Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cord Blood Prolidase Activity Correlates with Gestational Age and Birth Weight

Background: Prolidase, a specific iminopeptidase involved in collagen turnover, is especially active in growing tissues. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between cord blood prolidase activity and both birth weight and gestational age. Methods: Cord blood was collected consecutively from 50 healthy newborns (35 term, 15 preterm). Prolidase activity was measured in the samples using standard methods. Results: Themean ± SD cord blood prolidase activity was 41.4 ± 6.9 U/l in term infants and 35.2 ± 8.0 U/l in preterm infants and these were significantly different (p < 0.01). There were positive correlations between cord blood prolidase and both birth weight (r = 0.533, p < 0.01) and gestational age (r = 0.806, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Cord blood prolidase activity may be a good indicator of fetal maturation and gestational age.
Electrophysiological correlates of intermediate syndrome following acute organophosphate poisoning

Introduction. Organophosphate (OP) poisoning is a major global health problem. The late onset of respiratory failure associated with intermediate syndrome (IMS) is a major contributor to the high morbidity, mortality, and cost of OP poisoning. This is particularly important as most poisoning occurs in the under-resourced developing world. Repetitive nerve stimulation studies. An understanding of the abnormalities observed in repetitive nerve stimulation studies during the progression and development of IMS spectrum disorder may help clinicians to utilize electrodiagnostic testing in the better management of their patients with acute OP poisoning. In addition, it will allow researchers to interpret future research that utilizes repetitive nerve stimulation as an outcome measure. A review of the clinical and experimental electrophysiological studies in the IMS shows that subclinical electrophysiological abnormalities are common, progressive, and precede the onset of the clinical IMS. Serial repetitive nerve stimulation studies have been most commonly used and are the most accessible for clinicians. Clinical and experimental studies demonstrate a progression through early initial decrement–increment patterns at high rates of stimulations, which correlate with moderate muscle weakness, to decrement–increment patterns at intermediate- and low-frequency stimulations. Progression to a combination of decrement–increment and repetitive fade patterns correlates with clinical deterioration; severe decrement pattern is usually observed immediately before the onset of respiratory failure. Although electrophysiological features closely parallel clinical severity during progression of IMS, the same is not true during recovery. Electrophysiological changes sometimes improve long before the patient recovers normal strength and respiratory function. Intermediate syndrome. Thus, IMS can be regarded as a spectrum disorder affecting the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) with two main forms: a forme fruste variety associated with mild weakness and the classical IMS with weakness of 3/5 or less than 3/5 on the Medical Research Council (MRC) grading; patients in the latter category are at risk of developing late onset respiratory failure. While IMS remains a clinically important entity, the early occurrence of abnormalities on repetitive nerve stimulation studies suggest that this is part of the continuum of nicotinic receptor stimulation. Conclusions. Reviewing the anatomical and the functional structure of the NMJ and neuromuscular transmission helps to provide an understanding of the pathophysiological nature of the neuromuscular transmission failure observed in IMS. This includes potential mechanisms of presynaptic feedback which may reduce acetylcholine release and postsynaptic receptor desensitization and provides some explanation for the time course of IMS. It also suggests other potential strategies to reduce OP-induced NMJ toxicity in which repetitive nerve stimulation is likely to be an important tool in judging efficacy.
Mentoring in post-graduate medical education and specialist training

A rapid evidence assessment was used to answer the four questions posed by the DoH. Two systematic reviews (one containing studies using different designs, but excluding qualitative studies) and one containing only qualitative studies were used as index papers to “unpack” key concepts and identify other relevant studies; both reviews were also used to provide key evidence. From the citations in the index papers, other relevant reviews and primary studies were identified. Papers were included in the review on the basis of the substantive contribution they could make to answer the questions.
Herramientas japonesas para la gobernancia de las pequeñas y medianas empresas

Numerosos conceptos se entrelazan para dar lugar al concepto de gobernancia de una empresa, tanto en el caso de las empresas cotizantes como el de las pequenas y medianas empresas (pymes). Para que la gobernancia se concrete y sea efectiva, es necesario traducir sus conceptos en acciones que transformen la realidad de la firma y su entorno en el sentido exigido por los conceptos. Las empresas grandes, sobre todo si estan bien organizadas, cuentan en general con mecanismos adecuados de planificacion y control para llevar a la practica sus acciones de gobernancia. Las pymes, por su parte, caracterizadas por menores recursos relativos, tienen grandes dificultades metodologicas y conceptuales para implementar y mantener una arquitectura de gobernancia. En las ultimas tres o cuatro decadas, sin embargo, se han difundido en el mundo algunas tecnicas japonesas de gestion que pueden aplicarse en la implementacion y consolidacion de la gobernancia. Estas aplicaciones, naturalmente, son posibles tanto en las grandes firmas como en las pequenas, pero hacemos hincapie en estas ultimas porque en ellas encontraran un terreno fertil para la aplicacion inmediata y fecunda. Esta aplicacion, que permitira realzar la gobernancia de la pyme en pocos meses, solo depende de la decision de un gerente inquieto dispuesto a transformar su organizacion. En este trabajo, presentamos los conceptos basicos de gobernancia y su aplicacion en las pymes, mostramos los rudimentos de algunas herramientas japonesas de gestion e ilustramos con breves ejemplos como estas herramientas pueden utilizarse para implementar y mejorar la gobernancia de una pyme. Las herramientas consideradas son: un indicador de gobernancia pyme, basado en la estructura –aunque no necesariamente los contenidos- del Premio Deming, el premio nacional japones a la calidad; la gestion hoshin; y los sistemas de reuniones eficaces.
Modo de uso del conocimiento profesional en procesos de reflexión en la formación inicial de profesores de matemáticas

