Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Exercise and Osteoarthritis in the Elderly

Objectives:To review within a prescribed evidence-based framework (1) the relationship between intermittent or lifelong physical activity and the subsequent onset or progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in later life and (2) the effect of structured exercise routines on the management of OA in the elderly. Data Sources:A systematic literature search of MEDLINE (1950 to April Week 2, 2008) and EMBASE (1980 to 2008 Week 16) was carried out using the Ovid interface. Relevant mapped terms addressing the identified objectives were combined and exploded according to a defined protocol. Study Selection:Studies that met relevancy criteria and were of high methodologic quality (prospective cohort studies for the risk factor component and systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials for the therapy component) were extracted and then hand searched for any additional studies. Final inclusion was based on agreement between two independent assessors, according to prescribed criteria. Any studies that were not in the English language, did not address the questions of interest in humans, or did not include a population that had at least a mean age of 55 years at the time of study termination, were excluded. Only land-based regimens were included in the therapy component of the review. Data Extraction:Pertinent information on subjects, risks, and outcomes (when assessing physical activity as a risk factor for OA in the elderly) and subjects, interventions, and outcomes (when evaluating the application of exercise in the management of OA in older persons) was extracted from the selected studies. Data Synthesis:Ten studies met entry criteria for examining the relationship between physical activity and the development or progression of OA. Likely because of study variations and differences in the nature, duration and intensities of exercise regimens, no clearcut consensus was apparent on whether or not physical activity was a risk factor for OA. Six scientific reviews and ten single blinded randomized controlled trials were included when evaluating the effect of exercise on OA management. Regardless of wide variability in the included studies, a majority demonstrated that structured exercise programs were effective in the management of older subjects with OA. Conclusions:Nuances of study design, differences in age and type of target populations, variability in the intensity, duration, and nature of physical activity in the respective studies, and lack of standardization in the way radiographic data are interpreted are among the factors that prevent consensus regarding the effect of physical activity on later development of OA. Similarly, there is considerable heterogeneity in the studies that assessed exercise in the treatment of OA. Nonetheless, there is substantive evidence in support of the benefits of one or another strength training or aerobic exercise regimen in the management of OA in middle-aged and elderly subjects.
Fecal cortisol metabolites as indicators of stress in crab-eating-fox ( Cerdocyoun thous ) in captivity

Paz R.C. R. , Souza N.P. & Brown J.L. 2015. Fecal cortisol metabolites as indicators of stress in crab-eating-fox (Cerdocyoun thous) in captivity. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 35(10):859-862. Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnica, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Correa da Costa, Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, MT 78060-900, Brazil. E-mail: reginacrpaz@gmail.com Blood samples collection is a common method in biological research using domestic animals. However, most blood sampling techniques are complicated and highly invasive and may therefore not be appropriate for wildlife animals in research concerning stress. Thus, a non-invasive method to measure steroid hormones is critically needed. The first goal of this study was to determine how glucocorticoids concentrations are impacted by translocation and reproductive activity in crab-eating-fox (Cerdocyoun thous) in captivity. The physiological relevance of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites was further validated by demonstrating: (1) The translocation of a male to a females enclosure resulted in a 3.5-fold increase compared to baseline concentrations, (2) changes in adrenocortical activity, as reflected in concentrations of fecal cortisol metabolites during reproduction, gestation and lactation in females foxes, indicating that social interactions resulted in large increases of fecal glucocorticoids metabolites during the reproductive season. From these findings we conclude that fecal samples can be used for the non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical status in crab-eating-fox.
SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT: PROPERTY RIGHTS, MARKETS, AND THE COMMONS

Since 1927, the electromagnetic spectrum has been allocated to uses and users by the Federal government, covering broadcast radio, microwave communications systems, broadcast television, satellites, dispatch, police and national defense needs, among many others. Assignees receive a license to broadcast certain material (say, taxi dispatch) at a specified frequency and a specified power level (and perhaps direction). For many purposes, this license is time-limited, but with a presumption of renewal; in fact, radio licenses are almost always renewed. Licensees can only use the spectrum for the specified purpose and may not sell or lease it to others.
The Challenge of Establishing Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Cereals

It is a fitting testimonial to the unique scientific contributions, in the disparate fields of electromagnetic waves and plant life, of Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose FRS that his bust commemorating his 150th Birth Anniversary now stands alongside that of Charles Darwin FRS in the garden of Christ’s College Cambridge. It is also a fitting testimonial that latest developments in the plant sciences from plant physiology to plant biology should be highlighted in this 150th Birth Anniversary Commemorative International Symposium; Bose was unusual as a physicist in taking up biological materials for his investigations. ARTICLE
ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF AUTOMATED DETECTION OF ESTRUS IN DAIRY CATTLE

