Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alterations in maximal inspiratory mouth pressure during a 400-m maximum effort front-crawl swimming trial.

AIM The aim of this study was to examine the changes of maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax) during a 400-m front crawl swimming trial. METHODS Eleven well-trained competitive swimmers (age: 17.6+/-0.8 years, mean+/-SE) performed a 400-m front-crawl trial with maximum effort (296.2+/-4.76 s). Then, on different days they swam a 300-m, 200-m and 100-m trials at a velocity corresponding to the 400-m trial. Measurements of PImax from residual volume at upright body position before and immediately after each trial were conducted using a portable mouth pressure meter. RESULTS Maximal inspiratory mouth pressure did not change significantly after the 100-m and 200-m trial compared to baseline (131.8+/-9.7 and 123.7+/-10.3 vs. 140.9+/-8.9 cmH(2)O, P>0.05). However, PImax was significantly lower after the 300-m (118.8+/-7 cmH(2)O, P=0.02) and 400-m trials (118.1+/-9.9 cmH(2)O, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that during a maximum effort of 400-m front crawl, the reduction of inspiratory muscle strength occurs after 300-m. This should be considered for competitive swimming training by implementing swim race distance-specific respiratory muscle training.
Immunodetection of glycosylated NT-proBNP circulating in human blood.

BACKGROUND Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) or NT-proBNP (N-terminal fragment of BNP precursor) measurements are recommended as aids in diagnosis and prognosis of patients with heart failure. Recently it has been shown that proBNP is O-glycosylated in human blood. The goal of this study was to map sites on the NT-proBNP molecule that should be recognized by antibodies used in optimal NT-proBNP assays. METHODS We analyzed endogenous NT-proBNP by several immunochemical methods using a broad panel of monoclonal antibodies specific to different epitopes of the NT-proBNP molecule. RESULTS Treatment of endogenous NT-proBNP by a mixture of glycosidases resulted in significant improvement of the interaction between deglycosylated NT-proBNP and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to the mid-fragment of the molecule. MAbs specific to the N- and C-terminal parts of NT-proBNP (epitopes 13-24 and 63-76) were able to recognize glycosylated and deglycosylated protein with similar efficiency. CONCLUSIONS The central part of endogenous NT-proBNP is glycosylated, making it almost "invisible" for the antibodies specific to the mid-fragment of the molecule. Thus sandwich assays using even one antibody (poly- or monoclonal) specific to the central part of the molecule could underestimate the real concentration of endogenous NT-proBNP. MAbs specific to the N- and C-terminal parts of NT-proBNP (epitopes 13-24 and 63-76) are the best candidates to be used in an assay for optimal NT-proBNP immunodetection.
Alternative Securities Markets as Financing Sources for SMEs – Selected Aspects of AIM and NC

Alternative Securities Markets as Financing Sources for SMEs – Selected Aspects of AIM and NC Joanna Malecka 1 1 Faculty of Engineering Management, Poznan University of Technology E-mail: 1 joanna.a. malecka@doctorate.put. poznan.pl Received 30 January 2017; accepted ………………… Abstract. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the foundation for the development of each contemporary national economy. Their number affects macroeconomic indices of economies and directly translates into the labour market created by SMEs. This article aims to present the key specificities related to the macroeconomic significance and to legal factors of the financial market operation in Poland and the UK, with particular emphasis on the stock exchange as the fundamental element of the capital market. Both AIM and NewConnect are platforms dedicated to SMEs, which have been allowed easier access to this capital market segment by minimising mandatory legal conditions.This study analyses the number of listed companies and their capitalisation values in 1999–2015, covering: the rules of the financial market operation, with a special focus on the legal bases of the stock market operation in the economies investigated; legal conditions for the development of this economic segment; and a detailed analysis of the number of participants and capitalisation values achieved on the Warsaw and London Stock Exchanges, in particular AIM and NewConnect. This paper builds on source data from various annual reports and stock exchange publications drawn up and made available by stock exchanges and financial supervisors. The attempt to compare the indices and capacities of the WSE and the NC with the biggest European player is motivated by the fact that the Warsaw Stock Exchange is classified as the largest and most dynamically growing stock exchange in Central and Eastern Europe. Keywords: WSE, LSE, capital market, stock exchange, capitalisation, AIM, NewConnect. JEL Classification: G19, G20, G29 Conference topic: Contemporary Issues of Economics and Management Studies: Problems and Perspectives DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/cbme.2017. 072
Ultra Wide Field Fluorescein Angiography Guided Targeted Retinal Photocoagulation (TRP)

