Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex-Related Differences in Quality of Care and Short-Term Mortality Among Patients With Acute Stroke in Denmark: A Nationwide Follow-Up Study

Background and Purpose— Sex may predict level of care and successive outcome among patients with stroke. We examined fulfillment of quality of care criteria according to sex and possible impact of any sex-related differences on short-term mortality in a population-based nationwide follow-up study in Denmark. Methods— We identified 29 549 patients admitted with stroke between January 2003 and October 2005 in the Danish National Indicator Project. Data on 30- and 90-day mortality were obtained from The Civil Registration System. We compared proportions of patients receiving adequate care between sexes, as measured by admission to a specialized stroke unit, administration of antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy, examination with CT/MRI scan, and assessment by a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, and of nutritional risk. Further, we computed 30- and 90-day mortality rate ratios (MRR), adjusted for patient characteristics, fulfillment of quality of care criteria, and department. Results— The proportion of patients who received adequate care was either slightly lower or similar among women when compared to men. The relative risks (RR) of receiving specific components of care ranged from 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI]:0.74 to 0.96) to 1.01 (95% CI:0.96 to 1.06) when comparing sexes. The adjusted mortality rate ratios were lower among women and adjustment for fulfillment of quality of care criteria had only marginal impact. Conclusions— There appear not to be any substantial sex-related differences in acute hospital care among patients with stroke in Denmark. The lower female short-term mortality is therefore most likely explained by other factors.
Performance Analysis of Multicarrier Systems in the Presence of Smooth Nonlinearity

Most of the performance studies devoted to the analysis of multicarrier systems in the presence of nonlinear distortion assume that the multicarrier signal can be modeled as a random Gaussian process regardless of modulation format, guard interval duration, and number of subcarriers. On the contrary, we present an analysis based on the discrete model of the multicarrier signal. It is shown that the discrete model provides more accurate signal-to-distortion ratio and out-of-band spectrum prediction if the number of subcarriers is small. Only the effect of third-order nonlinearity is studied; however results can also be extended to the fifth-order polynomial model. Simulation results are provided which confirm analytical derivations.
FDG-PET in the assessment of patients with follicular lymphoma treated by ibritumomab tiuxetan Y 90: multicentric study.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is the 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) evaluation following radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with ibritumomab tiuxetan Y 90 in patients with non-Hodgkin's follicular lymphoma (FL). MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed data from 59 relapsed or refractory FL patients treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan Y 90 in four different PET centers who had a PET scan carried out before and after RIT. Possible predictive factors of progression-free survival (PFS) were studied through univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS The post-RIT PET documented 45.8% complete responders (CR), 25.4% partial responders (PR) and 28.8% nonresponders [stable disease + progressive disease], with an overall survival of 71.2% (range 59.5%-90.9%). With a median follow-up period of 23 months, the univariate analysis documented a statistically significant relation between disease extent before RIT and response to treatment with respect to PFS (P = 0.015), while all the other prognostic factors showed no significant correlation. When carrying out the multivariate analysis, post-RIT PET resulted as the lonely independent predictor of PFS (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS RIT is an effective therapy in FL patients, as confirmed in our study too. Disease extension before treatment and response to RIT, as assessed by FDG-PET, result as main predictors of PFS, with the post-RIT PET result being the only independent predictive factor.
Large-scale collection of full-length cDNA and transcriptome analysis in Hevea brasiliensis

