Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sonographic evaluation of the placental cord insertion site.

OBJECTIVE Velamentous and marginal umbilical cords are uncommon abnormalities of placental cord insertion that can entail significant fetal risk. We undertook this investigation to assess the ability of prenatal sonography to reveal abnormal insertions of the umbilical cord into the placenta. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Forty-six patients had both prenatal sonographic evaluation of the placental cord insertion site and postnatal pathologic examination. Distance from the insertion site to the nearest placental edge was categorized by sonography and pathology as normal if greater than 1 cm and abnormal if less than or equal to 1 cm. Sonographic and pathologic findings were compared. RESULTS Thirty-eight singleton and eight twin pregnancies, for a total of 54 cord insertions, were studied. Of the 43 sonographically normal insertions, 38 had normal pathologic findings, and the remaining five insertions had abnormal pathologic findings (all marginal cord insertions). All 11 insertions that showed abnormality on sonography were abnormal on pathologic examination (seven marginal and four velamentous insertions). Sonography was able to reveal a difference between the two types of abnormal insertions in only a single patient, in whom the cord insertion changed from marginal to velamentous during a 7-week interval. Sonography had an overall sensitivity of 69% (11/16), a specificity of 100% (38/38), and an accuracy of 91% (49/54) for revealing abnormal placental cord insertion sites. CONCLUSION Targeted sonographic examination of the placental site of umbilical cord insertion will reveal abnormal placental cord insertions, although distinguishing the specific type of abnormal insertion may require the use of color Doppler imaging.
N-RAS and K-RAS gene mutations in Brazilian patients with multiple myeloma

Point mutations affecting codons 12, 13 (exon 1) and 61 (exon 2) of the N-RAS gene and codons 12 and 13 (exon 1) of the K-RAS gene are identified in approximately 30.0% and 10.0%, respectively, of multiple myeloma (MM) patients living in the northern hemisphere. To date, there are no reports about the prevalence of RAS gene mutations in MM Brazilian patients, and this comprised the aim of the present study. DNA from bone marrow aspirates of 252 patients with MM (139 males and 113 females; aged 59.33 ± 11.95 years) were investigated for whole exons 1 and 2 of the N-RAS gene and whole exon 1 of the K-RAS gene by direct sequencing of DNA amplified in vitro by the polymerase chain reaction. Fifty-three out of 252 (21.03%) MM patients presented RAS mutations. Heterozygous mutations at codons 4, 10 (exon 1), 61 and 65 (exon 2) of the N-RAS gene were identified in seven out of 252 (2.78%) patients. K-RAS heterozygous mutations at codons 7, 12, 13 (exon 1) were seen in 46 out of 252 (18.25%) patients. To the best of our knowledge, the mutation at codon 7 of K-RAS gene is reported for the first time in MM. Taken together, these results suggest that Brazilian MM patients are characterized by: (i) a low prevalence of RAS mutation and (ii) RAS mutations located at distinct regions of the critical codons of the N-RAS and K-RAS genes.
Erythrocyte Aggregation As an Early Biomarker in Patients with Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Design: We have evaluated the degree of erythrocyte aggregation (EA) as a microinflammatory biomarker in a cohort of hospital-based, neurologically asymptomatic outpatients. Methods: The degree of EA and carotid artery stenosis was evaluated in 510 individuals by using a simple slide test and image analysis. Results: Four hundred and sixteen individuals had minimal carotid stenosis (< 30%); 47 had mild to moderate stenosis (30–69%) and 47 had severe stenosis (>70%). A significant correlation was noted between the degree of carotid stenosis and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell count (WBCC) and fibrinogen (r=0.160, p=0.005;r=0.191, p=0.001 andr=0.126, p=0.026, respectively). The significant correlation was noted between the degree of carotid stenosis and EA (r=0.209, p < 0.001). The subjects with severe stenosis differed significantly from the other groups in their ESR, WBCC and EA. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations did not discriminate between the presence and absence of significant carotid atherosclerotic disease. Conclusions: Inflammatory biomarkers such as ESR and the EA test are more sensitive than hs-CRP to the presence of a significant atherosclerotic carotid burden. These biomarkers might aid in the detection and quantification of microinflammation in individuals with carotid atherosclerosis.
Pressure Gradient Related to Energy Conversion in the Aorta

