Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic and Control Processing Approach to Interpreting Vigilance Performance: A Review and Reevaluation

The present paper discusses vigilance phenomena in terms of the automatic/control processing theory (Schneider and Shiffrin, 1977) of attention and human information processing. Fisk and Schneider (1981) interpreted vigilance decrements within the automatic/control process framework and discussed system design implications as well as training methods for vigilance environments. Recent results concerning the effects of various stressors on automatic and control processes are presented. Taken as a whole, these results from vigilance, alcohol intoxication, heat stress, and mental workload experiments highlight why, when addressing sustained attention issues, it is critical to understand the mode of information processing (i.e., automatic/control) available to perform the task.
When should we perform TIPS in children?

JPGN Volume 54, N in each of our patients in guiding our decision to proceed or not T he management of gastrointestinal bleeding, the consequence of portal hypertension in children, remains a controversial issue (1). Several pharmacologic, endoscopic, radiologic, and surgical procedures are available (2). No randomized controlled trial comparing the various modalities is available to help make an informed decision in children, and such a study is unlikely to occur in the future (3). The preference of 1 particular therapy at any individual institution is often the result of physicians’ experience and the skills of the individuals at the facility. Nonselective b-blockers and endoscopic treatment of esophageal varices (banding or sclerotherapy) are the usual first-line weapons in the pediatric gastroenterologists’ armamentarium to combat gastrointestinal bleeding from varices. Surgical shunts between the portal and caval systems are effective in resolving the portal hypertension, hypersplenism, and ascites in many patients with cirrhosis; however, the result of portal blood flow bypassing the liver can result in increased encephalopathy and hepatopulmonary complications (arteriovenous shunts and pulmonary arterial hypertension). Furthermore, many of these children have significant thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy secondary to their end-stage liver disease and hypersplenism, making surgery extremely risky. Additionally, earlier abdominal surgery may lead to peritoneal adhesions, making dissection more difficult if a liver transplant is subsequently performed. Not all children with gastrointestinal bleeding and portal hypertension have liver disease. Extrahepatic portal hypertension, frequently the result of umbilical catheters or dehydration with resultant variable degrees of thrombosis of the portal venous system, is a frequent cause of portal hypertension observed in young children. In this scenario, esophageal band ligation or sclerotherapy are the preferable therapies because transformation of the portal vein may occur over time, alleviating the increased portal pressure. In recent years, a surgical shunt (Rex shunt) that reestablishes physiologic portal venous flow to the liver has been used successfully (4). When the portal vein obstruction is limited to the main portal vein, a bypass can be established between the superior
Obesity Reduces the Expression of GLUT4 in the Endometrium of Normoinsulinemic Women Affected by the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract: GLUT4 is the most important glucose transporter in insulin‐dependent tissues. A decrease of its expression by the adipocytes was reported in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), regardless of obesity and glucose tolerance. In PCOS, abnormal menstrual cycles, abnormal insulin secretory patterns, and obesity, which are risk factors for endometrial diseases, frequently coexist. The endometrial effects of insulin are direct through specific insulin receptors. However, it is unknown whether the endometrium expresses GLUT4 and can be considered an insulin‐regulated tissue. In this study, we investigated this question, and we investigated whether obesity modulates this expression in PCOS normoinsulinemic patients. We assayed GLUT4 in the endometrial samples from 18 normoinsulinemic PCOS patients and 9 controls in the advanced follicular phase of the cycle; 10 patients were lean and 8 obese, and all were aged between 23 and 32 years. Most tissue was immediately frozen for RT‐PCR; some tissue was saved for histology and immunohistochemistry. GLUT4 mRNA expression was measured in three samples for every patient and expressed as mean ± SE of an arbitrary unit. In obese PCOS subjects, endometrial GLUT4 expression was significantly lower than in the lean ones (24.0 ± 6.8 vs. 65.2 ± 24.4; P < 0.005) and the controls (53.2 ± 10.7). Lean PCOS and control subjects showed similar values. GLUT4 immunostaining was strong in the epithelial and absent in the stromal cells. We demonstrated endometrial GLUT4 expression. The similar results in lean PCOS and control subjects suggest that endometrial GLUT4 expression is not affected by PCOS itself, whereas it is reduced by obesity in PCOS patients.
Genetics of familial combined hyperlipidemia

