Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics A unified perspective on the factors influencing consumer acceptance of internet of things technology

Purpose – With recent advances in internet technologies, internet of things (IoT) technology is having an increasing impact on our daily lives, and beginning to offer interesting and advantageous new services. The current research aims to develop and test an integrative model of factors determining consumers’ acceptance of IoT technology. Design/methodology/approach – Based on technology acceptance model (TAM), the authors proposed an IoT acceptance model that consists of three technology factors (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and trust); one social context factor (social influence); and two individual user characteristics (perceived enjoyment and perceived behavioral control). Data from 368 Chinese consumers were used to test the research model through the use of structural equation modeling. Findings – The results showed particularly strong support for the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, perceived enjoyment, and perceived behavioral control. However, trust played an insignificant role in predicting the intention. In addition, perceived ease of use and trust were found to affect perceived usefulness. Compared with the individual TAM model, the integrated model provides more explanation on user behavioral intention toward IoT usage. Originality/value – The integrated model explores the driving factors of individuals’ willingness to use IoT technology from the perspectives of the technology itself, social context and individual user characteristic. It links the constructs of social influence, enjoyment, and perceived behavioral control to the TAM and successfully extends TAM in the IoT technology context.
Purification, primary structure characterization, and cellular distribution of two forms of cellular retinol-binding protein, type II from adult rat small intestine.

Cellular retinol-binding protein type II (CRBP(II)) is a major protein in the small intestine, accounting for more than 1% of the soluble protein recovered from rat jejunal mucosa. Two forms of the protein, called CRBP(II)A and CRBP(II)B, were purified from rat small intestine using a three-column procedure. The two forms were present in equal abundance. The primary structures of CRBP(II)A and CRBP(II)B were determined using a combination of techniques including amino acid composition and sequence analyses, and fast atom bombardment and gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry. The primary structures of both proteins were found to be identical, but they differed in their NH2-terminal processing. CRBP(II)B was acetylated at its NH2 terminus, while CRBP(II)A was not. The results also confirmed the amino acid sequence of CRBP(II)A that was deduced from the cDNA sequence by Li et al. (Li, E., Demmer, L. A., Sweetser, D. A., Ong, D. E., and Gordon, J. I. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 5770-5783). Antibodies capable of distinguishing between the two forms of CRBP(II) were used for immunohistochemical studies which indicated that the organ and cellular distributions of the two forms were identical. The 50% acetylation observed here in vivo fits the pattern predicted by recent in vitro studies which described the effect of NH2-terminal sequence on cotranslational NH2-terminal processing of cytosolic proteins (Boissel, J. P., Kasper, T. J., and Bunn, H. F. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8443-8449). Our results provide a basis for investigating the possibility of different roles of CRBP(II)A and CRBP(II)B within cells, as well as the importance of acetylation of the amino terminus for these biological functions.
Measurement of the exponential signal distortion

In the ADC test is convenient to use as stimulus the real exponential voltage than the sinusoidal one. Indeed, the real exponential voltage is much more similarity to the theoretical one than the sinusoidal signal. For the estimation of the final uncertainty in the ADC test, the knowledge of the distortion of the exponential stimulus needs. The distortion is caused by the exponential signals superimposed to the waited one. With this aim, in the paper is pointed out (i) the stand for the accurate acquisition of the real exponential voltage generated by capacitor discharge, and (ii) the numerical procedure to evaluate the parameters of the assigned number nP of exponential functions that best fit the acquired samples. Results of tests assess that the reconstruction error is lower than the resolution of the acquisition stand.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in Sardinian breast cancer families and their implications for genetic counseling.

