Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Measurement of the outcome quality as beginning of total quality management in otorhinolaryngology].

BACKGROUND The last years are characterized by a change of paradigms in the evaluation of medical therapeutical strategies. The term quality of life (QoL) has been established in oncology and could be demonstrated as a subject of highly qualified investigations which were published during the last years. An extendend quality management is correlated with the possibility of cost-effectiveness measurement and arrangement in a time characterized by decreasing financial resources of the hospitals and university departments. The experiences in the field of quality analysis could offer precious tools to optimize structures, processes and results of treatments. This aim is strongly supported by the expected law "Gesundheitsreform 2000". METHOD AND RESULTS Therefore reliable, valid tools are needed to calculate the effects of therapies. The combination of global and specific questionnaires include the possibility to compare oncologic data of different entities of malignomas. A couple of questionnaires in otorhinolaryngology were developed in the last decade involving the fields of malignomas of the upper aerodigestive tract, rhinosinusitis etc. CONCLUSIONS Ishikawa, the founder of "Total Quality Management" and of the "Quality Circ", pointed out the high importance of customer satisfaction. Whereas the patient is in the mid point of medical treatment there are hardly any investigations about customer satisfaction published. Therefore it is necessary to develop and establish validated tools for the measurement of quality dimensions. The short, middle and long-lasting effects of a treatment could be calculated by quality of life measurements. The QoL is here of very strong importance, especially since economic aspects are included.
Lanreotide Autogel Therapy in Patients with Acromegaly –Current Role and Perspectives for the Future

Acromegaly is caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH), almost always from a benign pituitary adenoma. When not treated, it is a disfiguring and debilitating disease causing severe co-morbidity and premature death. The available treatment modalities for acromegaly are selective trans-sphenoidal adenomectomy, radiotherapy, medical treatment and a combination of these. The effects of surgery depend greatly on the experience of neurosurgeons. Even in experienced neurosurgical departments, however, the possibilities of curing acromegaly are limited. In the Department of Neurosurgery in Erlangen, success rates for removal were as follows.
Analysis of trans activation by human papillomavirus type 16 E7 and adenovirus 12S E1A suggests a common mechanism

The human papillomavirus E7 gene product is an oncoprotein with properties similar to those of the adenovirus E1A proteins. The human papillomavirus E7 proteins possess substantial amino acid sequence similarity to portions of conserved regions 1 and 2 of E1A, and the human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein trans-activates the adenovirus E2 early promoter. Analysis of point mutations in the E2 promoter indicated that the E2F recognition sites were critical to E7 stimulation. In contrast to the activation of the E2 promoter, E7 could not trans-activate various other E1A-inducible promoters. Although the promoter specificity for E7 differs from that of 13S E1A trans activation, it is very similar to activation by the E1A 12S product. Moreover, analysis of the E7 protein has suggested that amino acid sequences critical for trans activation include those shared with E1A within conserved region 2. Biochemical studies demonstrate that the E7 protein, like the 12S E1A product, can alter the interaction of cellular factors with the E2F transcription factor. We therefore conclude that E7 trans activation is functionally related to that mediated by the 12S E1A product.
Radio-frequency fingerprinting for mitigating primary user emulation attack in low-end cognitive radios

Recently, radio-frequency (RF) fingerprinting has been proposed for mitigating primary user emulation (PUE) attacks in cognitive radio networks (CRNs). The widespread practical implementation of cognitive radio (CR) is likely to utilise softwaredefined radios with a low-end (i.e. low-cost) receiver built with inexpensive analogue components. This study experimentally analyses the feasibility of RF fingerprinting for mitigating PUE attacks using low-end software-defined CRs. Seven universal software radio peripherals are used as low-end CR receivers and their resulting performance is analysed for ad hoc and infrastructure CRN scenarios. The performance analysis is performed for the largest known data set of its kind, which consists of 490 000 measurements from seven identical transmitters across eight receivers. It is found that impairments in the front-end of a low-end receiver affects the accuracy of transmitter classification and this accuracy varies across receivers. The results suggest that RF fingerprinting can be effectively used for mitigating PUE attacks in an ad hoc CRN at high receiver signal-to-noise ratio whereas RF fingerprinting is not a practical solution for mitigating PUE attacks in an infrastructure CRN.
Persistence and attainment of 2003–04 beginning postsecondary students: After 6 years

