Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teorija zdravstvene pravednosti i javno-zdravstvena etika

Naime, u svijesti mnogih javnozdravstvenih teoreti~ara, politi~ara i prakti~ara, posebice onih iz tranzicijskih zemalja, koje napu{taju ideologiju i praksu “komunisti~kog modela” zdravstva i poku{avaju razvijati hipotetski “europski model”, javlja se uvjerenje kako su na~ela zdravstvene pravednosti i eti~nosti na jednoj strani i ekonomske efikasnosti (smanjenja tro{kova, ekonomi~nosti, rentabilnosti i ograni~avanja zdravstvene potro{nje) na drugoj strani, naprosto – nepomirljiva.
Modified characteristics of the aortic baroreceptor activities in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

The characteristics of the aortic baroreceptor reflex activities in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) were studied by electrophysiological approach-es. After systemic blood pressure was reduced by hyperventilation to a sufficiently low level (50 to 60mmHg), mixture solution of noradrenaline and angiotensin was infused intravenously so that a variety of systemic blood pressure levels which caused a full range of the. aortic baroreceptor firing could be obtained. The aortic baroreceptor activities were. recorded simultaneously with systemic blood pressure, and the firing rates of the former were. plotted against the various levels of the latter. These experimental procedures were carried out both on SHR and control rats, and the results were compared between the two groups. The results could be summarized as follows. 1. The mean blood pressure-firing rate curve in SHR showed a shift to the higher blood pressure level. 2. The range of blood pressure within which the aortic baroreceptors showed a response was significantly expanded in SHR in comparison with controls. 3. Natural blood pressure in SHR was above the value which was postulated to represent the greatest reflex producing point of the mean blood pressure-firing rate curve, while in controls their normal blood pressure was below or around the point. These findings indicate that the aortic baroreceptor function in SHR was reset to the higher blood pressure. Besides, it is suggested that SHR will not be favoured with so effective a buffer action of baroreceptors as in controls against an abnormal blood pressure-raising disturbance such as stress.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

In a recent issue of Current Anthropology, Shea (2011) made the case for an abandonment of the concept of “behavioral modernity” from discussions about the origins of modern human behavior. This contribution should receive appropriate attention for its critical analysis of the empirical basis of former and current claims to infer behavioral modernity from the Paleolithic archaeological record. Shea (2011:14) proposes that the concept of behavioral modernity is to be replaced by that of behavioral variability, which is supposedly best approached and explained by applying behavioral ecological methods and analyses “to seek the cost-benefit structure of the incentives underlying particular behaviors. ” This analytical strategy will then finally allow Paleolithic archaeology to make “a substantive contribution to the core questions about human uniqueness and behavioral variability that define anthropology” (Shea 2011:15). Unfortunately, the contribution does little to address the problems connected to a narrow concentration on “costbenefit structure and incentives” of human behaviors. Similar claims have been made repeatedly in the past and more recently (e.g., Clark 2009; O’Connell 1995). They seem mostly as distant echoes of Binford’s (1962) assertion that archaeology can be a productive part of anthropology only if it subscribes to the assumptions, rules, and methodologies of cultural or behavioral ecology. The limitations and inconsistencies of a behavioral ecological (cost-benefit) approach are apparent in Shea’s inability to properly explain “symbolic behavior. ” While symbolic behavior is seen to characterize modern behavior, it can apparently be identified only through a contradiction of cost-benefit considerations. Shea (2011) gives the example of the “long-distance transport of nonutilitarian materials” (10), which possibly has symbolic significance because it represents “bad decisions about raw material transport” (11). The significance of these seemingly nonefficient behaviors within the framework of behavioral ecology is not discussed, and an explanation is missing concerning how and why these behaviors developed at all if human variability is mostly a consequence of “energetic costs,
Effect of Albumin on the Biliary Clearance of Compounds in Sandwich-Cultured Rat Hepatocytes

