Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of transport medium and transportation time on culture of Helicobacter pylori from gastric biopsy specimens.

corpus were kept at room temperature for 24 hours before culture. After culture, the remainder of the biopsy specimen was crushed on to a glass slide, air dried, and Gram stained. Antral biopsy specimens cultured within three hours produced similar culture positive rates when transported in either complex medium (56%) or saline (50%). As expected, there was a higher bacterial yield from antral compared with corpus specimens as H pyloni is found predominantly in the former. However, the corpus culture positive rate was particularly low when samples were initially kept in saline for 24 hours (28%) (table). Culture rates were compared with findings obtained following Gram staining. At three hours, slightly more of the antral biopsy specimens were culture positive than Gram stain positive but at 24 hours, the reverse was true. Abnormal colony morphology was not seen when specimens were cultured within three hours irrespective of the transport medium. After 24 hours, however, 26% (seven of 27) of isolates transported in complex transport medium demonstrated atypical growth, compared with 85% (17 of 20) of those in saline. Veenendaal et al excluded all patients who had taken antibiotics, omeprazole, or bismuth containing drugs during the three months prior to the study. However, most of our patients (78%) were taking either H2receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors. This perhaps is the cause of the low recovery rates from biopsy specimens transported over 24 hours. Our investigations show that culture positive rates are similar when biopsy specimens are transported in either saline or complex transport medium provided they are cultured within three hours. In contrast, however, there is a marked reduction in bacterial viability when samples are transported over 24 hours at room temperature, and more so in saline. Strains which survived generally demonstrated uncharacteristic colony morphology. Our data seem to suggest that, provided biopsy specimens can be rapidly transported for culture, the medium used is irrelevant. However, not all hospitals have culture facilities. In such cases delays in biopsy transport are inevitable. With the increased use of proton pump inhibitors, which suppress but do not eradicate H pylon, the viable bacterial load may well be low. To produce the best bacterial yields, we conclude that where delays in culture cannot be avoided, a complex transport medium is required. D MORTON KD BARDHAN Department of Gastroenterology, Rotherham District General Hospital, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Model prediction of anterior cruciate ligament force during drop-landings.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to calculate and explain the pattern of force transmitted to the anterior cruciate ligament during soft-style drop-landings. We hypothesized that peak ACL loading is due to the anterior pull of the quadriceps on the tibia, as these muscles develop large eccentric forces upon impact. METHODS A three-dimensional model of the body was used to simulate drop-landing. The simulation was performed by entering into the model muscle excitation patterns based on experimental EMG. The input excitation patterns were modified to create a performance response of the model that matched experimental data. Joint angles, ground reaction forces, and muscle forces obtained from the landing simulation were then applied to a model of the lower limb that incorporated a three-dimensional model of the knee. RESULTS The model ACL was loaded only in the first 25% of the landing phase. Peak ACL force (approximately 0.4 BW) resulted from a complex interaction between the patellar tendon force, the compressive force acting at the tibiofemoral joint, and the force applied by the ground to the lower leg. The patellar tendon force and tibiofemoral contact force both applied significant anterior shear forces to the shank throughout the landing phase. These effects were modulated by another significant posterior shear force applied by the ground reaction, which served to limit the maximum force transmitted to the ACL. CONCLUSION The pattern of ACL force in drop-landing cannot be explained by the anterior pull of the quadriceps force alone.
Linking physicians' pay to the quality of care--a major experiment in the United kingdom.