Purpose of review To provide an overview of recent advances that have defined the first putative genes behind familial combined hyperlipidemia, the most common genetic dyslipidemia and a major risk factor for early coronary heart disease. Recent findings The first locus for familial combined hyperlipidemia on 1q21–23 revealed a gene encoding a transcription factor critical in lipid and glucose metabolism, USF1. All the associated variants represent noncoding single nucleotide polymorphisms, one of which affects the binding site of nuclear proteins with a putative effect on transcript levels of USF1. Transcript analyses of fat biopsies have exposed risk-allele related changes in the downstream genes. Another recent clue to the molecular pathogenesis of familial combined hyperlipidemia is the association of the high triglyceride trait with the APOA5 gene, located on 11q. More familial combined hyperlipidemia genes are expected to be found, since linkage evidence exists for additional loci on 16q24 and 20q12–q13.1. Summary Genetic research of familial combined hyperlipidemia families has revealed several linked loci guiding to susceptibility genes. The USF1 transcription factor is the major gene underlying the 1q21–23 linkage. Modifying genes, especially influencing the high triglyceride trait, include APOC3 and APOA5, the latter representing a downstream target of USF1 and implying a USF1-dependent pathway in the molecular pathogenesis of dyslipidemias.
Is inefficient cognitive processing in anorexia nervosa a familial trait? A neuropsychological pilot study of mothers of offspring with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa

Abstract Objectives: Inefficient set shifting and poor global processing are thought to be possible traits in anorexia nervosa (AN). This study aimed to investigate the neuropsychological processing style of unaffected mothers of offspring with AN (unaffected AN mothers). Methods: The performance of 21 unaffected AN mothers were compared to 20 mothers of healthy control offspring on neuropsychological measures of set shifting (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, WCST) and central coherence (Fragmented Pictures Task, FPT, and Rey Osterrieth Complex Figures Task, ROCFT). Associations between neuropsychological performance and clinical measures were examined in the unaffected AN mothers group. Results: There were significant differences in perseverative errors on the WCST (P≤0.01), with the unaffected mothers displaying a more inflexible thinking style compared to the control group. There were also significant differences on the FPT (P ≤ 0.01) and the ROCFT (P ≤ 0.01), whereby unaffected AN mothers showed lower levels of global processing. Conclusions. The results of this study support the idea of the familial nature of cognitive styles in AN. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Relationship between internet addiction, psychopathology and self-esteem among university students

Objectives. Internet addiction is closely associated with general psychopathology and interpersonal relationships. The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between internet addiction, psychopathology and selfesteem among university students. Methods. One hundred and eighty-five volunteer university students were involved in this study. The participants are evaluated with socio-demographic data form, Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), Symptom Check List (SCL-90), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Results. In order to evaluate the internet addiction, the participants were divided into three internet addiction (IA) groups as "none", "low" and "moderate/high" according to their addiction status. The addiction status was assessed as risk of low level in 59 (31.89 %) participants, high level in 27 (14.59 %) participants and none in 99 (53.51%) participants. A high positive correlation was found between IAS and SCL-90 subscales and RSES ( p <0.001). In three different IA groups it was found out that all SCL-90 subscale averages increase ( p <0.001), and RSES subscale averages decrease ( p =0.001) as internet addiction severity increases. According to regression analysis it is seen that, all SCL-90 subscale scores explain 19.4% of IAS scores and, all SCL-90 subscales and RSES subscale scores explain 25% of IAS scores. Conclusions. Significant relationship was found between internet addiction and general psychopathology and self-esteem. This result shows that psychopathology and self-esteem must be taken into consideration as important parameters in approach to internet addiction.
Induction in vitro of a primary human antiviral cytotoxic T cell response

