Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated with Surgical Wound Infection in Patients for Elective Clean Surgery at the “Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia” Hospital, Costa Rica

Aim: Hospital surgical wound infection (SWI) is one of the three most frequent causes of nosocomial infection worldwide, leading to high social and medical costs. This study aims to identify and quantify risk factors for SWI in a Costa Rican hospital. Methods: A cohort study of 488 elective patients operated between April and June 2006. The patients were divided in 2 groups: those in which operating room traffic was restricted, group A, and those in which it was not, group B. The statistical analysis was performed in 2 major phases: descriptive and analytical. In the first one, frequency measures (absolute and relative) were calculated; and the second one was carried out in 2 stages; both of them through unconditional logistic regression, univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: An overall incidence of 35.2 % (172/488) of SWI was found. The cumulative incidence in the unexposed was 31.8% (76/239), while in those exposed, it was 38.6% (96/249) (p=0.12). Only organ and bone/joint surgery presented a higher risk of SWI (OR 2.42; 95% CI:1.5-3.8), surgeries in unrestricted traffic rooms and diabetes had no association with the infection. Conclusion: Diabetes and depth of surgery should be taken into account in the profile of patients with increased risk of suffering SWI; furthermore, even though there was no epidemiological association between restricted operating room traffic and not restricted, and SWI, although the difference in incidence of SWI, was not statistically significant, it is advisable to restrict the transit of persons in operating rooms, according to international standards.
HEAT-INDUCED DEGRADATION KINETICS OF MONOMERIC ANTHOCYANINS AND COLOR OF POMEGRANATE (PUNICA GRANATUM L.) CONCENTRATE

The aim of present study is to analyze physicochemical properties and to investigate thermal degradation kinetics of anthocyanins and color of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) concentrates (40.66 °Brix) heating at 60, 70 and 80°C. Titratable acidity, pH, total phenolic matter and total antioxidant activity of pomegranate concentrates were determined as 1.18 % (as percent citric acid), 3.02, 1190 mg GAE/L and 94 % reduction, respectively. Pomegranate concentrate has initial 1101 mg/L monomeric anthocyanin content and decrease in anthocyanin content was 47.9 %, 66.9 % and 82.5 % for heating at 60, 70, 80 °C, respectively. Anthocyanin degradation showed first-order reaction kinetics and activation energy, Ea, was calculated as 52.27 kj/mol between 60-80°C (R=0.9973). Change in TCD* was 0.78, 0.91 and 1.01 heating at 60, 70, 80 °C, respectively and TCD* was fitted to zero-order, first-order and combined kinetics model.
CONSuMER PREFERENCES FOR EXtRA vIRGIN OLIvE OIL WItH PROtECtED DESIGNAtION OF ORIGIN ( PDO ) ballco

Olive oil is one of the main components of the Mediterranean diet1, considered worldwide as one of the healthiest food diets. The consumption of olive oil provides important health benefits because it has been clinically proven that decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke (kolata, 2013), reduces cholesterol, and prevents cancer mortality (Lopez-Miranda et al., 2010). As result, the consumption of olive oil has increased not only in producing countries (Mediterranean) but also in non-producing countries. However, the trends in consumption differed between them because in non-producing countries, the consumption has enormously increase since low levels, while in Mediterranean countries, consumption was relatively high but it has been a shift towards the consumption of higher quality olive oils. In particular, extra virgin olive oil and olive oil with some quality differentiations have faced an increase of consumption in Mediterranean countries such as Spain. One of the quality differentiations that have received increasing attention by consumers and producers is the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) indication. Several empirical papers on olive oil consumption focused on analyzing the consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and, in particular, extra virgin olive oil with PDO (fotopoulus and kristalis, 2001; Van der Lans et al., 2001; Scarpa and Del giudice, 2004; Espejel et al., 2008; Menapace et al., 2011; Erraach et al., 2014; yangui et al., 2014). They found that apart from the price that it is an important attribute for consumers, the origin of the olive oil, mainly, the Protected Designation of Origin is of great importance. This paper analyses consumers’ preferences for extra virgin olive oil in one Spanish region and assesses their willingness to pay (WTP) using a real choice experiment to mitigate possible hypothetical bias. In particular, preferences for two origin of production attributes are evaluated the geographical origin and the PDO indication. Error Component Random Parameter Logit model (EC RPL) was used to estimate the effect of the attributes on consumers’ utility and derive their WTP.
Organizational characteristics and market orientation of curd industry of Kanthalai: a managerial perspective

