Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The status of diabetes mellitus in primary care institution and restructured hospitals in Singapore.

The Diabcare-Asia Singapore 1998 project was carried out using data from 22 centres collected on paper forms to provide an overview of diabetes management and metabolic control status in 1697 diabetic patients from both primary health care clinic (PHC) (67%) and restructured hospital (RH) (33%) settings. PHC patients were on average older than RH patients (61.3 +/- 11.2 years vs 51.5 +/- 17.7 years), and had a shorter duration of diagnosed diabetes (9.2 +/- 6.8 years vs 12.0 +/- 8.5 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) for PHC patients was 25.5 +/- 4.4 kg/m2 vs 24.5 +/- 4.2 kg/m2 for RH patients. Proportionately more PHC than RH patients were overweight (BMI >25 kg/m2) (49% vs 42%). Patients with type I diabetes constituted 3.5% of PHC vs 18.1% of the RH cohort. HbA1c information was available for 92.5% of RH vs 69% of PHC patients. HbA1c measurements were <1% above ULN in 50% of PHC vs 37% of RH patients, while FBG was >7.8 mmol/l in >61% of all patients. Proteinuria (>500 mg/24 hrs) was reported in 13% of PHC vs 26% of RH patients tested. Microalbuminuria (20-300 mg/l) was noted in 36% of 171 RH patients tested. Oral hypoglycaemic agents were used as sole therapy in 83.5% of PHC vs 43% of RH patients. Eye, feet, renal and severe late complications were more commonly reported by RH than PHC patients. There is a variation in the patient profiles and care between PHC and RH patients.
From MIDI to Traditional Musical Notation

In this paper a system that is designed to extract the musical score from a MIDI performance is described. The proposed system comprises of a number of modules that perform the following tasks: identification of elementary musical objects, calculation of accent (salience) of musical events, beat induction, beat tracking, onset quantisation, streaming, duration quantisation and pitch spelling. The system has been applied on 13 complete Mozart sonata performances giving very encouraging results.
Development of the communication complexity scale.

PURPOSE Accurate description of an individual's communication status is critical in both research and practice. Describing the communication status of individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities is difficult because these individuals often communicate with presymbolic means that may not be readily recognized. Our goal was to design a communication scale and summary score for interpretation that could be applied across populations of children and adults with limited (often presymbolic) communication forms. METHOD The Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) was developed by a team of researchers and tested with 178 participants with varying levels of presymbolic and early symbolic communication skills. Correlations between standardized and informant measures were completed, and expert opinions were obtained regarding the CCS. RESULTS CCS scores were within expected ranges for the populations studied, and interrater reliability was high. Comparison across other measures indicated significant correlations with standardized tests of language. Scores on informant report measures tended to place children at higher levels of communication. Expert opinions generally favored the development of the CCS. CONCLUSIONS The scale appears to be useful for describing a given individual's level of presymbolic or early symbolic communication. Further research is needed to determine whether it is sensitive to developmental growth in communication.
Voluntary versus Enforced Team Effort

We present a model where each of two players chooses between remuneration based on either private or team effort. Although at least one of the players has the equilibrium strategy to choose private remuneration, we frequently observe both players to choose team remuneration in a series of laboratory experiments. This allows for high cooperation payoffs but also provides individual free-riding incentives. Due to significant cooperation, we observe that, in team remuneration, participants make higher profits than in private remuneration. We also observe that, when participants are not given the option of private remuneration, they cooperate significantly less.
But What If the Court Reporter is Lying? The Right to Confront Hidden Declarants Found in Transcripts of Former Testimony

In Crawford v. Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court re-theorized the relationship between hearsay evidence and the Confrontation Clause. Post-Crawford, hearsay statements that are “testimonial” in nature are generally inadmissible when offered against the accused in a criminal case. Yet in Crawford, the Supreme Court held that former testimony is admissible against the accused (despite the fact that it is “testimonial”) if the person who gave the former testimony is unavailable to testify and the accused had a prior opportunity to cross-examine the person. This manuscript addresses the hidden hearsay and Confrontation Clause problems that arise when an effort is made to prove an unavailable witness’s former testimony through the use of a transcript or stenographic notes, or when the former testimony consists of hearsay statements made by third persons. The manuscript demonstrates that, post-Crawford, these additional layers of hearsay are often testimonial statements, and that the accused thus has a right to confront the court reporter or third person who made the statement, absent a historical exception. The manuscript then demonstrates that, historically, in both the United States and England, when efforts were made to prove former testimony, the accused always had the ability to confront such hidden declarants. Finally, the manuscript proposes practical ways of satisfying the Confrontation Clause that minimize the need for court reporters to appear at trial.
Rapid Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection and Quantitation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis DNA in Artificially Contaminated Milk

