Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Single-stage Revision with Aggressive Debridement Using Intra-articular Antibiotics in the Treatment of Infected Joint Prosthesis

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) of the hip and knee are uncommon, but result in significant morbidity and mortality when they do occur. Current management consists of a combination of either single- or two-stage exchange of the prosthesis and/or exchange of polymer components with intravenous (IV) antibiotics (4–6 weeks) and intraoperative debridement of the joint prior to reimplantation. However, failure rate, morbidity, and expense associated with current management are high, especially if the infection involves resistant pathogens and/or osteomyelitis. Also, the current use of systemic antibiotics does not allow for high local concentrations of the drug and biofilm penetration of the infected prosthesis. To overcome these difficulties, we examined the outcomes of aggressive operative debridement of the infected prosthesis. This was achieved through the use of a single-stage revision and administration of high concentrations of local intra-articular antibiotics via Hickman catheters. We present 57 patients with PJI who were treated with intra-articular antibiotics and single-stage revisions. Minimal systemic toxicity was observed along with a 100% microbiologic cure rate and 89% without relapse at 11-month follow-up despite isolation of multidrug resistant pathogens. This is the largest study to date using this method in the treatment of PJI.
Inequality, the Urban-Rural Gap, and Migration*

Using population and product consumption data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, I construct comparable measures of inequality and migration for 65 countries, including some of the poorest countries in the world. I find that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation. One out of every four or five individuals raised in rural areas moves to urban areas as a young adult, where they earn much higher incomes than nonmigrant rural permanent residents. Equally, one out of every four or five individuals raised in urban areas moves to rural areas as a young adult, where they earn much lower incomes than their nonmigrant urban cousins. These flows and relative incomes are suggestive of a world where the population sorts itself geographically on the basis of its human capital and skill. I show that a simple model of this sort explains the urban-rural gap in living standards. JEL Codes: O15, O18. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.
Arsenic trioxide and ascorbic acid: synergy with potential implications for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia?

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) induces remission in a high proportion of patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) via induction of apoptosis. Preliminary reports suggest that the apoptotic effect of As2O3 is not specific for APL but can also be observed in non‐APL acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells, although these are less sensitive than APL cells. Ascorbic acid has recently been demonstrated to enhance the apoptotic effect of As2O3. We have therefore evaluated combined As2O3/ascorbic acid treatment in various clinical samples of AML. Our results indicate a significant synergistic effect of As2O3 and ascorbic acid, suggesting a possible future role of As2O3/ascorbic acid combination therapy in patients with AML.
Aerodynamics of fricative production in european portuguese

The characteristics of steady state fricative production, and those of the phone preceding and following the fricative, were investigated. Aerodynamic and electroglotographic (EGG) recordings of four normal adult speakers (two females and two males), producing a speech corpus of 9 isolated words with the European Portuguese (EP) voiced fricatives /v, z, Z/ in initial, medial and final word position, and the same 9 words embedded in 42 different real EP carrier sentences, were analysed. Multimodal data allowed the characterisation of fricatives in terms of their voicing mechanisms, based on the amplitude of oral flow, F1 excitation and fundamental frequency (F0).
Assessing microvessels and angiogenesis in human breast cancer, using VE‐cadherin

Aims : Vascular endothelial (VE)‐cadherin, also known as cadherin‐5 and CD144, is an adhesion molecule uniquely expressed in endothelial cells. We hypothesized that VE‐cadherin may be a useful marker for assessing microvessels and angiogenesis in human breast cancer and sought to determine whether a correlation exists between levels of VE‐cadherin, angiogenic markers factor VIII and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)‐1 and patient outcome in breast cancer.
A signature of circulating microRNAs differentiates takotsubo cardiomyopathy from acute myocardial infarction

