Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The bolstering effect of conceptual priming on psychological help-seeking attitudes in men

Abstract Background: It is a well-established finding that men are often unwilling to engage with mental health services, and that they hold negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Consequently, men’s psychological problems often remain untreated, which in turn can compromise their quality of life. Aims: The present experiment addresses this problem using a conceptual priming paradigm from social psychology called Scrambled Sentence Test as an intervention to change men’s negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Method: The Scrambled Sentence Test works by asking participants to unscramble sentences that unbeknownst to them include priming words – in this case, openness and communication-related words. Sixty-nine men completed the task (with priming or control words) under the instructions of a condition-blind experimenter. Results: The primed group showed more positive attitudes (Mdn = 56.5) toward seeking psychological help compared to controls (Mdn = 40.0), p < 0.01; r = 0.38. Conclusion: The findings are the first to suggest that conceptual priming of this kind can be used an as effective and time-efficient intervention by mental health professionals to encourage men to seek help for psychological problems.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef cattle presented for slaughter in the U.S.: higher prevalence rates than previously estimated.

Before 1982, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had identified only one Escherichia coli isolate of the O157:H7 serotype; it had been isolated from a patient with bloody diarrhea (1). Then, in 1982, two outbreaks of severe bloody diarrhea occurred among people who had eaten hamburgers at a fast food chain. The CDC isolated E. coli O157:H7 from people who had become ill as well as from a hamburger patty (1). In 1983, Karmali et al. discovered an association between infection with E. coli that produce Shiga toxin (then called Vero toxin), including O157:H7 strains, and another severe and sometimes fatal condition, the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) (2). Last year, the CDC estimated that strains of E. coli O157:H7 cause approximately 73,000 illnesses and 60 deaths per year in the United States, and non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) add an additional 37,000 estimated cases (3).
Generic Medicine Pricing Policies in Europe: Current Status and Impact

Generic medicine pricing is an area of national responsibility of European Union countries. This article aims to present the current status and impact of generic medicine pricing policies in ambulatory care in Europe. The study conducts a literature review of policies relating to free-pricing systems, price-regulated systems, price differentiation, price competition and discounts, and tendering procedures; and a survey of European generic medicine pricing policies. Competition from Indian generic medicine manufacturers, European variation in generic medicine prices and competition between generic medicine manufacturers by discount suggest that the potential savings to health care payers and patients from generic medicines are not fully realized in Europe. One way of attaining these savings may be to move away from competition by discount to competition by price. Free-pricing systems may drive medicine prices downwards under specific conditions. In price-regulated systems, regulation may lower prices of originator and generic medicines, but may also remove incentives for additional price reductions beyond those imposed by regulation. To date, little is known about the current status and impact of tendering procedures for medicines in ambulatory care. In conclusion, the European experience suggests that there is not a single approach towards developing generic medicine pricing policies in Europe.
Clinicoepidemiological Profile of Childhood Poisoning in the Pediatric Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India

Background: This study was conducted to find out the pattern of poisoning cases among the pediatric population in Srinagar and its Northwestern suburbs and compare it with what occurs elsewhere in India. Thereby we aimed to provide practical knowledge in dealing with these pediatric patients. Methods: The hospital records of children between the ages of 0-19 years admitted to the pediatric emergency ward of SKIMS Medical College Hospital Srinagar with poisoning from July 2016 to June 2018 were evaluated. Results: A total of 154 cases of poisoning were admitted in the study period, of which 89(57%) were males and 69(43%) were females. In the 0-12 year age group the poisonings were mostly in boys (68.26%) and were accidental whereas in the 13-19 year age group poisonings were mostly in girls (64%) and due to suicidal attempts. Organophoshorus poisoning was the most commonly ingested poison across all age groups (44.8%) followed by rodenticides (16.23%), kerosene (13.63%) and medications (11.68%). Interventions mostly commonly done were gastric lavage, induced vomiting. Mortaliy was seen in 2 cases over 2 years (1.29%). Conclusion: Knowledge on epidemiological and clinical features of poisoning in children according to age groups, establishing safety standards for sale and storage of harmful chemicals, and parental education can help to decrease the burden of childhood poisoning.
Source encoding using syntactic information source models

The use of syntactic information source models for the source encoding (data compression) of messages is described. Syntactic models formulated using context-free grammars augmented with derivation step probabilities are considered. Using an arithmetic coder as the low-level encoding unit, it is shown how practical encoding systems can be constructed from such models. Application of the techniques to the encoding of syntactically correct Pascal computer programs is described, and additional techniques including the use of symbol tables are introduced. The resultant syntactic encoders achieve compression of Pascal programs approaching 90%. >
Neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage and behavioural problems from late childhood into early adolescence