BACKGROUND The Sardinian population is genetically homogeneous and could be useful in understanding better the genetics of a complex disease like breast cancer (BC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Using a screening assay based on a combination of single-strand conformation polymorphism, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and sequence analysis, 47 Sardinian families with three or more BC cases were screened for germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. RESULTS Three BRCA1/2 germline sequence variants were identified. While BRCA2-Ile3412Val is a missense variant with unknown functional significance, BRCA2-8765delAG and BRCA1-Lys505ter are two deleterious mutations (due to their predicted effects on protein truncation), which were found in seven families (15%). BRCA2-8765delAG was found in six of eight (75%) BRCA1/2-positive families and seven of 501 (1.4%) unselected and consecutively collected BC patients. Prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations in BC families was significantly correlated with the total number of female BCs (P <0.01) and increased by the presence of (i) at least one case of ovarian or male BC, or (ii) three generations affected, or (iii) bilateral BC. CONCLUSIONS Identification of such features should address BC patients and their families to genetic counseling and BRCA1/2 mutational analysis. In addition, this is the first report of a detailed BRCA1/2 mutation screening in Sardinia, having immediate implications for the clinical management of BC families.
Chronic pain in the elderly: occupational adaptation as a means of coping with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether elderly individuals with chronic pain as a result of osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee would report adaptations to their activities, or occupational adaptations, as a coping response to pain and, if so, to describe these adaptations and their relation to chronic pain, functional difficulty, depression, social support, and life satisfaction. DESIGN Thirty elderly individuals completed rating scales and a structured questionnaire designed to measure occupational adaptation and the importance of activity. SETTING Participants were community-dwelling elderly individuals and were interviewed in their homes or in a research office setting. PATIENTS Consecutive orthopedic surgeon, family physician, or Arthritis Society patients, whose names were provided with the patient's consent, to the researcher. RESULTS Individuals reported two approaches to occupational adaptation: they changed how they performed personal activities of daily living that they rated as most important and they stopped performing a number of avocational activities that they rated as less important. Statistically significant correlations were found among occupational adaptation, pain, depression, and difficulty with functioning. These variables were inversely related to life satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS This sample of elderly individuals with chronic pain described occupational adaptations, or adaptations to "doing," as a means of coping with their chronic pain. There appeared to be a relation among pain, functional difficulty, depression, social support, and occupational adaptation. Additional research to increase the understanding of occupational adaptation as a means of coping with chronic pain is warranted.
[Establishment and characteristics of a human chordoma cell line].

OBJECTIVE To present an established human chordoma cell line for chordoma research. METHODS The specimens pathologically identified as chordoma were cultured, using primary tissue culture in vitro. The surviving cells were analyzed by morphology, histochemical stain, cell cycling analysis, karyotype analysis, electron microscopic observation, heterotransplantation and study of invasive capacity in vitro. RESULTS The newly established cell line CM-319 has been maintained in continual cultures for over 100 generations in two years. Its morphological observation, histochemical staining properties, electron microscopic observation and heterotransplantation showed the common characteristics of chordoma. The doubling time of cells was about 33 hours. Cell cycle analysis showed: G(1) 55.6%, G(2) 21.9% and S 22.5%, G(2)/G(1) = 1.90. Chromosome analysis showed a hypotriploid feature and the success rate of heterotransplantation was 100%. It is capable of invasion in vitro. CONCLUSION CM-319, as a cell line derived from human chordoma cells, may serve for further studies of chordoma.
1.4-W red generation by frequency mixing of seeded Yb and Er fiber amplifiers

Synchronous seeding of kW peak, 10 W average power Yb and Er fiber amplifiers is proposed and used for sum-frequency generation of 1.4-W average power at 630 nm in periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate (PPKTP). The potential of scalability to 3-4 W average power in the red is discussed.
A New Model of Sheep Ig Diversification: Shifting the Emphasis Toward Combinatorial Mechanisms and Away from Hypermutation 1

The current model of Ig repertoire development in sheep focuses on the rearrangement of a small number (∼20) of Vλ gene segments. It is believed that this limited combinatorial repertoire is then further diversified through postrearrangement somatic hypermutation. This process has been reported to introduce as many as 110 mutations/1000 nucleotides. In contrast, our data have that indicated somatic hypermutation may diversify the preimmune repertoire to a much lesser extent. We have identified 64 new Vλ gene segments within the rearranged Ig repertoire. As a result, many of the unique nucleotide patterns thought to be the product of somatic hypermutation are actually hard-coded within the germline. We suggest that combinatorial rearrangement makes a much larger contribution, and somatic hypermutation makes a much smaller contribution to the generation of diversity within the sheep Ig repertoire than is currently acknowledged.
A Phase I study of subcutaneous recombinant interleukin‐2 in patients with advanced HIV disease while on zidovudine

