Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Economics of Information: An Empirical Approach to Nelson's Search-Experience Framework

The economics of information offers a framework within which consumer responses to advertising may be examined. This research tests the propositions espoused by Nelson regarding differential skepticism for search and experience attribute claims. A 2 (search, experience claims) by 2 (objective, subjective) by 2 (low risk, high risk) between subjects analysis of covariance was performed. Results support Nelson's hypotheses. Consumers’ use of information is influenced by the nature of the advertised attribute, the semantic content of the claim, and the perception of risk associated with the product.
Implementation of inclusive education for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in African countries: a scoping review

Abstract Purpose: To advance understanding of practices that support inclusion of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in inclusive education classrooms in Africa by conducting a review of the extant literature. Methods: Five academic databases were searched supplemented by a hand search of key journals and references of included studies. Two authors independently screened studies via a reference manager (Covidence) which allowed for blinding. A third author was consulted in cases of conflict. Results: Thirty articles that provided empirical evidence of inclusive education implementation were included. Eight articles highlighted practices that support inclusion of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological framework, findings revealed that inclusive education implementation is influenced by factors on the bio level, micro level, meso level, and macro level. Recommendations for promoting inclusive education implementation are provided. Conclusions: Inclusion goes beyond teachers and requires strong commitment of other stakeholders such as families and governments. To guarantee the smooth inclusion of children with special education needs and particularly with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a set of practices validated through rigorous research as supportive and unique and that can be universal to Africa is wise. Implications for rehabilitation A number of strategies were identified that can improve the classroom inclusion of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Development of policies that support such strategies could improve implementation. Inclusion goes beyond teachers. Rehabilitation professionals (i.e. occupational therapists) and educational professionals should partner to identify practical solutions to the challenges of creating inclusive environments for children with special education needs. Committing more resources and time towards the development and implementation of special education policies can advance the successful inclusion of children with special education needs.
H2S Signals Through Protein S-Sulfhydration

The gaseous messenger hydrogen sulfide regulates target proteins through S-sulfhydration of cysteine residues. Battling for the Same Cysteine? Recent evidence suggests that hydrogen sulfide (H2S)—a gas perhaps best known for its scent of rotten eggs—has joined nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide in the select ranks of gases that act as physiologic messenger molecules. Although H2S is enzymatically generated in vivo and mediates various physiologic functions, including acting as a vasorelaxant and eliciting hibernation states, the mechanisms through which it affects its targets have been unclear. Here, Mustafa et al. show that endogenous H2S modifies cysteine residues in many proteins, including glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and actin, converting cysteine -SH groups to -SSH groups in a process the authors call S-sulfhydration. Intriguingly, H2S enhanced GAPDH activity through sulfhydration of a cysteine residue that is also a target of nitrosylation by NO, which inhibits GAPDH activity, suggesting that some targets might be subject to regulation through competitive nitrosylation and sulfhydration of the same cysteine residues. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a messenger molecule generated by cystathionine γ-lyase, acts as a physiologic vasorelaxant. Mechanisms whereby H2S signals have been elusive. We now show that H2S physiologically modifies cysteines in a large number of proteins by S-sulfhydration. About 10 to 25% of many liver proteins, including actin, tubulin, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), are sulfhydrated under physiological conditions. Sulfhydration augments GAPDH activity and enhances actin polymerization. Sulfhydration thus appears to be a physiologic posttranslational modification for proteins.
Variability associated with assessing changes in position of a canine uncemented femoral stem prosthesis

Summary Objective: Evaluate variability associated with assessing changes in the position of uncemented femoral stems. Methods: Stem level, canal fill, stem angle, and version angle were measured on craniocaudal horizontal beam (CCHB) and open leg lateral (OLL) radiographic projections of the femur of 20 dogs that had uncemented total hip replacement. Intraobserver and inter -observer repeatability were determined on immediate postoperative (PO) images. Differences in position were calculated between the first (3 months – R1) and second (6 months – R2) re-evaluation (R1-R2) time points, and between PO and R1. Results: The measurement process was very repeatable. For R1-R2, the stem appeared to subside 0.8 ± 1.4 mm for measurements based on the greater trochanter on the CCHB images, but there was a wide range (-3.9 to 2 mm; positive values indicate proximad movement). Measurements based on the inter-trochanteric crest on the OLL images had the same mean, and also a wide range (-4.4 to 2.1 mm; negative values indicate proximad movement). For PO-R1, the stem appeared to subside 1.8 ± 2.0 mm (CCHB, based on the greater trochanter, range -7.7 to 2.2 mm), 1.6 ± 1.5 mm (CCHB, based on the intertrochanteric crest, range -0.7 to 4.3 mm); and 2.1 ± 2.1 mm (OLL, based on the intertrochanteric crest, range -1.6 to 6.8 mm). Conclusion: The position of a stable stem can appear different on subsequent re-evaluations, but this may be due to variability associated with inconsistency of positioning of the patient and limb. Clinical significance: Documenting subsidence in individual patients should not rely on calculations based on a single measurement.
Speckle-tracking analysis of myocardial deformation in correlation to age in healthy horses

