Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Helicobacter   pylori Eradication Therapies in the Era of Increasing Antibiotic Resistance: A Paradigm Shift to Improved Efficacy

With the rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, the eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) with standard treatments are decreasing to unacceptable levels (i.e., ≤80%) in most countries. After these disappointing results, several authorities have proposed that infection with H. pylori should be approached and treated as any other bacterial infectious disease. This implicates that clinicians should prescribe empirical treatments yielding a per protocol eradication of at least 90%. In recent years several treatments producing ≥90% cure rates have been proposed including sequential therapy, concomitant quadruple therapy, hybrid (dual-concomitant) therapy, and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy. These treatments are likely to represent the recommended first-line treatments in the near future. In the present paper, we are considering a series of critical issues regarding currently available means and approaches for the management of H. pylori infection. Clinical needs and realistic endpoints are taken into account. Furthermore, emerging strategies for the eradication of H. pylori and the existing evidence of their clinical validation and widespread applicability are discussed.
On the Existence of a Block Triangular Form

This paper extends previously derived existence conditions for a block triangular form (BTF). The BTF can be applied to a broad class of multi-output nonlinear systems. The BTF decomposes a multi-output nonlinear system into subsystems where the dynamics of the ith subsystem depend on the state of the ith subsystem itself, the states of the upper jth subsystem, j < i, and the system output which is a function of all subsystem states. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given to ensure the system admits BTF coordinates. Systems transformable into BTF coordinates allow for a decentralized observer design performed subsystem-at-a-time effectively treating upper subsystems states as measurements. An example illustrates the BTF construction for a system which violates conditions required in previous work on BTF.
National Survey of Student Engagement's (NSSE) benchmarks – one size fits all?

Purpose – Administrators of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) argue that the results from the five benchmarks, constructed from the survey's items, “produce a set of national benchmarks of good educational practice that participating schools are using to estimate the efficacy of their improvement efforts”. The objective of this paper is to show that any assessment of educational quality cannot be separated from students' expectations and goals.Design/methodology/approach – Data are drawn from two sources: five years of NSSE data and Adelphi data. A quantitative approach was used to analyze the data.Findings – While NSSE items are important indicators of experiences that certain types of students might be seeking and expect from their college, the benchmarks are supposed to provide an overall picture of colleges' educational practices.Originality/value – This is an original work which was previously presented at the 2005 Northeast Association of Institutional Research annual conference.
From certificate chasing to genuine engagement: The contribution of curriculum design to students’ career intent in a subfield

Many students enter business degrees without a defined career goal beyond working in the business world and adopt a scattergun approach to employability by accumulating certifications accessed through individual subjects. Yet, space and time limitations commonly prevent extended exposure to rewarding and interesting career subfields within main specialisations. This case study draws on student feedback collected over three years exploring students’ career interest following an elective human resource development subject in the final stage of a human resources major. Project-based curriculum provided students with scaffolded learning while undertaking key multiphase human resource development tasks. Subsequently, students reported human resource development career interest and intent, attributed to more realistic appreciation of human resource development’s activities, scope, and values. The paper makes an important contribution illustrating how curriculum design can transform instrumentalism into logically, emotionally, and intuitively based career engagement. Further, human resource development is a study and career area little mentioned in higher education or careers literature.
Paul Erdős and Egyptian Fractions

The Rhind Papyrus of Ahmes [47] (see also [34, 63]) is one of the oldest known mathematical manuscripts, dating from around 1650 B.C. It contains among other things, a list of expansions of fractions of the form 2 n into sums of distinct unit fractions, that is, fractions with numerator 1. Examples of such expansions are 2 35 = 1 30 + 1 42 and 2 63 = 1 56 + 1 72 . More generally, one can consider expansions of more general rational numbers into sums of unit fractions with distinct denominators such as:
Oral Health and Dental Services Users’ Quality of Life