ABSTRACT Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology and Lightcycler analysis, we developed a real-time PCR assay with primers and probes designed by using IS900 which allowed rapid detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis DNA in artificially contaminated milk. Initially, the PCR parameters (including primer and probe levels, assay volume, Mg2+ concentration, and annealing temperature) were optimized. Subsequently, the quantitative ability of the assay was tested and was found to be accurate over a broad linear range (3 × 106 to 3 × 101 copies). The assay sensitivity when purified DNA was used was determined to be as low as five copies, with excellent reproducibility. A range of DNA isolation strategies was developed for isolating M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis DNA from spiked milk, the most effective of which involved the use of 50 mM Tris HCl, 10 mM EDTA, 2% Triton X-100, 4 M guanidinium isothiocyante, and 0.3 M sodium acetate combined with boiling, physical grinding, and nucleic acid spin columns. When this technique was used in conjunction with the real-time PCR assay, it was possible to consistently detect <100 organisms per ml of milk (equivalent to 2,000 organisms per 25 ml). Furthermore, the entire procedure (extraction and PCR) was performed in less than 3 h and was successfully adapted to quantify M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in spiked milk from heavily and mildly contaminated samples.
A Highly Conserved Domain of the Maize Activator Transposase Is Involved in Dimerization

Previous studies have presented indirect evidence that the transposase of the maize transposable element Activator (TPase) is active as an oligomer and forms inactive macromolecular complexes expressed in large amounts. Here, we have identified and characterized a dimerization domain at the C terminus of the protein. This domain is the most highly conserved region in the transposases of elements belonging to the Activator superfamily (hAT element superfamily) and contains a characteristic signature motif. The isolated dimerization domain forms extremely stable dimers in vitro. Interestingly, mutations in five of the six conserved residues of the signature motif do not affect in vitro dimerization, whereas mutations in other, less strictly conserved residues of the signature motif do. Loss of dimerization in vitro correlates with loss of TPase activity in vivo. As revealed by in situ immunofluorescence staining of mutant TPase proteins, the dimerization domain also is involved in forming inactive macromolecular aggregates when overexpressed, and the TPase contains one or more additional interaction functions.
A proteomic approach for exploring biofilm in Streptococcus mutans

Biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans is considered as its principal virulence factor, causing dental caries. Mutants of S. mutans defective in biofilm formation were generated and analyzed to study the collective role of proteins in its formation. Mutants were characterized on the basis of adherence to saliva-coated surface, and biofilm formation. The confocal laser microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images showed that the control biofilms had cluster of cells covered by layer of exo-polysaccharide while the biofilms of mutants were thin and spaced. Two-dimensional protein electrophoresis data analysis identified 57 proteins that are either up (44 proteins) or down (13 proteins) regulated. These data points to the importance of up and down regulated proteins in the formation of biofilm in Streptococcus mutans.
Sensorless position tracking for steer-by-wire applications

This paper shall present the design, simulation and implementation of a sensorless observer for three-phase permanent magnet synchronous machines which can be used for automotive steer-by-wire applications. The observer tracks steering transients enabling the sensorless speed/position estimates to be used for backup in case of encoder failure. The sensorless method is based on a high frequency injection approach which estimates speed/position from machine saliencies. The simulation/experimental test scenarios were designed so as to emulate actual steering conditions studied as part of this research project.
Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3), a Novel Potential Therapeutic Target for Oral Cancer

Several sirtuin family members (SIRT1‐7), which are evolutionarily conserved NAD‐dependent deacetylases, play an important role in carcinogenesis. However, their role in oral cancer has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether sirtuins play a role in oral cancer carcinogenesis.
Effects of experimental Schistocephalus solidus infections on growth, morphology and sexual development of female three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus

The use of naturally infected hosts in studies attempting to identify parasite-induced changes in host biology is problematical because it does not eliminate the possibility that infection may be a consequence, rather than a cause, of host trait variation. In addition, uncontrolled concomitant infections may confound results. In this study we experimentally infected individual laboratory-bred female three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus L. with the pseudophyllidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus [Müller], and compared the morphology and growth patterns of infected females with sham-exposed controls over a 16-week period. Fish were fed a ration of 8% body weight per day. Non-invasive image analysis techniques allowed the growth of individual plerocercoids to be tracked in vivo throughout the course of infection, and patterns of host and parasite growth were determined. Females that developed infections diverged morphometrically from unexposed control females and exposed-uninfected females at 6 weeks post-infection, with the width of the body at the pectoral fins giving the earliest indication of infection success. When including the plerocercoid, infected females gained weight more quickly than controls, but when plerocercoid weight was removed this trend was reversed. There was no effect of infection on the increase in fish length. Plerocercoids grew at different rates in individual hosts, and exhibited measurable sustained weight increases of up to 10% per day. Final estimates of plerocercoid weight from morphometric analysis prior to autopsy were accurate to within +/−17% of actual plerocercoid weight. At autopsy, infected female sticklebacks had significantly lower perivisceral fat reserves but had developed significantly larger ovaries than controls. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies examining natural infections, and the value of utilizing experimental infections to examine ecological aspects of host–parasite interactions is discussed.
Conflict resolution : mediation tools for everyday worklife

