Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypercholesterolaemia in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Ninety‐one (11.4%) subjects with hypercholesterolaemia (serum cholesterol level more than 250 mg/dL) of 792 Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied in Taiwan. All 91 patients had large tumours greater than 7 cm in diameter and a tumour volume greater than 50%; 56 (61%) of these patients manifested tumour involvement in both lobes of the liver. The HCC patients with hypercholesterolaemia had significantly higher mean serum levels of albumin, triglyceride and α‐fetoprotein (AFP) compared with age‐sex‐tumour volume matched HCC patients without hypercholesterolaemia. The associated incidence of hypoglycaemia in hypercholesterolaemic HCC patients was significantly higher than in HCC patients without hypercholesterolaemia (15/90 vs 4/90; P= 0.01). There was no significant difference in the survival analysis between HCC patients with and without hypercholesterolaemia. Eight and 11 of hypercholesterolaemic HCC patients had their tumours surgically resected and received transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TAE), respectively. Serum cholesterol levels fell to the normal range after treatment and rose to abnormal levels again when tumours recurred after surgery or progressively enlarged after TAE. The change in pattern of serum cholesterol was parallel to the change in serum AFP. Serum cholesterol levels may serve as another marker in identifying tumour recurrence and the presence of a viable tumour mass in hypercholesterolaemic HCC patients who have received surgical resection or TAE.
Etiopathogenesis of cataract: An appraisal

Natural eye lens is a crystalline substance to produce a clear passage for light. Cataract is opacity within the clear lens of the eye and is the dominant cause of socio-medical problem i.e., blindness worldwide. The only available treatment of cataract is surgery. However, insufficient surgical facilities in poor and developing countries and post-operative complications inspire researchers to find out other modes of treatment for cataract. In this review, an attempt has been made to appraise various etiological factors of cataract to make their perception clear to build up counterpart treatment. Present study is an assortment of various available literatures and electronic information in view of cataract etiopathogenesis. Various risk factors have been identified in development of cataracts. They can be classified in to genetic factors, ageing (systemic diseases, nutritional and trace metals deficiencies, smoking, oxidative stress etc.), traumatic, complicated (inflammatory and degenerative diseases of eye), metabolic (diabetes, galactosemia etc.), toxic substances including drugs abuses, alcohol etc., radiation (ultraviolet, electromagnetic waves etc.) are implicated as significant risk factors in the development of cataract.
160-gb/s adaptive dispersion equalization using an asynchronous dispersion-induced chirp monitor

This paper describes an adaptive dispersion equalizer (ADE) that uses an asynchronous dispersion-induced chirp monitor and the detailed study of the first demonstration of 160-Gb/s adaptive dispersion equalization. The device successfully equalized the dispersion change over a 40/spl deg/C temperature range (from 5/spl deg/C to 45/spl deg/C) and the dispersion slope of an 80-km dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF). The ADE will enhance the feasibility of 160-Gb/s optical transmission systems.
Increased Expression of Toll-Like Receptors 4, 5, and 9 in Small Bowel Mucosa from Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The aim of our study was to compare patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and healthy controls regarding the expression of toll-like receptors 2, 4, 5, and 9 (TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR9), the primary mucosal receptors of bacterial components, in small and large bowel mucosa. Methods. We analysed biopsies from jejunum and sigmoid colon of 22 patients (17 females) with IBS aged 18–66 (median: 39) years and 14 healthy volunteers (12 females) aged 22–61 (median: 42) years. Eight patients had constipation-predominant IBS (C-IBS), 7 had diarrhoea-predominant IBS (D-IBS), and 7 had IBS without predominance of constipation or diarrhoea. We analysed mRNA levels for TLRs using quantitative PCR and distribution of TLRs in mucosa using immunohistochemistry. Results. We found increased mRNA expression of TLR4 (mean fold change 1.85 ± 0.31 versus 1.0 ± 0.20; p < 0.05), TLR5 (1.96 ± 0.36 versus 1.0 ± 0.20; p < 0.05) and TLR9 (2.00 ± 0.24 versus 1.0 ± 0.25; p < 0.01) but not of TLR2 in the small bowel mucosa from patients with IBS compared to the controls. There was no significant difference in mRNA levels for TLRs in colon mucosa between patients and controls. Conclusion. Upregulation of TLR4, TLR5, and TLR9 suggests the involvement of bacteria or dysregulation of the immune response to commensal flora in small bowel mucosa in IBS patients.
Adverse drug reaction reporting related to the administration of antibiotics in hospitalized pediatric patients in Greece.

