Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Financial Losses due to Poor Adherence of Patients with Chronic Diseases and Their Impact on Health Economics

Pharmaceutical drugs—prescription drugs, not over-the-counter drugs—have prices that are negotiated between pharmaceutical companies and National Ministry of Health or national agency for medicines or national health insurers in every country. Prescription drug expenditures have increased every country’s healthcare costs. Medication adherence (defined as not obtained refills of prescriptions or suboptimal dosing of prescribed drugs) is a growing concern to physicians and healthcare systems because of the multiple evidence of noncompliance among patients and correlated adverse outcomes. A patient is considered adherent if he/she takes 80% of his/her prescribed medicine(s). Different studies showed that patients do not take their prescribed medicines about half the time. Financial losses due to poor adherence are the result of unnecessary time-consuming work and costs for potential harm to patients. Hospitalization rates are reduced at higher levels of medication adherence. There are two types of financial losses due to poor treatment adherence: medical costs (measured by hospitalization risk) and drugs costs (without patient copayments). This financial loss analysis underlines the promotion of medication adherence by the patients.
Sign WebMessage: uma ferramenta para comunicação via web através da Língua Brasileira de Sinais – Libras

Resumo. Este artigo apresenta o Sign WebMessage, uma ferramenta para comunicacao assincrona na web, atraves da qual pode-se interagir tanto atraves da escrita da Lingua Portuguesa quanto atraves da escrita da Lingua Brasileira de Sinais - Libras. Nas mensagens, os sinais podem ser visualizados em Libras e, opcionalmente, seus significados em portugues, o que proporciona uma forma de aprendizagem de ambas as linguas. Essa ferramenta tem como objetivo principal minimizar as dificuldades de comunicacao escrita entre os surdos e entre os surdos e ouvintes, pois permite a interacao de seus usuarios sem que a falta de conhecimento de uma ou outra lingua seja impedimento para a comunicacao. Alem disso, e apresentado um estudo de caso aplicado ao Sign WebMessage. Palavras-chave: SignWriting, Libras, surdez, comunicacao assincrona na web
Matrix-Vector Based Fast Fourier Transformations on SDR Architectures

Abstract. Today Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFTs) are applied in various radio standards based on OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex). It is important to gain a fast computational speed for the DFT, which is usually achieved by using specialized Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) engines. However, in face of the Software Defined Radio (SDR) development, more general (parallel) processor architectures are often desirable, which are not tailored to FFT computations. Therefore, alternative approaches are required to reduce the complexity of the DFT. Starting from a matrix-vector based description of the FFT idea, we will present different factorizations of the DFT matrix, which allow a reduction of the complexity that lies between the original DFT and the minimum FFT complexity. The computational complexities of these factorizations and their suitability for implementation on different processor architectures are investigated.
Abstract. Hypoxia contributes to the phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Various microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in this process as post-transcriptional regulators, however the mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, mouse VSMCs (mVSMCs) harvested from aortas were cult

Hypoxia contributes to the phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Various microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in this process as post-transcriptional regulators, however the mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, mouse VSMCs (mVSMCs) harvested from aortas were cultured in normoxic and hypoxic conditions, and the mRNA levels of miR-26b-5p, desmin, H-caldesmon and smoothelin were quantified using reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Following treatment with a miR-26b-5p antagonist (agomir) or non-targeting control (scramble), the cell areas of normoxic and hypoxic mVSMCs were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. In addition, the protein expression levels of collagen Iα, Smad2/phosphorylated (p)-Smad2, Smad3/p-Smad3 and Smad4 were determined by western blotting. Potential miRNA26b-5p binding sequences in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of Smad4 were investigated, and the distribution of Smad4 in mVSMCs was visualized using immunofluorescence methods. Hypoxic mVSMCs exhibited a significant downregulation miR-26b-5p, upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α mRNA and suppression of desmin, H-caldesmon and smoothelin mRNA levels. Additionally, miR-26b-5p agomir reduced the cell area and decreased collagen Iα expression levels in hypoxic mVSMCs compared with normoxic mVSMCs transfected with agomir, and the area was comparable with those of normoxic mVSMCs transfected with agomir or scramble. Furthermore, miR-26b-5p suppressed Smad4 expression in hypoxic mVSMCs, but did not change the expression levels of Smad2 and Smad3, p-Smad2 and p-Smad3, however p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 levels were upregulated in response to hypoxic stimuli. Additionally, the miR-26b-5p agomir caused weak immunoreactivity with Smad4 in hypoxic mVSMCs. The binding motif of miR-26b-5p in the Smad4 3'-UTR was identified as UACUUGA at position 978‐984. These findings suggest that miR-26b-5p regulates hypoxia-induced phenotypic switching of VSMCs via the transforming growth factor β/Smad4 signaling pathway.
In silico binding affinity study of calcineurin inhibitors to calcineurin and its close associates

