Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fecal microflora in healthy infants born by different methods of delivery: permanent changes in intestinal flora after cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND Newborn infants in modern maternity hospitals are subject to numerous factors that affect normal intestinal colonization--for example, cesarean delivery and antimicrobial agents. To study the duration of the effect of external factors on intestinal colonization, two groups of infants with different delivery methods were investigated. METHODS The fecal flora of 64 healthy infants was studied prospectively. Thirty-four infants were delivered vaginally, and 30 by cesarean birth with antibiotic prophylaxis administered to their mothers before the delivery. The fecal flora was cultured on nonselective and selective media in infants 3 to 5, 10, 30, 60, and 180 days of age. Gastrointestinal signs were recorded daily by the mothers for 2 months. RESULTS The fecal colonization of infants born by cesarean delivery was delayed. Bifidobacterium-like bacteria and Lactobacillus-like bacteria colonization rates reached the rates of vaginally delivered infants at 1 month and 10 days, respectively. Infants born by cesarean delivery were significantly less often colonized with bacteria of the Bacteroides fragilis group than were vaginally delivered infants: At 6 months the rates were 36% and 76%, respectively (p=0.009). The occurrence of gastrointestinal signs did not differ between the study groups. CONCLUSIONS This study shows for the first time that the primary gut flora in infants born by cesarean delivery may be disturbed for up to 6 months after the birth. The clinical relevance of these changes is unknown, and even longer follow-up is needed to establish how long-lasting these alterations of the primary gut flora can be.
Blood pressure reduction in ischemic stroke

There is convincing evidence that controlling hypertension is effective in primary and secondary stroke prevention. It is less clear whether and how to treat blood pressure (BP) in the setting of acute stroke.1 In this issue of Neurology , Oliveira-Filho et al. provide new data on this issue.2 Elevated BP after acute ischemic stroke is frequent and multifactorial although spontaneous reductions are known to occur in the first hours.3 High initial BP has been associated with poor outcome4,5⇓ and good outcome,6,7⇓ resulting in controversy about best management. Concerns remain about BP lowering based on the known animal pathophysiology, which suggests that reductions in systemic BP may reduce cerebral perfusion pressure and blood flow to viable ischemic tissue, particularly in the absence of normal autoregulation.8,9⇓ However, there is a theoretical risk of increased edema, hemorrhage, or further vascular damage if BP is allowed to remain high.8 In the absence of solid data from controlled trials, current …
Single and multiple relay selection schemes and their achievable diversity orders

This paper is on relay selection schemes for wireless relay networks. First, we derive the diversity of many single-relay selection schemes in the literature. Then, we generalize the idea of relay selection by allowing more than one relay to cooperate. The SNR-optimal multiple relay selection scheme can be achieved by exhaustive search, whose complexity increases exponentially in the network size. To reduce the complexity, several SNR-suboptimal multiple relay selection schemes are proposed, whose complexity is linear in the number of relays. They are proved to achieve full diversity. Simulation shows that they perform much better than the corresponding single relay selection methods and very close to the SNR-optimal multiple relay selection scheme. In addition, for large networks, these multiple relay selection schemes require the same amount of feedback bits from the receiver as single relay selection schemes.
User involvement in mental health branch education: client review presentations.

This paper will present the work of users, students and lecturers involved in the delivery of Mental Health pre-registration education, focusing on client assessment. Users from local mental health representative organizations, attend a series of college-based sessions to evaluate student's client review presentations, in which individual students explicitly and critically reflect upon a mental health assessment of a client in which they have participated. The user contributions are intended to raise student's awareness of client-centred perspectives, particularly in terms of the various possible interpretations that may be attributed to assessment data gathered about the client. The sessions seek to develop a learning approach, which will develop and consolidate a partnership in curriculum delivery between mental health service users and nursing education. This method of working has been evaluated by a previous study, and indicates that this method has an important influence on student's approaches to identifying clients needs and subsequent care delivery. This paper will focus on the organizational pre-requisites that are desirable, to implement this method of teaching and learning, including philosophical issues, contract arrangements, classroom activities, supervision, consideration of ethical dilemmas and reflective outcomes.
Mixture particle filter with block jump biomechanics constraint for volleyball players lower body parts tracking

