Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arrow Index of a Fuzzy Choice Function

The Arrow index of a fuzzy choice function C is a measure of the degree to which C satisfies the Fuzzy Arrow Axiom, a fuzzy version of the classical Arrow Axiom. The main result of this paper shows that A(C) characterizes the degree to which C is full rational. We also obtain a method for computing A(C). The Arrow index allows to rank the fuzzy choice functions with respect to their rationality. Thus, if for solving a decision problem several fuzzy choice functions are proposed, by the Arrow index the most rational one will be chosen.
Indications and Early Outcomes for Total Pancreatectomy at a High-Volume Pancreas Center

Background. This study aimed to analyse the most common current indications for total pancreatectomy (TP) at a high-volume pancreas center. Method. Prospectively collected data on indications and short-term outcome of all TP's performed from January 2004 until June 2008 were analysed. Results. The total pancreatectomies (TP) were 63, i.e., 6.7% of all pancreatic procedures (n = 948). Indications for TP were classified into 4 groups: tumors of advanced stage, n = 23 (36.5%), technical problems due to soft pancreatic tissue, n = 18 (28.6%), troubles due to perioperative surgical complications, n = 15 (23.8%), and therapy-resistant pain due to chronic pancreatitis, n = 7 (11.1%). Surgical complications occurred in 23 patients (36.5%). The mortality in elective TP was 6.25%. Median postoperative stay was 21 days. Mortality, morbidity and the other perioperative parameters differed substantially according to the indication for pancreatectomy. Conclusion. Total pancreatectomy is definitely indicated for a limited range of elective and emergency situations. Indications can be: size or localisation of pancreatic tumor, trouble, technical diffuculties and therapy-refractory pain in chronic pancreatitis. A TP due to perioperative complications (troubles) after pancreatic resections is doomed by extremely high morbidity and mortality and should be avoided.
Private Readings in Public: Schooling the Literary Imagination

This book uses the set of relations announced by teachers' and students' readings of literary fictions as a commonplace location to interpret the experience of curriculum. In addition to illuminating the complexity of schooled readings of literature, Private Readings in Public provides insightful and provocative interpretations of the intertwined, overlapping, and ever-evolving intertextual relations that comprise events of curriculum. It will be of interest to those who wish to expand their understanding of the way in which interpretations of shared reading can become a literary anthropology where the identities of readers, writers, and teachers are continually re-invented during processes of reading, writing, and teaching.
Aberrant DNA hypomethylation of miR-196b contributes to migration and invasion of oral cancer

MicroRNAs (miRs) are a class of small endogenous non-coding RNAs of ~21–24 nucleotides in length. Previous studies have indicated that miR-196b has either an oncogenic or tumor-suppressive function in various types of cancer. However, the biological role of miR-196b in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-196b were examined in oral cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues from 69 OSCC patients using stem-loop reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results indicated that miR-196b was significantly overexpressed in OSCC tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent normal tissue samples (64 of 69, 92.7%, P<0.001). Analysis of the methylation status of the miR-196b gene indicated more frequent hypomethylation of the CpG islands located upstream of the miR-196b gene in the OSCC tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues (32 of 69, 46.3%), and the methylation status of miR-196b correlated inversely with its expression levels. Furthermore, the unmethylated status of the miR-196b promoter correlated with poor disease-specific survival in OSCC patients (P=0.035). Functional analysis revealed that ectopic miR-196b expression promoted oral cancer cell migration and invasion abilities, and that silencing of miR-196b could abrogate in vitro migration and invasion of oral cancer cells. Collectively, the present findings indicate that the epigenetic regulation of miR-196b expression plays a crucial role in modulating cell migration and invasion during OSCC progression, and thus may serve as a potential prognosis marker or therapeutic target for OSCC.
The influence of sex and skill level on patellar tendon loading during landing

