Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Macula in Keratoconus: An Optical Coherence Tomography and Multifocal Electroretinography Study

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to assess the macular thickness and the electrophysiological changes in keratoconic patients without any systemic or ocular disorders. Methods: 64 eyes of 32 keratoconus patients as well as 60 eyes of 30 controls participated in the study. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) assessment, color vision testing, fundus examination, intraocular pressure measurement, central foveal thickness (CFT) measurement by optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan, and multifocal-electroretinogram (mf-ERG) recording. CFT, retinal response density (RRD) and P1 latency were measured. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups concerning CFT and P1 latency in mf-ERG. The RRD in mf-ERG differed significantly between keratoconus patients and controls. Of note, BCVA was positively associated with RRD in keratoconus patients. Conclusion: In some cases of keratoconus, a macular dysfunction not visible ophthalmoscopically may coexist and the low visual acuity could be due not only to the corneal abnormality, but also to the photoreceptor dysfunction. As a result, the preoperative electrophysiological study of patients with keratoconus is crucial to avoid a needless corneal transplantation.
The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Investment in Canada

F OREIGN private direct investment has a number of economic effects on the capitalreceiving country. Although these have usually been assumed to be beneficial, several recent papers suggest that the issue may be more complex. ' While much of the attention to this subject has come from those concerned with developing countries, these issues have applicability in all countries receiving foreign investment. This article examines foreign investment's effect on the quantity of private investment in the capital-receiving country. Many development models simply assume that a dollar of foreign investment produces an equal increase in investment.2 However, microeconomic analysis suggests that the increase in resources will be split between an increase in investment and an increase in consumption.3 Several recent empirical studies provide support for the latter approach.4 In addition to affecting investment in this way, foreign investment can cause an increase in investment beyond the size of the resource inflow through complementary effects. Moreover, to the extent that investment depends on income through an accelerator type of mechanism, changes in expenditure produced by foreign investment will cause still further changes in investment through changes in income. The purpose of this article is to measure the size of foreign investment's effect on investment in Canada. Moreover, the nature of foreign direct investment's impact will be clarified by tracing through its effect on consumption, exports and imports, as well as on investment. Such an approach not only makes possible a better assessment of the desirability of foreign investment, but suggests ways in which policy makers can effect change.
Sustainability practices: trends in New Zealand businesses

This paper reports on the sustainability practices of New Zealand businesses based on two national surveys and a series of focus groups and interviews. There was an average increase of 10% in the number of companies adopting environmental practices from 2003 to 2006. There was less of an increase for social practices, although still more commonly adopted by companies than environmental practices. Values and beliefs of management were the overwhelming driver for the adoption of sustainability practices with reputation and brand also significant drivers. Costs, management time, and knowledge/skills were the three most commonly reported barriers to adoption of sustainability initiatives. The implications of the study are that for New Zealand business, there is a strong link with the business case for sustainability. For policymakers interested in achieving sustainability goals, the results suggest that a ‘soft’ approach to business practices may be in order in New Zealand. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Enoxaparin Dosing After Cesarean Delivery in Morbidly Obese Women

OBJECTIVE: To compare the adequacy of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis based on anti-Xa concentrations between weight-based enoxaparin dosing and body mass index (BMI)–stratified dosing in morbidly obese women after cesarean delivery. METHODS: A prospective sequential cohort study of women with BMIs of 40 or greater who underwent cesarean delivery was conducted. Participants received either weight-based or BMI-stratified enoxaparin dosing to prevent venous thromboembolism formation. The weight-based regimen was 0.5 mg/kg of enoxaparin every 12 hours. In the BMI-stratified regimen, women with BMIs of 40–59.9 received 40 mg enoxaparin every 12 hours and women with BMIs of 60 or greater received 60 mg every 12 hours. The primary outcome was an anti-Xa concentration in the adequate thromboprophylaxis range (0.2–0.6 international units/mL). Secondary outcomes included enoxaparin dosage, timing of dosing and anti-Xa concentration, estimated surgical blood loss, postoperative changes in hemoglobin and platelets, wound hematoma, and adverse reactions to enoxaparin. Univariate analysis was used to compare dosing regimens. RESULTS: Forty-two morbidly obese women received weight-based enoxaparin, and 43 received BMI-stratified dosing. Anti-Xa concentrations were significantly higher in the weight-based group compared with the BMI-stratified group (0.29±0.08 international units/mL compared with 0.17±0.07 international units/mL, P<.001). Thirty-six participants (86%) on weight-based dosing had anti-Xa concentrations within the prophylactic range compared with 11 (26%) on BMI-stratified dosing (P<.001). No participant had an anti-Xa concentration of 0.6 international units/mL or greater, the therapeutic threshold for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: In morbidly obese women after cesarean delivery, weight-based dosing of enoxaparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is significantly more effective than BMI-stratified dosing in achieving adequate anti-Xa concentrations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Front-signal-dependent accumulation of the RHOA inhibitor FAM65B at leading edges polarizes neutrophils

