Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How much delta does your kappa make to my patients? Putting the SYNTAX score into clinical context

At the same time that most of us are drowning in data [1], we continue to starve for wisdom. In this world of sound bytes, talking points, and quick fixes, quantitative scoring systems seem to feel more ‘‘objective’’ or more ‘‘evidence based. ’’ It seems clear that checklists can help us remember to do important things in the midst of a hectic case or a busy day; however, a scoring system is only as useful, valid, and reproducible as each of its component parts. What we strive for is improved decision making in the service of improved patient outcomes [2]. With every piece of clinical data and with every type of clinical study, there are assumptions and limitations [3].
Aspects of data reception in a high performance RFID reader

A new RFID reader for the 13.56 MHz carrier frequency was developed in the framework of the collaboration between Freaquent Frosch Electronics (FE) and the first author. The reader is intended to cover the standards ISO/IEC FDIS 18000 [1], ISO/IEC FCD 15693 [2] and to provide long-range reading as well as inventory of large collections of tags. The reader features a class E switching power amplifier in the transmission path and several means for achieving a high quality signal in the reception path. Our paper will be focused on the procedures we developed for processing, storing and decoding the signal received from tags.
Determination of the ruminal escape value and duodenal amino acid flow of rapeseed meal.

A 4 x 4 Latin square metabolism trial was conducted to evaluate protein escape potential, duodenal amino acid (AA) flows, and ruminal digestion effects of rapeseed meal (RSM) when fed with non-endophyte-infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) hay. Four Holstein steers (average BW = 400 +/- 6.5 kg), each equipped with ruminal and duodenal cannulas, were fed twice daily at 0700 and 1900. Protein supplements compared with RSM, soybean meal (SBM), blood meal (BM), and a negative control based on urea (U). Diets were formulated to contain 14% CP. Rapeseed meal-supplemented steers had lower (P < .01) ruminal NDF and OM digestibilities than steers fed SBM. Based on in situ data, the lower NDF, DM, and OM digestibilities that occurred when RSM was fed than when SBM and BM were fed were possibly due to the reduced digestibility of the hulls in the RSM. Ruminal pH was not different (P > .05) among treatments. Blood meal supplementation decreased (P < .01) ruminal and total tract CP digestibilities compared to all other supplements. Ruminal liquid and particulate passage rates were not changed (P > .05) by supplement source. Urea supplementation resulted in the highest (P < .01) ruminal ammonia concentration, whereas BM supplementation resulted in the lowest ruminal ammonia concentration (P < .01). Blood meal resulted in greater (P < .01) dietary protein flow to the duodenum than the other treatments. However, microbial efficiencies, as well as microbial DM and protein flows to the duodenum were not different (P > .05) among treatments. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Tourism on organic farms in South Korea: a new form of ecotourism≟

This exploratory research examines the potential of organic farms in South Korea to enable a distinct form of environmentally sustainable tourism. Case studies involving in-depth interviews with three organic farms and content analysis of the websites of 38 organic farms offering tourism-related activities were conducted. An analytical framework using key ecotourism principles was developed to guide an evaluation of activities and practices on the farms. Organic farmers in the study were concerned about ecological conditions on their land, possessed close ties to that land, and employed related knowledge to help preserve natural habitat and minimize adverse environmental impacts. Social–cultural gains were evident, for both visitors and local inhabitants. It is argued that this type of tourism on organic farms may be a potentially new form of ecotourism (eco-organic farm tourism). The study suggests that ecotourism principles may be usefully applied as a guiding sustainability paradigm for small scale, organic farms engaging in tourism. This new tourism type can be employed as a strategy for facilitating sustainable agriculture, local development, social–cultural and environmental conservation, wellbeing, and learning. Further research needs to be carried out both in Korea and elsewhere to develop this eco-organic farm tourism concept.
Cytokeratins and cell differentiation in the pancreas

