Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
La aplicación del método de valuación contingente a la estimación de la disposición a pagar por alimentos diferenciados. Caso de estudio: el pollo fresco orgánico

La disposicion a pagar (DAP) es el valor monetario de la diferencia en el excedente del consumidor antes y despues de la incorporacion o modificacion de un atributo especifico del producto. Un amplio conjunto de metodologias estiman el valor economico de los bienes sin mercado o cuya incorporacion al mismo es reciente. Los objetivos de la investigacion deben guiar la seleccion y la aplicacion del metodo mas apropiado contemplando, asimismo, el tipo de datos disponibles; el producto objeto de analisis y el tipo de relevamiento efectuado. El metodo escogido determinara, a su vez, el valor estimado para la DAP. El objetivo de este trabajo es efectuar un analisis teorico comparativo de las metodologias que permiten estimar la disposicion a pagar por productos diferenciados por calidad y aplicar el metodo mas apropiado en el caso del pollo fresco organico. Los datos provienen de una encuesta a consumidores realizada en la ciudad de Buenos Aires (abril de 2005). Los parametros del modelo estimado fueron obtenidos aplicando una regresion logistica binomial multiple. Los resultados indican que los consumidores argentinos estan dispuestos a pagar, en promedio, un 20,5% mas por kg. de pollo fresco organico que lo que pagan por pollo fresco convencional; valor que resulta ser inferior al precio vigente para el pollo fresco organico en el mercado. La escasa disponibilidad del producto y la necesidad de contar con un sistema que regule la calidad de los alimentos explican, principalmente, la DAP estimada.
Gravitational-wave probe of effective quantum gravity

All modern routes leading to a quantum theory of gravity - i.e., perturbative quantum gravitational one-loop exact correction to the global chiral current in the standard model, string theory, and loop quantum gravity - require modification of the classical Einstein-Hilbert action for the spacetime metric by the addition of a parity-violating Chern-Simons term. The introduction of such a term leads to spacetimes that manifest an amplitude birefringence in the propagation of gravitational waves. While the degree of birefringence may be intrinsically small, its effects on a gravitational wave accumulate as the wave propagates. Observation of gravitational waves that have propagated over cosmological distances may allow the measurement of even a small birefringence, providing evidence of quantum gravitational effects. The proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be sensitive enough to observe the gravitational waves from sources at cosmological distances great enough that interesting bounds on the Chern-Simons coupling may be found. Here we evaluate the effect of a Chern-Simons induced spacetime birefringence to the propagation of gravitational waves from such systems. Focusing attention on the gravitational waves from coalescing binary black holes systems, which LISA will be capable of observing at redshifts approaching 30, we find that the signature ofmore » Chern-Simons gravity is a time-dependent change in the apparent orientation of the binary's orbital angular momentum with respect to the observer line-of-sight, with the magnitude of change reflecting the integrated history of the Chern-Simons coupling over the worldline of the radiation wave front. While spin-orbit coupling in the binary system will also lead to an evolution of the system's orbital angular momentum, the time dependence and other details of this real effect are different than the apparent effect produced by Chern-Simons birefringence, allowing the two effects to be separately identified. In this way gravitational-wave observations with LISA may thus provide our first and only opportunity to probe the quantum structure of spacetime over cosmological distances. « less
Innovative Use of Quality-of-Life Data: Correlating Physiologic Parameters With Patient-Centered Symptoms— The Example of Anemia on the Vitality of Surgical Oncology Patients

Background: It has been difficult to correlate quality of life with physiologic parameters. This may be because of the multitude of factors that lead to a symptom. An example of a cause of fatigue, lassitude, and lack of vitality is anemia. This study explores whether a generic quality-of-life instrument's measure of vitality is correlated with anemia. Methods: Surgical oncology patients were asked to complete the SF-36. One of the domains is vitality (VT), which is a measure of fatigue (best possible score 100, worst possible score 0). Hemoglobin (Hb, gm/dL) and hematocrit (Hct, %) levels from the same period were recorded. Results: A total of 319 patients were assessed, 114 postoperative patients with no evidence of disease (NED) and 205 patients with active disease. There were no differences in Hb or Hct levels, but VT was slightly higher in NED patients. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that for overall VT, VT in patients with active malignant disease, and VT in NED patients the regression slopes were statistically significantly different from 0, although the regression coefficients (r) were all less than . 5. Conclusions: There are direct correlations between Hb and Hct levels and the VT domain of the SF-36. This correlation was stronger in NED patients. The low r 2 values reflect that anemia is one of many factors affecting VT.
Implant therapy in partially edentulous, periodontally compromised patients: a review.