Although high patellar tendon loading is believed to be the primary causative factor for patellar tendinopathy, research investigating factors that affect patellar tendon loading during landing are scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify whether factors previously associated with the development of patellar tendinopathy, and selected variables characterising landing technique, could predict patellar tendon loading incurred by volleyball players when landing from a jump. Ten highly skilled male, 20 skilled male, and 20 skilled female volleyball players performed a lateral stop-jump block movement. Sex, skill level, quadriceps muscle strength, quadriceps muscle extensibility, and trunk moment of inertia were recorded. Landing kinematics (250 Hz) and kinetics (1,500 Hz) were collected and peak patellar tendon force and patellar tendon force loading rate were calculated. Backward multiple regression analyses identified which risk factors or landing technique variables were predictors of patellar tendon loading. Multiple regression analyses were able to estimate and predict 52% (F(4,49) = 14.258, P ≤ 0.001) and 70% (F(4,49) = 29.329, P ≤ 0.001) of the peak patellar tendon force and the patellar tendon
Elastic Moduli of Thyroid Tissues under Compression

The aim of this study was to evaluate the elastic moduli of thyroid tissues under uniaxial compression and to establish the biomechanical fundamentals for accurate interpretation of thyroid elastograms. A total of 67 thyroid samples (24 samples of normal thyroid tissue, 2 samples of thyroid tissue with chronic thyroiditis, 12 samples of adenomatous goiter lesions and 7 samples of follicular adenoma, 19 samples of papillary adenocarcinoma (PAC) and 3 samples of follicular adenocarcinoma (FAC)) obtained from 36 patients who had received thyroid surgery were subjected to biomechanical testing within three hours after surgical resection at precompression strains of 5%, 10% and 20% and applied strains of 1%, 2%, 5% and 10% of sample height. As a result, the mean values of elastic moduli for benign thyroid lesions at all examined precompression levels were significantly higher than those for normal thyroid tissue measured at the same load (p<0.01). At low precompression (5%) and compression (1–2%) levels, benign thyroid nodule samples were 1.7 times harder than normal thyroid tissue. At high precompression (20%) and compression (10%) levels, this difference increased to 2.4 times. Stiffness of PAC samples was significantly higher than those for normal thyroid tissue and benign thyroid tumors measured at the same load (p<0.01). At low precompression (5%) and compression (1–2%) levels, PAC samples were 5.0 times harder than normal thyroid tissue. At high precompression (20%) and compression (10%) levels, this difference increased to 17.7 times. In contrast, samples of FAC were much softer than PAC (p<0.05) and were comparable in stiffness to normal thyroid tissues. The significant differences in the stiffness between normal thyroid tissue and thyroid tumors may provide useful information for accurate interpretation of thyroid elastograms.
Conservation laws and two-dimensional black holes in dilaton gravity.

A very general class of Lagrangians which couple scalar fields to gravitation and matter in two spacetime dimensions is investigated. It is shown that a vector field exists along whose flow lines the stress-energy tensor is conserved, regardless of whether or not the equations of motion are satisfied or if any Killing vectors exist. Conditions necessary for the existence of Killing vectors are derived. A new set of two-dimensional (2D) black-hole solutions is obtained for one particular member within this clans of Lagrangians, which couples a Liouville field to 2D gravity in a novel way. One solution of this theory bears an interesting resemblance to the 2D string-theoretic black hole, yet contains markedly different thermodynamic properties
New Multiplex PCR for Rapid Detection of Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates

ABSTRACT In this study, we describe a multiplex PCR to detect a AGC→ACC (serine to threonine) mutation in the katG gene and a −15 C-to-T substitution (inhAC−15T) at the 5′ end of a presumed ribosome binding site in the promoter of the mabA-inhA operon. These mutations have been reported in the majority of previous studies as the most frequent mutations involved in the resistance to isoniazid (INH) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical strains with high levels of resistance. The method was optimized and validated after an analysis of 30 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates with known sequences of the relevant part of the katG gene and the regulatory region of the mabA-inhA operon. We analyzed 297 INH-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates collected in Spain from 1996 to 2003 by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (using the katG gene), DNA sequencing, and the newly developed multiplex PCR. The results were concordant for all 297 isolates tested. The analysis revealed that 204 (68.7%) of the isolates carried one or both of the mutations. This finding suggests that with further development this multiplex PCR will be able to detect the majority of the INH-resistant M. tuberculosis clinical isolates from Spain and other countries where a high frequency of similar mutations occur.
The Use of Phone Technology in Outpatient Populations: A Systematic Review

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to identify the types of phone technology used in the adult outpatient population with a focus on Hispanic patients and psychiatric populations. Methods: A search for articles was conducted on the EMBASE, PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Articles reviewed were peer-reviewed, full-text, English language and published through mid-November 2014. Results: Twenty-one articles were included in this review and grouped according to combinations of phone technology, medical specialty area and population. For all articles, phone technology was defined as telephone, cell, or smart phone. Technology was used in psychiatry with Hispanic population in four articles, in psychiatry with non-Hispanic population in seven articles and in other specialties with Hispanic population in ten articles. Articles were evaluated for quality. Six articles were assessed as strong, eight were moderate and seven were weak in global quality. Interventions included direct communication, text messaging, interactive voice response, camera and smart phone app. Studies with Hispanic populations used more text messaging, while studies in psychiatry favored direct communication. The majority of articles in all groups yielded improvements in health outcomes. Conclusion: Few studies have been conducted using phone technology in Hispanic and psychiatric populations. Various phone technologies can be helpful to patients in diverse populations and have demonstrated success in improving a variety of specific and overall healthcare outcomes. Phone technologies are easily adapted to numerous settings and populations and are valuable tools in efforts to increase access to care.
Exploring Elf: Academic English Shaped by Non-native Speakers

This book explores the emerging area of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in academic settings. The emergence and recognition of English used as a Lingua Franca (ELF) offers new opportunities for investigating language change and language contact. This volume explores the use of English in an academic context and between speakers from a range of language backgrounds, and is the only book to date to present spoken academic English from a non-native speaker perspective. Data examined from the one-million-word English as a Lingua Franca in Academic Settings (ELFA) corpus provides an in-depth account of how speakers use and shape the language through dialogue in intellectually and verbally demanding situations. Available separately as a paperback.
A Flexible DG Interface Based on a New RLS Algorithm for Power Quality Improvement

Distributed generation (DG) exists in distribution systems and is installed by either the utility or the customers. This paper proposes a novel utilization of the existing DG interface to not only control the active power flow, but also to mitigate unbalance, harmonics and voltage flicker, and manage the reactive power of the system. The proposed flexible distributed generation (FDG) is similar in functionality to FACTS, but works at the distribution level. Moreover, a novel recursive least square (RLS) structure is presented. The new structure is applied to multi-output (MO) systems for parameter tracking/estimation, and is called MO-RLS. It is dedicated to symmetrical components estimation. An innovative processing unit-based RLS is investigated to deal with unbalance, harmonics, and reactive power compensation. In addition, this paper portrays a technique for flicker mitigation based on the RLS algorithm for instantaneous tracking of the measured voltage envelope. One advantage of the proposed control system is its insensitivity to parameter variation, a necessity for distribution system applications. Simulations of the suggested FDG based control algorithm are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed system.
Clinical Course of Enterovirus D68 in Hospitalized Children.