An effect of aging on cardiac morphology and function has been shown in humans. In horses, cardiac wall motion analysis using two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-ST) has not yet been reported. Our study included 57 horses of different warmblood breeds between 3 and 30 years old. Age had a significant influence on left ventricular free wall (LVFW) systolic strain rate (p ≤ 0.05) and early diastolic relaxation (p ≤ 0.01). In the interventricular septum (IVS), systolic (p ≤ 0.01) and late diastolic (p ≤ 0.05) contraction velocities also increased with age. In our study, 2D-ST revealed important information on myocardial function, which was most evident in the LVFW, where measurements were highly reproducible. Aging seems to be associated with structural changes within the myocardium and with decreasing contraction capacity in old animals. These physiological, age-related processes should be considered when performing cardiac wall motion analysis of the 2D-ST results for the LVFW and IVS in horses.
Pneumothorax and dependent versus nondependent patient position after needle biopsy of the lung.

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that placing the patient in a position with the puncture site dependent (down) after transthoracic needle biopsy reduces the incidences of pneumothorax and of pneumothorax that requires chest tube placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four hundred twenty-three needle biopsies of the lung were performed in 390 patients from October 1991 to August 1994 with computed tomographic guidance, fluoroscopic guidance, or both. Two hundred forty-two biopsies were performed from the posterior approach, 166 from the anterior approach, and 15 from the lateral approach. The patients were assigned on an alternating basis to either the puncture-site-dependent recumbent position (210 biopsies) or the puncture-site-nondependent recumbent position (213 biopsies) for at least 1 1/2 hours after biopsy. RESULTS No significant differences were found in either the incidence of pneumothorax (dependent position, 62 of 210 biopsies [30%], vs nondependent position, 57 of 213 biopsies [27%]; P = .60) or the incidence of pneumothorax that required chest tube placement (dependent position, 10 of 210 biopsies [5%], vs nondependent position, six of 213 biopsies [3%]; P = .43). CONCLUSION The results suggest that the puncture-site-down postbiopsy position may not affect either the incidence of postbiopsy pneumothorax or the incidence of pneumothorax that requires chest tube placement.
Internet of Things and cognitive radio — Issues and challenges

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a promising subject of technical, social, and economic implication. The primary aspect of IoT is different objects are being combined with internet connectivity with powerful data analytic capabilities. The concept IoT is all about connecting various devices and sensors to the internet i.e. IoT is a world wide network of interconnected objects, but it is not always palpable how to provide the inter connectivity. On the basis of some studies, it is seen that the impact of IoT on the internet and economy are very inspiring which includes great global economic impact by next few years. IoT is capable to establish interconnectivity of objects through mainly, wireless communication technologies as cost-effectiveness issues and accessibility to remote users make wireless communication as a feasible solution but IoT paradigm pretenses new challenges to the communication technology as several objects of heterogeneous in nature will need to be connected and one of the major challenge is the scarcity of available spectrum to establish the connectivity. To address these issues new radio technologies and network architectures need to be thought of to accommodate several future devices having connectivity demands and consequently trends are shifting to the network which is intelligent enough to adapt with the ambience i.e. Cognitive Radio(CR) Networks and introduction of CR into IoT can improve the efficiency of the spectrum. This paper explores the possibility to put forward the application prospect of the cognitive radio-based platform into IoT.
Does Natural Mentoring Matter? A Multilevel Meta‐analysis on the Association Between Natural Mentoring and Youth Outcomes

