Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvements in Birth Weight-specific Neonatal Mortality Rates in the State of Qatar between 2003 & 2010 and a Comparative Analysis with the Vermont Oxford Network Database Report of 2007: A PEARL Study Review

Objective: The study aimed to develop a national reference on birth weight-specific neonatal survival in the State of Qatar to facilitate parental counseling. Study Design: This was a retrospective, analytic, and comparative study. Materials and Methods: The birth weight-specific neonatal mortality data for the years 2003 and 2010, collected from the admission and discharge registers of the neonatal intensive care unit, were stratified using the stratifications given in Vermont Oxford Network (VON) 2007 annual report. Category-wise birth weight-specific mortality and relative risk (RR) of death were compared between Qatar data (2003 and 2010) and VON 2007 report. Results: Qatar's neonatal mortality rate (NMR) dropped from 5 of 1000 in 2003 to 4.4 of 1000 in 2010 (P=0.443) which was significant for birth weight categories 501–750 g and 751–1000 g (P=0.026 and P=0.05, respectively). Qatar's NMR in 2010 was significantly lower than VON's NMR during 2007 (P<0.001) though VON's NMR was significantly lower among birth weight categories 751–1000 g and 1001–1500 g (P=0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). The RR of mortality decreased with increasing birth weight. The decline was very sharp for birth weight categories between 500 and 1500g. The RR was 25 times higher in babies with birth weight less than 750 g as compared to babies with birth weight ≥ 2550 g, both in Qatar and VON data. For birth weight categories 751–1000 g and 1001–1500 g, the RR was twice in Qatar as compared to the VON report (16.8 versus 7.8, and 5.5 versus 2.7, respectively). Conclusions: Qatar's current overall and birth weight-specific NMRs are comparable with the VON report except in birth weight categories 751–1000 g and 1001–1500 g which were higher in Qatar. This needs further in-depth qualitative analysis.
Study the association of adiponectin with inflammation and hypercoagulability in case of type 2 diabetic subjects with renal dysfunction

Abstract Adiponectin is a 30-kDa polypeptide chiefly secreted by adipose tissue and plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular complication and kidney disease. The aim of this study was to find if there was any association of adiponectin with inflammation and hypercoagulability in case of type 2 diabetic subjects with renal dysfunction. From May 2012 to January 2014, 205 outpatients with normo, micro, and macroalbuminuria having type 2 diabetes (T2DM) were included in this study. We found a U-shaped association of adiponectin with albumin excretion. Macroalbuminuria showed a positive correlation with adiponectin (p < 0.0001). Plasma F1+2 was strongly associated with degree of renal failure (p < 0.001). CRP, IL6, TNFα, and pentosidine status showed a linear increase from normoalbuminuria and microalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001). Monitoring adiponectin, pasma F1+2, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers provide a predictive value for presence of macrovascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes having renal dysfunction.
Seed anatomy and water uptake in relation to seed dormancy in Opuntia tomentosa (Cactaceae, Opuntioideae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS There is considerable confusion in the literature concerning impermeability of seeds with 'hard' seed coats, because the ability to take up (imbibe) water has not been tested in most of them. Seeds of Opuntia tomentosa were reported recently to have a water-impermeable seed coat sensu lato (i.e. physical dormancy), in combination with physiological dormancy. However, physical dormancy is not known to occur in Cactaceae. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if seeds of O. tomentosa are water-permeable or water-impermeable, i.e. if they have physical dormancy. METHODS The micromorphology of the seed coat and associated structures were characterized by SEM and light microscopy. Permeability of the seed-covering layers was assessed by an increase in mass of seeds on a wet substrate and by dye-tracking and uptake of tritiated water by intact versus scarified seeds. KEY RESULTS A germination valve and a water channel are formed in the hilum-micropyle region during dehydration and ageing in seeds of O. tomentosa. The funicular envelope undoubtedly plays a role in germination of Opuntia seeds via restriction of water uptake and mechanical resistance to expansion of the embryo. However, seeds do not exhibit any of three features characteristic of those with physical dormancy. Thus, they do not have a water-impermeable layer(s) of palisade cells (macrosclereids) or a water gap sensu stricto and they imbibe water without the seed coat being disrupted. CONCLUSIONS Although dormancy in seeds of this species can be broken by scarification, they have physiological dormancy only. Further, based on information in the literature, it is concluded that it is unlikely that any species of Opuntia has physical dormancy. This is the first integrative study of the anatomy, dynamics of water uptake and dormancy in seeds of Cactaceae subfamily Opuntioideae.
Duplex real‐time PCR detection of type III effector tccP and tccP2 genes in pathogenic Escherichia coli and prevalence in raw milk cheeses