AIM The purpose of the present study was to perform a review using a systematic approach to evaluate the long-term (>/=5 years) success of implants placed in partially edentulous patients with a history of periodontitis as evidenced by loss of supporting bone and implant loss. MATERIAL & METHODS An electronic search of the National Library of Medicine, Washington DC (Medline-PubMed) was performed using specific search terms to identify studies assessing, in periodontitis patients, the success of implants with regard to bone level outcomes. Search was performed on abstracts registered up to October 2003. RESULTS The searches identified 877 abstracts. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers (G.A.W. & K.M.B.) to identify publications that met the inclusion criteria. Review of these abstracts resulted in 13 publications for detailed review. These papers were reviewed by the three authors. Finally four papers which met the criteria of eligibility were independently selected by the three reviewers. CONCLUSION Based on the limited data, it seems justified to conclude that the outcome of implant therapy in periodontitis patients may be different compared to individuals without such a history as evidenced by loss of supporting bone and implant loss.
Assessment of eutrophication in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor system: use of sav biotic indicators of estuarine condition

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Results of a comprehensive investigation of the seagrass demographics in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary during 2008 indicate ongoing degradation of seagrass habitat associated with increasing eutrophic conditions. Surveys of seagrass beds in Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor from spring to fall in 2008 show that the seagrass beds have not yet recovered from the marked reduction of plant biomass (g dry wt m), density (shoots m), blade length, and percent cover recorded in 2006. Quadrat, core, and hand sampling, as well as digital camera imaging at 120 transect sites in 4 disjunct seagrass beds of the estuary during the June-November period in 2008, as in
The concept of resistance interval: a new parametric model for realistic resistive bridging fault

From circuit measurement, it has been demonstrated that actual bridging faults have an intrinsic resistance mainly in the range from 0 /spl Omega/ to 500 /spl Omega/. This paper first analyses the consequences of this resistance on the electrical and logic behavior of bridging faults. Second, it is demonstrated that the classical models such as the voting model which consider the resistance as negligible, do not accurately and realistically represent the behavior of the fault. Third, a new parametric bridging fault model is proposed allowing to realistically represent the faulty behavior according to the intrinsic resistance which is not known a priori. Finally, a parametric bridging fault simulation algorithm is described together with some redefinition of the classical concepts of fault detection and fault coverage.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch regulates sorting nexin 9 through an unconventional substrate recognition domain

The level of intracellular proteins is mainly regulated through modifications by ubiquitin ligases that target them for degradation. Members of the NEDD4 family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, such as Itch (atrophin‐1 interacting protein 4), possess up to four WW domains for specific association with PY motif‐containing substrates. We have identified sorting nexin 9 (SNX9), a protein involved in endocytic processes, as a new substrate of Itch. Itch ubiquitylates SNX9 and regulates intracellular SNX9 levels. Using truncated proteins, we found that the interaction with SNX9 is mediated by the proline‐rich domain (PRD) of Itch, a domain distinct from the conventional WW recognition domain, and the SH3 domain of SNX9. Interaction with the PRD of Itch is essential for SNX9 ubiquitylation and degradation. Furthermore, this effect is specific for Itch, as NEDD4, a related PRD‐containing E3 ligase, does not bind SNX9. SNX18, a second member of the SNX family containing an SH3 domain, was also found to bind to Itch. Our results indicate that the pool of substrates of NEDD4 family E3 ubiquitin ligases extends beyond proteins containing PY motifs.
The effects of chemotherapy and irradiation therapy on the differentiation of experimental tumors

Several transplantable tumors in mice were irradiated or treated with chemotherapeutic agents. The increased size of the cells that accompanied the mitotic inhibition prcduced by irradiation or nitrogen mustard was considered due to continued synthesis of cytoplasmic protein despite inhibition of premitotic synthesis of nuclear material. It was possible to demonstrate increased differentiation of the irradiated neoplastic elements, manifested as increased keratinization in two epidermoid carcinomas and as increased pigmentation in a melanoma. Colchicine, on the other hand, interfered not only with cytoplasmic growth but with differentiation, as reflected in alterations in the production of melanin. Although cell division was also inhibited by colchicine, the formation of nuclear material continued. Study of Feulgen and toluidine blue O stains and of fluorescent acridine orange NO preparations revealed increased ribonucleic acid (RNA) but decreased deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in neoplastic elements exposed to nitrogen mustard and decreased RNA but increased DNA in cells treated with colchicine. It is suggested that the differentiation of cells is related to the synthesis of RNA. Since either DNA or RNA synthesis can be selectively affected, those agents that affect RNA inhibit differentiation, while those that attack primarily DNA permit differentiation to continue.
A generic technique for developing a software sizing and effort estimation model