OF THESIS ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF AUTOMATED DETECTION OF ESTRUS IN DAIRY CATTLE The detection of estrus continues to be a primary factor contributing to poor reproductive performance in modern dairy cattle. The objectives of this research were 1) to evaluate performance of automated detection of estrus using a reference standard of ovulation detection with temporal progesterone patterns 2) to evaluate the efficacy of parameters measured by automated detection of estrus systems 3) to evaluate the efficacy of alerts generated by several commercially available systems used for automated detection of estrus and 4) to determine the differences in these parameters among cows with or without poor health conditions at the time of estrus. Systems used for automated detection of estrus can perform better than the previous original reference standard, visual observation for standing behaviors. All systems used for automated detection of estrus tested were similar for estrus detection efficiency.
Predicting Hedge Fund Performance with Fund Characteristics

We predict hedge fund performance using a measure that optimally combines the information revealed by hedge fund characteristics. Using a hedge fund consolidated database, we show not only that this strategy based on the proposed combination measure delivers superior performance but also that such performance is more persistent than employing conventional single-characteristic strategies. In fact, none of the considered single-characteristic strategies are able to deliver superior performance that persists when we control explicitly for fund-level share restrictions, minimum fund size restrictions, lags in reported data and various data biases as well as performance measure manipulation and nonlinearities in fund returns.
Effect of Anticonvulsant Felbamate on GABAA Receptor System

Summary: Felbamate (FBM, 2‐phenyl‐1,3‐propanediol dicarbamate), a potential antiepileptic drug (AED), has an unknown mechanism of action. We examined possible interaction of FBM with GABAAergic transmission. FBM did not alter specific binding of ligands to GABA, benzodiazepine, and picrotoxin sites of the oligomeric GABAA receptor complex to rat brain membranes, nor did it enhance the effect of GABA on 36Cl‐influx in well‐characterized cultured spinal cord neurons. These results suggest that the anticonvulsant effect of FBM does not involve GABAAergic transmission.
Disinfectant choices in veterinary practices, shelters and households

Overview: Regardless of whether a pathogen is viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal or an emerging unknown, the mainstay of infectious disease control is hygiene, and the cornerstone of good hygiene is effective disinfection. Challenges and current choices: Certain pathogens present a challenge to kill effectively: parvovirus, protozoal oocysts, mycobacteria, bacterial spores and prions resist most disinfectants but can be eliminated through heat, especially steam, which will kill protozoal oocysts. Heat is the safest and most effective disinfectant, but cannot be universally applied. Temperatures in washing machines and dishwashers should be at least 60°C to eliminate pathogenic spores and resistant viruses. Enveloped viruses are susceptible to most disinfectants; of the non-enveloped viruses, parvovirus is recognised as being the most difficult to eradicate. Sodium hypochlorite is recommended for many applications: cleaning of floors, laundry, food preparation surfaces and utensils. Skin scrubs and rubs containing alcohols are more effective than those containing chlorhexidine, and less subject to contamination. Disinfectants to avoid: Deficiency of the enzyme UDP-glucuronosyl transferase renders the cat susceptible to the toxic effects of phenol-based disinfectants (including many essential oils), so these should be avoided in feline environments. Quaternary ammonium compounds (eg, benzalkonium chloride) are also probably best avoided. The future: Veterinary disinfection approaches in the future may include use of ultraviolet radiation and, increasingly, silver.
Microbiome Changes during Tuberculosis and Antituberculous Therapy

SUMMARY The critical role of commensal microbiota in the human body has been increasingly recognized, and our understanding of its implications in human health and disease has expanded rapidly. The lower respiratory tract contains diverse communities of microbes known as lung microbiota, which are present in healthy individuals and in individuals with respiratory diseases. The dysbiosis of the airway microbiota in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) may play a role in the pathophysiological processes associated with TB disease. Recent studies of the lung microbiome have pointed out changes in lung microbial communities associated with TB and other lung diseases and have also begun to elucidate the profound effects that antituberculous drug therapy can have on the human lung microbiome composition. In this review, the potential role of the human microbiome in TB pathogenesis and the changes in the human microbiome with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and TB therapy are presented and discussed.
Design and Implementation of Public Key Infrastructure on Smart Card Operating System

