Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resource Allocation Modelling for Home-Based Health and Social Care Services in Areas Having Differential Population Density Levels: A Case Study in Northern Ireland

This project arose from deliberations within the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) in Northern Ireland concerning the acceptability of the revenue resource allocation methodology they were using. One problem with the method being used had been the absence of a component that adequately reflected the relative costs associated with the differential population densities of the four health boards into which the Province is divided. This study investigates a particular element of this issue, viz differences in the travelling distances and times of those health and social service professionals who provide visiting services to patients in their own homes. A modelling approach has been developed and used in conjunction with a comprehensive spatial and geographical information system for Northern Ireland. An important outcome of the study has been estimates of the targets that should be set for the annual health and social care travelling distances and times per head of population in the boards, for a range of home-based services. Also, the project has contributed to decisions made by the DHSS in Northern Ireland concerning the annual financial compensations required by boards for costs associated with their relative population densities.
Challenges in the design of self-powered wearable wireless sensors for healthcare Internet-of-Things

The design of low power chip for IoT applications is very challenge, especially for self-powered wireless sensors. Achieving ultra low power requires both system level optimization and circuit level innovation. This paper presents a continuous-in-time and discrete-in-amplitude (CTDA) system architecture that facilitates adaptive data rate sampling and clockless implementation for a wireless sensor SoC.
Design and analysis of hybrid loop-array for high efficiency and low EMF level in wireless high power transfer system

For wireless power transfer (WPT) systems transferring high power, both high efficiency and low magnetic field leakage have been regarded as the main design objectives to be achieved. For the first time, in this paper, we propose a new concept of hybrid loop-array structure and its design procedure to achieve high efficiency and low magnetic field leakage simultaneously in high-power WPT system. The simulation results show that the proposed hybrid loop-array design helps increase the efficiency while reducing the leakage magnetic field level of the WPT system transferring 1 kW load power at 60 kHz resonance frequency.
Product-Related Deception in E-Commerce: A Theoretical Perspective

With the advent of e-commerce, the potential of new Internet technologies to mislead or deceive consumers has increased considerably. This paper extends prior classifications of deception and presents a typology of product-related deceptive information practices that illustrates the various ways in which online merchants can deceive consumers via e-commerce product websites. The typology can be readily used as educational material to promote consumer awareness of deception in e-commerce and as input to establish benchmarks for good business practices for online companies. In addition, the paper develops an integrative model and a set of theory-based propositions addressing why consumers are deceived by the various types of deceptive information practices and what factors contribute to consumer success (or failure) in detecting such deceptions. The model not only enhances our conceptual understanding of the phenomenon of product-based deception and its outcomes in e-commerce but also serves as a foundation for further theoretical and empirical investigations. Moreover, a better understanding of the factors contributing to or inhibiting deception detection can also help government agencies and consumer organizations design more effective solutions to fight online deception.
Fractional control of a nonlinear process

In recent years fractional calculus has been attracting the attention of scientists and engineers, resulting in the development of many applications, especially in control engineering. This paper deals with the design and implementation of fractional order proportional integral (FO-PI) controller for Two Interacting Tank Level (TITL) process. The FO-PI controller and integer order proportional integral (IO-PI) has been designed for integer order system (IOS) using Fractional MS constrained integral gain optimization (F-MIGO) and Approximated MS constrained integral gain optimization (A-MIGO) tuning rule respectively. The performance of IOS with FO-PI controller and IOS with IO-PI controller has been compared based on Integral Square Error Criteria (ISE).
Quantifying physical decline in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Batten disease)

