Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Adaptation on Visual Motion Detection in Chronic Sixth Nerve Palsy After Treatment with Botulinum Toxin

Purpose. To investigate changes in visual motion perception after treatment with botulinum toxin in patients with unilateral chronic lateral rectus muscle palsy. Methods. Five patients and control subjects were asked to report the perceived drift direction of a sinusoidal grating that was initially stationary and then began to accelerate at 0.09°/sec2 in a horizontal direction. The grating had a field size of 18.5° and was presented monocularly with a contrast just above threshold for visibility for central vision. Both the paretic and non-affected eyes were tested. Psychophysical testing was performed under the following conditions: 1) before treatment and testing, patients occluded their paretic eye for at least three days to avoid diplopia. 2) After treatment with botulinum toxin, alignment was corrected and patients stopped occluding their paretic eye for at least three days before testing. The control subjects occluded their non-dominant eye for three days before testing. Results. In condition 1, no differences in motion detection values between patients and control subjects were found. In condition 2, motion detection thresholds were raised approximately 0.15°/sec as compared to pre-treatment values and compared to the control group. Conclusions. After treatment, a raised threshold for motion detection is one mechanism used to avoid oscillopsia and visuo-vestibular disorientation during head movements in patients with chronic paralytic squint. This study lends evidence that perceptual-adaptive, compensatory mechanisms develop to reduce oscillopsia and disorientation rather than being caused by abnormal cortical motion processing or defective eye muscle action.
My family eat this money too: pension sharing and self-respect among Zulu grandmothers

The non-contributory state old-age pension is one of the main sources of income for poor households in South Africa. It is usually assumed that pension income is shared by co-residents in multigeneration households. A study undertaken among urban, peri-urban and rural female pensioners in late 1995 explored the significance of pension income for the household budgets of multigeneration households. In individual and focus-group interviews with 50 grandmothers who were all pensioners, the study inquired into the meaning of pension income for family welfare and the self-respect and empowerment of pension recipients. The study found that pensioners regarded the pension as individual rather than family income, although pension sharing was the norm. The amount of the pension was inadequate for family needs, although most households applied numerous methods of adding value to pension monies. The pension enhanced the self-respect of older women who prided themselves in their economic self-reliance and creditworthiness. Grandmothers derived pleasure and self-esteem in pension sharing but were also frustrated that their own needs were neglected in the interests of family welfare. To increase the benefits of pensions to older women, the grandmothers recommended that the income-earning opportunities of the younger generation should be improved. Widows, particularly those who likened government transfers to remittances from their deceased husbands, looked to the government to provide education and jobs for their children and grandchildren in future.
DNA Replication in Chloroplasts

Chloroplasts contain multiple copies of a DNA molecule (the plastome) that encodes many of the gene products required to perform photosynthesis. The plastome is replicated by nuclear-encoded proteins and its copy number seems to be highly regulated by the cell in a tissue-specific and developmental manner. Our understanding of the biochemical mechanism by which the plastome is replicated and the molecular basis for its regulation is limited. In this commentary we review our present understanding of chloroplast DNA replication and examine current efforts to elucidate its mechanism at a molecular level.
Changes in Older Adult Loneliness

This study examines loneliness and its correlates—health, residential care, partner status, and network size—over a seven-year period among adults born between 1908 and 1937. The four waves of data are from the Dutch “Living Arrangements and Social Networks of Older Adults” and the “Longitudinal Aging Study of Amsterdam”programs. Data from at least two waves are available for 2,925 respondents. Results show that older adults generally become lonelier as time passes. The increase is greater for the oldest, the partnered, and those with a better functional capacity at baseline. Older adults who lose their partner by death show the greatest increase in loneliness. Not all older adults become more lonely: Improvement in functional capacity and network expansion lead to less loneliness. Entry into residential care does not affect loneliness. The longitudinal design provides new insights into factors that protect against loneliness compared to cross-sectional studies.
Determinants for the enhanced thermostability of hybrid (1‐3,1‐4)‐β‐glucanases