In this Health Policy Report, the author describes a major pay-for-performance program that is being implemented in the United Kingdom. Additional government payments to family practitioners will be based on the quality of care they deliver. Family practitioners can earn up to 1050 quality bonus points (expected to be worth more than $75,000 in gross income) for performing well on a complex set of indicators that measure the quality of clinical care, organization of the practice, and experience of the patients.
Tools for Evaluating the Quality of Public Services in the Sphere of Small and Medium-Sized Business Support and Promotion

The paper considers issues related to the evaluation of the quality of public services in the sphere of small and mediumsized business support and promotion. The authors identify the problems, objectives and main tools of evaluating the quality of the services provided by public organizations to small and medium-sized businesses in Moscow. In 2016-2017 at the State Government-Financed Institution “Small Business of Moscow”, the authors tested the following indices and methods of evaluating the quality of public services in the sphere of small and medium-sized business support and promotion: the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Net Promoter Score (NPS); the “Mystery Diner” method in order to evaluate the work of the employees at the local subdivision, and the “SERVQUAL” method in order to provide a full assessment of the quality and efficiency of performance at the local subdivisions of the organization. Evaluating the quality of public services for entrepreneurs is a priority area for improving the quality and assuring the efficiency of public services provided to business entities. Keywords— small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, evaluating the quality of public services, Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), Net Promoter Score (NPS), “Mystery Diner”, “SERVQUAL”.
Une approche de l'identification en dynamique des structures combinant l'erreur en relation de comportement et le filtrage de Kalman

Les methodes d'erreur en relation de comportement (ERC) mesurent l'ecart entre un modele mathematique et des observations au moyen de fonctionnelles energetiques qui sont, quant a elles, construites sur la base de champs admissibles. Ces methodes presentent des excellentes capacites a localiser spatialement des defauts structuraux, une grande robustesse vis-a-vis des bruits de mesure, ou encore de bonnes proprietes de convexite des fonctions cout. Par ailleurs, les methodes de filtrage de Kalman (KF) repondent au probleme d'identification recursif dans une approche de type prediction-correction. Elles s'averent tout particulierement adaptees aux systemes evolutifs dont les informations de modele et d'observation peuvent etre entachees d'erreurs. La partie centrale de ce travail est ainsi consacree a la construction puis a la mise en oeuvre d'une strategie d'utilisation combinee de l'ERC et du FK. Pour cela, l'ERC est utilisee comme une technique pour ameliorer la connaissance a priori des defauts de modele. Les fonctionnelles d'ERC sont ensuite introduites comme fonctions d'observation dans une description d'etat du probleme d'identification. Sa resolution est menee a bien avec le FK ''Unscented'' (UKF) presentant le double avantage d'avoir une excellente tout en evitant l'evaluation de Jacobiens et de Hessiens. Cette approche est testee et illustree au moyen d'etudes numeriques et applique a des cas complexes industriels tels que l'apparition et la progression de l'endommagement structurel au cours d'une sollicitation, la modification des conditions aux limites d'une structure entre differentes etapes de son exploitation, ou encore l'expansion de donnees experimentales sur un modele numerique
Recording of Neural Activity From Goat Cervical Facet Joint Capsule Using Custom-Designed Miniature Electrodes

Study Design. To establish a methodology for the neurophysiologic study of mechanoreceptors in the cervical facet joint capsule. Objectives. To test a custom designed miniature dual bipolar electrode for recording the neural activity in cervical dorsal roots. To determine if the neural activity from different receptors in the capsule can be differentiated using this methodology. Summary of Background Data. Injury to cervical facet joint capsules has been regarded as an important source of whiplash pain, but no neurophysiologic study has been performed to demonstrate or characterize sensory nerve function in the capsule. Methods. Nineteen goats weighing 34 to 55 kg were used under general anesthesia. A C4–C6 laminectomy was performed to expose the C6 nerve root. Custom designed miniature dual bipolar electrodes were used to record neural activity in the left C6 branches. Electrical and mechanical stimuli were used to evoke receptor activity in the dorsal aspect of the C5/6 capsule. Conduction velocities (CVs) of evoked units were determined by electrical stimulation and dual-bipolar-electrode recording methods. The units were classified based on their CVs. The waveform of each classified unit was saved as a template for later single unit discharge search among multiunit discharges during the stretch of the capsule. The C5/6 facet joint with capsule was pulled by a computer-controlled actuator instrumented with a load cell at a rate of 0.5 mm per second. The evoked neural activity and load were recorded, digitized, and analyzed to determine CV, discharge rate, and response to the stretch. Results. Miniature bipolar electrodes recorded the neural activity in both channels, with single unit CVs being measured. There was no discernible motion between the electrode and dorsal root when the capsule was pulled. Both local compression and stretch on capsule evoked multiunit discharges. A-&bgr;, A-&dgr;, and C-fiber units were found among these multiunit discharges. The rate of single unit and multiunit discharges increased during capsule stretch in the physiologic range and afterdischarges occurred beyond the physiologic range. Conclusions. The novel miniature electrodes not requiring a micromanipulator made it feasible and reliable to record neural activity from short cervical spinal roots. Waveforms of different units could be identified, making it possible to study sensory functions of the facet joint capsule. A-&bgr;, A-&dgr;, and C-fiber units were found responding to mechanical stimuli, indicating that facet joint capsule has functional proprioceptors and nociceptors.
Estudio de la Seguridad en Redes de Sensores Corporales aplicadas al Ámbito Sanitario