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. contained herein is in the public domain. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to iii Foreword This First Look presents findings from the 2004/09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09), which collected information over a period of 6 years that describes the enrollment and employment experiences of a national sample of undergraduates who began their postsecondary education for the first time in the 2003–04 academic year. The focus of the tables in this report is on rates of certificate and degree completion among students of different backgrounds starting their postsecondary education at different types of institutions. BPS:04/09 is the third in a series of studies of beginning postsecondary students that have previously covered the years 1990–94 (BPS: 90/94) and 1996–2001 (BPS: 96/01). Reports that have used these studies and public access to the data upon which the reports are based may be found on the NCES website for BPS at The purpose of this report is to introduce new data through the presentation of tables containing descriptive information. As a result only selected findings are presented. These findings have been chosen to demonstrate the range of information available when using BPS data rather than to discuss all of the observed differences, and they are not meant to emphasize any particular issue. The data on which this report is based are available to researchers and the public through the NCES DataLab at http://nces.ed.gov/datalab. The DataLab provides users with two options, QuickStats and PowerStats. QuickStats is an easy-to-use introductory tool designed for the public that …
Reliable and Feasible Evaluation of Linear Scars by the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale

Background: Although scar evaluation tools are necessary for an evidence-based approach to scar management, there is as yet no generally accepted tool. The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale was developed recently and found to be a useful subjective evaluation tool for burn scars. The authors tested the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale on linear scars, the largest category of surgical scars. Methods: One hundred linear surgical scars were assessed by three independent observers using the observer scale to evaluate vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability, and surface area. The patients evaluated their scars simultaneously and 2 weeks later using the patient scale for the following parameters: pain, itching, color, stiffness, thickness, and relief. Results: The internal consistency of the observer and patient scales was good (Cronbach’s &agr; = 0.86 and 0.90, respectively). The reliability of the observer scale was good for the total score (r = 0.96, p < 0.001) and separate items (r > 0.86, p < 0.001) for three observers. Even a single observer evaluated scars reliably with respect to the total score (r = 0.88, p < 0.001) and the items vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, and surface area (r > 0.70, p < 0.001). The patient’s intraobserver reliability was good for the total score (r = 0.94, p < 0.001) and separate items (r > 0.89, p < 0.001). The coefficient of variation of the total score was 10.4 percent for the observer scale and 15.8 percent for the patient scale, indicating good agreement. Conclusions: The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale is an appropriate subjective tool for the evaluation of linear scars.
Effects of monensin on vesicular transport pathways in the perfused rat liver

In the rat hepatoctye, the internalization and degradation of asialoglycoproteins and the secretion of plasma and biliary proteins require specific intracellular sorting of vesicles. To aid in the biochemical characterization of these different vesicular pathways, we examined the effects of the ionophore monensin on the uptake and degradation of 125I‐asialoorosomucoid (ASOR) and on the secretion of plasma and biliary proteins by the in situ perfused rat liver. In control livers, 77% of injected 125I‐ASOR was extracted on first pass; 93% of the extracted radioactivity was released back into the circulation (totally degraded and some intact ASOR was found); and approximately 2% was recovered in the bile, some of which was intact. Monensin treatment decreased first pass uptake of 125I‐ASOR to 57% and abruptly blocked the release of radioactivity into the perfusate and the bile. When hepatic proteins were biosynthetically labeled with 3H‐leucine, monensin treatment dramatically reduced and delayed the secretion of newly synthesized proteins into both the perfusate and the bile. In contrast with control livers, in which secretion of protein into the perfusate preceded secretion of protein into the bile, TCA‐precipitable 3H‐protein appeared in bile about 20 min before TCA‐precipitable 3H‐protein appeared in the perfusate in monensin‐treated livers. Thus, monensin treatment in the perfused liver blocked the degradation of asialoglycoproteins and inhibited the secretion of plasma proteins but had less effect on biliary protein secretion. These data document physiologic effects of monensin in an intact organ and suggest that biochemical distinctions between different vesicular pathways exist in the rat hepatocyte.
Coronavirus Infection Modulates the Unfolded Protein Response and Mediates Sustained Translational Repression