Abstract Natural rubber has unique physical properties that cannot be replaced by products from other latex-producing plants or petrochemically produced synthetic rubbers. Rubber from Hevea brasiliensis is the main commercial source for this natural rubber that has a cis-polyisoprene configuration. For sustainable production of enough rubber to meet demand elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the production of latex is vital. To this end, we firstly constructed rubber full-length cDNA libraries of RRIM 600 cultivar and sequenced around 20,000 clones by the Sanger method and over 15,000 contigs by Illumina sequencer. With these data, we updated around 5,500 gene structures and newly annotated around 9,500 transcription start sites. Second, to elucidate the rubber biosynthetic pathways and their transcriptional regulation, we carried out tissue- and cultivar-specific RNA-Seq analysis. By using our recently published genome sequence, we confirmed the expression patterns of the rubber biosynthetic genes. Our data suggest that the cytoplasmic mevalonate (MVA) pathway is the main route for isoprenoid biosynthesis in latex production. In addition to the well-studied polymerization factors, we suggest that rubber elongation factor 8 (REF8) is a candidate factor in cis-polyisoprene biosynthesis. We have also identified 39 transcription factors that may be key regulators in latex production. Expression profile analysis using two additional cultivars, RRIM 901 and PB 350, via an RNA-Seq approach revealed possible expression differences between a high latex-yielding cultivar and a disease-resistant cultivar.
Promoting the scholarship of teaching through reflective e‐portfolios in teacher education

This study focuses on the goal of enhancing student reflection and learning with the key objective being to determine whether a structured reflective tool can enhance students’ ability to engage in a reflective cycle. A case study approach was adopted involving three cohorts of first year teacher education students in an Australian university over three years. The study found that the reflective tool assisted students to structure their reflections in a more cohesive manner, that without such a guide the majority of the students’ comments were descriptive and their reflective comment tended to be at a superficial level.
Microfinance Meets the Market

Microfinance institutions have proved the possibility of providing reliable banking services to poor customers. Their second aim is to do so in a commercially-viable way. This paper analyzes the tensions and opportunities of microfinance as it embraces the market, drawing on a data set that includes 346 of the world's leading microfinance institutions and covers nearly 18 million active borrowers. The data show remarkable successes in maintaining high rates of loan repayment, but the data also suggest that profit-maximizing investors would have limited interest in most of the institutions that are focusing on the poorest customers and women. Those institutions, as a group, charge their customers the highest fees in the sample but also face particularly high transaction costs, in part due to small transaction sizes. Innovations to overcome the well-known problems of asymmetric information in financial markets were a triumph, but further innovation is needed to overcome the challenges of high costs.
Ophthalmologic abnormalities in a de novo terminal 6q deletion

Purpose: To correlate the clinical phenotype with the genotype of a boy with a terminal deletion of chromosome 6q and to compare these observations to previous reports of 6q deletions and review of the literature. Methods: Careful clinical evaluation, conventional cytogenetic analysis on GTG-banded chromosomes and 244K array CGH analysis. Results: This 14 year old Saudi boy had modest mental retardation, seizures, microcephaly, cortical dysplasia, a non-comitant esotropia, impersistent eccentric gaze, congenital nystagmus, thick corneas, and substantial myopia. He had a de novo 10.79 Mb deletion on chromosome 6 from 6q25.3 to 6qter. The deleted region extended from nucleotide 159929512 to 170723629 and encompassed 87 genes. Eleven genes remained within the proband’s deleted region after excluding genes located in deleted areas reported in phenotypically normal individuals. Among those 11 genes, only the TBP (TATA box binding protein) gene has been associated with any symptom or sign observed in our patient. Conclusions: This boy had clinical features similar to patients reported with the 6q terminal deletion syndrome. In addition, he had an unusual ocular motility pattern and thick corneas, features that may be more common than previously recognized. Deleted genes in this area of chromosome 6 may contribute to ophthalmic abnormalities in addition to mental retardation.
Caractéristiques épidémiologiques des épilepsies de l’enfant à Abidjan (Côte-d’Ivoire)

