Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Existence of Hierarchies and Human's Pursuit of Top Hierarchy Lead to Power Law

The power law is ubiquitous in natural and social phenomena, and is considered as a universal relationship between the frequency and its rank for diverse social systems. However, a general model is still lacking to interpret why these seemingly unrelated systems share great similarity. Through a detailed analysis of natural language texts and simulation experiments based on the proposed 'Hierarchical Selection Model', we found that the existence of hierarchies and human's pursuit of top hierarchy lead to the power law. Further, the power law is a statistical and emergent performance of hierarchies, and it is the universality of hierarchies that contributes to the ubiquity of the power law.
The impact of speech material on speech judgement in children with and without cleft palate.

BACKGROUND The chosen method of speech assessment, including type of speech material, may affect speech judgement in children with cleft palate. AIM To assess the effect of different speech materials on speech judgement in 5-year-old children born with or without cleft palate, as well as the reliability of materials by means of intra- and inter-transcriber agreement of consonant transcriptions. METHODS & PROCEDURES Altogether 40 children were studied, 20 born with cleft palate, 20 without. The children were audio recorded at 5 years of age. Speech materials used were: single-word naming, sentence repetition (both developed for cleft palate speech assessment), retelling of a narrative and conversational speech. The samples were phonetically transcribed and inter- and intra-transcriber agreement was calculated. Percentage correct consonants (PCC), percentage correct places (PCP), percentage correct manners (PCM), and percentage active cleft speech characteristics (CSC) were assessed. In addition, an analysis of phonological simplification processes (PSP) was performed. OUTCOME & RESULTS The PCC and CSC results were significantly more accurate in word naming than in all other speech materials in the children with cleft palate, who also achieved more accurate PCP results in word naming than in sentence repetition and conversational speech. Regarding PCM and PSP, performance was significantly more accurate in word naming than in conversational speech. Children without cleft palate did better, irrespective of the speech material. The medians of intra- and inter-transcriber agreement were good in both groups and all speech materials. The closest agreement in the cleft palate group was seen in word naming and the weakest in the retelling task. CONCLUSION & IMPLICATIONS The results indicate that word naming is the most reliable speech material when the purpose is to assess the best speech performance of a child with cleft palate. If the purpose is to assess connected speech, sentence repetition is a reliable and also valid speech material, with good transcriber agreement and equally good articulation accuracy as in retelling and conversational speech. For typically developing children without a cleft palate, the chosen speech material appears not to affect speech judgement.
An evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and practice of adverse drug reaction reporting among prescribers at a tertiary care hospital

Objectives: Spontaneous reporting is an important tool in pharmacovigilance. However, its success depends on cooperative and motivated prescribers. Under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by prescribers is a common problem. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding ADR reporting among prescribers at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, to get an insight into the causes of under-reporting of ADRs. Materials and Methods: A pretested KAP questionnaire comprising of 15 questions (knowledge 6, attitude 5, and practice 4) was administered to 436 prescribers. The questionnaires were assessed for their completeness (maximum score 20) and the type of responses regarding ADR reporting. Microsoft Excel worksheet (Microsoft Office 2007) and Chi-Square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 260 (61%) prescribers completed the questionnaire (mean score of completion 18.04). The response rate of resident doctors (70.7%) was better than consultants (34.5%) (P < 0.001). ADR reporting was considered important by 97.3% of the respondents; primarily for improving patient safety (28.8%) and identifying new ADRs (24.6%). A majority of the respondents opined that they would like to report serious ADRs (56%). However, only 15% of the prescribers had reported ADRs previously. The reasons cited for this were lack of information on where (70%) and how (68%) to report and the lack of access to reporting forms (49.2%). Preferred methods for reporting were e-mail (56%) and personal communication (42%). Conclusion: The prescribers are aware of the ADRs and the importance of their reporting. However, under reporting and lack of knowledge about the reporting system are clearly evident. Creating awareness about ADR reporting and devising means to make it easy and convenient may aid in improving spontaneous reporting.
Diaphragm correction factors for free-air chamber standards for air kerma in x-rays

At present, only a correction factor for photon transmission, k l, is systematically applied for the entrance diaphragm of free-air chamber standards for air kerma. In the present work, the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE is used to re-evaluate k l for the BIPM standards and new correction factors are calculated for photon scatter and for fluorescence production in the diaphragm. An additional effect arising from electrons emitted from the diaphragm is shown to be significant at the highest photon energies. The results for the radiation qualities used for international comparisons give a combined diaphragm correction factor k dia = 0.9980(3) for the BIPM medium-energy standard at 250 kV. This is significantly different from the factor k l = 0.9996(1) in use at present and it might be concluded that differences are likely to exist for all free-air chamber standards. The effect of using a conical taper at the downstream edge of the diaphragm is shown to be negligible for these radiation qualities.
Human Brain: Cytoarchitectonic Left-Right Asymmetries in the Temporal Speech Region

