60 midlife, postmenopausal women aged 32.8 to 64.9 years (mean 51.2 years, SD 5.0 years). Women were evaluated for oral reading measured by Gray Oral Reading Tests (third edition) and for verbal memory using immediate and delayed recall on the Logical Memory and Paired Associate Learning subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale and by a Sentence Span task. ResultsThe group receiving daily treatment with conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin, 1.25 mg; Wyeth-Ayerst Labs, Philadelphia, PA, USA) showed better oral reading and verbal memory performance than the placebo group. ConclusionEstrogen may have positive effects on oral reading and verbal memory in midlife, postmenopausal women.
Assessing Scientific Claims In Print Ads that Promote Cosmetics

ABSTRACT The area of scientific-related claims in advertising is ripe for additional investigative endeavor. This article aims to access the nature and potential deceptiveness of scientific-related claims that appear in cosmetics advertising. To examine these claims, the authors used perceptions of actual cosmetics consumers as well as of licensed physicians. The findings suggest that the decision making of cosmetics consumers could be enhanced by the addition to cosmetics advertising of information about certain cosmetics claims.
National Incidence of Medical Transfer: Patient Characteristics and Regional Variation

The aim of this descriptive study was to establish and describe the national incidence, cost, and outcomes of patients that undergo medical transfer. Using discharge data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2011, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the dataset was analyzed using weighted frequency distribution. Approximately 1.6 million patients are transferred yearly. Transferred patients experience a mean length of stay of 9.3 days (std dv 13.5) versus 4.3 days for patients not transferred (std dv 6.0), and cost more than twice as much (mean $19,234) versus those not transferred (mean $9,469). Additionally, patients who undergo inter-facility transfer cost an additional $15.8 billion annually. Interhospital patient transfers require closer scrutiny regarding appropriateness and future policy implications.
Looking at gender differences.

This article analyzes the participation of women in technology-oriented scientific projects (known as the TEST program) to identify genderbased differences in attitudes toward commercialization and innovation based on scientific research. The analysis is based on the TEST program that marks a milestone in science policy in Croatia, and represents a shift toward innovation policy. There is a higher representation of women project leaders in the TEST program than in the standard scientific projects. Our research started with the hypothesis that the higher proportion of women scientists in technology projects is related to gender differences in sociodemographic characteristics, in the motivation for application as well as implementation of the projects, and satisfaction with the results of the TEST program. The results confirmed gender differences only in scientific field, previous career positions, and number of scientific publications, and do not offer an explanation of the relatively higher proportion of women researchers in TEST program. Jasminka Lažnjak, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, I. Lucica 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: jlaznjak@ffzg.hr Željka Šporer, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Address: HR-10000, Zagreb, Gajeva 55, Croatia. E-mail: zeljkasporer@yahoo.com Jadranka Švarc, Institute of Social Sciences “Ivo Pilar,” Marulicev trg 19/I, HR10000 Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: jadranka.svarc@pilar.hr Gender, Technology and Development 15(2) 175–200 © 2011 Asian Institute of Technology SAGE Publications Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC DOI: 10.1177/097185241101500201 http://gtd.sagepub. com at ASIAN INSTITUTE TECHNOLOGY on May 27, 2016 gtd.sagepub. com Downloaded from 176 Jasminka Lažnjak, Željka Šporer, and Jadranka Švarc Gender, Technology and Development, 15, 2 (2011): 175–200 The findings indicate that once women scientists have an equal chance for commercialization, they perform as well as men do.
Secondary structures in d(CGG) and d(CCG) repeat tracts.

Several studies have been made to elucidate the nature of secondary structures in the single strands of d(CGG). d(CCG) repeat tracts but with conflicting conclusions. Here, we review this work and attempt to come towards consensus. Some investigators find that the G-rich strand forms hairpins. Of these, some conclude that pairing is in the alignment d(GGC). d(GGC) with two Watson-Crick bonds and one G.G bond per duplex repeat, others conclude that the alignment is d(GCG). d(GCG) with two G.G bonds and one C.C bond per duplex repeat. Others find quadruplex formation and conclude that this is in the latter alignment with two G4-quartets per quadruplex repeat and C.C bonds. We investigate why these different results were obtained and conclude that quadruplexes are likely to form under physiological conditions. We argue that they are probably bonded in the alignment d(GGC). d(GGC) with one G4-quartet and two C.G. C.G. quartets per quadruplex repeat. The C-rich strand does not appear to form quadruplexes under physiological conditions but forms hairpins. Apparently, short hairpins adopt the alignment d(CCG). d(CCG) with mismatched cytosine residues stacked into the helix but with 15 or more repeat units, the dominant form is a distorted hairpin aligned as d(GCC). d(GCC) with unpaired cytosine residues possibly turned outwards and stacked in the minor groove.
Energy policy, informal sector and urban household livelihoods : a case study of meat traders in the Western Cape