The mini-model method for modeling software sizing for a given software development methodology is presented. The model is based on the input and output products of the life-cycle activities and can be used to predict the level of effort required to complete those activities. Issues discussed include productivity metrics and the parametric modification of mini-models. The model is applied to the US Army Worldwide Military Command and Control System Information System software development project. <<ETX>>
THE SELECTIVE ELIMINATION OF IMMUNOLOGICALLY COMPETENT CELLS FROM BONE MARROW AND LYMPHOCYTE CELL MIXTURES: III. In Vitro Test for Detection of Immunocompetent Cells in Fractionated Mouse Spleen Cell Suspensions and Primate Bone Marrow Suspensions

SUMMARY Application of the density gradient centrifugation technique for fractionation of mouse spleen cell suspensions to primate bone marrow, as a method to separate the immunocompetent cells from the haemopoietic stem cells to be grafted, resulted in a moderate but still fatal secondary disease in the recipient. Therefore, minor changes of the separation technique for primate bone marrow were necessary. Since adequate microscopic identification of the two cell types to be separated is not possible, assays for their functional characteristics had to be developed. The impracticability of in vivo assays in primates necessitates an investigation of in vitro properties of the immunocompetent cell and haemopoietic stem cell. With regard to the immunocompetent cells, the phenomenon of transformation of lymphoid cells by phytohemagglutinin was used. The reliability of this in vitro test, called phytohemagglutinin-response test, was ascertained by quantitative comparison with the graft-versus-host assay in vivo in mice in different cell suspensions under a variety of conditions. With regard to the in vitro test for haemopoietic stem cells, a method is described which appeared to be not specifically indicative for stem cells but, nevertheless has been found to be of value as a check on the reproducibility of the separation technique
Performance comparison of routing protocols over smart utility networks: A simulation study

With the rapid increase in deployment of smart meters across North America, utility resources such as water, gas and electricity consumption data is being collected at a much higher granular level. The huge amount of data is being used to make demand-response applications smarter. A large part of this deployment of smart utility networks and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is being done using the wireless mesh architecture due to the low deployment costs offered by this method. Although wireless environment parameters such as fading and path loss differ widely from home, outdoor to industrial, in-building scenarios, efficient protocols at the Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layers and lower layer agnostic data routing protocols can be employed to overcome these challenges. For such routing protocols to be applicable to smart utility networks, reliability and scalability are vital metrics which will determine the performance in such networks. In this paper, we analyze reliability and scalability of three such routing protocols, viz. RPL (IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low power and Lossy Networks), LOAD (6LoWPAN Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector Routing) and a proprietary flavor of Geographical Routing.
A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies on Data Glyphs

We systematically reviewed 64 user-study papers on data glyphs to help researchers and practitioners gain an informed understanding of tradeoffs in the glyph design space. The glyphs we consider are individual representations of multi-dimensional data points, often meant to be shown in small-multiple settings. Over the past 60 years many different glyph designs were proposed and many of these designs have been subjected to perceptual or comparative evaluations. Yet, a systematic overview of the types of glyphs and design variations tested, the tasks under which they were analyzed, or even the study goals and results does not yet exist. In this paper we provide such an overview by systematically sampling and tabulating the literature on data glyph studies, listing their designs, questions, data, and tasks. In addition we present a concise overview of the types of glyphs and their design characteristics analyzed by researchers in the past, and a synthesis of the study results. Based on our meta analysis of all results we further contribute a set of design implications and a discussion on open research directions.
A randomised controlled trial evaluating an alternative mouse and forearm support on upper body discomfort and musculoskeletal disorders among engineers

Objectives: The aim of this intervention study was to determine the effects of an alternative mouse and/or a forearm support board on the change in upper body discomfort scores and the development of incident musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: This randomised controlled intervention trial followed 206 engineers for one year. Participants were randomised to receive (1) a conventional mouse only, (2) an alternative mouse only, (3) a forearm support board, or (4) an alternative mouse plus forearm support board. Outcome measures included weekly upper body discomfort scores and incident musculoskeletal disorders. Results: During the study, 42 participants were diagnosed with an incident musculoskeletal disorder. The group that received the forearm support board experienced a reduction in their right upper extremity discomfort (beta-coefficient −0.35, 95% CI −0.67 to −0.03) in comparison to those who did not receive a forearm board. The group that received the alternative mouse had a protective, but non-significant (p = 0.20), effect on incident cases of right upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.24 to 1.34) and a non-significant reduction in neck/shoulder discomfort (beta-coefficient −0.23, 95% CI −0.056 to 0.10) in comparison to those who received a conventional mouse. Conclusions: In engineers who use a computer for more than 20 h per week, a forearm support board may reduce right upper extremity discomfort attributed to computer use.
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by various clinical manifestations and immunologic abnormalities. Cardiovascular and respiratory system involvement are increasingly recognized as critical for patients' prognosis. In this review, current knowledge concerning diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of the cardiac and pulmonary lupus manifestations are discussed. METHOD Review of the literature. RESULTS Although pericarditis is the most frequent heart manifestation in the context of lupus, valvular disease and less often myocarditis may be detected. In the latter, treatment should be prompt and aggressive to prevent chronic sequelae like congestive heart failure. Later on disease course, accelerated atherosclerosis is considered as one of the most important co-morbidities of SLE with cardiovascular events being one of the leading causes of death at relatively young ages. Stratification of the patients at risk and stringent management of the traditional risk factors are warranted. Respiratory system involvement affects all anatomic structures of the lungs, pleura and pulmonary vasculature while its severity ranges from asymptomatic pleural disease to acute respiratory failure. The most common features include pleuritis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary embolism on the background of antiphospholipid syndrome. Less usual complications include lupus pneumonitis, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, shrinking lung syndrome and pulmonary arterial hypertension. CONCLUSION There are no specific guidelines for the management of these manifestations and therapeutic approach remains empiric.
Leptospirosis humana:un abordaje de su epidemiología en Cuba