BACKGROUND Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been sporadically reported as a cause of respiratory tract infections. In 2014, an international outbreak of EV-D68 occurred and caused severe respiratory disease in the pediatric population. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed of children admitted to Children's Mercy Hospital from August 1-September 15, 2014 with positive multiplex PCR testing for enterovirus/rhinovirus (EV/RV). Specimens were subsequently tested for EV-D68, and clinical data were obtained from the medical records. Patients with EV-D68 were compared with children presenting simultaneously with other EV/RV. RESULTS Of 542 eligible specimens, children with EV-D68 were significantly older than children with other EV/RV (4.6 vs. 2.2 years, P<0.001). Children with EV-D68 were more likely to have a history of asthma (38.6% vs. 30.0%, P=0.04) or recurrent wheezing (22.1% vs. 14.8%, P=0.04). EV-D68 positive children more commonly received supplemental oxygen (86.7% vs. 65.0%, P<0.001), albuterol (91.2% vs. 65.5%, P<0.001), and corticosteroids (82.9% vs. 58.6%, P<0.001). Age ≥5 years was an independent risk factor for intensive care unit (ICU) management in EV-D68 infected children. Children with a history of asthma or recurrent wheezing and EV-D68 received supplemental oxygen (92.7% vs. 82.4%, P=0.007) and magnesium (42.7% vs. 29.7%, P=0.03) at higher rates and more continuous albuterol (3 vs. 2 hours, P=0.03) than those with other EV/RV. CONCLUSIONS EV-D68 causes severe disease in the pediatric population, particularly in children with a history of asthma or recurrent wheezing. EV-D68 positive children are more likely to require therapy for refractory bronchospasm and may need ICU level care.
Electrical and Ca2+ signaling in dendritic spines of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons

Little is known about the density and function of dendritic spines on midbrain dopamine neurons, or the relative contribution of spine and shaft synapses to excitability. Using Ca2+ imaging, glutamate uncaging, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and transgenic mice expressing labeled PSD-95, we comparatively analyzed electrical and Ca2+ signaling in spines and shaft synapses of dopamine neurons. Dendritic spines were present on dopaminergic neurons at low densities in live and fixed tissue. Uncaging-evoked potential amplitudes correlated inversely with spine length but positively with the presence of PSD-95. Spine Ca2+ signals were less sensitive to hyperpolarization than shaft synapses, suggesting amplification of spine head voltages. Lastly, activating spines during pacemaking, we observed an unexpected enhancement of spine Ca2+ midway throughout the spike cycle, likely involving recruitment of NMDA receptors and voltage-gated conductances. These results demonstrate functionality of spines in dopamine neurons and reveal a novel modulation of spine Ca2+ signaling during pacemaking. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.13905. 001
Emerging Psychosis and the Family

