Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postoperative lumbar microdiscectomy pain. Minimalization by irrigation and cooling.

STUDY DESIGN Seventy patients undergoing de novo lumbar microdiscectomy were prospectively randomized into a control group and a group in which cold intraoperative wound irrigation along with postoperative wound cooling was used. Postoperative analgesia requirements and length of hospital stay were analyzed and correlated. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the role of intraoperative cold irrigation and postsurgical cooling in minimizing postoperative lumbar discectomy pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Regulated hypothermia has been used frequently in pain reduction; however, the efficacy of such a strategy in lumbar disc procedures has not been established. METHODS Seventy patients (43 men and 27 women), operated on the first time for lumbar disk herniation were prospectively randomized into two groups. A standard microdiscectomy was performed on all patients. In cohort A the wound site was irrigated with a cold (18 C) 5% bacitracin solution for 5 minutes. Additionally, a cooling microtemperature pump was placed on the wound site for 24 hours after surgery. The patients in the control group (cohort B) were treated in a standard fashion without additional hypothermic therapy. All patients received postoperative analgesia through a self-administered morphine pump. The amount of postoperative analgesia received was calculated in morphine equivalents per kilogram. The length of hospital stay was also noted. RESULTS The total amount of pain medication was significantly smaller in cohort A than in the control group (cohort B). For the statistical analysis of the results, covariate analyses for both the length of hospital stay and the morphine dose were used, demonstrating a statistically significant difference with P = 0.0001. No postoperative wound infection was noted in either group. CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative and postoperative wound site cooling is a safe, inexpensive, and efficient therapeutic method. It reduces the patients' postoperative pain, promotes earlier ambulation and decreases the length of hospital stay.
Persistent psychopathology in the wake of civil war: long-term posttraumatic stress disorder in Nimba County, Liberia.

OBJECTIVES We assessed the geographical distribution of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in postconflict Nimba County, Liberia, nearly 2 decades after the end of primary conflict in the area, and we related this pattern to the history of conflict. METHODS We administered individual surveys to a population-based sample of 1376 adults aged 19 years or older. In addition, we conducted a historical analysis of conflict in Nimba County, Liberia, where the civil war started in 1989. RESULTS The prevalence of PTSD in Nimba County was high at 48.3% (95% confidence interval=45.7, 50.9; n=664). The geographical patterns of traumatic event experiences and of PTSD were consistent with the best available information about the path of the intranational conflict that Nimba County experienced in 1989-1990. CONCLUSIONS The demonstration of a "path of PTSD" coincident with the decades-old path of violence dramatically underscores the direct link between population burden of psychopathology and the experience of violent conflict. Persistent postconflict disruptions of social and physical context may explain some of the observed patterns.
MICS: Medical image classification visual system

In this work, an interactive visual system MICS is presented for large-scale brain CT image classification. Automatic feature extraction algorithms are added in MICS to improve system efficiency and classification accuracy. In visualization part, we designed an interactive feature extraction interface, enable users to extract and fine-tune image features according to specific requirements. In addition, all image features in database are visualized as dynamic charts in every phase of classification. These allow users to compare the current image with others in some specific feature and re-mark the possible misclassification. Finally, by series experiments and case studies, we verify the performance of the classification algorithm as well as the effec-tiveness and applicability of the visual design in MICS.
Factored Filtering of Continuous-Time Systems

We consider filtering for a continuous-time, or asynchronous, stochastic system where the full distribution over states is too large to be stored or calculated. We assume that the rate matrix of the system can be compactly represented and that the belief distribution is to be approximated as a product of marginals. The essential computation is the matrix exponential. We look at two different methods for its computation: ODE integration and uniformization of the Taylor expansion. For both we consider approximations in which only a factored belief state is maintained. For factored uniformization we demonstrate that the KL-divergence of the filtering is bounded. Our experimental results confirm our factored uniformization performs better than previously suggested uniformization methods and the mean field algorithm.
Cabozantinib-induced thyroid dysfunction: a review of two ongoing trials for metastatic bladder cancer and sarcoma.