Calcineurin (CN) is a calcium regulated serine/threonine protein phosphatase. It is known to be inhibited by cyclosporin A (CsA), tacrolimus (FK506), endothall (ENDO), microcystin (MCYST), okadaic acid (OA) and trifluoperazine (TFP). CsA and FK506 are known inhibitors, which inhibit CN by binding to cyclophilin A (CyPA) and FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12), to form CsA-CyPA and FKBP12-FK506 complexes, respectively. These complex molecules finally bind to CN to inhibit its phosphatase activity. The mode of action of the inhibitors and their binding affinity to CN’s subunits and close associates is not very clear. The current study is to dock CN subunits, such as, calcineurin A (CNA), calcineurin B (CNB) and calcineurin AB (CNAB), with known inhibitors as well as close associates of CN like calmodulin (CaM), FKBP12 and CyPA. This was done using Autodock Vina to evaluate their binding free energy ( ΔG) and binding affinities. The results suggest that inhibition can be brought about by either directly binding to CN and its subunits or associates. The binding affinity of known inhibitors of CN is given as follows: OA>TFP>MCYST>FK506>CsA>ENDO. These inhibitors exhibit very low docked free energy not only with associates of CN, but also with CN subunits. These binding free energies suggest that inhibitors of CN and its associates have different binding affinities and also could exhibit complex inhibition rather than a direct inhibition of CN through a single mechanism.
Ensemble-based assimilation of fractional snow-covered area satellite retrievals to estimate the snow distribution at Arctic sites

Abstract. With its high albedo, low thermal conductivity and large water storing capacity, snow strongly modulates the surface energy and water balance, which makes it a critical factor in mid- to high-latitude and mountain environments. However, estimating the snow water equivalent (SWE) is challenging in remote-sensing applications already at medium spatial resolutions of 1 km. We present an ensemble-based data assimilation framework that estimates the peak subgrid SWE distribution (SSD) at the 1 km scale by assimilating fractional snow-covered area (fSCA) satellite retrievals in a simple snow model forced by downscaled reanalysis data. The basic idea is to relate the timing of the snow cover depletion (accessible from satellite products) to the peak SSD. Peak subgrid SWE is assumed to be lognormally distributed, which can be translated to a modeled time series of fSCA through the snow model. Assimilation of satellite-derived fSCA facilitates the estimation of the peak SSD, while taking into account uncertainties in both the model and the assimilated data sets. As an extension to previous studies, our method makes use of the novel (to snow data assimilation) ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation (ES-MDA) scheme combined with analytical Gaussian anamorphosis to assimilate time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Sentinel-2 fSCA retrievals. The scheme is applied to Arctic sites near Ny-Alesund (79° N, Svalbard, Norway) where field measurements of fSCA and SWE distributions are available. The method is able to successfully recover accurate estimates of peak SSD on most of the occasions considered. Through the ES-MDA assimilation, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) for the fSCA, peak mean SWE and peak subgrid coefficient of variation is improved by around 75, 60 and 20 %, respectively, when compared to the prior, yielding RMSEs of 0.01, 0.09 m water equivalent (w.e.) and 0.13, respectively. The ES-MDA either outperforms or at least nearly matches the performance of other ensemble-based batch smoother schemes with regards to various evaluation metrics. Given the modularity of the method, it could prove valuable for a range of satellite-era hydrometeorological reanalyses.
The VIMOS VLT deep survey - First epoch VVDS-deep survey: 11 564 spectra with 17.5 $\leq$ I$_\textit{\textbf{\small AB}}$ $\leq$ 24, and the redshift distribution over 0 $\leq$ z $\leq$ 5