Keratins, or cytokeratins, represent a family of more than 20 different polypeptides which are important markers of epithelial cell differentiation. This review deals with the use of keratin immunohistochemistry in the study of pancreatic cell differentiation. Exocrine acinar cells and endocrine islet cells are well‐differentiated cells which express the keratin combination 8 and 18, whereas the less‐differentiated cells of the ductal tree are characterized by the additional expression of keratin 7, keratin 19, and, in the rat, keratin 20. Keratin expression is stable and can be used for cell identification after isolation and culture, and in clinical or experimental injury. The intercalated ductal cells and centroacinar cells are inconspicuous unless specific immunohistochemical markers, such as keratins, are used. In conditions where there is morphogenetic differentiation such as in fetal life, or where transdifferentiation is occurring, keratins have been used to trace the origin and fate of pancreatic cells. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parental psychiatric disorder: effects on children

Synopsis A 4-year prospective study was undertaken of the families of 137 newly referred English speaking psychiatric patients with children at home aged under 15 years. The group comprised a representative sample of such patients living in one inner London borough. Teacher questionnaires were obtained yearly for all children of school age in the families, and for age-, sex- and classroom-matched controls. Detailed standardized interviews were undertaken yearly with parent-patients and with their spouses. A comparison was also made with a control group of families in the general population with 10-year-old children. Patients' families differed in terms of a higher rate of psychiatric disorder in spouses and a much higher level of family discord. Both parental mental disorder and marital discord tended to persist over the 4-year period, but persistence of both was much more marked when the parent had a personality disorder. The children of psychiatric patients had an increased rate of persistent emotional/behavioural disturbance, which tended to involve disorders of conduct. The psychiatric risk to the children was greatest in the case of personality disorders associated with high levels of exposure to hostile behaviour. Boys showing temperamental risk features were most vulnerable to the ill-effects associated with parental mental disorder.
Does China's Rural Cooperative Medical System Achieve its Goals? Evidence from the China Health Surveillance Baseline Survey in 2001

The Chinese government is in the process of providing health insurance to the uninsured rural population by expanding the rural Cooperative Medical System (CMS) to every rural county. Using the China Health Surveillance Baseline Survey in 2001, we conducted a case study on two CMS pilot programs and investigated whether or not enrolling in these CMS pilot programs has led to an increase in health care utilization and a decrease in the likelihood of catastrophic health spending for rural residents. Matched data sets are produced using propensity score and the instrumental variable (IV) method is used. We have found that the CMS pilot programs have had a significant and positive effect on the probability of seeking medical care and the number of visits. However, the CMS programs did not seem to have had a significant impact on households' out‐of‐pocket health expenditure and on reducing catastrophic spending. The findings generated from the matched data are consistent with those obtained from the full set of data and those obtained from the IV method.
The scalable processor architecture (SPARC)

An introduction is given to the SPARC architecture and its more interesting features. The discussion covers the registers (both window and floating-point), and instructions, including formats, load/store, integer computation, control transfer, floating-point computation, and coprocessor. A brief comparison with Berkeley RISC (reduced-instruction-set-computer) and SOAR is provided. <<ETX>>
Innervation regulates synaptic ribbons in lateral line mechanosensory hair cells

ABSTRACT Failure to form proper synapses in mechanosensory hair cells, the sensory cells responsible for hearing and balance, leads to deafness and balance disorders. Ribbons are electron-dense structures that tether synaptic vesicles to the presynaptic zone of mechanosensory hair cells where they are juxtaposed with the post-synaptic endings of afferent fibers. They are initially formed throughout the cytoplasm, and, as cells mature, ribbons translocate to the basolateral membrane of hair cells to form functional synapses. We have examined the effect of post-synaptic elements on ribbon formation and maintenance in the zebrafish lateral line system by observing mutants that lack hair cell innervation, wild-type larvae whose nerves have been transected and ribbons in regenerating hair cells. Our results demonstrate that innervation is not required for initial ribbon formation but suggest that it is crucial for regulating the number, size and localization of ribbons in maturing hair cells, and for ribbon maintenance at the mature synapse. Summary: Hearing and balance rely on mechanosensory hair cell synaptogenesis. Our data shows that innervation is crucial for formation of ribbons, the scaffolding structures that tether synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic site of hair cells.
Earnings of Hispanic Men: The Role of English Language Proficiency