Aims Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) remains a potentially life-threatening disease, which is clinically indistinguishable from acute myocardial infarction (MI). Today, no established biomarkers are available for the early diagnosis of TTC and differentiation from MI. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) emerge as promising sensitive and specific biomarkers for cardiovascular disease. Thus, we sought to identify circulating miRNAs suitable for diagnosis of acute TTC and for distinguishing TTC from acute MI. Methods and results After miRNA profiling, eight miRNAs were selected for verification by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in patients with TTC (n = 36), ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI, n = 27), and healthy controls (n = 28). We quantitatively confirmed up-regulation of miR-16 and miR-26a in patients with TTC compared with healthy subjects (both, P < 0.001), and up-regulation of miR-16, miR-26a, and let-7f compared with STEMI patients (P < 0.0001, P < 0.05, and P < 0.05, respectively). Consistent with previous publications, cardiac specific miR-1 and miR-133a were up-regulated in STEMI patients compared with healthy controls (both, P < 0.0001). Moreover, miR-133a was substantially increased in patients with STEMI compared with TTC (P < 0.05). A unique signature comprising miR-1, miR-16, miR-26a, and miR-133a differentiated TTC from healthy subjects [area under the curve (AUC) 0.835, 95% CI 0.733–0.937, P < 0.0001] and from STEMI patients (AUC 0.881, 95% CI 0.793–0.968, P < 0.0001). This signature yielded a sensitivity of 74.19% and a specificity of 78.57% for TTC vs. healthy subjects, and a sensitivity of 96.77% and a specificity of 70.37% for TTC vs. STEMI patients. Additionally, we noticed a decrease of the endothelin-1 (ET-1)-regulating miRNA-125a-5p in parallel with a robust increase of ET-1 plasma levels in TTC compared with healthy subjects (P < 0.05). Conclusion The present study for the first time describes a signature of four circulating miRNAs as a robust biomarker to distinguish TTC from STEMI patients. The significant up-regulation of these stress- and depression-related miRNAs suggests a close connection of TTC with neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover, decreased levels of miRNA125a-5p as well as increased plasma levels of its target ET-1 are in line with the microvascular spasm hypothesis of the TTC pathomechanism.
Reduced Dose and Intermittent Treatment with Lapatinib and Trastuzumab for Potent Blockade of the HER Pathway in HER2/neu-Overexpressing Breast Tumor Xenografts

Purpose: We have shown that incomplete blockade of the human epidermal growth factor (HER) pathway is a mechanism of resistance to treatment with trastuzumab (T) in HER2-overexpressing tumor xenografts. We now investigate whether the addition of lapatinib (L), a dual HER1/2 kinase inhibitor, to T results in more potent inhibition of the pathway and therefore inhibition of tumor growth, and whether reduced dose and intermittent treatment with the combination is equally effective. Experimental Design: Nude mice bearing HER2-overexpressing MCF7/HER2–18 or BT-474 xenograft tumors were treated with L and T, alone or in various combinations with other HER inhibitors. L + T for short duration (14 and 42 days), intermittent administration (14 days on/off), and reduced dosing (half dose) was also investigated. Inhibition of tumor growth, downstream signaling, proliferation, and induction of apoptosis were assessed. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: L + T was the most effective regimen in both MCF7/HER2–18 and BT-474 xenografts with complete regression (CR) of tumor observed in all mice. Intermittent and reduced dose treatment (½ dose) resulted in high rates of CR and low rates of tumor recurrence that were comparable to full dose continuous treatment. L + T resulted in significantly reduced downstream signaling and proliferation, and increased apoptosis. Conclusions: L + T is a potent and effective combination even when given in reduced dose or intermittent schedule potentially resulting in lower toxicity and reduced cost if translated to patients. These findings warrant timely clinical testing. Clin Cancer Res; 17(6); 1351–61. ©2011 AACR.
Variation in the outcome of competition between two aphid species on pecan: plants matter more than predators

The relative importance of resource-mediated competition versus apparent competition was studied in two native aphids, Monellia caryella, and Melanocallis caryaefoliae, on pecan, Carya illinoensis. We compared reproduction and body size of the two aphid species when they were caged on pecan leaves as single or mixed species, and when green lacewing larvae (Chrysoperla comanche or Chyrsopa nigricornis) were present or absent. The experiment was repeated two times on mature compound leaves in the field in the autumn of 1997 and summer of 1998 and once in a greenhouse, on young seedlings with simple leaves. Our results suggest that interspecific competition was variable and asymmetric; in both the Summer 98 experiment and the greenhouse experiment, reproduction of M. caryaefoliae was significantly reduced in the mixed species treatments relative to the single species treatment, while M. caryella reproduction was significantly reduced only in the Summer 98 experiment. No evidence of an effect of competition on reproduction was found in the Autumn 97 experiment. M. caryella body size was reduced in one of the mixed species treatments in the Autumn 97 experiment. Body size of both aphid species was reduced in the mixed species treatments of the greenhouse experiment. The introduction of green lacewing larvae reduced the reproduction of aphids in two of the three experiments in comparison to controls. However, a significant interaction between aphid and predator treatment (M. caryella in the greenhouse experiment) was found in only one experiment. Variation in the outcome of competition was more likely to be due to aspects of plant quality, including leaf age and previous aphid feeding.
Encoded bitstream based video content type definition for HEVC video quality prediction