En este trabajo precisamos el significado de los términos capacidad y competencia en el marco de un programa de formación inicial de profesores de matemáticas de secundaria. Describimos brevemente las bases de ese programa y, a continuación, presentamos y ejemplificamos un procedimiento mediante el cual los futuros profesores reflexionan en torno al aprendizaje de los escolares y usan esas nociones cuando abordan la planificación de una unidad didáctica. Didactical Analysis and Teacher Training: Competences and Capacities in Students’ Learning In this paper we propose specific meanings for the notions of capacity and competence in the context of a Secondary mathematics teacher training program. We briefly describe this program, and present a procedure with which prospective teachers can reflect on students’ learning in the classroom and use these notions for planning didactical units.Handle: http://hdl.handle. net/10481/4218Nº de citas en SCOPUS (2017): 1 (Citas de 2º orden, 2)
Performance analysis of a LAN/WAN bridging architecture

A performance analysis of a virtual-circuit-based wide-area network (WAN) that performs local-area-network (LAN) bridging is presented. This type of WAN is suitable for LAN bridging because the conversion of functions between the LAN protocol and the WAN protocol can be simplified by assigning a virtual circuit to each bridge-to-bridge (edge-to-edge) connection. With this architecture, routing is performed efficiently and network resources are used on demand. Analytical approximations of bridge throughput packet delay and packet-loss rates are provided as a function of network and protocol parameters. <<ETX>>
Whole-cell hybridization of Methanosarcina cells with two new oligonucleotide probes

Two new oligonucleotide probes targeting the 16S rRNA of the methanogenic genus Methanosarcina were developed. The probes have the following sequences (Escherichia coli numbering): probe SARCI551, 5'-GAC CCAATAATCACGATCAC-3', and probe SARCI645, 5'-TCCCGGTTCCAAGTCTGGC-3'. In situ hybridization with the fluorescently labelled probes required several modifications of standard procedures. Cells of Methanosarcina mazeii S-6 were found to lyse during the hybridization step if fixed in 3% formaldehyde and stored in 50% ethanol. Lysis was, however, not observed with cells fixed and stored in 1.6% formaldehyde-0.85% NaCl. Extensive autofluorescence of the cells was found upon hybridization in the presence of 5 mM EDTA, but successful hybridization could be obtained without addition of this compound. The mounting agent Citifluor AF1, often used in conjugation with the fluorochrome fluorescein, was found to wash the labelled probes out of the cells. Stable labelling could be obtained with rhodamine-labelled probes when the specimen was mounted in immersion oil, and high hybridization intensities of the Methanosarcina cells were found even in the presence of biomass from an anaerobic reactor. The inherent high autofluorescence of the biomass could be lowered by use of a highly specific narrow-band filter. The probes were found to be specific for Methanosarcina and useful for detection of this genus in samples from anaerobic reactors.
Key Issues for IT Executives 2009: Difficult Economy’s Impact on IT

The global financial crisis has brought exacting times for organizations around the world. Faced with sharp decreases in revenue, companies have experienced IT budget and salary reductions, projects and purchases put on hold, and hiring freezes. While many IT organizations have been collaborating with their business partners to leverage IT to help reduce costs and improve productivity across the business, most are anticipating an economic turnaround, albeit not with much optimism, for a better 2010. When this survey was conducted, in June 2009, initial signs of the recession’s end had begun to appear, although companies were, and remain, cautious about future initiatives. Since its inception in 1980, the Society for Information Management (SIM) survey has helped IT leaders around the globe understand important issues and trends. This article presents the major findings based on survey responses from 243 U.S. organizations. The top five management concerns in 2009 were: 1. Business productivity and cost reduction; 2. IT and business alignment; 3. Business agility and speed to market; 4. Business process re-engineering; 5. IT cost reduction.This is the fourth in a series of MISQE-published reports based on the SIM membership survey facilitated by the lead author. As in previous surveys, this article also presents findings on key application and technology development, and on various aspects of the IT organization. This year, the survey included additional results from European (27) and Chinese (174) organizations, giving the survey a more global perspective. The respective similarities and differences between the U.S. and these other two regions are highlighted throughout this article.
On the performance of two-way amplify-and-forward relaying in the presence of co-channel interferences

