Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Owners Demographic Factors and Awareness of Government Support Programmes by Immigrant Entrepreneurs In South Africa

Immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to local economic development and poverty reduction through the creation of employment. However, immigrant businesses have a high failure rate. Government support programmes can enhance the performance of immigrantowned businesses. The study examined the level of awareness of government support programmes by immigrant entrepreneurs. In addition, the study investigated the effect of owners’ demographic factors (gender and level of education) on the awareness of government support programmes. The study utilised the quantitative research approach with a descriptive research design. The survey method was used for data collection. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from the participants in the survey. The convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to identify the survey participants. One hundred and seventy-two participants participated in the study. Descriptive statistics and the independent samples T-test were used for data analysis. The results indicated that the vast majority of the immigrant entrepreneurs are not aware of the three major agencies that support small businesses in South Africa. Male immigrant entrepreneurs showed a slightly higher level of awareness of government agencies compared to female entrepreneurs. However, there was no statistically significant gender difference on the awareness of government support programmes by immigrant entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs with tertiary education showed a higher level of awareness compared to entrepreneurs with Matric or lower qualifications. The T-test results indicated a significant difference in the level of awareness based on the level of education. The study concluded that government support programmes are crucial for the growth and sustainability of immigrant small businesses. Government agencies were recommended to include immigrant entrepreneurs in their strategic and operational framework. Immigrant entrepreneurs were encouraged to actively search for government support programmes.
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery: discharge planning for successful recovery.

BACKGROUND Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a lifesaving intervention, but the early recovery period presents a number of challenges for patients, carers and nurses. Early and adequate discharge planning based on in-depth knowledge of the postdischarge experience can help to ensure optimal recovery. AIM This paper reports a study to examine the range of postdischarge issues, concerns and needs of patients and their family carers after discharge after CABG surgery, and explore their perceptions of unmet needs 1 year later. METHODS A two-phase naturalistic inquiry was undertaken. Interviews were conducted with 30 patients and their carers 4-5 weeks after coronary artery bypass grafting (phase 1) and 1 year after the initial interview (phase 2). Thematic analysis was used to identify the major concerns of participants. FINDINGS Almost half the patients experienced heart surgery as a huge personal shock. Adjusting to life afterwards was difficult, and they experienced a variety of changes, including pain. An unexpected finding was a heightened sense of body awareness and the need for postoperative physical adjustments. The financial implications of surgery were a major burden. Lifestyle adjustments were important and led to suggestions for support services, using telephone support and/or community patient networks. All participants recommended strengthening discharge planning with more accurate information about what to expect during recovery, to help them anticipate fluctuations in health and wellbeing. Carers experienced a wide range of unanticipated feelings during early recovery and had to deal with a number of personal changes. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest a need to improve discharge preparation and provide enhanced home support services. Further research should evaluate models of periodic follow-up and mechanisms for mutual support, and compare the experiences of cardiac patients and their carers with those of other surgical cohorts.
Hormone replacement therapy and prevention of nonvertebral fractures: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

CONTEXT Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is widely considered to reduce fractures, but this belief is based on observational data; evidence from randomized trials is lacking. OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of all randomized trials of HRT that have reported or collected nonvertebral fracture data but that may not have focused on fracture prevention. DATA SOURCES The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register databases were searched from 1997 through 2000 and a search was conducted of all recent systematic reviews to identify older studies. Authors were contacted to establish whether fracture data had been collected but not reported. Researchers in the field and pharmaceutical companies also were contacted to try to identify unpublished studies. STUDY SELECTION Trials were included in which participants had been randomized to at least 12 months of therapy and data on nonvertebral fractures at any other site and due to any cause were available. Of 70 initially identified studies, 22 were included in the analysis. DATA EXTRACTION Both investigators extracted data independently and appraised trial quality according to the Jadad scale, which assesses the methods of randomization, concealment allocation, and reporting of withdrawals and dropouts. Disagreements were resolved by discussion. DATA SYNTHESIS There was an overall 27% reduction in nonvertebral fractures in a pooled analysis (reduction favoring HRT in relative risk [RR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-0.94; P =.02). This effect was greater among women randomized to HRT who had a mean age younger than 60 years (RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46-0.98; P =.03). Among women with a mean age of 60 years or older, there was a reduced effect (RR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.71-1.08; P =.22). For hip and wrist fractures alone, the effectiveness of HRT appeared more marked (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.40-0.91; P =.02), particularly for women younger than 60 years (RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26-0.79; P =.005). CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of HRT noted a statistically significant reduction in nonvertebral fractures. However, this effect may be attenuated in older women.
CT differentiation of anthracofibrosis from endobronchial tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to use CT to differentiate anthracofibrosis from endobronchial tuberculosis (TB), both of which are major causes of benign bronchostenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and CT findings of 49 patients with anthracofibrosis and 35 patients with endobronchial TB diagnosed on the basis of bronchoscopic, microbiologic, and pathologic findings. Forty-five patients with anthracofibrosis and 32 patients with endobronchial TB had bronchostenosis on CT and were enrolled in the analysis. Nine (20%) of 45 patients with anthracofibrosis had coexistent active TB (two, endobronchial TB; six, pulmonary TB; one, TB pleurisy), and 13 (29%) had pulmonary infections other than TB. Two patients with anthracofibrosis and coexistent endobronchial TB were excluded from the analysis. The CT findings were analyzed with emphasis on the pattern, distribution, and location of bronchostenosis and the number of pulmonary lobes involved. RESULTS Anthracofibrosis was more common than endobronchial TB among elderly patients (p < 0.05). Statistically significant findings on CT were the pattern of bronchostenosis, presence of main bronchus involvement, and number of pulmonary lobes involved (p < 0.05). Bronchostenosis with anthracofibrosis usually involves multiple lobar or segmental bronchi. The main bronchus, however, tends to be preserved in anthracofibrosis. Most cases of endobronchial TB involve one lobar bronchus and the ipsilateral main bronchus with contiguity in extent. CONCLUSION Anthracofibrosis can be differentiated from endobronchial TB on CT. Furthermore, CT is helpful in the diagnosis of anthracofibrosis before bronchoscopy is performed.
Adults with intellectual disabilities in China: comorbid psychiatric disorder and its association with health service utilisation

