Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of general practitioners’ gender on process indicators in Hungarian primary healthcare: a nation-wide cross-sectional study

Objectives The objectives of our study were (1) to investigate the association between gender of the general practitioner (GP) and the quality of primary care in Hungary with respect to process indicators for GP performance and (2) to assess the size of the gender impact. Study design A nation-wide cross-sectional study was performed in 2016. Setting and participants The study covered all general medical practices in Hungary (n=4575) responsible for the provision of primary healthcare (PHC) for adults. All GPs in their private practices are solo practitioners. Main outcome measures Multilevel logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between GP gender and process indicators of PHC, and attributable proportion (AP) was calculated. Results 48% of the GPs (n=2213) were women in the study. The crude rates of care provided by female GPs were significantly higher for seven out of eight evaluated indicators than those provided by male GPs. Adjusted for practice, physician and patient factors, GP gender was associated with the haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement: OR=1.18, 95% CI (1.14 to 1.23); serum creatinine measurement: OR=1.14, 95% CI (1.12 to 1.17); lipid measurement: OR=1.14, 95% CI (1.11 to 1.16); eye examination: OR=1.06, 95% CI (1.03 to 1.08); mammography screening: OR=1.05, 95% CI (1.03 to 1.08); management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: OR=1.05, 95% CI (1.01 to 1.09) and the composite indicator: OR=1.08, 95% CI (1.07 to 1.1), which summarises the number of care events and size of target populations of each indicator. The AP at the specific indicators varied from 0.97% (95% CI 0.49% to 1.44%) of influenza immunisation to 8.04% (95% CI 7.4% to 8.67%) of eye examinations. Conclusion Female GP gender was an independent predictor of receiving higher quality of care. The actual size of the gender effect on the quality of services seemed to be notable. Factors behind the gender effect should receive more attention in quality improvement particularly in countries where the primary care is organised around solo practices.
Chronic white matter lesion activity predicts clinical progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis

Chronic active and slowly expanding/evolving lesions with smouldering inflammation are neuropathological correlates of progressive multiple sclerosis. Elliott et al. report that T1-weighted measures of chronic lesion activity predict clinically progressive multiple sclerosis, may represent a longitudinal neuroimaging correlate of smouldering demyelination and axonal loss, and are reduced by ocrelizumab.
A Critical Review of Sexual Violence Prevention on College Campuses

Background: In 2013 the United States Congress established an act requiring all federally funded universities to provide primary prevention for sexual-violence and awareness training to all incoming students and employees. In order to comply with federal mandates and to protect students from sexual violence, only those prevention programs that empirically demonstrate decreased rates of sexual violence should be employed. Methods: To assist administrators in adopting the most efficacious prevention programs, an extensive review of sexual-violence interventions examining perpetration and victimization as outcomes with U.S college students was conducted. Conclusions: Based on the findings, recommendations are provided for administrators and researchers. Specifically, we recommend using separate gender programs, as those targeting alcohol use and self-defense have shown the most promise for women and those addressing consent have shown the most promise with men.
Sperm competitive advantage of a rare mitochondrial haplogroup linked to differential expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation genes

Maternal inheritance of mitochondria creates a sex‐specific selective sieve through which mitochondrial mutations harmful to males but not females accumulate and contribute to sexual differences in longevity and disease susceptibility. Because eggs and sperm are under disruptive selection, sperm are predicted to be particularly vulnerable to the genetic load generated by maternal inheritance, yet evidence for mitochondrial involvement in male fertility is limited and controversial. Here, we exploit the coexistence of two divergent mitochondrial haplogroups (A and B2) in a Neotropical arachnid to investigate the role of mitochondria in sperm competition. DNA profiling demonstrated that B2‐carrying males sired more than three times as many offspring in sperm competition experiments than A males, and this B2 competitive advantage cannot be explained by female mitochondrial haplogroup or male nuclear genetic background. RNA‐Seq of testicular tissues implicates differential expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes in the B2 competitive advantage, including a 22‐fold upregulation of atp8 in B2 males. Previous comparative genomic analyses have revealed functionally significant amino acid substitutions in differentially expressed genes, indicating that the mitochondrial haplogroups differ not only in expression but also in DNA sequence and protein functioning. However, mitochondrial haplogroup had no effect on sperm number or sperm viability, and, when females were mated to a single male, neither male haplogroup, female haplogroup nor the interaction between male/female haplogroup significantly affected female reproductive success. Our findings therefore suggest that mitochondrial effects on male reproduction may often go undetected in noncompetitive contexts and may prove more important in nature than is currently appreciated.
Information needs and behaviours in developing countries: A perspective of Ranganathan's Pmest categorization