In the past, many video quality assessment methods have been proposed to predict video quality non-intrusively from different application and/or network related parameters. One of the important parameters which have been identified to have a significant impact on video quality is the video content type. To determine video content type, researchers have used different methods such as the extraction of video motion features from the encoded bitstream, the calculation of pixel-wise differences between consecutive frames and human vision systems. In this paper, we developed a new motion amount (MA) metric for defining and determining video content type for the newly released HEVC encoding standard. This metric is based on a combination of the counting number of extracted motion vectors from an encoded bitstream, the magnitude and the complexity of video sequences. Accuracy of the metric was determined by performing a direct correlation between MA, video bitrate and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). We also performed a performance comparison with existing pixel-wise approach of defining video content type. Preliminary results show that our metric outperformed the pixel-wise approach of content type definition. Based on the new metric, we further developed an HEVC encoded video quality prediction model that takes into account the MA and the Quantization Parameter (QP). We achieved an accuracy of 96% when our model predicted PSNR values are compared with full reference PSNR measurement.
A TIME‐CALIBRATED SPECIES TREE OF CROCODYLIA REVEALS A RECENT RADIATION OF THE TRUE CROCODILES

True crocodiles (Crocodylus) are the most broadly distributed, ecologically diverse, and species‐rich crocodylian genus, comprising about half of extant crocodylian diversity and exhibiting a circumtropical distribution. Crocodylus traditionally has been viewed as an ancient group of morphologically conserved species that originated in Africa prior to continental breakup. In this study, these long‐held notions about the temporal and geographic origin of Crocodylus are tested using DNA sequence data of 10 loci from 76 individuals representing all 23 crocodylian species. I infer a time‐calibrated species tree of all Crocodylia and estimate the spatial pattern of diversification within Crocodylus. For the first time, a fully resolved phylogenetic estimate of all Crocodylia is well‐supported. The results overturn traditional views of the evolution of Crocodylus by demonstrating that the true crocodiles are not “living‐fossils” that originated in Africa. Rather, Crocodylus originated from an ancestor in the tropics of the Late Miocene Indo‐Pacific, and rapidly radiated and dispersed around the globe during a period marked by mass extinctions of fellow crocodylians. The findings also reveal more diversity within the genus than is recognized by current taxonomy.
Mexican American First-Generation Students' Perceptions of Siblings and Additional Factors Influencing their College Choice Process

Title of Document: MEXICAN AMERICAN FIRSTGENERATION STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SIBLINGS AND ADDITIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR COLLEGE CHOICE PROCESS Dora Elías McAllister, Ph.D., 2012 Directed By: Associate Professor Sharon L. Fries-Britt, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education Professor Alberto F. Cabrera, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education The purpose of this study was to understand the factors influencing the college choice process of Mexican American first-generation students who had an older sibling with college experience. While a considerable amount of research exists on factors influencing the college choice process of first-generation college students, and a few studies report on the process for Mexican American first-generation college students specifically, far less attention has been devoted to the college choice process of first-generation college students who come from families where an older sibling has already experienced the college choice process. The major research question and sub-question guiding this study were: How do Mexican American first-generation students who have an older sibling with college experience describe their college choice process? What are some of the familial, social, and academic factors that Mexican American students identify as influences on their college choice process? This study was based on a qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study design. The cases were 17 Mexican American first-generation students attending Arizona State University (ASU). Participants completed a questionnaire and participated in two individual interviews. Participants were first-time freshmen, Arizona residents, spring 2010 high school graduates, and enrolled at ASU in fall 2010 with continued enrollment in spring 2011. In addition, five participants had an older sibling with a bachelor’s degree; three participants had an older sibling with an associate degree; eight participants had an older sibling enrolled at a university; and one participant had an older sibling who had completed some coursework at ASU but left before obtaining a degree. The most important conclusions from this study were: (1) Parents and older siblings have the greatest influence on the predisposition stage; (2) during the search stage, students sought information and assistance from teachers, followed by older siblings and counselors; (3) the institutions that students considered for application and attendance were heavily influenced by older siblings; (4) an institution’s distance from home had a great influence on where students applied and enrolled; (5) institutional type had a great influence on where students applied; and (6) cost and financial aid had a great impact on students’ choice of college. MEXICAN AMERICAN FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SIBLINGS AND ADDITIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR COLLEGE CHOICE PROCESS
Self-Assessment, Self-Enhancement, and the Choice of Comparison Organizations for Evaluating Organizational Performance

