Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accidental intoxication with methylene dianiline p,p'-diaminodiphenylmethane: acute liver damage after presumed ecstasy consumption.

BACKGROUND MDA is the abbreviation for methylene dianiline (p,p' diaminodiphenylmethane; 4,4'-methylenedianiline; CAS 101-77-9); and for methylendioxyamphetamine (MDMA, N, alpha-dimethyl-1,3-benzodioxole-5-ethanamine; CAS 42542-10-9). While the former is used for the production of polyurethane foams, the latter is a psychometric drug, which is becoming increasingly popular in the techno scene. METHODS We report six participants of a technoparty (1 female, 5 males, ages 17-25) who were admitted to the hospital with severe colicky abdominal pain and subsequently developed symptoms of hepatotoxicity. They had ingested an alcoholic beverage that had been spiked with a powdery substance they dubbed MDA. RESULTS All patients showed similar clinical symptoms, with an identical time course. Acute jaundice developed within 2 days after ingestion. Enzymes indicating cholestasis increased steadily over 7 days and reached peak values of 800 U/L (AP) and 380 U/L (GGT), whereas transaminases remained moderately elevated. Between days 5 and 7, all patients became febrile for one day, their body temperatures rising up to 40 degrees C. There was no evidence for hemolysis or an infectious hepatitis. Toxicological analysis revealed the presence of p,p'-diaminodiphenylmethane (4,4'-methylenedianiline) at a concentration of 130 mg/L in one of two urine extracts examined. CONCLUSIONS The analytical data indicate that the participants of the technoparty assumed the aniline-derivative, the cause of Epping Jaundice, was methylendioxyamphetamine because the same abbreviation, MDA, is used for both compounds. An overview of the acute liver toxicity of aniline derivatives is given and the possibility of amphetamine-induced liver damage is discussed.
E-Commerce security

Summary Internet has made the idea of an idealized marketplace seem plausible. However, there are still concerns regarding the exchange of money securely and conveniently over the internet. PRETTY GOOD PRIVACY (PGP) provides a confidentiality and authentication service that can be used for E-commerce This research is undertaken firstly to study the benefit of using PGP approaches as a method of E-commerce security , and secondly to specify the benefits of encryption methods and techniques to secure internet E-commerce. PGP is used behind SSL method to provide high security with E-commerce.
Construction Safety Risk Modeling and Simulation

By building on a genetic‐inspired attribute‐based conceptual framework for safety risk analysis, we propose a novel approach to define, model, and simulate univariate and bivariate construction safety risk at the situational level. Our fully data‐driven techniques provide construction practitioners and academicians with an easy and automated way of getting valuable empirical insights from attribute‐based data extracted from unstructured textual injury reports. By applying our methodology on a data set of 814 injury reports, we first show the frequency‐magnitude distribution of construction safety risk to be very similar to that of many natural phenomena such as precipitation or earthquakes. Motivated by this observation, and drawing on state‐of‐the‐art techniques in hydroclimatology and insurance, we then introduce univariate and bivariate nonparametric stochastic safety risk generators based on kernel density estimators and copulas. These generators enable the user to produce large numbers of synthetic safety risk values faithful to the original data, allowing safety‐related decision making under uncertainty to be grounded on extensive empirical evidence. One of the implications of our study is that like natural phenomena, construction safety may benefit from being studied quantitatively by leveraging empirical data rather than strictly being approached through a managerial perspective using subjective data, which is the current industry standard. Finally, a side but interesting finding is that in our data set, attributes related to high energy levels (e.g., machinery, hazardous substance) and to human error (e.g., improper security of tools) emerge as strong risk shapers.
Does improving quality save money? A review of evidence of which improvements to quality reduce costs to health service providers

ix Executive summary xi Outline of the review xi Poor quality and adverse events are common and costly xii Some interventions are effective, but carry costs which may exceed savings xii The cost and benefits of quality are spread over time and between stakeholders xiii Context factors influence whether a provider saves money from quality improvement xiv Providers would be helped by information relevant to their situation xiv Saving avoidable suffering may be speeded up by the business case xv Summary for health service providers xvii Does quality improvement save money for a service? xvii What is the actionable knowledge for service providers from the research? xviii How strong does the evidence need to be before we act? xviii How can providers ensure saving through quality improvement? xix PART 1: INTRODUCTION, OBJECTIVES AND METHODS 1 Chapter
Global leadership development programs as a means to develop the social capital necessary for knowledge sharing in multinational enterprises