Aims: To develop a duplex real‐time PCR assay targeting enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) type III effector TccP/TccP2‐encoding genes which are pivotal to EHEC‐mediated actin cytoskeleton reorganization in human intestinal epithelial cells.
Fast CU size decision method for HEVC using CU split information of adjacent frames

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) adopts a new technique, called quad-tree based coding for inter prediction. However, deciding the optimal depth of Coding Unit (CU), namely the basic unit of the quad-tree structure, is a very time-consuming task. This paper presents a fast CU size decision algorithm to reduce the complexity and encoding time for inter prediction. The proposed algorithm shows a reasonable performance in terms of saving the total encoding time up to 40% increasing 1.4% Bjonteggrad Delta Bit Rate (BDBR) compared to the HEVC reference model (HM).
11β-HSD1 is the major regulator of the tissue-specific effects of circulating glucocorticoid excess

Significance Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed for their anti-inflammatory properties but have Cushingoid side effects that contribute significantly to patient morbidity and mortality. Here we present data to demonstrate that the adverse side-effect profile associated with exogenous active glucocorticoid (GC) administration (including glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, hepatic steatosis, increased adiposity, and myopathy) is prevented by global deletion of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) in mice. This study not only defines a significant shift in our understanding of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning the adverse side effects associated with GC use but also raises the possibility of targeting 11β-HSD1 as a novel adjunctive therapy in the treatment of Cushing syndrome. The adverse metabolic effects of prescribed and endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) excess, Cushing syndrome, create a significant health burden. We found that tissue regeneration of GCs by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), rather than circulating delivery, is critical to developing the phenotype of GC excess; 11β-HSD1 KO mice with circulating GC excess are protected from the glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hepatic steatosis, adiposity, hypertension, myopathy, and dermal atrophy of Cushing syndrome. Whereas liver-specific 11β-HSD1 KO mice developed a full Cushingoid phenotype, adipose-specific 11β-HSD1 KO mice were protected from hepatic steatosis and circulating fatty acid excess. These data challenge our current view of GC action, demonstrating 11β-HSD1, particularly in adipose tissue, is key to the development of the adverse metabolic profile associated with circulating GC excess, offering 11β-HSD1 inhibition as a previously unidentified approach to treat Cushing syndrome.
NASA robotics research for planetary surface exploration

The surface systems technology under development has long-range objectives that are quite challenging and will lead to revolutionary capabilities. Many of the technologies needing development are in their infancy: multiple, coordinated multiscale (small and large) special robots forming networks; Remote robotic work systems; Extension of lifetime and power performance envelopes by orders of magnitude; Local robotic outpost communication architectures and systems, high-rate surface switching and aggregation centers, and/or aero-synchronous network relays; Manufacture of propellants, oxygen, water, and other resources. However, substantial initial steps are being made toward the long-range goals by seeking and supporting activities that lead to early proof-of-principle experiments in selected areas. Evolution of the technology and infusion into flight systems will require major achievements from the community of researchers involved, and this effort will be interesting and exciting.
Credit unions in the South Pacific : Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua and New Guinea

What do you do to start reading credit unions in the south pacific australia fiji new zealand papua and new guinea? Searching the book that you love to read first or find an interesting book that will make you want to read? Everybody has difference with their reason of reading a book. Actuary, reading habit must be from earlier. Many people may be love to read, but not a book. It's not fault. Someone will be bored to open the thick book with small words to read. In more, this is the real condition. So do happen probably with this credit unions in the south pacific australia fiji new zealand papua and new guinea.
Online Reverse Auctions for Procurement of Services

textabstractOnline reverse auctions, in which a buyer seeks to select a supplier and suppliers compete for contracts by bidding online, revolutionized corporate procurement early this century. Shortly after they had been pioneered by General Electric, many companies rushed to adopt reverse auctions but the adoption soon slowed down due to the negative effects of auction-induced competition. Today, as firms continue to experiment with the reverse auctions, it is important to understand how the interplay of the auction context, the service characteristics, and buyer-supplier relationships affects auction outcomes and the success of the auctioned projects. This PhD dissertation investigates online reverse auctions in service industries (e.g. software development, building construction). The differences between services and products (services can be more difficult to describe and require more intensive communication) challenge theories that try to explain auction outcomes. We study several aspects of auctioning service contracts: the buyer’s choice between auctions and negotiations; the contract allocation decisions in auctions; the heterogeneity of buyers’ procurement behaviour; and the effect of auction outcomes on buyer-supplier relationships and project performance during the project execution. Some of the key findings are: 1) that the buyer’s repeat exchange interaction with vendors as well as the satisfaction with a vendor’s past performance lead to the buyer’s preference for using bilateral negotiation to allocate the next project; 2) that there are five buyers’ tactics that allow to increase the likelihood of contract allocation; 3) that the outcomes of online reverse auctions can aggravate project managers’ role constraints and that project managers can use relational exchange competences to overcome these constraints. Overall, buying services through online reverse auctions is quite different from buying products. This thesis makes the first steps to develop theoretical knowledge to account for that difference.
Perceptual considerations in the use of colored photographic and video stimuli to study nonhuman primate behavior

