Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MMR vaccine—worries are not justified

The advocates of Vaccination have exalted in the prospect of exterminating the Small Pox from the face of the earth; while its opponents have framed their tales of horror, replete with stories of novel diseases and unheard-of plagues. When I consider the many evidences in favour of Vaccination, which the public documents of almost every nation afford, I am at a loss to conceive from what cause such doubts can have arisen; for I think, if an unprejudiced mind will fairly consider the question, it must be convinced that Vaccination has answered the promised end. (from a letter to The Gentleman's Magazine , March 1808, by “Cosmopoliton”) Since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1968 and then the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1988, measles, mumps, and rubella have become rare diseases. However, on the basis of research, primarily from one unit, some parents and health professionals have become concerned about the safety of MMR vaccine. This has led to a decline in uptake and fears of impending outbreaks.1 In this paper we review the background to these concerns and examine the evidence to date. In the early 1990s the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group (IBDSG) at the Royal Free Hospital in London suggested that measles disease in children predisposed them to inflammatory bowel disease as adults.2 3 However, further research, including that by the IBDSG has shown this not to be so.4-6 Later, the IBDSG suggested that measles vaccination could lead to adult inflammatory bowel disease.7 This study was much criticised at the time8 and further work, including some by the IBDSG, has shown no link.9 10 More recently, Ghosh et al reviewed all the evidence surrounding the presence of measles virus in Crohn's disease and concluded …
Teacher Storybook Reading Style: A Comparison of Six Teachers

This investigation describes the storybook reading styles of 6 kindergarten teachers who read the same 4 storybooks. Transcriptions ofaudiotapes and videotapes were classified using a system that emerged from the data. This system focused on three major facets of style: 1) the focus of the teacher talk during the storybook reading; 2) the type of information that the teacher and/or the students talked about during the storybook reading; and 3) the instructional strategies used by the teacher. Relying on both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data, the investigators determined that each of the six teachers had a distinctive storybook reading style with variations apparent in each of the three major facets of style. These findings suggest a need to investigate whether variations in teacher storybook reading style differentially influence children's literacy development.
Flexible working in Europe the evidence and the implications

This article reports upon the current practice of flexible working amongst organizations in Europe: focusing on current developments in the use, by employing organizations, of different patterns of working time and a range of contractual variations. The article draws on both quantitative and qualitative evidence. It shows that across Europe there is a substantial amount of flexible working and that there has been a continuing increase in its use. It is argued that much of the academic literature and the strategies and behaviours of employers, trade unions, individuals, institutions, and policy makers at national and European level are based on assumptions about “standard” employment that are becoming increasingly less relevant and require radical rethinking.
Comparison of a Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase PCR Assay and a Culture Technique for Quantitative Assessment of Viral Load in Children Naturally Infected with Respiratory Syncytial Virus

ABSTRACT Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory infection of children. Understanding RSV pathogenesis and evaluating interventions requires quantitative RSV testing. Previous studies have used the plaque assay technique. Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RTrtPCR) offers possible greater sensitivity, stability after freeze/thaw, and lower cost, thus facilitating multicenter studies. We developed RTrtPCR assays based upon the RSV N and F genes. The N-gene assay detected greater RSV quantity and was further evaluated. Standard curves utilized both extractions from RSV culture supernatants of known quantity and cloned purified copies of the target DNA. In vitro, the ratio of RSV subgroup A (RSV-A) genome copies to PFU was 153:1. A total of 462 samples collected quantitatively from 259 children were analyzed in duplicate by RTrtPCR. Results were compared with those of RSV plaque assays performed on fresh aliquots from the same children. Duplicate RTrtPCR results were highly correlated (r2 = 0.9964). The mean viral load from nasal washes obtained on the first study day was 5.75 ± standard error of the mean 0.09 log PFU equivalents (PFUe)/ml. Viral load by RTrtPCR correlated with plaque assay results (r2 = 0.158; P < 0.0001). Within individuals, upper and lower respiratory tract secretions contained similar viral concentrations. RSV-A-infected children had 1.17 log PFUe higher viral loads than did those with RSV-B (P < 0.0001). RSV quantification by RTrtPCR of the N gene is precise and has significant, though limited, correlation with quantitative culture. The utility of the RTrtPCR quantification technique for clinical studies would be solidified after its correlation with RSV disease severity is established.
Endothelial Progenitor Cells as Prognostic Markers of Preterm Birth‐Associated Complications