We report herein the successful priming of human anti‐viral cytotoxic T cells (CTL) in vitro using two induction strategies based on the stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from uninfected donors with synthetic viral peptides. The peptides used contain HLA‐A2 binding motifs and have been identified as HLA‐A2‐restricted CTL epitopes in patients infected by the hepatitis B and C viruses. One approach uses repetitive long‐term stimulation and the other uses bulk cultures containing large numbers of naive peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both approaches successfully induce HLA‐A2‐restricted CTL specific for several viral epitopes. Some CTL recognize endogenously synthesized antigen on target cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the corresponding viral proteins. This simple technique permits easy analysis of the primary human CTL repertoire, and may be exploitable for production of specific CTL effector cells for adoptive immunotherapy and dissection of the cellular and molecular requirements for priming of naive human CTL.
Positive Rückkopplung zur Kontrolle komplexer Kinematiken am Beispiel des hexapoden Laufens : Experimente und Simulationen

Auf der Grundlage bekannter Befunde aus der Verhaltens- und Neurophysiologie wurde ein modellhafter Regler fur die Stemmphase laufender Stabheuschrecken entwickelt und sein Verhalten sowie seine Leistungsfahigkeit im Vergleich zum Tierverhalten untersucht. Der Regler implementiert als zentrales Prinzip in zwei Gelenken jedes Beines eine positive Ruckkopplung der Gelenkstellungsanderungen, wahrend das verbleibende dritte Beingelenk uber eine negative Positionsruckkopplung geregelt wird. Dieses Gelenk ubernimmt im wesentlichen die Regelung der Korperhohe, wahrend die beiden anderen fur den Vortrieb verantwortlich sind. Um die Stabilitat des Laufs zu gewahrleisten, werden die Verstarkungsfaktoren der positiv ruckgekoppelten Gelenke permanent von einem Servoelement fur die globale Laufgeschwindigkeit kontrolliert. Jedes Gelenk besitzt damit eine neuronal weitgehend unabhangige Regelung, wobei das Zusammenspiel durch die mechanische Kopplung hergestellt wird. Hierdurch wird eine Ruckkopplung uber die Umwelt etabliert, die es ermoglicht, die vorliegende schwierige - weil uberbestimmte - Kontrollaufgabe dezentral zu losen. Wie die Simulationen zeigen, kann das dezentral organisierte und sensorbasierte Modell nicht nur einige der charakteristischen Eigenarten des Stabheuschreckenlaufs nachbilden, sondern es zeigt daruber hinaus in mehreren Situationen echtes adaptives Verhalten. Ohne explizite Programmierung kann es beispielsweise selbstandig nach einem Sturz wieder aufstehen, uber unregelmasigen Boden laufen und starten. Es verkraftet sogar ohne Probleme verrauschte Sensorinformation und die Verkurzung eines Beines. Mit einer Dynamiksimulation konnte die prinzipielle Eignung des vorgestellten Reglers fur technische Laufmaschinen nachgewiesen werden. Hier zeigte sich allerdings, dass eine gute Bodenkopplung die zentrale Voraussetzung fur dessen Funktionsweise darstellt. In einem experimentellen Ansatz wurde der Einfluss der Bodenkopplung auf den Stabheuschreckenlauf untersucht. Stabheuschrecken zeigen im Lauf regelmasig wiederkehrende statische Instabilitaten und ein von den Kopplungsverhaltnissen abhangiges Verhalten ihrer Vorderbeine. Daruber hinaus wird die gesamte Korperhaltung vom Grad der Bodenkopplung bestimmt.
Spirometric Reference Values with using Artificial Neural Network Classification

in this paper pulmonary measurement of an extensive range of ages for Caucasians ancestry in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) reference value study with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is presented. For this study, 3 types of spirometric data (Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC data) were obtained from reference values for Caucasians, 16 to 80 of age were developed from 6800 asymptomatic, nonsmoking participants. Accuracy of classification of ANN is 93.4%. This result helps when comparing with Hankinson database in clinical decisions for decision makers. Also predict accuracy of ANN is acceptable for obstruction and normal cases. Keywords— Flow–volume spirometry ; Spirometric patterns . Spirometric refence values. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) . Classification accuracy.
Elementary Asset Pricing Theory