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and essentially fatty acid-free BSA (BSA-FAF) on the biliary clearance of compounds in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes. Unbound fraction, biliary excretion index (BEI), and unbound intrinsic biliary clearance (intrinsic \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{Cl}_{\mathrm{biliary}}^{{^\prime}}\) \end{document}) were determined for digoxin, pravastatin, and taurocholate in the absence or presence of BSA or BSA-FAF. BSA had little effect on the BEI or intrinsic \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{Cl}_{\mathrm{biliary}}^{{^\prime}}\) \end{document} of these compounds. Surprisingly, BSA-FAF decreased both BEI and intrinsic \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{Cl}_{\mathrm{biliary}}^{{^\prime}}\) \end{document} for digoxin and pravastatin, which represent low and moderately bound compounds, respectively. The BEI and intrinsic \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{Cl}_{\mathrm{biliary}}^{{^\prime}}\) \end{document} of taurocholate, a highly bound compound, were not altered significantly by BSA-FAF. Neither BSA nor BSA-FAF had a discernable effect on the bile canalicular networks based on carboxydichlorofluorescein retention. Neither the addition of physiological concentrations of calcium nor the addition of fatty acids to BSA-FAF was able to restore the BEI or intrinsic \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{Cl}_{\mathrm{biliary}}^{{^\prime}}\) \end{document} of the model compounds to similar values in the absence or presence of BSA. Careful consideration is warranted when selecting the type of BSA for addition to in vitro systems such as sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes.
The Colletotrichum acutatum Species Complex as a Model System to Study Evolution and Host Specialization in Plant Pathogens

Colletotrichum spp. infect a wide diversity of hosts, causing plant diseases on many economically important crops worldwide. The genus contains approximately 189 species organized into at least 11 major phylogenetic lineages, also known as species complexes. The Colletotrichum acutatum species complex is a diverse yet relatively closely related group of plant pathogenic fungi within this genus. Within the species complex we find a wide diversity of important traits such as host range and host preference, mode of reproduction and differences in the strategy used to infect their hosts. Research on fungal comparative genomics have attempted to find correlations in these traits and patterns of gene family evolution but such studies typically compare fungi from different genera or even different fungal Orders. The C. acutatum species complex contains most of this diversity within a group of relatively closely related species. This Perspective article presents a review of the current knowledge on C. acutatum phylogeny, biology, and pathology. It also demonstrates the suitability of C. acutatum for the study of gene family evolution on a fine scale to uncover evolutionary events in the genome that are associated with the evolution of phenotypic characters important for host interactions.
Pulsed radiofrequency for occipital neuralgia.

BACKGROUND The clinical application of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) by interventional pain physicians for a variety of chronic pain syndromes, including occipital neuralgia, is growing. As a minimally invasive percutaneous technique with none to minimal neurodestruction and a favorable side effect profile, use of PRF as an interventional neuromodulatory chronic pain treatment is appealing. Occipital neuralgia, also known as Arnold's neuralgia, is defined by the International Headache Society as a paroxysmal, shooting or stabbing pain in the greater, lesser, and/or third occipital nerve distributions. Pain intensity is often severe and debilitating, with an associated negative impact upon quality of life and function. Most cases of occipital neuralgia are idiopathic, with no clearly identifiable structural etiology. Treatment of occipital neuralgia poses inherent challenges as no criterion standard exists. Initially, conservative treatment options such as physical therapy and pharmacotherapy are routinely trialed. When occipital neuralgia is refractory to conservative measures, a number of interventional treatment options exist, including: local occipital nerve anesthetic and corticosteroid infiltration, botulinum toxin A injection, occipital nerve subcutaneous neurostimulation, and occipital nerve PRF. Of these, PRF has garnered significant interest as a potentially superior, safe, non-invasive treatment with long-term efficacy. OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to provide a concise review of occipital neuralgia; and a concise, yet thorough, evidence-based review of the current literature concerning the use of PRF for occipital neuralgia. STUDY DESIGN Review of published medical literature up through April 2013. SETTING The Center for Pain Medicine and Regional Anesthesia, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. RESULTS A total of 3 clinical studies and one case report investigating the use of PRF for knee occipital neuralgia have been published worldwide. Statistically significant improvements in pain, quality of life, and adjuvant pain medication usage have been demonstrated. LIMITATIONS Lack of randomized control trials, small study sample sizes, an absence of diagnostic block imaging guidance, and the use of outcome measures that are inherently subjective, limiting objectivity and introducing an unquantifiable degree of bias. CONCLUSION Clinical studies to date examining the efficacy of PRF as a treatment for occipital neuralgia have yielded promising results, demonstrating sustained improvement in pain, quality of life, and adjuvant pain medication usage. Despite these encouraging clinical studies, conclusive evidence in support of PRF as an interventional treatment option for occipital neuralgia awaits to be seen.
Efficacy of a piroctone olamine/climbazol shampoo in comparison with a zinc pyrithione shampoo in subjects with moderate to severe dandruff

