Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharyngometric correlations with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Objective—The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and pharyngometric dimensions as clinical predictors of OSAS. Material and Methods—Pharyngometry included tonsil size, the breadth of the uvula (UB), the distance between the uvula and the posterior pharyngeal wall and open mouth standardized photographic measurement of the dimension of the free oropharynx (FOP). We also assessed modified Mallampati grade (MMP). In addition, clinical data on body weight, height, nasal obstruction and cardiovascular disease were included in our analysis. Results—A total of 96 consecutive patients of both sexes with sleep disorders were investigated with somnography. Of these, 35 were considered to have OSAS, with an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) of ≥10. Body mass index (BMI), FOP, UB, the use of cardiovascular medication and hypertension were significantly related to AHI, and tonsil size showed borderline significance. Regression models were used to determine an OSAS index using the parameters BMI and FOP. The index had a positive predictive value of 82% and a negative predictive value of 77%. Conclusions—We showed that a photographic assessment of pharyngeal dimensions was significantly associated with OSAS. We also confirmed previous findings of associations between OSAS, BMI and cardiovascular morbidity.
The Acupuncture Randomised Trial (Art) for Tension-Type Headache - Details of the Treatment

Objective The goal of this paper is to describe the characteristics of physicians and their interventions in a large, multicentre randomised trial of acupuncture for tension-type headache known as ARTTTH, in order to enable acupuncturists to assess the study interventions. Methods Participating physicians were recruited whose qualifications met or surpassed those of physicians currently accredited for providing acupuncture by state health funding agencies in Germany. Semi-standardised treatment strategies for acupuncture and minimal acupuncture were developed in a consensus process with acupuncture experts. A total of 270 patients suffering from episodic or chronic tension-type headache were randomised to 12 sessions of semi-standardised acupuncture (three predefined ‘basic’ points, recommendations for additional points given, but individual choice of additional points possible), standardised minimal acupuncture (superficial needling of at least 5 of 10 predefined, bilateral, distant non-acupuncture points) or a waiting list. Forty two physicians, trained and experienced in acupuncture, from 28 centres in Germany participated in the trial. Results The median duration of acupuncture training of trial physicians was 500 hours (range 140 to 1350 hours). Physicians had 10 (<1 to 25) years acupuncture experience. The three ‘basic’ points (GB20, GB21 and LR3) were treated in 96%, 82% and 97% of sessions, respectively. Frequently treated optional points included LI4 (67%), SP6 (50%) and ST36 (46%). Ten of the 42 physicians stated that they would have treated patients differently outside the trial. The trial found a significant effect of acupuncture over waiting list but not over minimal acupuncture. Conclusions In general, trial physicians complied well with the predefined interventions. A relevant minority of participating trial physicians stated that they would have treated patients differently outside the trial.
China in Africa: What Challenges for a Reforming European Union Development Policy? Illustrations from Country Cases

During the past decade, the EU has introduced several reforms to make collective development policy more coherent and effective. At the same time, development exists alongside (and sometimes competes with) other policy fields, particularly in settings where the EU has strong economic interests. Reforms to EU external relations take place against a backdrop of rapidly intensifying economic and political relations between China and African countries, a debate often framed as increasing competition with the EU. This article argues that Chinese engagement in Africa poses challenges for the EU's development policy, but these differ considerably across African countries. We look at three country cases to show that China's increasing engagement with individual African countries does not cause EU collective action failures.
Optimising energy efficiency finance in emerging economies in Southeast Asia

This thesis investigates the relationship between public and private sector efforts to optimise energy efficiency finance initiatives in an emerging country context, using Thailand as a case study. Demand-side energy efficiency measures could significantly reduce pressures on energy systems in emerging economies in Southeast Asia while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Rapidly increasing energy needs, combined with dependence on fossil fuel imports have put energy systems in the region under pressure. Due to high urbanisation growth rates, and comparatively inefficient industries, demand-side energy efficiency measures could be part of the solution. The lack of external energy efficiency finance for industry and building owners is a major barrier, but reports and country examples contain mixed messages about how to best overcome this challenge. The dominant discourse around energy efficiency finance originates from international organisations who advocate for the public sector to focus all efforts on maximising private sector investments. However, developed country experience and some emerging country examples, suggest that the problem is more complex. Therefore, this thesis focuses on how to optimise energy efficiency finance. Thailand serves as a case study due to the range of energy efficiency initiatives designed and implemented in that country since the early 1990s. Transition studies and Multi-Level Perspective, were chosen as the theoretical framework and heuristic tool for the analysis. Qualitative data in the form of interviews with forty-eight experts from government, the private sector and academia form the core of this research. The research found that in Thailand, after more than 10 years of public sector support for energy efficiency finance initiatives, success in the private sector has been limited. Challenges identified include: (1) a lack of de-risking measures (2) renewable energy projects receiving most funding; (3) lack of guidance from the Central Bank of Thailand and (4) missing cross-coordination with relevant ministries to create additional demand for energy efficiency finance services. Suggestions for next steps are provided. The main finding from this research is that EEF in an emerging country context will never be transitioned 100% to the private sector, but will be reliant on long-term consistent support from the public sector. Policy makers and international organisations must therefore carefully evaluate the existing framework conditions before choosing which energy efficiency finance initiatives to support. The Multi-Level Perspective analytical framework could provide such an analytical tool to further unleash the energy efficiency potential in Southeast Asia.
A CASE OF ESSENTIAL THROMBOCYTHEMIA IN AN 8-YEAR-OLD BOY