Objetivo: Medir a percepcao e o impacto dos problemas de saude bucal na qualidade de vida de 270 usuarios dos servicos odontologicos de Vitoria (ES). Metodo: O indicador subjetivo Dental Impact on Daily Living (DIDL) foi utilizado para medir o impacto dos problemas bucais nas dimensoes da qualidade de vida – dor conforto, restricao alimentar, desempenho e aparencia. Foram testadas como possiveis preditoras de impacto as variaveis independentes sexo, condicao socioeconomica, escolaridade, faixa etaria, utilizacao de servicos, necessidade declarada de protese total e parcial. Os dados foram coletados no periodo de junho a julho de 2005 por tres auxiliares de saude bucal pelo metodo de entrevista padronizada. Para a analise estatistica, foi utilizado a correlacao intraclasse e o alfa de Cronbach. A associacao das variaveis independentes com os escores do DIDL foi medida pelo teste Qui-quadrado. Resultados: O motivo da utilizacao dos servicos odontologicos mostrou diferencas estatisticamente significantes no escore total e nas dimensoes dor, conforto e restricao alimentar, ou seja, individuos que utilizavam os servicos por motivo de urgencia demonstraram maior insatisfacao; os usuarios abaixo de 40 anos, classe B e C e aqueles que nao necessitavam de protese removivel estavam mais satisfeitos com sua condicao bucal, com impactos significantes somente na analise por dimensao. Nao houve diferenca quanto a satisfacao com a saude bucal entre participantes do sexo masculino e feminino. Conclusao: Usuarios regulares de servicos odontologicos declararam-se mais satisfeitos com suas condicoes bucais o que mostra a importância da frequencia das visitas ao cirurgiao-dentista na qualidade de vida. As condicoes de saude bucal apresentam impactos na vida diaria das pessoas, por isso torna-se urgente a utilizacao dos indicadores subjetivos capazes de capturar tais impactos, no sentido de garantir politicas e estrategias apropriadas, bem como a excelencia da Atencao em Saude e a Qualidade de vida.
Reuse of GSM White Space Spectrum for Cognitive Femtocell Access

Nowadays, cyber-physical system (CPS) relies on wireless networks for devices control and information backhaul. But the mass deployment CPS devices make operators' spectrum scarce situations even more worse. Hence, cellular network operators anticipate the Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) technology to solve the spectrum shortage problem in the context of cognitive radio (CR). Femtocells, acting as gateways in CPS, integrate CPS devices into cellular networks in a seamless manner. The concept of cognitive femtocell can solve the spectrum congestion problem even within a massive network on the CPS scale. However, in practical systems, cellular white space spectrum should be quantitatively measured to guide cognitive femtocell access algorithms design. We are the first to conduct a comprehensive measurement study for the purpose of measurement, discovery and model features of GSM white space spectrum. We evaluate availabilities of extra 21.4 MHz capacity in GSM white space spectrum as a reason of artificial GSM network spectrum planning. In our study, we find out that perfect results can hardly be obtained because of inherent measurement trade-offs, even when extremely high sweep speed of 16 GHz/s is applied at the receiver. Based on statistical analysis of real-scene traces, we propose an Efficient Duty Cycle (EDC) model to accurately characterize the white space in GSM network by considering miss-detection probabilities. Cross-validating evaluation results show that the EDC model can well decrease interference probabilities at high time-granularity measurement periodicity scenarios. Our results confirm the feasibility of cognitive femtocells access in an intra-operator scenario and can be applied to future wireless networks.
Direct binding of C1q to apoptotic cells and cell blebs induces complement activation

Deficiency of early components of the classical pathway of complement, particularly C1q, predisposes to the development of systemic lupus erythematosus. Several studies have suggested an association between the classical complement pathway and the clearance of apoptotic cells. Mice with a targeted deletion of the C1q gene develop a lupus‐like renal disease, which is associated with the presence of multiple apoptotic bodies in the kidney. In the present study we demonstrate that highly purified C1q binds to apoptotic cells and isolated blebs derived from these apoptotic cells. Binding of C1q to apoptotic cells occurs via the globular heads of C1q and induces activation of the classical complement pathway, as shown by the deposition of C4 and C3 on the surface of these cells and on cell‐derived blebs. In addition, for the first time, we demonstrate that surface‐bound C1q is present on a subpopulation of microparticles isolated from human plasma. Taken together, these observations demonstrate that C1q binds directly to apoptotic cells and blebs derived therefrom and support a role for C1q, possibly in concert with C4 and C3, in the clearance of apoptotic cells and blebs by the phagocytic system.
Personal Initiative and Attachment Styles

So far personal initiative has mostly been studied in an organizational context, preferably the work place. But when do people develop initiative and which developmental factors play a role in the development of high levels of personal initiative? The objective of this paper is to investigate if there is a relation between attachment styles and the degree of personal initiative exhibited in the workplace, in other words, does attachment style have any predictive value with regard to initiative behaviors in the workplace?
Chemoradiotherapy of Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: Long-term Follow-up of a Prospective Randomized Trial (RTOG 85-01)