The size and rapid growth of the Hispanic population in the United States raise many questions about the effects of language on the process of economic assimilation. This paper uses data on earnings for 1975 to explore the role of English language proficiency in the assimilation of Hispanic men into the U.S. labor market. The results are strong: differences associated with English language skills explain virtually all of the Hispanic wage differences usually attributed to ethnicity, national origin, and time in the United States. The analysis is completed by relating the measure of English language proficiency to assimilation-related variables.
Monte carlo inversion of ultrasonic array data to map anisotropic weld properties

The quality of an ultrasonic array image depends on accurate information about its acoustic properties. Inaccurate acoustic properties can cause image degradation such as blurring, mislocation of reflectors, and the introduction of artifacts. In this paper, for the specific case of an inhomogeneous and anisotropic austenitic steel weld, Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) inversion is used to estimate unknown acoustic properties from array data. The approach uses active beacons that transmit ultrasound through the anisotropic weld; the ultrasound is then captured by a receiving array. A forward model of the ultrasonic array data is then optimized with respect to the experimental data using an MCMC inversion. The result of this process is the extraction of a material property map that describes the anisotropy distribution within the weld region. These extracted material properties are then used within an imaging algorithm - the total focusing method in this paper - to produce autofocused images. This MCMC inversion approach is first applied to simulated data to test the convergence, robustness, and accuracy of the method and its implementation. The extracted weld map is used to show improved imaging of defects within the weld, relative to an image formed assuming a constant velocity. Finally, the MCMC inversion approach is used on experimental data from a 110-mm-thick steel plate containing an austenitic weld. Here the extracted weld map is used to show that defect location errors of greater than 5 mm are reduced to around 2 mm when the extracted weld map is used.
Organizational Culture and Climate

Our focus is on organizational culture and climate and the role that these constructs play in understanding individual as well as collective attitudes, behavior, and performance. We begin with the assumption that both constructs rest upon the notion of shared meanings or a shared understanding of aspects of the organizational context. Climate is defined as a perceptually based description of the what the organization is like in terms of practices, policies, procedures, and routines while culture helps define the underlying reasons and mechanisms for why these things occur in an organization based on fundamental ideologies, assumptions, values, and artifacts. The first half of the chapter provides a comprehensive review of the culture and climate literatures. The second half is framed around a multilevel model that integrates culture and climate through the linking mechanism of organizational structure, practices, and policies. This discussion elucidates a set of mechanisms that foster the emergence of organizational culture and climate and highlights the impact of weak emergent processes on individual and organizational outcomes. We then discuss the topic of culture and climate change and conclude by reviewing directions for future research. Keywords: emergent processes; levels of analysis; organizational climate; organizational culture; shared perceptions
Nicotinic and muscarinic ACh receptors in rhythmically active spinal neurones in the Xenopus laevis embryo.