Abstract In this meta‐analytic review, we examined the relation between natural mentoring and youth outcomes in four domains: academic and vocational functioning, social‐emotional development, physical health, and psychosocial problems. Natural mentoring relationships are thought to foster positive youth development and buffer against the risks associated with the tumultuous years of adolescence. Two separate meta‐analyses were conducted on the presence of a natural mentor and the quality of the natural mentoring relationship, including thirty studies from 1992 to present. The findings indicated that the presence of a natural mentor was significantly associated with positive youth outcomes (r = .106). A larger effect size was found for the quality of the natural mentoring relationship in terms of relatedness, social support, and autonomy support (r = .208). The largest effect sizes were found for social‐emotional development and academic and vocational functioning. Risk‐status (e.g., teenage mothers, homeless youth, youth in foster care, and youth of alcoholic parents) did not moderate the relation between presence and quality of natural mentoring relationships and youth outcomes, which may indicate that natural mentors are generally beneficial for all youth regardless of risk‐status. Implications for theory and practice concerning the quality of the natural mentoring relationship are discussed.
Mutations in the nonstructural protein 5A gene and response to interferon therapy in young patients with chronic hepatitis C virus 1b infection

A region associated with sensitivity to interferon (IFN) has been identified previously in the nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b. A study was undertaken to determine whether the presence of mutations in the NS5A2209–2248 sequence could serve as a predictor of response to IFN therapy in children and adolescents with chronic HCV‐1b infection. Sixteen children (M/F ratio = 11:5; mean age 11.7 years, range 5 to 19 years) with chronic HCV‐1b infection who received IFN‐α for 6 months (total dose: 8 MU/kg) were enrolled in this study. Twelve of the children (75%) had an underlying malignant disease. Pretreatment NS5A gene sequences were detected by reverse transcription–nested polymerase chain reaction (RT‐nested PCR). PCR products were subjected to direct sequencing by the dideoxy chain termination method. The amino acid sequences of NS5A2209–2248 were compared with the published NS5A2209–2248 sequences of HCV‐J. The NS5A2209–2248 sequences were detected in 10 (63%) of the 16 children. Eight patients had the wild‐type sequences, with no amino acid changes; and two patients had the intermediate type, with only one amino acid change. Four (25%) of the 16 patients responded completely to IFN therapy. Three of the four patients had the wild‐type sequences, while none of the patients with the mutant type had a complete response. Serum HCV RNA levels in children with the wild type did not differ from those in patients with the mutant type. This study shows that there is no significant correlation between response to IFN and mutations in NS5A2209–2248. The amino acid sequences in NS5A2209–2248 in young patients with chronic HCV‐1b infection appear to be conserved. J. Med. Virol. 53:361–365, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Social Infrastructure Services for Promoting Local Community Wellbeing in Lithuania

Abstract Social infrastructure is largely related to various services for community, facilities and public spaces, relationships and networks among local community members. It is therefore obvious that social infrastructure could be viewed as an important factor for creating better opportunities for integration and participation in society, fostering functional capabilities of a community, acknowledging human rights, improving judgements related to overall life satisfaction. The links between social infrastructure services and focus on local community wellbeing in Lithuanian’s social science discourse has not been substantiated sufficiently yet. Consequently, this article aims at disclosing the importance of social infrastructure services in promotion of local community wellbeing. The research question of this article is formulated as follows: how social infrastructure services contribute and could promote wellbeing of local community. The methodological background is based on both theoretical and empirical findings pertaining to the topic. The research results have suggested that the need of local community for social infrastructure services should be evaluated more carefully in the context of wellbeing. These services have been found to play significant role in reaching a certain level of wellbeing in view of the place where people live, how they feel and how to evaluate the future of their living.
Positron emission tomography in evaluation of dementia: Regional brain metabolism and long-term outcome.

CONTEXT Deficits in cerebral glucose utilization have been identified in patients with cognitive dysfunction attributed to various disease processes, but their prognostic and diagnostic value remains to be defined. OBJECTIVE To assess the sensitivity and specificity with which cerebral metabolic patterns at a single point in time forecast subsequent documentation of progressive dementia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Positron emission tomography (PET) studies of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose in 146 patients undergoing evaluation for dementia with at least 2 years' follow-up for disease progression at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1991 to 2000, and PET studies in 138 patients undergoing evaluation for dementia at an international consortium of facilities, with histopathological diagnoses an average of 2.9 years later, conducted from 1984 to 2000. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Regional distribution of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose in each patient, classified by criteria established a priori as positive or negative for presence of a progressive neurodegenerative disease in general and of Alzheimer disease (AD) specifically, compared with results of longitudinal or neuropathologic analyses. RESULTS Progressive dementia was detected by PET with a sensitivity of 93% (191/206) and a specificity of 76% (59/78). Among patients with neuropathologically based diagnoses, PET identified patients with AD and patients with any neurodegenerative disease with a sensitivity of 94% and specificities of 73% and 78%, respectively. The negative likelihood ratio of experiencing a progressive vs nonprogressive course over the several years following a single negative brain PET scan was 0.10 (95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.16), and the initial pattern of cerebral metabolism was significantly associated with the subsequent course of progression overall (P<.001). CONCLUSION In patients presenting with cognitive symptoms of dementia, regional brain metabolism was a sensitive indicator of AD and of neurodegenerative disease in general. A negative PET scan indicated that pathologic progression of cognitive impairment during the mean 3-year follow-up was unlikely to occur.
Mutations in Rotavirus Nonstructural Glycoprotein NSP4 Are Associated with Altered Virus Virulence