Study objective: This study investigates whether neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage may contribute to child behavioural and emotional problems, beyond the effects of parental socioeconomic status. It also examines the influence of neighbourhood disadvantage on changes in the frequency of behavioural problems from late childhood into early adolescence. Design and setting: The study was conducted in a large community sample in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. An index of neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage was calculated for each of the city’s 74 neighbourhoods. Multilevel regression analysis estimated effects of neighbourhood disadvantage and individual variables (parental socioeconomic status, child’s gender, and age) on behavioural problems reported by children (Youth Self-Report) and parents (Child Behavior Checklist) and on changes in these scores over a two year follow up. Participants: A cohort of all children born in 1978 and living in Rotterdam. Of those eligible, 73% (n=2587) participated in the first measurement (T1), at 10–12 years; 71% of the T1 respondents participated again two years later (T2), at 12–14 years. Main results: Neighbourhood disadvantage was associated with higher Total, Internalising, and Externalising Problems, as assessed with both the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report, even after controlling for parental socioeconomic status. Neighbourhood disadvantage also seemed to contribute to increases in Total Problems over the follow up. Conclusions: Living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood is associated with greater behavioural problems and may lead to an exacerbation of problems as children move from childhood into adolescence. Public health interventions to improve child mental health must take the neighbourhood environment into account.
PON1 concentration and high-density lipoprotein characteristics as cardiovascular biomarkers

Introduction Serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is now known to be related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PON1 concentration and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses in patients with proven CVD, cardiovascular risk factors but no CVD (CRF), and in healthy controls (control group). Material and methods A case-control study was carried out with 69 volunteers from the Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico. Clinical parameters, lipid profile, PON1 concentration, PON1 activities (AREase and CMPAase), and HDL subclasses were evaluated. Results Patients with CVD had significantly higher glucose and lower total cholesterol than the control group had (p < 0.01). AREase activity was not different between the control (122.57 ±30.72 U/ml), CRF (115.81 ±32.81 U/ml), and CVD (109.34 ±29.60 U/ml) groups. PON1 concentration was significantly lower in CVD patients than in CRF and control patients (p < 0.001); a positive correlation was observed between AREase activity and PON1 concentration in the CVD group (Rho = 0.58; p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that the decrease in PON1 level was associated with the CVD group (RRR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.09–0.45) but not with the CRF group (RRR = 1.29; 95% CI: 0.89–1.90). Significant differences were observed in HDL 2a and HDL 3a concentrations between the control group and CRF and CVD groups (p < 0.05), but not between the CRF and CVD groups. Conclusions Our data suggest that PON1 status and HDL characteristics could be early biomarkers that predict the potential for developing CVD.
Metamorphosis of cinctoblastula larvae (Homoscleromorpha, porifera)

The metamorphosis of the cinctoblastula of Homoscleromorpha is studied in five species belonging to three genera. The different steps of metamorphosis are similar in all species. The metamorphosis occurs by the invagination and involution of either the anterior epithelium or the posterior epithelium of the larva. During metamorphosis, morphogenetic polymorphism was observed, which has an individual character and does not depend on either external or species specific factors. In the rhagon, the development of the aquiferous system occurs only by epithelial morphogenesis and subsequent differentiation of cells. Mesohylar cells derive from flagellated cells after ingression. The formation of pinacoderm and choanoderm occurs by the differentiation of the larval flagellated epithelium. This is possibly due to the conservation of cell junctions in the external surface of the larval flagellated cells and of the basement membrane in their internal surface. The main difference in homoscleromorph metamorphosis compared with Demospongiae is the persistence of the flagellated epithelium throughout this process and even in the adult since exo‐ and endopinacoderm remain flagellated. The antero‐posterior axis of the larva corresponds to the baso‐apical axis of the adult in Homoscleromorpha. J. Morphol. , 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Subject-auxiliary inversion in comparatives and PF output constraints

This paper establishes the novel generalization that Subject-Auxiliary Inversion (SAI) in comparative clauses requires the co-presence of VP-ellipsis, and argues that this peculiar fact follows from a disjunctive formulation of an ECP that applies at PF. The analysis relies crucially on the presence of an intermediate trace of the A'-moved comparative operator at the edge of VP, which is subject to the ECP at PF, and which interacts with the head movement involved in SAI. This trace is unlicensed in structures with I-to-C movement, but VP-ellipsis repairs the violation, providing further evidence that ellipsis can repair otherwise deviant structures.
Productivity, Restructuring, and the Gains from Takeovers