Thrombocytosis in childhood is not rare but essential thrombocythemia is an extremely rare myeloproliferative disorder in childhood. The authors report a case of essential thrombocythemia in an 8-year-old boy who was diagnosed during further evaluation of an incidental finding of thrombocythemia in a school health examination.
Private Debt and GDP: A Short-Run Perspective

Mainstream economic research regards private debt as a determinant of GDP growth in the longrun. Levine (2005) surveys in details this branch of literature and explains the channels by which debt fuels growth. In this paper we switch the focus from the long to the short-run and study whether private debt has a significant impact on GDP growth in the short-run too. Our aim is to understand whether policy measures aimed to reduce the cost of private debt may favor a quick increase of the economic activity.
Induced thermotolerance in bovine two‐cell embryos and the role of heat shock protein 70 in embryonic development

Induced thermotolerance is a phenomenon whereby exposure to a mild heat shock can induce heat shock proteins (HSP) and other cellular changes to make cells more resistant to a subsequent, more severe heat shock. Given that the 2‐cell bovine embryo is very sensitive to heat shock, but can also produce HSP70 in response to elevated temperature, experiments were conducted to test whether 2‐cell embryos could be made to undergo induced thermotolerance. Another objective was to test the role of the heat‐inducible form of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70i) in development and sensitivity of bovine embryos to heat shock. To test for induced thermotolerance, 2‐cell bovine embryos were first exposed to a mild heat shock (40°C for 1 hr, or 41°C or 42°C for 80 min), allowed to recover at 38.5°C and 5% (v/v) CO2 for 2 hr, and then exposed to a severe heat shock (41°C for 4.5, 6, or 12 hr). Regardless of the conditions, previous exposure to mild heat shock did not reduce the deleterious effect of heat shock on development of embryos to the blastocyst stage. The role of HSP70i in embryonic development was tested in two experiments by culturing embryos with a monoclonal antibody to the inducible form of HSP70. At both 38.5°C and 41°C, the proportion of 2‐cell embryos that developed to blastocyst was reduced (P < 0.05) by addition of anti‐HSP70i to the culture medium. In contrast, sensitivity to heat shock was not generally increased by addition of antibody. In conclusion, bovine 2‐cell embryos appear incapable of induced thermotolerance. Lack of capacity for induced thermotolerance could explain in part the increased sensitivity of 2‐cell embryos to heat shock as compared to embryos at later stages of development. Results also implicate a role for HSP70i in normal development of bovine embryos. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 62: 174–180, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[The Danish Heart Registry--a clinical database].

INTRODUCTION The Danish Heart Registry (DHR) keeps track of all coronary angiographies (CATH), percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and adult heart valve surgery performed in Denmark. DHR is a clinical database established in order to follow the activity and quality of the procedures mentioned. MATERIALS AND METHODS Information concerning each procedure, age, gender, and co-morbidity of the patient was collected. Each patient was followed with respect to survival for 30 days by linkage to the central personal registry in Denmark. Mortality was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and comparisons of 30-day mortality between centres were carried out in Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS The mortality within 30 days after PCI was 3.2% and closely related to the indication for PCI: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) 6.8%; non-STEMI & unstable angina pectoris 1.9% and stable angina pectoris 0.5%. The 30-day mortality after PCI on the indication STEMI did not differ between the five centres, P=0.30. Mortality within 30 days after isolated CABG was 2.6% and was closely related to the EuroSCORE. The 30-day mortality after isolated CABG did not differ between the five centres, P=0.12. CONCLUSION The 30-day mortality was closely related to the indication for PCI and the EuroSCORE for patients undergoing CABG. There were no significant differences in 30-day mortality between centres after either primary PCI or isolated CABG.
Developmental regulation of the membrane properties of central vestibular neurons by sensory vestibular information in the mouse