Cent vingt-six enfants epileptiques ont ete recenses en consultation dans quatre centres specialises de la ville d’Abidjan sur la base d’un minimum de deux crises epileptiques et la realisation d’au moins un EEG, au cours d’une etude prospective et descriptive. La plupart d’entre eux n’ont pas acces aux soins en raison de facteurs economiques et culturels. L’epilepsie debute en general avant l’âge de 6 ans, avec une predominance masculine, sans distinction de nationalite, d’ethnie ou de religion. La scolarisation des enfants epileptiques parait meilleure que dans les autres pays d’Afrique sub-saharienne mais devrait etre appreciee en fonction de l’âge et des donnees de la population generale. Les crises generalisees sont les plus frequentes, dominees par les crises generalisees tonico-cloniques. Cela pourrait etre le fait d’une meilleure identification de ce type de crise ou de la mauvaise reconnaissance des crises partielles ou a debut partiel. Les crises sont principalement declenchees par l’hyperthermie, le sommeil, mais aussi par l’arret du traitement antiepileptique et l’emotion. Parmi les facteurs de risque, les facteurs perinatals paraissent particulierement importants. Les meningo-encephalites semblent egalement jouer un role important. Elles sont, en outre, a l’origine de troubles du developpement psychomoteur chez le jeune epileptique.
Physiological parameters during the initial stages of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with chronic heart failure. Their value in the assessment of clinical severity and prognosis.

AIMS To analyse the relationship between initial exercise parameters and peak oxygen consumption and prognosis in 96 patients with congestive heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS Comparison of responses during the initial 6 min of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (Naughton modified protocol) in patients stratified to the Weber classification, and analysis of their predictive value with respect to peak oxygen uptake and prognosis. All patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction < 0.45 and a valid cardiopulmonary exercise test, during which they remained in sinus rhythm. Significant differences in several parameters were seen in the initial stages, including oxygen pulse (P < 0.04) and ventilation equivalent for oxygen (P < 0.004). These parameters remained as independent predictors of peak oxygen uptake in the algorithm derived from baseline and initial stage variables. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, the predicted peak oxygen uptake (P < 0.003) was an independent predictor of mortality. CONCLUSION In patients with congestive heart failure, the initial 6 min parameters of a cardiopulmonary exercise test have additional value in the assessment of clinical severity and prognosis. This may be of clinical relevance since a limited incremental exercise protocol may be more objective than more traditional 6 min walking tests and less demanding.
Adaptations to Benthic Development: Functional Morphology of the Attachment Complex of the Brachiolaria Larva in the Sea Star Asterina gibbosa

The asteroid Asterina gibbosa lives all its life in close relation to the sea bottom. Indeed, this sea star possesses an entirely benthic, lecithotrophic development. The embryos adhere to the substratum due to particular properties of their jelly coat, and hatching occurs directly at the brachiolaria stage. Brachiolariae have a hypertrophied, bilobed attachment complex comprising two asymmetrical brachiolar arms and a central adhesive disc. This study aims at describing the ultrastructure of the attachment complex and possible adaptations, at the cellular level, to benthic development. Immediately after hatching, early brachiolariae attach by the arms. All along the anterior side of each arm, the epidermis encloses several cell types, such as secretory cells of two types (A and B), support cells, and sensory cells. Like their equivalents in planktotrophic larvae, type A and B secretory cells are presumably involved in a duo-glandular system in which the former are adhesive and the latter de-adhesive in function. Unlike what is observed in planktotrophic larvae, the sensory cells are unspecialized and presumably not involved in substratum testing. During the larval period, the brachiolar arms progressively increase in size and the adhesive disc becomes more prominent. At the onset of metamorphosis, brachiolariae cement themselves strongly to the substratum with the adhesive disc. The disc contains two main cell types, support cells and secretory cells, the latter being responsible for the cement release. During this metamorphosis, the brachiolar arms regress while post-metamorphic structures grow considerably, especially the tube feet, which take over the role of attachment to the substratum. The end of this period corresponds to the complete regression of the external larval structures, which also coincides with the opening of the mouth. This sequence of stages, each possessing its own adhesive strategy, is common to all asteroid species having a benthic development. In A. gibbosa, morphological adaptations to this mode of development include the hypertrophic growth of the attachment complex, its bilobed shape forming an almost completely adhesive sole, and the regression of the sensory equipment.
Uterine anomalies. How common are they, and what is their distribution among subtypes?