The use of photographs, slides, computerized images, and video to study behavior is increasingly being employed in nonhuman primates. However, since these mediums have been designed to simulate natural coloration for normal trichromatic human vision, they can fail to reproduce color in meaningful and accurate ways for viewers with different visual systems. Given the range of color perception that exists both across and within different species, it is necessary to consider this variation in order to discern the suitability of these mediums for experimental use. Because of the high degree of visual similarity among humans, Old World monkeys, and apes, the use of photographic and video stimuli should be acceptable in terms of replicating naturalistic coloration and making noticeable color manipulations. However, among New World primates and prosimians, there exists a considerable degree of variation in color perceptual abilities depending on the species, sex, and allelic combination of the animals involved. Therefore, the use of these mediums to study behavior is problematic for these species, and should be done with caution. Am. J. Primatol. 68:1054–1067, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mathematical structures of language

We may not be able to make you love reading, but mathematical structures of language will lead you to love reading starting from now. Book is the window to open the new world. The world that you want is in the better stage and level. World will always guide you to even the prestige stage of the life. You know, this is some of how reading will give you the kindness. In this case, more books you read more knowledge you know, but it can mean also the bore is full.
Adult Goods and the Cost of Children in Australia

What is the appropriate basis for the comparison of the costs of families with and without children, and how is this relevant to social policy? This paper discusses these issues and derives some simple equivalence scales for the relative costs of children. The method used, originally due to Rothbarth, rests on the comparison of expenditures on adult goods in families with and without children. Data from the 1984 Household Expenditure Survey suggest average costs of children (relative to couples) of around 20 percent. Whilst the data are suggestive of strong economies of scale and different impacts of child costs on mothers' and fathers' consumption, conclusions on these issues must await a larger sample.
A Concise Synthesis of Forskolin.

A 24-step synthesis of (±)-forskolin is presented, which delivered hundred milligram quantities of this complex diterpene in one pass. Transformations key to our approach include: a) a strategic allylic transposition, b) stepwise assembly of a sterically encumbered isoxazole ring, and c) citric acid-modified Upjohn dihydroxylation of a resilient tetrasubstituted olefin. The developed route has exciting potential for the preparation of new forskolin analogues inaccessible by semisynthesis.
Predicting Company Revenue Trend using Financial News

Text data analysis has found its way in many applications, and our study focuses on the financial fields. Previous studies in financial indicator prediction are mostly based on econometric models. In recent years, with the advance of text mining techniques, more and more studies employ financial news as the data source for analysis. Most studies, however, aim to predict stock prices, identify the trend of stock market, and detect company bankruptcy or company fraud. We observe that company’ revenue, which can imply the company's cash flow and market share, is indeed an important financial indicator. In our study, we identify a few features that potentially impact company’s revenue and further propose an approach to deriving feature values from financial news data. Specifically, we develop a lexicon-based method that involves the automatic expansion of existing financial sentiment dictionary and the aggregation of sentiment values. Preliminary experimental results show that we are able to predict the revenue trend through the news articles in the last quarter with the accuracy up to 80%.
A Study on SWOT Analysis’s Application in Privately-Owned Kindergarten

SWOT analysis is a method widely used in analyzing the internal and external environments of organization in enterprise management. From the perspective of educational management, this article discusses the theoretical basis of applying SWOT analysis in private kindergartens and the feasibility of its application; by case studies, this article explores the scope, procedure, function and issues need to be addressed of SWOT analysis, reveals the position and role of SWOT analysis in private kindergarten management, and explores a new idea and method for private kindergarten management.
Examination of RAA-oriented Boarding-type Walking Robot

This paper presents an RAA-oriented boarding-type walking robot that can walk outdoors. The user straddles the robot similar to when horse riding. The same physical and mental effect as that experienced when horse riding can be expected. The robot is constructed using a Chebyshev link mechanism. The Chebyshev link converts the circular motion of the actuator into a straight-line movement. The robot's dimensions are: length=896 mm, width=440 mm, and height=1285 mm
How Do Consumers Overcome Ambivalence toward Hedonic Purchases? A Typology of Consumer Strategies