Hybrid (1 -33 -4)-P-glucanases which contain an N-terminal region derived from the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens enzyme and a C-terminal region of the closely related B. macerans enzyme may exhibit a thermostability superior to both parental enzymes. A systematic series of hybrid enzymes were constructed in order to delineate the amino acid residues that affect protein stability. Hybrid enzymes with between one and four of the N-terminal residues for the mature B. amyloliquefaciens (1 -3,1-4)-P-glucanase exhibit no significant changes in biochemical characteristics as compared with the parental B. macerans enzyme. However, significantly enhanced thermostability was observed in the hybrid enzyme containing an N-terminal segment of eight amino acid residues derived from the B. amyloliquefaciens enzyme. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the combined effect of Glnl , Thr2, Ser5 and Phe7 confer enhanced stability on hybrid enzymes, probably by improving the hydrogen bonding that stabilizes the interactions between the N-terminal and the centre of the folded molecule, as well as between the two termini of the polypeptide chain. Furthermore, deletion of Tyrl3 in the hybrid enzyme containing the 12 N-terminal amino acids from the B. amyloliquefaciens (1-3,1-4)-P-glucanase results in a dramatic increase in stability at 70°C with the half-life of 6 min increased to around 4 h. This is twofold higher than the hitherto most stable hybrid enzyme in which the N-terminal domain consisted of 16 residues of the B. amyloliquefaciens enzyme.
Escherichia coli b-GLUCURONIDASE HYDROLYSIS OF GLUCURONIDE CONJUGATES OF BENZIDINE AND 4-AMINOBIPHENYL , AND THEIR HYDROXY METABOLITES

Individuals exposed to carcinogenic aromatic amines excrete arylamine Nand O-glucuronide metabolites. This study assessed the susceptibility of selected glucuronides to hydrolysis by human and Escherichia coli b-glucuronidase. Nor O-glucuronides were prepared with the following aglycones: benzidine, N-acetylbenzidine, N*-hydroxy-N-acetylbenzidine, N-hydroxy-N-acetylbenzidine, N-hydroxy-N,N*-diacetylbenzidine, 3-hydroxy-N,N*-diacetylbenzidine, 3-hydroxy-benzidine, 4-aminobiphenyl, N-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl, and N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-4-aminobiphenyl. The Hand C-labeled glucuronides were prepared with human or rat liver microsomes using UDP-glucuronic acid as cosubstrate. Each of the 10 glucuronides (6–12 mM) was incubated at pH 5.5 or 7.0 with either human recombinant (pure) or E. coli (commercial preparation) b-glucuronidase for 30 min at 37°C. Hydrolysis was measured by HPLC. Reaction conditions were optimized, using the O-glucuronide of N-hydroxy-N,N*-diacetylbenzidine. Both enzymes preferentially hydrolyzed O-glucuronides over N-glucuronides and distinguished between structural isomers. With E. coli b-glucuronidase at pH 7.0, selectivity was demonstrated by the complete hydrolysis of N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-4-aminobiphenyl O-glucuronide in the presence of N-acetylbenzidine N-glucuronide, which was not hydrolyzed. Metabolism by both enzymes was completely inhibited by the specific b-glucuronidase inhibitor saccharic acid-1,4-lactone (0.5 mM). The concentration of human b-glucuronidase necessary to achieve significant hydrolysis of glucuronides was substantially more than the amount of enzyme reported previously to be present in urine under either normal or pathological conditions. The bacterial enzyme may hydrolyze O-glucuronides, but not N-glucuronides, in urine at neutral pH. Thus, the nonenzymatic hydrolysis of N-glucuronides by acidic urine is likely a more important source of free amine than enzymatic
A Porter-SCOR modelling approach for the hospital supply chain

