Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caloric Intake in Medical ICU Patients: Consistency of Care With Guidelines and Relationship to Clinical Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES To assess the consistency of caloric intake with American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) recommendations for critically ill patients and to evaluate the relationship of caloric intake with clinical outcomes. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Adult intensive care units (ICUs) at 2 teaching hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Patients with an ICU length of stay of at least 96 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS On ICU admission, severity of illness (ie, simplified acute physiology score II) and markers of nutritional status (ie, serum albumin level and body mass index) were recorded. The route of feeding (ie, enteral or parenteral), actual caloric intake (ie, percentage of ACCP recommendations: 0% to 32% [tertile I]; 33% to 65% [tertile II]; ≥66% [tertile III]), and evidence of GI intolerance (ie, gastric aspirate levels, ≥100 mL) were recorded daily. The following outcomes were assessed: status on hospital discharge (alive vs dead); spontaneous ventilation before ICU discharge (yes vs no); and ICU discharge without developing nosocomial sepsis (yes vs no). The average caloric intake among 187 participants was 50.6% of the ACCP targets and was similar in both hospitals. Caloric intake was inversely related to the mean number of gastric aspirates≥ 100 mL/d (Spearman ρ =-.04; p = .06), but not to severity of illness, nutritional status, or route of feeding. After accounting for the number of gastric aspirates ≥100 mL, severity of illness, nutritional status, and route of feeding, tertile II of caloric intake ( vs tertile I) was associated with a significantly greater likelihood of achieving spontaneous ventilation before ICU discharge. Tertile III of caloric intake ( vs tertile I) was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of both hospital discharge alive and spontaneous ventilation before ICU discharge. CONCLUSIONS Study participants were underfed relative to ACCP targets. These targets, however, may overestimate needs because moderate caloric intake (ie, 33% to 65% of ACCP targets; approximately 9 to 18 kcal/kg per day) was associated with better outcomes than higher levels of caloric intake.
PERIPHERAL EXPRESSION OF OCULAR ANTIGENS IN REGULATION AND THERAPY OF OCULAR AUTOIMMUNITY

The retina is a well-known immune-privileged tissue in the eye. Gene therapy and transgenic strategies have been taken to explore the relationship between the immune system and retinal antigens. Retroviruses were used to express retina-specific antigens or fragments systemically, leading to an antigen-specific loss of susceptibility to autoimmune disease. Transgenic strategies used a neo self-antigen, ß- galactosidase, or a known retinal antigen, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, to show that immune recognition of antigen by mice, which express solely in the retina, is not detectably different than that of mice that don't express this antigen. Together, these studies show that antigens expressed solely in the retina do not appear to be seen by the immune system, demonstrating that sequestration contributes to the lack of antigen recognition and absence of tolerance. Provision of these antigens outside of the retina provides the opportunity for development of peripheral tolerance, protection from autoimmunity, and potential therapies.
Increasing the Validity of Adapted Tests: Myths to be Avoided and Guidelines for Improving Test Adaptation Practices

Adapting or translating achievement, ability, and personality tests and questionnaires prepared in one language and culture into other languages and cultures has had a long history in educational and psychological testing though this fact is not well-known among educational researchers and measurement specialists. At least five reasons can be found in the literature for adapting tests: 1. very often adapting a test is considerably cheaper and faster than constructing a new test in a second language, 2. when the purpose for the adapted test is cross-cultural or cross-national assessment (such as with many credentialing exams), an adapted test is the most effective way to produce an equivalent test in a second language, 3. there may be a lack of expertise for developing a new test in a second language, 4. there is a sense of security that is associated with an adapted test more so than a newly constructed test especially when the original test is well-known, and 5. fairness to examinees often results from the presence of multiple language versions of a test (see Hambleton & Patsula, 1998). Unfortunately, though the practice of adapting or (simply) translating tests can be traced to the intelligence tests of the French psychologist Alfred Binet at the beginning of this century, there is substantial evidence to suggest that improved methods for adapting or translating tests from one language and culture to others are needed, and that considerably more attention should be given to this important task than it is typically given by researchers and/or test developers. Too often in practice the test adaptation process seems to be viewed as a routine task that can be completed by anyone who knows the relevant languages. One consequence is adapted tests in the target languages of interest with only superficial equivalence to the tests in the source language. The purposes of this paper are two-fold: First, a set of myths or problems which need to be discarded/overcome about the test adaptation process will be presented. These myths are widespread and undermine effective test adaptation initiatives. Second, steps for adapting tests will be offered along with a discussion of the importance of each step in the test adaptation process. Myths About Adapting Tests There are a number of myths associated with adapting tests which appear in measurement practice and should be discarded as quickly as possible: Myth 1. The preferable strategy is always to adapt an existing test rather than develop a new test for a second language group.
From anxiety to empowerment: a Learning Community of University Teachers

