Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Brand–Health Issue Fit on Fast-Food Health-Marketing Initiatives

Abstract Recognizing that fast-food brands are increasingly interested in featuring health and wellness values in their marketing, this study investigated the effect of perceived brand–health issue fit on consumer responses to a fast-food health-marketing initiative. Consistent with previous findings and the schema-congruent framework, the results of the current study indicate that an advertising message with high brand–issue fit, compared to one with low brand–issue fit, elicited more favorable consumer responses. In addition, this study tested two different advertising message strategies (i.e., health issue-focused vs. brand-focused) under high and low brand–health issue fit conditions. In line with the predictions of categorization theory, the health issue-focused advertising message was more effective than the brand-focused advertising message under the low fit condition. The findings have theoretical and managerial implications and can help practitioners develop better marketing and advertising strategies for fast-food health-marketing initiatives.
Feature selection for facilitation of evolutionary multi-objective design optimization: Application to IPM motor design problems

This paper discusses the application of statistical analysis and machine learning techniques, more specifically Correlation Feature Selection (CFS), in multi-objective design optimization of problems where the computational cost (of optimization) is dominated by the cost of solution evaluations, e.g. electromagnetic shape design problems. Here, CFS is used in order to reduce the dimensionality of the design space. As demonstrated through an Internal Permanent Magnet (IPM) motor design problem, the reduction information can be useful in decreasing the cost of optimization as well as detecting the dependencies of different variables in the vicinity of the optima.
Review on Heart Disease Diagnosis Based on Data Mining Techniques

The availability of huge amount of data leads to the need of powerful data analysis tool to extract useful knowledge. To manage data analysis on large data sets researchers have long been concerned with statistical and data mining tools. Disease diagnosis is one of the major applications where data mining tools are showing successful results. Heart disease is the major cause of the death all over the world in the last few years. Many researchers are using different data mining tools to help professionals in the diagnosis of heart disease. Using single data mining technique in heart disease diagnosis has been showing great levels of accuracy. In the past few time researchers have been investigating the effect of hybridizing more than one technique showing better result in the diagnosis of heart disease. In this paper the neural network is trained with selected significant pattern for the diagnosis of heart disease and Genetic Algorithm has been used and applied for optimizing the neural network.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Chronic Neck Pain due to Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease

Study Design. Systematic review. Objective. To assess the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines in treating chronic neck pain with radicular signs or symptoms. Summary of Background Data. Chronic neck pain with radicular signs or symptoms is a common condition. Many patients use complementary and alternative medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine, to address their symptoms. Methods. We electronically searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and AMED (up to 2009), the Chinese Biomedical Database and related herbal medicine databases in Japan and South Korea (up to 2007). We also contacted content experts and hand searched a number of journals published in China. We included randomized controlled trials with adults with a clinical diagnosis of cervical degenerative disc disease, cervical radiculopathy, or myelopathy supported by appropriate radiologic findings. The interventions were Chinese herbal medicines. The primary outcome was pain relief, measured with a visual analogue scale, numerical scale, or other validated tool. Results. All 4 included studies were in Chinese; 2 of which were unpublished. Effect sizes were not clinically relevant and there was low quality evidence for all outcomes due to study limitations and sparse data (single studies). Two trials (680 participants) found that Compound Qishe Tablets relieved pain better in the short-term than either placebo or Jingfukang; one trial (60 participants) found than an oral herbal formula of Huangqi relieved pain better than Mobicox or Methycobal, and another trial (360 participants) showed that a topical herbal medicine, Compound Extractum Nucis Vomicae, relieved pain better than Diclofenac Diethylamine Emulgel. Conclusion. There is low quality evidence that an oral herbal medication, Compound Qishe Tablet, reduced pain more than placebo or Jingfukang and a topical herbal medicine, Compound Extractum Nucis Vomicae, reduced pain more than Diclofenac Diethylamine Emulgel. Further research is very likely to change both the effect size and our confidence in the results.
Characteristics and Dynamics of Bacterial Populations during Postantibiotic Effect Determined by Flow Cytometry