ABSTRACT A hallmark of neutrophil polarization is the back localization of active RHOA and phosphorylated myosin light chain (pMLC, also known as MYL2). However, the mechanism for the polarization is not entirely clear. Here, we show that FAM65B, a newly identified RHOA inhibitor, is important for the polarization. When FAM65B is phosphorylated, it binds to 14-3-3 family proteins and becomes more stable. In neutrophils, chemoattractants stimulate FAM65B phosphorylation largely depending on the signals from the front of the cells that include those mediated by phospholipase C&bgr; (PLC&bgr;) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase &ggr; (PI3K&ggr;), leading to FAM65B accumulation at the leading edge. Concordantly, FAM65B deficiency in neutrophils resulted in an increase in RHOA activity and localization of pMLC to the front of cells, as well as defects in chemotaxis directionality and adhesion to endothelial cells under flow. These data together elucidate a mechanism for RHOA and pMLC polarization in stimulated neutrophils through direct inhibition of RHOA by FAM65B at the leading edge.
Determining the Monetary Value of Quality Attributes in Freight Transportation Using a Stated Preference Approach

It is commonly accepted that the modal choice of a shipper is influenced not only by the pure economic attributes of transportation – time and cost – but also by more qualitative factors. These quality attributes relate to frequency, reliability, flexibility, transport duration and risk of loss or damage; they are usually difficult to quantify in monetary terms. Different techniques exist that help to understand better how these different quality attributes of freight transportation influence modal choice. In this paper we apply a stated preference design. Using real business data, the aim is then to derive partial utility functions that allow us to calculate monetary values for these different quality attributes.
Markets and Inequality in Rural China: Parallels with the Past

After 30 years of egalitarian rhetoric and collectivist practice, the introduction of market reforms to rural China entailed obvious risks for policymakers. Increases in average income might not compensate for the inequality generated by market-based income determination. Concern for this possibility may help explain the slow relaxation of administrative control over the allocation of resources like land. In order to evaluate the effect of market reforms, we could begin by comparing the current Gini coefficient to that which prevailed during the collective era (see Louis Putterman [1993] for early evidence). Yet, this might tell us little about the specific impact of market organization on income determination. Government policies, such as collective land ownership, mobility restrictions, and fertility limits cloud the picture. Furthermore, industrialization, though itself a product of the reforms, has changed the basis upon which individuals earn income. Isolating a pure effect of ‘‘market organization’’ is a difficult but important task since many current Chinese policies reflect an ambivalent attitude toward decentralized, market-based resource allocation. We offer a few suggestions on issues that need to be considered as this evaluation proceeds, by exploring current inequality in rural northeast China from the vantage point of the 1930’s. We begin with the observation that the level of inequality is similar in 1995 and 1935, and moreover, that most contemporary inequality exists within villages, as was the case in the 1930’s. We then focus on two institu-
DIRECT VISUAL INSTILLATION AS A METHOD FOR EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF FLUID INTO THE DISTAL AIRSPACES OF ANESTHETIZED MICE