OBJECTIVE To establish the prevalence and distribution of uterine anomalies in the general population and to enumerate them among septate, bicornuate, didelphic, unicornuate, hypoplastic/aplastic and solid forms. STUDY DESIGN A Medline search and standard reference tracing were employed to locate 47 studies from 14 countries regarding the prevalence and distribution of uterine anomalies. Twenty-two studies involving 573,138 women undergoing universal screening for uterine malformations were analyzed to establish the prevalence of uterine anomalies among fertile women. A separate analysis of uterine anomalies among 6,512 infertile women was also performed. Nineteen studies incorporating 1,092 fertile and 456 infertile women with unselected uterine anomalies were reviewed to establish the distribution of müllerian malformations among major subtypes. Seventeen studies incorporating 161 women with unicornuate uteri were analyzed to establish the distribution of unicornuate müllerian defects among various subtypes, including those with and without cavitary contralateral uterine horns. RESULTS Uterine anomalies were identified in 1 in 594 fertile women (0.17%) and in 1 in 29 infertile women (3.5%). This difference was statistically significant (chi 2 = 3,424, df = 1, P < .00001). The prevalence of uterine anomalies in the general population was 1 in 201 women (0.50%). Their distribution was: 7% arcuate, 34% septate, 39% bicornuate, 11% didelphic, 5% unicornuate, and 4% hypoplastic/aplastic/solid and other forms. CONCLUSION Congenital uterine malformations are more common than generally recognized. Knowledge concerning their prevalence and varieties is important in recognizing and managing the obstetric and gynecologic complications that may result.
A Call to Arms: The Cytokine Selection Service

The process by which naïve T helper (TH) cells differentiate into the TH1 and TH2 subtypes has been well studied. However, there remain some unresolved issues pertaining to the requirements for the initial step of TH cell differentiation. Much debate exists about whether the roles of cytokines include the forcing of the initial steps of differentiation on naïve TH cells, termed "instruction," or whether cytokines act in a supportive role, termed "selection," whereby newly differentiating TH cells are given the proper signals for survival and proliferation. A recent paper by Mullen et al., which helps delineate the role of cytokines in TH1 cell development, is addressed by Nelson; it appears that cytokines act in the selection stage of TH cell maturation.
Motstånd och neutralisering. Kön, makt och professionalitet i arbetet med våld i nära relationer

Konsintegrerade verksamheter som tar emot kvinnor, man och barn med erfarenheter av vald i nara relationer blir allt vanligare. Artikeln belyser hur arbetet vid en sadan enhet sker i ett spanningsfalt av vald, makt och kon som gor det svart att synliggora vald och kvinnors utsatthet.
The Benefits of Considering Psychological Reactance as Users Personality Trait in HCI Research - Profiling Users with Hong s Psychological Reactance Scale

This paper argues for considering psychological reactance as a personality trait as an aspect for user models in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI). It is pointed out that with increasing human-likeness of services, such as intelligent personal assistants, phenomena from human-human interaction are becoming more important in the field of HCI, as well. The concept and means of measuring psychological reactance are explained. Furthermore, methods for adapting to different levels of trait reactance are proposed and discussed.
State-of-The-Art and Applications of 3D Imaging Sensors in Industry, Cultural Heritage, Medicine, and Criminal Investigation