Dandruff is a chronic scalp disorder characterized by scaling and itching. A successful anti‐dandruff shampoo not only has to provide superior anti‐dandruff relief to ensure patient compliance. It also needs to offer excellent cosmetic and hair conditioning benefits at the same time. In this study, the efficacy of a shampoo containing 0.5% piroctone olamine and 0.45% climbazole (shampoo 1) was compared with a widely available commercial shampoo containing 1% zinc pyrithione (shampoo 2). In vitro studies investigating the anti‐mycotic efficacy of a combination of 0.5% piroctone olamine and 0.45% climbazole as well as 1% zinc pyrithione were performed. To study substantivity, pig skin punches were used as a model system and a test of wet combability was performed to characterize combing ease. In vivo home‐in‐use studies were carried out to determine the efficacy of both shampoos to improve scalp condition and reduce itching in subjects suffering from moderate to severe dandruff. Results demonstrated a comparable anti‐fungal effectiveness for 0.5% piroctone olamine plus 0.45% climbazole and 1% zinc pyrithione, respectively. Shampoo 1 showed a significantly higher anti‐mycotics substantivity compared to shampoo 2. After treatment with shampoo 1, the wet combing force was significantly reduced compared with shampoo 2, suggesting a better combability following the use of shampoo 1. In an in vivo split head design study, shampoo 1 was shown to be equally effective in reducing the amount of dandruff on the scalp compared with shampoo 2. The approval rate of volunteers regarding the question ‘The use of this shampoo decreases the itching of my scalp? ’ after a 4‐week treatment with shampoo 1 equaled 90%. Overall, the shampoo formulation with 0.5% piroctone olamine and 0.45% climbazole effectively reduces the amount of dandruff and, at the same time, provides hair conditioning advantages.
Efficient finite element model order reduction of electromagnetic systems using fast converging Jacobi-Davidson Iteration

Finite element models of electromagnetic scattering/radiation problems involve absorbing boundaries for the computational domain truncation. Model order reduction based on eigenspace projection for such systems, invariably, has to deal with nonlinear eigenvalue problems. For small systems, the eigenspaces can be extracted using linearization techniques. However, the linearized system is at least double in size compared to the original system. Therefore, selective extraction of interior eigenvalues can take prohibitively long using traditional shift-invert techniques. In this paper, a Jacobi-Davidson based algorithm is used to extract the desired part of the spectrum. The reduced system is setup quickly and is shown to be accurate within a desired frequency band.
The Modeling and Cross-Layer Optimization of 802.11p VANET Unicast

Vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) play an important role in enabling ubiquitous communications and connectivity among vehicles in intelligent transportation systems. Various messages can be transmitted in a VANET to improve road safety and furnish multiple types of application services. Therefore, the evaluation of VANET performance and its optimization should be considered. Previous conventional considerations regarding VANET modeling merely incorporated a general homogeneous road traffic scenario. Furthermore, prior research works primarily focused on the broadcasting performance in VANETs, since the safety beacon packets are transmitted in periodic broadcast. However, the exchange of some important data between vehicles is better accomplished by using unicast instead of broadcast with the retransmission mechanism. On the other hand, in the context of VANET optimization, most conventional schemes required continuous monitoring of the network by measuring the number of neighboring nodes to configure the transmission power or adjusting the transmission rate accordingly. Such constant tracking leads to large transmission overheads and measurement delay. In this paper, we propose a set of 802.11p unicast modeling and optimization methodologies to determine the optimal network parameters without continuously monitoring the vehicles in vicinity. This is accomplished by integrating a stochastic urban traffic model in the analysis then performing a cross-layer optimization for each network node to reduce packet collisions. The optimal transmission range and contention window size at different locations are derived based on the spatio-temporal velocity profile and are made known to entering vehicles. These aid the vehicles to configure their transmission power and rate accordingly upon entering a road segment. We evaluate the proposed system in terms of the network delay and throughput performance. Considerable simulation runs to verify the feasibility of the proposed model and optimization methods. Our results indicate that delay (throughput) is improved by about 53% (120%) on average for homogeneous traffic and 45% (104%) on average for heterogeneous traffic.
Advanced multi-loop algorithms for RNA secondary structure prediction reveal that the simplest model is best

Abstract Algorithmic prediction of RNA secondary structure has been an area of active inquiry since the 1970s. Despite many innovations since then, our best techniques are not yet perfect. The workhorses of the RNA secondary structure prediction engine are recursions first described by Zuker and Stiegler in 1981. These have well understood caveats; a notable flaw is the ad-hoc treatment of multi-loops, also called helical-junctions, that persists today. While several advanced models for multi-loops have been proposed, it seems to have been assumed that incorporating them into the recursions would lead to intractability, and so no algorithms for these models exist. Some of these models include the classical model based on Jacobson–Stockmayer polymer theory, and another by Aalberts and Nadagopal that incorporates two-length-scale polymer physics. We have realized practical, tractable algorithms for each of these models. However, after implementing these algorithms, we found that no advanced model was better than the original, ad-hoc model used for multi-loops. While this is unexpected, it supports the praxis of the current model.
Rivers affect the biovolume and functional traits of phytoplankton in floodplain lakes