This working paper explores if Global Leadership Development programs (GLD programs) can be a vehicle for developing the social capital of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and ultimately enhance knowledge sharing across organizational units. Drawing on both qualitative interview and survey data from a Norwegian MNE, we argue that how and to what extent a GLD program can be a means for developing social capital that promotes crossborder knowledge sharing depends on how such a program is designed. We find one factor crucial for social capital development and knowledge sharing: the GLD program has to be based on an assumption that leadership is a function of the social resources and capabilities that are embedded in heedful and trustful relationships in organizations. Thus, a GLD program that is based on a traditional, individualistic conceptualization of leadership (associated with self-interests) does not lead to development of social capital. Introduction In the case of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), it has been argued that increasingly firms are investing abroad not only to exploit their knowledge advantages but also to explore and exploit foreign created knowledge assets (Dunning, 1997). It has also been suggested that one way to secure knowledge sharing within and between diverse and geographically dispersed organizations is by developing the firm’s social capital (Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998). A number of approaches including international project groups and task forces have been suggested as means for the creation of MNE-wide arenas that could enable key employees to interact with one another in order to develop networks, common norms, common understanding, and shared beliefs that are necessary for inter-unit knowledge sharing. One particularly prevalent approach is that of global leadership development (GLD) programs (Gooderham, 2007). From this view, GLD programs aim at creating network links, common Working Paper No. 39/10
Title Family Support and Loneliness among Older Persons in Multi-ethnic Malaysia

This study investigates factors affecting older persons’ state of loneliness in multi-ethnic Malaysia using data from the 2004 Malaysian Population and Family Survey, the first nationally representative sample in Malaysia. The study sample was extracted to include Malays, Chinese, Indians and other Indigenous groups aged 60 and above, and who had children (n = 1791). Cross-tabulations and ordinal logistic regression methods were used in the analysis. Among the ethnic groups, older Malays were more likely than their Chinese and Indian counterparts to experience loneliness. Loneliness was found to be associated with age, marital status, education level, sources of income, health status and physical limitations. Among older people, feelings of loneliness were inversely related with co-residence with adult children and participation in religious activities. Socio-demographic changes have eroded the traditional family support system for the elderly, while social security remains inadequate. This study shows the important role of family in alleviating loneliness among older people. Hence the need to promote and facilitate co-residence, as well as participation in religious activities, and a healthy lifestyle as a priority strategy in line with the objectives of the National Policy for the Older People.
The presence of the Turkish private sector in the Kurdistan region of Iraq

How do practices guiding the engagement of the international private sector in fragile and conflict-affected states emerge, and who are the important actors and institutions in this process? Using a human security framework, this thesis seeks to apply critical security studies by taking a closer look at the role of the Turkish private sector in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This thesis argues that the international private sector can be a vital tool to enhance human security, in particular economic security, in fragile and conflict-affected states. However, without a regulatory environment for the private sector to follow “best practices,” it is largely at the discretion of each business to adopt measures to enhance human security. In this light, this thesis presents the conditions that either enhance or constrain economic security following the intervention of the international private sector. The central findings suggest the Turkish private sector enhanced certain economic security areas such as infrastructure recovery and restoration of access to basic services, the dismantling of a war economy and illegal economic networks, and expansion of opportunities for people through training, skills development and empowerment. The central findings also suggest the Turkish private sector constrained economic security in the areas of job creation or to the establishment of public and private sector employment, wage employment and self-employment. The impact of the Turkish private sector on public-private relations appeared to have had a mixed impact. Moreover, there were some economic security conditions such as basic income and poverty alleviation, rehabilitation and diversification of the agriculture sector, development of productive activities for ex-combatants, returnees and impoverished groups, provision of microfinance opportunities, clarification of property rights, macroeconomic development, and provision of well-coordinated, predictable, and multifaceted aid, where the Turkish private sector appeared to have had little impact if any at all.
Antibodies to influenza nucleoprotein cross-react with human hypocretin receptor 2

