Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using data mining approaches to build credit scoring model: Case study — Implementation of credit scoring model in microfinance institution

The aim of this paper is to present a Credit Scoring Model applied by one Microfinance Institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as to show how the most relevant attributes for its implementation were identified. The purpose of created Credit Scoring Model was to predict default clients and reduce credit risk of Microfinance Institution by applying data mining algorithm in order to find patterns for recognition of default clients and, thus, support decision making process of credit approval. Credit Scoring Model was build using Oracle Data Miner software package that uses Generalized Linear Model for classification. Created model showed great predictive confidence and accuracy, but also gave trustworthy results regarding feature selection, so the Microfinance institution decided to adopt this model as help in decision making process.
Improving detection of celiac disease patients: a prospective study in iron-deficient blood donors without anemia in north Italy

Objective To evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease in asymptomatic iron-deficient blood donors without anemia. Material and methods Between the period February 2004 and January 2006, iron-deficient male donors with serum ferritin less than 30 ng/ml and female donors with serum ferritin less than 10 ng/ml were screened for immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antitissue transglutaminase antibodies and donors with positive antibody titers were referred for endoscopy with multiple biopsies of the second/third part of duodenum. The frequency of celiac disease in iron-deficient blood donors without anemia and the predictive value of ferritin levels were analyzed. Results Of the 1679 blood donors, 579 (34.4%) were identified as iron deficient and screened for celiac disease. 290 (50%) were men (mean age: 39 years; range: 19–65) and 289 (50%) were women (mean age: 37 years; range: 19–63). Thirteen donors (2.2%) were positive for serum IgA antitissue transglutaminase antibodies, of whom six were men (2.0%) and seven were women (2.4%). 10 donors of 13 (1.7%) at histology presented alterations in the mucosal architecture according to the modified Marsh classification (Marsh I–III). Low ferritin level was not predictive for celiac disease (median serum ferritin level in celiac donors 14.7 ng/ml and in nonceliac donors 15.8 ng/ml, Wilcoxon test: P not significant). The prevalence of celiac disease among iron-deficient blood donors without anemia was 1.7%. Conclusion The prevalence of celiac disease in our population of asymptomatic iron-deficient blood donors without anemia was 1.7%. We suggest screening for celiac disease in iron-deficient individuals without anemia to increase diagnosis of asymptomatic celiac disease.
The brain and hypertension: reflections on 35 years of inquiry into the neurobiology of the circulation

In 1948 knowledge of the role of the central nervous system in controlling blood pressure was rudimentary and the possibility that the brain could contribute to hypertension was barely acknowledged. Over the past 35 years the development of new technologies, particularly those of the neurosciences, and their application to cardiovascular medicine have markedly increased our understanding of how the brain governs the circulation. Notable has been the increase in knowledge of the neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and physiology of the representation, within the brain, of the pathways critical in governing blood pressure, particularly those involved in tonic and baroreflex control of the circulation. The observation that perturbations in these networks can lead to the development of hypertension or the reversal of established hypertension and the demonstration that some of these networks are targets of drugs used in the clinical treatment of hypertension provide obvious clinical relevance to the discoveries. In the future, it is expected that more will be discovered about the biochemical neuroanatomy, and hopefully the molecular biology, of these neuronal networks. Such advances will permit more rigorous testing of the proposition that defects in these systems may underlie the disorder of hypertension in human beings.
Targeted Advertising Based on Browsing History

Audience interest, demography, purchase behavior and other possible classifications are ex- tremely important factors to be carefully studied in a targeting campaign. This information can help advertisers and publishers deliver advertisements to the right audience group. How- ever, it is not easy to collect such information, especially for the online audience with whom we have limited interaction and minimum deterministic knowledge. In this paper, we pro- pose a predictive framework that can estimate online audience demographic attributes based on their browsing histories. Under the proposed framework, first, we retrieve the content of the websites visited by audience, and represent the content as website feature vectors; second, we aggregate the vectors of websites that audience have visited and arrive at feature vectors representing the users; finally, the support vector machine is exploited to predict the audience demographic attributes. The key to achieving good prediction performance is preparing representative features of the audience. Word Embedding, a widely used tech- nique in natural language processing tasks, together with term frequency-inverse document frequency weighting scheme is used in the proposed method. This new representation ap- proach is unsupervised and very easy to implement. The experimental results demonstrate that the new audience feature representation method is more powerful than existing baseline methods, leading to a great improvement in prediction accuracy.
Differential nephrotoxicity of cisplatin and a novel series of traditional Chinese medicine–platinum anticancer agents correlates with their chemical reactivity towards sulfur-containing nucleophiles

