Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECT OF CORTISONE AND ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC HORMONE ON THE CONCENTRATION OF CIRCULATING ANTIBODY

The administration of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and of cortisone was found to result in a reduction in the concentration of antipneumococcal antibody in the circulation of rabbits. This reduction occurred both when the hormones were administered at the beginning of immunization and after immunization was well advanced. Marked atrophic changes in lymphoid tissue and a diminution in the number of various types of mononuclear cells followed upon the hormone administration. The possible bearing of these observations on theories concerning the sites of antibody production is discussed.
Effects of Corridors on Genetics of a Butterfly in a Landscape Experiment

Abstract To investigate the possible role of landscape connectivity on the genetic structure of isolated populations, we examined the effects of habitat corridors on the population genetics of a vagile butterfly species, Junonia coenia, within a large-scale, experimental system. Using allozyme electrophoresis, a total of nine loci were identified and scored, six of which exhibited polymorphism. Our data demonstrated consistently higher levels of expected (He) and observed (Ho) heterozygosity in butterflies sampled from patches connected by corridors compared to unconnected patches. A t-test comparing He and H0 in connected versus unconnected patches found a marginally significant difference in one locus, the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI). Connected patches exhibited overall lower F ST values compared to unconnected patches, indicating potentially increased levels of gene flow due to corridors. Our results support previous investigations on dispersal and population size for J. coenia, and show that higher dispersal through corridors promotes genetic variability at a locus (PGI) implicated in dispersal and fitness in butterflies.
A Human Genome Diversity Cell Line Panel

A resource of 1064 cultured lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) ([1][1]) from individuals in different world populations and corresponding milligram quantities of DNA is deposited at the Foundation Jean Dausset (CEPH) ([2][2]) in Paris. LCLs were collected from various laboratories by the Human Genome
Stabilization of calpain large subunits by overexpression of truncated calpain small subunit in L 8 myoblasts

The objectives were to investigate the function of the small subunit in the calpain system by expression of the autolytic form of this subunit in L8 myoblasts. Rat post-autolysis small subunit (21 kDa) cDNA expression plasmid was transfected into L8 myoblasts and selected by G418 containing medium. The concentrations of cytosolic -calpain in transfected cells, SS2 and SS3, were found to be 15.7 and 17.3% higher than that in L8Neo control cells, and the concentrations of cytosolic m-calpain in SS2 and SS3 cells were 23.3 and 16.6% higher than that in control cells (L8Neo). The half-life of -calpain in SS3 cells (36.5 h) was longer than that in L8Neo cells (32.4 h), while the half-life of m-calpain in SS3 cells (40.1 h) was longer than that in L8Neo cell (37.5 h). These results indicated that the expression of truncated small subunit increased the stability of and m-calpain large subunits in cytosol. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Connecting European snow cover variability with large scale atmospheric patterns and changes.

Abstract. Winter snowfall and its temporal variability are important factors in the development of water management strategies for snow-dominated regions. For example, mountain regions of Europe rely on snow for recreation, and on snowmelt for water supply and hydropower. It is still unclear whether in these regions the snow regime is undergoing any major significant change. Moreover, snow interannual variability depends on different climatic variables, such as precipitation and temperature, and their interplay with atmospheric and pressure conditions. This paper uses the EASE Grid weekly snow cover and Ice Extent database from the National Snow and Ice Data Center to assess the possible existence of trends in snow cover across Europe. This database provides a representation of snow cover fields in Europe for the period 1972–2006 and is used here to construct snow cover indices, both in time and space. These indices allow us to investigate the historical spatial and temporal variability of European snow cover fields, and to relate them to the modes of climate variability that are known to affect the European climate. We find that both the spatial and temporal variability of snow cover are strongly related to the Arctic Oscillation during wintertime. In the other seasons, weaker correlation appears between snow cover and the other patterns of climate variability, such as the East Atlantic, the East Atlantic West Russia, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Polar Pattern and the Scandinavian Pattern.
Do adult focused anti-smoking campaigns have an impact on adolescents? The case of the Australian National Tobacco Campaign