BACKGROUND Thyroid dysfunction is a common adverse event associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), but its underlying pathophysiology is unclear. Cabozantinib is a novel TKI currently Food and Drug Administration approved for advanced medullary thyroid cancer and tested in clinical trials on solid tumors including prostate, liver, bladder, breast, and ovarian cancer. METHODS We analyzed the thyroid function of patients enrolled in two phase 2 clinical trials using cabozantinib at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Two cases of thyroiditis associated with cabozantinib therapy are presented in detail, and a systematic review of the literature on TKI-associated thyroid dysfunction is also discussed. RESULTS Between September 2012 and September 2013, 33 patients were treated with cabozantinib, and follow-up thyroid function tests were available for 31 (20 males, 11 females; age 59±1 years). Thyroid dysfunction was recorded in the majority of patients (93.1%), with a predominance of subclinical hypothyroidism. Two cases showed a biphasic pattern of thyroid dysfunction characterized by a transient thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidism. Color Doppler demonstrated an increase in vascularization during the thyrotoxic phase, but no uptake was visualized on nuclear medicine imaging. A systematic review of the literature resulted in the identification of 40 original manuscripts, of which 13 were case series and 6 were case reports describing TKI-associated thyroid dysfunction. CONCLUSION TKI therapy often results in clinically significant thyroid dysfunction. Cabozantinib treatment commonly results in thyroid dysfunction varying from subclinical hypothyroidism to symptomatic thyrotoxicosis. Early detection and characterization of cabozantinib-associated thyroid dysfunction and close follow-up are essential to provide adequate management of this common adverse event.
Towards a Quality Metric for Dense Light Fields

Light fields become a popular representation of three-dimensional scenes, and there is interest in their processing, resampling, and compression. As those operations often result in loss of quality, there is a need to quantify it. In this work, we collect a new dataset of dense reference and distorted light fields as well as the corresponding quality scores which are scaled in perceptual units. The scores were acquired in a subjective experiment using an interactive light-field viewing setup. The dataset contains typical artifacts that occur in light-field processing chain due to light-field reconstruction, multi-view compression, and limitations of automultiscopic displays. We test a number of existing objective quality metrics to determine how well they can predict the quality of light fields. We find that the existing image quality metrics provide good measures of light-field quality, but require dense reference light-fields for optimal performance. For more complex tasks of comparing two distorted light fields, their performance drops significantly, which reveals the need for new, light-field-specific metrics.
Young children's use of age-appropriate speech styles in social interaction and role-playing

ABSTRACT Four children (aged 3;9 to 5;5) were recorded talking to different listeners (adult, peer, baby, and baby doll) and role-playing a ‘baby just learning how to talk’. As a measure of the children's responsiveness to situational cues, each sample was analysed for formal and functional characteristics. The children's speech was different on many of the measures when talking to a baby or doll as compared with the speech to a peer or adult. Speech to a baby doll was similar to that addressed to a real baby, indicating that feedback is not necessary for speech modifications to occur. In the role-playing situation, children changed and simplified their speech when talking as a baby.
Attitudes to immigration and cultural diversity in Australia

This article considers Australian attitudes to immigration and cultural diversity. It argues that Australia and Canada are the most receptive to immigration among western nations. The average of 25 surveys conducted in Australia in the period 1999–2010 finds 52% in support of the current immigration level or in support of an increased intake, 43% in support of reduction, and 5% uncertain. While there can be no definitive measure of the level of strong opposition to cultural diversity, on the basis of a number of surveys conducted over the last 30 years, there are indications that the level is close to 10% of the population, with higher levels within specific demographics. Areas of high immigrant concentration present a complex picture. They are characterised by high levels of identification with Australia, but also lower levels of trust and sense of safety, lower levels of participation and heightened experience of discrimination.
A Step in the Wrong Direction: An Appraisal of the Zero-Intelligence Model of Government Formation

In a recent article in the Journal of Politics, Golder, Golder, and Siegel (2012) argue that models of government formation should be rebuilt “from the ground up. ” They propose to do so with a “zero-intelligence” model of government formation. They claim that this model makes no theoretical assumptions beyond the requirement that a potential government, to be chosen, must be preferred by all its members and a legislative majority to the incumbent administration. They also claim that, empirically, their model does significantly better than existing models in predicting formation outcomes. We disagree with both claims. Theoretically, their model is unrestrictive in terms of its institutional assumptions, but it imposes a highly implausible behavioral assumption that drives the key results. Empirically, their assessment of the performance of the zero-intelligence model turns on data that are of limited relevance in testing coalition theories. We demonstrate that the predictions of the zero-intelligence model are no more accurate than random guesses, in stark contrast to the predictions of well-established approaches in traditional coalition research. We conclude that scholars would be ill-advised to dismiss traditional approaches in favor of the approach advanced by Golder, Golder, and Siegel.
Reliability and Validity of the Persian Version of the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index

Background : A multidimensional approach to health which addresses the psychological features of health justifies the necessity of designing or validation of brief instruments for screening in general population. This study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the WHO-5-P as a brief scale of well-being. Methods : In this study 451 individuals, i.e., over-15-year old subjects completed the WHO-5-P and GHQ-28 questionnaires. Crombach’s alpha and factor analysis were used for internal consistency evaluation. For predictive validity we compared WHO-5-P with GHQ-28 scores using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results : The mean age, score of WHO-5-P and GHQ-28 were 32.3±11.5, 13.4±6.5, and 25.4±13.4 respectively. The WHO-5-P had an acceptable internal consistency (α= 0.94), and it showed adequate convergent validity with the GHQ-28 (r= -0.66; P<0.001). The optimal cut-off score of the WHO-5-P was <13 (12.13) with a sensitivity of 0.68 and a specificity of 0.85. The area under curve in this study was 0.82. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed one factor structure. Conclusions : WHO-5-P is a valid and reliable instrument for screening psychological state.
Does Inflammation after Stroke Affect the Developing Brain Differently than Adult Brain?