The objective of the study is to see the impact of organizational characteristics on the market orientation and to determine the level of market orientation of the curd manufacturing organizations in Kanthalai Region. The study used primary data collected though questionnaires from the proprietors and owners of curd businesses . The relationships were determined using multiple regression statistical techniques Researchers investigated the seven organizational factors namely owners’ emphasis on market orientation, owners’ attitude towards the risk taking, in terdepartmental connectedness, conflict, formalization, centralization, market based rewards system as the independent variables and market orientation as dependent variable. Owner’s emphasis on market orientation, managers’ attitudes towards risk, interdepartmental connectedness, conflict within the organization and market based reward system are very important organizational characteristics that lead to market orientation. According to this study, these characteristics are not supported by curd businesses firms in the Kanthalai region and they are not market oriented.
Face Detection CUDA Accelerating

Face detection is very useful and important for many different disciplines. Even for our future work, where the face detection will be used, we wanted to determine, whether it is advantageous to use the technology CUDA for detection faces. First, we implemented the Viola and Jones algorithm in the basic one-thread CPU version. Then the basic application is widened to the multi-thread CPU version. Finally, the face detection algorithm is also implemented for the GPU using CUDA technology. At the end, final programs are compared and the results are presented in this paper. For our future plans, the speed-up of face detection is very important. By supporting CUDA technology, the process of the face detection showed considerable speed-up. Keywords-CUDA; GPU; Face Detection; Viola and Jones algorithm
L 2 Learners ’ Strategy Preference in Metaphorical Test Performance : Effects of Working Memory and Cognitive Style

Although investigating the factors that influence test scores is important, a majority of stakeholders show a paucity of attention towards individual learner differences due to having large classes of L2 learners. This study sought to explore the possible effect of working memory and cognitive style on L2 learners’ metaphorical test performance. The study was conducted in 2 phases. The first phase was quantitative, and the second consisted of a series of case studies using “think-aloud protocol” and “retrospection. ” In the statistical phase, aimed at shedding light on the effect of the cognitive style of field (in)dependence (FI/FD) on metaphorical test performance, 80 senior undergraduates majoring in English Translation were selected through a truncated test of TOEFL adopted from Barron (2004). Metaphorical test performance was analyzed through recognition, text-based true-false, and scripturally implicit questions, refined by conducting factor analysis. Moreover, the participants’ cognitive style of FI/FD was identified via GEFT. In the qualitative part, after analyzing the verbal reports of 8 informants, the participants’ strategy preferences were examined. Results revealed the impact of the cognitive style of FI/FD and working memory on the participants’ strategy preferences. Due to the advent of learner-centered approaches, this study has some implications for L2 pedagogy discussed in the paper.
Acceleration response spectrum of a long span floor under human walking loads

This paper investigates acceleration response spectrum of long-span floor under humanwalking load. Three hundred and twenty experimentally obtained walking load curves havebeen numerically applied to a long-span floor to calculate the 10-second root-mean-square(RMS) acceleration response spectrum, for which a simplified mathematical model has beenproposed. The effects of higher vibration modes, boundary condition, floor span, stride lengthand damping ratio on the spectrum have been studied and corresponding modificationmeasures have been suggested. The suggested spectrum has been validated by comparing thepredicted response with measured responses on an as-built long-span floor.
Towards a Transition to Tangible Commerce : Design and Evaluation of Conversational Product Interfaces