This paper investigates how takeovers create value. Using plant-level data, I show that acquirers increase targets’ productivity through more efficient use of capital and labor. Acquirers significantly reduce capital expenditures, wages, and employment in target plants, though output is unchanged. Acquirers improve targets’investment efficiency through better capital reallocation. Moreover, changes in productivity help explain the merging firms’ announcement returns. The combined announcement returns are driven by improvements in target’s productivity. Targets with greater productivity improvements receive higher premiums. These results provide some first empirical evidence on the relation between productivity and stock returns in the context of takeovers.
Erasing the World's Slow Stain: Strategies to Beat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) is perceived as a growing hazard to human health worldwide. Judgments about the true scale of the problem, and strategies for containing it, need to come from a balanced appraisal of the epidemiological evidence. We conclude in this review that MDR is, and will probably remain, a locally severe problem; that epidemics can be prevented by fully exploiting the potential of standard short-course chemotherapy (SCC) based on cheap and safe first-line drugs; and that best-practice SCC may even reduce the incidence of MDR where it has already become endemic. On the basis of the available, imperfect data, we recommend a three-part response to the threat of MDR: widespread implementation of SCC as the cornerstone of good tuberculosis control, improved resistance testing and surveillance, and the careful introduction of second-line drugs after a sound evaluation of cost, effectiveness, and feasibility.
Sparse Multinomial Logistic Regression via Bayesian L1 Regularisation

Multinomial logistic regression provides the standard penalised maximum-likelihood solution to multi-class pattern recognition problems. More recently, the development of sparse multinomial logistic regression models has found application in text processing and microarray classification, where explicit identification of the most informative features is of value. In this paper, we propose a sparse multinomial logistic regression method, in which the sparsity arises from the use of a Laplace prior, but where the usual regularisation parameter is integrated out analytically. Evaluation over a range of benchmark datasets reveals this approach results in similar generalisation performance to that obtained using cross-validation, but at greatly reduced computational expense.
Microvascular Function in Type 2 (Non‐insulin‐dependent) Diabetes: Improved Vasodilation After One Year of Good Glycaemic Control

Abnormalities of microvascular function may be important in the development of diabetic microangiopathy. The major functional abnormality identified in patients with Type 2 diabetes has been a marked limitation of microvascular vasodilation, which is present from the time of diagnosis. The effects of sustained improvements in glycaemic control on vasodilator capacity in Type 2 diabetes are unknown. Twelve Type 2 diabetic patients were studied prospectively for 1 year after diagnosis. The reduced maximum hyperaemic response to local heating of the foot skin present at the time of diagnosis remained unchanged after 3 months of improved glycaemic control (1.12 ± 0.56 V at diagnosis vs 1.21 ± 0.69 V at 3 months, mean ± SD; p = 0.25), but was improved after 1 year (1.42 ± 0.91 V; p = 0.04 vs 3 months). The percentage increase in maximum hyperaemia correlated with the percentage decrease in HbA1c (rs = 0.53, p = 0.04). These results suggest that the early microvascular abnormalities demonstrated in Type 2 diabetes are potentially reversible and provide a further reason for striving for optimal glycaemic control in this patient group.
Development of a real-time on-road emission (ROE v1.0)model for street-scale air quality modeling based on dynamic traffic big data

Abstract. Rapid urbanization in China has led to heavy traffic flows in street networks within cities, especially in eastern China, the economically developed region. This has increased the risk of exposure to vehicle-related pollutants. To evaluate the impact of vehicle emissions and provide an on-road emission inventory with higher spatial–temporal resolution for street-network air quality models, in this study, we developed the Real-time On-road Emission (ROE v1.0) model to calculate street-scale on-road hot emissions by using real-time big data for traffic provided by the Gaode map navigation application. This Python-based model obtains street-scale traffic data from the map application programming interface (API), which are open-access and updated every minute for each road segment. The results of application of the model to Guangzhou, one of the three major cities in China, showed on-road vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), PM10, and PM2.5 to be 35.22 × 104 Mg/a, 12.05 × 104 Mg/a, 4.10 × 104 Mg/a, 0.49 × 104 Mg/a, and 0.55 × 104 Mg/a, respectively. The spatial distribution reveals that the emission hotspots are located in some highway-intensive area and suburban town centers. Emission contributions show that the dominant contributors are light-duty vehicles (LDVs) and heavy-duty vehicles in urban areas and LDVs and heavy-duty trucks in suburban areas, indicating that the traffic control policies regarding duty trucks in urban areas are effective. In this study, the Model of Urban Network of Intersecting Canyons and Highways (MUNICH) was applied to investigate the impact of traffic volume change on street-scale photochemistry in the urban area by using the on-road emission results from the ROE model. The modeling results indicate that the daytime NOx concentrations on national holidays are 26.5 % and 9.1 % lower than those on normal weekdays and normal weekends, respectively. Conversely, the national holiday O3 concentrations exceed normal weekday and normal weekend amounts by 13.9 % and 10.6 %, respectively, owing to changes in the ratio of emission of VOCs and NOx. Thus, not only the on-road emission, but other emissions should be controlled in order to improve the air quality in Guangzhou. More significantly, the newly developed ROE model may provide promising and effective methodologies for analyzing real-time street-level traffic emissions and high-resolution air quality assessment for more typical cities or urban districts.
GSK3β Inhibitor Peptide Protects Mice from LPS-induced Endotoxin Shock