Objectives: To examine adolescents’ awareness of and response to an adult focused anti-smoking advertising campaign. Design and setting: Data were obtained from two cross sectional surveys of adolescents. The first study, a national evaluation study, involved a telephone survey of a randomly selected sample of 400 14–17 year olds across Australia in 1998. The second study involved a survey of 3714 students aged 12–17 years, randomly selected from a probability sample of secondary schools in the Australian State of Victoria. Main outcome measures: In both surveys, adolescents answered questions on their awareness of the advertising campaign and actions taken in response to the campaign. Adolescents in the national evaluation study also answered questions assessing knowledge of health effects of smoking, impact of the campaign on adolescents, and relevance of the campaign for adolescents and other groups. Responses for smokers and nonsmokers were examined. Results: Among the national evaluation sample, 85% of adolescent smokers thought the campaign was relevant to them. Fifty three per cent indicated that the campaign had led some teenagers to at least try to quit and 85% thought it made smoking seem less cool and desirable. Among students who were established smokers the campaign generated quitting activity, with 27% cutting down the number of cigarettes they smoked and 26% having thought about quitting. Conclusion: Results indicate that adolescents were very aware of this adult focused anti-smoking campaign and thought it relevant to them. The findings suggest that a graphic health effects cessation focused campaign may have been successful in promoting anti-smoking attitudes among adolescents.
Reproductive and developmental effects of phthalate diesters in males

Abstract Phthalate diesters are a diverse group of chemicals used to make plastics flexible and are found in personal care products, medical equipment, and medication capsules. Ubiquitous in the environment, human exposure to phthalates is unavoidable; however, the clinical relevance of low concentrations in human tissues remains uncertain. The epidemiological literature was inadequate for prior reviews to conclusively evaluate the effects of phthalates on male reproductive tract development and function, but recent studies have expanded the literature. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the literature focused on the effects of phthalate exposure on the developing male reproductive tract, puberty, semen quality, fertility, and reproductive hormones. We conclude that although the epidemiological evidence for an association between phthalate exposure and most adverse outcomes in the reproductive system, at concentrations to which general human populations are exposed, is minimal to weak, the evidence for effects on semen quality is moderate. Results of animal studies reveal that, although DEHP was the most potent, different phthalates have similar effects and can adversely affect development of the male reproductive tract with semen quality being the most sensitive outcome. We also note that developmental exposure in humans was within an order of magnitude of the adverse effects documented in several animal studies. While the mechanisms underlying phthalate toxicity remain unclear, the animal literature suggests that mice are less sensitive than rats and potentially more relevant to estimating effects in humans. Potential for chemical interactions and effects across generations highlights the need for continued study.
Fault diagnosis using the incremental learning algorithm with support vector machine

To prevent process interruption and eventual losses, the need for a reliable fault detection and diagnosis system (FDD) is completely acknowledged. Besides the capability to recognize known faults automatically, a further requirement for a FDD is adaptability. If th e model cannot be adapted to deal with changes, variations due to external changes, decaying performance, Poisoning of catalyst etc. the FDD system could perform misleadingly. This paper presents an advantageous of incremental learning algorithm for fault d iagnosis, when a support vector machine algorithm are implemented as a classifier. The method which is followed in order to use the incremental learning algorithm is based on hyperplane - distance (HD) [1] . In the continues reactor which is studied, two cases are compared in order to clarify the role and importance of incremental learning algorithm. Result show t he effectiveness of this method
An arabic information management messaging system: Using information extraction for the proper flow of information within organizations

The current method for passing information at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) is by using general announcements; whereby the general announcement is written on a certain topic and then forwarded on to all employees regardless of whether or not each employee has an interest or need for the general announcement. If the university were to decide to only send the general announcement out to only the interested parties, the job for the person assigned this task would be long and arduous. The proposed solution to this problem is to automate this process. This can be done through the use of the Information Management Messaging System (IMMS). The automation of this process will result in a savings in time and money for the organization. KAU's general announcements are written in the Arabic language. Therefore, the IMMS will make use of the information extraction technology and apply it to Arabic text in the form of organizational general announcements. Little work on Arabic information extraction has been done. There were many obstacles to overcome when applying the first task of information extraction, which is the named-entity recognition task, to the Arabic language. The IMMS, however, performed fairly well when it was applied on Arabic general announcements. The IMMS received an f-measure score of 84% when applied to unstructured text and a score of 97% when applied to semi-structured text. The general announcements were made up of two types of text: unstructured text and semi-structured text. The IMMS recognizes a total of seven named-entities in unstructured text; they are: names of people, organizations, locations, Hijjri dates, Gregorian dates, web addresses and email addresses. In the semi-structured text, the IMMS recognizes a total of nineteen named-entities; they are: organizations, locations, job-titles, faculties, centers, departments, deanships, majors, administrations, job Hijjri dates (two dates), contact addresses (two types), job application Hijjri dates (two dates), contact number, interview Hijjri date, interview Gregorian date, and email addresses. Eight of the named-entities from the semi-structured text received f-measures of 100%.
Big Data Processing with Hadoop-MapReduce in Cloud Systems