A series of novel traditional Chinese medicine–platinum compounds has been found to be active against a number of murine and human cancers both in vitro and in vivo. Their high potency and the lack of cisplatin cross-resistance are believed to be due to the inclusion of the protein phosphatase 2A-inhibiting demethylcantharidin in the novel structures. A simple reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated as a stability-indicating assay for the platinum compounds. Using cisplatin and carboplatin as reference compounds, the stability study agrees well with the literature-reported findings. The novel traditional Chinese medicine–platinum compounds were more stable than cisplatin in water and dextrose, but became unstable in normal saline, a characteristic similar to that of carboplatin. The developed assay was further applied to study the chemical reactivity of the novel platinum compounds towards physiologically important nucleophiles such as glutathione and cysteine. The novel compounds were considerably less reactive to the sulfur-containing nucleophiles than cisplatin. In-vitro cytotoxicity assay was performed in a porcine kidney LLC-PK1 cell line model to investigate the nephrotoxicity potential of the platinum compounds. The lower rate of hydrolysis and the decreased reactivity of the novel traditional Chinese medicine–platinum compounds towards sulfur-containing bionucleophiles appear to have reduced their toxicity when compared with cisplatin, yet the antitumor activities of the novel compounds have not been compromised.
An observational study of antibiotic prescribing behavior and the Hawthorne effect.

OBJECTIVES To assess whether prospective, observational study procedures, including questionnaires and audio recording, are associated with different patterns of physician diagnostic decision making and antibiotic prescribing. DATA SOURCES/SETTING (1) Survey data from a prospective observational study of treatment patterns for children with acute upper respiratory illnesses (10/96-3/97) and (2) retrospective medical record abstraction data of nonobserved encounters for the same problems occurring during (10/96-3/97) and one year after (10/97-3/98) the observational study period. Ten pediatricians in two community practices were studied. STUDY DESIGN Patterns of diagnoses recorded in the medical record and antibiotics ordered for visits occurring outside of the observational study (same time period and one year later) were compared with the pattern of diagnoses and antibiotics ordered during the observational study. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS For the observational study (10/96-2/97), diagnosis and treatment choices were obtained from questionnaires completed by physicians immediately following the visit. For the nonstudy encounters (10/96-3/97 and 10/97-3/98), data were abstracted from medical records one year after the observational study was completed. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The proportion of viral cases in which an antibiotic was prescribed was 29 percentage points lower for the observational study compared to the retrospective analysis (p < .05). In one of two study sites, the proportion of cases assigned a bacterial diagnosis was 29 percentage points lower in the observational study period compared to the retrospective study (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS Observational study procedures including questionnaires and audio recording can affect antibiotic prescribing behavior. Future observational studies aimed at examining the frequency of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing should measure and adjust for the Hawthorne effect; without such adjustments, the results will likely underestimate the true degree of the problem. Future interventions aimed at decreasing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing should consider "harnessing" the Hawthorne effect through performance feedback to participating physicians.
The undesirable consequences of controlling for birth weight in perinatal epidemiological studies.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of controlling for birth weight with those of controlling for gestational age at delivery in perinatal epidemiological studies using two examples. SETTING: Western Australia. SUBJECTS: Population data: all white births born at 20-46 weeks of gestation in Western Australia during 1985-91 inclusive (n = 147564). Example 1: All Western Australian births from 1980-89 born either at 33-36 weeks inclusive (n = 13607), or born with a birth weight of 2050-2900 g (n = 34107). Example 2: 160 singleton cases of spastic cerebral palsy born to white mothers in Western Australia from 1975-80 and whose gestational age was known, compared with (a) 480 controls individually matched for gender and birth weight and (b) singletons with known gestational age liveborn to white mothers in Western Australia from 1980-81, or 1979-82 if < 30 weeks' gestational age at birth (n = 32031). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The risks of cerebral palsy associated with two separate exposures in groups defined by birth weight were compared with those in groups defined by gestational age. The origin of the differences are explained using total population data. The estimates of risk differ when exposure and outcome are both associated with appropriateness of fetal growth. The difference varied with gestational age, being greatest in the moderately preterm (33-36 weeks' gestation). CONCLUSION: Epidemiological studies in which appropriateness of fetal growth is an important variable should be based on gestational age at birth rather than birth weight, whatever the neonatal size or maturity.
Dynamic information visualization on cognitive ability for intelligence preparation of the battlefield

Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) is an important preparatory operation in the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP) in Taiwan. It is a required military course and integrates a great volume of information in an intuitive and comprehensible manner. With the rapid advancement in digital technology, information integration and application have become easier. This study therefore offers a dynamic information visualization approach to improve IPB in army education for enhancing the cognitive ability as well as situation awareness of military personnel during intelligence preparation for battlefield. The current study investigates the effects of dynamic information visualization on cognitive ability. The research design adopts part of the Battlefield Analysis model to visualize military information and data as images. In addition, the images were combined with animation to create a dynamic effect. Two groups of military trainees, each with 12 professional personnel with commander experiences, participated in the evaluation of the improved IPB illustrations to assess the experimental outcomes. Results showed that dynamic information visualization enhanced information understanding in different military situations and enhanced focus during the course without any increase in cognitive load. The study proved dynamic visualization information as an effective mechanism for integrating military information for operation and strategic action during battles.
Tool for generating test module for JavaScript based on statement coverage criteria

JavaScript is the most popular language for client-side web application development. Some open-source tools provide frameworks for building JavaScript automation test. Developers can create and maintain automate test scripts with these tools. However, they will waste a lot of time to create and maintain test scripts because these are manual activities. This research presents a tool for generating unit test modules for JavaScript to meet statement coverage criteria. The tool can generate test cases by analyzing and instrument source code, generate test cases with random data based on type of parameters, execute the test cases, evaluate coverage, regenerate as well as re-execute until it reaches a target level of statement coverage, and then provide coverage report.
A Prospective, Open-Label Trial Assessing Dexamethasone Pulse Therapy in Moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis

Background Severe ulcerative colitis is conventionally treated with parenteral corticosteroids followed by oral corticosteroids. Regular use of corticosteroids is associated with side effects. Corticosteroid pulse therapy, i.e., use of supraphysiologic dose followed by complete withdrawal, which is likely to have fewer side effects, was tried in the current study. Study Dexamethasone pulse therapy, i.e., 100-mg/d infusion in 5% dextrose, was used for 3 consecutive days in 14 patients with severe ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis disease activity was assessed on days 7, 15, 30, and 60. The primary end point was defined as the number of patients who achieved clinical remission and an activity index less than 150 at day 15. The second end point was the number of patients who remained in remission and had an activity index less than 150 at 30 and 60 days. None of the patients enrolled got subsequent oral corticosteroids after their 3 days of megadose corticosteroid infusion. Results Clinical remission was achieved in 93% patients (13 of 14 patients) by day 15. Two of these 13 patients suffered relapse during follow-up, and hence, the clinical remission was sustained in 79% patients at 30 and 60 days. Conclusions Dexamethasone pulse therapy is highly effective in inducing remission in patients with ulcerative colitis, but randomized controlled trials are needed to compare dexamethasone pulse therapy with standard oral continuous corticosteroid regimens.
Mejoramiento Escolar en Contextos de Pobreza: Problematizando Supuestos desde la Evidencia

Hace casi exactamente 20 años atrás, en Enero de 1988 en Londres, tuvo lugar el Primer Congreso Internacional de Escuelas Efectivas y Mejoramiento. Veinte años después, aquí en Santiago de Chile, Latinoamérica celebra su primera conferencia en la misma área. Esta presentación discutirá algunos de los problemas que enfrenta el campo de la efectividad después de casi tres décadas de desarrollo, especialmente, respecto a su contribución al Mejoramiento de Escuelas en Desventaja Social. Esta discusión me parece relevante porque en el contexto Latinoamericano, y el chileno en específico, el análisis educacional se ha concentrado bastante en Escuelas Efectivas, en la aplicación de modelos de gestión, pero sin embargo, no se han discutido suficientemente las implicancias y potenciales consecuencias de estos modelos. Básicamente, esta presentación usa un enfoque crítico en el sentido que discutirá los supuestos sobre los que se sostiene la Investigación de Escuelas Efectivas (IEE) y su aplicación al Mejoramiento Educativo.
Functional Manipulation of Maternal Gene Products Using In Vitro Oocyte Maturation in Zebrafish