ABSTRACT During coronavirus replication, viral proteins induce the formation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived double-membrane vesicles for RNA synthesis, and viral structural proteins assemble virions at the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment. We hypothesized that the association and intense utilization of the ER during viral replication would induce the cellular unfolded protein response (UPR), a signal transduction cascade that acts to modulate translation, membrane biosynthesis, and the levels of ER chaperones. Here, we report that infection by the murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) triggers the proximal UPR transducers, as revealed by monitoring the IRE1-mediated splicing of XBP-1 mRNA and the cleavage of ATF6α. However, we detected minimal downstream induction of UPR target genes, including ERdj4, ER degradation-enhancing α-mannosidase-like protein, and p58IPK, or expression of UPR reporter constructs. Translation initiation factor eIF2α is highly phosphorylated during MHV infection, and translation of cellular mRNAs is attenuated. Furthermore, we found that the critical homeostasis regulator GADD34, which recruits protein phosphatase 1 to dephosphorylate eIF2α during the recovery phase of the UPR, is not expressed during MHV infection. These results suggest that MHV modifies the UPR by impeding the induction of UPR-responsive genes, thereby favoring a sustained shutdown of the synthesis of host cell proteins while the translation of viral proteins escalates. The role of this modified response and its potential relevance to viral mechanisms for the evasion of innate defense signaling pathways during coronavirus replication are discussed.
Lessons learned from mouse models of hemolytic transfusion reactions

Purpose of reviewHemolytic transfusion reactions (HTRs) are potentially fatal complications of blood transfusions. Many studies, primarily performed in vitro, have provided a great deal of insight into the initiating events of HTRs; however, it is not clear how they are modulated and how they combine to lead to one or more of the final common pathways. Recently developed mouse HTR models now make it possible to enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of HTRs; this will allow for the rational design of specific therapies to prevent or ameliorate this serious complication in transfusion medicine. Recent findingsMouse models support the hypothesis that ‘cytokine storm’ plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HTRs. Nitric oxide and endothelial cell dysfunction are also implicated in the pathophysiology of these reactions. In addition, the intriguing phenomenon of ‘antigen loss,’ in which antigen crosslinking by alloantibody leads to antigen removal rather than red blood cell clearance, has been modeled and explored. Finally, these mouse models were used to evaluate new therapeutic targets employing complement receptor 1 peptide homologues and the antimacrophage agent, liposomal clodronate. SummaryModels of HTRs are valuable for gaining a better understanding of the pathophysiology of these potentially fatal complications of blood transfusion. The participation of various inflammatory mediators was shown to play a role in these reactions in vivo. This knowledge will lead to novel treatment options.
Diagnostic Mechanism and Robustness of Safety Relevant Automotive Deep Convolutional Networks

Convolution Neural Networks today provide the best results for many image detection and image recognition problems. The computational complexity and the amount of parameters learned has increased, yet there is little to no research on the topic of functional safety for systems incorporating CNNs. The analysis on false detections due to random hardware faults concentrates on human made adversarial examples obtained by adding unrealistic noise sources over carefully selected images. Redundant execution of these networks is prohibitive in application domains where power and price constraints dominate, pushing for alternate approaches. In this paper we investigate functional safety aspects for a road labeling application, a common task in the advance driver assistance systems. We introduce computationally light safety checks that reduce the error space significantly, train a CNN on the Cityscape dataset that reaches 93% mean IU (intersection over union) and use Monte Carlo simulations to assess the impact of single event upset random hardware faults. The results show that the networks based on convolution and ReLU (rectified linear unit) have some intrinsic robustness and that together with additional constraints strong function safety claims can be made. We compare also the diagnostic coverage between floating point and fixed point implementation of CNNs and summarize key safety features needed to achieve a high diagnostic coverage.
Six Degrees of Freedom Wide-Range Ubiquitous IPT for IoT by DQ Magnetic Field