Purchase decisions for hedonic products and services are often characterized by ambivalence -sensory benefits make them attractive, but consumers may feel guilty about bying them. To overcome this ambivalence, consumers frequently adopt strategies that allow them to enloy hedonic benefits while limiting their negative feelings. Combining an extensive literature review with an interpretive study, the authors identify 23 consumer strategies and propose a typology in four groups on the basis of strategy antecedents: two groups of objective strategies (obtaining consumption benefits without purchasing, objectively contining purchasing costs) and two groups of subjective strategies (manipulating the mental accounting of costs and benefits, relinquishing responsability).
Precisely Exploring Medical Models and Volumes in Collaborative Virtual Reality

We describe a virtual-reality widget library and two medical applications built on the widget library. These two applications, education using surface models and radiological volume visualization, make use of collaborative interaction techniques. These techniques support a high degree of precision with respect to manipulation of data and data parameters. The 3D widgets instantiated in these applications are synchronized between clients in order to facilitate the high degree of interactivity necessary for productive investigation of shared medical models and volume data. We discuss challenges that face the investigator in an immersive 3D environment as opposed to that of a 2D desktop environment. We describe how these differences have led us to criteria for development of the shared 3D Virtual Reality (VR) graphical user interfaces (GUIs) used in the biomedical applications presented. We review our educational validations already conducted for the surface model exploration application and preview our future work toward a single advanced biomedical collaboration environment.
Dimensions of portuguese corporate social responsibility: a multivariate analysis.

This paper investigates factors that can explain the motivations of Portuguese companies to a social performance. The study was based on a sample of nineteen large Portuguese companies, listed on the PSI 20 index, for a period of five year, since 2005 to 2009. A Factorial Analysis was applied to identify the dimensions of Portuguese Corporate Social Responsibility using variables reference on the Green Book of European Community Commission (ECC, 2001). The results produced two dimensions that may explain Portuguese corporate motivation social performance: (1) Standards and Legal Requirements and (2) Ethic and social conduct. Further research may be done to find correlations with these dimensions and financial and economic corporate performance.
Psychological changes in parents eight months after the loss of an infant from stillbirth, neonatal death, or sudden infant death syndrome--a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE We proposed to measure part of the natural history of grief by determining the changes in the psychological symptoms experienced by bereaved parents over the 8 months after the loss of an infant from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), neonatal death (NND), or stillbirth (SB). Parents were interviewed twice, at 2 and 8 months after the loss. METHODOLOGY A total of 220 bereaved families (45 SIDS, 93 NND, and 82 SB) were compared with 226 control families who had a live born child. Comparison was based on responses to a standardized measure of anxiety and depression (Delusions-Symptoms-States Inventory). RESULTS For separate cross-sectional comparison at both 2 and 8 months, significant differences were noted in the frequency of maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression between bereaved and control groups (P < .001). Such differences were present for paternal anxiety and depression at 2 months, but not 8 months. A second series of analysis examined longitudinal changes in symptom frequency between 2 and 8 months for each bereaved group. For mothers, the changes were significant for anxiety and depression: SIDS and NND (P < .001), SB (P < .01). For fathers, the changes for anxiety and depression in SIDS were P < . 01; NND, P < . 05 for anxiety and P < . 01 per depression; changes were not significant for SB. At 2 months, relative risks for symptoms of maternal anxiety were significant for all three bereaved groups: SIDS, 22.4; NND, 5.4; and SB, 5.1. Comparable significant figures at 8 months were: SIDS, 5.5; NND, 3.9; and SB, 3.0, respectively. For depression the results for 2 months were: SIDS, 8.6; NND, 5.9; and SB, 6.7 (all significant) while at 8 months the results were: SIDS, 5.1; NND, 3.8; and SB, 2.4 (SB group not significant). For fathers the relevant risks were generally lower. At 2 months, anxiety levels were higher than controls in all three groups, and for depression in the SIDS and SB groups. At 8 months, significant results persisted only in the SB group. CONCLUSION These data indicate that bereaved parents have a marked reduction in the symptoms of mental illness over the first 8 months after the loss. Although the changes over time are significant for both mothers and fathers, mothers at 8 months still demonstrated higher levels of anxiety and depression when compared with controls. These levels of symptoms are far less evident for fathers at 8 months.
How risks of breast cancer and benefits of screening are communicated to women: analysis of 58 pamphlets

Informed participation in population based screening programmes requires an explicit sharing of information about risks and benefits.1 However, many factors influence perceptions of risk and the value of risk reduction promised through screening. Campaigns that selectively quote incidence to “frighten” women into undergoing mammography have been criticised.2 Perceived risk, not objective risk, explains readiness to undergo screening in most models of health behaviour. Furthermore, the willingness of health purchasers to fund mammographic screening has been shown to be significantly influenced by the way in which data about effectiveness are presented: a programme achieving a 30% reduction in relative risk was more likely to be funded than two others described in terms of absolute risk reduction or numbers needed to screen to avert one death from breast cancer, even though all three were objectively identical in effectiveness.3 No …