The immature brain is prone to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and stroke. The incidence of arterial stroke in newborns is similar to that in the elderly. However, the pathogenesis of ischemic brain injury is profoundly affected by age at the time of the insult. Necrosis is a dominant type of neuronal cell death in adult brain, whereas widespread neuronal apoptosis is unique for the early postnatal synaptogenesis period. The inflammatory response, in conjunction with excitotoxic and oxidative responses, is the major contributor to ischemic injury in both the immature and adult brain, but there are several areas where these responses diverge. We discuss the contribution of various inflammatory mechanisms to injury and repair after cerebral ischemia in the context of CNS immaturity. In particular, we discuss the role of lower expression of selectins, a more limited leukocyte transmigration, undeveloped complement pathways, a more rapid microglial activation, differences in cytokine and chemokine interplay, and a different threshold to oxidative stress in the immature brain. We also discuss differences in activation of intracellular pathways, especially nuclear factor κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Finally, we discuss emerging data on both the supportive and adverse roles of inflammation in plasticity and repair after stroke.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) as a risk factor of male neonatal sepsis

Introduction.Neonatal sepsis is a disease process, which represents the systemic response of bacteria entering the bloodstream during the first 28 days of life. The prevalence of sepsis is higher in male infants than in females, but the exact cause is unknown. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is an enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway, which leads to the production of NADPH. NADPH is required for the respiratory burst reaction in white blood cells (WBCs) to destroy microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in neonates with sepsis. Materials and methods.This study was performed on 76 neonates with sepsis and 1214 normal neonates from February 2012 to November 2014 in the west of Iran. The G6PD deficiency status was determined by fluorescent spot test. WBCs number and neutrophils percentages were measured and compared in patients with and without G6PD deficiency. Results.The prevalence of the G6PD deficiency in neonates with sepsis was significantly higher compared to the control group (p=0.03). WBCs number and neutrophils percentages in G6PD deficient patients compared with patients without G6PD deficiency were decreased, but were not statistically significant (p=0.77 and p=0.86 respectively). Conclusions.G6PD deficiency is a risk factor of neonatal sepsis and also a justification for more male involvement in this disease. Therefore, newborn screening for this disorder is recommended.
Cross-Cultural Applicability of FACES IV

We studied cross-cultural Hungarian adaptation and validation of FACES IV for screening adaptive versus nonadaptive family functioning. A protocol was followed including translation, tests of reliability, construct and convergent validity, standardization, testing of family types, and ratios. Two hundred forty-nine couples (498 adults) from various regions of the country participated in the study. Results indicated high item–remainder correlations and Cronbach alphas. Factor analytic data fitted well with the model indicated by the Olson studies. Most salient results were found for Cohesion, which partially overlapped Flexibility, and had high negative correlations with the Disengaged dimension. Rigid and Chaotic as well as Enmeshed were found to be independent factors. Family types of the Hungarian sample explored by cluster analysis were comparable to the U.S. sample.
Use of a service evaluation and lean thinking transformation to redesign an NHS 111 refer to community Pharmacy for Emergency Repeat Medication Supply Service (PERMSS)