In this study, we analyzed a common form of experimental investigation of blood vessels, in which measurements are obtained with branches ligated. Utilizing representative pressure and flow pulses and the full expression for the equation of motion, we calculated the axial pressure gradient, in the time domain at a plane in the descending aorta. The time function representing the ratio between axial pressure gradient and axial flow for the resulting tapering geometry was subjected to Fourier analysis. The harmonics were utilized to obtain the real and imaginary components of the longitudinal impedance as if it were a linear system. In a linear system, the real and imaginary components represent the viscous and inertial properties of the fluid, respectively. For the system studied, however, the real part contained both viscous and substantial in-phase components arising from the inertial terms of the equation of motion. The real part, therefore, cannot be interpreted as indicative solely of dissipated energy. When measurements are obtained from an adulterated system, caution must be exercised if the interpretation is to be considered that of the real system. The analysis clarifies an anomalous issue concerning resistive features of the aorta.
Assessment of Impediments and Factors Affecting Waste Management: A Case of Accra Metropolis

Solid waste management in Accra is a major challenge to the Metropolitan Authorities and inhabitants. The rapidly increasing population coupled with poor capacity of the municipal and private waste management companies to management waste effectively has created issues of environmental concern. Due to poor wastement managements systems, most household dispose waste discriminately leading to floods and health issues. The study showed that about 60% of household waste is organic materials which has the potential to be converted to compost for agriculture purpose. Meanwhile plastics and rubbers which litters the environment as well as blocking major storm drains and gutters hence creating huge environmental hazard is made of 11% of the total component of most household waste generated daily. The study also revealed that among the methods of disposing waste, dumping waste in skip containers located at authorized places was the preferred means of disposing waste by household though others also dispose waste by other means such as burying and burning. Inadequate skip containers per population of household in an area coupled with irregularity of tracks picking these containers makes skip containers dumping site ugly scene, hence creating health issues. Among the constraints that impact negatively on sustainable waste management in Accra Metropolis, economic constraints was perceived as the main challenge which affect efficient waste management as currently the country is going through serious economic challenges so government does not release money timely to fund projects which waste management is key. Most donor partners that use to support the government with funds have either reduced or redrawn their services as they have no confidence in the state of Ghana economy. Aside the constrains, the study also indicated that factors such as poor public attitude towards waste management, poor enforcement of sanitation by-laws, inadequate and untimely release of government funds were also seen as the main factors affecting waste management.
Co‐registration of cortical magnetic stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging

FUNCTIONAL magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are noninvasive techniques recently used to investigate cortical motor physiology. However, these modalities measure different phenomena, and in studies of human motor control they have given inconsistent results. We have developed a reproducible technique which co-registers TMS and fMRI, using a frameless method. In four normal subjects, the TMS map and fMRI activation were present on the primary motor cortex contralateral to the target hand, with some extension into primary sensory cortex. fMRI activation alone was also present in the medial motor cortex bilaterally and in the sensori-motor cortex ipsilateral to the target hand. This technique allows a more comprehensive evaluation of the physiologic events involved in motor control.
Ground-state fidelity of the spin-1 Heisenberg chain with single ion anisotropy: quantum renormalization group and exact diagonalization approaches

We study the phase diagram of the anisotropic spin-1 Heisenberg chain with single ion anisotropy (D) using a ground-state fidelity approach. The ground-state fidelity and its corresponding susceptibility are calculated within the quantum renormalization group scheme where we obtained the renormalization of fidelity preventing calculation of the ground state. Using this approach, the phase boundaries between the antiferromagnetic Néel, Haldane and large-D phases are obtained for the whole phase diagram, which justifies the application of quantum renormalization group to trace the symmetry-protected topological phases. In addition, we present numerical exact diagonalization (Lanczos) results in which we employ a recently introduced non-local order parameter to locate the transition from Haldane to large-D phase accurately.
Latent Inhibition as a Function of Modulation of Attention to the Preexposed Irrelevant Stimulus

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to test predictions of Conditioned Attention Theory (CAT; Lubow, 1989) in regard to latent inhibition (LI) in humans. In Experiment 1, LI was assessed as a function of relative positions of the preexposed stimulus and masking task stimulus (peripheral vs central). In Experiment 2, LI was assessed as a function of attention–attraction to the preexposed stimulus (no-attraction vs attraction). LI was obtained when attention to the preexposed stimulus was allowed to decline (Experiment 1, peripheral condition; Experiment 2, no-attraction condition), but was precluded when attention to the preexposed stimulus was either maintained or reevoked (Experiment 1, central condition; Experiment 2, attraction condition). The conditions for maintaining and disrupting LI appear to be similar in animals and humans. Implications for understanding attenuated LI in schizophrenics are discussed.
From This Day Forward: Commitment, Marriage, and Family in Lesbian and Gay Relationships