ObjectiveA Phase I study of subcutaneous recombinant interleukin-2 (rlL-2). DesignSixteen patients with advanced HIV infection receiving 600–1200mg zidovudine per day were divided into three groups, which received sequentially 0.2 x106, 0.7x106 or 2x106 units/m2 per day of rlL-2 subcutaneously for 5 consecutive days. SettingFive-day admission to an academic tertiary care hospital. Patients, participantsSixteen unblinded, non-randomized volunteers. InterventionsSubcutaneous rlL-2. Main outcome measuresTolerance, toxicity, hematologic, immunologic and antiviral responses. ResultsrlL-2 was well-tolerated at the highest dosage, except in two patients who developed significant lymphopenia by the second day of rlL-2 administration, with rebound within 48 h after rlL-2 therapy. The number of eosinophils, CD4+ and CD8+ cells, and percentage of CD16+ (natural killer) cells, remained elevated above baseline for up to 10 weeks. Circulating rlL-2 receptor levels increased transiently during and immediately following rlL-2 administration. A twofold increase in natural killer cell activity against uninfected and HIV-infected targets was observed, but did not persist beyond 10 weeks following rlL-2 administration. There was a transient decrease in blastogenesis to phytohemagglutinin of patients receiving the highest dose of r-IL-2, but no significant change in viral burden. ConclusionsSubcutaneous rlL-2 in advanced HIV-infected patients on zidovudine was tolerated with side-effects similar to intravenous IL-2.
Role of the Suprachiasmatic and Arcuate Nuclei in Diurnal Temperature Regulation in the Rat

In mammals, daily changes in body temperature (Tb) depend on the integrity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Fasting influences the Tb in the resting period and the presence of the SCN is essential for this process. However, the origin of this circadian/metabolic influence is unknown. We hypothesized that, not only the SCN but also the arcuate nucleus (ARC), are involved in the Tb setting through afferents to the thermoregulatory median preoptic nucleus (MnPO). Therefore, we investigated by neuronal tracing and microdialysis experiments the possible targeting of the MnPO by the SCN and the ARC in male Wistar rats. We observed that vasopressin release from the SCN decreases the temperature just before light onset, whereas α-melanocyte stimulating hormone release, especially at the end of the dark period, maintains high temperature. Both peptides have opposite effects on the brown adipose tissue activity through thermoregulatory nuclei such as the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and the dorsal raphe nucleus. The present study indicates that the coordination between circadian and metabolic signaling within the hypothalamus is essential for an adequate temperature control. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When circadian and metabolic systems are not well synchronized, individuals may develop metabolic diseases. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the balance between the releases of neuropeptides derived from the biological clock and from a metabolic sensory organ as the arcuate nucleus, are essential for an adequate temperature control. These observations show that brain areas involved in circadian and metabolic functions of the body need to interact to produce a coherent arrangement of physiological processes associated with temperature control.
Competency in cardiac examination skills in medical students, trainees, physicians, and faculty: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND Cardiac examination is an essential aspect of the physical examination. Previous studies have shown poor diagnostic accuracy, but most used audio recordings, precluding correlation with visible observations. The training spectrum from medical students (MSs) to faculty has not been tested, to our knowledge. METHODS A validated 50-question, computer-based test was used to assess 4 aspects of cardiac examination competency: (1) cardiac physiology knowledge, (2) auditory skills, (3) visual skills, and (4) integration of auditory and visual skills using computer graphic animations and virtual patient examinations (actual patients filmed at the bedside). We tested 860 participants: 318 MSs, 289 residents (225 internal medicine and 64 family medicine), 85 cardiology fellows, 131 physicians (50 full-time faculty, 12 volunteer clinical faculty, and 69 private practitioners), and 37 others. RESULTS Mean scores improved from MS1-2 to MS3-4 (P = .003) but did not improve or differ significantly among MS3, MS4, internal medicine residents, family medicine residents, full-time faculty, volunteer clinical faculty, and private practitioners. Only cardiology fellows tested significantly better (P<.001), and they were the best in all 4 subcategories of competency, whereas MS1-2 were the worst in the auditory and visual subcategories. Participants demonstrated low specificity for systolic murmurs (0.35) and low sensitivity for diastolic murmurs (0.49). CONCLUSIONS Cardiac examination skills do not improve after MS3 and may decline after years in practice, which has important implications for medical decision making, patient safety, cost-effective care, and continuing medical education. Improvement in cardiac examination competency will require training in simultaneous audio and visual examination in faculty and trainees.
Neighbourhood Walkability and Daily Steps in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction There is evidence that greater neighbourhood walkability (i.e., neighbourhoods with more amenities and well-connected streets) is associated with higher levels of total walking in Europe and in Asia, but it remains unclear if this association holds in the Canadian context and in chronic disease populations. We examined the relationships of different walkability measures to biosensor-assessed total walking (i.e., steps/day) in adults with type 2 diabetes living in Montreal (QC, Canada). Materials and Methods Participants (60.5±10.4 years; 48.1% women) were recruited through McGill University-affiliated clinics (June 2006 to May 2008). Steps/day were assessed once per season for one year with pedometers. Neighbourhood walkability was evaluated through participant reports, in-field audits, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-derived measures, and the Walk Score®. Relationships between walkability and daily steps were estimated using Bayesian longitudinal hierarchical linear regression models (n = 131). Results Participants who reported living in the most compared to the least walkable neighbourhoods completed 1345 more steps/day (95% Credible Interval: 718, 1976; Quartiles 4 versus 1). Those living in the most compared to the least walkable neighbourhoods (based on GIS-derived walkability) completed 606 more steps per day (95% CrI: 8, 1203). No statistically significant associations with steps were observed for audit-assessed walkability or the Walk Score®. Conclusions Adults with type 2 diabetes who perceived their neighbourhoods as more walkable accumulated more daily steps. This suggests that knowledge of local neighborhood features that enhance walking is a meaningful predictor of higher levels of walking and an important component of neighbourhood walkability.
Genetic characterization of Bordetella pertussis filamentous haemagglutinin: a protein processed from an unusually large precursor