Preterm birth is associated with alteration of the vascular tree that can result in disease states such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity during the neonatal period and emphysema and hypertension in adulthood. Studies have suggested a potential role for endothelial progenitor cells in the pathophysiology of prematurity‐related complications involving blood vessels; however, this knowledge has never been synthesized. We conducted a systematic review of the published data to examine the characteristics of endothelial progenitor cells in relation to preterm birth in humans. Preterm infants compared with term controls displayed similar or increased circulating/cord blood endothelial progenitor cell counts. However, the preterm endothelial progenitor cells were more vulnerable to exogenous factors such as oxidative stress. A reduced number, in particular of endothelial colony‐forming cells, was associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. No studies have examined endothelial progenitor cells beyond the neonatal period. These findings could prove useful in the identification of biomarkers for prognostication or therapeutic strategies for vascular‐related diseases in preterm‐born individuals. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:7–13
Artificial Neural Networks Versus Multiple Logistic Regression to Predict 30-Day Mortality After Operations For Type A Ascending Aortic Dissection§

Background: There are few comparative reports on the overall accuracy of neural networks (NN), assessed only versus multiple logistic regression (LR), to predict events in cardiovascular surgery studies and none has been performed among acute aortic dissection (AAD) Type A patients. Objectives: We aimed at investigating the predictive potential of 30-day mortality by a large series of risk factors in AAD Type A patients comparing the overall performance of NN versus LR. Methods: We investigated 121 plus 87 AAD Type A patients consecutively operated during 7 years in two Centres. Forced and stepwise NN and LR solutions were obtained and compared, using receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) and Gini’s coefficients. Both NN and LR models were re-applied to data from the second Centre to adhere to a methodological imperative with NN. Results: Forced LR solutions provided AUC 87.9±4.1% (CI: 80.7 to 93.2%) and 85.7±5.2% (CI: 78.5 to 91.1%) in the first and second Centre, respectively. Stepwise NN solution of the first Centre had AUC 90.5±3.7% (CI: 83.8 to 95.1%). The Gini’s coefficients for LR and NN stepwise solutions of the first Centre were 0.712 and 0.816, respectively. When the LR and NN stepwise solutions were re-applied to the second Centre data, Gini’s coefficients were, respectively, 0.761 and 0.850. Few predictors were selected in common by LR and NN models: the presence of pre-operative shock, intubation and neurological symptoms, immediate post-operative presence of dialysis in continuous and the quantity of post-operative bleeding in the first 24 h. The length of extracorporeal circulation, post-operative chronic renal failure and the year of surgery were specifically detected by NN. Conclusions: Different from the International Registry of AAD, operative and immediate post-operative factors were seen as potential predictors of short-term mortality. We report a higher overall predictive accuracy with NN than with LR. However, the list of potential risk factors to predict 30-day mortality after AAD Type A by NN model is not enlarged significantly.
Effectiveness of an overall progressive resistance strength program for improving the functional capacity of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of overall progressive resistance training in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial with blinded assessor and intention-to-treat analysis. Setting: Outpatient clinics. Subjects: Sixty patients with rheumatoid arthritis according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria, aged between 18 and 65 years old, under stable medication and not performing regular physical activity were randomized into two groups: intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). Interventions: IG performed the progressive resistance strength training, twice a week, during 12 weeks. The training consists of exercising various muscle groups using a load of 50% and 70% of one repetition maximum. The load was reassessed and adjusted after six weeks of baseline. Both groups remained in conventional drug treatment during the study. Main measures: Patients were evaluated at baseline and after 6, 12, and 24 weeks, using HAQ and SF-36 questionnaires and strength. Results: Thirty-three patients in the CG and 27 in the IG were evaluated. The groups were homogeneous at baseline. Statistical and clinical improvement were found with better results for the IG in the HAQ questionnaire (P=0.030), functional capacity (0=0.022) and pain (P=0.027) domains of SF-36; and muscle strength for flexors of right and left knee (P=0.005 and p=0.14), abductors of shoulder (P=0.041) and extensors of right and left wrists (P=0.003 and P= 0.005). Conclusions: This progressive resistance strength training improves physical function as well as grip and muscular strength of knee flexors, shoulder abductors and wrist extensors in patients with RA, without adverse effects.
Peers, Persuasion, and Piaget: Dyadic Interaction Between Conservers and Nonconservers. Developmental Program Report No. 44.