• The auditory regions in four normal brains were mapped and the full extent of the cytoarchitectonic subdivisions was measured for the presence of right-left asymmetries. It was found that asymmetries similar to those found in the planum temporale (left commonly larger than right) are also seen in auditory cytoarchitectonic area Tpt, an area of probable importance for language function. There is a strong positive correlation between the planum asymmetry and the asymmetry of Tpt. It is concluded that the previously described planum asymmetries probably reflect asymmetries in an auditory cytoarchitectonic area and therefore may represent, at least in part, the anatomic substrate for language lateralization.
Feeling in and Falling Out: An individual differences approach to sense of belonging and frequency of disagreeing among Anglican congregations

Perceived levels of belonging and frequency of disagreeing with local teaching were assessed in a sample of 404 lay members of the Anglican Church in England. Belonging and disagreeing were inversely related, although occasional disagreement was common even among those who felt entirely at home in their church. The power of individual differences and external factors to predict sense of belonging and frequency of disagreeing was tested using multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. Sense of belonging was strongest among people who, in terms of psychological type, recorded high feeling and high judging scores, who were older, who attended church frequently, and who had low frequency of charismatic practice. Disagreement was most frequent among people who, in terms of psychological type, recorded high intuitive scores, who had experienced higher levels of education and who were in larger congregations. Belonging and disagreeing seemed to be related more to intrinsic and acquired individual differences than to external factors associated with congregations.
Universal Denoising of Discrete-time Continuous-Amplitude Signals

We consider the problem of reconstructing a discrete-time continuous-amplitude signal corrupted by a known memoryless channel with a general output alphabet. We develop a sequence of denoisers that asymptotically achieve optimum performance in a semi-stochastic setting of an unknown individual noiseless signal, where the quality of reconstruction is measured with respect to a general given loss function satisfying mild conditions. We also extend this to the fully stochastic setting and show that our denoiser is asymptotically optimal for any stationary noiseless source. We conclude with some experimental validations of the proposed theory
Evaluation of Dual-Color Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization With Peptide Nucleic Acid Probes for the Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria in Clinical Specimens

Background Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes are artificial DNA analogues with a hydrophobic nature that can penetrate the mycobacterial cell wall. We evaluated a FISH method for simultaneous detection and identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in clinical respiratory specimens using differentially labeled PNA probes. Methods PNA probes targeting the mycobacterial 16S ribosomal RNA were synthesized. The cross-reactivity of MTB- and NTM-specific probes was examined with reference strains and 10 other frequently isolated bacterial species. A total of 140 sputum specimens were analyzed, comprising 100 MTB-positive specimens, 21 NTM-positive specimens, and 19 MTB/NTM-negative specimens; all of them were previously confirmed by PCR and culture. The PNA FISH test results were graded by using the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended scale and compared with the results from the fluorochrome acid-fast bacterial stain. Results The MTB- and NTM-specific PNA probes showed no cross-reactivity with other tested bacterial species. The test results demonstrated 82.9% agreement with the culture results with diagnostic sensitivity of 80.2% and diagnostic specificity of 100.0% (kappa=0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.370-0.676). Conclusions Dual-color PNA FISH showed high specificity for detecting and identifying mycobacteria in clinical specimens. However, because of its relatively low sensitivity, this method could be more applicable to culture confirmation. In application to direct specimens, the possibility of false-negative results needs to be considered.
Cyclopentane Neuraminidase Inhibitors with Potent In Vitro Anti-Influenza Virus Activities