'Our Love is Here To Stay': Lesbian and Gay Relationships in the 1990s - 'As Long as I Have a Heart': A History of Same Sex Ceremonies in the United States Since the 1960s - 'What is this Thing Called Love? ': On the Meaning of Love - 'Power of Two': On the Meaning of Commitment and Marriage - 'We are Family! ': The Creation of Family in Lesbian and Gay Relationships 'Love and Marriage Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage? ': Same Sex Ceremonies as Rites of Passage - 'Church Bells May Ring': Same Sex Ceremonies as Acts of Accommodation and Resistance - 'Going to the Chapel and I'm Gonna Get ____? ': Same Sex Ceremonies and the Politics of Naming - 'A Change is Gonna Come': The Movement to Legalize Lesbian and Gay Marriages - Conclusion - Works Cited - Index
Testing exponentiality based on the Kullback-Leibler information with the type II censored data

We express the joint entropy of order statistics in terms of an incomplete integral of the hazard function, and provide a simple estimate of the joint entropy of the type II censored data. Then we establish a goodness of fit test statistic based on the Kullback-Leibler information with the type II censored data, and compare its performance with some leading test statistics. A Monte Carlo simulation study shows that the proposed test statistic shows better powers than some leading test statistics against the alternatives with monotone increasing hazard functions.
Consensus Among Economists: Revisited

Abstract The authors explore consensus among economists on specific propositions on the basis of a fall 2000 survey of American Economic Association members. Because some propositions are drawn from earlier studies, the results illustrate the dynamics of opinion within the profession. The authors generally find consensus within the profession, although the degree of consensus varies between propositions that are international, macroeconomic, and microeconomic in nature. Consensus is particularly strong for propositions of free international trade and capital flows. In contrast, macroeconomic propositions exhibit a lower degree of consensus, partly because of increased agreement with monetarist and supply-side propositions over time. The profession displays substantial skepticism concerning claims of the “New Economy. ”
Predictors of subjective stress in a sample of new parents

Abstract On the basis of Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) cognitive-phenomenological theory of stress and coping, it was poposed that the level of strain (or subjective stress) associated with new parenthood is related to a person's generalised control beliefs, their appraisal of the event on several different dimensions (importance, anticipated difficulty, familiarity, and ambiguity), and a number of event-related characteristics (delivay complications. infant temperament, and the accumulation of recent and concurrent stressors). Langitudinal data collected from a sample of 123 couples during the transition to parenthood provided some support—even when the level of initial distress was controlled—for the proposed effects of these variables. Importance of the event, anticipated difficulty of the event, familiarity with the event, infant temperament, and the experience of recent and concurrent stressors emerged as distinctive predictors of at least one of the measures of strain (postnatal anxiety and appraisal.
An updated mortality study of workers at a petroleum refinery in Beaumont, Texas.

The mortality experience of 7,119 workers who were employed at a Beaumont, Texas, refinery for at least 1 year between 1945 and 1987 was investigated. Mortality analyses based on standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) showed overall mortality was significantly lower than expected compared with the U.S. general population (SMR = 82, 95% CI = 79-86). Total cancer mortality was also lower than expected (SMR = 92, 95% CI = 84-100). Significant mortality deficits from several malignant and nonmalignant diseases were reported. A significant mortality increase in the broad category of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers was found (SMR = 133, 95% CI = 103-170). This increase was attributed to a nonsignificant elevation in leukemia of all cell types combined (SMR = 139, 95% CI = 92-201) and a borderline significant increase in other lymphatic tissue cancer (SMR = 158, 95% CI = 101-235). The elevation in leukemia was confined to workers hired before 1950. Furthermore, the leukemia excess was shown to have peaked during the 1960s, with mortality no longer elevated post-1980. Analyses of cell type-specific leukemias showed a similar temporal pattern for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) which was not significantly elevated (SMR = 136, 95% CI = 59-268). Mortality from other leukemia cell types was similar to or lower than expected. Mortality from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (SMR = 140, 95% CI = 88-211) and multiple myeloma (MM) (SMR = 121, 95% CI = 55-230) were increased, but neither was statistically significant nor likely to be related to refinery employment. No death from asbestosis was reported, and mortality from mesothelioma and pulmonary fibrosis was lower than expected. Lung cancer mortality for the overall cohort was similar to expected. For the overall cohort, analyses by duration of employment and time since first employment showed no evidence of any trends for increasing cause-specific mortality. Separate analyses of male workers employed in operator jobs showed mortality patterns that were more favorable than those of the total cohort. Maintenance craftworkers showed statistically significant elevations in mortality for prostate cancer (SMR = 145, 95% CI = 107-194), leukemia (SMR = 179, 95% CI = 111-273), and other lymphatic tissue cancer (SMR = 233, 95% CI = 138-368). Detailed analyses indicated that, among maintenance craftworkers, mortality was elevated for AML, NHL, and MM, but none was significant. Furthermore, no upward trend by duration of maintenance jobs was observed. A small increase of lung cancer was observed among maintenance craftworkers (SMR = 120, 95% CI = 99-145), which was borderline significant. No relationship between lung cancer and duration of maintenance employment was found. In contrast, a deficit of pulmonary fibrosis was reported among maintenance craftworkers (SMR = 62, 95% CI = 17-159). These findings are discussed in conjunction with results from other refinery studies, and the limitations of the study are discussed.
An Enhanced Joint Source-Channel Decoder