Schizophrenias hold a special position among psychotic disorders. Schizophrenias often start in early adulthood and bear considerable psychosocial risks and consequences. Several years of nonpsychotic clinical signs and symptoms and growing distress for patient and significant others may pass by before definite diagnosis. Young males in particular often experience their first episode while still living in their primary families. Thus, the whole family system is involved. In worldwide initiatives on early detection and early intervention, near-psychotic prodromal symptoms as well as deficits of thought and perception, observable by the affected person himself, were found to be particularly predictive of psychosis. Various psychological and social barriers as well as ones inherent to the disease impede access to affected persons. Building trust and therapeutic alliance are extremely important for counseling, diagnostics, and therapy. The indication for strategies of intervention differs from the early to the late prodromal stage, depending on proximity to psychosis. For psychotherapy versus pharmacotherapy, the first evidence of effectiveness has been provided. A false-positive referral to treatment and other ethical concerns must be weighed against the risks of delayed treatment.
Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide level predicts kidney prognosis in patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND As a cardiorenal syndrome, there is a dynamic interplay between the heart and the kidney. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the prognostic impact of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level, a cardiac biomarker, on the long-term kidney prognosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. METHODS We prospectively enrolled 508 patients with CKD Stages 3, 4 and 5 not on dialysis, from a single nephrology department between 2004 and 2010. The exclusion criteria were over 90 years of age, malignancy, active infection, low cardiac ejection fraction and rapid progressive glomerulonephritis. Relationships between BNP and kidney end point [defined as doubling of baseline serum creatinine and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) requiring kidney replacement therapy] were measured using Cox models for case-mix and laboratory variables. RESULTS The final analysis covered 485 participants with no loss to follow-up. The median follow-up period was 3.2 years. Two hundred and twenty-eight of the 485 patients reached ESKD requiring dialysis, and baseline serum creatinine levels doubled in another 31. The kidney end point was significantly poorer among patients with plasma BNP levels above, compared with below a cut-off value of 86.1 pg/mL indicated from receiver operating characteristic analysis. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified the common logarithm BNP as a predictor of kidney end point (adjusted hazard ratio 1.78, 95% CI: 1.28-2.46, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Elevation of BNP level is associated with an increased risk for accelerated progression of CKD ultimately to ESKD. Monitoring the BNP level could be helpful in the management of combined heart and kidney disease.
Is assisted peritoneal dialysis associated with technique survival when competing events are considered?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study assessed whether assisted peritoneal dialysis (PD) was associated with a lower risk for technique failure using methods developed for survival analysis in the presence of competing risks. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS This retrospective cohort study, based on data from the French Language Peritoneal Dialysis Registry, analyzed 9822 incident patients starting PD between January 2002 and December 2010. The observation period ended on June 1, 2011. Time to transfer to hemodialysis was compared between patients with assisted PD and those undergoing self-care PD. RESULTS There were 5286 patients undergoing assisted PD; 4230 of these were assisted by a community nurse and 1056 by family. Assisted PD patients were older and had a higher Charlson comorbidity index than self-care PD patients. There were 7594 events: 3495 deaths, 2464 transfers to hemodialysis, 1489 renal transplantations, and 146 renal function recoveries. According to a Cox model, assistance and center size were associated with a lower risk for technique failure, whereas hemodialysis before PD, early peritonitis, and transplantation failure were associated with a higher risk for transfer to hemodialysis. A Fine and Gray regression model showed that assisted PD was associated with a lower risk for transfer to hemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS Compared with patients undergoing self-care PD, those with assisted PD had a lower risk for transfer to hemodialysis, a higher risk for death, and a lower risk for transplantation.
A biomechanical analysis of the roundhouse kicking technique of expert practitioners: A comparison between the martial arts disciplines of Muay Thai, Karate, and Taekwondo

The purpose of this study was first, to determine whether there were differences in the roundhouse kicking leg kinematics performed by highly skilled Muay Thai, Karate and Taekwondo practitioners (n = 8 per group). Next, analysis aimed to identify the kinematic determinants of effective roundhouse kicking performance. Three-dimensional (3D) lower limb kinematics were recorded using a nine camera infra-red motion capture system (500 Hz) during three maximal roundhouse kicks. Impact forces were recorded using a strain gauge (1000 Hz) attached to a kicking pad positioned at the height of each participant’s mastoid process. Results showed that linear foot velocity at impact was moderately correlated with relative impact force (r = 0.66, P = 0.001). Discipline specific analyses of the temporal data indicated that the Muay Thai group had a shorter execution time (1.02 ± 0.15 s) than Taekwondo (1.54 ± 0.52 s, P = 0.028). Analysis of lower limb kinematic data indicated that both Karate (-947 ± 94 deg/s, P = 0.010) and Taekwondo (-943 ± 106 deg/s, P = 0.011) practitioners had faster knee extension velocities than the Muay Thai group (-706 ± 200 deg/s). Conversely, the Muay Thai practitioners (1.24 ± 0.15 m/s) had greater vertical centre of mass movement than both Karate (0.78 ± 0.24 m/s, P = 0.001) and Taekwondo groups (0.93 ± 0.19 m/s, P = 0.02). Our findings show that several fundamental movement patterns were common to the roundhouse kicking techniques across the Muay Thai, Karate, and Taekwondo disciplines. Effective roundhouse kicking performance was characterized by rapid pelvic axial rotation, hip abduction, hip flexion and knee extension velocities, combined with rapid movements of the COM towards the target.