Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The initial diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: Clinical impact of magnetic resonance imaging

Thirty patients in whom the initial diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was clinically entertained underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in close temporal relationship to cranial x‐ray computed tomography (CT), electrodiagnostic studies (visual evoked responses, brainstem auditory evoked responses, and somatosensory evoked responses), and cerebrospinal fluid analyses (Oligoclonal bands, myelin basic protein, and IgG/albumin ratio). In 26 of the 30 patients, MRI demonstrated lesions consistent with multiple sclerosis that corresponded, at least in part, with the clinically expected neuroanatomical lesion distribution. Two of the 4 patients with normal MRI had normal electrodiagnostic studies and cerebrospinal fluid analyses, and the other 2 had a single abnormal or equivocal electrodiagnostic study. All 26 patients with abnormal MRI had at least one other abnormal laboratory test. CT revealed only the largest lesions, and in the patients with abnormal CT, MRI demonstrated even more lesions. MRI, in this limited series, proved to be a strong tool in the initial diagnosis of multiple sclerosis; it may prove to be the single best test, with a sensitivity exceeding that of electrodiagnostic studies and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
Incentives and constraints of financing mechanisms for compliance to globalgap standards among smallholder horticultural farmers in Kenya

This study draws on the case of smallholder fresh produce production and marketing in Eastern and Central Kenya to analyze incentives and constraints of financing mechanisms for compliance to GlobalGAP standards. GlobalGAP standards were enforced among smallholder farmers without putting in place the corresponding financial arrangements. This study sought out to understand the incentives and constraints hindering the accessibility to compliance to GlobalGAP standards. The study relied on community-level surveys including Participatory Rural Appraisal, Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews. Systematic and purposive sampling procedures were used to select participants in the study. Findings indicate that capital constraint is ranked among the first three most important factor hindering GlobalGAP compliance. Farmers adopted four broad mechanisms to finance compliance. These included individual financing; input credit from individually contracted farmers to 'sub-contracted' farmers, group financing and infrastructure development alongside input credit by exporters. Over fifty percent of noncontracted farmers in Buuri production area in Eastern province, financed compliance through input credit from individually contracted farmers. Individual financing was reported by less than ten percent of smallholder farmers in Buuri and Kirinyaga production area of Central Province. Group financing mechanism was most common in Kirinyaga and to a smaller extent Mbooni of Eastern Province. Each mechanism has varying incentives and constraints, affecting the cost, period taken to comply and the prospects of remaining compliant. Three policy implications emanate from this study. First, financing smallholder horticulture for compliance to GlobalGAP should be more innovative and informed by the compliance arrangement. Secondly, stronger linkages with financiers are encouraged to devise products which meet the financial needs of smallholder farmers. Thirdly, the proposed horticultural development fund should prioritize the needs of smallholder farmers to enable them remain in business.
Lymphocyte-activating factor. I. Generation and physicochemical characterization.

Lipopolysaccharide-activated murine peritoneal macrophages elaborate lymphocyte-activating factor (LAF) which is mitogenic for murine thymocytes. A method of LAF production is presented that permits the generation of a relatively homogeneous molecular species. LAF has an isoelectric point of 4.8 (range 4.7-4.9). The m.w. was determined by using several physical techniques. The apparent sedimentation coefficient (S20,w) was determined to be 2.0S by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The Stokes (molecular) radius was determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 to be 22 A (range 21.5 to 22.5); the calculated diffusion coefficient (D20,w) was 9.7 X 10(-7) cm2/sec (range 9.5 X 10(-7) to 9.9 X 10(-7). The buoyant density of LAF is 1.30 g/cm3 (range 1.27 to 1.33) as determined by CsCl isopycnic ultracentrifugation; the partial specific volume was estimated to be 0.72 (range 0.70 to 0.74). From these data, the m.w. was calculated to be 18,000 daltons (range 16,400 to 19,600) with the Svedberg equation. The frictional ratio was calculated to be 1.25.
Applying the Kirkpatrick model: Evaluating Interaction for Learning Framework

Global perspectives and interpersonal and intercultural communication competencies are viewed as a priority within higher education. For management educators, globalisation, student mobility and widening pathways present numerous challenges, but afford opportunities for curriculum innovation. The Interaction for Learning Framework (ILF) seeks to help academics introduce curriculum change and increase peer interaction opportunities. Although the framework has many strengths to recommend it, the ILF does not provide a process by which academics can easily evaluate the outcomes produced by its implementation. In this paper, we examine the efficacy of a popular four level training evaluation framework – the Kirkpatrick model – as a way to appraise the outcomes of ILF-based curriculum interventions. We conclude that the Kirkpatrick model offers educators a straightforward basis for evaluation of interventions, but that as with any model the approach to evaluation should be adapted to the particular setting and circumstances.
Ampakine™ CX546 bolsters energetic response of astrocytes: a novel target for cognitive‐enhancing drugs acting as α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor modulators