BACKGROUND Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) often have multiple comorbidities. Psychiatric disorders in this population have been poorly studied in developing countries. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with ID and whether comorbid psychiatric disorders were associated with health service utilisation. METHODS We obtained data from the Second National Sample Survey on Disability, conducted in 31 provinces of China and selected a subsample of 13 631 adults aged 18 years and above with ID. ID were defined by intelligence quotient score under 70, deficits in two or more adaptive behaviours and age of onset under 18 years. Psychiatric disorders were identified according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. Logistic regressions were used for data analyses. RESULTS The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with ID was 16.7%. The most prevalent type of psychiatric disorder was dementia. Older adults, females, being minorities, urban residents, being literate, low-income groups and having severe ID, were associated with elevated risk of psychiatric disorder among adults with ID. Compared with individuals without psychiatric disorders, those with comorbid psychiatric disorders were more likely to use medical service and less likely to use rehabilitation service. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of psychiatric disorder in adults with ID was strikingly higher than that in the general population. Health service utilisation among Chinese adults with ID remained a big challenge. There is a possibility of diagnostic overshadowing by local clinicians, which may have resulted in overdiagnosis of dementia and underdiagnosis of common mental disorders. This study informs further investigations regarding common mental disorders among people with ID and has implications for public health strategies and health policies to meet health service need for this population.
Accurate three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of surgical field using calibrated trajectories of an image-guided medical robot

Abstract. Brain tumor margin removal is challenging because diseased tissue is often visually indistinguishable from healthy tissue. Leaving residual tumor leads to decreased survival, and removing normal tissue causes life-long neurological deficits. Thus, a surgical robotics system with a high degree of dexterity, accurate navigation, and highly precise resection is an ideal candidate for image-guided removal of fluorescently labeled brain tumor cells. To image, we developed a scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) which acquires concurrent reflectance and fluorescence wide-field images at a high resolution. This miniature flexible endoscope was affixed to the arm of a RAVEN II surgical robot providing programmable motion with feedback control using stereo-pair surveillance cameras. To verify the accuracy of the three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructed surgical field, a multimodal physical-sized model of debulked brain tumor was used to obtain the 3-D locations of residual tumor for robotic path planning to remove fluorescent cells. Such reconstruction is repeated intraoperatively during margin clean-up so the algorithm efficiency and accuracy are important to the robotically assisted surgery. Experimental results indicate that the time for creating this 3-D surface can be reduced to one-third by using known trajectories of a robot arm, and the error from the reconstructed phantom is within 0.67 mm in average compared to the model design.
Satisfiability of Inequalities in a Poset

We consider tractable and intractable cases of the satisfiability problem for conjunctions of inequalities between variables and constants in a fixed finite poset. We show that crowns are intractable. We study members and closure properties of the class of tractable posets. We define a feasible poset to be one whose potential obstacles to satisfiability are representable by a certain formula of the first-order extended by the least fixed operator. For bipartite posets we give a complete classification of hard posets and feasible ones.
GHOST: A novel approach to smart city infrastructures monitoring through GNSS precise positioning