Direct and quadrature (DQ) rotating magnetic-field-based transmitting (Tx) coils for wireless charging of multiple internet of things (IoT), which are broadly distributed over three-dimensional (3D) spaces, are newly proposed in this paper. The proposed Tx coils provide a uniformly distributed DQ magnetic field environment so that numerous IoT, such as active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, electric shelf label (ESL), appliances, and various sensors connected to internet, are charged with 3-D omnidirectional wireless charging. By virtue of the generated DQ magnetic field, six degrees of freedom (6-DoF), regardless of their three-axes positions and directions, are achieved by the proposed Tx coils with plane receiving (Rx) coils, which is essential for the proposed ubiquitous wireless power environment. Therefore, the proposed wide-range ubiquitous inductive power transfer (IPT) is highly recommended for adoption in practical applications, where volumetric structures with large size of core are not allowed. The optimum distance between the DQ lines of the proposed Tx coils <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d_{w}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> was found by magnetic field analysis to deliver maximum magnetic field <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$B_{t}$</tex-math></inline-formula> at a target distance of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$z_{{1}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. To generate DQ currents and guarantee zero-voltage-switching operation of the main switches, detailed static analysis of the proposed DQ Class D inverter based on an imaginary gyrator model is presented. The effective area ratio of an Rx coil having a ferrite core is derived and experimentally found in this evenly distributed magnetic field condition. 1:20 and 1:1 scaled-prototypes for <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d_{l}\,= \,{\text{10}}\;\text{m}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and 5 m DQ line cases, respectively, were installed on the ceiling and experimentally verified for the uniformity of magnetic field and the highest wireless power delivery freedom. Experimental results showed that the proposed IPT has 78% of uniformity for magnetic field and Rx coils are freely charged with a 6-DoF characteristic. Two hundred of Rx coils, which are arbitrarily distributed over 3-D space, can be simultaneously charged with 16.2 W of total received load power and 9.3% of power efficiency.
A-Single Spermatogonia Heterogeneity and Cell Cycles Synchronize with Rat Seminiferous Epithelium Stages VIII–IX1

ABSTRACT In mammalian testes, “A-single” spermatogonia function as stem cells that sustain sperm production for fertilizing eggs. Yet, it is not understood how cellular niches regulate the developmental fate of A-single spermatogonia. Here, immunolabeling studies in rat testes define a novel population of ERBB3+ germ cells as approximately 5% of total SNAP91+ A-single spermatogonia along a spermatogenic wave. As a function of time, ERBB3+ A-single spermatogonia are detected during a 1- to 2-day period each 12.9-day sperm cycle, representing 35%–40% of SNAP91+ A-single spermatogonia in stages VIII–IX of the seminiferous epithelium. Local concentrations of ERBB3+ A-single spermatogonia are maintained under the mean density measured for neighboring SNAP91+ A-single spermatogonia, potentially indicative of niche saturation. ERBB3+ spermatogonia also synchronize their cell cycles with epithelium stages VIII–IX, where they form physical associations with preleptotene spermatocytes transiting the blood-testis barrier and Sertoli cells undergoing sperm release. Thus, A-single spermatogonia heterogeneity within this short-lived and reoccurring microenvironment invokes novel theories on how cellular niches integrate with testicular physiology to orchestrate sperm development in mammals.
Open Education and Education for Openness

The essays in this edited collection refl ect on the nature of open education resources, where the question on openness for education emerges. What is remarkable today are the ways that teachers and institutions now begin to form part of the processes of global exchange and production of a network of global educational commons. The question about the signifi cance of this development, their limits and the consequences for practitioners and institutions from the perspective of teachers is extremely complex. For example, the policy agenda of institutions, states, and international organizations related to the regulation of new technologies facilitates the existence and viability of those resources. This has consequences for the ways that those resources are used and produced by educators. Contributors to this collection, each on their own way, argue that Open Education involves a commitment to openness and is therefore inevitably a political and social project. This books ends with a challenge for those engaged in exploring the potential impacts and possibilities of open education initiatives. The open education paradigm and its consequences for educators and learners speak of an uneven geography where the access to technological infrastructure does not necessarily imply freedom or openness. In those instances, openness in education related to open education initiatives requires an engagement in research about the ways in which policy, cultural, digital and educational environments facilitate a political commitment to open systems of knowledge production and distribution. One thing is sure, as the essays in this book demonstrated so clearly, these developments promise an implicit paradigm of openness and democratic collaboration in education that remains to be realized. E D U C A T I O N A L F U T U R E S : R E T H I N K I N G T H E O R Y A N D P R A C T I C E Open Edcation nd Edcation or Opnness
Behavioral and complexity macroeconomics

This paper sketches the history of behavioral macroeconomics and presents four current approaches in the literature: the ad hoc behavioral approach, partial behavioral macroeconomic models, experimental macroeconomics, and behavioral DSGE models. Much of this literature is still patchwork, with a focus on isolated aspects but little theoretical integration. I argue that integrating behavioral features into New Keynesian DSGE models is not convincing because of fundamental problems of the DSGE approach. A better way to use research from behavioral economics for more realistic macroeconomic models is to turn to complexity economics and agent-based modeling. Complexity economics and behavioral economics are linked in a very natural way, since both emphasize the direct interaction of heterogeneous agents that are boundedly rational. Behavioral and complexity macroeconomics is a promising new approach that might make mainstream macroeconomics more realistic and relevant again.