The nucleotide sequence of the structural gene for filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), fhaB, a crucial adherence factor for Bordetella perfussis, has been determined. Its 10774 nucleotides are far more than necessary to encode the 220kD biologically active, mature polypeptide product, suggesting a role for co‐or post‐translational processing. Fusion proteins derived from various portions of the fhaB open reading frame (ORF) were used to generate polyclonal antisera. Western immunoblot analysis of purified FHA and Bordetella sp. whole cell extracts with these antisera indicated that the 220kD product is encoded by the 5 portion of the ORF and that the smaller polypeptide species are breakdown products of this polypeptide. These data, as well as N‐terminal amino acid sequencing of the major polypeptide species, suggest a scheme for the proteolytic processing of an FHA precursor polypeptide.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and the development of structural neuronal connectivity

During development, neural networks are established in a highly organized manner, which persists throughout life. Neurotrophins play crucial roles in the developing nervous system. Among the neurotrophins, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is highly conserved in gene structure and function during vertebrate evolution, and serves an important role during brain development and in synaptic plasticity. BDNF participates in the formation of appropriate synaptic connections in the brain, and disruptions in this process contribute to disorders of cognitive function. In this review, we first briefly highlight current knowledge on the expression, regulation, and secretion of BDNF. Further, we provide an overview of the possible actions of BDNF in the development of neural circuits, with an emphasis on presynaptic actions of BDNF during the structural development of central neurons. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 2010
The Compensation for Distorted WDM Signals in the Optical Long-Haul Transmission Link with the Artificially Distributed Lengths of Single Mode Fiber and Residual Dispersion Per Span

The possibility of the flexible configuration of dispersion-managed optical links combined with optical phase conjugation by adopting an artificial distribution of the lengths of single mode fiber (SMF) and residual dispersion per span (RDPS) of the fiber spans has been numerically investigated. We confirmed that ‘DA-DA’ pattern – i.e., the lengths of SMF and RDPS around the front and the rear of OPC are smaller, but the lengths of SMF and RDPS closer to the transmitter and the receiver are larger – is the best artificial pattern among the considered 16 artificial distribution patterns. Furthermore, the system performance in the optical link configured with this pattern is more improved than with the conventional uniform distribution of the SMF lengths and RDPS.
Ku-band flat lens design for satellite TV applications

In this paper, the design of a dielectric flat lens to operate in the Ku-band for satellite communications is presented. Modern dishes intended for home television are generally bulky and heavy. Moreover, the costs of installation and alignment with the desired satellite are high. Satellite television providers are therefore looking for alternatives to the traditional dishes that could provide narrow beamwidths (5° max.), high gains, low side-lobe levels and beam steering capabilities. To satisfy the aforementioned requirements, we propose a dielectric flat lens to steer and enhance the radiation of the feed in a particular direction. Our simulation results indicate that we can achieve up to 31 dB of gain with 2.3° beamwidth, and beam-steering capabilities from +15° to -15° in both azimuth and elevation with more than 28 dB of gain with around 4° beamwidth, with low side-lobe levels, in the entire frequency band of interest (from 11.7 to 12.2 GHz). Moreover, the proposed design leads to a low-profile antenna configuration, easy to manufacture and low-cost.
Model predictive control of systems with actuator amplitude and rate saturation

We develop a continuous-time model predictive control design procedure for single-input single-output linear systems with actuator amplitude and rate saturation. This design methodology formulates the actuator amplitude and rate saturation problem as an equivalent amplitude saturation problem with system dynamics augmented by rate dynamics. It is shown that the MPC laws have closed-form analytical solution in the limit that the prediction horizon is small. The stability analysis is performed using a Lyapunov function framework which results in a subset of domain of attraction for guaranteed closed-loop stability in the event of actuator amplitude and rate saturation. A numerical example is presented for illustrating the proposed control design methodology.