Objective: To use the Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale (UBDRS) to measure the rate of decline in physical and functional capability domains in patients with juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or Batten disease, a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder. We have evaluated the UBDRS in subjects with JNCL since 2002; during that time, the scale has been refined to improve reliability and validity. Now that therapies are being proposed to prevent, slow, or reverse the course of JNCL, the UBDRS will play an important role in quantitatively assessing clinical outcomes in research trials. Methods: We administered the UBDRS to 82 subjects with JNCL genetically confirmed by CLN3 mutational analysis. Forty-four subjects were seen for more than one annual visit. From these data, the rate of physical impairment over time was quantified using multivariate linear regression and repeated-measures analysis. Results: The UBDRS Physical Impairment subscale shows worsening over time that proceeds at a quantifiable linear rate in the years following initial onset of clinical symptoms. This deterioration correlates with functional capability and is not influenced by CLN3 genotype. Conclusion: The UBDRS is a reliable and valid instrument that measures clinical progression in JNCL. Our data support the use of the UBDRS to quantify the rate of progression of physical impairment in subjects with JNCL in clinical trials.
An electroporation chip based on flexible microneedle array for in vivo nucleic acid delivery

This paper reports a flexible microneedle array (MNA) electroporation chip for in vivo nucleic acid delivery, which is of great importance for gene therapy. Silicon MNA is proposed to penetrate the high-resistant stratum corneum, while a flexible parylene substrate is used to fit the natural shape of electroporated objects. The chip provides a sufficient electrical field beneath the skin for electroporation with low voltage, which is less likely to harm tissues. Using the proposed chip, we successfully achieved plasmid DNA expression and siRNA delivery in living tissue with low voltage (30-40V). Neither physical nor biological harm to skin was observed.
Ultrastructure of the rat testis after vasectomy

The fine structure of the rat testis was studied at intervals of up to nine months after bilateral vasectomy, unilateral vasectomy, or a bilateral sham operation. Objectives were to determine whether the fine structure of the testis is altered as a result of vasectomy and to determine if any of the sperm produced after vasectomy are retained and disposed of within the testis. Attention was directed toward the ultrastructure of developing spermatids, the cytology of Sertoli cells, and the structural relationships between Sertoli cells and germ cells. No alterations in these features were detected, and it was concluded that the fine structure of the rat testis remains normal after vasectomy. Factors are discussed which may qualify this conclusion, such as the structural complexity of developing germ cells and the multiplicity of stages in the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. Sertoli cells contained residual bodies after vasectomy, but there was no evidence that phagocytosis by Sertoli cells increased, suggesting that the main site of disposal of sperm after vasectomy lies distal to the seminiferous tubules.
Lookahead processor allocation in mesh-connected massively parallel multicomputer

This paper proposes the lookahead idea in job allocation in a mesh-connected parallel processor, which has become popular in the design of massively parallel computers. The allocation heuristic can select its strategy by lookahead, i.e., looking into the queue of waiting jobs. This approach is shown to be superior to the existing heuristics which do not utilize any lookahead. For efficient implementation, we propose a compact rectangular set representation of the free submesh area which allows the complete submesh detection (also allocation) algorithm(s) to be an order of magnitude improved (in the average case) over the existing approach(es). The proposed representation is also beneficial when considering some currently unexplored issues in processor allocation and practitioner's approach. <<ETX>>
Postmenopozal Kanaması Olan Hastalardaki Endometrial Lezyonların Değerlendirilmesinde Transvajinal Ultrasonografinin Etkinliği

Bulgular: Endometrial kalınlığı 4 mm'nin altında olan hastalar­ da hiperplazi, malignité gibi endometrial patolojilerin bu­ lunma riski düşük tespit edildi. Histopatolojik inceleme sonucunda 5 vakada basit endometrial hiperplazi, 2 vaka­ da ise endometrium karsinomu tespit edildi. Testin sensitivitesi %88, spesifitesi %77, pozitif prediktif değeri %53, negatif prediktif değeri %96, pozitif olasılık oranı 3.82, negatif olasılık oranı 0.15 olarak bulundu.
[Behaviour of primary horizontal canal neurons in alert and anesthetized guinea pigs].