Glutamate was previously shown to enhance aerobic glycolysis i.e. increase glucose utilization and lactate production with no change in oxygen levels, in mouse cortical astrocytes by a mechanism involving glutamate uptake. It is reported here that a similar response is produced in both hippocampal and cerebellar astrocytes. Application of the cognitive‐enhancing drug CX546 promoted further enhancement of glucose utilization by astrocytes from each brain area following glutamate exposure. α‐Amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors represent the purported molecular target of cognitive‐enhancing drugs such as CX546, and the presence of AMPA receptor subunits GluR1–4 was evidenced in astrocytes from all three regions by immunocytochemistry. AMPA itself did not stimulate aerobic glycolysis, but in the presence of CX546, a strong enhancement of glucose utilization and lactate production was obtained in cortical, hippocampal and cerebellar astrocytes. The effect of CX546 was concentration‐dependent, with an EC50 of 93.2 µm in cortical astrocytes. AMPA‐induced glucose utilization in the presence of CX546 was prevented by the AMPA receptor antagonist 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX) and the negative modulator GYKI 52466. In addition, the metabolic effect of CX546 in the presence of AMPA was mimicked by the AMPA receptor modulator cyclothiazide. Our data suggest that astrocyte energetics represents a novel target for cognitive‐enhancing drugs acting as AMPA receptor modulators.
Transparency and Competition in the Choice of Pension Products: The Chilean and UK Experience

The growing importance of defined contribution (DC) pension plans is focusing attention on the decumulation or payout phase of pension systems. Where annuitization is encouraged or mandatory, how to ensure that individuals get the best price for annuity products is key. The complicated nature of these decisions means that purchases are highly dependent on the information and advice provided by the sellers of these products. This can be a problem where annuity providers are already involved in the preretirement, accumulation phase, leaving individuals open to abuse if ‘locked-in’ and not able to ‘shop around’ to find a better annuity rate from alternative providers. This paper discusses two countries building centralized information and quotation systems for annuity products to help individuals select the right retirement product at the right price. The SCOMP system in Chile is examined and developments around the Open Market Option (OMO) in the UK are discussed, with lessons drawn for other pension supervisory authorities contemplating introducing such centralized systems.
Amelioration of type II collagen induced arthritis in rats by treatment with thymulin.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of thymulin (serum thymic factor + Zn2+) in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. METHODS SD rats were immunized with bovine type II collagen plus Freund's incomplete adjuvant, and thymulin was administered intraperitoneally on the first day of first immunization. We determined the level of serum thymulin by rosette inhibition assay. Effects of thymulin on CIA rats were estimated by measuring the extent of hind paw edema, the level of serum anti-type II collagen antibody, and changes in histopathological features of the affected joints. RESULTS Serum thymulin levels in CIA rats were significantly lower than in untreated rats. Thymulin diminished hind paw swelling and onset of arthritis compared with control rats. The serum anti-type II collagen antibody level was also reduced by thymulin. Histopathological examination showed inhibition of granulation tissue and new bone formation after injection of thymulin. CONCLUSION Our results suggest thymulin plays a significant role in the onset and development of CIA in rats. Our data indicate thymulin may be therapeutically effective in preventing the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
The Definition of Market Segments for Leisure Centre Services: Theory and Practice

Explains the concept of market segmentation and uses the results of two surveys carried out in two urban areas of the UK to illustrate how leisure centre managers might improve their performance in terms of volume and cost‐effectiveness. Reveals that the concept of customer segmentation within a catchment area does have some practical validity, and that there is evidence to suggest a planned approach to managing a leisure centre using this information would be of benefit.
Production , Manufacturing and Logistics Integrated vendor – buyer cooperative inventory models with controllable lead time and ordering cost reduction

This study deals with the lead time and ordering cost reduction problem in the single-vendor single-buyer integrated inventory model. We consider that buyer lead time can be shortened at an extra crashing cost which depends on the lead time length to be reduced and the ordering lot size. Additionally, buyer ordering cost can be reduced through further investment. Two models are presented in this study. The first model assumes that the ordering cost reduction has no relation to lead time crashing. The second model assumes that the lead time and ordering cost reduction are interacted. An iterative procedure is developed to find the optimal solution and numerical examples are presented to illustrate the results of the proposed models. 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Interleukin‐6 deficient mice are protected from bone loss caused by estrogen depletion.

Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a multifunctional cytokine whose circulating levels are under physiological conditions below detection, but whose production is rapidly and strongly induced by several pathological and inflammatory stimuli. IL‐6 has been implicated in a number of cell functions connected to immunity and hematopoiesis. Recently, it has been proposed to act as a stimulator of osteoclast formation and activity, in particular following estrogen depletion. The purpose of this study was to gain additional insights into the role of IL‐6 during development, as well as in physiological and pathological conditions. We report here that IL‐6 deficient mice generated by gene targeting are viable and do not present any evident phenotypic abnormality. However, analysis of bone metabolism revealed a specific bone phenotype. IL‐6 deficient female mice have a normal amount of trabecular bone, but higher rates of bone turnover than control littermates. Estrogen deficiency induced by ovariectomy causes in wild type animals a significant loss of bone mass together with an increase in bone turnover rates. Strikingly, ovariectomy does not induce any change in either bone mass or bone remodeling rates in the IL‐6 deficient mice. These findings indicate that IL‐6 plays an important role in the local regulation of bone turnover and, at least in mice, appears to be essential for the bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency.
Somaliland’s private sector at a crossroads : political economy and policy choices for prosperity and job creation

The Somaliland economy is driven by the private sector. Unlike most other economies in the world, the government footprint is limited, amounting to under 10 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). As will be presented in this report, this context is both a structural advantage and constraint to further economic growth and the capacity of the private sector to create the jobs demanded by a growing population, after a generation of hard work building a political system and economy from the remains of a destructive civil war. The report strives to take stock of the progress to date in private sector performance and development and to identify policy priorities that the government, in partnership with the private sector, can pursue in furtherance of job creation and growth objectives. The target audience for this report is principally the Government of Somaliland (GoS) and its private and financial sectors. The report also hopes to contribute to the work of Somaliland’s other development partners. To this end, the report commences with an overview of the structure of the private sector and a recap of the business environment within which it operates, drawing for this latter aspect on the findings of the Doing Business in Hargeisa 2012 report (World Bank and IFC 2012). The report then proceeds with a more in-depth look at the characteristics of the three key ‘sectors’ that drive the Somaliland economy, the private, financial, and government sectors, and the factors that impact their overall performance in achieving government policy objectives, as set out in the GoS’s document titled Somaliland National Vision 2030. The specific issues addressed include, as requested by the GoS, enterprise formalization, financial inclusion, government capacity, and economic governance. This is most appropriate, as the analysis clearly points to these issues being of primary importance to the achievement of a growing and job-creating economy. The report concludes with some recommended short-, medium-, and longer-term policy priorities for each of the three key sectors.
Difficult To Detect with DNA-Binding Stains That Infect Marine Bacteroidetes Prove Cultivated Single-Stranded DNA Phages

strains using the top-agar plating technique (9,15). Thephagesrepresent20%ofaculturecollectionof40phagesthat was established by purifying plaques with distinct morphol-ogiesfromeachhost(9). Phagestocks(obtainedbytop-agarplat-ing technique and recovered from the top layer) (15) were ultra-centrifuged (222,000
The role of household income and public provision of social services in satisfaction of basic needs in Pakistan: A cross district analysis

Is household income enough for human development or government should heed to direct provision of social services to improve capabilities of individual. The former emphasized by the World Bank and later by the UNDP. This paper tests the argument by estimating a basic need policy model for Pakistan using cross district data. The results are consistent with the view that government provision of social services affects human capabilities significantly. However, the ultimate constraints on the sustainable capability development are material resources.
An interactive program for automatic network function generation with insights

This paper introduces an educational tool and its implementation for automatically generating symbolic network functions of analog small-signal circuits. This tool has the following features: graphical schematic input, automatic generation of transfer function formula in clean s-expanded form, and dynamic linkage between symbols in formula and the selected elements in circuit. The last feature is unique in this contribution in that it can help students easily receive design insights. The details on implementing these key features are presented together with an illustrative example.
Acoustic-Similarity Based Technique to Improve Concept Recognition

In this work we propose an acoustic-similarity based technique to improve the recognition of in-grammar utterances in typical directed-dialog applications where the Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system consists of one or more class-grammars embedded in the Language Model (LM). The proposed technique increases the transition cost of LM paths by a value proportional to the average acoustic similarity between that LM path and all the in-grammar utterances. Proposed mod-iﬁcations improve the in-grammar concept recognition rate by 0.5% absolute at lower grammar fanouts and by about 2% at higher fanouts as compared to a technique which reduces the probability of entering all the LM paths by a uniform value. The improvements are more pronounced as the fanout size of the grammar is increased and especially at operating points corresponding to lower False Accept (FA) values.
Role of K+ channels in the vasodilator response to bradykinin in the rat heart