Ubiquitous computing technologies disclose new means for consumer product designs that allow products to adapt their behaviour and in particular communication to consumer needs and to interact with other products. In this sense, products become smart. Dialogues between products and consumers require new communicative product interfaces. Because unprecedented, we investigate an implementation of a dialogue- based product interface that is virtually bound to a product via a mobile recommendation agent (MRA) on a PDA and thus reuses knowledge learned by mobile applications. The dialog system of the MRA is tested with the system usability scale (SUS) for a global assessment of its usability to obtain product information (N=47). This preliminary study resulted in promising SUS scores as well as valuable qualitative feedback for future work.
SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION AND FORCED DEGRADATION STUDIES OF AMILORIDE HYDROCHLORIDE AND FUROSEMIDE IN A PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORM USING REVERSE-PHASE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY METHOD

Objective: The present study describes the stability indicating reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for simultaneous estimation of amiloride hydrochloride and furosemide in pharmaceutical dosage forms.Methods: The proposed RP-HPLC method was developed using Shimadzu LC-2030 HPLC system equipped with UV detector, and chromatographic separation was carried on Shim-pack C18 (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μ) column at a flow rate of 1 ml/min and the runtime was 4min. The mobile phase consisted of water and acetonitrile in the ratio of 35:65, and elements were scanned using a UV detector at 281 nm.Results: The retention time of amiloride hydrochloride and furosemide was found to be 1.92 min and 3.14min, respectively. Linearity was found to be 12–28 ppm for amiloride hydrochloride and 96–224 ppm for furosemide, respectively. Limit of detection and limit of quantification for amiloride hydrochloride were 0.381 ppm and 1.156 ppm and for furosemide were 2.00 ppm and 6.068 ppm, respectively.Conclusion: The stability indicating method was developed by subjecting the drugs to stress conditions such as acid and base hydrolysis, oxidation, humidity, photolytic, and thermal degradation, and the degraded products formed were resolved successfully from the samples.
Monitoring, reporting and verification for national REDD + programmes: two proposals

Different options have been suggested by Parties to the UNFCCC (United Framework Convention on Climate Change) for inclusion in national approaches to REDD and REDD + (reduced deforestation, reduced degradation, enhancement of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forest, and conservation of forest carbon stocks). This paper proposes that from the practical and technical points of view of designing action for REDD and REDD + at local and sub-national level, as well as from the point of view of the necessary MRV (monitoring, reporting and verification), these should be grouped into three categories: conservation, which is rewarded on the basis of no changes in forest stock, reduced deforestation, in which lowered rates of forest area loss are rewarded, and positive impacts on carbon stock changes in forests remaining forest, which includes reduced degradation, sustainable management of forest of various kinds, and forest enhancement. Thus we have moved degradation, which conventionally is grouped with deforestation, into the forest management group reported as areas remaining forest land, with which it has, in reality, and particularly as regards MRV, much more in common. Secondly, in the context of the fact that REDD/REDD + is to take the form of a national or near-national approach, we argue that while systematic national monitoring is important, it may not be necessary for REDD/REDD + activities, or for national MRV, to be started at equal levels of intensity all over the country. Rather, areas where interventions seem easiest to start may be targeted, and here data measurements may be more rigorous (Tier 3), for example based on stakeholder self-monitoring with independent verification, while in other, untreated areas, a lower level of monitoring may be pursued, at least in the first instance. Treated areas may be targeted for any of the three groups of activities (conservation, reduced deforestation, and positive impact on carbon stock increases in forest remaining forest).
Improving Population Health Measurement in National Household Surveys: A Simulation Study of the Sample Design of the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions of the People on Health and Welfare in Japan