INTRODUCTION Pharmacosurveillance during the administration of antibiotics is of extreme importance in paediatric patients given their different physiology and adverse drug reaction (ADR) profile compared to the adult population. Systematic reviews show that one in ten hospitalised children will experience ADRs. Administration of antibiotics is among the leading causes of such ADRs. The aim of this study was to assess ADRs reporting related to the administration of antibiotics in hospitalized paediatric patients in Greece. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted over a seven month period (January to July 2012) in paediatric departments in Greece. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a total of 750 health professionals providing paediatric care in 3 specialized paediatric hospitals and 33 paediatric departments in general and university hospitals. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses were performed. Levels of significance were two-tailed and statistical significance was set at P =0.05. RESULTS Overall, 576 out of 750 questionnaires were returned completed, at a response rate of 76.8%. ADRs related to antibiotics were reported by 44.8% of nurses and 23.7% of doctors as occurring often/very often during their practice. 45% of doctors reported amoxicillin/clavulanic acid as the drug with the most frequent ADRs. Overall, 63% of nurses and 32.7% of doctors stated they had never reported ADRs. Doctors used yellow cards more often than nurses (65.2% vs 33.9%). Only 48.4% of doctors and 35.9% of nurses knew that ADR reporting constitutes part of their professional duties. CONCLUSIONS ADRs following antibiotic administration are common in paediatric practice in Greece; however, underreporting remains a significant problem.
Among neighbors: An ethnographic account of responsibilities in rural palliative care

Abstract Objective: Building high quality palliative care in rural areas must take into account the cultural dimensions of the rural context. The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct an exploration of rural palliative care, with a particular focus on the responsibilities that support good palliative care from rural participants’ perspectives. Method: This ethnographic study was conducted in four rural communities in Western Canada between June 2009 and September 2010. Data included 51 days of field work, 95 semistructured interviews, and 74 hours of direct participant observation. Thematic analysis was used to provide a descriptive account of rural palliative care responsibilities. Results: Findings focus on the complex web of responsibilities involving family, healthcare professionals, and administrators. Family practices of responsibility included provision of direct care, managing and coordinating care, and advocacy. Healthcare professional practices of responsibility consisted of interpreting their own competency in relation to palliative care, negotiating their role in relation to that interpretation, and individualizing care through a bureaucratic system. Administrators had three primary responsibilities in relation to palliative care delivery in their community: navigating the politics of palliative care, understanding the culture of the community, and communicating with the community. Significance of results: Findings provide important insights into the complex ways rurality influences understandings of responsibility in palliative care. Families, healthcare providers, and administrators work together in fluid ways to support high quality palliative care in their communities. However, the very fluidity of these responsibilities can also work against high quality care, and are easily disrupted by healthcare changes. Proposed healthcare policy and practice changes, particularly those that originate from outside of the community, should undergo a careful analysis of their potential impact on the longstanding negotiated responsibilities.
In vivo imaging of photoreceptor disruption associated with age‐related macular degeneration: A pilot study

Age‐related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss in the developed world. As the disease progresses, the central part of the retina, called the macula, is compromised leading to a disruption of both structure and visual function. In this study, we investigate the disruption of macular photoreceptor cells in vivo as a function of disease stage in patients with the dry form of age‐related macular degeneration AMD.
An Instrument for the Assessment of Cross-Curricular Skills

An instrument was constructed to assess the level of competence of students (aged 15-16) on eight cross-curricular skills. The instrument, further to be called the cross-curricular skills test (CCST), consisted of 56 multiple-choice items. In the first section cross-curricular skills are defined as general skills which can be taught and practiced in curricula for different disciplines. In the second section we describe how eight cross-curricular skills were selected for testing. We also explain why we decided to compose the test of multiple-choice items, an item-format that is not a customary one for measuring general skills. In the third section we report administration of the test to 465 students in a pilot study and 9,000 students in the main study. Quantitative data are presented concerning p -values, reliability, internal structure, and construct validity of the CCST. Qualitative data were derived from observations, thinking aloud protocols and analysis of the test content. The data warrant the claim that CCST is a valid and reliable test for cross-curricular skills. It is suitable for students of 15-16 years of age and allows administration in large samples. In the final section we discuss some limitations of the test and suggest directions for future research on assessment of cross-curricular skills.
Attachment, history of corporal punishment, and impulsivity as predictors of risk-taking behaviors in college students