1. What's a Conflict? 2. So What if There's a Conflict? 3. How to Resolve Any Conflict. 4. How to Resolve a Conflict Between Others. 5. How to Resolve a Conflict Between Yourself and Another. 6. How to Resolve Team Conflict. 7. How to Mediate All the Time to Prevent Conflicts. 8. Strategic Management of Organizational Conflict.
Planar Hand Motion Guidance Using Fingertip Skin-Stretch Feedback

In this paper, we show that a simple haptic device can accurately guide users through planar hand movements. The device guides the user through skin stretch feedback on the fingerpad of the user's index finger. In an angle matching test evaluating two types of stimuli, users are able to discriminate between eight stimulus directions and match the motion of their hand to the stimulus direction with 10 degree accuracy. In two motion guidance tests, haptic cues effectively guide users' arm motions through the full extent of their reachable workspace. Real-time corrective feedback greatly improves user performance, keeping average user hand motions within 12 mm of the prescribed path and within 4 degree of the indicated directions. Additionally, the paper shows that participants exhibit distorted haptic perceptual responses, finding that the distortion causes a response direction bias, but that appropriate haptic feedback can correct for the effect. Such motion guidance has applications in human-machine interaction, such as upper-extremity rehabilitation.
QoS-Aware Throughput Maximization in Wireless Powered Underground Sensor Networks

We study the optimal resource allocation in the wireless powered underground sensor network (WPUSN) for throughput maximization. The WPUSN is a new networking paradigm where underground sensors can be replenished by a radio frequency energy harvesting technique and transmit geological data to the nearby aboveground access point in real time. In this paradigm, the underground portion of the wireless communication link suffers from severe path loss. Moreover, different underground sensors may have diverse data traffic demands. In this paper, we formulate an optimization problem to maximize the throughput in WPUSNs with the quality of service (QoS) consideration in terms of communication reliability and diverse data traffic demands. Specifically, we map the QoS requirements to signal-to-noise ratio thresholds and transform our problem into a convex optimization problem with linear constraints. We then present a closed-form solution for the transformed problem through a problem decomposition of the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions. Our closed-form solution uncovers the insights that how the wireless channel states, reliability requirements, and data traffic demands affect the optimal resource allocation in the WPUSN. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme by running simulations.
Biodegradation of Natural Oils in Seawater

Abstract Spills of non-petroleum hydrocarbons including vegetable oils and fish oils are of environmental concern because of their potential to cause serious effects on marine life and coastal environments. Biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms is an important and potentially ubiquitous process affecting both the chemical composition and physical properties of contaminant oils. Data on the environmental persistence of non-petroleum oils is now required for risk assessments and decision making by spill responders. This article investigates the biodegradability of various vegetable and fish oils under the influence of natural bacteria in seawater. The influence of nutrients and microbial environment on changes in bacterial numbers and the extent and rate of degradation for various test oils (olive, mustard, canola and cod liver oils) were studied over time. Time-series visual and microscopic observations were made to characterize physical changes in the residual oils, formation of floating and precipitate particles, oil droplets and dispersion. The biodegradation process was significantly influenced by environmental conditions, with a higher rate and extent of biodegradation observed in seawater amended with nutrients and wastewater that contained elevated numbers of bacteria and nutrients. It was observed that different oils respond in different rates and extents to biodegradation depending on their stability, viscosity and compositions. All results clearly revealed a significant response of the oil-contaminated samples to both the seawater and wastewater environments. Observations on changes in the physical properties of the residual oil may be important in the context of oil spill response strategies. For example, simple physical recovery methods may be used to recover polymeric lumps at the sea surface.
Synapse Elimination in the Central Nervous System: Functional Significance and Cellular Mechanisms

Recent research into the developmental elimination of supernumerary synapses has increased understanding of this process. In this review we discuss synapse elimination both at the neuromuscular junction and in the central nervous system, considering some possible underlying mechanisms suggested by recent studies. In addition a well-described example of central nervous system synapse elimination, the climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synapse of the cerebellum, is used to explore the functional significance of synaptic regression during brain development.
Relación entre "despersonalización" ( burnout ), trastornos psicofisiológicos, clima laboral y tácticas de afrontamiento en una muestra de docentes Relationship among "despersonalitation" (burnout), psychophysiological diseases, working enviroment and coping skills in a sample of teachers