Today, we’re surrounded by data like oxygen. The exponential growth of data first presented challenges to cutting-edge businesses such as Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter etc. Data volumes to be processed by cloud applications are growing much faster than computing power. This growth demands new strategies for processing and analyzing information. Hadoop-MapReduce has become a powerful Computation Model addresses to these problems. Hadoop HDFS became more popular amongst all the Big Data tools as it is open source with flexible scalability, less total cost of ownership & allows data stores of any form without the need to have data types or schemas defined. Hadoop MapReduce is a programming model and software framework for writing applications that rapidly process vast amounts of data in parallel on large clusters of compute nodes. In this paper I have provided an overview, architecture and components of Hadoop, HCFS (Hadoop Cluster File System) and MapReduce programming model, its various applications and implementations in Cloud Environments.
Virtual Work, Trust and Rationality

Since the development of the Internet—and the emergence of computer networking as a mass medium in the mid-1990s— many organizations and institutions have experimented with Internet protocol (IP)-based communications to coordinate work and activities across geographical distance. This has been in response to growing needs to coordinate business and projects between different offices, firms, regions, and states. Rather than organizations flying people to meet face-to-face, network technology presents opportunities for persons located apart to work together. It offers the potential for cheap and efficient collaborations across distance. Yet, while economic pragmatics drive organizations to adopt virtual work methods, virtual working is difficult to implement. This is because it strains many conventional assumptions about work behaviour and the cognitive and emotional foundations of collaboration.
Are CT Angiography Source Images Accurate for Evaluating Infarct Volume?

Noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) has been considered the standard test for determining eligibility for thrombolysis from the beginning of the thrombolytic era. CT angiography (CTA) reveals the cranio‐cervical vessel and the occlusion site. Furthermore, the source image (SI) of the CTA (CTA‐SI) reflects cerebral blood volume and can detect the infarct core as hypoattenuated areas with higher sensitivity than ischemic changes on NCCT. However, it was recently reported that the CTA‐SI using fast acquisition protocol significantly overestimated the infarct core mostly on the basis of the poor collaterals. On the other hand, CTA‐SI using standardized protocol was reported to be good predictor for final infarct extension. Imaging used in the setting of acute stroke should accurately address the presence and size of an irreversible ischemic core. Further studies are required to confirm whether another measure or adjustment in CTA‐SI values can be more reliable for evaluating the infarct core.
Anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity in childhood cancer survivors

Purpose of review Anthracyclines have markedly improved the survival rates of children with cancer. However, anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity is also well recognized and can compromise the long-term outcome in some patients. The challenge remains of how to balance the chemotherapeutic effects of anthracycline treatment with its potentially serious cardiovascular complications. Here, we review the pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, prevention, and treatment of anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity. Recent findings Some risk factors and biomarkers associated with an increased probability of anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity have been identified. Modifying the structural forms and dosages of anthracyclines and coadministering cardioprotective agents may prevent some of these cardiotoxic effects. Cardiovascular complications have also been treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, &bgr;-blockers, and growth hormone replacement therapy. Cardiac transplantation remains the treatment of last resort. Summary Despite major advances in cancer treatment, anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in survivors of childhood cancer. Promising areas of research include: use of biomarkers for early recognition of cardiac injury in children receiving chemotherapy, development and application of cardioprotective agents for prevention of cardiotoxicity, and advancements in therapies for cardiac dysfunction in children after anthracycline treatment.
Environmental and Food Habitat Risk Factors Associated with Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Rural Women in Sudan

A B S T R A C T The overall aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the disease in certain group of women and to study the environmental and food habitat as risk factors associated with infection. A total of 255 plasma samples were collected from women participated in this study in two villages. Serological results, reflecting Toxoplasma gondii prevalence rate were statistically analyzed and linked to epidemiological data collected through a standard questionnaire. The prevalence was 73.1% by using ELISA IgG. The association of the risk factors to the disease discussed in this study. Contact with animals others than cats or dogs and participating in animals birth were significance to infection (p<0.01). Consuming raw meat was highly significance to infection (p<0.001). The present study indicates the need to provide health education to women in order to prevent primary infection during pregnancy.
Numerical approximation of the spectra of non-compact operators arising in buckling problems