Aim: We analyzed the temporal distribution (dry and rainy periods) of phytoplankton functional groups (biovolume) from lakes connected to dammed (S1 Paraná River) and non-dammed rivers (S2 Baia River and S3 Ivinhema River) in the upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil. We also determined the drivers of the phytoplankton community assemblage. Methods: Phytoplankton and environmental variables samplings were performed quarterly in dry (2000 and 2001) and rainy (2010 and 2011) periods. We classified the phytoplankton species into seven morphological based functional groups (MBFG). We used analysis of variance to test differences in total phytoplankton biovolume and MBFGs biovolume between lakes and climatic periods. We also used redundancy analysis to determine the MBFGs-environment relation. Results: The lake related to the dammed river (S1) presented the lowest species richness. The total phytoplankton biovolume presented differences among the lakes, but we did not register temporal differences associated with water level variation. The lake related to the non-dammed and semi-lentic river (S2) presented the highest biovolume, while S1 (related to the dammed river) and S3 (related to the non-dammed river) exhibited the lowest ones. Filamentous organisms (MBFG III) were associated with poor nutrient conditions and diatoms (MBFG VI) were favored in high water mixing sites. The flagellate groups MBFG II and MBFG V were related to deeper water and lower column mixing conditions, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that phytoplankton species with different functional traits drive the primary productivity in the dry and rainy periods. Hence, we highlight the importance of maintaining high functional
University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics Sandhi sans Derivation: Third Tone Patterns in Mandarin Chinese Sandhi sans Derivation: Third Tone Patterns in Mandarin Chinese Sandhi sans Derivation: Third Tone Patterns in Mandarin Chinese

Traditionally represented as " T3->T2/__T3 " , a categorical tone change from a low–dipping tone (T3) to a high–rising tone (T2), the well-studied phenomenon of Mandarin third tone sandhi has been somewhat of a theoretical thorn. Most analyses of third tone sandhi are derivational in nature and non–derivational accounts, often based on ad–hoc constraints and dubious assumptions regarding sandhi domains, quickly run into problems. This paper proposes a non–derivational OT account rooted in a toneme deletion analysis which appeals to well–established principles of tonal markedness and their interaction with the OCP. In addition, a new observation is presented. Mandarin third tones do not undergo sandhi in prosodically prominent environments.
PoCo: A Self-Supervised Approach via Polar Transformation Based Progressive Contrastive Learning for Ophthalmic Disease Diagnosis

Automatic ophthalmic disease diagnosis on fundus images is important in clinical practice. However, due to complex fundus textures and limited annotated data, developing an effective automatic method for this problem is still challenging. In this paper, we present a self-supervised method via polar transformation based progressive contrastive learning, called PoCo, for ophthalmic disease diagnosis. Specifically, we novelly inject the polar transformation into contrastive learning to 1) promote contrastive learning pre-training to be faster and more stable and 2) naturally capture task-free and rotation-related textures, which provides insights into disease recognition on fundus images. Beneficially, simple normal translation-invariant convolution on transformed images can equivalently replace the complex rotation-invariant and sector convolution on raw images. After that, we develop a progressive contrastive learning method to efficiently utilize large unannotated images and a novel progressive hard negative sampling scheme to gradually reduce the negative sample number for efficient training and performance enhancement. Extensive experiments on three public ophthalmic disease datasets show that our PoCo achieves state-of-the-art performance with good generalization ability, validating that our method can reduce annotation efforts and provide reliable diagnosis. Codes are available at \url{https://github.com/wjh892521292/PoCo}.
Modeling and analysis of performance based on Bluetooth Low Energy

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is one of the optimal candidate technology used in short range wireless communications. The features of BLE such as low-cost and low-power dominates it over other technologies such ZigBee, etc. The BLE 4.0 standard provides the in-depth analysis of the BLE architecture. But still many aspects regarding the discovery process of the BLE needs refinement. The performance evaluation of the classical Bluetooth analysis is widely studied, but it cannot apply to the BLE 4.0 standard. Several schemes have been proposed in this regard, but none of them provides the complete discovery process analysis. Therefore, in this paper we provide a complete, new, and an accurate discovery process of BLE standard. The intensive analytical and simulation study provide a basis for the modeling of the BLE discovery process. Moreover, the proposed analysis investigates discovery probability as well as expected discovery latency in a wireless sensor network based on BLE, which are then validated via extensive experiments. We also investigate different parameters which directly affect the performance of the BLE discovery process. The parameters settings are examined, and an optimal setting is also proposed for low-power consumption during the discovery process.