Risk-taking behaviors (RTBs) can cause (1) psychological, social, health, and economic problems; (2) physical injury; (3) legal entanglements; and (4) death. Attachment insecurity, corporal punishment, and impulsivity are risk factors for engaging in RTB. The present study is the first to examine all three of these predictors and their interactions for a broad spectrum of RTBs (i.e. academic risk, risky long-term health behaviors (RLTHBs), reckless driving, drug use, drinking, antisocial behavior, and risky sex). Participants were 101 college students who completed a narrative storytelling and self-report attachment assessment, a behavioral assessment of impulsivity, and a battery of RTB self-report questionnaires. Analyses revealed significant and meaningful effects in predicting academic risk, RLTHBs, drug use, antisocial behavior, and risky sex. The effects that emerged differed, but at their core was the effect of attachment on each of the aforementioned RTBs. Discussion focuses on limitations and future directions.
Sphingolipid Regulation of Tissue Fibrosis

Bioactive sphingolipids, such as sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), dihydrosphingosine 1-phosphate (dhS1P) and ceramide, regulate a diverse array of cellular processes. Many of these processes are important components of wound-healing responses to tissue injury, including cellular apoptosis, vascular leak, fibroblast migration, and TGF-β signaling. Since over-exuberant or aberrant wound-healing responses to repetitive injury have been implicated in the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis, these signaling sphingolipids have the potential to influence the development and progression of fibrotic diseases. Here we review accumulating in vitro and in vivo data indicating that these lipid mediators can in fact influence fibrogenesis in numerous organ systems, including the lungs, skin, liver, heart, and eye. Targeting these lipids, their receptors, or the enzymes involved in their metabolism consequently now appears to hold great promise for the development of novel therapies for fibrotic diseases.
Parental belief and parental engagement in children’s learning

This article reports on a small scale study, examining the influence of parental faith belief on parental engagement with children’s learning. The literature surrounding parental engagement and the impact of familial belief on children’s outcomes is examined. It is clear from work in the US that familial faith belief has an impact; however, the previous literature is almost entirely quantitative in nature and does not reflect the faith make up of the UK. The article then reports the results of an online survey of parents, examining parental perception of the impact of belief, of faith/belief group and other issues on their engagement with their children’s learning. Analysis of the results are presented, and contextualised for the UK.
Testing Structural Equation Models

Introduction - Kenneth A Bollen and J Scott Long Multifaceted Conceptions of Fit in Structural Equation Models - J S Tanaka Monte Carlo Evaluations of Goodness-of-Fit Indices for Structural Equation Models - David W Gerbing and James C Anderson Some Specification Tests for the Linear Regression Model - J Scott Long and Pravin K Trivedi Bootstrapping Goodness-of-Fit Measures in Structural Equation Models - Kenneth A Bollen and Robert A Stine Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit - Michael W Browne and Robert Cudeck Bayesian Model Selection in Structural Equation Models - Adrian E Raftery Power Evaluations in Structural Equation Models - Willem E Saris and Albert Satorra Goodness-of-Fit with Categorical and Other Nonnormal Variables - Bengt O Muthen Some New Covariance Structure Model Improvement Statistics - P M Bentler and Chih-Ping Chou Nonpositive Definite Matrices in Structural Modeling - Werner Wothke Testing Structural Equation Models - Karl G Joreskog
Adopted Children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Unique and Growing Population

Background: Standard clinical pathways are well established for children with cleft lip and/or palate. Treatment of internationally adopted children differs because of the late age at presentation, a newly evolving child-family relationship, and variable extent and quality of previous treatment. Methods: The authors characterized the presentation and treatment patterns of all internationally adopted children with clefts at their institution between 1997 and 2011. Results: Among 1841 children with clefts, 216 (12 percent) were internationally adopted: 78 percent had cleft lip and palate, 18 percent had cleft lip, and 4 percent had cleft palate. Patients originated predominantly from China (80 percent). Median age at presentation was 31 months, and the rate of new presentations increased five-fold during the study period. Eighty-two percent presented with prior cheiloplasty, and revision was recommended for 64 percent of them. Thirty-seven percent of patients had prior palatoplasty, of which 34 percent presented with a palatal fistula. Secondary palatoplasty/pharyngoplasty was performed more frequently for patients who underwent primary palatoplasty before adoption than after adoption (95 percent CI, 0.20 to 0.77). Overall, adoptees required secondary surgery more often than nonadoptees (49 percent versus 28 percent) regardless of where their primary surgery was performed. Changes in adoptee growth indices suggested improvements in systemic health following adoption. Conclusions: Internationally adopted children with clefts have unique treatment challenges. Children with unrepaired clefts undergo surgery late, and children with prior repairs frequently undergo revision. Compared with nonadoptees, adoptees require more revisions and have a higher fistula rate. Further detailed study is important to optimize care.
Crowdsourcing for a better world: On the relation between IT affordances and donor motivations in charitable crowdfunding