Nowadays, the technology has become necessary in daily aspects of everyday life, included healthcare and healthy lifestyle. Thus, in the last years has taken place an important development of Body Sensor Networks (BSN) to let a continuous monitoring. Security is becoming increasingly important in all areas related to Information Technology, and becomes even more important when patient’s health is involved. Confiability and privacy are necessary requirements for patients to feel secure with the sensors, but the reliability is necessary too, because if all measured data are lost or damage before reaching their destination, it cannot be made an adequate monitor or make the best diagnosis. The aim of this work is to provide a review of the security for BSN applied to the healthcare, in order to enable the development of applications to improve the patient's diagnosis and treatment with chronic diseases. Keywords: BSN, healthcare , confiability, reliability, chronic diseases .
Torsion of omental fibrous pseudotumour mimicking acute appendicitis

Unusual pathologies are occasionally found at laparoscopy when appendicitis is suspected. We present a case of strangulated inflammatory fibrous pseudotumour of the omentum presenting in a similar fashion to appendicitis. The infarcted omentum was excised, facilitating prompt resolution of symptoms.
Marriott Starwood merger: what did we learn from a financial standpoint?

The purpose of this paper is to measure and observe stock market and investor reactions (benchmark adjusted cumulative abnormal returns (CARs)) to the announcement of Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood and related merger and acquisition (M&A) news and related activities over a two-year period. ,Empirical models and quantifications were developed and tested through event study analysis to test the Marriot-Starwood M&A news and related activities and to observe the abnormal stock return patterns. Several data sources were employed including Factiva by Dow Jones, Wall Street Newspaper, CRSP/COMPUSTAT merged files, and ValueLine Research. ,This paper provides financial insights and outcomes of pre-, during, and post-Marriot-Starwood merger. While equity returns to Starwood were mostly flat, Marriott experienced negative returns around the acquisition announcement and anytime a news article appears following the announcement. However, performance proxies showed that Marriott’s shareholders gained superior buy and hold returns following the acquisition in the long run. ,Short-term event study methodology might be less than perfect in examining the stock returns to acquisitions. Therefore, future research is encouraged to test and observe Marriot-Starwood merger using longer time periods with predictive analysis to check the further usability of the results. ,The study’s findings practically signal that overreaction in the short term is followed by a correction with an improvement in returns and sales performance of Marriot. In the majority of the acquisitions, integration process is not planned until after the acquisition announcement or the deal completion. ,This paper contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating the financial issues, challenges, and outcomes of the biggest merger in the history of the global lodging industry.
Mobile Network Operator Strategy: An Obstacle for Mobile Value Services?