Background Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is a ubiquitous serine/threonine kinase that is regulated by serine phosphorylation at 9. Recent studies have reported the beneficial effects of a number of the pharmacological GSK3β inhibitors in rodent models of septic shock. Since most of the GSK3β inhibitors are targeted at the ATP-binding site, which is highly conserved among diverse protein kinases, the development of novel non-ATP competitive GSK3β inhibitors is needed. Methods Based on the unique phosphorylation motif of GSK3β, we designed and generated a novel class of GSK3β inhibitor (GSK3i) peptides. In addition, we investigated the effects of a GSK3i peptide on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine production and septic shock. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with GSK3i peptide and monitored over a 7-day period for survival. Results We first demonstrate its effects on LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12p40. LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-12p40 production in macrophages was suppressed when macrophages were treated with the GSKi peptide. Administration of the GSK3i peptide potently suppressed LPS-mediated endotoxin shock. Conclusion Collectively, we present a rational strategy for the development of a therapeutic GSK3i peptide. This peptide may serve as a novel template for the design of non-ATP competitive GSK3 inhibitors.
Risk Factors for Frequent Readmissions and Barriers to Transplantation in Patients with Cirrhosis

Background Hospital readmission rate is receiving increasing regulatory scrutiny. Patients with cirrhosis have high hospital readmissions rates but the relationship between frequent readmissions and barriers to transplantation remains unexplored. The goal of this study was to determine risk factors for frequent readmissions among patients with cirrhosis and identify barriers to transplantation in this population. Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 587 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cirrhosis admitted to a large tertiary care center between May 1, 2008 and May 1, 2009. Demographics, clinical factors, and outcomes were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for high readmission rates. Transplant-related factors were assessed for patients in the high readmission group. Results The 587 patients included in the study had 1557 admissions during the study period. A subset of 87 (15%) patients with 5 or more admissions accounted for 672 (43%) admissions. The factors associated with frequent admissions were non-white race (OR = 2.45, p = 0.01), diabetes (OR = 2.04, p = 0.01), higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (OR = 35.10, p<0.0001 for MELD>30) and younger age (OR = 0.98, p = 0.02). Among the 87 patients with ≥5 admissions, only 14 (16%) underwent liver transplantation during the study period. Substance abuse, medical co-morbidities, and low (<15) MELD scores were barriers to transplantation in this group. Conclusions A small group of patients with cirrhosis account for a disproportionately high number of hospital admissions. Interventions targeting this high-risk group may decrease frequent hospital readmissions and increase access to transplantation.
Bilateral Loss of Neural Function After Interscalene Plexus Blockade May Be Caused by Epidural Spread of Local Anesthetics: A Cadaveric Study

Background and Objectives Interscalene brachial plexus blockade is widely used in surgical procedures of the upper limb. Recently, we experienced the complication of a contralateral blockade after ultrasound-guided interscalene block. The clinical appearance was a blockade of both the ipsilateral and the contralateral cervical segments 6 to 8. We hypothesized that epidural spread of local anesthetics could be cause for this phenomenon. Methods We conducted a cadaveric study using ultrasound for needle guidance of interscalene blocks in 5 cadavers by a single investigator using contrast agent. Injections were made either ventral (extrafascial) or dorsal (subfascial) to the prevertebral lamina of the deep cervical fascia. Computed tomography was obtained following each injection with contrast agent immediately after incremental injections of progressively higher volumes. Subsequently, contrast spread to anatomic landmarks was investigated by a radiologist. Results After ultrasound-controlled injection of contrast agent beneath the prevertebral layer of the deep cervical fascia, 4 of the 5 investigated specimens showed contrast enhancement in the epidural space in the consecutive computed tomography scans. After extrafascial injection, none of the investigated specimens showed contrast enhancement in the epidural space. Conclusions Contralateral blockade after ultrasound-guided interscalene injection of local anesthetics is very likely to be the effect of epidural spread. Future in vivo studies are needed to understand the implications of needle location and volume on epidural spread in interscalene blockade.