The information needs of people in the developing regions are for work-related activities, leisure, consumption, and daily survival. This paper aims to provide an understanding of the information needs and behaviours of people in developing regions. The paper further presents a highlight of concept of developing countries; analogy of the framework of the Ranganathan’s categorization of human knowledge (PMEST); analysis of the theory in relation to information needs and behaviours; Ranganathan and Facet Analysis. It also explores some general parameters influencing informationseeking behaviour of types or groups of individuals in developing countries. Some of the informationseeking behaviours include passive quests for information and heavy reliance on opinion leaders, rumours, and oral sources. This is due to low literacy levels and ignorance about other sources. People generally have not adopted the habit of utilizing information resources such as libraries and information centres in their work, life, and study. Descriptive survey research designed was employed using documentary research which represents secondary sources of data collection. Methodology involves critical scrutinization and examination of existing data using qualitative descriptive analysis.
Joint Resource Allocation with Weighted Max-min Fairness for NOMA-Enabled V 2 X Communications

To achieve more efficient spectrum utilization in intelligent transportation system (ITS), non-orthogonal multiple access-enabled (NOMA-enabled) V2X communications have been emerging as a promising technology. In this paper, the resource allocation problem for NOMA-enabled V2X communications is investigated. For V2I links, in view of the user fairness and the different requirements of cellular users (CUEs), weighted max-min rate fairness for CUEs is applied, where both identical weights and different weights are considered. As for V2V users (VUEs), the minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirements are imposed on the problem formulation. To solve the proposed optimization problem, it is decoupled into three stages: (1) power allocation for CUEs; (2) power control and subcarrier (SC) assignment for VUE pairs; (3) SC assignment and user clustering for CUEs. For the three stages, algorithms based on Perron-Frobenius theorem, Kuhn-Munkres algorithm and matching theory are proposed separately. Finally, an algorithm integrated the three stages is presented to obtain a joint solution. The convergence and the optimality of the proposed algorithms can be verified by theoretical analysis and simulations. Moreover, simulation results also indicate that each cluster of the optimal user clustering scheme is inclined to be occupied by the CUEs with diverse channel gains and the minimum weighted rate of all CUEs, τ , will decrease with the increase of the numbers of V2V links and the minimum SINR requirements of VUE pairs. INDEX TERMS V2X communications, non-orthogonal multiple access, resource allocation, max-min rate fairness.
Developing successful entrepreneurial ecosystems : Lessons from a comparison of an Asian tiger and a Baltic tiger

Purpose – There are strong similarities and striking differences in Estonia's and South Korea's entrepreneurial ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to seek to compare and contrast these two economies in terms of key indicators related to impacts, performance measures and determinants of entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach – The approach of this study can be described as theory building from multiple case studies. The analysis is based on secondary data from a number of sources related to impacts, performance measures and determinants of entrepreneurship. Findings – Among the major findings is that in order to shift to a higher gear, South Korea's entrepreneurial weakness must be addressed through broad institutional reforms that include the corporate governance, and policies and attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. In Estonia's case, while continuing attention must be paid to institutional reforms, immediate action is needed to improve policies that affect basic economic, technologi.
Decomposition of spruce wood and release of volatile organic compounds depend on decay type, fungal interactions and enzyme production patterns