Cellular events that take place during the earliest stages of animal embryonic development are driven by maternally derived gene products deposited into the developing oocyte. Because these events rely on maternal products which typically act very soon after fertilization-that preexist inside the egg, standard approaches for expression and functional reduction involving the injection of reagents into the fertilized egg are typically ineffective. Instead, such manipulations must be performed during oogenesis, prior to or during the accumulation of maternal products. This article describes in detail a protocol for the in vitro maturation of immature zebrafish oocytes and their subsequent in vitro fertilization, yielding viable embryos that survive to adulthood. This method allows the functional manipulation of maternal products during oogenesis, such as the expression of products for phenotypic rescue and tagged construct visualization, as well as the reduction of gene function through reverse-genetics agents.
Impact of abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue on cardiometabolic risk factors: the Jackson Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE Obesity is a major driver of cardiometabolic risk. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and sc adipose tissue (SAT) may confer differential metabolic risk profiles. We investigated the relations of VAT and SAT with cardiometabolic risk factors in the Jackson Heart Study cohort. METHODS Participants from the Jackson Heart Study (n=2477; 64% women; mean age, 58 yr) underwent multidetector computed tomography, and the volumetric amounts of VAT and SAT were assessed between 2007 and 2009. Cardiometabolic risk factors were examined by sex in relation to VAT and SAT. RESULTS Men had a higher mean volume of VAT (873 vs. 793 cm3) and a lower mean volume of SAT (1730 vs. 2659 cm3) than women (P=0.0001). Per 1-sd increment in either VAT or SAT, we observed elevated levels of fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride, lower levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and increased odds ratios for hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The effect size of VAT in women was larger than that of SAT [fasting plasma glucose, 5.51±1.0 vs. 3.36±0.9; triglyceride, 0.17±0.01 vs. 0.05±0.01; high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, -5.36±0.4 vs. -2.85±0.4; and odds ratio for hypertension, 1.62 (1.4-1.9) vs. 1.40 (1.2-1.6); diabetes, 1.82 (1.6-2.1) vs. 1.58 (1.4-1.8); and metabolic syndrome, 3.34 (2.8-4.0) vs. 2.06 (1.8-2.4), respectively; P<0.0001 for difference between VAT and SAT]. Similar patterns were also observed in men. Furthermore, VAT remained associated with most risk factors even after accounting for body mass index (P ranging from 0.006-0.0001). The relationship of VAT to most risk factors was significantly different between women and men. CONCLUSIONS Abdominal VAT and SAT are both associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk factors, but VAT remains more strongly associated with these risk factors. The results from this study suggest that relations with cardiometabolic risk factors are consistent with a pathogenic role of abdominal adiposity in participants of African ancestry.
Switching for IP-based multimedia satellite communications

This paper discusses the structure and performance of an Internet protocol (IP)-based satellite communications system to provide multimedia services. Uplink scheduling and switching to support IP differentiated services (DiffServ) traffic in a multibeam environment are addressed. End-to-end performance of a multibeam satellite communications system using an on-board switch is evaluated using simulation. Aggregate real-time and non-real-time traffic using different DiffServ classes is considered and the effects of their burstiness and long-range dependent behavior on the queueing performance are examined. Multiple-frequency time-division multiple-access is used on the uplink in conjunction with a dynamic capacity allocation scheme. Higher priority is given to voice and video real-time traffic to avoid delay variation. On-board downlink queue for non-real-time traffic is provided to achieve high statistical multiplexing gain.
The clinical impact of platelet refractoriness: correlation with bleeding and survival

BACKGROUND: Despite supportive care with platelet (PLT) transfusions, bleeding complications occur in a substantial number of patients with thrombocytopenia due to cytotoxic therapy. Moreover, refractoriness to PLT transfusions remains a frequently encountered problem. The clinical impact of PLT transfusion failure was investigated in 117 patients, part of a randomized PLT transfusion trial, which excluded patients with HLA and/or HPA alloantibodies.
Multi-GHz clocking scheme for Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 microprocessor

This multi-GHz clock generation and distribution scheme enables the NetBurst/sup TM/ micro-architecture of Pentium(R) 4 microprocessor. A low-skew and jitter and low-power solution is achieved for three separate core and I/O bus frequencies for a total of six different clock frequencies running concurrently. A debug-friendly clocking environment provides easy observability, testing, and reconfiguration features, enabling rapid time to market.
Acute phase response in acute pancreatitis: a comparison with abdominal sepsis

Background: Increased knowledge on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in acute pancreatitis (AP) and abdominal sepsis (AS) is essential, not least for the development of novel ways of treatment. The present study aims at determining dynamic changes in the systemic inflammatory response in AP and AS. Methods: AP was induced by the intraductal injection of sodium taurodeoxycholate in the rat, while AS was induced by caecal ligation and puncture. The animals were killed 1, 3, 6 and 9 h after challenge. Plasma exudation of radiolabelled albumin, myeloperoxidase (MPO), TNF‐α, MCP‐1, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide was measured. Results: Leakage index of human serum albumin showed a significant increase early (1 h) after induction of AP and later (9 h) in AS compared to controls (P < 0.05). Hydrogen peroxide generation by circulating monocytes/macrophages was high early (1 h) in AP and after 3 and 6 h in AS. Superoxide generation increased by time after both challenges. MPO activity increased significantly, starting at 3 h in both AP and AS (P < 0.05). TNF‐α increased significantly at 6 and 9 h in both models. Conclusion: Our results indicate differences in the release of systemic inflammatory mediators and cellular response in AP and AS. However, potential similarities in end‐effect, such as the development of remote organ injury (lungs), may exist as implied by the MPO results. Further investigations of the mechanisms are crucial.