Abstract We examine the influence of the self-assessment and self-enhancement motives on the choice of comparison organizations in two experimental studies. Study 1 shows that: (1) self-assessment generally prevailed over self-enhancement, guiding decision makers to choose organizations that were more similar and had better performance; (2) self-enhancement was more pronounced under conditions of low performance, leading participants to more frequently choose organizations that were less similar and had lower performance; and (3) self-enhancing comparisons inhibited perceptions of failure and the propensity to make changes. Study 2 extends the results of Study 1 by showing that participants were more likely to choose comparison organizations that had lower performance and were less similar when they were in a self-enhancement mindset than when they were in a self-assessment mindset. The combined effects of self-assessment and self-enhancement on the choice of comparison organizations are discussed in relation to the broader organizational literature on learning from performance feedback.
Protein–protein interactions: General trends in the relationship between binding affinity and interfacial buried surface area

Protein–protein interactions play key roles in many cellular processes and their affinities and specificities are finely tuned to the functions they perform. Here, we present a study on the relationship between binding affinity and the size and chemical nature of protein–protein interfaces. Our analysis focuses on heterodimers and includes curated structural and thermodynamic data for 113 complexes. We observe a direct correlation between binding affinity and the amount of surface area buried at the interface. For a given amount of surface area buried, the binding affinity spans four orders of magnitude in terms of the dissociation constant (Kd). Across the entire dataset, we observe no obvious relationship between binding affinity and the chemical composition of the interface. We also calculate the free energy per unit surface area buried, or “surface energy density,” of each heterodimer. For interfacial surface areas between 500 and 2000 Å2, the surface energy density decreases as the buried surface area increases. As the buried surface area increases beyond about 2000 Å2, the surface energy density levels off to a constant value. We believe that these analyses and data will be useful for researchers with an interest in understanding, designing or inhibiting protein–protein interfaces.
Breastfeeding Duration and Residential Isolation amid Aboriginal Children in Western Australia

Objectives: To examine factors that impact on breastfeeding duration among Western Australian Aboriginal children. We hypothesised that Aboriginal children living in remote locations in Western Australia were breastfed for longer than those living in metropolitan locations. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from 2000 to 2002 in urban, rural and remote settings across Western Australia. Cross-tabulations and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, using survey weights to produce unbiased estimates for the population of Aboriginal children. Data on demographic, maternal and infant characteristics were collected from 3932 Aboriginal birth mothers about their children aged 0–17 years (representing 22,100 Aboriginal children in Western Australia). Results: 71% of Aboriginal children were breastfed for three months or more. Accounting for other factors, there was a strong gradient for breastfeeding duration by remoteness, with Aboriginal children living in areas of moderate isolation being 3.2 times more likely to be breastfed for three months or more (p < 0.001) compared to children in metropolitan Perth. Those in areas of extreme isolation were 8.6 times more likely to be breastfed for three months or longer (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Greater residential isolation a protective factor linked to longer breastfeeding duration for Aboriginal children in our West Australian cohort.
Cues to deception in a textual narrative context:lying in written witness statements

Little research has been undertaken into high stakes deception, and even less into high stakes deception in written text. This study addresses that gap. In this thesis, I present a new approach to detecting deception in written narratives based on the definition of deception as a progression and focusing on identifying deceptive linguistic strategy rather than individual cues. I propose a new approach for subdividing whole narratives into their constituent episodes, each of which is linguistically profiled and their progression mapped to identify authors’ deceptive strategies based on cue interaction. I conduct a double blind study using qualitative and quantitative analysis in which linguistic strategy (cue interaction and progression) and overall cue presence are used to predict deception in witness statements. This results in linguistic strategy analysis correctly predicting 85% of deceptive statements (92% overall) compared to 54% (64% overall) with cues identified on a whole statement basis. These results suggest that deception cues are not static, and that the value of individual cues as deception predictors is linked to their interaction with other cues. Results also indicate that in certain cue combinations, individual self-references (I, Me and My), previously believed to be indicators of truthfulness, are effective predictors of deceptive linguistic strategy at work