The activity of the primary horizontal canal neurons was investigated in alert and anesthetized guinea pigs.The average resting rate in the alert guinea pigs was 47.3±21.2 spikes/sec. These values were significantly higer than those from anesthetized animals which had an average rate of 39.1 spikes/sec. In alert animals the average gain from a total of 66 units tested at 0.3Hz sinusoidal rotation was 0.42±0.37 spikes/sec/deg/sec and this value was not different from the results for anesthetized guinea pigs. The average phase lag for the angular acceleration was 57.3±20.7 degrees in alert guinea pigs, and this was significantly smaller than that for the anesthetized animals. The number of cutoff neurons at 0.3Hz was one out of 67 neurons in the alert guinea pigs and seven out of 64 neurons in the anesthetized guinea pigs. The vestibular efferent system is most likely to be responsible for these different results from alert vs anesthetized guinea pigs. This system appears to help control the generation of functional distortion of the semicircular canal endorgans, when mechanical stimulation is trasformed to neural activities.
Gender-Choice Behavior Linkages: An Investigation in the Hospitality Industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether males and females differ on the emphases they place on core service and relational service in choosing a hotel. Design/Methodology – Data were gathered from the residents of a metro area in the United States. Three hundred and forty-one residents participated in the study. The Del statistic, an undertapped technique, was used. Findings – The results reveal that male and female guests are essentially the same in the importance they place on core and relational services in choosing a hotel. Originality of the research – Empirical research about the hotel choice behavior of female guests is scarce. Therefore, this study addresses this underresearched issue.
Cultural adaptation and determination of validity and reliability of the Persian version of the parents’ evaluation of aural/oral performance of children questionnaire

Background and Aim: Parents’ evaluation of aural/oral performance of children (PEACH) questionnaire is used for children within any age group and any amount of hearing loss. The pur­pose of this study was translation, cultural adap­tation, determination of reliability and validity of the questionnaire, and assessment of its scores in children with cochlear implant versus normal group. Methods: Questionnaire was translated into Persian and was adapted to meet Iranian cultural context. After confirming face validity, the test was given to a group of normal children (n=54) and a group of cochlear implanted users (n=30). It was tested for reliability after two weeks. Results: Test results showed high Cronbach alpha (0.91) and total inter-class correlation of 0.99 which were higher than respective values in the original version. Significant difference was seen in comparison of scores between chil­dren with cochlear implant and normal children (p=0.026). Conclusion: Persian version of PEACH ques­tionnaire, which is the equivalence of the ori­ginal version, seems to have high validity and reliability and it is a useful tool for evaluating aural/oral performance of hearing impaired chil­dren.
STS for minisatellite MS607 (D22S163).

The locus detected by the minisatellite clone cMS607 (D22S 163) in human DNA digested with MboI has a population heterozygosity of about 90% (1). This variation, however, has since been shown to be due to two distinct minisatellite arrays in the clone: the first of these, 607A, has a modest variability (heterozygosity @ 50%) and a small number of relatively common alleles; the second, 607B, appears to contribute the greater part of the variation detected by the probe. Only part of this array appears to have been cloned in cMS607 (Figure 1 and unpublished data). We here define an STS for this locus, in which the minisatellite 607A can be amplified from genomic DNA and subsequently used as a hybridization probe for the entire locus. 400 ng genomic DNA was amplified using primers 607A [5' 3'] and 607B 3'] in a 20 jl reaction with 2.5 units of Taq polymerase (3); after 30 cycles (95°C, 1 minute; 67°C 1 minute; 70°C 10 minutes) and a single 'chase' consisting of the last two segments only, PCR products were analysed on a 1.5% agarose gel. Figure 2 shows the results of an analysis of three unrelated individuals from the CEPH panel (134101, and 136201), all of which were known to be homozygous for a common small (@ 2.3 kb) allele at 607A. Allele sizes range from 2.3 to about 4 kb, and the smallest (2.3 kb) allele has a population frequency of about 0.5. Note the presence below the main product
A membrane supported photomixer driven antenna with increased continuous-wave Terahertz output power