ContextCarcinoma of the esophagus traditionally has been treated by surgery or radiation therapy (RT), but 5-year overall survival rates have been only 5% to 10%. We previously reported results of a study conducted from January 1986 to April 1990 of combined chemotherapy and RT vs RT alone when an interim analysis revealed significant benefit for combined therapy.ObjectiveTo report the long-term outcomes of a previously reported trial designed to determine if adding chemotherapy during RT improves the survival rate of patients with esophageal carcinoma.DesignRandomized controlled trial conducted 1985 to 1990 with follow-up of at least 5 years, followed by a prospective cohort study conducted between May 1990 and April 1991.SettingMulti-institution participation, ranging from tertiary academic referral centers to general community practices.PatientsPatients had squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, T1-3 N0-1 M0, adequate renal and bone marrow reserve, and a Karnofsky score of at least 50.InterventionsCombined modality therapy (n=134): 50 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks, plus cisplatin intravenously on the first day of weeks 1, 5, 8, and 11, and fluorouracil, 1 g/m2 per day by continuous infusion on the first 4 days of weeks 1, 5, 8, and 11. In the randomized study, combined therapy was compared with RT only (n=62): 64 Gy in 32 fractions over 6.4 weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresOverall survival, patterns of failure, and toxic effects.ResultsCombined therapy significantly increased overall survival compared with RT alone. In the randomized part of the trial, at 5 years of follow-up the overall survival for combined therapy was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15%-37%) compared with 0% following RT. In the succeeding nonrandomized part, combined therapy produced a 5-year overall survival of 14% (95% CI, 6%-23%). Persistence of disease (despite therapy) was the most common mode of treatment failure; however, it was less common in the groups receiving combined therapy (34/130 [26%]) than in the group treated with RT only (23/62 [37%]). Severe acute toxic effects also were greater in the combined therapy groups. There were no significant differences in severe late toxic effects between the groups. However, chemotherapy could be administered as planned in only 89 (68%) of 130 patients (10% had life-threatening toxic effects with combined therapy vs 2% in the RT only group). ConclusionCombined therapy increases the survival of patients who have squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, T1-3 N0-1 M0, compared with RT alone.
Retention and use of newborn resuscitation skills following a series of helping babies breathe trainings for midwives in rural Ghana

ABSTRACT Background: The Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program teaches basic newborn resuscitation techniques to birth attendants in low-resource settings. Previous studies have demonstrated a decrease in mortality following training, mostly in large hospitals. However, low-volume clinics in rural regions with no physician immediately available likely experience a greater relative burden of newborn mortality. This study aimed to determine the impact of HBB trainings provided to rural Ghanaian midwives on their skills retention and on first 24 hour mortality of the newborns they serve. Methods: American Acadamy of Paediatrics (AAP)-trained Master Trainers conducted two 2-day HBB trainings and 2-day refresher courses one year later for 48 midwives from Ghanaian rural health clinics. Trainee skills were evaluated by Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at three time points: immediately after training, four months after training, and four months after the refresher. Midwives recorded the single highest level of resuscitation performed on each newborn delivered for one year. Results: 48 midwives attended the two trainings, 32 recorded data from 2,383 deliveries, and 13 completed OSCE simulations at all three time points. The midwives’ OSCE scores decreased from immediately after training (94.9%) to four months later (81.2%, p < 0.00001). However, four months following the refresher course, scores improved to the same high level attained initially (92.7%, p = 0.0013). 5.0% of neonates required bag-mask ventilation and 0.71% did not survive, compared with a nationwide first 24 hour mortality estimate of 1.7%. Conclusions: The midwives’ performance on the simulation exercise indicates that an in-depth refresher course provided one year after the initial training likely slows the decay in skills that occurs after initial training. Our finding that 5.0% of newborns required bag-mask ventilation is consistent with global estimates. Our observed first 24 hour mortality rate of 0.71% is lower than nationwide estimates, indicating the training likely prevented deaths due to birth asphyxia.
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—One of the risks involved in multi agent community is in the identification of trustworthy agent partners for transaction. In this paper we aim to describe a trust model for measuring trust in the interacting agents. The trust metric model works on the basis of the parameters that we have identified. The model primarily analyses trust value on the basis of the agent's reputation, as provided by the agent itself, and the agent's aggregate rating as provided by the witness agents. The final computation of the trust value is given by a weighted average of these two components. While computing the aggregate rating, a weight based method has been adopted to discount the contribution of possibly unfair ratings by the witness agents.
Causal efficacy and the normative notion of sustainability science

Abstract Sustainability science requires both a descriptive understanding and a normative approach. Modern science, however, began as purely descriptive knowledge, the core of which is that matter is dynamically inert and without purpose. The British philosopher David Hume concluded that the only type of causation in the material world is “efficient causation,” which supported this purposeless view of a deterministic world “governed” by the causal laws of dynamics. But Hume did not argue against the existence of efficacious causation, only the error of humans projecting the mind’s efficacy to objects. Though dynamically inert, a material object away from equilibrium can be thermodynamically reactive, sug-gesting the possibility of the object being efficaciously managed for a purpose. Furthermore, quantum physics has replaced classical physics as the fundamental theory of the material world. Its basic equation, the Schrödinger wave-equation, is deterministic but causally inert—it cannot govern, leaving the determinism door unlocked. This causal gap, according to the von Neumann-Stapp quantum measurement/activation theory, necessitates the pragmatic existence in an irreversible universe of the causal efficacy of mental effort and information management. The resulting “bigger” empirical science has room for “descriptive determinism” and “normative action,” both of which are utterly essential in formulating sustainability science as an integral discipline.
A New Kinetic Spectrophotometric Method for Total Polyphenols Determination in White Wines