La leptospirosis humana constituye la zoonosis de mayor impacto en salud publica. En Cuba, durante los ultimos diez anos se notifican brotes en varias provincias. Este trabajo abarco un ciclo de investigaciones operacionales insertadas en el funcionamiento del Programa Nacional de Prevencion y Control de la Leptospirosis. El universo temporal de los estudios transcurrio entre 1998 y 2009. Se analizo la variacion, la tendencia y el pronostico de la morbilidad y la mortalidad por leptospirosis y se identificaron los determinantes de este comportamiento en diferentes escenarios. Se demostro que la enfermedad mantuvo un comportamiento variable durante el ultimo decenio y mostro una reduccion del 81,8 % en el numero de casos notificados y del 33,3% en las tasas de mortalidad. Los modelos pronosticos no identificaron cambios en esta variabilidad. La probabilidad de enfermar estuvo asociada con factores medioambientales. La mortalidad se relaciono con factores de riesgo individuales y con elementos relativos al manejo de los casos. Se detectaron deficiencias en el nivel de conocimientos sobre aspectos del diagnostico clinico, microbiologico y la epidemiologia de la leptospirosis en el 64,1% de un grupo de medicos asistenciales, lo que constituyeron factores claves que interfirieron en el manejo oportuno de esta enfermedad.
Simultaneous Generation of Two Sets of Time Delay Signature Eliminated Chaotic Signals by Using Mutually Coupled Semiconductor Lasers

Simultaneous generation of two sets of time delay (TD) signature suppressed chaotic signals is experimentally demonstrated by using a mutually delay-coupled semiconductor laser (MDC-SL) system. The experimental results show that under proper conditions, TD signatures of chaotic output signals in such a system can be eliminated, and two sets of low TD signature chaotic signals can be simultaneously obtained. Furthermore, both the TD signature evolution pattern and the optimum scope for TD signature elimination are experimentally specified by modulating the coupling strength and adjusting frequency detuning between the two mutually coupled lasers.
Effects of iopamidol-370 versus iodixanol-320 on coronary contrast, branch depiction, and heart rate variability in dual-source coronary MDCT angiography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to assess whether iopamidol-370 provides superior vascular contrast of the coronaries and depiction of anatomic detail without affecting heart rate and beat-to-beat variability during coronary dual-source MDCT compared with iodixanol-320. SUBJECTS AND METHODS In this prospective trial, coronary CT angiography was performed on 60 adult patients using either iopamidol-370 or iodixanol-320. Cohorts were matched by age, habitus, sex, and baseline heart rate, with cohort sizes determined by power analysis. All studies were performed on a dual-source MDCT scanner with retrospective ECG-gating utilizing automatic pitch adjustment. Data assessment focused on heart rate variability during contrast administration statistically evaluated as Student t test comparisons within and between cohorts, coronary contrast-to-noise ratio analysis of the main coronary arteries utilizing Student t test comparisons between cohorts, and coronary branch depiction and distribution analysis in dual-reader consensus decisions between cohorts. RESULTS Thirty patients matched for age, habitus, sex, and heart rate were evaluated in each cohort. ECG analyses found a statistically significant (p = 0.013) decrease in heart rate during administration of iodixanol-320. Beat-to-beat variations, expressed as coefficient of variation, within and among cohorts were low (coefficient of variation, < 0.05). Contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly increased for iopamidol-370 versus iodixanol-320 (aortic root, p = 0.021; left main, p = 0.032; left anterior descending, p = 0.033; left circumflex, p = 0.039; and right, p = 0.009). Analysis of coronary branch visualization revealed improved depiction for iopamidol-370 compared with iodixanol-320. CONCLUSION Iopamidol-370, with its higher iodine concentration, provided greater vascular contrast of the arterial coronary tree and improved depiction of anatomic detail without significantly impacting cardiac heart rate during coronary MDCT imaging, as compared with iodixanol-320.