The purpose of this research is to present a telematics platform which aims at addressing emerging problems of modern cities and relevant needs in terms of urban planning and maintenance. Many cities are today engaged in massive investments for infrastructure development and maintenance across many structural elements including lighting, traffic and transportation systems. In this context, leveraging the use of ICT in public transportation systems is key asset to enable the “urban innovation” bringing research results into real solutions for the smart cities in order to provide benefit for the citizen. To address the aforementioned needs, the authors propose GHOST (“Galileo EnHancement as BoOster of the Smart CiTies”) a Location-Based Service (LBS) based on European GNSS (E-GNSS) and SBAS advance positioning. The goal of GHOST is to implement an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) for the public transport which is able to exploit the geo-referenced information of urban elements along the bus lines, monitoring them in a smart, continuous and autonomous way.
Clinical evaluation of packable and conventional hybrid resin-based composites for posterior restorations in permanent teeth: results at 12 months.

BACKGROUND Packable resin-based composites and simplified resin bonding systems are marketed to offer many advantages over conventional posterior hybrid composites and total-etch bonding systems. The authors conducted a study to evaluate the initial clinical performances of a packable and a conventional hybrid resin-based composite used with a simplified bonding system. METHODS A total of 57 Class I and 45 Class II restorations were placed in the permanent teeth of 65 adult patients. The carious lesions were restored with either packable resin-based composite (SureFil, Dentsply DeTrey GmbH, Konstanz, Germany) or conventional hybrid resin-based composite (SpectrumTPH, Dentsply DeTrey GmbH), using a resin adhesive (Non-Rinse Conditioner and Prime & Bond NT, both manufactured by Dentsply DeTrey GmbH). The authors evaluated the restorations using U.S. Public Health Service-Ryge modified criteria (in which Alfa is the highest rating) and by using color transparencies and die stone replicas. RESULTS Three SureFil restorations failed before their baseline evaluation. There were no failures among the 78 SpectrumTPH restorations evaluated at 12 months. For both resin-based composites, Alfa ratings were 90 percent or higher for marginal discoloration, anatomical form, surface texture and surface staining. Lower percentages of restorations were rated Alfa for color match, marginal integrity and gingival health. Occasional mild postoperative sensitivity was reported for four SureFil restorations and one SpectrumTPH restoration. The mean occlusal wear rate was 38 micrometers for the larger SureFil restorations and 25 microm for the smaller SpectrumTPH restorations. CONCLUSIONS The 12-month clinical performances of the two restorative materials were satisfactory and not significantly different for each of the parameters evaluated. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS A packable and a conventional hybrid resin-based composite placed with a simplified bonding system in posterior permanent teeth showed satisfactory and similar results after 12 months.
Mapping scores onto stages: mini-mental state examination and clinical dementia rating.

OBJECTIVE Although the clinical course of Alzheimer disease (AD) is gradual, it is useful for a number of reasons to distinguish between different levels of severity. The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) has demonstrated high validity and reliability for this purpose, but it requires a considerable amount of data to be collected both from the patient and from an informant. In the present study, the authors mapped Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores onto CDR categories to determine how well the MMSE performs as a surrogate of the CDR as a timesaving method of staging dementia. METHOD Eight hundred sixty-three probands, including 524 patients with probable AD, 92 patients with questionable dementia, and 247 with memory complaints but no objective cognitive impairment, were included. Cutoff scores were identified on one-half of the sample using a receiver operating characteristic analysis. The cutoff values were then applied to the other half of the sample, and the agreement between MMSE score ranges and CDR stages was determined by calculating Cohen's kappa. RESULTS The MMSE discriminated well between CDR stages 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 but performed poorly in the separation between CDR stages zero and 0.5. The MMSE ranges were 30 for no, 26-29 for questionable, 21-25 for mild, 11-20 for moderate, and 0-10 for severe dementia. Substantial agreement between the two instruments was obtained for the categories mild (kappa=0.62, p<0.001, N=115), moderate (kappa=0.69, p<0.001, N=114), and severe dementia (kappa=0.76, p<0.001, N=39), whereas the agreement was moderate for no (kappa=0.44, p<0.001, N=120) and only fair for questionable dementia (kappa=0.28, p<0.001, N=42). CONCLUSION The MMSE can be used as a surrogate measure for the CDR for the staging of dementia in AD.
Rapid appearance of new cerebral microbleeds after acute ischemic stroke