This paper presents the ``First Epoch\'\' sample from the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey (VVDS). The VVDS goals, observations, data reduction with VIPGI, and redshift measurement with KBRED are discussed. Data have been obtained with the VIsible Multi Object Spectrograph (VIMOS) on the ESO-VLT UT3, allowing to observe ~600 slits simultaneously at R~230. A total of 11564 objects have been observed in the VVDS-02h and VVDS-CDFS Deep fields over a total area of 0.61deg^2, selected solely on the basis of apparent magnitude 17.5 <=I_{AB} <=24. The VVDS covers the redshift range 0 < z <= 5. It is successfully going through the ``redshift desert\'\' 1.523. 5, probing the bright star forming population of galaxies. This sample provides an unprecedented dataset to study galaxy evolution over 90% of the life of the universe
Anticholesterol activity of anacardium occidentale linn. does it involve in reverse cholesterol transport

Anacardium occidentale belongs to the Anacardiaceae family. It had been scientifically proven to have antihypercholesterolemia effect in high cholesterol diet induced animal laboratory study. However there is no study regarding the mechanisms involves in cholesterol reducing effect by A. occidentale leaves extract. In this study, cytotoxic assessment and anti-cholesterol activity of A. occidentale leaves aqueous extract (AOE) were investigated. Cytotoxic study was performed by exposing hepatoma cell (Hep G2) towards AOE with concentration ranging from 0.002 to 20 mg/mL for 24 h. Anacardium occidentale extract was found to be not toxic to the cell. Then, the highest and not toxic AOE concentrations (20, 10, 5 and 2.5 mg/mL) were selected for anti-cholesterol study. The ability of AOE to reduce cholesterol in cell culture experiment was carried out by pretreating Hep G2 with selected concentrations of AOE in 6-well plate before the cell was exposed to low density lipoprotein (LDL). The concentration of farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase (FDFT1), apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL R), scavenger receptor B1 (SR-B1), ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA-1) and hepatic lipase (HL) were determined from the 6-well plate media. The results showed that AOE did not significantly increase the concentration of LDLR. However, AOE significantly increased the concentration of FDFT1, APO A1, LCAT, SRB-1, ABCA1 and HL. The HMGR activity experiment showed that all selected AOE concentrations cannot significantly reduce the HMGR enzyme activity. These findings suggested that AOE may involve in reverse cholesterol transport process to reduce cholesterol metabolism in Hep G2 cell.
Hidden barriers to academic staff engaging in Engineering Education Research

At Swinburne University of Technology, the Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences (FEIS) has charged the Engineering and Science Education Research (ESER) group with facilitating change to increase the level of engineering education research within FEIS. This paper reports on the first of a two-stage project, with the research question: How can the barriers to academic staff undertaking engineering education research be usefully conceived and framed to assist academics (and those supporting them) to overcome those barriers? Data was collected using critical reflection and dialogue in reference to the literature. Our findings suggest that barriers can at times be tacit, murky and unnamed—effectively hidden. This paper argues that to support staff to engage in education research and scholarship there is a need to understand and address not only institutional barriers, but also underlying, hidden barriers. This paper proposes an approach to such barriers and describes future research.
Bio-Heat Transfer in a Model Skin Subject to a Train of Short Pulse Irradiation