This paper presents a photomixer driven antenna with increased output power at continuous-wave (CW) Terahertz (THz). The antenna is supported by membrane and comprised of a horn cavity for enhancing radiation. With improved impedance matching to the source (photomixer), the output power of this antenna is greatly enhanced compared with the existing antenna with 2-µW output power at 1 THz. The proposed antenna eliminates the usage of any lens and demonstrates a good candidate for high power CW THz source.
Identification of Cell Surface-Exposed Proteins Involved in the Fimbria-Mediated Adherence of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli to Intestinal Cells

ABSTRACT Fimbria-mediated adherence to the intestinal epithelia is a key step in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) pathogenesis. To date, four fimbriae have been described for EAEC; aggregative adherence fimbria II (AAF/II) is the most important adherence factor for EAEC prototype strain 042. Previously, we described results showing that extracellular matrix (ECM) components might be involved in the recognition of AAF/II fimbriae by intestinal cells. In this study, we sought to identify novel potential receptors on intestinal epithelial cells recognized by the AAF/II fimbriae. Purified AafA-dsc protein, the major subunit of AAF/II fimbriae, was incubated with a monolayer of T84 cells, cross-linked to the surface-exposed T84 cell proteins, and immunoprecipitated by using anti-AafA antibodies. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of cellular proteins bound to AafA-dsc protein identified laminin (previously recognized as a potential receptor for AAF/II) and cytokeratin 8 (CK8). Involvement of the major subunit of AAF/II fimbriae (AafA protein) in the binding to recombinant CK8 was confirmed by adherence assays with purified AAF/II fimbriae, AafA-dsc protein, and strain 042. Moreover, HEp-2 cells transfected with CK8 small interfering RNA (siRNA) showed reduced 042 adherence compared with cells transfected with scrambled siRNA as a control. Adherence of 042 to HEp-2 cells preincubated with antibodies against ECM proteins or CK8 was substantially reduced. Altogether, our results supported the idea of a role of CK8 as a potential receptor for EAEC.
Social support and psychological outcome in people with Parkinson's disease: Evidence for a specific pattern of associations.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between social support and psychological functioning in people with Parkinson's disease. METHOD 34 participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease completed a comprehensive range of social support assessments and measures of depression, anxiety, stress, general psychological distress and positive affect. RESULTS A clear pattern of relationships emerged, with the less satisfaction with social support, the higher the depression, anxiety and stress scores. Conversely, positive affect was related to more quantitative assessments of social support, such as the number of close relationships. CONCLUSION The relationship between social support and psychological outcome in people with PD is complex. Furthermore, the complexity of this relationship should be addressed in any therapeutic attempts to relieve psychological distress and promote happiness.
Multi Instance Multi Label Classification of Restaurant Images

In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for multi instance multi label classification of attributes in user submitted restaurant photos. The features are extracted from images using a seven layer convolution neural network architecture which are then represented using the bag of words model with earth mover's distance as a metric to compute the distance between each bag. For classification, we employ a custom kernel support vector machines that is trained for each attribute to obtain binary classifiers which are then used to predict the labels for an unknown business. However, central to our approach is the mining of association rules between different labels to further increase the accuracy of the proposed system. The method is evaluated on the Yelp Kaggle database and the performance is measured on the basis of F1 score. The experimental results prove that our algorithm is effective in classification of restaurant images.
Automatic generation of in-text hyperlinks in web publishing

We present a method for automatic generation of in-text explanatory hyperlinks for use in web publishing. A system using this method is currently in production as part of a service for enriching plaintext content. We recognize the importance of link anchors in practical use of such systems, therefore the method is centered around link anchor selection and uses semantic similarity only to resolve ambiguities in the language. We use English Wikipedia as the training set which allows us to capture the current cultural knowledge. Using structured information extracted from Wikipedia we can provide explanatory links to articles in Wikipedia, book and movie databases and other pages on the Internet.
Influence of the competence of the sapheno-femoral junction on the mode of treatment of varicose veins by surgery