ABSTRACT Changes in bacterial ultrastructure after antibiotic exposure and during the postantibiotic effect (PAE) have been demonstrated by electron microscopy (EM). However, EM is qualitative and subject to individual interpretation. In contrast, flow cytometry gives qualitative and quantitative information. The sizes and nucleic acid contents of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied during antimicrobial exposure as well as during the PAE period by staining the organisms with propidium iodide and analyzing them with flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The effects of ampicillin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and rifampin were studied for E. coli, whereas for P. aeruginosa imipenem and ciprofloxacin were investigated. After exposure of E. coli to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin, filamentous organisms were observed by fluorescence microscopy. These changes in morphology were reflected by increased forward light scatter (FSC) and nucleic acid content as measured by flow cytometry. For the β-lactams the extent of filamentation increased in a dose-dependent manner after drug removal, resulting in formation of distinct subpopulations of bacteria. These changes peaked at 20 to 35 min, and bacteria returned to normal after 90 min after drug removal. In contrast, the subpopulations induced by ciprofloxacin did not return to normal until >180 min after the end of the classically defined PAE. Rifampin resulted in formation of small organisms with low FSC, whereas no distinctive characteristics were noted after gentamicin exposure. For P. aeruginosa an identifiable subpopulation of large globoid cells and increased nucleic acid content was detected after exposure to imipenem. These changes persisted past the PAE, as defined by viability counting. Swollen organisms with increased FSC were detected after ciprofloxacin exposure, even persisting during bacterial growth. In summary, for β-lactam antibiotics and ciprofloxacin, the PAE is characterized by dynamic formation of enlarged cell populations of increased nucleic acid content, whereas rifampin induces a decrease in size and nucleic acid content in the organisms. Flow cytometry is an ideal method for future studies of bacterial phenotypic characteristics during the PAE.
MICROPROPAGATION OF CODONOPSIS PILOSULA ( FRANCH . ) NANNF BY AXILLARY SHOOT MULTIPLICATION

Roots of Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. are among the most popular Chinese herbal medicines, exhibiting various beneficial activities which support immunity and stress resistance. The plant shows high intraspecific genetic variation. There is a need for effective vegetative propagation methods yielding high and sustainable quality. Here we report a micropropagation method using axillary shoot proliferation. Nodal segments from aseptically germinated plants were inoculated on modified MS media enriched with different concentrations of cytokinins: benzyladenine, kinetin (1, 4, 10 or 20 μM) or thidiazuron (1, 4 or 8 μM), with or without the auxin NAA (1 μM). Axillary bud break was initiated most efficiently on media with 1 or 4 μM BA and 1μM NAA. Shoot number increased markedly in subsequent cycles of harvesting and transfer to fresh 1 μM BA and NAA medium, leading to the maximum 69 shoots (mean 38.16±4.35) from a single nodal explant in the fourth harvest. The shoots were successfully (>98% efficiency) rooted in MS medium containing high sucrose (60 g/L) and 5 μM IAA, and acclimatized to soil cultivation with a survival rate of 90%. These results can be used to establish a simple and commercially viable protocol for mass propagation of C. pilosula for plantations or breeding.
Calculations of neutron dose equivalent exposures from range-modulated proton therapy beams

Passive beam spreading techniques have been used for most proton therapy treatments worldwide. This delivery method employs static scattering foils to spread the beam laterally and a range modulating wheel or ridge filter to spread the high dose region in depth to provide a uniform radiation dose to the treatment volume. Neutrons produced by interactions of the treatment beam with nozzle components, such as the range modulation wheel, can account for a large portion of the secondary dose delivered to healthy tissue outside the treatment volume. Despite this fact, little is known about the effects of range modulation on the secondary neutron exposures around passively scattered proton treatment nozzles. In this work, the neutron dose equivalent spectra per incident proton (H(E)/p) and total neutron dose equivalent per therapeutic absorbed dose (H/D) were studied using Monte Carlo techniques for various values of range modulation at 54 locations around a passive scattering proton therapy treatment nozzle. As the range modulator wheel step thickness increased from 1.0 to 11.5 cm, the peak values of H(E)/p decreased from approximately 1 × 10−17 mSv Gy−1 to approximately 2 × 10−18 mSv Gy−1 at 50 cm from isocentre along the beam's central axis. In general, H/D increased with increasing range modulation at all locations studied, and the maximum H/D exposures shifted away from isocentre.
Task independent and dependent training: performance comparison of HMM and hybrid HMM/MLP approaches

Compares speaker independent isolated word recognition performance obtained with standard phonemic hidden Markov models (HMMs) and hybrid approaches using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) to estimate the HMM emission probabilities. This latter approach has previously been shown particularly effective on a large vocabulary, speaker independent, continuous speech recognition task (i.e., ARPA Resource Management) by using simple context-independent phoneme models and single pronunciation word models. As a consequence, the main goal of the paper is to compare the performance which can be achieved by the different approaches for both task dependent and independent training. <<ETX>>
New Strategy for Identification of Novel cry-Type Genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Strains