ABSTRACT Effect of three wood-decaying fungi on decomposition of spruce wood was studied in solid-state cultivation conditions for a period of three months. Two white rot species (Trichaptum abietinum and Phlebia radiata) were challenged by a brown rot species (Fomitopsis pinicola) in varying combinations. Wood decomposition patterns as determined by mass loss, carbon to nitrogen ratio, accumulation of dissolved sugars and release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were observed to depend on both fungal combinations and growth time. Similar dependence of fungal species combination, either white or brown rot dominated, was observed for secreted enzyme activities on spruce wood. Fenton chemistry suggesting reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ was detected in the presence of F. pinicola, even in co-cultures, together with substantial degradation of wood carbohydrates and accumulation of oxalic acid. Significant correlation was perceived with two enzyme activity patterns (oxidoreductases produced by white rot fungi; hydrolytic enzymes produced by the brown rot fungus) and wood degradation efficiency. Moreover, emission of four signature VOCs clearly grouped the fungal combinations. Our results indicate that fungal decay type, either brown or white rot, determines the loss of wood mass and decomposition of polysaccharides as well as the pattern of VOCs released upon fungal growth on spruce wood.
Effectiveness of Behaviorally Designed Gamification Interventions With Social Incentives for Increasing Physical Activity Among Overweight and Obese Adults Across the United States: The STEP UP Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Gamification, the use of game design elements in nongame contexts, is increasingly being used in workplace wellness programs and digital health applications. However, the best way to design social incentives in gamification interventions has not been well examined. Objective To assess the effectiveness of support, collaboration, and competition within a behaviorally designed gamification intervention to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults. Design, Setting, and Participants This 36-week randomized clinical trial with a 24-week intervention and 12-week follow-up assessed 602 adults from 40 states with body mass indexes (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 25 or higher from February 12, 2018, to March 17, 2019. Interventions Participants used a wearable device to track daily steps, established a baseline, selected a step goal increase, were randomly assigned to a control (n = 151) or to 1 of 3 gamification interventions (support [n = 151], collaboration [n = 150], and competition [n = 150]), and were remotely monitored. The control group received feedback from the wearable device but no other interventions for 36 weeks. The gamification arms were entered into a 24-week game designed using insights from behavioral economics with points and levels for achieving step goals. No gamification interventions occurred during follow-up. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was change in mean daily steps from baseline through the 24-week intervention period. Results A total of 602 participants (mean [SD] age, 39 [10] years; mean [SD] body mass index, 30 [5]; 427 [70.9%] male) were included in the study. Compared with controls, participants had a significantly greater increase in mean daily steps from baseline during the intervention in the competition arm (adjusted difference, 920; 95% CI, 513-1328; P < .001), support arm (adjusted difference, 689; 95% CI, 267-977; P < .001), and collaboration arm (adjusted difference, 637; 95% CI, 258-1017; P = .001). During follow-up, physical activity remained significantly greater in the competition arm than in the control arm (adjusted difference, 569; 95% CI, 142-996; P = .009) but was not significantly greater in the support (adjusted difference, 428; 95% CI, 19-837; P = .04) and collaboration (adjusted difference, 126; 95% CI, -248 to 468; P = .49) arms than in the control arm. Conclusions and Relevance All 3 gamification interventions significantly increased physical activity during the 24-week intervention, and competition was the most effective. Physical activity was lower in all arms during follow-up and only remained significantly greater in the competition arm than in the control arm. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03311230.
TNT, a free program for phylogenetic analysis

The main features of the phylogeny program TNT are discussed. Windows versions have a menu interface, while Macintosh and Linux versions are command‐driven. The program can analyze data sets with discrete (additive, non‐additive, step‐matrix) as well as continuous characters (evaluated with Farris optimization). Effective analysis of large data sets can be carried out in reasonable times, and a number of methods to help identifying wildcard taxa in the case of ambiguous data sets are implemented. A variety of methods for diagnosing trees and exploring character evolution is available in TNT, and publication‐quality tree‐diagrams can be saved as metafiles. Through the use of a number of native commands and a simple but powerful scripting language, TNT allows the user an enormous flexibility in phylogenetic analyses or simulations.
Antidumping Use and Its Effect on Trade Liberalization. Evidence for the European Union.

In this paper we examine the hypothesis that antidumping actions may contribute to trade liberalization by serving as a ‘safety valve’ for protection-seeking pressures. Using microlevel trade and tariff data at the HS 8-digit level for the European Union, we investigate whether the use of antidumping measures has acted as a catalyst in subsequent multilateral tariff negotiations. Our findings tend to suggest that the use of antidumping policies may have reduced the resistance of domestic protectionist forces towards major tariff reforms, as they show significantly larger tariff cuts for products previously involved in an antidumping investigation.
Rice contract farming in Lao PDR: Moving from subsistence to commercial agriculture

Poverty is prevalent among small farms in transition economies such as the Lao PDR, where market failures prevail and subsistence production is the norm. Contract farming is emerging as a promising tool to facilitate market linkages and provide the necessary supports that enable small farms to transition to commercial production. Using data from a household survey of 332 contract farmers and 253 non-contract farmers, this study attempts to empirically assess the potential of contract farming as a development tool to increase small farm incomes and reduce rural poverty. Using propensity score matching methodology and an endogenous switching regression model to assess the profitability of contract and non-contract rice farms in the Lao PDR, we found that contract farmers earn significantly higher profits than non-contract farmers. The results also show that contract farming tends to provide the greatest increase in income to farmers with below-average performance. These findings suggest that contract farming can be an effective private-sector-led mechanism to facilitate the transition to commercial agriculture. In addition to bringing foreign direct investment (FDI) into the rural sector, contract farming can be an effective tool to improve the profitability and raise the incomes of small farmers, thereby reducing poverty in rural areas with limited market development. JEL Classification: Q12, Q13, O31 ADBI Discussion Paper 90 Setboonsarng, Leung, and Stefan
Assessment of genetic differentiation in Italian populations of Austropotamobius pallipes species complex: taxonomic and management implications