Background It is usually agreed that incompetence of the sapheno-femoral junction (SFJ) is the main indication for stripping or ablation of the great saphenous vein (GSV) in the treatment of varicose veins (VVs). We wanted to test this assumption in our surgical treatment of varicose veins. Methods Study design: retrospective study of the surgical procedures for VVs in our centre between January and October 2012 in patients with reflux in the GSV. The SFJ was considered to be incompetent when both terminal and pre-terminal valves were assessed as incompetent by duplex ultrasound duplex imaging. We compared the preoperative clinical and haemodynamic data according to the surgical procedure performed. Results We reviewed a total of 389 LLs operated on for VVs in which reflux was present in the GSV. The SFJ was incompetent preoperatively in 189 LLs (48.6%). The GSV was treated in 78 cases (20.1%) stripping in 24 cases and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in 54 cases, while phlebectomy with preservation of the GSV (ASVAL = Ambulatory Selective Varices Ablation under Local Anaesthesia) was done in the 311 remaining cases (79.9%). Incompetence of the SFJ led to stripping or RFA of the GSV in 38.1% of the cases only. Treatment by stripping or RFA was associated with male gender (50% vs 18.9% P < 0.01 χ2), an older age (62.5 vs 53.1 yrs P < 0.01 t-test), a greater body mass index (BMI) (26.1 vs 23.8 P < 0.01 t-test), a higher frequency of CEAP Class C4 to C6 (33.3% vs 4.8% P < 0.01 χ2), a higher frequency of symptoms (94.4% vs 73.6% P < 0.01 χ2) and a greater diameter of the GSV at the thigh (8.1 vs 5.2 mm P < 0.01 t-test). At last the presence of a focal dilatation of the GSV and an extension of the reflux below the lower half of the calf were also more frequent in case of stripping or RFA (respectively 55.6% vs 10.3% and 84.6% vs 18.3% P < 0.01 χ2). Conclusion An incompetent SFJ was not the only clinical feature which determined the choice for preservation or ablation of the GSV in patients with varicose veins. In our experience a greater age, a higher BMI, the presence of trophic skin changes, extension of the reflux below the knee and a more damaged GSV trunk were also taken into account in order to decide whether to ablate or to preserve the GSV.
Correlation of Microalbuminuria and Multiple Risk Factors in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: The current study was undertaken at tertiary care center, Bhopal, MP, Central India. with the objective is to study the occurrence of microalbuminuria in acute coronary syndrome and to find their association with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out during period jun2009 to 2010 on patients presenting to the cardiology department Hamidia hospital, Bhopal, MP. It was an observational comparison study in which comparison of two groups according to the presence and absence of microalbuminuria in patient diagnosed to have acute coronary syndrome after proper history, thorough clinical examination and investigations and find their correlation with multiple risk factors for acute coronary syndrome. Results and Conclusions: This observation implies that microalbuminuria is significantly more commonly seen in patients with acute coronary syndrome as compared to healthy adults of same biological characteristics. The difference between occurrence of microalbuminuria was significant in cases with multiple risk factors than any isolated single risk factors.
Structure of a carbohydrate esterase from Bacillus anthracis

Family 4 carbohydrate esterases (CEs) catalyse the N- or O-deacetylation of substrates such as acetylated xylan, chitin, and peptidoglycan. CEs are classified into 14 families by sequence homology (see http://afmb.cnrs-mrs.fr/CAZY1). Family 4 is by far the largest of the CE families, with over 1000 open reading frames. The structure of CE4 enzymes from a number of bacterial species have been solved, including the peptidoglycan deacetylases from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Bacillus subtilis,3 acetyl xylan esterases from Clostridium thermocellum and Streptomyces lividans,4 and an enzyme of unknown specificity from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PDBcode 1Z7A). CE4 enzymes contain a conserved NodB homology domain, and adopt a distorted (a/b)8 barrel fold. Most of the structures contain a divalent ion in the active site that is necessary for enzyme activity2,4 and which is coordinated by highly conserved histidine and aspartate residues.