ABSTRACT We designed five degenerate primers for detection of novel cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis strains. An efficient strategy was developed based on a two-step PCR approach with these primers in five pair combinations. In the first step, only one of the primer pairs is used in the PCR, which allows amplification of DNA fragments encoding protein regions that include consensus domains of representative proteins belonging to different Cry groups. A second PCR is performed by using the first-step amplification products as DNA templates and the set of five primer combinations. Cloning and sequencing of the last-step amplicons allow both the identification of known cry genes encoding Cry proteins covering a wide phylogenetic distance and the detection and characterization of cry-related sequences from novel B. thuringiensis isolates.
Pattern of Micro Enterprises Accounting Records and The Barriers

This study focuses on the micro-scale enterprises. The motivation of this study is to assist the parties in direct contact in order to know how the pattern of accounting records that had been done by the practitioners of SMEs is and what barriers they had experienced related to the production of financial statements simple. This study included in the exploratory study, collected data through interview, observation and documentation. The results of the study at 38 micro business unit showed 58% had evidence of financial transactions, but only 28% who take records of these transactions either into the cash book and the sales book. Some of the obstacles faced by entrepreneurs include difficulty separating personal wealth and their business interests, evidence of transactions forget to be stored, for trade and manufacturing businesses having problems calculating inventory and cost of sales.
Impaired Reactive Stepping Among Patients Ready for Discharge From Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

Background Individuals with stroke are at increased risk for falls soon after hospital discharge. The ability to react to a balance perturbation, specifically with a rapid step, is critical to maintain balance and prevent falls. Objective The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of impaired reactive stepping responses in an ambulatory group of patients with stroke who were preparing for discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and the relationship to patient performance on commonly used clinical measures of balance, mobility, and lower limb impairment. Design This study was a retrospective analysis of patient admissions over a 3-year period. Methods Charts were reviewed for patients who, at time of discharge, had completed a perturbation-evoked reactive stepping assessment. Results Ninety-nine (71%) of 139 patients had impaired stepping reactions characterized by the need for assistance, an inability to step with either lower limb, or the need for multiple-step responses. There was a statistically significant difference in clinical scores between those with and without impaired stepping, but groups were characterized by considerable variation in clinical profiles. For example, Berg Balance Scale scores ranged from 25 to 55 versus 20 to 56 and gait speeds ranged from 0.17 to 1.43 versus 0.26 to 1.55 m/s for patients who demonstrated a failed step versus a successful step, respectively. Limitations Not all patients who attended stroke rehabilitation received a reactive stepping assessment at discharge. Conclusions Impaired reactive stepping is a prevalent problem for ambulatory patients with stroke preparing for discharge, possibly increasing their risk of falling when faced with the challenges of community ambulation. Specific tests that target the capacity to perform perturbation-evoked stepping reactions may be important to identify those at risk for falls and to direct appropriate intervention strategies.
Community Dynamics in the Lab: Congestion, Public Good Provision, and Local Instability

I study the dynamics of voluntary local public good provision in a free-mobility environment when agents differ substantially in the benefit they receive from the public good provided within their community. I find that subjects move in response to both provision and community composition but that the growth and stability of these communities are dictated by movement costs and crowding. When the public good is congestible, such that returns are lower for larger populations, communities are characterized by instability, cyclical fluctuations in local provision, and a dynamic in which low demanders continually chase high demanders through locations. When congestion is eliminated, agents with different preferences sometimes co-exist, but chronic, inefficient movement persists, suggesting that instability is driven by intrinsic preferences for community composition, as well as by sensitivity to congestion. While communities with high entry fees primarily attract those with high public good returns, segregation is not sufficient for overcoming free-riding.
Impact of temporal changes and host factors on the genetic structure of a population of Opisthorchis viverrini sensu lato in Khon Kaen Province (Thailand)

SUMMARY The population genetics of 317 individual Opisthorchis viverrini from Khon Kaen Province Thailand, from 4 different years and 4 cyprinid fish species was examined using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis of enolase (Enol), phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) and triose phosphate isomerase (Tpi). Allele and genotype frequencies for Enol and Pgm were consistent irrespective of year or host species. No heterozygote deficiency was detected for Enol. Significant heterozygote deficiencies were detected in 3 of 4 years for Pgm. For Tpi, allele frequencies of the most common allele and genotype frequency varied between years and among individuals from different host species. Heterozygote deficiencies for Tpi were detected in 2 years. No significant heterozygous deficiencies were detected among O. virerrini from different fish species in 2005, except at Pgm and Tpi from Puntioplites protozsron. There was no statistical significance in pairwise FST values between O. viverrini from Cyclocheilichthys armatus in different years or different host species in 2005. Significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg expectations and a high rate of gene flow in a population of O. viverrini are discussed in terms of self- and cross-fertilisation, natural selection, non-random mating, the Wahlund effect, presence of null alleles, intensity of infection, biology and ecology of their intermediate cyprinid hosts.
Calibrating an Arbitrary Test Fixture for a Symmetric Device by Three Measurements