Volleyball player body parts tracking is very important for block or jump height calculation which can be applied to TV contents and tactical analysis. This paper proposes a mixture particle filter with block jump biomechanics constraint based on 3D articulated human model. Using mixture particle filters tracking different body parts can effectively reduce the freedom degree of the human model and make each particle filter track the specific target more accurately. Block jump biomechanics constraint executes adaptive prediction model and likelihood model which can make the particle filter specific for block tracking. The experiments are based on videos of the Final Game of 2014 Japan Inter High School Games of Men's Volleyball in Tokyo. The tracking success rate reached 93.9% for left foot and 93.8% for right foot.
A fast proximal splitting algorithm for constrained TGV-regularized image restoration

In this paper, a fast algorithm is proposed to tackle the constrained total generalized variation (TGV) based image restoration problem. The proposed algorithm proceeds by splitting: the nonsmooth constrained TGV model is first decomposed into several subproblems easier to solve; then the linear gradient or proximity operators, including projections and shrinkages, of the subproblems are individually called without inner iteration. The algorithm is highly parallel since most of its steps can be executed simultaneously. Image restoration experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms several state-of-the-art methods both in speed and accuracy, while efficiently suppressing staircase effects and presenting better visual impression.
Environmental Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Best Practices, Guest Participation, and Customer Satisfaction

Certain sustainability practices could be considered nearly universal in the lodging industry, based on a study of 100 resorts in the United States. Among the common green practices are water conserving fixtures and linen-reuse programs. A separate survey of 120,000 hotel customers finds that guests are generally willing to participate in sustainability programs, but the presence of green operations still do not override considerations of price and convenience in selecting a hotel. Additionally, the study finds an increased willingness to participate when hotels offer incentives, such as loyalty program points, for participating in environmental programs. Although the link between environmentally sustainable programs and improved customer satisfaction is weak compared to standard drivers like facilities, room, and food and beverage quality, hotels are increasingly expected to maintain sustainability programs as a regular feature of their business. At the same time, the study did find that environmental sustainability programs do not diminish guest satisfaction. Consequently, the decision regarding which programs to implement should rest on cost-benefit analysis and other operating considerations.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE FINE STRUCTURE OF NORMAL AND ISCHEMIC DOG MYOCARDIUM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EARLY CHANGES FOLLOWING TEMPORARY OCCLUSION OF A CORONARY ARTERY.

Occlusion of the circumflex coronary artery in the dog produces a large infarct of the posterior papillary muscle in the left ventricle. ' This lesion is well suited for electron microscopic studies of myocardial ischemia because of its uniform necrosis and its predictable site in an easily identifiable and oriented region of the myocardium. Moreover, non-ischemic control material is readily available, as the blood supply to a large part of the left ventricle is unaffected by occlusion of this artery. ' Although the size and distribution of the lesion is about the same following either temporary occlusion for periods of 40 to 6o minutes, or permanent ligation,2 some of the early changes affecting irreversibly injured myocardial cells differ considerably according to whether the circulation is, or is not, restored. Histologically, characteristic contraction bands are distributed at random throughout the area of infarction following temporary occlusion, whereas in myocardium rendered permanently ischemic for a similar time, they are seen only at the periphery of the infarct.2'3 The restoration of blood flow also greatly accelerates tissue-electrolyte alterations associated with myocardial necrosis.4 We have investigated the early fine structural changes which occur when blood flow is restored to a myocardium rendered ischemic for 40 minutes, and have compared these appearances both with normal myocardium and with the different changes seen after similar periods of permanent ischemia.56 The present communication reports these observations, and also draws attention to the transverse tubular system in the normal dog myocardium.
The Protein-disulfide Isomerase DsbC Cooperates with SurA and DsbA in the Assembly of the Essential β-Barrel Protein LptD*

The assembly of the β-barrel proteins present in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is poorly characterized. After translocation across the inner membrane, unfolded β-barrel proteins are escorted across the periplasm by chaperones that reside within this compartment. Two partially redundant chaperones, SurA and Skp, are considered to transport the bulk mass of β-barrel proteins. We found that the periplasmic disulfide isomerase DsbC cooperates with SurA and the thiol oxidase DsbA in the folding of the essential β-barrel protein LptD. LptD inserts lipopolysaccharides in the OM. It is also the only β-barrel protein with more than two cysteine residues. We found that surAdsbC mutants, but not skpdsbC mutants, exhibit a synthetic phenotype. They have a decreased OM integrity, which is due to the lack of the isomerase activity of DsbC. We also isolated DsbC in a mixed disulfide complex with LptD. As such, LptD is identified as the first substrate of DsbC that is localized in the OM. Thus, electrons flowing from the cytoplasmic thioredoxin system maintain the integrity of the OM by assisting the folding of one of the most important β-barrel proteins.
AN ANALOGICAL APPROACH TO THE MANDARIN SYLLABARY