We report two cases in which ultra wide field fluorescein angiography was used to direct targeted retinal photocoagulation (TRP) to areas of retinal capillary non-perfusion in an attempt to cause regression of diabetic neovascularization. By providing up to a 200 degree field of view, accurate delineation of retinal capillary non-perfusion and precise application of photocoagulation was possible. The application of TRP successfully led to the regression of the retinal neovascularization in our patients. Complications of conventional panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) such as visual field loss and macular edema may have been avoided. When TRP is used in conjunction with ultra wide field fluorescein angiography, preservation of functional retina may be possible while minimizing the amount of laser treatment that is applied to the retina.
Mortality in an urban cohort of HIV-infected and at-risk drug users in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND Mortality trends among drug users in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) remain unclear. METHODS We examined mortality rates, causes of death, and predictors of mortality in 398 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and 656 at-risk drug users for the period of 1996-2001. National death index reports were used to confirm deaths, and causes of death were derived from medical records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine factors associated with mortality. RESULTS During 1996-2001, mortality rates in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected participants were 7.3 and 1.5 deaths per 100 person-years, respectively (P<.001). The mean age at the time of death was 43.6 years for HIV-infected subjects and 47.7 years in HIV-uninfected subjects (P<.001). For 398 HIV-infected participants who were observed for 1443 person-years, death rates decreased from 11.4 to 5.4 deaths per 100 person-years over the 6-year period (P=.04). Among all participants, causes of death were as follows: HIV/AIDS, 27% of subjects; substance abuse, 31%; bacterial infection, 25%; other medical illness, 14%; and violence, 3%. Persons who initiated HAART at a CD4+ lymphocyte count of 201-350 cells/mm3 experienced improved survival, compared with those who initiated it at a CD4+ lymphocyte count of < or =200 cells/mm3 (P=.01). In a multivariate Cox model of HIV-infected subjects, factors independently associated with mortality included receipt of HAART (adjusted hazard ratio [HR(adj)], 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.68) and CD4+ lymphocyte count of < or =200 cells/mm3 (HR(adj), 4.23; 95% CI, 2.24-7.60). Use of methadone or illicit drugs did not predict mortality. CONCLUSIONS To further reduce mortality among drug users, interventions aimed at improving HAART use are warranted. Preventive health and timely management of treatable conditions, such as bacterial infections, also needs emphasis.
Agency Creativity: Teams and Performance

ABSTRACT Agency creativity is a product of team efforts whereby members interact to share knowledge, skills, and expertise to produce creative campaigns. For an agency, this is an invaluable resource. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the authors of the current article propose a conceptual model that links teams' knowledge utilization, agency creativity, and performance. By considering incremental and radical creativity, the model also builds on the idea that creativity is a multidimensional construct. The framework is presented to act as a catalyst on which to build future empirical research on the nature of team creativity in advertising agencies.
Effects of menhaden oil and flaxseed in broiler diets on sensory quality and lipid composition of poultry meat

1. Three hundred and thirty 1-d-old male broiler chicks from a commercial strain were allocated to 11 dietary treatments comprising combinations of flaxseed at 100 g/kg and menhaden oil (MO) at 7·5 or 15 g/kg. Birds were given the experimental diets 7 or 14 d prior to slaughter. Carcase omega-3 fatty acid profiles and sensory evaluations of different cooked meat portions were carried out. 2. Linolenic acid was preferentially deposited in dark meat and long chain omega-3 fatty acids in white meat. Breast meat sensory quality was not affected in birds given 100 g/kg flaxseed for 14 d (treatment 3), 7·5 g/kg MO for 14 d (treatment 5) or 100 g/kg flaxseed +0·75 g/kg MO for 7 d (treatment 6). In contrast, thigh meat sensory quality decreased in treatments 5 and 6. 3. Feeding flaxseed and MO to birds for just 7 d prior to slaughter resulted in significant omega-3 meat enrichment depending on their dietary concentrations. The linolenic acid and long chain omega-3 fatty acids showed preferential deposition in dark and white meat, respectively, which may affect the sensory quality of various portions differently.
PrhG, a Transcriptional Regulator Responding to Growth Conditions, Is Involved in the Control of the Type III Secretion System Regulon in Ralstonia solanacearum