Foresight scenarios indicated already in the late 1990’s that mobile commerce would become significant. The reasoning is simple: the rapid development of mobile technology will drive a growing mobile services industry which will be an integral and growing part of mobile commerce revenues. However, the adoption of new mobile services has been much slower than expected. Basic services such as SMS, ring tones, icons and logos are still the most popular services. Several reasons have been suggested for the slow adoption rate, ranging from cultural issues to business models. In this paper we argue that the business strategies used by the mobile network operators (MNO) may be a reason why mobile services are not growing. We use results from a longitudinal study 2003-2007 to make our case, and then we show some mobile value services as an illustration of the role played by the MNOs.
Humidity-to-Frequency Sensor in CMOS Technology With Wireless Readout

A remotely powered microsystem for humidity measurement is presented. The core of the active transponder consists of a humidity-to-frequency chip fabricated in a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, which contains both the humidity sensor and the readout circuit. The sensor is constructed using the polyimide passivation layer and the top metal layer available in the technology used. Power and data transmissions, to and from the chip, respectively, use the same pair of inductively coupled coils with a 13.56 MHz carrier. The humidity readout is transmitted by load shift keying to the external circuit. The chip is fabricated with commercial 0.6-μm CMOS technology and occupies an area of 4.8 mm2. The sensor's capacitance exhibited good linearity against relative humidity (RH) levels from 15% to 85%. The normalized sensitivity is 0.073% per %RH at 35°C. The circuit level calibration limited spread from process and mismatch variations to about 10%. The chip has a total power consumption of 1.39 mW. The device has two purposes; either as a stand-alone wireless humidity sensor or to evaluate the hermeticity of packages, such as in biomedical implants.
Environmental Pollution and Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

Environmental Pollution is cost of economic growth via increased industrialisation, urbanisation, mechanisation, use of fertiliser and pesticides in agriculture and mismanagement to dump human waste, especially in developing countries, where environmental laws usually are relatively less strict. Hence growth and pollution are positively linked in developing countries expectedly. Sustainable development may be defined as continuous increase in the socio-economic standard of living of a country’s population, normally accomplished by improving the quality of its physical and human capital. The research’s foremost objective is the generation of environmental pollution index that incorporate various production and consumption side indicators that are majorly responsible for pollution. While, the at-most objective of the study is to examine the causal relationship between the generated pollution index and human development through a panelcausality analysis using a panel of 32developing countries over the period 2000-2013.
Drivers of Energy Efficiency in German Manufacturing: A Firm-Level Stochastic Frontier Analysis

Increasing energy efficiency is one of the main goals in current German energy and climate policies. We study the determinants of energy efficiency in the German manufacturing sector based on official firm-level production census data. By means of a stochastic frontier analysis, we estimate the cost-minimizing energy demand function at the two-digit industry level using firm-level heterogeneity. Apart from the identification of the determinants of the energy demand function, we also analyze potential drivers of energy efficiency. Our results suggest that there is still potential to increase energy efficiency in most industries of the German manufacturing sector. Furthermore, we find that in most industries exporting and innovating firms as well as those investing in environmental protection measures are more energy efficient than their counterparts. In contrast, firms which are regulated by the European Union Emissions Trading System are mostly less energy efficient than non-regulated firms.
Stellt die Digitalisierung neue Anforderungen an Führung und Leistungsmanagement