1. Intracellular recordings were made from presumed motoneurones in the Xenopus embryo spinal cord, and their response to cholinergic agents was investigated. Nicotine and 1,1‐dimethyl‐4‐phenylpiperazinium (DMPP; both 1‐10 microM) strongly depolarized, and muscarine and oxotremorine (2‐20 microM) weakly hyperpolarized, these neurones. Tetrodotoxin (1 microM), which blocks action potentials in Xenopus neurones, did not affect either of these responses. 2. The extrapolated reversal potential of the nicotinic depolarization was ‐12.1 +/‐ 8.3 mV (mean +/‐ S.E.M.) suggesting the opening of a mixed conductance. The nicotinic response was antagonized by dihydro‐beta‐erythroidine, d‐tubocurarine and mecamylamine (10‐20 microM) but not by alpha‐bungarotoxin (10 microM). 3. The muscarinic response was not reversed when recorded with electrodes filled with potassium chloride but was antagonized by atropine (0.1 microM). 4. Acetylcholine (ACh, 10 microM) caused a strong depolarization of the neurones which was blocked by d‐tubocurarine and dihydro‐beta‐erythroidine, suggesting that its effects are mediated predominantly by nicotinic ACh receptors. 5. ACh and nicotinic agonists applied to the spinal cord produced a barrage of IPSPs that were blocked by TTX and strychnine.
Neoliberal Global Remedies: From Speculative-Led Growth to IMF-Led Crisis in Turkey

Turkey experienced a severe economic and political crisis in November 2000, and again in February 2001. The IMF has been involved with the macro management of the Turkish economy both prior to and after the crisis, and provided financial assistance of $20.4 billion, net, between 1999 and 2003. The official stance is that the crisis was the result of the failure of the public sector to maintain the austerity targets and the failure to fully implement the free market rationale of globalization. I argue in this article, however, that contrary to the official wisdom, the current economic and political crisis is not the end result of a set of technical errors or administrative mismanagement unique to Turkey, but is the result of a series of pressures emanating from the process of integration with the global capital markets. I document the fragility indicators of the Turkish financial and fiscal system, and show that the IMF program led to an increase in vulnerability of the financial system throughout 2000-2001. I further argue that the recent wave of structural reforms destined for stability and credibility serve, in fact, mainly the interests of foreign finance capital, and primarily aim at securing the debt obligations of the Turkish arbiters.
Multi-generational innovation diffusion modelling: a two dimensional approach

Majority of the consumer durables have multiple technological generations. High technology product comes in new generation where a new innovation offers a significant improvement in performance or benefits over the previous generation. New innovation in the market does not immediately replace the previous one that it intends to substitute, but starts to compete with it. This creates a sequence of parallel diffusions of the existing generational products in the market. In this paper, we develop a two-dimensional multigenerational innovation diffusion model which combines the adoption time of technological diffusion and price of the technology product. The proposed model helps in studying the marketing dynamics of the products which comes in generations. Technological adoptions and the role of the other dimensions are explicitly taken into consideration using Cobb-Douglas function. Empirical implications of the proposed model have been validated on data collected from DRAM (Semiconductor Industry DRAM shipments of six generations) in two plans.
Assessing the Impact of a Geriatric Clinical Skills Day on Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Geriatrics

Background The aging population requires an improvement in physicians’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills, regardless of their specialty. This study aimed to identify attitude changes of University of Toronto pre-clerkship medical students towards geriatrics after participation in a Geriatric Clinical Skills Day (GCSD). Methods This was a before and after study. The GCSD consisted of one large and four small interactive, inter-professional geriatric medicine workshops facilitated by various health professionals. A questionnaire, including the validated UCLA Geriatrics Attitudes Scale, was administered to participating pre-clerkship medical students before and after the GCSD. A one-sample t-test and signed rank parametric test were used to determine attitude changes. Results 42.1% indicated an interest in Geriatric Medicine, 26.3% in Geriatric Psychiatry, and 63.2% in working with elderly patients. Both pre- and post-mean scores were greater than 3 (neutral), indicating a positive attitude before and after the intervention (p < .001). There was no significant difference in the change in mean total scores (signed rank test p ≥ .12, Student’s t-test p > .11). Conclusions The GCSD did not alter pre-clerkship students’ attitudes towards geriatrics. This study adds to geriatric medical education research and warrants further investigation in a larger, multi-centred trial.
Recurrent Devaluation and Speculative Attacks on the Mexican Peso