3D imaging sensors for the acquisition of three dimensional (3D) shapes have created, in recent years, a considerable degree of interest for a number of applications. The miniaturization and integration of the optical and electronic components used to build them have played a crucial role in the achievement of compactness, robustness and flexibility of the sensors. Today, several 3D sensors are available on the market, even in combination with other sensors in a "sensor fusion" approach. An importance equal to that of physical miniaturization has the portability of the measurements, via suitable interfaces, into software environments designed for their elaboration, e.g., CAD-CAM systems, virtual renders, and rapid prototyping tools. In this paper, following an overview of the state-of-art of 3D imaging sensors, a number of significant examples of their use are presented, with particular reference to industry, heritage, medicine, and criminal investigation applications.
Targeting of amacrine cell neurites to appropriate synaptic laminae in the developing zebrafish retina

Cellular mechanisms underlying the precision by which neurons target their synaptic partners have largely been determined based on the study of projection neurons. By contrast, little is known about how interneurons establish their local connections in vivo. Here, we investigated how developing amacrine interneurons selectively innervate the appropriate region of the synaptic neuropil in the inner retina, the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Increases (ON) and decreases (OFF) in light intensity are processed by circuits that are structurally confined to separate ON and OFF synaptic sublaminae within the IPL. Using transgenic zebrafish in which the majority of amacrine cells express fluorescent protein, we determined that the earliest amacrine-derived neuritic plexus formed between two cell populations whose somata, at maturity, resided on opposite sides of this plexus. When we followed the behavior of individual amacrine cells over time, we discovered that they exhibited distinct patterns of structural dynamics at different stages of development. During cellular migration, amacrine cells exhibited an exuberant outgrowth of neurites that was undirected. Upon reaching the forming IPL, neurites extending towards the ganglion cell layer were relatively more stable. Importantly, when an arbor first formed, it preferentially ramified in either the inner or outer IPL corresponding to the future ON and OFF sublaminae, and maintained this stratification pattern. The specificity by which ON and OFF amacrine interneurons innervate their respective sublaminae in the IPL contrasts with that observed for projection neurons in the retina and elsewhere in the central nervous system.
Burden and depression among caregivers of patients with cancer at the end of life.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To examine the patient and family caregiver variables that predicted caregiver burden and depression for family caregivers of patients with cancer at the end of life. DESIGN A prospective, longitudinal study was implemented with an inception cohort of patients and their family caregivers who were followed after the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. SETTING Community oncology sites in the midwestern United States. SAMPLE 152 family caregivers of patients with cancer who died during the course of the study. METHODS Telephone interviews were conducted with patients at 6-8, 12-16, 24-30, and 52 weeks following diagnoses. In addition, patient medical records and state death certificates were reviewed. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Effect of caregiver age, gender, education, relationship to the patient, employment status, reports of patient symptoms, patient cancer type, stage of cancer, time from the patient's diagnosis to death, caregiver burden, and depression. FINDINGS Caregivers aged 45-54 reported the highest levels of depressive symptoms, and caregivers aged 35-44 reported the strongest sense of abandonment. Caregivers who were the adult children of patients with cancer and those who were employed reported high levels of depressive symptoms. Feeling abandoned (a portion of caregiver burden) was more prevalent in female, nonspouse, and adult children caregivers, and adult children caregivers of patients with early-stage cancer and patients with multiple symptoms reported a high perception of disruption in their schedule because of providing care. Caregivers whose patients died early following diagnosis reported the highest depressive symptoms, burden, and impact on schedule. CONCLUSIONS Caregivers reported levels of depression at thresholds for screening of clinical depression. The number of patient symptoms was related to levels of caregiver depressive symptoms. An association also was found between depression and employment status. Caregiver distress was not dependent on demands of care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Very little research exists that prospectively analyzes family caregiver experiences of burden and depression when providing end-of-life cancer care for a family member. Interventions aimed at decreasing caregiver depressive symptoms should be targeted to caregivers who are middle-aged, adult children, and employed. Interventions aimed at decreasing the burden associated with feeling abandoned and having schedules disrupted while providing care should be targeted to caregivers who are female, nonspouse, and adult children, and caregivers of patients with early-stage cancer and multiple symptoms.