Similarity between influenza nucleoprotein and hypocretin receptor 2 may trigger vaccine-associated narcolepsy. Immunological mistaken identity New reports of narcolepsy increased after the vaccination campaign against the 2009 A(H1N1) influenza pandemic in some countries but not others. Now Ahmed et al. examine differences between the vaccines used and find a potential mechanistic explanation for the vaccine-specific effect. They found a peptide in influenza nucleopeptide A that shared protein residues with human hypocretin receptor 2, which has been linked to narcolepsy. The vaccine used in unaffected countries contained less influenza nucleoprotein. Indeed, patients with putative vaccine-associated narcolepsy produced antibodies that cross-reacted to both the influenza and the hypocretin receptor 2 epitopes. Although these data do not demonstrate causation, they provide a possible explanation for the association of this particular influenza vaccination with increased reports of narcolepsy. The sleep disorder narcolepsy is linked to the HLA-DQB1*0602 haplotype and dysregulation of the hypocretin ligand-hypocretin receptor pathway. Narcolepsy was associated with Pandemrix vaccination (an adjuvanted, influenza pandemic vaccine) and also with infection by influenza virus during the 2009 A(H1N1) influenza pandemic. In contrast, very few cases were reported after Focetria vaccination (a differently manufactured adjuvanted influenza pandemic vaccine). We hypothesized that differences between these vaccines (which are derived from inactivated influenza viral proteins) explain the association of narcolepsy with Pandemrix-vaccinated subjects. A mimic peptide was identified from a surface-exposed region of influenza nucleoprotein A that shared protein residues in common with a fragment of the first extracellular domain of hypocretin receptor 2. A significant proportion of sera from HLA-DQB1*0602 haplotype–positive narcoleptic Finnish patients with a history of Pandemrix vaccination (vaccine-associated narcolepsy) contained antibodies to hypocretin receptor 2 compared to sera from nonnarcoleptic individuals with either 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic influenza infection or history of Focetria vaccination. Antibodies from vaccine-associated narcolepsy sera cross-reacted with both influenza nucleoprotein and hypocretin receptor 2, which was demonstrated by competitive binding using 21-mer peptide (containing the identified nucleoprotein mimic) and 55-mer recombinant peptide (first extracellular domain of hypocretin receptor 2) on cell lines expressing human hypocretin receptor 2. Mass spectrometry indicated that relative to Pandemrix, Focetria contained 72.7% less influenza nucleoprotein. In accord, no durable antibody responses to nucleoprotein were detected in sera from Focetria-vaccinated nonnarcoleptic subjects. Thus, differences in vaccine nucleoprotein content and respective immune response may explain the narcolepsy association with Pandemrix.
Face Sketch-Photo Recognition

Automatic systems for matching facial sketch images from the police mug shot database are very important for law enforcement agencies. These systems can help to locate or narrow down potential suspects. In this work, we deal the problem of face recognition through forensic sketches with focus on the Eigentransformation method and Local feature-based discriminant analysis (LFDA). The Eigentrasformation method uses a global linear transformation to synthesize a photo from a sketch, and is sensitive to gross characteristics such as face shape and skin color. While LFDA uses local descriptors, which describe structures in the face that are relevant to face recognition. Keywords-Face Recognition; Matching Photo-Sketch; Forensic Sketches;
RF-EMF exposure of fetus and mother during magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) avoids risks of genetic damage but may be associated with excess heating of body tissues. To investigate the exposure to MRI radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF), low-pass and high-pass birdcage coils were simulated and the whole-body pregnant woman model SILVY used to determine local and whole-body specific absorption rates (SAR) in mother and fetus. Resonant RF-EMF of MRI devices were investigated at 0.3, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 T. Results allow extrapolation also to higher fields. They showed that local SAR in mother's trunk reaches exposure limits first. However, data show that during abdominal MRI meeting exposure limits of the mother is not sufficient to protect the fetus if limits of the general populations are applied to it. In that case fetal whole-body SAR exceeds limits by 7.4-fold. It is up to the physician and/or the ethics commission to decide upon justification for abdominal MRI of pregnant women if limits are exceeded. The results indicate the need for specifically addressing fetal exposure to EMF and elaborating general recommendations by radiation protection bodies.
Critical Success Factors in Post ERP Implementation

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are popular as IT enabled tools which integrate different functional areas of businesses. ERP systems are implemented as total business solutions, which support major functionalities of businesses. Many studies have addressed on critical success factors (CSF) in ERP implementation, but with attention has been given for CSFs in post ERP implementation. This research is designed to identify the CSFs in post ERP implementation. Factors influencing on post HRP implementation planning and post implementation stages were identified through literature surveys and opinions of the industry experts. The Degree of influence of these factors for post implementation planning and correlation between the identified factors and ERP successes as were determined through a questionnaire distributed among the ERP user companies.
Amyloid of the prion domain of Sup35p has an in-register parallel β-sheet structure

The [PSI+] prion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a self-propagating amyloid form of Sup35p, a subunit of the translation termination factor. Using solid-state NMR we have examined the structure of amyloid fibrils formed in vitro from purified recombinant Sup351–253, consisting of the glutamine- and asparagine-rich N-terminal 123-residue prion domain (N) and the adjacent 130-residue highly charged M domain. Measurements of magnetic dipole–dipole couplings among 13C nuclei in a series of Sup35NM fibril samples, 13C-labeled at backbone carbonyl sites of Tyr, Leu, or Phe residues or at side-chain methyl sites of Ala residues, indicate intermolecular 13C–13C distances of ≈0.5 nm for nearly all sites in the N domain. Certain sites in the M domain also exhibit intermolecular distances of ≈0.5 nm. These results indicate that an in-register parallel β-sheet structure underlies the [PSI+] prion phenomenon.
Computational fluid dynamic measures of wall shear stress are related to coronary lesion characteristics