Thermal analysis of biological tissues subject to a train of ultrashort pulse irradiations was made of developing a combined time-dependent radiation and conduction bio-heat transfer model. A model skin tissue stratified as three layers with different optical, thermal and physiological properties was considered. Temperature response of the skin tissue exposed to a single ultrashort pulse irradiation was firstly analyzed by the finite volume method in combination with the transient discrete ordinates method. This temperature rise was found to reach pseudo steady state within an extremely short time period in which thermal diffusion is negligible. Since the tissue properties were assumed to be constant during a train of pulse irradiation, this temperature rise subject to a single pulse can be employed for repeated pulses. In the same time, Pennes’ equation was employed to study the bio-heat transfer in the meso-time scale. The effects of pulse strengths and repetition rate on the temperature response in the multi-layer skin tissue were investigated. © 2008 ASME
Studying Organizational Performance Excellence Using Excellence Award in Iranian Holding Organizations

The excellence Model and Excellence Awards defines the guidelines and requirements which must be fulfilled in each area of functioning organization, by what it states the special example of the excellence to which one should aim. Simultaneously it is a tool for self-assessment of the organization giving the picture of its strong sides and potential to improvement. By attention to implement excellence Model in our organization that is a holding organization in four years, it is expected that lead to acceptable outputs and outcomes to the organization and lead to performance excellence. This research is conducted to study that how much excellence award has impact on performance excellence. Therefore it is studied by two factors; the rate of increase in the level of excellence of all subordinate units and the rate of increase in scores of excellence criteria for all subordinate business units. It was assessed and analyzed in 10 holding organizations (including 98 subordinate business units). The statistical analysis and qualitative results demonstrate effectiveness of implementing business excellence model and its effects on the progress and improvement of performances in holding organizations.
Paediatric Tuberculosis - Can we eradicate it?

Tuberculosis is on the rise and remains a problem of enormous magnitude regardless of the existence of discrete measurements. It is re-emerging and there is a global threat due to the increasing number of cases among children and adults. Studies have shown that children contribute significantly to the disease burden and the morbidity and mortality, associated with the disease is grievous, particularly in endemic areas. Children are more prone to develop a life-threatening form of tuberculosis due to an immature immune system. Paediatric infections are a repository, from which probability of the evolution of new adult case is high
Genetic Aspects of Cleft Lip and Palate – A Review

Craniofacial abnormalities especially Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) are considered to be one of the most commonly occurring birth defects in humans. CLP is considered to be a very important disorder to be understood because of the the complications it produces in an infant. Recent advances in molecular techniques has given a good insight into the various changes that occur at a genetic level, thus shedding some light on the pathogenesis of CLP. This review aims to give the reader an uptodate information regrading various genes that are involved in oro facial clefting especially CLP.
Causes of big development projects: Development- induced displacement and its socio-economic impacts on displaced people in Tekeze Dam

The main objective of this study is to investigate the major social and economic consequences entailed by the Tekeze Dam on local populations inhabiting Wag Hemra Zone. To achieve this objective, the study primarily used qualitative techniques of data collection. Primary data collecting methods like participatory observation, unstructured, semi-structured and in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and case studies were employed in primary data. Secondary sources were also consulted and reviewed, and integrated to give the primary data a better picture to show the impacts of the dam on the affected communities. To analyze the economic and social impacts entailed by the Tekeze Dam on the local populations, this study has reviewed the literature on the development (specifically dam)-induced displacement and impoverishment. It challenges the notion that displacement entails physical relocation. That is, displacement has been painted on a narrow wall so it was difficult to see the extent of displacement in societies which are affected by development projects, but where there is no resettlement or physical relocation effected. This study asserts that displacement has to be viewed as a holistic and integrative concept. As long as the affected people have faced constrained access to livelihood insurances, the study stresses that the affected people of the Tekeze Dam have become displaced, though not physically relocated. The impoverishment risks-turned impacts faced by local populations correspond with almost all the impoverishment risks included in the Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) Model. The study as thus, has applied the IRR Model to see the extent of impoverishment process the people of the Tekeze dam-affected communities have been exposed to. The failure to adopt appropriate mitigating measures and coping mechanisms has resulted in the actual manifestation of the impoverishment risks. Most importantly, the study shows that the dam has robbed the local population the fertile and most productive, “diffa” land. The study thus departs from its analysis by suggesting that when development projects like dams are to be implemented in Ethiopia, an acceptable cost-benefit analysis has to be worked out by which the gains and losses of development projects could be distributed in an equitable manner. The process of making a section of a society impoverished for the sake of realizing the needs of the larger society has to be replaced by the process of empowering the would-be-affected people through the process of pre-emptive attacks on the looming over impoverishment that will be brought by the implementation of development projects like dams. Key words: Displacement, the Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) Model, Tekeze Dam, impoverishment.
Exploring the development of the accounting profession in Kuwait: an institutional work analysis