Der digitale Wandel kann Veranderungen in den personalpolitischen Handlungsfeldern Fuhrung und Leistungsmanagement begunstigen. Darauf deuten empirische Befunde auf Basis des IW-Personalpanels 2017 und des European Working Conditions Survey 2015 hin. Die Rolle der Fuhrungskrafte als Impulsgeber und Befahiger konnte wichtiger werden. Vier von zehn Unternehmen in Deutschland sind davon uberzeugt, dass die Fahigkeit, Problemlosungen zu identifizieren, in Zukunft deutlich an Bedeutung gewinnen wird. Drei von zehn weisen der Motivationskompetenz eine deutlich steigende Relevanz zu. Stark digitalisierte Unternehmen versprechen sich daruber hinaus von der Besetzung vakanter Fuhrungspositionen durch externe Kandidaten relativ haufig den Zugang zu neuen Netzwerken. Offen ist, ob dadurch Aufstiegsturniere als personalpolitisches Anreizinstrument an Bedeutung verlieren konnten - was fur einen verstarkten Einsatz ergebnis- und leistungsorientierter Vergutungssysteme sprechen wurde. Beschaftigte, die relativ intensiv mit dem Computer arbeiten und relativ haufig auserhalb der Betriebsstatte tatig sind, profitieren signifikant haufiger sowohl von individuellen Pramiensystemen und Zielvereinbarungen als auch von unternehmensweiten Gewinnbeteiligungsmodellen. Beschaftigte, die unter ein derartiges Leistungsmanagement fallen, fuhlen sich mit einer groseren Wahrscheinlichkeit wertgeschatzt und motiviert. Personalverantwortliche und Geschaftsfuhrungen sollten im Zuge der Digitalisierung aber nicht automatisch leistungs- und erfolgsabhangige Vergutungsmodelle einfuhren, sondern differenziert erkennen, welche Mitarbeitergruppen in welcher Weise auf flexible Vergutungsmodelle reagieren. Eine weitere Herausforderung besteht darin, dafur geeignete Fuhrungspersonen auszuwahlen.
Binding of human epidermal growth factor to tissue homogenates of the rat.

A study on binding of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) to various rat tissue homogenates showed the existence of specific binding in the liver, kidney, small intestines (duodenum, jejunum and ileum), stomach, lung and heart. The extent of the specific binding in the liver was at least ten times as large as those in other tissues. However, no specific binding was observed in the spleen, muscle or brain. Binding kinetic analyses using tissue homogenates of the liver, kidney and small intestines showed that the binding capacities (n) differed remarkably among the tissues, whereas the tissue differences in the dissociation constants (Kd) were minimal (1-6 nm). In our previous report on the contributions of various tissues to hEGF removal from the systemic circulation in rats after i.v. administration, the uptakes of hEGF by the liver, kidney, small intestines, stomach and spleen showed remarkable saturation, which may represent the operation of a receptor-dependent uptake mechanism. In the present in vitro experiment, specific bindings in these tissues except the spleen were indeed identified, suggesting that specific binding plays an important role in the tissue distribution of hEGF. Some other mechanism may be involved in the hEGF distribution to the spleen, because specific binding to this tissue was not detected in vitro. Comparing hEGF binding kinetic data (at 4 °C) for isolated rat hepatocytes with those for the homogenate, the binding parameters showed little difference between the two preparations, indicating that, at least under normal conditions, EGF receptors are not down-regulated and most of them exist on the cell surface.
Medical Complications of Brain Tumors

ABSTRACT Purpose of Review: This article discusses common and emergent medical complications encountered in patients with primary brain tumors. Recent Findings: Clinical studies and systematic reviews published in recent years have improved knowledge regarding the incidence of neurologic and medical complications occurring in patients with primary brain tumors. Studies in tumor-related epilepsy and venous thromboembolism provide data for the clinician to make evidence-based decisions about perioperative management, prophylaxis, and therapy. Patients with brain tumors experience unique toxicities related to novel drugs and chemotherapeutics that result in hematologic, infectious, and endocrine disorders. Recent work that has focused on quality of life in patients with brain tumors highlights the importance of good supportive care and optimal medical management of neurobehavioral symptoms and late complications of treatment. Summary: A thorough understanding of the variety of medical and neurologic complications in patients with primary brain tumors improves the clinician’s ability to quickly recognize and manage common and urgent conditions.
Cervical mucus symptom and daily fecundability: first results from a new database

With the collaboration of Italian centres providing services on natural family planning, a prospective study collected data on 2755 menstrual cycles of 193 women. A database was constructed using information on the daily characteristics of cervical mucus and episodes of intercourse. Taking the day of peak mucus as a conventional marker of ovulation, the database identified the length (12 days) and location of a ‘window’ of potential fertility, the highest level of conception probability being confined to the central five to six days. Univariate analysis provided evidence of the impact on fecundability of the woman’s age and the basic infertile pattern of a cycle. Several analytical approaches highlighted the relationship between daily mucus characteristics and levels of fecundability.