Objective To assess the distribution of pressure and shear-related forces acting on atherosclerotic plaques and their association with lesion characteristics using coronary CT angiography (cCTA)-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of epicardial coronary arteries. Methods Patient-specific models of epicardial coronary arteries were reconstructed from cCTA in 80 patients (12 women, 63.8±9.0 years). The pressure and wall shear stress (WSS) in left anterior descending coronary arteries were assessed using CFD. High-risk plaques were defined as the presence of at least one of the following adverse plaque characteristics: low-density plaque, positive remodelling, napkin-ring sign and spotty calcification. Results At resting condition, 39.5% of stenotic segments (% diameter stenosis 52.3±14.4%) were exposed to high WSS (>40 dyne/cm2). When the stenotic lesion was subdivided into three segments, the distribution of WSS was different from that of pressure change and its magnitude was highest at minimal lumen area (p<0.001). High pressure gradient, proximal location, small lumen and short length were independent determinants of WSS (all p<0.05). The plaques exposed to the highest WSS tertile had a significantly greater proportion of high-risk plaques. The addition of WSS to % diameter stenosis significantly improved the measures of discrimination and reclassification of high-risk plaques (area under the curves from 0.540 to 0.718, p=0.031; net reclassification index 0.827, p<0.001). Conclusions The cCTA-based CFD method can improve the identification of high-risk plaques and the risk stratification for coronary artery disease patients by providing non-invasive measurements of WSS affecting coronary plaques.
The roadrunner project and the importance of energy efficiency on the road to exascale computing

The cost of the energy required to run ultrascale supercomputers is becoming a large portion of the operating budgets of many facilities and it has the potential of limiting the scale of computers that can be deployed. The Roadrunner project was started as a development project aimed at finding a way to scale up applications but at a significantly more efficient energy usage than the current systems. Heterogeneous core types allow single thread performance to remain high while reducing the energy required for a given computation by eliminating the circuits and associated power that are not needed for the computation. This optimizes the energy cost per operation but puts a burden on the software to deal with heterogeneous core types. The Roadrunner system was the first to reach a sustained Petaflop on the Linpack benchmark and it involved some interesting new Hardware but the bulk of the effort was in Software development including programming models and applications. Several applications were ported to the new structure with relatively little difficulty and the expected performance and energy efficiency improvements were attained. This talk will cover an overview of the Roadrunner project, including the fundamental Cell BE building block and the software structure and methods that were included. The success of the energy efficiency improvement has lead to a broader view of the utility of heterogeneous computing in the Computationally Intensive Workload area.
Positive Mean Currency Returns

In this paper, we report evidence that mean currency returns are positive for both a domestic investor in a foreign currency and a foreign investor in a domestic currency. A shared currency gain creates a positive volatility factor for both. Volatility dominates other return determinants that have opposite impacts on an exchange rate and its inverse to produce positive average returns that we find to be over one per-cent per annum. Positive mean returns impact the global asset allocation of investors to accumulate to a large fraction of wealth creation over time. Currency returns are also large given the common a-priori expectation of investors that they average zero.
Phonological neighborhood and word frequency effects in the stuttered disfluencies of children who stutter.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the role of neighborhood density (number of words that are phonologically similar to a target word) and frequency variables on the stuttering-like disfluencies of preschool children who stutter, and (b) whether these variables have an effect on the type of stuttering-like disfluency produced. METHOD A 500+ word speech sample was obtained from each participant (N = 15). Each stuttered word was randomly paired with the firstly produced word that closely matched it in grammatical class, familiarity, and number of syllables/phonemes. Frequency, neighborhood density, and neighborhood frequency values were obtained for the stuttered and fluent words from an online database. RESULTS Findings revealed that stuttered words were lower in frequency and neighborhood frequency than fluent words. Words containing part-word repetitions and sound prolongations were also lower in frequency and/or neighborhood frequency than fluent words, but these frequency variables did not have an effect on single-syllable word repetitions. Neighborhood density failed to influence the susceptibility of words to stuttering, as well as the type of stuttering-like disfluency produced. CONCLUSIONS In general, findings suggest that neighborhood and frequency variables not only influence the fluency with which words are produced in speech, but also have an impact on the type of stuttering-like disfluency produced.