ABSTRACT The ability of Ralstonia solanacearum to cause disease in plants depends on its type III secretion system (T3SS). The expression of the T3SS and its effector substrates is coordinately controlled by a regulatory cascade, at the bottom of which is HrpB. Transcription of the hrpB gene is activated by a plant-responsive regulator named HrpG, which is a master regulator of a wide array of pathogenicity functions in R. solanacearum. We have identified in the genome of strain GMI1000 a close paralog of hrpG (83% overall similarity at the protein level) that we have named prhG. Despite this high similarity, the expression pattern of prhG is remarkably different from that of hrpG: prhG expression is activated after growth of bacteria in minimal medium but not in the presence of host cells, while hrpG expression is specifically induced in response to plant cell signals. We provide genetic evidence that prhG is a transcriptional regulator that, like hrpG, controls the expression of hrpB and the hrpB-regulated genes under minimal medium conditions. However, the regulatory functions of prhG and hrpG are distinct: prhG has no influence on hrpB expression when the bacteria are in the presence of plant cells, and transcriptomic profiling analysis of a prhG mutant revealed that the PrhG and HrpG regulons have only one pathogenicity target in common, hrpB. Functional complementation experiments indicated that PrhG and HrpG are individually sufficient to activate hrpB expression in minimal medium. Rather surprisingly, a prhG disruption mutant had little impact on pathogenicity, which may indicate that prhG has a minor role in the activation of T3SS genes when R. solanacearum grows parasitically inside the plant. The cross talk between pathogenicity regulatory proteins and environmental signals described here denotes that an intricate network is at the basis of the bacterial disease program.
A formação de comunidades-filhas no fluxo de brasileiros para os Estados Unidos

The purpose of this work is to analyze the formation of Brazilian communities in certain areas of the U.S.A. as a result of the social organization process which facilitates the immigrant adjustment at his/her destination. Strongly influenced by migrant networks, the potential migrants fail to consider many available places as potential destinations in order to concentrate themselves at those few places, which are connected to their place of origin through relevant social ties.
Simultaneously charging multiple sensor nodes in multi-antenna wireless-powered sensor networks

In this paper, we investigate a multi-node multi-antenna wireless-powered sensor networks (WPSN) comprised of one power beacon and multiple sensor nodes. The proposed beam-splitting technique enables a power beacon to split microwave energy beams towards multiple nodes for simultaneous charging. We propose an optimal joint beam-splitting and energy neutral control algorithm for perpetual operation of multiple sensor nodes. We have implemented a real WPSN testbed and conducted experiments. We have shown that the proposed algorithm can successfully keep all sensor nodes alive by optimally splitting energy beams to sensor nodes.
A Study on the Evolution of Crowdsourcing Websites

Today hundreds of millions of Internet users are using crowdsourcing platforms either to work to an online job as workers, or as a model of problem solving and production as requesters. This growing workforce makes it necessary from the perspective of the online platforms, to fully understand the factors which contribute on this emerging and innovative â€œonline laborâ€ . We present a study comparing how crowdsourcing platforms have evolved over two time periods. The study explores in addition the effect of several factors of such websites on their traffic data and attention seeking. The results show that several websiteâ€™s characteristic are strong indicators of its attempting to get and optimize potential workersâ€™ or requestersâ€™ attention.
Separating Ability From Need: Clarifying the Dimensional Structure of the Need for Closure Scale

The validity of the Need for Closure Scale (NFCS) has recently been debated in the research literature. In the present study, it is argued that the traditional Decisiveness scale primarily taps ability content instead of the hypothesized motivational need; therefore, new items that explicitly probe the need for quick and unambiguous answers were developed. It was shown that these need items form a reliable scale (Study 1); were predictive of the seizing process over and beyond ability, whereas the old Decisiveness scale was not (Study 2); and were sensitive to experimentally manipulated levels of task motivation (Study 3). Finally, a reassembled NFCS with the new items replacing the traditional Decisiveness items showed superior fit as a unidimensional model. In the Discussion, it is argued that the specific position of Decisiveness is due to its particular operationalization, not to its theoretical status.
Gamma‐hydroxybutyric acid in alcohol preference, dependence and withdrawal

Gamma‐hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous constituent of the mammalian brain, where it likely functions as a neurotransmitter or a neuromodulator. Its exogenous administration exerts a number of pharmacological effects, including reduction of intensity of alcohol withdrawal syndrome and alcohol consumption in both laboratory animals and human alcoholics.The clinical studies conducted to date, although often testing samples of limited size, feature GHB as an effective, well‐tolerated and safe drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Behavioural data in rats suggest that GHB may produce alcohol‐like effects. This similarity may explain why GHB produces positively reinforcing properties, being subsequently self‐administered by rodents and sometimes abused by humans (although episodes of self‐directed intake of GHB appear to be a limited phenomenon in alcoholics); in addition it provides support to the hypothesis that GHB constitutes for alcoholism a replacement therapy similar to methadone in heroin addiction.
Reducing total costs of machined parts through green manufacturing

By mapping the activities required during implementing green manufacturing, it is possible to identify operational improvements that will lead to reduction of lead times and subsequent total costs reduction. Thus, a costing approach is necessary to provide information on the behaviour of total costs over time under different cutting conditions on the shop floor. In this work, a costing approach that integrates systems dynamics and improved process-based cost modelling is introduced. The model is applied to a multi-stage machining process for cost estimation of machined parts and illustration that variation in cutting parameters is tied to the individual process cost structure and can achieve green manufacturing objective. The results show total costs of machined parts is dependent mainly on manpower cost, equipment cost and material cost, and a simultaneous increase in cutting parameters yields a 25% reduction in total costs per part in the multi-stage machining system.
Detection of Concealed Explosives at a Distance Using Terahertz Technology