The effect of the lack of vestibular input on the membrane properties of central vestibular neurons was studied by using a strain of transgenic, vestibular‐deficient mutant KCNE1−/− mice where the hair cells of the inner ear degenerate just after birth. Despite the absence of sensory vestibular input, their central vestibular pathways are intact. Juvenile and adult homozygous mutant have a normal resting posture, but show a constant head bobbing behaviour and display the shaker/waltzer phenotype characterized by rapid bilateral circling during locomotion. In juvenile mice, the KCNE1 mutation was associated with a strong decrease in the expression of the calcium‐binding proteins calbindin, calretinin and parvalbumin within the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and important modifications of the membrane properties of MVN neurons. In adult mice, however, there was almost no difference between the membrane properties of MVN neurons of homozygous and control or heterozygous mutant mice, which have normal inner ear hair cells and show no behavioural symptoms. The expression levels of calbindin and calretinin were lower in adult homozygous mutant animals, but the amount of calcium‐binding proteins expressed in the MVN was much greater than in juvenile mice. These data demonstrate that suppression of sensory vestibular inputs during a ‘sensitive period’ around birth can generate the circling/waltzing behaviour, but that this behaviour is not due to persistent abnormalities of the membrane properties of central vestibular neurons. Altogether, maturation of the membrane properties of central vestibular neurons is delayed, but not impaired by the absence of sensory vestibular information.
Bach1 Represses Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Angiogenesis.

RATIONALE Wnt/β-catenin signaling has an important role in the angiogenic activity of endothelial cells (ECs). Bach1 is a transcription factor and is expressed in ECs, but whether Bach1 regulates angiogenesis is unknown. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the role of Bach1 in angiogenesis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. METHODS AND RESULTS Hind-limb ischemia was surgically induced in Bach1(-/-) mice and their wild-type littermates and in C57BL/6J mice treated with adenoviruses coding for Bach1 or GFP. Lack of Bach1 expression was associated with significant increases in perfusion and vascular density and in the expression of proangiogenic cytokines in the ischemic hindlimb of mice, with enhancement of the angiogenic activity of ECs (eg, tube formation, migration, and proliferation). Bach1 overexpression impaired angiogenesis in mice with hind-limb ischemia and inhibited Wnt3a-stimulated angiogenic response and the expression of Wnt/β-catenin target genes, such as interleukin-8 and vascular endothelial growth factor, in human umbilical vein ECs. Interleukin-8 and vascular endothelial growth factor were responsible for the antiangiogenic response of Bach1. Immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assessments indicated that Bach1 binds directly to TCF4 and reduces the interaction of β-catenin with TCF4. Bach1 overexpression reduces the interaction between p300/CBP and β-catenin, as well as β-catenin acetylation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that Bach1 occupies the TCF4-binding site of the interleukin-8 promoter and recruits histone deacetylase 1 to the interleukin-8 promoter in human umbilical vein ECs. CONCLUSIONS Bach1 suppresses angiogenesis after ischemic injury and impairs Wnt/β-catenin signaling by disrupting the interaction between β-catenin and TCF4 and by recruiting histone deacetylase 1 to the promoter of TCF4-targeted genes.
Reconciling Cladistic and Genetic Analyses in Choreotrichid Ciliates (Ciliophora, Spirotricha, Oligotrichea)

Fifty‐six features of halteriid, oligotrichid, and choreotrichid ciliates are cladistically analysed, including an updated hypothesis about the evolution of the somatic ciliary patterns. Based on its morphology, Lynnella clusters with Parastrombidinopsis, Parastrombidium, and Strombidinopsis, while it is basal to the other choreotrichids in the molecular phylogenies. The two clusters of Favella species in small subunit rRNA gene trees are supported by morphological features, justifying a separation at genus and family level. The genus Favella has a smooth lorica surface and a somatic ciliary pattern comprising a left and lateral ciliary field as well as two dorsal kineties and a monokinetidal ventral kinety abutting on the right ciliary field. The new genus Schmidingerella n. gen., established for the second Favella cluster, groups with Metacylis and Rhabdonella in the molecular trees. It differs from Favella in (i) a lorica wall with reticulate surface ridges and minute openings and (ii) a ventral kinety that is distinctly apart from the right ciliary field and composed of a monokinetidal anterior and a dikinetidal posterior portion. The genera Codonaria, Codonella, and Codonellopsis are affiliated with the family Dictyocystidae, whose diagnosis is improved to include the lorica sac.
Risks, Challenges and Value for Money of Public–Private Partnerships