Assessment of genetic differentiation in Italian populations of Austropotamobius pallipes species complex: taxonomic and management implications Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) has been placed through several revisions, due to its high intraspecific variability: until now, two distinct species have been described in Italy, A. pallipes and A. italicus, the latter divided into four subspecies. Despite these taxonomic uncertainties, A. pallipes is still considered the only native freshwater crayfish in Italy, suffering a progressive decline of its populations during the latest decades, and now included in the Red List of the IUCN, in Annex III of Berna’s Convention, and in Annex II and V of EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic differentiation of Italian populations of the A. pallipes complex, using AFLP markers. AFLP data elaboration was preceded by the characterisation of mitochondrial 16S rDNA and COI haplotypes in two different reference populations, belonging to either A. italicus or A. pallipes, to verify their correct taxonomic identification as “true species”. The corresponding AFLP profiles were considered as reference data for comparison with all other populations. Two hundred specimens were analysed using five EcoRI and TaqI primer combinations. More than 400 polymorphic bands were scored to generate binary data matrices (0 = electrophoretic band absence, 1 = presence) to assess within and between population differences and to suggest biogeographic considerations.
Urban Development Model : Urban Growth Analysis and Simulation

Urban growth analysis and simulation have been recently conducted by cellular automata (CA) models based on self-organizing theory which differs from system dynamics models. This paper describes the Beijing urban development model (BUDEM) which adopts the CA approach to support urban planning and policy evaluation. BUDEM, as a spatio-temporal dynamic model for simulating urban growth in the Beijing metropolitan area, is based on the urban growth theory and integrates logistic regression and MonoLoop to obtain the weights for the transition rule with multi-criteria evaluation configuration. Local sensitivity analysis for all the parameters of BUDEM is also carried out to assess the model’s performances. The model is used to identify urban growth mechanisms in the various historical phases since 1986, to retrieve urban growth policies needed to implement the desired (planned) urban form in 2020, and to simulate urban growth scenarios until 2049 based on the urban form and parameter set in 2020. The model has been proved to be capable of analyzing historical urban growth mechanisms and predicting future urban growth for metropolitan areas in China.
Validation of the Daily Diary of Fatigue Symptoms—Fibromyalgia (DFS-Fibro)

Introduction: Fatigue is an important fibromyalgia (FM) symptom, but existing measures of fatigue are unlikely to meet regulatory standards for clinical trial use. We describe the development and validation of the Daily Diary of Fatigue Symptoms—Fibromyalgia (DFS-Fibro), a 24-hour recall, patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure of fatigue in FM that is administered electronically (ePRO). Methods: There were 3 phases of work: 1) item generation based on concept elicitation interviews with FM patients, with clinical relevance confirmed by expert clinician review; 2) pilot testing/cognitive debriefing interviews with FM patients; and 3) psychometric validation using data from a methodology study with 145 FM patients. The measure was finalised based on both qualitative and quantitative findings. Results: Twenty-three items were generated in phase 1, some minor revisions were made following the pilot testing and cognitive debriefing (phase 2) but none were deleted. All patients found the measure easy to understand and use. Item reduction was conducted taking into account both the initial psychometric data and the earlier qualitative research, resulting in a final 5 item measure of the “symptom” of fatigue. The 5-item DFS-Fibro had very high internal consistency (alpha = 0.99), and strong test-re-test reliability (r > 0.84), convergent validity and known-groups validity. Conclusion: The DFS-Fibro has strong psychometric properties and strong face and content validity for the measurement of fatigue in FM.
Draft Assortative pairing by telomere length in king penguins and relationships 1 with breeding success 2

Complete List of Authors: Schull, Quentin; IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, DEPE Viblanc, Vincent A. ; IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, DEPE Dobson, F. Stephen; Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences Robin, Jean-Patrice; IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, DEPE Zahn, Sandrine; IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, DEPE Cristofari, Robin; IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, DEPE Bize, Pierre; University of Aberdeen Criscuolo, François; IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, DEPE
Optimization of microbial biomass production as biocontrol agent against root knot nematode on faba plants

Our objective was to optimize nutritional and environmental conditions of the isolated Serratia marcescens Ba-2 and Pseudomonas fluorescens Ba-11 for biomass production and to evaluate the bio-control agents against the root knot disease caused by Meloidogyne incognita on Faba bean plants under greenhouse conditions. Glycerol at 10.2 g/L and peptone as a nitrogen source were the most suitable for biomass and antagonistic efficiency of S. marcescens or P. fluorescens against Meloidogyne sp. Cultures of S. marcescens and P. fluorescens supplemented with 10 g/L peptone, reduced larvae to 91% and 95% respectively. Optimum biomass and antagonistic activity of either bacteria against larvae was at pH 7.6, and incubation temperature at 30 o C. 100% reduction of larval density was achieved when S. marcescens or P. fluorescens cultures were shaken at 120 and 160 rpm respectively. S. marcescens and P. fluorescens were very effective as biocontrol agaents to reduce the root - knot nematodes. Our data also indicate a marked effect of the biocontrol agents and Rhizobia on the growth response of faba plants. The obtained results showed that both bacterial treatments significantly increased the growth parameters as well as shoot and root dry weights and number of pods. (Journal of American Science 2010; 6(6):245-255). (ISSN: 1545-1003).