The standard argument for the psychological reality of phonological grammar, namely the ability of speakers to make judgments on nonwords, does not eliminate the possibility that speakers generalize from exemplars by analogy. This paper makes a case for such an analogical approach, demonstrates how analogy can be formalized in various ways, and then applies analogy to native-speaker judgments of Mandarin syllables. The major empirical findings are that judgments about real vs. nonreal syllables are much sharper than about systematic vs. accidental gaps, and that there is no significant difference between violations of apparent universal constraints and of ad hoc language-specific constraints. These facts are argued to conform better to an analogical than to a grammatical approach to phonology, though challenges remain in choosing the formal analogical model that best handles the data.
Toxic metabolic syndrome associated with HAART

Acquired fat redistribution, that is, peripheral fat loss often accompanied by central fat accumulation in patients with HIV infection is the most common form of lipodystrophy in man. Approximately 30 50% of HIV-infected individuals after 12months on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may encounter the HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome (HALS), which attenuates patient compliance to this treatment. HALS is characterised by impaired glucose and lipid metabolism and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This review depicts the metabolic abnormalities associated with HAART by describing the key cell and organ systems that are involved, emphasising the role of insulin resistance. An opinion on the remedies available to treat the metabolic abnormalities and phenotype of HALS is provided.
Unequal Primary Education Opportunities in Rural and Urban China

This article examines the unequal provision of primary education in rural and urban China. It first looks at the development of the “two-track” system and shows how educational opportunities have always been unevenly distributed in contemporary China. It then focuses on the dominant task of primary education—the universalisation of compulsory education—to underscore the profound difficulties that the Chinese government faces particularly in the provision of primary education in rural areas. The article concludes that the prospect of a successful delivery of primary education in the countryside lies in the further clarification of the financial relationship among different levels of the government, the diversification of sources of educational funding, and the integration of primary education with economic growth as the goal of sustainable development.
Noninvasive Fecal Immunochemical Testing and Fecal Calprotectin Predict Mucosal Healing in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: The noninvasive biomarkers fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) and fecal calprotectin (FCP) are sensitive for prediction of mucosal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. However, neither test has yet been shown to independently and accurately predict mucosal healing (MH). We aimed to assess the specificity of noninvasive FIT and FCP for MH prediction. Methods: In this prospective cohort study of adult inflammatory bowel disease outpatients presenting for colonoscopy, stool samples for FIT and FCP were collected 48 hours before endoscopy. Using MH defined by Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD = 0), Rutgeert's score (i0), and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS = 3), receiver operator characteristic curves were plotted, and sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and areas under the curve were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a clinical model for noninvasively predicting MH. Results: Eighty patients (40 Crohn's disease and 40 ulcerative colitis) were enrolled. The specificities of FIT <100 ng/mL and FCP <250 &mgr;g/g for MH were 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.38–0.74) and 0.77 (0.57–0.89), respectively. Positive predictive values for MH for FIT <100 ng/mL and FCP <250 &mgr;g/g were 0.78 (0.64–0.87) and 0.77 (0.58–0.90), respectively. In multivariate modeling, combining FIT, FCP, and clinical symptomatic remission improved specificity for MH to 0.90 (0.72–0.97) with positive predictive values of 0.84 (0.60–0.96). Areas under the curve for FIT was higher for patients with ulcerative colitis (0.88) than for patients with Crohn's disease (0.69, P = 0.05). Conclusions: FIT and FCP have similar performance characteristics for identifying MH. Combined, low FIT, low FCP, and clinical remission are specific for MH.
Social Media for Start-Ups - An Effective Marketing Tool

Social computing involves the use of online social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn to reach consumers in innovative ways. Businesses of all types are getting involved in social media in an attempt to reach to a new audience and reinforce their ties with existing customers. As one is starting a new business, the major concern is with creating a product or service offering, finding first customers, building partnerships to help grow more quickly and ensuring one has enough money to sustain the company. The question in hand is, does social media play a role in helping one get their business off the ground. Is it worth investing your time in social media early in your start-up? Do social media really make a difference in marketing efforts? The purpose of this study is to investigate how marketing efforts in social media can be successful in attracting customers for start-up companies. It also tries to understand how an owner of a start-up, recognize using social media to grow its business and uses social media to engage with its customers. The paper has shown that Facebook is more efficient and that social media is effective in spreading word-of-mouth and communicating with customers. This was reinforced by several case studies and two live start-ups which were examined. As a result, suggestions for social media marketing strategies are recommended to the companies. The conclusion of this study is that Facebook is an effective tool for start-up companies, to reach new consumers and also to retain current customers.
Virtual Environments Support Insider Security Violations