In this paper, we study the error performance of two-way amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying over independent but not necessarily identically distributed Rayleigh fading channels, in the presence of co-channel interfering signals affecting the network nodes. Closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and for the error probability are presented. Furthermore, an approximate expression for the error probability is provided and analyzed. Simulations are performed to confirm the exactness of our theoretical analysis, and discussed along with numerical results based on said analysis.
Design and analysis of the dual arm manipulator for rescue robot

Previous dual arm manipulators have been developed to follow dual arm tasks of human and to be a substitute for human in the indoor field. Nowadays, it is necessary for a robot to perform various tasks such as search and rescue in the battle field and disaster field. In the paper, a dual arm manipulator which is mounted on the mobile robot is proposed for rescue activity. The kinematic configuration is determined to satisfy the representative poses for rescue activity in the battle field. Kinematic parameters and dynamic parameters of the dual arm manipulator are investigated through the dynamic simulation on the various conditions. The performance of the manufactured dual-arm manipulator is proved through the experiments.
Polylaminin, a polymeric form of laminin, promotes regeneration after spinal cord injury

Regeneration of spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major topic of biomedical research. Laminin is an extracellular matrix protein implicated in neural development and regeneration, but despite that, there are no reports of exogenous laminin contributing to improve the outcome of experimental SCI. Here we investigated whether a biomimetic polymer of laminin assembled on pH acidification, henceforth called polylaminin, could be used to treat SCI in rats. Acute local injection of polylaminin, but not of nonpolymerized laminin, improved motor function after thoracic compression, partial or complete transection. In the latter case, the BBB score for open field locomotion 8 wk after lesion increased from 4.2 ± 0.48 to 8.8 ± 1.14 in animals treated with polylaminin of human origin. Accordingly, neurons retrogradely labeled from the sublesion stump were detected in the spinal cord and brain stem, indicating regrowth of short and long fibers across a complete transection. Polylaminin also played an unsuspected anti‐inflammatory role, which underlies the early onset of its positive effects on locomotion from the first week after treatment. The beneficial effects of polylaminin were not observed in animals treated with the nonpolymerized protein or vehicle only. We propose that polylaminin is a promising therapeutic agent to treat human SCI.—Menezes, K. , Menezes, J. R. L. , Nascimento, M. A. , Siqueira Santos, R. , Coelho‐Sampaio, T. Polylaminin, a polymeric form of laminin, promotes regeneration after spinal cord injury. FASEB J. 24, 4513–4522 (2010). www.fasebj. org
Mechanisms of Evolution in Rickettsia conorii and R. prowazekii

Rickettsia conorii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes Mediterranean spotted fever in humans. We determined the 1,268,755-nucleotide complete genome sequence ofR. conorii, containing 1374 open reading frames. This genome exhibits 804 of the 834 genes of the previously determined R. prowazekii genome plus 552 supplementary open reading frames and a 10-fold increase in the number of repetitive elements. Despite these differences, the two genomes exhibit a nearly perfect colinearity that allowed the clear identification of different stages of gene alterations with gene remnants and 37 genes split in 105 fragments, of which 59 are transcribed. A 38-kilobase sequence inversion was dated shortly after the divergence of the genus.
Monotherapy Administration of Sorafenib in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MISSION) Trial: A Phase III, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Sorafenib in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Predominantly Nonsquamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer after 2 or 3 Previous Treatment Regimens.

INTRODUCTION Sorafenib monotherapy has shown benefits in phase II trials as third-/fourth-line treatment in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS The phase III, multinational, double-blind, placebo-controlled Monotherapy admInistration of Sorafenib in patientS wIth nOn-small-cell luNg cancer (MISSION) trial randomized patients with advanced relapsed/refractory NSCLC, following two or three prior treatment regimens, to sorafenib 400 mg twice a day (n = 350) or matching placebo (n = 353) plus best supportive care. The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS) and time to progression. Epidermal growth factor receptor and KRAS mutation status was analyzed in archival tumor and/or circulating tumor DNA from blood samples obtained during screening. RESULTS Median OS was similar in the sorafenib and placebo groups (8.2 versus 8.3 mo; hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-1.17; p = 0.47). Median PFS (2.8 versus 1.4 mo; HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.51-0.72; p < 0.0001), and time to progression (2.9 versus 1.4 mo; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.45-0.65; p < 0.0001) were significantly greater with sorafenib than with placebo. Among the 89 patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, OS (13.9 versus 6.5 mo; HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.76; p = 0.002) and PFS (2.7 versus 1.4 mo; HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.16-0.46; p < 0.001) were significantly higher with sorafenib than placebo. PFS was significantly longer with sorafenib than placebo in patients with either wild-type or mutated KRAS, but OS was similar. Common drug-related adverse events were rash/desquamation, diarrhea, and fatigue, consistent with the safety profile of sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS Third-/fourth-line sorafenib therapy did not significantly increase OS in patients with relapsed/refractory NSCLC, despite significantly increasing PFS.
Reach for the moon