This dissertation highlights the links between energy, informal sector and urban household livelihoods. The critical argument is that energy is a key input in some of the informal sector activities such as street food vending which is dominant in urban environments. The energy needs of the street food vendors are easily visible to the eye, because street food vendors are found everywhere on the street comers, taxi ranks, and other places where there is a proven flow of people. Despite this, the energy needs for informal sector activities are not well integrated into policies and strategies aimed at supporting the development of the informal sedor. To address this situation, it is recommended that energy policy makers need to revise the current conceptualisation of the household sub-sector in order to incorporate energy planning for income generation. Furthermore, rather than privilege electricity provision over other energy sources, urban household energy policy planning needs to pay equal attention to other fuels such as woodfuel and LPG. To be able to provide these insights, a case study of meat traders in Gugulethu township in the Western Cape was used. This primary data was supplemented with urban focused secondary data on the informal sector, household livelihoods and energy.
Changing virulence of influenza A viruses.

Influenza is a disease characterized by explosive outbreaks, substantial mortality, and enormous morbidity. Much of the reason for its continued prevalence is antigenic variation. Demonstration of a segmented genome (RNA), and elucidation of the phenomenon of genetic reassortment has contributed greatly to our understanding of the mechanism of antigenic variation (1). In contrast to antigenic variation, for many years it has been thought that the clinical manifestations of the disease were constant once acquired; that is, that there were no differences among virus strains in intrinsic virulence (2). We have been studying pulmonary function in young healthy university students since 1974 to obtain data concerning pathogenesis of influenza and to determine the effect of antivirals or viral vaccines on abnormalities in pulmonary function (3-5). The data demonstrate differences among influenza strains with regard to occurrence of alterations in pulmonary resistance, findings which suggest differences in intrinsic viral virulence.
Opportunities and Challenges of AC/DC Transmission Network Planning Considering High Proportion Renewable Energy

The time and space distribution characteristics of future high proportion of renewable energy sources will bring unprecedented challenges to the electric power system’s processing and planning, the basic form of electric power system and operating characteristics will have fundamental changes. Based on the research status quo at home and abroad, this paper expounds the four scientific problems of the transmission network planning with high proportion of renewable energy. Respectively, from the network source collaborative planning, transmission network flexible planning. With the distribution network in conjunction with the transmission network planning, transmission planning program comprehensive evaluation and decision-making methods. This paper puts forward the research ideas and framework of transmission network planning considering the high proportion of renewable energy. At the end, the future high proportion of (renewable energy) grid-connected transmission network’s opportunities and challenges are presented.
Reimagining Textbooks Through the Data Lens

Textbooks are the primary vehicles for delivering subject knowledge to the students and are known to be the educational input most consistently associated with improvements in student learning. With the emergence of abundant online content, cloud computing, and electronic reading devices, textbooks are poised for transformative changes. Inspired by the emergence of the electronic medium for "printing" and "distributing" textbooks, we present our early explorations into developing a data mining based approach for enhancing the quality of electronic textbooks. Specifically, we first describe a diagnostic tool for authors and educators to algorithmically identify deficiencies in textbooks. We then discuss techniques for algorithmically augmenting different sections of a book with links to selective content mined from the Web.Our tool for diagnosing deficiencies consists of two components. Abstracting from the education literature, we identify the following properties of good textbooks: (1) Focus: Each section explains few concepts, (2) Unity: For every concept, there is a unique section that best explains the concept, and (3) Sequentiality: Concepts are discussed in a sequential fashion so that a concept is explained prior to occurrences of this concept or any related concept. Further, the tie for precedence in presentation between two mutually related concepts is broken in favor of the more significant of the two. The first component provides an assessment of the extent to which these properties are followed in a textbook and quantifies the comprehension load that a textbook imposes on the reader due to non-sequential presentation of concepts [1]. The second component identifies sections that are not written well and can benefit from further exposition. We propose a probabilistic decision model for this purpose, which is based on the syntactic complexity of writing and the notion of the dispersion of key concepts mentioned in the section [3]. For augmenting a section of a textbook, we first identify the set of key concept phrases contained in a section. Using these phrases, we find web articles that represent the central concepts presented in the section and endow the section with links to them [4]. We also describe techniques for finding images that are most relevant to a section of the textbook, while respecting the constraint that the same image is not repeated in different sections of the same chapter. We pose this problem of matching images to sections in a textbook chapter as an optimization problem and present an efficient algorithm for solving it [2]. We finally provide the results of applying the proposed techniques to a corpus of widely-used, high school textbooks published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, India. We consider books from grades IX--XII, covering four broad subject areas, namely, Sciences, Social Sciences, Commerce, and Mathematics. The preliminary results are encouraging and indicate that developing technological approaches to embellishing textbooks could be a promising direction for research.