We start slowly with the simplest model. Later on, we will discuss variations on this model that make it (slightly) more descriptive. In this model, there are only two time periods, “today” (t = 0) and “tomorrow” (t = 1). There are finitely many possible states of nature tomorrow, and exactly one of them will be realized tomorrow. Denote the set of states by S. The state of nature tomorrow is not known today. There are n purely financial assets. A purely financial asset is a contingent claim denominated in dollars (as opposed to commodities). Actually, what is important is that the payoff be unidimensional, and the payoffs of the different assets in each state of the world are perfect substitutes. That is, in state s tomorrow, a payoff of 1 from asset i and payoff of 1 from asset j are perfect substitutes for each other from everyone’s point of view. We would expect that this would be the case if the payoff were denominated in dollars or in Deutchmarks or in yen. In a macroeconomic model with only one commodity, the payoffs can be expressed in units of the commodity. We would not expect this to be the case if some of the payoffs were in van Gogh paintings and others were in Malibu beach houses. Note that we are not assuming that there is perfect substitutability across states. That is, a payoff of 1 in state s need not be a perfect substitute for a payoff of 1 in state s′. There is a spot market today for assets and each asset has a market price today or spot price. The price of asset i today is p0, and it pays p1(s) in state s tomorrow. Throughout these notes, I will use superscripts to differentiate assets, subscripts to denote time periods, and parentheses to delimit the state of the world. The cash flow vector of asset i is
Influence of Culture on HRM Practices with Reference to Information Technology Industry, Bangalore

Institute of Research Advances is an institutional publisher member of Publishers Inter Linking Association Inc. (PILA-CrossRef), USA. The institute is an institutional signatory to the Budapest Open Access Initiative, Hungary advocating the open access of scientific and scholarly knowledge. The Institute is a registered content provider under Open Access Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH).
Bone marrow-derived progenitor cells contribute to experimental choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE The pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is postulated to be driven by angiogenesis, a process in which the cellular components of the new vessel complex are derived from cells resident within an adjacent preexisting capillary. Recently, an alternative paradigm, termed postnatal vasculogenesis, has been shown to contribute to some forms of neovascularization. In vasculogenesis, the cellular components of the new vessel complex are derived from circulating vascular progenitors from bone marrow. In the current study, transplantation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled bone marrow and laser-induced CNV were combined to examine the contribution of vasculogenesis to the formation of CNV. METHODS Ten adult C57BL/6 female mice were used as recipients for bone marrow transplantation. Bone marrow was obtained from three C57BL/6 female mice transgenic for the beta-actin promoter GFP. One month after bone marrow transplantation, CNV was induced in recipient mice by making four separate burns in the choroid of each eye with a red diode laser. Four weeks after CNV was induced, eyes of recipient mice were processed for immunohistochemistry to detect GFP and markers for vascular smooth muscle cells (alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, and NG2 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan), endothelial cells (CD31, BS-1 lectin), or macrophages (F4/80). RESULTS GFP-labeled cells represented 17% of the total cell population in the lesion. Many of the GFP-labeled cells were immunoreactive for alpha-smooth muscle actin (39%), desmin, NG2, CD31 (41%), BS-1 lectin, or F4/80. GFP-labeled cells were morphologically indistinguishable from cells normally present in CNV lesions. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to demonstrate that bone marrow-derived progenitor cells are a source of endothelial and smooth musclelike cells in CNV.
P2P Lenders versus Banks: Cream Skimming or Bottom Fishing?

We derive three testable predictions from a bank-P2P lender model of competition: (i) P2P lending grows when some banks are faced with exogenously higher regulatory costs, (ii) P2P loans are riskier than bank loans; and (iii) the risk-adjusted interest rates on P2P-loans are lower than those on bank loans. We confront these predictions with data on P2P loans and the consumer bank credit market in Germany and find empirical support. Overall, our analysis indicates the P2P lenders are bottom fishing, especially when regulatory shocks create a competitive disadvantage for some banks. Keywords: P2P lending, bank lending, competition
A stinking business. Environmental issues, protests and big money in the waste business in Russia. OSW Commentary NUMBER 284 | 27.08.201