Increasing numbers of ‘teaching-only’ staff are being appointed in higher education institutions in the UK. At one research-intensive university, a new category of academic staff was recently introduced: University Teachers, who are required to engage in scholarly activity as part of their conditions of employment. For many this scholarly activity equates to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). In an attempt to support this growing body of staff in their engagement with SoTL, a year-long Learning Community (LC) was formed. This paper outlines the activities of the LC and presents the outcomes of a collaborative project to explore its members' experiences. We describe the developmental process of LC membership and consider the parallels between our findings and theories of social capital and transformative learning. We conclude with a consideration of how LCs might be used as an engaging form of academic staff development.
Depth-Resolved Quantification of Anaerobic Toluene Degraders and Aquifer Microbial Community Patterns in Distinct Redox Zones of a Tar Oil Contaminant Plume

ABSTRACT Microbial degradation is the only sustainable component of natural attenuation in contaminated groundwater environments, yet its controls, especially in anaerobic aquifers, are still poorly understood. Hence, putative spatial correlations between specific populations of key microbial players and the occurrence of respective degradation processes remain to be unraveled. We therefore characterized microbial community distribution across a high-resolution depth profile of a tar oil-impacted aquifer where benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) degradation depends mainly on sulfate reduction. We conducted depth-resolved terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting and quantitative PCR of bacterial 16S rRNA and benzylsuccinate synthase genes (bssA) to quantify the distribution of total microbiota and specific anaerobic toluene degraders. We show that a highly specialized degrader community of microbes related to known deltaproteobacterial iron and sulfate reducers (Geobacter and Desulfocapsa spp.), as well as clostridial fermenters (Sedimentibacter spp.), resides within the biogeochemical gradient zone underneath the highly contaminated plume core. This zone, where BTEX compounds and sulfate—an important electron acceptor—meet, also harbors a surprisingly high abundance of the yet-unidentified anaerobic toluene degraders carrying the previously detected F1-cluster bssA genes (C. Winderl, S. Schaefer, and T. Lueders, Environ. Microbiol. 9:1035-1046, 2007). Our data suggest that this biogeochemical gradient zone is a hot spot of anaerobic toluene degradation. These findings show that the distribution of specific aquifer microbiota and degradation processes in contaminated aquifers are tightly coupled, which may be of value for the assessment and prediction of natural attenuation based on intrinsic aquifer microbiota.
Software Reuse: Developers' Experiences and Perceptions

Reusing programs and other artifacts has been shown to be an effective strategy for significant reduction of development costs. This article reports on a survey of 128 developers to explore their experiences and perceptions about using other people’s code: to what extent does the “not invented here” attitude exist? The survey was structured around a novel and simple “4A” model, which is introduced in this article: for an organization to obtain any benefits from reusing code, four conditions must obtain: availability, awareness, accessibility, and acceptability. The greatest impediments to reuse were shown to be awareness of reusable code and developers’ perceptions of its acceptability for use on their new projects. For 72% of developers, the complexity of the old code was cited as a reason that the code was not reused. The survey also included developers’ suggestions for ways to take greater advantage of existing code and related artifacts.
Health-related quality of life in Crohn's disease: a prospective longitudinal study in 231 patients

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this work was to assess the quality of life (QoL) of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) prospectively over 1 yr and to determine factors of influence.METHODS:A total of 231 CD patients were included. At month 0 (M0), M3, M6, M9, and M12, patients were given a validated QoL questionnaire (self-administered) to fill in and a clinical form referring to the period of 3 months before the visit. The QoL questionnaire was made up of the Short-Form-36 and the Rating Form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Concerns. The impact on QoL of the following factors was analyzed: age, gender, CD duration and localization, presence of extradigestive manifestations or concomitant disease, disease course, medical treatments, and surgery. We studied the correlations between QoL and disease activity assessed by both patients and investigators by a visual analog scale.RESULTS:At M0, all the scores of the Short-Form-36 were significantly lower than those of a standard population, nevertheless improving between M0 and M12. Patients’ main worries were first “having an ostomy bag” followed by “uncertain nature of the disease,”“ energy level,” and finally “having surgery. ” QoL was better correlated with assessment of disease course by the patient than by the investigator. Significant factors of impairment in QoL were female gender, tobacco, active CD, involvement of the colon, hospitalization, corticoid treatment, and surgery in the past 3 months. Conversely, intake of immunosuppressors improved QoL.CONCLUSION:Patients’ QoL is impaired by CD and is underestimated by doctors. Tobacco, hospitalization, and use of corticoids have a negative impact on QoL. Conversely, the use of immunosuppressors is associated with a better QoL.
Preference for Online Social Interaction: a Research on the Potential Influencing Factors