ResumenEl articulo presenta una valoracion de la dimension “despersonalizacion” de la Escala M.B. I. de Maslach y Jackson (1981), relacionando el burnout con estrategias de afrontamiento asumidas para reducir el estres, desordenes psicofisiologicos asociados al sindrome, y percepcion del clima laboral.La muestra esta constituida por 191 profesores de Ensenanza Secundaria (F.P., B.U.P. y C.O.U.) de la ciudad y provincia de Salamanca.Los resultados confirmaron la hipotesis de que los profesores manifiestan mas frecuencia de despersonalizacion en Septiembre que en Junio. En cuanto a las variables asociadas que fueron evaluadas, se comprobo que esta fase del burnout, se manifiesta mas mediante cambios cognitivos que a traves de desordenes psicofisiologicos, viendose menos afectados los profesores (en esta fase del proceso) por las influencias del clima laboral percibido.Finalmente, resaltar que fue significativo en el grupo de los docentes mas frecuentemente Despersonalizados, el uso de estrategias de afrontam.
The influence of protein kinases and microtubule binding proteins on cerebellar motor learning

textabstractThe cerebellum (from the latin - little brain) is located at the posterior end of the brain. It is known to be involved in vital functions like the control of heart beat and respiration and also in motor coordination, a function involving balance and equilibrium, which also requires the capacity to learn and adapt. Cerebellar motor learning and memory are at the base of the studies described in this thesis. The structure of the cerebellar cortex (the outer layers) is remarkably conserved, consisting of many equivalent modules. These modules, called micro-zones, are based around Purkinje cells. Purkinje cells are big neurons in the cerebellum with flamboyantly arborized dendrites which receive hundreds of thousands of inputs, and which transmit information of various types. Purkinje cells are very important in cerebellar function because they integrate signals and respond to them by selectively changing the strength of responses. This phenomenon is called plasticity. It involves a long-lasting reduction of currents evoked at synapses (or neuronal contacts) at the Purkinje dendrites, termed long-term depression or LTD. Purkinje cells are the only neurons in the cerebellar cortex that exert a direct action on targets outside the cortex and LTD in this system is thought to permit a rapid adjustment of responses (i.e learning) to ongoing movements. In this thesis two stimuli are mainly studied, eye blink conditioning and locomotion. Specific areas of the cerebellum (area HVI in the lobule simplex as well as its related interposed deep nuclei), have been identified as sites of convergence for stimuli related to eye-blink conditioning. For the control of locomotion, the cerebellar areas involved are less well defined. In eye blink conditioning paradigms the stimulus is an air puff to the eye, which evokes a reaction, namely eye closure. If an air puff is preceded by a sound (like a warning), the animal will learn to interpret the sound; the result will be a reduction of the activity of the involved PCs in a perfectly timed manner to ensure appropriate closure of the eye when the air puff is expected. Like eye blink conditioning, locomotion paradigms often contain a learning element as well. Animals are trained and evaluated in sessions that may take several days.
Immunohistochemical Assessment of the Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptor in Breast Cancer and Its Relationship with Survival

Purpose: The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) expression has been shown dramatically increased in neoplastic tissues and tumor cell lines originated from ovary, liver, colon, breast, or brain relative to untransformed tissues. Its expression has been also associated with tumor progression and aggressiveness. To explore whether PBR expression level could be of prognostic value in invasive breast cancer, we studied a series of 117 patients who underwent surgery for primary breast carcinomas and were followed-up for 8 years. Experimental Design: Using an immunohistochemical approach, we first compared PBR expression in normal and tumoral tissues, then we studied PBR expression together with clinicopathological variables (histological type, histological grade, lymph node, estrogen and progesterone receptor status), and biological markers such as BclII, Ki-67, and HER2/Neu. Results: Our results revealed a significant increase of PBR expression in tumoral versus normal breast cells. We found a negative correlation between PBR expression and estrogen receptor status (P = 0.03) as well as a positive correlation between PBR and Ki-67 (P = 0.044). Although the disease-free survival was not affected by PBR in the whole population, high PBR expression level was significantly correlated with a shorter disease-free survival in the lymph node-negative patients, P = 0.038. Conclusions: As the axillary lymph node-negative status is generally considered as a good prognosis factor, the high expression of PBR in this patient subgroup may be used to identify a new high risk population, for which a more specific therapy would be beneficial.