We generate an empirical method aimed at predicting the timing and magnitude of devaluations forced by speculative attacks on fixed exchange rate systems. Using the Mexican experience as an example, we produce time-series estimates of the one-period-ahead probability of devaluation, the expected value of the new fixed exchange rate, and the confidence interval of the forecasted exchange rate. The results of the empirical exercise are encouraging. Devaluations, both in and out of sample, did occur when "predicted" by the model. Furthermore, the probabilities of devaluation reached relatively high values prior to actual devaluations.
A new CAVLC algorithm for higher bit compression by introducing the concept of Position Coding of the coefficients in H.264/AVC

In this paper we propose a new Context-based Adaptive Variable Length Coding (CAVLC) algorithm by introducing the concept of Position Coding of the coefficients in the incoming quantized transformed sequences in H.264/AVC. The proposed algorithm removes the necessity of coding for two steps - Run Before and Total Zeros from the conventional CAVLC and thereby making it capable of achieving higher bit compression than the conventional one. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves 15.35% better bit compression compared to the conventional CAVLC.
Transition from Grid Connected Mode to Islanded Mode in VSI fed Microgrids

This paper investigates the behaviour of a microgrid system during transition from grid connected mode to islanded mode of operation. A sample system consisting of two inverter interfaced distributed generators (DGs) and one local load is considered. A systematic approach for modelling the sources has been presented. The control schemes are developed for both grid connected and islanded mode of operation. A PLL based synchronization scheme is used during grid connected mode. During islanded mode a droop control based strategy is used to ensure proper load sharing among DGs. A passive island detection scheme is used to detect an island and facilitate the transition from grid connected mode to islanded mode. Two kinds of transition schemes are discussed and a comparative study is presented for various step changes in the load. Keywords—Distributed Generation, d-q axis current Control, Droop Control, Island Detection.
When does Huntington's disease begin?

Recent studies have detected basal ganglia atrophy in clinically asymptomatic persons with the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's disease (HD). Whether reductions in caudate and putamen volume on MRI scans are associated with changes in cognitive and neurologic functioning was examined in 13 healthy adults with the IT-15 mutation. Reduced striatal volume was found to correlate with greater neurologic (largely motor) impairment, slower mental processing speed, and poorer verbal learning, although none of the participants met even liberal criteria for clinical diagnosis of HD. These correlations are strikingly similar to those observed in symptomatic HD patients, possibly reflecting the earliest manifestations of disease. (JINS, 1998, 4, 467–473.)
A National Micro-Data Based Model of Residential Electricity Demand: New Evidence on Seasonal Variation

Building on earlier estimates of electricity demand, the author estimates elasticities by month to determine differences between heating and cooling seasons. He develops a three equation model of residential electricity demand that includes all the main components of economic theory. The model generates seasonal elasticity estimates that generally support economic theory. Based on the model using a national current household data set (monthly division), the evidence indicates there is a seasonal pattern for price elasticity of demand. While less pronounced, there also appears to be seasonal patterns for cross-price elasticity of alternative fuels, for the elasticity of appliance stock index, and for an intensity of use variable.
Complex chromosomal rearrangements associated with congenital erythrophagocytotic histiocytosis

We describe a patient with a congenital malignant blood disorder and a constitutional de novo chromosomal rearrangement that includes four breakpoints. By conventional cytogenetic analysis an obviously reciprocal balanced translocation with the breakpoints 1p36 and 5q11.2 was diagnosed. Due to a suspicious dark band in the breakpoint area of 1p a more detailed analysis of the breakpoints was performed using microdissection and reverse chromosome painting. This revealed a small inversion at 1p36 that must have occurred prior to the reciprocal translocation. The three breakpoints in chromosome 1 (1p36.11, 1p36.21 and 1p36.31) are within or close by regions known to contain tumor suppressor genes. The chromosomal rearrangement might have resulted either in a submicroscopic deletion, in loss of heterozygosity of one or more imprinted genes, or in gene position effects as possible explanations for the clinical course of our patient.