Objective) This paper aims to identify the potential factors leading to a preference for online social interaction to offline interaction. (Methods) Based on an online survey (N=233) and a SEM analysis, (Results) findings show that: 1) compared to those who were good at face-to- face communication, individuals who were not might prefer online social interaction much more; 2) the higher the popularity level of preference for online social interaction among the crowd around an individual, the more he was likely to show similar preference; 3) compared to those with a limited level of involvement in online social interaction, individuals with a higher level would develop a stronger preference for online social interaction; 4) compared to those with a higher level of satisfaction with their current offline contacts, individuals with a lower level of satisfaction were more likely to prefer online social interaction. (Conclusion) The findings will give some help for users and designers of social networking sites.
Cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease: variations in clinical practice in the north‐west of England

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing cost‐effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the NHS. The implementation of the original NICE ( 2001 ) guidance that made these drugs available in the UK was not examined in this review process, and was the objective of this study.
Assessment of Oxidative Metabolism in Brown Fat Using PET Imaging

Objective: Although it has been believed that brown adipose tissue (BAT) depots disappear shortly after the perinatal period in humans, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the glucose analog 18F-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) has shown unequivocally the existence of functional BAT in humans, suggesting that most humans have some functional BAT. The objective of this study was to determine, using dynamic oxygen-15 (15O) PET imaging, to what extent BAT thermogenesis is activated in adults during cold stress and to establish the relationship between BAT oxidative metabolism and FDG tracer uptake. Methods: Fourteen adult normal subjects (9F/5M, 30 ± 7 years) underwent triple oxygen scans (H215O, C15O, 15O2) as well as indirect calorimetric measurements at both rest and following exposure to mild cold (16°C). Subjects were divided into two groups (BAT+ and BAT−) based on the presence or absence of FDG tracer uptake (SUV > 2) in cervical–supraclavicular BAT. Blood flow and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) was calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT, muscle, and white adipose tissue (WAT). The metabolic rate of oxygen (MRO2) in BAT was determined and used to calculate the contribution of activated BAT to daily energy expenditure (DEE). Results: The median mass of activated BAT in the BAT+ group (5F, age 31 ± 8) was 52.4 g (range 14–68 g) and was 1.7 g (range 0–6.3 g) in the BAT − group (5M/4F, age 29 ± 6). Corresponding SUV values were significantly higher in the BAT+ as compared to the BAT− group (7.4 ± 3.7 vs. 1.9 ± 0.9; p = 0.03). Blood flow values in BAT were significantly higher in the BAT+ group as compared to the BAT− group (13.1 ± 4.4 vs. 5.7 ± 1.1 ml/100 g/min, p = 0.03), but were similar in WAT (4.1 ± 1.6 vs. 4.2 ± 1.8 ml/100 g/min) and muscle (3.7 ± 0.8 vs. 3.3 ± 1.2 ml/100 g/min). Moreover, OEF in BAT was similar in the two groups (0.56 ± 0.18 in BAT+ vs. 0.46 ± 0.19 in BAT−, p = 0.39). Calculated MRO2 values in BAT increased from 0.95 ± 0.74 to 1.62 ± 0.82 ml/100 g/min in the BAT+ group and were significantly higher than those determined in the BAT− group (0.43 ± 0.27 vs. 0.56 ± 0.24, p = 0.67). The DEE associated with BAT oxidative metabolism was highly variable in the BAT+ group, with an average of 5.5 ± 6.4 kcal/day (range 0.57–15.3 kcal/day). Conclusion: BAT thermogenesis in humans accounts for less than 20 kcal/day during moderate cold stress, even in subjects with relatively large BAT depots. Furthermore, due to the large differences in blood flow and glucose metabolic rates in BAT between humans and rodents, the application of rodent data to humans is problematic and needs careful evaluation.
Subtextual gendering processes: A study of Japanese retail firms in Hong Kong

This study examined equal opportunities for women employees in two Japanese-owned retail companies (Tairo and Okadaya) in Hong Kong. This article initially discusses the various explanations for gender inequality put forward by scholars. Since equal opportunities legislation - specifically the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) - was introduced in Hong Kong in 1996, little research has been able to explain why gender inequality persists. The issue can alternatively be understood by examining the subtextual gendering processes. Concealed gendering processes (re)produce gender inequality based on hegemonic power, through structural, cultural, interaction and identity arrangements. Accounts of female staff at various hierarchies reveal that they are subject to these organizational and individual arrangements to various extents under the cover of SDO, which it was claimed, the companies implemented.
QoS Specification and Management in a Middleware for Distributed Multimedia Systems