Smart cards are an ideal medium for use in secure applications. Such applications require mechanisms for cryptographic authentication, password based authentication, confidential data exchange, detection of data tampering and verification of origin integrity. Cryptographic techniques based on symmetric key algorithms and/or public key cryptography can be used to address these issues. In this thesis, we focus on development of public key infrastructure on smart cards. Public key cryptography provides easier key management since keys are assigned on per user basis as opposed to per communication pair basis as in the case of symmetric key cryptography. Further, the public key cryptography can be used to perform key exchange for symmetric key and then the symmetric key cryptography can be used to perform further cryptographic operations. Smart cards are secure devices since the keys are kept in it securely and only the operations using such keys are permitted to be performed. We propose a comprehensive design for development of public key infrastructure on smart cards. This design is compliant to ISO/IEC-7816 international standards for smart cards [2–9] and the SCOSTA-CL specification [1]. We have implemented features like encryption/decryption schemes, storage and retrieval of cryptographic information etc. on the smart card operating system as per our design specifications.
Employer branding - przesłanki i cele budowania marki pracodawcy

Po raz pierwszy pojecie employer branding pojawilo sie w 1990 r. podczas konferencji organizowanej przez Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Mimo ze od tego czasu uplynelo juz niemal 20 lat, to nadal koncepcja ta znajduje sie w fazie rozwoju i tym samym nie ma pelnej zgodności co do celowości podejmowania prac nad budową marki pracodawcy. W związku z powyzszym celem niniejszego opracowania uczyniono usystematyzowanie wiedzy na temat budowania marki organizacji jako pracodawcy. W artykule na podstawie analizy treści publikacji (autorstwa zarowno naukowcow, jak i praktykow zarządzania), starano sie zaprezentowac dwie zasadnicze kwestie: glowne uwarunkowania rozwoju koncepcji oraz bezpośrednio lub pośrednio wynikające z nich cele przyświecające budowaniu marki organizacji jako pracodawcy. (abstrakt oryginalny)
Calibration of Fe XANES for high-precision determination of Fe oxidation state in glasses: Comparison of new and existing results obtained at different synchrotron radiation sources

Abstract Micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (m-XANES) spectroscopy has been used by several recent studies to determine the oxidation state and coordination of iron in silicate glasses. Here, we present new results from Fe m-XANES analyses on a set of 19 Fe-bearing felsic glasses and 9 basaltic glasses with known, independently determined, iron oxidation state. Some of these glasses were measured previously via Fe XANES (7 rhyolitic, 9 basaltic glasses; Cottrell et al. 2009), while most felsic reference glasses (12) were analyzed for the first time. The main purpose of this study was to understand how small changes in glass composition, especially at the evolved end of silicate melt compositions occurring in nature, may affect a calibration of the Fe m-XANES method. We performed Fe m-XANES analyses at different synchrotron radiation sources [Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne, U.S.A. , and Angströmquelle Karlsruhe (ANKA), Germany] and compared our results to existing calibrations obtained at other synchrotron radiation sources worldwide. The compiled results revealed that changes in instrumentation have a negligible effect on the correlation between the centroid energy of the Fe pre-edge peak and the Fe oxidation state in the glasses. Oxidation of the glasses during extended exposure (up to 50 min) to the X-ray beam was not observed. Based on the new results and literature data we determined a set of equations for different glass compositions, which can be applied for the calculation of the iron valence ratio (Fe3+/ΣFe) in glasses by using XANES spectra collected at different synchrotron beamlines. For instance, the compiled felsic reference material data demonstrated that the correlation between the centroid energy of the Fe pre-edge peak CFe (eV) and the Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of felsic glasses containing 60.9 to 77.5 wt% SiO2 and 1.3 to 5.7 wt% FeOtot can be accurately described by a single linear trend, if the spectra were collected at 13-ID-E beamline at APS and for 0.3 ≤ Fe3+/ΣFe ≤ 0.85: CFe [eV] = 0.012395 (±0.00026217) × Fe3+/ΣFe + 7112.1 (±0.014525); R2 = 0.987. Based on this equation, the Fe oxidation state of felsic glasses can be estimated at an absolute uncertainty of ±2.4% Fe3+/ΣFe. In general, the differences between the calibrations for felsic and mafic glasses were small and the compiled data set (i.e., results collected at four different beamlines on 79 reference glass materials) is well described by a single second-order polynomial equation.
Effects of ConsumerSatisfaction and Needs on Brand Loyalty- Aplication on the Cigarette Brand

As well as satisfaction due to physical characteristics such as flavor and smell of the cigarette, individualsâ€™psychological (lessening of stress, to feel better, increasing performance, etc.) and psychosocial needs are also important in brand loyalty related to smoking cigarette. The present study has been designed to introduce effects of consumers psychological and psychosocial needs and satisfaction due to preferred cigarette brand on brand loyalty. For this; a model has been proposed by using structural equation models. The proposed model has been tested individually on two groups; one composing peoples of cigarette loyalty, the other is of smokers for a few years. The test revealed that brand lo- yalty is not same for two groups.
Beställar - entreprenörrelationer i byggandet: samarbete, konflikt och social påverkan