This paper describes a new, simple and sensitive catalytic kinetic spectrophotometric method for the determination of total polyphenols in white wines. The method was based on the catalytic effect of Cu(II) on the oxidation of phenolic compounds by H2O2 in acid media. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the increase in absorbance of oxidation products at 420 nm. Under optimal experimental conditions, a differential variation of the tangent method was used to obtain a calibration curve over the range of 23.01–194.11 g mL –1 of phenols. The calculated detection limit (3.3S0/b) was 6.77 g mL –1 for ten replicate measurements of blank signal. The relative standard deviations for five replicate determinations on 70.0, and 170.0 gmL –1 of galic acid were 2.49 and 1.79 %, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of total polyphenols in white wine samples and the results were in excellent agreement with the Folin-Ciocalteau method. KEYWORDS : Kinetic-spectrophotometric method, phenolics oxidation, white wine.
Two cases of human myiasis caused by Phaenicia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Chicago area hospitals.

Third-instar larvae of Phaenicia sericata were found under a tracheotomy bandage and in the nose of terminally ill patients in 2 hospitals. Circumstances are described that suggest a nosocomial problem resulting from these eusynanthropic, endophilic carrion flies.
‘At least he’s doing something’: Moral entrepreneurship and individual responsibility in Jamie’s Ministry of Food

Jamie Oliver’s celebrity image has undergone various transformations since his debut as ‘the naked chef’. In this article, we focus on his recent series, Jamie’s Ministry of Food, locating it within debates about lifestyle television, class and neoliberalism. We identify a shift in his image from lifestyle expert to moral entrepreneur, involved with a range of social enterprises. We examine the show’s textual strategies, highlighting similarities with earlier forms of social exploration and contemporary depictions of the working class. We conclude with a consideration of how the show resonates with an emergent discourse that represents Britain as a broken society in need of political and social ‘healing’. In the show, representations of fast food, obese bodies, sink estates and poverty of aspiration delineated a general crisis demanding direct action by an inspirational figure. In this way, the show legitimated Jamie’s new role as a moral and social entrepreneur.
Inmate Experiences and Psychological Well-Being

This study examined how inmate psychological well-being is influenced by participation in institutional programs, frequency of visitation with outsiders, and experiences with victimization during incarceration. Participants were 581 adult inmates from three Ohio correctional facilities. Support was found for the hypotheses that healthier attitudes correspond with greater program participation, more frequent visitation, and no experience with victimization. The policy implications of these findings are presented.
Coal, Identity, and the Gendering of Environmental Justice Activism in Central Appalachia

Women generally initiate, lead, and constitute the rank and file of environmental justice activism. However, there is little research on why there are comparatively so few men involved in these movements. Using the environmental justice movement in the Central Appalachian coalfields as a case study, we examine the ways that environmental justice activism is gendered, with a focus on how women’s and men’s identities both shape and constrain their involvement in gendered ways. The analysis relies on 20 interviews with women and men grassroots activists working for environmental justice in the coalfields of Appalachia. We find that women draw on their identities as “mothers” and “Appalachians” to justify their activism, while the hegemonic masculinity of the region, which is tied to the coal industry, has the opposite effect on men, deterring their movement involvement. We explore the implications of these findings for understanding the relationship of gender to environmental justice activism.
Irregularly distributed triangular quadrature amplitude modulation

The recently suggested triangular quadrature amplitude modulation (TQAM) provides considerable power gain over square quadrature amplitude modulation (SQAM) at the expense of slight increase in detection complexity. However, power gain of the TQAM is limited on account of the constraint that signal points are regularly distributed at the vertexes of contiguous equilateral triangles. In this paper, we investigate a modified signal constellation of the TQAM where signal points are irregularly distributed while preserving triangular structure, and calculate achievable power gain of the proposed scheme. We also address optimum and suboptimum bit stream mapping methods and suggest a simple and optimum detection method for the constellation to be meaningful in practical implementation. Analysis and simulation show that the proposed constellation provides power gains of 0.62 dB and 0.20 dB over the SQAM and the TQAM at a target symbol error rate of 10-6 for 64-ary case.