This study examines the unique issues, challenges and risks emerging at the end of a public-private partnership (PPP) concession. The M4 motorway is the first Australian PPP that has reached the end of its concession. The absence of formal guidance on contractual closure created challenges for the partners in interpreting contract ambiguities, and in reaching agreement on the processes needed to close the contract. These challenges had posed several relational risks, the mitigations of which were supported by the relational contract partners developed over the concession term, and their reciprocity and ethical motivations. The reintegration risk emerged in the handback exemplifies the limits of controls designed for legitimacy concerns to resolve coordination problems. The political settlement for value for money was gestured by lifting the toll after the concession ended. In providing unparalleled empirical evidence to against the long-term ‘myths’ of PPPs, the study counters the criticism over PPPs’ impossibilities to handle uncertainties and to transfer risk.
Sustainable development in synergistic relationship with proambient behavior and fair trade

Resumen— El artículo comprende una aproximación metodológica de corte meta-analítica a partir de diferentes estudios orientados sobre las prácticas culturales de comportamiento proambiental, el comercio justo y el desarrollo sostenible de forma estratégica bajo el marco de una relación sinérgica. En este sentido, se analizan los estudios sobre Consumidor y Medio Ambiente[1]; Preocupación ambiental y modelos ecológicos [2]; Estilos de vida más verdes” [3]; Perfiles de estilos de vida ecológicos [4], Sostenibilidad [5]; Modelo Estructural de las Competencias Proambientales [6]; Percepción, conocimiento y valoración del ambiente [7]; Sociedad y Medio Ambiente [8]; Comportamiento Proambiental [9]; Antecedentes motivacionales y cognitivos de la conducta proambiental; Behavioral Perspective Model; Consumo Inteligente; Comportamiento Proambiental [10]; Educación para el consumo sostenible [11]; Consumo sustentable de servicios Públicos [11][12]; Comportamiento proambiental, consumo responsable y desarrollo sostenible [13]; Promoción de Conductas Proambientales [14]; Modelos de autoeficacia y habilidades ambientales [15]; Prácticas culturales de comportamiento proambiental [16] y el Modelo de Valoración Multidimensional del Pensamiento Económico [17] entre otros. Los resultados del meta-análisis se orientan a la necesidad de promover programas de promoción de estilos de vida proambiental, unido al desarrollo de sistemas de monitoreo y seguimiento de los tratados internacionales y las políticas de desarrollo nacional en la construcción permanente del desarrollo sostenible.
Assessing consistent treatment effect in a multi‐regional clinical trial: a systematic review

A key issue in multi‐regional clinical trials (MRCTs) is how to assess the consistency of treatment effect across regions, although there is no a priori reason to believe that the treatment effect should vary across the regions. In this article, we define the research question as an assessment of overall consistency across all regions for which all regions are considered equally important. This is different from the region/country‐specific analyses (e.g. US vs Non‐US), which are frequently requested by local regulatory agencies and usually performed for multiple agencies. We provide a systematic review of methods that may potentially be used for assessing consistency across regions, including commonly used quantitative/qualitative interaction tests, Japanese Pharmaceutical Medical Device Agency (PMDA) Methods 1 & 2, and those proposed for different purposes (e.g. bridging studies, meta‐analysis, and vaccine lot consistency, among others). These methods are classified into three groups: global methods, multivariate quantitative methods, and multivariate qualitative methods. A case study is used to illustrate these methods. We also provide recommendations on how to choose appropriate methods and incorporate them in the study design. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An ESL Approach for Energy Consumption Analysis of Cache Memories in SoC Platforms

The design of complex circuits as SoCs presents two great challenges to designers. One is the speeding up of system functionality modeling and the second is the implementation of the system in an architecture that meets performance and power consumption requirements. Thus, developing new high-level specification mechanisms for the reduction of the design effort with automatic architecture exploration is a necessity. This paper proposes an Electronic-System-Level (ESL) approach for system modeling and cache energy consumption analysis of SoCs called PCacheEnergy Analyzer. It uses as entry a high-level UML-2.0 profile model of the system and it generates a simulation model of a multicore platform that can be analyzed for cache tuning. PCacheEnergyAnalyzer performs static/dynamic energy consumption analysis of caches on platforms that may have different processors. Architecture exploration is achieved by letting designers choose different processors for platform generation and different mechanisms for cache optimization. PCacheEnergy Analyzer has been validated with several applications of Mibench, Mediabench, and PowerStone benchmarks, and results show that it provides analysis with reduced simulation effort
Effectiveness of Private Caches in Multiprocessor Systems with Parallel-Pipelined Memories

A possible design alternative for improving the performance of a multiprocessor system is to insert a private cache between each processor and the shared memory. The caches act as high-speed buffers by reducing the effective memory access time, and affect the delays caused by memory conflicts. In this paper, we study the effectiveness of caches in a multiprocessor system. The shared memory is pipelined and interleaved to improve the block transfer rate, and it assumes a two-dimensional organization, previously studied under random and word access. An approximate model is developed to estimate the processor utilization and the speed-up improvement provided by the caches.