The division of responsibility in the client-contractor relationship and the formal contractual arrangements has long been a question of considerable debate and concern, in the Swedish construction industry as well as in construction management research. Due to uncertainty and incomplete contractual documents, many negotia-tions continue between the parties during the contract period. These negotia-tions are often performed by the client's and contractor's repre-sentatives on the construction site. The aim of this thesis is to gain an increased understanding of informal aspects of the client-contractor relation-ship and of the role of the client during the contract period. The discussion is based on two case studies of the interaction between the parties during the production phase of building projects. The focus is on the individuals who participate in the decision making, and an ethnographic, interpretative approach is used. Theories of human decision making and social influence form the basis of the analysis. As there is a great need for joint problem-solving during the execution of the work, it is important to the parties that the relations between the interacting individuals are kept co-operative, and that perceptions of unfair-ness are avoided. A main finding is that the contractor has a naturally strong informal position. In part, this is due to intuitive norms of justice, according to which it is considered unfair that a seller makes a loss. Also, the contractor's organization involves many people, while the client's representative often works autonomously in close contact with the contractors. This can explain why contractors often prefer informal decision making and communication. Clients tend to improve their position by organizing the interaction so that the contractors' informal power is neutralized. Conceptions formed on the industry level are important determinants of informal power relations. This is because perceptions of fairness are social constructs, and are influenced by explanations as well as by expectations. Publicly expressed conflicts and antagonistic attitudes should, therefore, be viewed as ways of promoting interests without harming relations on the project level. An improved understanding of informal aspects of client-contractor relationships, thus, suggests novel explanations of general cultural aspects of the construction industry.
Use of desmopressin to prevent bleeding complications in patients treated with aspirin

Aspirin induces a haemorrhagic diathesis that persists for at least I week after discontinuation of the drug. The effect of the vasopressin analogue desmopressin was studied in 12 patitents treated with aspirin who were undergoing cholecystectomy. Desmorpressin was given to six of these patients. There were five postoperative bleeding complications; all occurred in patients who had not received desmopressin (P < 0.05). The bleeding time was prolonged in aspirin‐treated patients and normalized by desmopressin (P < 0.05). Desmopressin can be used safely to prevent bleeding induced by aspirin.
Agriculture-tourism linkages in Botswana - evidence from the safari lodge accommodation sector

Tourism researchers are increasingly recognising that strengthened linkages between the sectors of tourism and agriculture are significant for maximising local multipliers and especially for pro-poor impacts. This article examines the linkages between the tourism and agriculture sectors in Botswana using evidence gathered from the country’s growing safari lodge accommodation sector. The findings reveal limited local linkages between agriculture and tourism, and instead the existence of high levels of food imports from neighbouring South Africa. Multiple and coordinated policy interventions are required to address a range of barriers that are identifi ed which inhibit local backward linkages.
Influence of national culture on employee commitment forms : a case study of Saudi-Western IJVs vs. Saudi domestic companies

Saudi Arabia is experiencing a transformative period in its economic history, as its market has been opened up for foreign investment. The last 5 years have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of foreign investment into Saudi Arabia particularly through International Joint Ventures. The managers in these IJVs come from various cultures that can be categorised as collectivist or individualist societies. This study to investigate the relationship between national culture and employee commitment within Western-Saudi IJV environments in contrast to the commitment forms found within domestic (monoculture) organisations. In this study, Western and Saudi managers were compared as to their levels of organisational commitment and professional commitment, while a second survey focused on individualism/collectivism among respondents. This study found that Western managers working in Saudi IJVs had significantly higher levels of professional commitment than did their Saudi counterparts. Similarly, Saudi managers working in Saudi IJVs had significantly higher levels of organisational commitment than did their Western counterparts. This study also found that Saudi managers working in Saudi IJVs experienced higher levels of professional commitment than did their Saudi counterparts working in purely Saudi firms, and that Western managers who had previously worked in collectivist cultures had higher levels of organisational commitment than did Western managers who had not previously worked in collectivist cultures. In addition, significant differences were found between respondent groups with regard to individualism/collectivism. The results support a correlation between individualism and professional commitment, as well as between collectivism and organisational commitment. The results found that an employee’s cultural orientation can be modified through exposure to employees from other cultures. The knowledge contributed from the study findings will enrich the existing scholarly theories of employee commitment and individualism/collectivism values within IJVs setting in Saudi Arabia. Also, this knowledge will contribute to facilitate foreign investors and HRM practitioners in developing strategies to maximise the benefits from different forms of employee commitment.