We suggest in this paper a modelling approach that extends the Analysis Specification Conception and Implementation (ASCI) methodology by putting the accent on the performance dimension. We suggest a value model as an extension of ASCI methodology based on Porter's and SCOR models. We underline the necessity of defining an appropriate system of performance metrics that should be defined in accordance with the hospital value system. This extended methodology provides the user with a better understanding of the way the system works and enables to document practices and processes.
A fast algorithm for minimizing the Elmore delay to identified critical sinks

A routing algorithm that generates a Steiner route for a set of sinks with near optimal Elmore delay to the critical sink is presented. The algorithm outperforms the best existing alternative for Elmore-delay-based critical sink routing. With no critical sinks present, the algorithm produces routes comparable to the best previously existing Steiner router. Since performance-oriented layout generators employ iterative techniques that require a large number of calls to the routing algorithm for layout evaluation, a fast algorithm for routing is desirable. The algorithm presented here has a fast (O(n/sup 2/), where n is the number of points) and practical implementation using simple data structures and techniques.
Computation of Extended Robust Kalman Filter for Real-Time Attitude and Position Estimation

This paper deals with the implementation of the extended robust Kalman filter (ERKF) which was developed considering uncertainties in the parameter matrices of the underlying state-space model. A key contribution of this work is the demonstration of a method for real-time computation of the filter on parallel computing devices. The solution of the filter is expressed as a set of simultaneous linear equations, which can then be evaluated based on QR decomposition using Givens rotation. This paper also presents the application of the ERKF in the development of an attitude and position reference system for a cargo transport vehicle. This work concludes by analyzing the performance of the ERKF and verifying the validity of the Givens rotation method.
A 16 Year Survival of a Patient after Mastectomy Due to Breast Cancer with Metastases to Bones , Currently Treated for Loosening of Tumor Prosthesis

Progress in oncology diagnostics and treatment results in systematic increase of survival rates in cancer. In women, the most common primary site of a neoplasm that metastasizes to bones is breast cancer and most commonly affected bone is proximal femur. This results in local weakening of the bone structure and, as a consequence, to pathological fractures that impairs the quality of life and may shorten the patient survival. However, if they are detected at an appropriately early stage, they can be treated much more successfully than other metastases. Well planned intervention of an orthopedic surgeon can prevent such fracture if the risk is diagnosed at an appropriately early stage. Surgical treatment of metastatic lesions is considered as palliative treatment and life expectancy is one of the criteria considered while selecting the treatment method. The selection of an implant and type of intervention will have their effects for many years, just as in patients receiving radical treatment. In summary, treatment of metastases limited to the femur/hip after a radical treatment of the breast cancer with good prognostic factors should be radical with curative intent. Resection of the metastatic tumor with a margin of healthy tissues and using an implant that provides an optimal perspective of long-term preservation of the extremity function and comfortable life should be a goal.
Strategic Options in Fair Trade Retailing

Notes that there has been a significant increase in the market for fair trade products in the UK over the past five years. Provides a definition of fair trade and goes on to set a context for the expansion of this market by examining the key drivers behind it, particularly noting the growth of ethical consumerism as a contributory factor. Develops the ethical strategy matrix, outlining the strategic options open to retailers for addressing this increase in ethical consumerism. It is argued that addressing the fair trade market in the UK offers retailers not only the opportunity to develop their profile in terms of corporate social responsibility, but also a chance to develop a competitive advantage in a new niche market. Recasts Strong’s marketing analysis of the difficulties of translating fair trade principles into actual purchase behaviour into an operational context and proposes solutions to the issues raised.
Quantitation of Polydeoxyribonucletides (PDRNs) in Human Placental Extract by Fluorescence Spectroscopy Using Ethidium Bromide