Multimedia systems should deal with critical issues such as real-time requirements of audio and video. Such requirements can become more complex when applications are executed in different platforms including different technologies, such as Internet and interactive digital television systems. In such a context, this paper proposes a QoS management and specification model to support adaptation in middleware for distributed multimedia systems
Comprehensive Serum Profiling for the Discovery of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers

FDA-cleared ovarian cancer biomarkers are limited to CA-125 and HE4 for monitoring and recurrence and OVA1, a multivariate panel consisting of CA-125 and four additional biomarkers, for referring patients to a specialist. Due to relatively poor performance of these tests, more accurate and broadly applicable biomarkers are needed. We evaluated the dysregulation of 259 candidate cancer markers in serum samples from 499 patients. Sera were collected prospectively at 11 monitored sites under a single well-defined protocol. All stages of ovarian cancer and common benign gynecological conditions were represented. To ensure consistency and comparability of biomarker comparisons, all measurements were performed on a single platform, at a single site, using a panel of rigorously calibrated, qualified, high-throughput, multiplexed immunoassays and all analyses were conducted using the same software. Each marker was evaluated independently for its ability to differentiate ovarian cancer from benign conditions. A total of 175 markers were dysregulated in the cancer samples. HE4 (AUC = 0.933) and CA-125 (AUC = 0.907) were the most informative biomarkers, followed by IL-2 receptor α, α1-antitrypsin, C-reactive protein, YKL-40, cellular fibronectin, CA-72-4 and prostasin (AUC>0.800). To improve the discrimination between cancer and benign conditions, a simple multivariate combination of markers was explored using logistic regression. When combined into a single panel, the nine most informative individual biomarkers yielded an AUC value of 0.950, significantly higher than obtained when combining the markers in the OVA1 panel (AUC 0.912). Additionally, at a threshold sensitivity of 90%, the combination of the top 9 markers gave 88.9% specificity compared to 63.4% specificity for the OVA1 markers. Although a blinded validation study has not yet been performed, these results indicate that alternative biomarker combinations might lead to significant improvements in the detection of ovarian cancer.
Coalescence of the Two Secondary Responses in Coupled Duffing equations

The novel coalescence of the secondary responses for the coupled Duffing equations are observed in this study. Two secondary responses that do not bifurcate from the primary responses merge into one due to saddle-node bifurcation generation within a specific parameter range. The frequency responses of the coupled Duffing equations are calculated using the harmonic balance method while the periodic orbits are detected by the shooting method. The stability of the periodic orbits is determined on utilizing Floquet theory. The parametric continuation algorithm is used to obtain the bifurcation points and bifurcation lines for a Duffing system with two varying parameters. The analytical results demonstrate the novel phenomenon that occurs in the Duffing equations.
"Friendships" in Vertical Relations

It has been argued that collusion among the members of an organization or a vertical structure creates efficiency losses, and hence should be prevented. This paper shows that whenever collusion takes the form of co-insurance agreements, here called `friendships', among the members of a vertical structure this may not be the case. Indeed, in such a case, collusion yields only a redistribution of surplus among the members of the vertical structure. Hence, its efficiency costs may be reduced by allowing these `friendships' to take place, rather than preventing them, and accounting for the redistribution in the design of the optimal incentive scheme.
Increased brain activation during working memory processing after pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

PURPOSE The neural substrate of post-concussive symptoms following the initial injury period after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in pediatric populations remains poorly elucidated. This study examined neuropsychological, behavioral, and brain functioning in adolescents post-mTBI to assess whether persistent differences were detectable up to a year post-injury. METHODS Nineteen adolescents on average 7.5 months post-mTBI completed neuropsychological testing and an fMRI auditory-verbal N-back working memory task. Parents completed behavioral ratings. The comparison group included 19 healthy controls matched to the mTBI group for demographic variables and N-back task performance. RESULTS There were no between-group differences for cognition or behavior ratings. The expected decreased accuracy and increased reaction time as N-back task difficulty increased were apparent. The mTBI group showed significantly greater brain activation than controls during the most difficult working memory load condition. CONCLUSION Greater working memory task-related activation was found in adolescents up to one year post-mTBI relative to controls, potentially indicating compensatory activation to support normal task performance. Differences in brain activation in the mTBI group so long after injury may indicate residual alterations in brain function much later than would be expected based on the typical pattern of symptom recovery, which could have important clinical implications.
Visual Reaction Time and Plethysmography as Measures of Sexual Interest in Child Molesters

It is important to determine the sexual interests of those accused of child molestation. Visual reaction time and plethysmography are two means of measuring sexual interest with some objectivity, but there has been no direct comparison of these methodologies. The reliability and validity of visual reaction time and plethysmography were evaluated in groups of individuals with sexual interest in children of various ages and genders. Results showed that both methods of assessment had a high reliability and validity. Visual reaction time has the added advantages that it can be used without nude slides and is a briefer assessment.