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to better understand the relation between information technology (IT) affordances and donor motivations in charitable crowdfunding. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports the findings from a comparative case study of two charitable crowdfunding campaigns. Findings – The affordances of crowdfunding platforms support types of donor motivation that are not supported effectively, or at all, in offline charity. Research limitations/implications – For future researchers, the paper provides a theoretical model of the relation between IT affordances and motivations in the context of charitable crowdfunding. Practical/implications – For practitioners in the charity space, the paper suggests why they may wish to consider the use of charitable crowdfunding and how they may go about its implementation. Originality/value – Based on field research at two charitable crowdfunding campaigns, the paper provides a new theoretical model.
Regulatory T Cells as Biomarkers for Rejection and Immunosuppression Tailoring in Solid Organ Transplantation

Abstract: The use of biomarkers to tailor immunosuppression and to predict graft and patient outcomes using biological samples obtained by non-invasive tests is one of the main objectives in solid organ transplantation. Although biopsies give the most accurate information, they are clearly invasive and are associated with potentially adverse effects. To date, regulatory T cells have been shown to play a role in allograft protection; for this reason, extensive research has been performed to define them as biomarkers. However, studies of the measurement of these cells in peripheral blood as biomarkers in solid organ transplantation have been very limited and still not validated in prospective randomized large cohorts with the use of standardized methodology. Such poor evidence has been almost exclusively obtained in renal transplantation. Available data summarized here point for their use as biomarkers in different clinical settings with discordant data in many cases.
Issues in transcription: factors affecting the reliability of transcripts as evidence in legal cases

This article considers the reliability of transcripts used as evidence in court, especially transcripts of poor recordings. Background information about human speech and speech perception is presented, and the implications of this information for the use of transcripts of different kinds in legal contexts is considered. Finally, recommendations are made to allow judgement of the reliability of existing transcripts, ensure that newly created transcripts are reliable, and to ensure that transcripts are presented to a jury appropriately.
Synthetic Biology: A Unifying View and Review Using Analog Circuits

We review the field of synthetic biology from an analog circuits and analog computation perspective, focusing on circuits that have been built in living cells. This perspective is well suited to pictorially, symbolically, and quantitatively representing the nonlinear, dynamic, and stochastic (noisy) ordinary and partial differential equations that rigorously describe the molecular circuits of synthetic biology. This perspective enables us to construct a canonical analog circuit schematic that helps unify and review the operation of many fundamental circuits that have been built in synthetic biology at the DNA, RNA, protein, and small-molecule levels over nearly two decades. We review 17 circuits in the literature as particular examples of feedforward and feedback analog circuits that arise from special topological cases of the canonical analog circuit schematic. Digital circuit operation of these circuits represents a special case of saturated analog circuit behavior and is automatically incorporated as well. Many issues that have prevented synthetic biology from scaling are naturally represented in analog circuit schematics. Furthermore, the deep similarity between the Boltzmann thermodynamic equations that describe noisy electronic current flow in subthreshold transistors and noisy molecular flux in biochemical reactions has helped map analog circuit motifs in electronics to analog circuit motifs in cells and vice versa via a `cytomorphic' approach. Thus, a body of knowledge in analog electronic circuit design, analysis, simulation, and implementation may also be useful in the robust and efficient design of molecular circuits in synthetic biology, helping it to scale to more complex circuits in the future.
The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Activities on the Consumer Purchasing Situation

To explore the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on the consumer purchasing situation, we arranged a scenario where participants (n = 451) purchased workout clothes. The results (r = 0.996, p = 0.000) show that (1) relative to other relevant marketing activities, CSR activity was not the most salient antecedent stimulus, (2) general CSR activities may have a lower impact on purchasing behavior than more specific CSR activities, (3) some CSR activities may have a negative impact on purchasing behavior, and (4) CSR activities may have a different impact on different segments. We propose that the impact of CSR can be understood as rule-governed behavior situated in the consumer’s situation. A functional understanding of the impact of CSR on the purchasing situation could help companies to develop more effective marketing campaigns and, in addition, maintain activities that benefit not only the company but also society as a whole.