In recent months, Moscow oblast has seen a series of social protests against environmental problems caused by municipal waste landfills. The waste disposal sites are overloaded, lack adequate safeguards, emit toxic gases and contaminate the groundwater with harmful effluent. The situation is most severe in Moscow oblast because the capital city generates the largest volumes of waste; however, the problem itself extends beyond environmental concerns into the economic and social spheres. Waste management in Russia is marked by notorious overloading of legal waste disposal sites and the emergence of illegal waste dumps, inadequate waste disposal practices leading to air pollution and groundwater contamination which affect local residents, and bad practices by businesses with links to President Vladimir Putin which have monopolised the waste collection sector.
A New Index Score for the Assessment of Firm Financial Risks

There are several indicators and univariate ratios that measure the soundness of firms' balance sheets (Leverage, profitability, liquidity ratio, etc.). However, each indicator alone cannot measure the overall financial risk or the financial distress level of firms. In this study, we measure the financial strength of the real sector firms quoted in Borsa Istanbul (BIST) by producing a composite index score which is a combination of several different corporate finance ratios. In the first part, we will apply multiple discriminant analysis to the variables used in Altman Z-score (1968), which is the most prevalent composite index score measuring the firms’ financial risks in the literature. In the second part, a new index, named as MFA-score (Multivariate Firm Assessment Score) will be introduced by using the ratios that best explain the characteristics of the BIST companies. Both the tailored version of Altman Z-score and our new index score have a predictive power around 90 percent. Furthermore, MFA-score is capable of detecting the impact of macro-economic developments on firm balance sheets, which enables us to use MFA-score as an early warning indicator of financial distress for Turkish firms. Our analyses with MFA-score suggest that non-exporter firms and firms with FX open position have relatively weaker balance sheets.
Corporate Social Responsibility Information, Corporate Reputation and Purchase Intention

The main purpose of the study is to explore the responsive process of consumers to corporate social responsibility (CSR), and to verify the disclosure effect of CSR information. Based on the theory of corporate reputation and planned behavior, the conceptual model of CSR information, corporate reputation and consumers’ purchase intention is constructed. Using scenario design and questionnaire method to obtain research data, empirical results show that CSR information has a direct impact on purchase intention. CSR information can affect and change the perception and evaluation of consumers on enterprises, thereby affecting corporate reputation. There is a positive correlation between corporate reputation and purchase intention.
Étude et développement d'une méthode de discrimination des alpha dans les bêta : application à l'analyse des radionucléides émetteurs alpha dans l'eau par scintillation liquide

Dans l’analyse des emetteurs alpha et beta dans l’eau par scintillation liquide, la problematique de la discrimination des rayonnements se pose afin d’atteindre les limites de detection souhaitees. Dans le cas rare ou les energies permettent une discrimination, nous avons mis en place un protocole d’analyse simultanee tritium/alpha sur des frottis. A l’aide d’une methode a trois fenetres il permet d’atteindre les limites de detection de 0,4 Bq/cm2 en tritium et de 0,04 Bq/cm2 en alpha.De facon generale, aucune distinction entre les spectres n’est possible et un ajustement du fond sous le pic alpha ne permet pas d’atteindre les limites de detection definies par les normes. Cependant le processus physique de scintillation permet une distinction des rayonnements, phenomene utilise par certains appareils, ceux-ci proposent donc le reglage par l’utilisateur d’un parametre discriminant seuil. Nous avons developpe un protocole de reglage permettant de reconstituer les spectres alpha et beta discrimines au mieux, rendant accessible une limite de detection de 0,03 Bq/L en alpha.Nous avons par ailleurs developpe une approche innovante utilisant un detecteur en coincidence dont les photomultiplicateurs sont connectes directement a une carte numerique d’acquisition. Chaque impulsion numerisee est ensuite traitee selon plusieurs criteres simultanement, a la place des deux habituels. Aucun ne permet a lui seul d’obtenir une discrimination selon un seuil unique, mais la distribution des evenements dans chaque spectre est differente : un fenetrage des evenements alpha permet d’atteindre une limite de detection de 0,2 Bq/L, quatre fois moindre que par une discrimination en energie seule.