Characterization of an aqueous extract of human placenta, used as a licensed drug for wound healing, leads to the identification of several bioactive components including polydeoxyribonu-cleotides (PDRNs). PDRNs are mixture of DNA fragments of different molecular weight. A spectro-fluorimetric method of quantitation of PDRNs in the aqueous extract of human placenta by using ethidium bromide (EtBr) has been described here. It has been demonstrated by thin layer chromatography (TLC) followed by reversed phase HPLC that EtBr binds specifically with the PDRN fraction of the multi-component extract. The binding specificity of EtBr has been verified by the analysis of emission spectra of the extract. A concentration of 0.29 μg/ml EtBr exhibits a linear range of standard CT-DNA from 0.5 - 5 μg/ml of buffer (R2 = 0.992). The same concentration of EtBr shows a linear range of measurements of placenta extract from 5 - 35 μl/ml of buffer (R2 = 0.976). The points of the curve were the average of three sets where maximum variation observed was ±3%. PDRN content of the extract has been estimated based on the resultant fluorescence emission (after background correction) with respect to the standard calibration curve of calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA). Estimation of PDRN in a large number of batches of placenta extract (n = 100) has been done. The statistical analysis of the estimation was found to be significant and the lower and upper levels of PDRN were 158.30 and 239.03 μg/ml of the extract respectively. This easy-to-use method of estimation of PDRN in multi-component biological extract is reported for the first time. This will help in quantitation of PDRNs for other biological extracts.
Interleukin 4 induces cultured monocytes/macrophages to form giant multinucleated cells

Giant multinucleated cells (GMCs) are associated with granulomatous lesions that form in response to various infectious and noninfectious agents. The present study shows that mouse IL-4 induces the in vitro formation of GMCs by factor-dependent bone marrow and alveolar monocytes via cell fusion. GMCs appear 2 d after incubation of cell cultures with 20 U/ml or more of IL-4. Anti-IL-4 mAbs block the appearance of GMCs in these cultures, indicating that IL-4 acts directly on monocytes to promote fusion and does not secondarily induce the production of other soluble fusion factors. In soft agar cultures, IL-4 also causes the aggregation of macrophages and diminishes their migration. The role of IL-4 in a granulomatous inflammatory response is discussed.
Lower Plasma Zinc Levels in Hyperglycemic People Living with HIV in the MASH cohort.

BACKGROUND Zinc deficiency is prevalent in HIV and hyperglycemic patients. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a treatment to control HIV progression; however it increases the risk for hyperglycemia. The objective of this study was to assess the plasma zinc levels in hyperglycemic people living with HIV (PLWH). METHODS Secondary analysis was conducted on the data from the Miami Adult Studies in HIV (MASH) cohort in Florida. Patients were categorized into hyperglycemic group (fasting blood glucose ≥100 mg/dL) and normal group (<100 mg/dL). RESULTS Plasma zinc status and CD4 levels were lower in the hyperglycemic group, however the difference was not significant. There was a greater percentage of plasma zinc deficiency in the hyperglycemic group (69%) compared to the normoglycemic group (64%). DISCUSSION Although not statistically significant, related biomarkers such as plasma zinc levels and CD4 levels were lower in the hyperglycemic group. This may be due to the role zincplays in the immune system. Due to the fact that there was a higher percentage of plasma zinc deficiency in the hyperglycemic group (69%) compared to the normoglycemic group (64%), it is important to monitor and manage blood glucose levels to minimize complications. Our findings along with previous findings suggest that zinc supplementation may benefit hyperglycemic PLWH.
Finescale Vertical Structure and Evolution of a Preconvective Dryline on 19 June 2002

Abstract High-resolution airborne cloud radar data and other International H2O Project datasets are used to describe the vertical structure of an unusual prefrontal dryline. This dryline, observed in northwestern Kansas on 19 June 2002, first progressed eastward and tilted toward the west, and later became more stationary and reversed its tilt, toward the moist side. The convective boundary layer (CBL) depth difference also reversed: only in the later phase did the dry-side CBL become deeper than on the moist side. Echo and single/dual-Doppler velocity data in a vertical transect across the dryline suggest a solenoidal circulation dynamically consistent with the observed horizontal buoyancy gradient. Both this gradient and the solenoidal circulation reversed in the later phase. Simultaneously, confluence toward the dryline increased, resulting in an increasing moisture gradient as well as a deepening CBL in the dryline convergence zone. It is speculated that the baroclinically generated horizontal vortici.
The Tacit Knowledge Flow of R&D Personnel and Its Impact on R&D Performance