Although several methods have been used to deliver fluid into the distal airspaces of the lung, the efficiency of these methods has been variable. Therefore, the authors have modified prior techniques to design a better method for direct visual instillation (DVI) of fluid into the trachea and compared its efficiency with two commonly used methods: nasal inhalation and invasive intratracheal instillation (delivery of the instillate by needle puncture of the trachea). The results showed that this method (DVI) can deliver fluid efficiently into either both lungs or into a single lung. Using an 131I-albumin labeling technique, DVI resulted in 92 ± 1% retention of the labeled albumin in the lungs 1 hour after instillation, significantly greater than nasal inhalation (48 ± 3%, P < .01) and invasive intratracheal instillation (77 ± 3%, P < .05). Also, when bacteria (Escherichia coli) were instilled with the DVI method, the severity of gram-negative pneumonia was greater (6.5 ± 0.5 g water/g dry weight) compared to delivery by nasal inhalation (5.5 ± 0.4 g water/g dry weight, P < .05) or by invasive intratracheal instillation (5.9 ± 0.4 g water/g dry weight, P < .05). The authors conclude that DVI is more efficient than nasal inhalation and invasive intratracheal instillation for delivering experimental fluids into the distal airspaces of anesthetized mice. This method should be valuable for experimental lung studies in mice.
European Society of Hypertension guidelines for themanagement of highblood pressure in children and adolescents

Journal of Hypertension 2016, 34:000–000 Pediatric Department, Consorcio Hospital General, University of Valencia, Valencia, CIBER Fisiopatologı́a Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, Clinica Medica, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Italy, Diabetes and Nutritional Science Division, Kings College, London, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, Cardiology Department, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, Department of Pediatrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, Department of Medical Sciences and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy, Department of Nephrology and Arterial Hypertension, The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland, Center of Epidemiology and Clinical Trials, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy, Department of Medicine and Coordination Centre for Drug Development, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clinico de Valencia, University of Valencia, INCLIVA Research Institute, Valencia, Spain, Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, Department of Paediatrics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic, Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokratio Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, Department of Paediatric Nephrology and NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester, UK, Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany and Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, and Centro Interuniversitario di Fisiologia Clinica e ipertensione, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Efficiency of matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, and trnL-F (cpDNA) to Molecularly Authenticate Philippine Ethnomedicinal Apocynaceae Through DNA Barcoding

Background: The Philippines is home to some ethnomedicinal Apocynaceae that has been used to cure common ailments. They are perceived to be safe, but misidentification can lead to substitution and adulteration. Morphological characters are primarily utilized to identify these species but a new method utilizing molecular characters called DNA barcoding has emerged. In this study, the efficiency of matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, and trnL-F to molecularly authenticate selected Apocynaceae species were tested. Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA from silica-dried leaf samples were isolated and used as a template for generating DNA barcodes. Pair-wise sequence divergence using Kimura-2-Parameter was used to analyze inter-specific and intraspecific variations among the barcodes, whereas basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) and neighbor-joining (NJ) analyses were employed to examine discrimination success. Results: The results show that matK is the best barcode for Apocynaceae as it has the highest amplification and sequencing success together with rbcL while having high inter-specific and low intra-specific divergence relative to the other candidate barcodes. Furthermore, matK provided the highest discrimination both in BLAST and NJ analyses. Conclusion: This study proposes the use of matK as the principal barcode for Apocynaceae.
Effects of exam room EHR use on doctor-patient communication: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND High levels of funding have been invested in health information technologies, especially electronic health records (EHRs), in an effect to coordinate and organize patient health data. However, the effect of EHRs in the exam room on doctor-patient communication has not been sufficiently explored. Objective The purpose of this systematic review was to determine how physician use of EHRs in medical consultations affects doctor-patient communication, both in terms of patient perceptions and actual physician behaviours. METHOD The reviewer conducted a comprehensive online database search in March 2013 of EMBASE, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS, using a combination of synonyms of the terms "patient", "doctor", "communication", and "EHR" or "computing". For inclusion in this review, articles had to be published in English, take place in an outpatient setting and demonstrate an empirical investigation into whether EHR affects doctor-patient communication. The reviewer then analysed 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS Studies showed EHR use encouraged biomedical questioning of the patient, and encouraged patient-led questioning and doctor-led information provision. EHR-related behaviours such as keyboarding and screen gaze impaired relationships with patients, by reducing eye contact, rapport, and provision of emotional support. EHRs negatively affected physician-led patient-centred communication. Computer use may have amplified existing physician behaviours regarding medical record use. CONCLUSION We noted both positive and negative effects of EHR use. This review highlights the need for increased EHR-specific communication training to mitigate adverse effects and for continued acknowledgement of patient perspectives.
Malnutrition and pancreatic surgery: Prevalence and outcomes