In this paper, a general solution of calibrating a microwave test fixture for a symmetric device is deduced from the cascading network relation, and it exposes the probability and condition of calibrating an arbitrary test fixture for a symmetric device by three measurements, which is less than the times of measurements in the thru-reflect-line (TRL) method. The scattering parameters of the test fixture and the embedded symmetric device can be determined by measurements of a thru, a line, and the symmetric device. Furthermore, the method is analyzed and verified by simulation and measurement. The analysis indicates that the presented method is suitable for determining the calibrated S-parameters of a symmetric device under test (DUT).
Functional analysis of the ligand binding site of EGF‐receptor utilizing chimeric chicken/human receptor molecules.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐receptor is composed of an extracellular ligand‐binding region connected by a single transmembrane region to the cytoplasmic kinase domain. In spite of its importance for understanding signal transduction, the ligand‐binding domain of the EGF‐receptor is not yet defined. We describe the identification of a major ligand‐binding domain of the EGF‐receptor by utilizing chimeras between the human EGF‐receptor and the chicken EGF‐receptor. This approach is based on the fact that murine EGF binds to the chicken EGF‐receptor with 100‐fold lower affinity as compared to the human EGF‐receptor. Hence, the substitution of various domains of the chicken EGF‐receptor by domains of the human EGF‐receptor may restore the higher binding affinity towards EGF, characteristic of the human receptor. We show that chimeric chicken/human EGF‐receptor, which contains domain III of the extracellular region of the human receptor, behaves like the human EGF‐receptor with respect to EGF binding affinity and biological responsiveness. However, a chimeric chicken/human EGF‐receptor containing domains I and II of the human receptor behaves like the chicken rather than the human EGF‐receptor. Moreover, two different monoclonal antibodies which compete for the binding of EGF to EGF‐receptor recognize specifically domain III of the human EGF‐receptor. It is concluded that domain III which is flanked by the two cysteine‐rich domains is a major ligand‐binding domain of the EGF‐receptor.
A systematic review: differentiation of stem cells into functional pericytes

Pericytes are an integral cellular component of vascular structures. Numerous studies have investigated various stem cell types as potential sources of pericytes for application in cell‐based therapy. The diverse stem cell types and variable experimental protocols of these studies make it imperative to evaluate the relevant scientific literature on the basis of a unified standard. The purpose of this systematic review is to rigorously evaluate the relevant scientific literature for conclusive evidence that stem cells can differentiate into functional pericytes. An online literature search was conducted up to July 2016. Eligible papers were evaluated on 4 pertinent criteria: 1) appropriate controls, 2) markers to confirm pericyte phenotype, 3) techniques for assessing pericyte functionality, and 4) differentiation efficiency of the protocol. Our search yielded 20 eligible studies (from 2006 to 2016), 12 of which were published in the past 5 yr. Of these 20 articles, only 1 had positive control, and 5 papers evaluated differentiation efficiency. The most commonly used pericyte markers were neuron‐glial antigen 2, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐β, and α‐smooth muscle actin. Three articles were associated with adipose stem cells, 4 with mesenchymal stem cells, and 7 with pluripotent stem cells, whereas the remaining 6 articles were based on other miscellaneous stem cell types. Stem cells can serve as a potential source of pericytes, but there should be standardized guidelines in future studies for assessing pericyte differentiation. —Xu, J., Gong, T. , Heng, B. C. , Zhang, C. F. A systematic review: differentiation of stem cells into functional pericytes. FASEB J. 31, 1775–1786 (2017). www.fasebj. org
Population structure and colonization history of the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae)

The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the major pest of olives in most commercial olive‐growing regions worldwide. The species is abundant in the Mediterranean basin and has been introduced recently into California and Mexico, creating problems for quarantine protection and international trade. Here, we use nuclear microsatellite markers and mitochondrial sequences to examine the history of olive fly range expansion and colonization. Sampled populations span the current distribution of the olive fly worldwide, including South and Central Africa, Pakistan, Mediterranean Europe and Middle East, California, and Mexico. The Pakistani populations appear to be genetically well differentiated from the remaining populations, though rooting the origins of the species is problematic. Genetic similarity and assignment tests cluster the remaining populations into two genetic groups — Africa and a group including the Mediterranean basin and the American region. That Africa, and not the Mediterranean, is the origin of flies infesting cultivated olive is supported by the significantly greater genetic diversity at microsatellite loci in Africa relative to the Mediterranean area. The results also indicate that the recent invasion of olive flies in the American region most likely originated from the Mediterranean area.