Terahertz imaging and spectroscopy has been shown to have the potential to use very low levels of nonionizing radiation to detect and identify objects hidden under clothing. In this paper we discuss some of the important factors involved in addressing practical systems in the security industry, and describe our recent work on the development of a prototype terahertz standoff detection system. Using this system we demonstrate the spectroscopic detection of concealed explosives at a standoff distance of 1 m, both real time, in reflection, and under normal atmospheric conditions.
Detection of Delaminations in T-joint Composite Structures using Optimized Neural Networks

This paper reports the development of a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for a 2-D polymeric composite T-joint, used in maritime structures. The system developed relies on the examination of the strain distribution of the structure under operational loading and passing this data through a series of in-house developed pre-processing algorithms and eventually onto an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based inference engine. This system prompted the development of sophisticated pre-processing algorithms for the strain data. Improvements of 82% or more in detection accuracy were observed when these algorithms were invoked. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was also conducted with delaminations of variable sizes at various locations in two structures, a composite beam and a T-joint. This paper focuses on a few normalization procedures that were developed to reduce the dependency of the algorithm on variables such as loading vectors. The work here also demonstrates the capability of the algorithm to detect and quantify instances when multiple damage zones are present. 1. Introduction Glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) laminates are widely used as structural materials due to their high strength to weight ratio and corrosion resistance. In military applications, compo site structures also help to minimize electromagnetic radar signature for stealth operation [1]. The mode of failure of GFRP under static or dynamic loadings could be mainly due to matrix cracking or delaminations [2]. Delamination, being the more severe of the two, causes stiffness reduction and often leads to the catastrophic failure of the structure. Moreover, the detection of delamination is important to evaluate the reliability of GFRP laminates. Even invisible delaminations can severely degrade the mechanical properties and the load carrying capability of the structure. Damage initiates during service due to operational loading, aging, chemical attack, mechanical vibration and shocks. Existing techniques, such as X-ray, ultrasonic C-scan, and laser shearography [3] have been applied to detect these damages. However, it takes much time to inspect the GFRP laminate structures by these techniqu es, therefore, online detection [4] of the damage in these composite structures is desired.
Platelet activation, inflammatory mediators and hypercholesterolemia.

Atherogenic cofactors, such as altered cholesterol metabolism, may impact locally on inflammatory responses in atherosclerotic lesions. Blood levels of inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein, fibrinogen) have been associated with hypercholesterolemia and with overt atherothrombotic disorders. More recently. cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6, interleukin-1beta) and soluble adhesion molecules (e.g., selectins, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) have been associated with both hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic disease, suggesting their use as potential therapeutic targets for the non-specific "anti-inflammatory" treatment of atherosclerosis. The inflammatory response associated with hypercholesterolemia involves not only the intrinsic cells of the artery wall. but also circulating cells. Platelets participate in this disease process through the release of a wide variety of biologically active substances. An imbalance of the hemostatic system and persistent in vivo platelet activation can be observed in hypercholesterolemia and may have pathophysiological implications in the development and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Recent findings on the inflammatory actions of platelets have established the potential for a previously unrecognized biologic role for platelets in inflammation and vascular injury, and have opened new perspectives in the comprehension of the pathogenetic mechanism(s) of atherosclerosis. Stimulated platelets actively synthesize proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., CD40L, IL-1beta) and are able to release chemokines (i.e., platelet factor-4, RANTES) which have been all involved in the inflammatory process associated with hypercholesterolemia. This review will summarize the present understanding of the interplay between hypercholesterolemia, inflammation and platelet activation in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, and we also discuss the effects of lipid-lowering treatment on these phenomena.
A Changing World of Workplace Conflict Resolution and Employee Voice: An Australian Perspective

The authors contribute to dispute resolution theory and provide new insights on such important issues as employee voice, workplace disputes and employees’ intentions to quit. They conducted and analyzed a survey of managers in Australian workplaces. They apply Budd and Colvin’s (2008) path-finding dispute resolution framework to examine two research questions: first, is there a relationship between the resolution of disputes and employee voice as measured by employee perceptions of influence over decision-making? Second, is there a relationship between the resolution of workplace disputes and employees’ intentions to quit? These are important questions in view of the high costs of workplace conflict and employee turnover. The authors find that employee voice facilitates successful dispute resolution. Further, employee voice has the additional benefit of directly reducing employee turnover intentions, above and beyond its indirect effect by helping to resolve conflicts at work.