Background The Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions of the People on Health and Welfare (CSLC) is a major source of health data in Japan. The CSLC is not strictly based on probabilistic sampling, but instead uses an equal allocation of sample clusters to yield equal standard errors of estimates across prefectures. This study compared the performance of this sample design in measuring population health with that of an alternative probabilistic sampling approach. Methods A simulation analysis was conducted using hypothetical population data (n = 34 262 865) from which 1000 sample datasets were randomly drawn using 2 sampling methods, namely, a conventional stratified random sampling of a constant number of clusters and an alternative 2-stage cluster sampling of households with probability proportional to size. The root mean squared error was used to measure the accuracy of estimated means of a continuous variable and proportions of its dichotomized variable. Results The alternative method reduced the variability of estimates in the total population and by strata. It improved further with an increased number of sample clusters in conjunction with a reduced sampling rate of households from selected clusters. Conclusions The alternative sample design increased the overall accuracy of population estimates of continuous and dichotomous variables from the CSLC. These benefits should be carefully weighed against the costs incurred in traveling to additional clusters in large prefectures. Further simulation research is necessary to investigate the performance of sampling designs for nominal and ordinal response variables.
Evolution of drainage system morphology at a land‐terminating Greenlandic outlet glacier

The influence of meltwater on the dynamics and geomorphic impact of the Greenland Ice Sheet is strongly controlled by the morphology of the ice sheet's drainage system. However, this system and its evolution through the melt season remain poorly understood. Here we present the results of an intensive programme of dye tracing experiments undertaken along the lower 14 km of a land‐terminating Greenlandic outlet glacier over a period of four months during the 2010 melt season. These data are interpreted in conjunction with observations of proglacial discharge, englacial water storage, surface melt rates and ice velocity to produce a detailed picture of the changing hydrology of the glacier. Following the onset of melt in the spring, inputs to the drainage system regularly exceed outputs, causing the englacial water level to rise to the ice sheet surface. During this time there is a rapid transition from distributed to channelized drainage in those parts of the drainage system closed by ice deformation over winter. As the melt season progresses, channel efficiency increases and englacial storage and ice velocity decrease. High‐velocity events continue to be observed following the channelization of the drainage system however, indicating that hydrological forcing of ice velocity occurs despite the existence of channels during periods when meltwater inputs exceed the capacity of the subglacial drainage system.
At what level of corruption does economic growth decrease?

With reference to the grease-the-wheels hypothesis, the impact of corruption on growth seems ambiguous. Therefore, the questions to be addressed are to what extent corruption can be tolerated and at what threshold it has a detrimental effect on an economy. In this article, we examine the impact of corruption on economic growth by testing the hypothesis that the relationship between these two variables is nonlinear and by assessing the veracity of the assumption that corruption is always detrimental to economic growth. In this article, a panel data analysis has been used to examine 88 countries over the 1984 to 2011 period. The findings indicate that beyond an optimal threshold, both high and low corruption levels can decrease economic growth. Under this optimal threshold, a moderate level of corruption, defined by the point of reversal of the curve of the marginal corruption effect on growth, could have advantages for economic growth.
Aspects génétiques de la constitution de populations d'élevage destinées au repeuplement

Le développement d'une pol i t ique de repeuplement implique la créat ion et l 'entretien de s tocks de reproducteurs en captivi té. L' intervention de la génétique dans ce domaine est généralement envisagée sous l'angle de l 'amél iorat ion d e s p e r f o r m a n c e s , par sélect ion, croisement ou manipu la t ions diverses. Par contre, la nécessité de mettre en place une g e s t i o n g é n é t i q u e d e s s t o c k s , même en l 'absence d'object i fs d'améliorat ion clairement identifiés, est souvent méconnue. Il nous a donc semblé nécessaire de développer ce thème, en montrant en part icul ier en quo i divers aspects de la génét ique peuvent intervenir dans la création de ces stocks. Deux cas seront dist ingués : — l 'échant i l lonnage à partir d 'une seule populat ion source, — la créat ion de stocks composi tes à partir de plusieurs populat ions. Enf in , nous examinerons dans une troisième partie les problèmes liés à la conservat ion de ces stocks en captivi té pendant plusieurs générations.
Indoor and Built Environment , 2002 vol . 11 : 191-201 EXPOSURE TO CARBON MONOXIDE IN ENCLOSED MULTI LEVEL PARKING GARAGES IN CENTRAL ATHENS URBAN