ABSTRACT A novel series of cyclopentane derivatives have been found to exhibit potent and selective inhibitory effects on influenza virus neuraminidase. These compounds, designated RWJ-270201, BCX-1827, BCX-1898, and BCX-1923, were tested in parallel with zanamivir and oseltamivir carboxylate against a spectrum of influenza A (H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1) and influenza B viruses in MDCK cells. Inhibition of viral cytopathic effect ascertained visually and by neutral red dye uptake was used, with 50% effective (virus-inhibitory) concentrations (EC50) determined. Against the H1N1 viruses A/Bayern/07/95, A/Beijing/262/95, A/PR/8/34, and A/Texas/36/91, EC50s (determined by neutral red assay) of the novel compounds were ≤1.5 μM. Twelve strains of H3N2 and two strains of avian H5N1 viruses were inhibited at <0.3 μM. Influenza B/Beijing/184/93 and B/Harbin/07/94 viruses were inhibited at <0.2 μM, with three other B virus strains inhibited at 0.8 to 8 μM. The novel inhibitors were comparable in potency to (or slightly more potent than) zanamivir and oseltamivir carboxylate. No cytotoxicity was seen with the compounds at concentrations of ≤1 mM in cell proliferation assays. The antiviral activity of RWJ-270201, chosen for clinical development, was studied in greater detail. Its potency and that of oseltamivir carboxylate decreased with increasing multiplicity of virus infection. Time-of-addition studies indicated that treatment with either compound needed to begin 0 to 12 h after virus exposure for optimal activity. Exposure of cells to RWJ-270201 caused most of the virus to remain cell associated, with extracellular virus decreasing in a concentration-dependent manner. This is consistent with its effect as a neuraminidase inhibitor. RWJ-270201 shows promise in the treatment of human influenza virus infections.
Interaction Effect of Leadership and Communication Media on Feedback Positivity in Virtual Teams

Technology and contextual factors may moderate the effects of leadership in virtual teams. We conducted an experiment to study the effect of leadership styles on feedback positivity in small, ad hoc teams performing a decision-making task using a virtual world or instant messaging. We also examined the relationship of feedback positivity to team outcomes, including satisfaction, social presence, cohesion, group efficacy, consensus, decision quality, and task time. Leadership style interacted with communication medium to influence feedback positivity. Relative to transactional leadership, transformational leadership led to greater feedback positivity in the instant messaging condition but had no effect in the virtual world condition. Greater feedback positivity was positively associated with social presence, discussion satisfaction, cohesion, group efficacy, and task time, but was negatively associated with decision quality.
Social distance as a moderator of the effects of transformational leadership: Both neutralizer and enhancer

Following recent interest in contextual factors and how they might influence the effects of transformational leadership, we consider the social distance between leaders and followers as a cross-level moderator of the relationships between senior level managers’ transformational leadership and individual-level outcomes. Our sample comprised 268 individuals in 50 leader-follower groups. Results revealed that high social distance reduced or neutralized transformational leadership’s association with followers’ emulation of leader behavior. In contrast, high levels of social distance between leaders and followers enhanced the effects of transformational leadership on individuals’ perceptions of their units’ positive emotional climate and individuals’ sense of collective efficacy. Results not only highlight the importance of social distance as a contextual variable affecting leader-follower relations but also suggest that the same contextual variable may have differential effects, enhancing some relationships and neutralizing others.
A stepped wedge, cluster controlled trial of an intervention to improve safety and quality on medical wards: the HEADS-UP study protocol

Introduction The majority of preventable deaths in healthcare are due to errors on general wards. Staff perceptions of safety correlate with patient survival, but effectively translating ward teams’ concerns into tangibly improved care remains problematic. The Hospital Event Analysis Describing Significant Unanticipated Problems (HEADS-UP) trial evaluates a structured, multidisciplinary team briefing, capturing safety threats and adverse events, with rapid feedback to clinicians and service managers. This is the first study to rigorously assess a simpler intervention for general medical units, alongside an implementation model applicable to routine clinical practice. Methods/analysis 7 wards from 2 hospitals will progressively incorporate the intervention into daily practice over 14 months. Wards will adopt HEADS-UP in a pragmatic sequence, guided by local clinical enthusiasm. Initial implementation will be facilitated by a research lead, but rapidly delegated to clinical teams. The primary outcome is excess length of stay (a surplus stay of 24 h or more, compared to peer institutions’ Healthcare Resource Groups-predicted length of stay). Secondary outcomes are 30-day readmission or excess length of stay; in-hospital death or death/readmission within 30 days; healthcare-acquired infections; processes of escalation of care; use of traditional incident-reporting systems; and patient safety and teamwork climates. HEADS-UP will be analysed as a stepped wedge cluster controlled trial. With 7840 patients, using best and worst case predictions, the study would achieve between 75% and 100% power to detect a 2–14% absolute risk reduction in excess length of stay (two-sided p<0.05). Regression analysis will use generalised linear mixed models or generalised estimating equations, and a time-to-event regression model. A qualitative analysis will evaluate facilitators and barriers to HEADS-UP implementation and impact. Ethics and dissemination Participating institutions’ Research and Governance departments approved the study. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and at conference presentations. Trial registration number ISRCTN34806867.
Escherichia coli Glutamate- and Arginine-Dependent Acid Resistance Systems Increase Internal pH and Reverse Transmembrane Potential