Tandem coding and decoding has been demonstrated to yield arbitrarily low error rates provided a sufficiently large block length is used. When applied to practical systems that are inherently limited to a finite complexity and therefore to finite block lengths, such a strategy may be largely suboptimal. Indeed, a tandem decoding strategy ignores two types of information: the source memory and the residual redundancy of the source coder. Moreover, conventional source decoders, within a tandem decoding strategy, are designed to perform the inverse operation of the source coder and may severely decrease performance if errors are still present at their input. One viable alternative, that has been demonstrated to yield gains, is the design of a joint source-channel decoding scheme that would take the additional sources of redundancies — the source memory and the source coder’s residual redundancy — into account. In this context, we propose a novel, iterative joint source-channel decoding algorithm. The proposed scheme is derived from a Bayesian network representation of the coding chain and incorporates three types of information: the source memory; the residual redundancy of the source coder; and finally the redundancy introduced by the channel coder. Specifically, we modify an existing algorithm by first deriving a new, equivalent Bayesian network representation of the coding chain. Next, we derive a fully consistent methodology, within the framework of Bayesian networks, for performing the iterations. The proposed algorithm is shown to yield significant gains along with a drastic reduction in computational complexity when compared with the existing one. Finally, we outline additional possible improvements on the proposed algorithm. They include methods for further reductions in computational complexity at no cost in performance in one case, and at a slight cost in performance in the other.
Determination of bone mineral density of the hip and spine in human pedigrees by genetic and life‐style factors

In 40 human pedigrees with 563 subjects, we evaluated the contribution of genetic and life‐style factors (exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption) and the interactions between non‐genetic factors in determining bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip and spine. In our analysis, we adjusted for age, weight, height, menopausal status in females, life‐style factors, and the significant interactions among these factors. For the spine and hip BMD, heritabilities (h2) (± SE) were, respectively, 0.68 (0.21) and 0.86 (0.28) in males and 0.64 (0.13) and 0.67 (0.14) in females. Exercise had significant beneficial effects for male spine BMD and female hip BMD. Alcohol consumption experienced in our sample had significant beneficial effects on hip BMD in both sexes. Although the main effect of smoking was not significant, there were significant interaction effects between smoking and other important factors (e.g., exercise, weight, alcohol consumption). For example, for female spine BMD, exercise had significant beneficial effects in smokers; however, its effect in non‐smokers was non‐significant. This result indicates that exercise may reduce deleterious effects of smoking (if any) on BMD, but may have minor effects in increasing BMD in non‐smokers. The various interaction effects among risk factors explicitly revealed here for the first time indicate that the detailed effects and direction of individual risk factors may depend on the presence and magnitude of other factors. Weight invariably affected BMD of the hip and spine in both sexes. Age effects were significant for hip BMD, but not for male spine BMD. Genet. Epidemiol. 19:160–177, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adolescent Sexual Offenders: A Total Survey of Referrals To Social Services in Sweden and Subgroup Characteristics

Sampling methodology (e.g. population-based vs. clinical samples, anonymous self-reports vs. data collected as part of mandated treatment) affects the validity of conclusions drawn from research addressing the etiology of adolescent sexual offending. Studies of unselected samples allow testing of the generalizability of etiological models suggested from investigation of selected clinical or forensic populations. Further, representative epidemiological data on adolescent sexual offending is needed for policy-making and the planning of services. We conducted a national survey of all adolescent sexual offenders (ASOs, 12–17 years) referred to Social Services during 2000. Social workers at all child and adolescent units in Social Service authorities throughout Sweden (N=285, 99% response rate) completed a questionnaire about new ASO referrals in 2000. The National Board of Health and Welfare commissioned the survey and questionnaire items tapped offender, offence, and victim characteristics. A total of 197 boys and 2 girls aged 12–17 years were referred to Social Services because of sexually abusive behavior in 2000. Focusing specifically on males, this yielded a one-year incidence of . 060% (95% confidence interval = .052–.068). Forty-six percent of male ASOs abused at least one child younger than age 12 years (child offenders) whereas the rest had abused peer or adult victims (peer offenders). Forty-two percent of male ASOs had ever committed sexual offences together with at least one other offender (group offenders). Child- vs. peer offenders and group vs. single offenders, suggested typologies in the literature, were compared to explore potential subtype-specific risk factors and correlates. The results suggested a higher proportion of group ASOs than previously reported and stronger support for subdividing ASOs into child vs. peer offenders than into group vs. single ASOs.