For R&D personnel, the archetypal knowledge worker, tacit knowledge flow and knowledge creation capability is crucial in the context of new product development. Based on the perspectives of knowledge creation and knowledge network, this study intends to explore relationships among knowledge creation capability, knowledge network, and perceived R&D performance of individual R&D personnel. With a sample of 206 R&D personnel from 12 manufacturing firms in Taiwan and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, findings fall into five categories. Firstly, beyond the four traditional knowledge creation abilities, i.e. socialization, combination, externalization, and internalization, there exists a fifth capability called CMC (Computer-Mediated Communications) ability. CMC represents an important communication and knowledge creation tool implemented through the Internet and intranet for the R&D personnel within emerging information-based economies like that in Taiwan. Secondly, with the exception of combination ability, all knowledge creation capabilities have positive relationships with perceived R&D performance, echoing the extant literatures. Additionally, increased centrality of the R&D team member within the knowledge network increases perceived personal R&D performance. Furthermore, those who are able to externalize their tacit knowledge tend to be located at the center of the knowledge network, while those located in more central positions of the knowledge network have better externalization capability. These two results verify externalization as the most critical capability for R&D teams to transfer their tacit knowledge and to obtain better performance. Lastly, knowledge ossification of tenure also exists, implying that while longer tenure is good for knowledge creation and performance, too long tenure of the R&D team members leads to decay of their R&D performance. Implications and suggestions for research and management practices are also provided.
The Global Spread of Stock Exchange, 1980-1998

Nations opened local stock exchanges at a rapid pace during the late 1980s and 1990s, creating a channel for investment capital from wealthy industrial nations to "emerging markets" as well as a mechanism for institutional change in local economies. This study examines the local and global processes by which exchanges spread, examining all nations "at risk" during the 1980s and 1990s. We find that local factors influencing the creation of stock exchanges included the size of the economy (overall and relative to population size); the legacy of colonialism; and a recent transition to multi-party democracy. Global factors associated with creating exchanges included levels of prior investment by multinationals; IMF "structural adjustment" aid; centrality in trade flows; and regional "contagion. " In contrast to prior work in financial economics, we find no evidence for the influence of legal tradition, and contrary to the implications of dependency theory, we find no sign that foreign capital penetration affects the creation of exchanges. We also find no consistent evidence for the influence of stock exchanges on inequality or human development at the national level, above and beyond their effect on economic and population growth. The results indicate that globalization is usefully construed as a process analogous to institutional diffusion at the organization level.
The DISCO Network Calculator

Network calculus [1, 2] was developed for use in IP and ATM networks. It aims to be a system theory for deterministic queuing, allowing to derive deterministic guarantees on throughput and delay, as well as find bounds on buffer sizes and thereby allow for loss-free transfer. Traditional queuing theory analyzes the average or equilibrium behavior of a network, whereas network calculus shows the worst observable case. It describes network traffic and services in terms of curves, wide-sense increasing functions that represent accumulated data. By using a min-plus algebra, replacing the addition and multiplication in (R,+, ·) by minimum and addition (R,min,+), it avoids non-linearities in the required operations on those curves. Similar to traditional system theory, network calculus provides a concatenation result, thereby making it possible to reduce tandems of systems (respective services) to a single equivalent service. An extension of the network calculus, the sensor network calculus [3], provides results for handling cross-traffic in networks with tree topologies that are typical for sensor networks. More recent results handle effects like data scaling, which is an effect in networks that not only forward data, but also mutate it along the path. This may be the result of compression, aggregation, or other processing.