1 The role of K+ channels in the nitric oxide (NO)‐independent coronary vasodilator efffect of bradykinin was examined in the Langendorff heart preparation in which nitroarginine was used to inhibit NO synthesis and elevate perfusion pressure; cyclo‐oxygenase was inhibited with indomethacin. 2 The K+ channel inhibitors, tetraethylammonium, procaine and charybdotoxin, but not glibenc‐lamide, further increased perfusion pressure suggesting a role for K+ channels, other than ATP‐sensitive K+ channels, in the regulation of coronary vascular tone under the experimental conditions adopted here. 3 The non‐specific K+ channel inhibitors, tetraethylammonium and procaine, reduced vasodilator responses to bradykinin and cromakalim but not those to nitroprusside in the perfused heart treated with nitroarginine and indomethacin. 4 Glibenclamide, an inhibitor of ATP‐sensitive K+ channels, reduced vasodilator responses to cromakalim but did not affect those to bradykinin or nitroprusside. 5 Charybdotoxin, an antagonist of Ca2+‐activated K+ channels, inhibited responses to bradykinin but did not affect those to cromakalim or nitroprusside. 6 Nifedipine inhibited vasodilator responses to bradykinin and cromakalim without affecting those to nitroprusside. 7 Inhibition of cytochrome P450 with clotrimazole reduced responses to bradykinin but did not modify those to cromakalim or nitroprusside. 8 These results suggest that bradykinin utilizes a Ca2+‐activated K+ channel to produce vasodilatation in the rat heart.
A Distributed Spectrum Sharing Method for Improving Coexistence of IEEE 802.15.4 Networks

Defined for low-rate, low-power and short-range applications, IEEE 802.15. 4 offers complementary services to IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.15. 1. However, since IEEE 802.15. 4-based wireless personal area networks (WPANs) are very prone to interference, efficient coexistence of IEEE 802.15. 4 WPANs in the ISM band is a challenging problem. In this work, we propose a distributed coexistence method for IEEE 802.15. 4 operating in the beacon- enabled mode. In this method, each network coordinator learns about the surrounding environment, and schedules its superframe properly to minimize the mutual interference. Using this method, multiple IEEE 802.15. 4-based WPANs can colocate in the same logical channel, hence, increasing their coexistence capability in the ISM band. The proposed method considers spatial distribution of the WPANs and a physical interference model. Also, the method does not require any global information about the coexisting WPANs. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method through simulations.
The dependent and independent relationships between cytodifferentiation and morphogenesis in developing salivary gland secretory cells

The mesenchymal capsule was removed from the epithelial anlage of 15 day (unbranched) and 16 day (initially branched) fetal rat submandibular gland (SMG) rudiments. The undifferentiated epithelial portion of the SMG rudiments was placed in tissue culture and examined by light and electron microscopy and histochemistry for secretory peroxidase. The 15 day fetal SMG epithelial rudiments failed to attach, and spread over the culture dish and degenerated by 3 days in culture. The 16 day epithelial rudiments attached to the dish and the cells spread radially from the explant. Mitotic activity was minimal. Cells spreading from the 16 day rudiments underwent cytodifferentiation, giving rise to two secretory cell types: (1) peroxidase containing “proacinar cells,” and (2) secretory “terminal tubule” cells. The results suggest that in the developing SMG, morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation are partially coupled but independently regulated processes. The earliest phases of morphogenesis (rudiment down growth and primary branching) seem to be required to initiate cytodifferentiation. Once initiated, cytodifferentiation can proceed in the absence of continued morphogenesis (tissue organizatation) or significant amounts of connective tissue elements.
Spaces enabling game-changing and sustaining innovations: why space matters for knowledge creation and innovation

Abstract Innovation has become one of the key drivers for growth. However, how do we bring about innovation which is both radical and respects the limits of the world? One of our key assumptions is that we have to take into consideration the epistemological and cognitive processes leading to (radically) new knowledge first. We propose an approach that establishes spaces enabling such processes of knowledge creation we refer to them as Enabling Spaces. This article is concerned with the question of how innovation, and more specifically, profound, radical and sustainable innovation can be brought about in a more qualitative manner. What are the necessary concepts and attitudes which facilitate the processes of innovation? The notion of enabling as opposed to 'managing' or controlling innovation is to be developed. Furthermore the concept of situated/extended cognition is discussed as a key ingredient for Enabling Spaces. The second part gives an overview of the concept of Enabling Spaces and of the design process leading to such spaces. Finally the concrete case of a knowledge-creating university is discussed.
The Different Roles of Satisfaction, Trust, and Commitment in Customer Relationships

Several theories of relationship marketing propose that customers vary in their relationships with a firm on a continuum from transactional to highly relational bonds. Few empirical studies have segmented the customer base of an organization into low and high relational groups to assess how evaluations vary for these groups. Using structural equation analysis, the authors analyze the relationships of satisfaction, trust, and commitment to component satisfaction attitudes and future intentions for the customers of a New York off-Broadway repertory theater company. For the low relational customers (individual ticket buyers and occasional subscribers), overall satisfaction is the primary mediating construct between the component attitudes and future intentions. For the high relational customers (consistent subscribers), trust and commitment, rather than satisfaction, are the mediators between component attitudes and future intentions.