The World Health Organization will soon formally approve three new combinations of three antiretroviral drugs in fixed doses for use in patients with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The approval could have a major impact on antiretroviral treatment for patients all over the world. The fixed dose combinations, whose endorsement WHO hopes to announce on 1 December, world AIDS day, is part of a drive by the organisation to get antiretroviral drugs to three million people with HIV or AIDS in the world's poorest countries by 2005. Fixed dose drugs have proved successful in treating malaria and tuberculosis. Whether in the form of a single pill or …
Pupil center detection for infrared irradiation eye image using CNN

This research proposes a convolutional neural network based pupil center detection method from an eye image which is captured by a wearable eye camera. This paper investigates the detection accuracy by applying several preprocessing, such as edge detection, and binarization. We find the preprocess method in order to speed up the computation time. We collected approximately 8,000 eye images with six subjects, and evaluated the performance, and confirmed that the proposed method obtained higher detection accuracy and have the potential to apply for a real-time application.
The Philosophy of Art

List of Figures. Preface. Acknowledgments. Why study the philosophy of art? Applications and questions. References and readings. Acknowledgements. 1. Evolution and culture. A biological basis for art. The cultural invention of art. The big and the small picture. "It all depends what you mean by the word art.". Applications and Connections - the museum, tourist art, popular art, and ancient art. Questions. Further reading. 2. Defining art. Essentialism and anti-essentialism. Arguments against the project of definition. If not an essence, what unifies the concept of art? Some definitions of art. Definitions and non-Western art. Taking stock. Applications and Connections - intuition versus definition, art's value and definition, Euthyphro and experts. Questions. Further reading. 3. Aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Aesthetic and artistic properties. An illustration. The aesthetic attitude and art for art's sake. Aesthetic theory criticized. Artworks that pose a challenge to aesthetic theory. Art's contextually relative properties. Art for art's sake, again. Applications and Connections - copies and misattributions, viscera and understanding. Questions. Further reading. 4. Varieties of art. Artworks as public items. Are artworks created or discovered? Are all artworks potentially multiple? Multiply instanced artworks. New works based on old ones. The ontological variety of works of art. Is the identity of an artwork fixed or evolving? Applications and Connections - musical recordings, the movie of the movie, the matter replicator. Questions. Further reading. 5. Interpretation. When is interpretation necessary? What is interpreted? Actual intentionalism. Hypothetical intentionalism. Value maximization. Uses for interpretation. Theory-driven interpretation. Does interpretation change the work's meaning? What is interpretation's primary purpose? Questions. Further reading. 6. Expression and emotional responses. The nature of emotion. Identifying others' emotions. Identifying the emotions in art. The expression of emotion in music and abstract art. The emotional response of the audience to the work of art. Responding to fictions. Responding to tragedies. Responding to the expressiveness of instrumental music and abstract art. Questions. Further reading. 7. Pictorial representation and the visual arts. The experience of representation. Representation and resemblance. Representation - culture and biology again. Art versus non-art, a matter of style. Representation in photographs and paintings. Recognition and representation. Photography as an art. Moving images. Questions. Further reading. 8. The value of art. Evaluation and functionality. Rules, universality, and objectivity in artistic evaluation. The purpose and form of artistic evaluation. What is rewarding about the experience of art? Value and pleasure. Art and education. Messages through art. The relation between artistic and moral values. Should a work's immorality undermine its claims to artistic merit? Morality in documentaries and fictions. Questions. Further reading. Index
How We Decide

Este trabajo estaba en concordancia con la linea de investigacion que ambos psicologos habian iniciado tiempo atras. Su interes se enfocaba en la puesta en practica de reglas heuristicas, asi como el efecto de las distorsiones o sesgos cognitivos de los sujetos, en las diversas oportunidades de toma de decision. Entre los diversos postulados de los psicologos se hallaba la critica a la asuncion de la economia moderna del sujeto que decide de modo racional, en su animo de maximizar la utilidad en cada decision. Por el contrario, demostraban que los individuos cometian distintos errores no voluntarios al decidir, debido a sesgos cognitivos, como la aversion a la perdida o la utilizacion de esquemas mentales preconcebidos para la solucion de un problema.