Background: It is unknown whether the development of cerebral microbleeds (MBs), small areas of signal loss on T2*-weighted gradient-echo imaging (GRE), follows a slow or a rapid process. We hypothesized that MBs may develop rapidly after certain critical events, such as strokes, and investigated the frequency, location, and factors associated with the formation of new MBs after acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We retrospectively examined 237 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent MRI within 24 hours and follow-up MRI during the week after symptom onset. We defined new MBs as MBs that newly appeared on follow-up GRE outside the infarcted area. We examined the association of new MBs with demographics, risk factors, laboratory data, baseline MBs, and small vessel disease (SVD; leukoaraiosis and lacunar infarctions). Results: Seventy-five patients (31.6%) had baseline MBs, and 30 (12.7%) developed new MBs. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of baseline MBs (odds ratio [OR] 5.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–15.42, p = 0.001) and severe SVD (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.12–7.77, p = 0.03) independently predicted the development of new MBs. Of the 56 new MBs, 29 (51.8%) appeared in the lobar location, 17 (30.4%) appeared in the deep location, and 10 (17.9%) appeared in the infratentorial location. Conclusions: This study suggests that new microbleeds (MBs) can develop rapidly after acute ischemic stroke. Baseline MBs and severe small vessel disease are predictors for the development of new MBs. Further studies will be needed to investigate the clinical implications and mechanisms of these findings.
Bee venom ameliorates compound 48/80-induced atopic dermatitis-related symptoms.

UNLABELLED Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) venom (BV) has been traditionally used for the treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases such as itchy skin problems. However, the precise mechanism of BV in ameliorating the scratching behavior is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE In order to evaluate the effect of BV on atopic dermatitis-related symptoms in mice, we used a mouse skin scratching model induced by compound 48/80. The anti-itch effect of BV was investigated in a compound 48/80-induced mouse scratching behavior model. BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with vehicle (saline 0.9%) or BV (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg). One hour after treatment, the animals received a subcutaneous injection of compound 48/80. Intraperitoneal administration of BV (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) attenuated compound 48/80-induced scratching behaviors. The anti-scratching behavior effect of BV was in proportional to its vascular permeability effects. Treatment with BV also inhibited the degranulation of mast cells and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in compound 48/80-treated skin tissues. According to these results, BV may improve atopic dermatitis-related symptoms by inhibiting the mast cell degranulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.
MECHANISTICS OF AMOEBOID LOCOMOTION: SIGNAL TO FORCES

Dictyostelium serves as an ideal model system for studying the molecular and structural properties of the actomyosin and microtubule systems. This organism also has been the vehicle on which the gene‐targeting technique was pioneered. Dictyostelium also represents a small number of organisms whose chemotactic ligand‐receptor mechanism has been well characterized. This article reviews recent advances in studies of the actin‐based cytoskeletal system in Dictyostelium, focusing on the mechanistic aspects of the amoeboid motion. Special emphasis is placed on the recently identified cell‐substrate‐anchoring structures ‘eupodia’, and the measurement of single‐cell migration forces. The recent advances in signal transduction cascade is also discussed with relevance to the mechanistics in amoeboid locomotion.
Whiplash: Same Elephant, Different Room

Musculoskeletal injury can cause acute pain and can also trigger chronic pain. The mechanisms resulting in these 2 outcomes are essentially different, with acute pain relating primarily to peripheral nociception and chronic pain relating primarily to central sensitization. Acute musculoskeletal pain usually resolves with time or treatment. Chronic pain, by definition, persists and associates with significant longterm health effects and diminished quality of life (QOL). Despite the importance of this problem, the issues surrounding persisting pain after injury remain controversial1. Aspects of postinjury pain and disability are addressed in this issue of The Journal through followup of persons involved in minor trauma from motor vehicle accidents2. The clinical features of patients with persisting pain after trauma, where the inciting lesion has resolved, are usually distinctive and embody a number of characteristic pain phenotypes. Central sensitization is the most prominent contributing mechanism3. Common examples are fibromyalgia (FM), regional pain syndrome, and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)4. These disorders are characterized by widespread or regionalized pain in a distribution that cannot be explained by an abnormality of a specific localized musculoskeletal or neural structure, be it in the periphery or in the spinal area. The pain may be segmental and often accompanied by unpleasant non-neuroanatomical sensory sensations within the same region. There is widespread or regional lowering of pain threshold elicited clinically by the determination of abnormal tenderness on palpation, more prominent in selected areas known as tender points. Muscular tightness, co-contraction, and development of trigger points are common. There is often mild soft tissue swelling and dermatographia, indicative of neurogenic inflammation. In CRPS more prominent vasomotor, sudomotor, muscle, and dystrophic features are present5. In addition to these physical signs, patients complain to a varying degree about sleep disturbance, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, … Address correspondence to Dr. Littlejohn, Suite H, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; E-mail: Geoff.littlejohn{at}monash.edu