Abstract The finite element method approximates the spectrum of an operator S by computing the spectra of a sequence of operators SN defined in terms of the finite element spaces. For the case that S is compact, convergence of the approximate spectra follows from the convergence of SN to S in the operator norm. We consider the case that S is non-compact, in which case such operator norm convergence cannot take place, and the approximations may be polluted by spurious eigenvalues. Pollution-free convergence of the eigenvalues can, however, be guaranteed outside the essential numerical range of S, which is related to the essential spectrum of S. We present results for estimating this essential numerical range and apply them to an algorithm for the buckling of three-dimensional bodies (that gives rise to a non-compact S). Our results show, for instance, that for the example of a circular disc, the algorithm will be free of spurious eigenvalues provided the body is thin enough. The case that singularities in the stresses can lead to non-physical spectral values being approximated is also investigated.
A new speaker verification algorithm based on identification results

In this paper, a text independent speaker recognition system based on Gaussian mixture models (GMM) was developed with a specific focus on the use of a voice activated detector (VAD) algorithm in the training and testing. At the training level, a modified estimation/maximization (EM) algorithm is used. It is less prone to get trapped around a local maximum and so, it will have more chance to converge to the global maximum of the model. A new method of background speaker's model selection based on prior knowledge of the identification results is developed.
The Analysis of Basketball Free Throw Trajectory using PSO Algorithm

The following paper described the method for automatic measurement of selected parameters of a basketball free throw trajectory. The research material was based on 10 sequences recorded by a monocular camera. For tracking the ball the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was used. Additionally the method of ball detection was developed. The study was conducted on a group of 10 basketball players who participated in the Polish Second Division during the 2014/2015 season. The 10 parameters (four distances, three velocities, and three angle parameters) were taken into account. The experimental results showed that the value of the initial angle was equal to 47.27±4.42 degrees, and the height of ball trajectory was at the level of 3.84±0.34 m. The correlation between body height and parameter of a free throw was also determined. The analysis conducted showed a significant correlation between the height and shape of a free throw trajectory. The suggested method can be used in the training process as a tool to improve performance of the free throw.
A meta-ethnography of organisational culture in primary care medical practice.

PURPOSE Over the past decade, there has been growing international interest in shaping local organisational cultures in primary healthcare. However, the contextual relevance of extant culture assessment instruments to the primary care context has been questioned. The aim of this paper is to derive a new contextually appropriate understanding of the key dimensions of primary care medical practice organisational culture and their inter-relationship through a synthesis of published qualitative research. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH A systematic search of six electronic databases followed by a synthesis using techniques of meta-ethnography involving translation and re-interpretation. FINDINGS A total of 16 papers were included in the meta-ethnography from the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand that fell into two related groups: those focused on practice organisational characteristics and narratives of practice individuality; and those focused on sub-practice variation across professional, managerial and administrative lines. It was found that primary care organisational culture was characterised by four key dimensions, i.e. responsiveness, team hierarchy, care philosophy and communication. These dimensions are multi-level and inter-professional in nature, spanning both practice and sub-practice levels. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS The research contributes to organisational culture theory development. The four new cultural dimensions provide a synthesized conceptual framework for researchers to evaluate and understand primary care cultural and sub-cultural levels. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The synthesised cultural dimensions present a framework for practitioners to understand and change organisational culture in primary care teams. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The research uses an innovative research methodology to synthesise the existing qualitative research and is one of the first to develop systematically a qualitative conceptual framing of primary care organisational culture.
Failure analysis of multilayer ceramic capacitor board level interconnect caused by monotonic bending stress

Aimed at the status of low anti-bending property and relatively high failure rates of the multilayer ceramic capacitors which are widely used in the electronics industry. The board level interconnect with the typical multilayer ceramic capacitor were designed and fabricated. The effects of the monotonic bending loading on the multilayer ceramic capacitor board level interconnect were analyzed, including the physical characteristics of the failure or loss. In addition, the relationship among the monotonic bending loading conditions, the corresponding stress and strain and the physical damage was clarified, in order to provide a quantitative reference basis for the application reliability of multilayer ceramic capacitors.