MILLER, SCOTT A. , and BROWNELL, CELIA A. Peers, Persuasion, and Piaget: Dyadic Interaction between Conservers and Nonconservers. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1975, 46, 992-997. Second-grade children were pretested for conservation of length and weight. 50 pairs were formed for a second session, each pair consisting of 1 conserver and 1 nonconserver. During the second session, the children attempted to resolve their opposed answers on the conservation tasks and on 2 control questions as well. On both length and weight, the conserver's answer prevailed significantly more often than the nonconserver's; there were no differences on the control tasks. Analysis of the interaction revealed several measures on which conservers differed from nonconservers and winners of the argument from losers. The results are discussed in terms of 2 issues: the certainty with which operational concepts are held and the role of peer interaction in cognitive change.
Evaluation of 22q11.2 deletion in Cleft Palate patients

Background: Cleft palate is the commonest multifactorial epigenetic disorder with a prevalence of 0.43-2.45 per 1000. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical features and identify the 22q11.2 deletion in patients with cleft palate in Sri Lanka. Materials and Methods: Cleft patients attending a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka were recruited for this study. The relevant data were obtained from review of case notes, interviews, and examination of patients according to a standard evaluation sheet. Quantitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to identify the 22q11.2 deletion. A gel documentation system (Bio-Doc) was used to quantify the PCR product following electrophoresis on 0.8% agarose gel. Results and Conclusion: There were 162 cleft palate patients of whom 59% were females. A total of 92 cleft palate subjects (56.2%) had other associated clinical features. Dysmorphic features (25.27%) and developmental delays (25.27%) were the commonest medical problems encountered. The cleft was limited to the soft palate in 125 patients, while in 25 patients it involved both the hard and the soft palate. There were seven subjects with bifid uvula and five subjects with submucous cleft palate. None of the patients had 22q11.2 deletion in this study population. A multicentered large population-based study is needed to confirm the results of this study and to develop guidelines on the appropriate use of 22q11.2 deletion testing, which are valid for cleft palate patients in Sri Lanka.
Consistent Histograms In The Presence of Distinct Value Counts

Self-tuning histograms have been proposed in the past as an attempt to leverage feedback from query execution. However, the focus thus far has been on histograms that only store cardinalities. In this paper, we study consistent histogram construction from query feedback that also takes distinct value counts into account. We first show how the entropy maximization (EM) principle can be leveraged to identify a distribution that approximates the data given the execution feedback making the least additional assumptions. This EM model that takes both distinct value counts and cardinalities into account. However, we find that it is computationally prohibitively expensive. We thus consider an alternative formulation for consistency -- for a given query workload, the goal is to minimize the L2 distance between the true and estimated cardinalities. This approach also handles both cardinalities and distinct values counts. We propose an efficient one-pass algorithm with several theoretical properties modeling this formulation. Our experiments show that this approach produces similar improvements in accuracy as the EM based approach while being computationally significantly more efficient.
Fuzzy models, modular networks, and hybrid learning

This paper proposes a new approach that can integrate fuzzy logic and neural networks in a "natural" manner. Unlike most existing fuzzy-neural models which usually makes use of the structure of feedforward multilayer networks, the proposed model takes advantage of the structure of a kind of modular networks. We show that fuzzy models have a direct correspondence with the modular networks. Based on this correspondence, we develop an efficient hybrid learning scheme which combines an unsupervised learning algorithm (fuzzy-c-means algorithm) and a supervised algorithm (LMS algorithm). The utility of the proposed approach is illustrated using the well-known Zimmermann and Zysno data. <<ETX>>
Drama techniques for the enhancement of social-emotional development in people with special needs: review of research

A systematic review was conducted of the research into the use of drama techniques to enhance social-emotional development of people with special needs. Only eight studies that were conducted in the period 1990-2005 met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The conclusions of the review were that there are indications that the dramatic processes have the potential to be effective in enhancing social-emotional development of people with special needs. However, the authors have not provided enough evidence to substantiate their claims. Further, there were several limitations in the studies, indicating the need for further research if the full potential of drama techniques is to be realized. On the basis of this analysis, this paper presents recommendations for future systematic and rigorous research in this area.
Aggressive angiomyxoma of the female genital tract: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 12 cases

Aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) is a distinctive neoplasm seen in the female genital tract. We present the clinicopathological findings of 12 female patients with AAM. Immunohistochemical analysis for vimentin, desmin, smooth-muscle actin (SMA), muscle-specific actin (MSA), S-100, CD44, estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) was performed. Mean patient age was 39 years (range 20–77 years). Eight tumors arose in the vulva, two in the suburethral area, and two in the perirectal area. Three were pedunculated (two vulvar and one suburethral). Perineal tumors were locally excised, with limited removal of adjacent tissue or tissue surrounding the pedicle base of pedunculated tumors. Perirectal tumors were removed by wide excision. Tumors ranged 2.8–40.0 cm in size. Eleven patients were followed-up (mean 19 months). Recurrence occurred in one patient 48 months after tumor resection from perirectum and abdomen. Immunohistochemistry showed tumor positivity for vimentin (11/11), desmin (8/11), CD44 (8/11), ER (10/12), PR (11/12), and SMA (3/11). MSA and S-100 were negative. In summary, AAM in the perineum especially pedunculated tumors may possibly require only local excision for definitive treatment. Furthermore, the majority of AAM have CD44 expression.
Correlations between body measurements and tissue composition of oat-fattened White Kołuda® geese at 17 weeks of age

1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the yield and tissue composition of carcases from White Kołuda® ganders (males) and geese (females), and to determine the relationships between body measurements and carcase tissue composition. 2. The experiment was carried out on 200 geese (100 males and 100 females) reared to 14 weeks of age and then fed with oats for the next 3 weeks. Live body weight and body dimensions, slaughter yield, weight and percentage of muscles and skin with fat in carcase were measured and correlation coefficients were calculated between body measurements and slaughter values and carcase tissue composition. 3. White Kołuda® geese reared to 17 weeks of age were characterised by high body weight (6705 g) and good muscle yield (29·9%). Males had greater body weight, musculature and fatness than females. Sternum length and breast circumference, width and depth were good indicators of carcase muscle weight in 17-week-old geese. 4. Negative coefficients of correlation between sternum length and weight of skin with subcutaneous fat indicate that increased selection pressure in pedigree flocks of geese on sternum length should be paralleled by reduced carcase fatness in these birds.
Insect Defoliation and Nitrogen Cycling in Forests

O of defoliating insects can have dramatic effects on forest ecosystems. Studies have shown that defoliation can decrease transpiration and tree growth and increase tree mortality, light penetration to the forest floor, and water drainage (Stephens et al. 1972, Campbell and Sloan 1977, Houston 1981). The allocation of carbon to various parts of the tree may be altered, production of defensive compounds in foliage may increase (Schultz and Baldwin 1982), and seed production may decline for many years after defoliation (McConnell 1988, Gottschalk 1990). Shifts in tree species composition (Doane and McManus 1981, Glitzenstein et al. 1990) and changes in the population size of insectivorous birds and other wildlife may also occur (Holmes et al. 1986, USDA Forest Service 1994). Several studies of insect outbreaks have also indicated an increased loss of nitrogen (N) from forest ecosystems in drainage water following defoliation, suggesting an increase in soil-available nitrogen that is subject to leaching (Swank et al. 1981, McDonald et al. 1992, Webb et al. 1995, Eshleman et al. 1998, Reynolds et al. 2000). Large losses of nitrogen via leaching would reduce long-term forest production in Nlimited ecosystems. In addition, the export of nitrate (NO3 –) to stream water can acidify downstream waters (Webb et al. 1995) and contribute to eutrophication of coastal waters and estuaries (Fisher and Oppenheimer 1991). At first glance, the view held by many investigators that forest ecosystems leak N in large quantities after defoliation fits the general notion of nitrogen behavior in disturbed ecosystems. Significant nitrogen losses have been observed in response to disturbances such as intensive harvesting (Likens et al. 1970), fire (Bayley and Schindler 1991), and severe windstorms (Schaefer et al. 1996). However, defoliation differs qualitatively from these other disturbances in three ways. First, most of the trees usually remain alive with their woody structure intact after defoliation by insects. (Exceptions are the high mortality rates caused by repeated severe defoliations of hardwood trees or by severe defoliation of conifers.) Second, physical disturbance of the soil is minimal and significant erosion is therefore unlikely to occur. And third, if the trees are not killed, the time for substantial canopy recovery is often measured in weeks rather than years. In this article we examine the mechanisms and magnitudes of N-cycle perturbations by defoliation, drawing heavily on the considerable body of research on the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.), an introduced lepidopteran that has been the major defoliator of hardwood forests in the northeastern United States during the last 5 or 6 decades (Doane and McManus 1981). We attempt to establish a more coherent view of the likely consequences of defoliation for N cycling, and we make the case that, contrary to the commonly held view, the response of forest ecosystems to defoliation is primarily one of redistribution, rather than loss, of nitrogen.