Objectives To demonstrate the contribution of community pharmacy from NHS 111 referrals out of hours (OOH) for emergency supply repeat medication requests via presentation of service activity, community pharmacist feedback and lean thinking transformation. Design Descriptive service evaluation using routine service activity data over the pilot period; survey of community pharmacists, and service redesign through lean thinking transformation. Setting North East of England NHS 111 provider and accredited community pharmacies across the North East of England. Participants Patients calling the North East of England NHS 111 provider during OOH with emergency repeat medication supply requests. Interventions NHS 111 referral to community pharmacies for assessment and if appropriate, supply of emergency repeat medication. Main outcome measures Number of emergency repeat medication supply referrals, completion rates, reasons for rejections, time of request, reason for access, medication(s), pharmaceutical advice and services provided. Secondary outcomes were community pharmacist feedback and lean thinking transformation of the patient pathway. Results NHS 111 referred 1468 patients to 114 community pharmacies (15/12/2014–7/4/2015). Most patients presented on Saturdays, with increased activity over national holidays. Community pharmacists completed 951 (64.8%) referrals providing 2297 medications; 412 were high risk. The most common reason for rejecting referrals was no medication in stock. Community pharmacists were positive about the provision of this service. The lean thinking transformation reduced the number of non-added value steps, waits and bottlenecks in the patient pathway. Conclusions NHS 111 can redirect callers OOH from urgent and emergency care services to community pharmacy for management of emergency repeat medication supply. Existing IT and community pharmacy regulations allowed patients to receive a medication supply and pharmaceutical advice. Community pharmacists supported integration into the NHS OOH services. Adopting lean thinking provided a structured framework to evaluate and redesign the service with the aim to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
SUSCEPTIBILITY AND ANTIBODY RESPONSE OF VESPER SPARROWS (POOECETES GRAMINEUS) TO WEST NILE VIRUS: A POTENTIAL AMPLIFICATION HOST IN SAGEBRUSH-GRASSLAND HABITAT

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) spread to the US western plains states in 2003, when a significant mortality event attributed to WNV occurred in Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). The role of avian species inhabiting sagebrush in the amplification of WNV in arid and semiarid regions of the North America is unknown. We conducted an experimental WNV challenge study in Vesper Sparrows (Pooecetes gramineus), a species common to sagebrush and grassland habitats found throughout much of North America. We found Vesper Sparrows to be moderately susceptible to WNV, developing viremia considered sufficient to transmit WNV to feeding mosquitoes, but the majority of birds were capable of surviving infection and developing a humoral immune response to the WNV nonstructural 1 and envelope proteins. Despite clearance of viremia, after 6 mo, WNV was detected molecularly in three birds and cultured from one bird. Surviving Vesper Sparrows were resistant to reinfection 6 mo after the initial challenge. Vesper sparrows could play a role in the amplification of WNV in sagebrush habitat and other areas of their range, but rapid clearance of WNV may limit their importance as competent amplification hosts of WNV.
Economic aspects of applying reproductive technologies to dairy herds

Reproduction continues to be a critical component to maintain a dairy farm economically viable. For every farm and for every cow, there is an optimum time for pregnancy, which is mostly influenced by level of production, persistency of lactation, and parity. In general, as production decreases, lactation number increases, and persistency of lactation decreases, cows should be bred sooner postpartum and pregnancy obtained early in lactation. The voluntary waiting period is determined based on the desired interval postpartum to pregnancy and the pregnancy rate of the farm. As pregnancy rates increase, the voluntary waiting period can be delayed, particularly when milk production is high. Studies in the literature have compared several breeding strategies to obtain a pregnant cow. In general, pregnancies obtained by artificial insemination are cheaper than those originated by natural service. The major reason is that AI programs result in similar or better reproductive performance and are cheaper to implement than natural service programs because of the high costs of acquiring and feeding bulls. Within the AI program, those that incorporate timed AI for first insemination followed by detection of estrus result in lowest median days open and more profit per cow, and the benefits of improving reproduction are greater when milk prices are low. The use of embryo technologies as a breeding program for lactating dairy cows, with the aim to improve reproductive performance, is only attractive when the differential in fertility relative to AI is large. In most cases, AI programs have to result in very poor fertility (<15%) for the typical results from embryo transfer (40-45% pregnancy) to be economically attractive at current costs. For dairy heifers, there is little justification to incorporate timed AI programs when detection of estrus is excellent, above 70%; however, for farms with detection of estrus below 60%, either timed AI for first AI followed by detection of estrus or timed AI alone improve reproductive performance and reduce the cost per pregnancy.
Sporadic inclusion body myositis: pilot study on the effects of a home exercise program on muscle function, histopathology and inflammatory reaction.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and effect of a home training program on muscle function in 7 patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis. DESIGN The patients performed exercise 5 days a week over a 12-week period. METHODS Safety was assessed by clinical examination, repeated muscle biopsies and serum levels of creatine kinase. Muscle strength was evaluated by clinical examination, dynamic dynamometer and by a functional index in myositis. RESULTS Strength was not significantly improved after the exercise, however none of the patients deteriorated concerning muscle function. The histopathology was unchanged and there were no signs of increased muscle inflammation or of expression of cytokines and adhesion molecules in the muscle biopsies. Creatine kinase levels were unchanged. A significant decrease was found in the areas that were positively stained for EN-4 (a marker for endothelial cells) in the muscle biopsies after training. CONCLUSION The home exercise program was considered as not harmful to the muscles regarding muscle inflammation and function. Exercise may prevent loss of muscle strength due to disease and/or inactivity.