This study is a first attempt concerning the estimation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels in enclosed parking garages in the Athens urban area. Indoor air monitoring was conducted on randomly selected days, in autumn 1999, at six downtown-enclosed garages. In each garage, different sites were chosen in relation to garage configuration for the monitoring of CO levels and all sites were monitored concurrently. A portable, electrochemical CO monitor (Solomat’s MPM4100), was used to record the CO concentration every 15 seconds. It was found that there are excesses to short and long term exposure limits to CO. The results showed that CO levels varied significantly over site, time and day of measurement. Mean exit site/inside site ratios of CO levels ranged from 0,2 to 0,8. Indoor CO concentration patterns at different sites are discussed and the main variables affecting CO levels are explained. Descriptive statistics and graphical displays are presented. Indoor and Built Environment, 2002 vol. 11: 191-20
Review on Common Microbiological Contamination Found in Hospital Air

Common microbial contamination inside hospital air occurs due to the presence of different kinds of microorganisms like fungi, bacteria, virus. Those pathogenic microbial organisms needs to be identified and screened properly, can be isolated from the air of different hospitals areas by following proper procedure of isolation and characterization. By proper identification of those pathogenic microbes and routine infection control can lead to the protection of the patients, hospital staff as well as surrounding areas and people associated with hospital are protected. This effort will strengthen the hospital and healthcare facility.
ScanGraph: A Novel Scanpath Comparison Method Using Visualisation of Graph Cliques

The article describes a new tool for analyses of eye-movement data. Many different approaches to scanpath comparison exist. One of the most frequently used approaches is String Edit Distance, where the gaze trajectories are replaced by the sequences of visited Areas of Interest. In cartographic literature, the most commonly used software for scanpath comparison is eyePatterns. During the analysis of eyePatterns functionality, we have found that tree-graph visualization of its results is not reliable. Thus, we decided to develop a new tool called ScanGraph. Its computational algorithms are modified to work better with the sequences with different lengths. The output is visualized as a simple graph, and similar groups of sequences are displayed as cliques of this graph. The article describes ScanGraph’s functionality on the example of a simple cartographic eye-tracking study. Differences of the reading strategy of a simple map between cartographic experts and novices were investigated. The paper should serve to the researchers who would like to analyze differences between groups of participants, and who would like to use our tool - ScanGraph, available at www.eyetracking. upol.cz/scangraph.
Optimization of Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis of Waste Paper Using Response Surface Methodology

ABSTRACT Waste paper stands for the major biodegradable organic fraction of most of municipal solid waste. The potential of waste paper for glucose production was investigated in this current work. The pretreatment was accomplished by first subjecting waste paper to disintegration time (30 s), followed by ink removal of disintegrated waste paper using an deinking agent. Concentrated acid hydrolysis of waste paper with sulfuric acid was optimized to maximize glucose conversion. The concentrated acid hydrolysis conditions for waste paper (disintegrated time: 30 s, deinking agent loading : 15 ㎖) were optimized by using central composite design and response surface methodology. The optimization process employed a central composite design, where the investigated variables were acid concentration (60∼80%), loading sulfuric acid (1∼5 ㎖) and reaction time (1∼5 h). All the tested variables were identified to have significant effects (p < 0.05) on glucose conversion. The optimum concentrated acid hydrolysis conditions were acid concentration of 70.8%, loading sulfuric acid of 3.2 ㎖ and a reaction time of 3.6 h. This research of concentrated acid hydrolysis was a promising method to improve glucose conversion for waste paper. Keywords : waste paper, pretreatment, acid hydrolysis, central composite design,response surface methodology