This paper describes an investigation into how an employee using a virtual environment can circumvent any or all of the security, policies and procedures within an organization. The paper discusses the fundamental issues that organizations must address to be able to detect such an attack. Attacks of this nature may be malicious with intent to cause disruption by flooding the network or disabling specific equipment, or non-malicious by quietly gathering critical information such as user names and passwords or a colleague’s internet banking details. Identification of potential residual evidence following an attack is presented. Such evidence may be used to speculate or verify an attack incident occurrence. Additionally, the forensic extraction of any such evidence is discussed. Finally, the paper raises the possibility of a virtual machine being used as an anti-forensic tool to destroy incriminating evidence in such circumstances.
The transversal imager: a photonic neurochip with programmable synaptic weights

A photonic neural processor implemented in NMOS/CCD integrated circuit technology is described. The processor performs outer-product processing utilizing optical input of the synaptic weights and electrical input of the state vector, or, visa versa. The performance of the 32-neuron, 1024-synapse processor is presented.
International Financial Reporting Standards and Accounting Comparability

This thesis includes three papers that consider the effects of IFRS adoption on accounting comparability in the European Union (EU). In the first paper, I use actual financial statement data to create a measure of distance (my accounting measure of comparability) from local GAAP to IFRS prior to the adoption of IFRS in 2005. Specifically, I identify 27 accounting items and I examine recognition and disclosure practices of 296 firms listed on Euronext before and after 2005. In contrast to prior work, which conducted such analyses at a de jure level, this de facto level analysis of accounting differences provides evidence about firms' actual reporting choices in their annual reports. This analysis is particularly important when accounting standards (both local GAAPs and IFRS) allow a variety of methods for recognition and disclosure. My tests suggest that the change in comparability due to the adoption of IFRS is not uniform. In jurisdictions where local GAAP was more distant from IFRS the increase in comparability was larger than the increase in comparability that occurred in jurisdictions where local GAAP was closer to IFRS prior to IFRS adoption. This result is important because it provides a refined measure that can be used to appraise the actual IFRS effect on various outcome variables. In the second study I predict that, if IFRS adoption has led to positive market effects, there would be larger IFRS adoption effects among firms domiciled in countries where local GAAP was further from IFRS prior to 2005 than among firms domiciled in countries where local GAAP was closer to IFRS prior to 2005. I exploit my measure of distance (developed in the first paper) to examine whether firms domiciled in Euronext countries where the distance between local GAAP and IFRS was greater prior to IFRS adoption exhibited larger improvements in the usefulness of their earnings announcements. I measure usefulness as the short-term price and volume reactions to earnings announcements. My analysis proceeds in two steps. First, I confirm an increase in absolute returns and volume reactions, similar to observations in prior research (e.g., Landsman et al., 2011). Second, and more importantly, I find that these increased reactions are not due to IFRS adoption per se, but rather to the inclusion of concurrent information in firms' press releases, most prominently statement of cash flows information. A potential explanation for this result is the regulators' recommendation to expand disclosures in firms' press releases in 2005. I cannot rule out, however, that IFRS had an effect, because the greater consistency in rules and format for the statement of cash flows may have led to an increase in the disclosure of cash flow information in firms' press releases. In my third study I expand my sample to all European Union countries and I investigate how cross-border earnings information transfer (my market measure of comparability) changed after IFRS adoption. I explore this effect through two intermediate and complementary…
Discharge characteristics as the criteria for replacing batteries with power harvesting circuits in sensor systems

This paper describes the design and development of a cellular near-field power harvesting circuit. Its potential to independently power sensor systems without batteries is demonstrated and discussed. As universal criteria to decide which batteries in sensor systems can be directly replaced by the proposed power harvesting circuit, discharge characteristics of Lithium and Alkaline batteries were investigated and compared to the measured discharge characteristic of the proposed power harvesting circuit. Results show that it is easy to replace Alkaline batteries directly whereas if Lithium batteries are to be replaced by the proposed power supply, an efficient voltage regulating circuit must be used.
What Business Needs from Business Schools

When John Reed, longtime chairman of Citicorp, accepted the Academy of Management’s Distinguished Executive of the Year award in 1999, he ended his acceptance speech by challenging his audience of elite academics. “The business community knows full well that business schools perform a useful function [in] sorting potential hires,” he said. “The schools sort out from the general population those who are more ambitious, more energetic, more willing to subject themselves to two years without income. But the real question is: Do you give these students a set of skills that is going to serve them well over their careers? ”