ABSTRACT Rotaviruses are major pathogens causing life-threatening dehydrating gastroenteritis in children and animals. One of the nonstructural proteins, NSP4 (encoded by gene 10), is a transmembrane, endoplasmic reticulum-specific glycoprotein. Recently, our laboratory has shown that NSP4 causes diarrhea in 6- to 10-day-old mice by functioning as an enterotoxin. To confirm the role of NSP4 in rotavirus pathogenesis, we sequenced gene 10 from two pairs of virulent and attenuated porcine rotaviruses, the OSU and Gottfried strains. Comparisons of the NSP4 sequences from these two pairs of rotaviruses suggested that structural changes between amino acids (aa) 131 and 140 are important in pathogenesis. We next expressed the cloned gene 10 from the OSU virulent (OSU-v) and OSU attenuated (OSU-a) viruses by using the baculovirus expression system and compared the biological activities of the purified proteins. NSP4 from OSU-v virus increased intracellular calcium levels over 10-fold in intestinal cells when added exogenously and 6-fold in insect cells when expressed endogenously, whereas NSP4 from OSU-a virus had little effect. NSP4 from OSU-v caused diarrhea in 13 of 23 neonatal mice, while NSP4 from OSU-a caused disease in only 4 of 25 mice (P < 0.01). These results suggest that avirulence is associated with mutations in NSP4. Results from site-directed mutational analyses showed that mutated OSU-v NSP4 with deletion or substitutions in the region of aa 131 to 140 lost its ability to increase intracellular calcium levels and to induce diarrhea in neonatal mice, confirming the importance of amino acid changes from OSU-v NSP4 to OSU-a NSP4 in the alteration of virus virulence.
Local large deviations principle for occupation measures of the stochastic damped nonlinear wave equation

We consider the damped nonlinear wave (NLW) equation driven by a noise which is white in time and colored in space. Assuming that the noise is non-degenerate in all Fourier modes, we establish a large deviations principle (LDP) for the occupation measures of the trajectories. The lower bound in the LDP is of a local type, which is related to the weakly dissipative nature of the equation and is a novelty in the context of randomly forced PDE’s. The proof is based on an extension of methods developed in (Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 68 (12) (2015) 2108–2143) and (Large deviations and mixing for dissipative PDE’s with unbounded random kicks (2014) Preprint) in the case of kick forced dissipative PDE’s with parabolic regularization property such as, for example, the Navier–Stokes system and the complex Ginzburg–Landau equations. We also show that a high concentration towards the stationary measure is impossible, by proving that the rate function that governs the LDP cannot have the trivial form (i.e., vanish on the stationary measure and be infinite elsewhere).
The Influence of Quality Management Systems for Improvement of Logistics Supply in Poland

Research background: ISO 9001 with its requirements gives a company a guidance on the definition of the quality management system architecture, based on the process approach and the indications for its continuous improvement. Despite the general emphasis to the benefits of implementation of ISO 9001 in the literature, there is a still lack of research concerning the actual impact of quality management systems for improving specific logistics processes. The research is focused on the Polish market because there is no research in the subject literature which concerns the impact of the implementation of quality management systems on the improvement of logistic processes in Polish enterprises. Purpose of the article: The focus of this publication was to examine the impact of the implementation of the requirements of ISO 9001 for process improvement supply logistics. Methods: Empirical studies were carried out in September and October 2014 on a group of 17 companies with implemented and certified quality management systems according to ISO 9001. The research tool was a questionnaire survey sent to management representatives (25 respondents) and workers (140 respondents). The surveys were supplemented with direct interviews with employees of the companies. Findings: Based on the survey it can be stated that the quality management systems, accord-ing to ISO 9001, had a fairly large impact on improving procurement processes. This is particularly evident in areas including relationships with suppliers, quality control, workflow and communication, both internal and external. The positive aspects achieved through the implementation of quality management systems due to the fact that the ISO 9001 standard in its commitments puts great emphasis on the organization of the procurement process.