ABSTRACT Due to the acidic nature of the stomach, enteric organisms must withstand extreme acid stress for colonization and pathogenesis. Escherichia coli contains several acid resistance systems that protect cells to pH 2. One acid resistance system, acid resistance system 2 (AR2), requires extracellular glutamate, while another (AR3) requires extracellular arginine. Little is known about how these systems protect cells from acid stress. AR2 and AR3 are thought to consume intracellular protons through amino acid decarboxylation. Antiport mechanisms then exchange decarboxylation products for new amino acid substrates. This form of proton consumption could maintain an internal pH (pHi) conducive to cell survival. The model was tested by estimating the pHi and transmembrane potential (ΔΨ) of cells acid stressed at pH 2.5. During acid challenge, glutamate- and arginine-dependent systems elevated pHi from 3.6 to 4.2 and 4.7, respectively. However, when pHi was manipulated to 4.0 in the presence or absence of glutamate, only cultures challenged in the presence of glutamate survived, indicating that a physiological parameter aside from pHi was also important. Measurements of ΔΨ indicated that amino acid-dependent acid resistance systems help convert membrane potential from an inside negative to inside positive charge, an established acidophile strategy used to survive extreme acidic environments. Thus, reversing ΔΨ may be a more important acid resistance strategy than maintaining a specific pHi value.
The Role of Peripheral Nerve Surgery in the Treatment of Chronic Pain Associated with Amputation Stumps

Background: Debilitating pain following amputation surgery can seriously affect the long-term success of the operation and the patient’s quality of life. Often, such patients are unable to ambulate because of pain when using a prosthesis; become grouped in the chronic pain category; and are treated with high-dose narcotics, antidepressants, or other methods to treat symptoms that may provide little or no relief. Little attention has been given to the role of peripheral nerve surgery as an early treatment option. Methods: A retrospective review of 21 consecutive amputees with chronic stump pain was performed. The surgical technique included removal of the neuroma with implantation of the proximal nerve ending into adjacent muscle. In addition to the surgical outcome, other variables evaluated included resolution or optimal improvement in pain and spasms, change in quality of life, and ambulation status. Results: The mean duration of stump pain before surgery was 7.28 months (range, 5 to 18 months). After surgery, there were statistically significant changes with pain and spasms, quality-of-life, and ambulation status. The mean follow-up was 22.8 months, and there was no recurrence of neuroma. Conclusions: Peripheral nerve surgery plays a significant role in the treatment of chronic pain associated with amputation stumps. After conservative treatment methods have been exhausted, a treatment algorithm for peripheral nerve surgery is successful in improving or resolving chronic pain and the quality-of-life issues associated with amputation patients.
Bronchial fibroepithelial polyp: a clinico‐radiologic, bronchoscopic, histopathological and in‐situ hybridisation study of 15 cases of a poorly recognised lesion

Bronchial fibroepithelial polyp is an uncommon, poorly recognised lesion, lacking clear diagnostic criteria at histology, but possibly mimicking neoplastic growth on clinico‐radiologic and histopathological grounds. The aim of this study was to define the clinico‐pathological features, bronchoscopic appearance and treatment of bronchial fibroepithelial polyp.
Evaluating the Impact the Weekday Has on Near-Repeat Victimization: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Street Robberies in the City of Vienna, Austria

The near-repeat phenomenon refers to the increased risk of repeat victimization not only at the same location but at nearby locations up to a certain distance and for a certain time period. In recent research, near-repeat victimization has been repeatedly confirmed for different crime types such as burglaries or shootings. In this article the near-repeat phenomenon is analyzed for each day of the week separately. That is, the near-repeat pattern is evaluated for all consecutive Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc. included in the dataset. These consecutive weekdays represent the fictive set of consecutive dates to allow for spatial and temporal analysis of crime patterns. Using these principles, it is hypothesized that street robberies cluster in space and time and by the same day of the week. This research analyzes street robberies from 2009 to 2013 in Vienna, Austria. The overall research goal investigates whether near-repeat patterns of robberies exist by weekdays and in an additional step by time of day, and whether these near-repeat patterns differ from each other and from purely spatial patterns. The results of this research confirm the existence of near-repeat patterns by weekday and especially by time of day. Distinctive locations have been identified that differ greatly per weekday and time of day. Based on this information, law enforcement agencies in Austria can optimize strategic planning of police resources in combating robberies.