Purpose – this paper investigated the development of accounting profession in Kuwait by examining the processes involved in creating, maintaining and disrupting the development of accounting profession in Kuwait.Design/methodology/approach – this paper adopted a qualitative case study to examine the institutional work associated with the development of accounting profession in the State of Kuwait. The study employed semi-structured interviews and analysis of documents to generate insights into the institutional work involved in the development of accounting profession in Kuwait.Findings – the studies revealed political, technical and cultural institutional work engaged by various actors, individually and collectively in the creation, maintenance, and disruption of the development of accounting profession in Kuwait. The British imperialists, the Asians, Egyptians, other Arabs, the state actors, professional accountants in foreign accounting firms, and local actors in the Kuwait Accounting and Auditing Association, all engaged in various institutional work in the creation and transformation of the accounting profession in Kuwait.Practical implications – this paper demonstrates how different types of institutional work influence the development of institutions. Also, it brings to the table how some forms of institutional work could be deployed to counteract others in “creating”, “maintaining”, and “disrupting” the institutions.Originality/value – the paper adds to extant literature on institutional work, in which it has been realized that “denial” of training could be construed as an institutional work, in which theorization and rhetorical appeals are used to privilege one group of actors over others; and how “political” institutional work seemed to dominate the creation, maintenance and disruption of institutions within a wider social setting in Kuwait.
Neutralizing Capacity of Basic Slag in Acid Sulfate Soils and Its Impacts on the Solubility of Basic Cations under Various Moisture Regimes

An incubation study was conducted with the topsoils (depth: 0-20 cm) of two different series namely Cheringa (silty clay loam, pHwater 3.6, electrical conductivity = EC 18.5 dS m-1, CEC 17.2 c mol kg-1, organic matter = OM 39.1 g kg-1, and Badarkhali (silty clay loam, pHwater 3.9, EC 19.0 dS m-1, CEC 18.40 c mol kg-1, OM 30.7 g kg-1) acid sulfate soils to evaluate the effectiveness of basic slag (BS) for the neutralization of acidity and solubility of basic cations. These soils received BS at the rate of 0, 11, 22 and 33 t ha-1 under various moisture regimes (moisture at saturated condition, i.e. 100 % moisture, moisture at field condition, i.e. 50 % and wetting-drying cycles of those 50 and 100 % moisture levels). The impacts of these treatments on some selected properties and changes in water soluble bases in these soils were studied at different periods of 180 days of incubation. The application of BS was found to be increased the pH of soils from 3.6 to 5.1 for Cheringa; 3.9 to 5.2 for Badarkhali soils during the 180 days of incubation. These increments were more striking with the highest doses of BS at 33 t ha-1 under saturated moisture conditions in both the soils. The EC of the soils had not much influenced by the application of BS, regardless of time. The treatments were exerted significant (p≤0.05) effects on the solubility of basic cations in different periods of incubation. The maximum release of the bases were recorded during 180 days of incubation under saturated moisture condition and the findings will be supportive for planning of crop production on these soils.