Pancreatic surgery is associated with severe postoperative morbidity. Identification of patients at high risk may provide a way to allocate resources objectively and focus care on those patients in greater need. The Authors evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and its effect on the postoperative morbidity of patients undergoing pancreatic surgery for malignant tumors.
Modeling deep brain stimulation: point source approximation versus realistic representation of the electrode

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as an effective treatment for movement disorders; however, the fundamental mechanisms by which DBS works are not well understood. Computational models of DBS can provide insights into these fundamental mechanisms and typically require two steps: calculation of the electrical potentials generated by DBS and, subsequently, determination of the effects of the extracellular potentials on neurons. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of using a point source electrode to approximate the DBS electrode when calculating the thresholds and spatial distribution of activation of a surrounding population of model neurons in response to monopolar DBS. Extracellular potentials in a homogenous isotropic volume conductor were calculated using either a point current source or a geometrically accurate finite element model of the Medtronic DBS 3389 lead. These extracellular potentials were coupled to populations of model axons, and thresholds and spatial distributions were determined for different electrode geometries and axon orientations. Median threshold differences between DBS and point source electrodes for individual axons varied between −20.5% and 9.5% across all orientations, monopolar polarities and electrode geometries utilizing the DBS 3389 electrode. Differences in the percentage of axons activated at a given amplitude by the point source electrode and the DBS electrode were between −9.0% and 12.6% across all monopolar configurations tested. The differences in activation between the DBS and point source electrodes occurred primarily in regions close to conductor–insulator interfaces and around the insulating tip of the DBS electrode. The robustness of the point source approximation in modeling several special cases—tissue anisotropy, a long active electrode and bipolar stimulation—was also examined. Under the conditions considered, the point source was shown to be a valid approximation for predicting excitation of populations of neurons in response to DBS.
When is a copula constant? A test for changing relationships

A copula defines the probability that observations from two time series lie below given quantiles. It is proposed that stationarity tests constructed from indicator variables be used to test against the hypothesis that the copula is changing over time. Tests associated with different quantiles may point to changes in different parts of the copula, with the lower quantiles being of particular interest in financial applications concerned with risk. Tests located at the median provide an overall test of a changing relationship. The properties of various tests are compared and it is shown that they are still effective if pre-filtering is carried out to correct for changing volatility or, more generally, changing quantiles. Applying the tests to daily stock return indices in Korea and Thailand over the period 1995-9 indicates that the relationship between them is not constant over time.
Does Snoring Time Always Reflect the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Objectives: Although it is commonly believed that the degree of snoring reflects the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), there is often a mismatch between the improvement in OSA and the decrease of snoring time following OSA treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between OSA severity and snoring time. Methods: A total of 280 subjects who complained of snoring were divided by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) into 5 groups. The snoring rate (the amount of sleep time spent snoring divided by the total sleep time) and the clinical data including polysomnographic findings were compared and analyzed. Results: There was no significant correlation between AHI and snoring rate (r = −0.038, P = .524). The snoring rate in the control group was significantly lower than that in the moderate (P < .001) and severe (P = .003) groups. The snoring rate in the very severe group was significantly lower than those in the mild (P < .001), moderate (P < .001), and severe (P < .001) groups. However, there was no significant difference between snoring rates in the control group and the very severe group (P = .832). Conclusions: The change in snoring rate according to the severity of AHI showed an inverted U-shaped pattern, with a peak in the moderate OSA group.
Income Shares Revisited

type="main"> A number of recent studies claim that when properly computed, factor income shares across countries at different levels of development are essentially uniform. This note evaluates the methodology behind such findings and offers estimates using newly available data. The results for a group of 55 developed, developing, and transition economies for the period 1990–2008 lead us to reject the hypothesis of factor share convergence.
Mixed lymphocyte islet culture (MLIC) and its use in manipulation of human islet alloimmunogenicity.

Human islets have been transplanted clinically to reverse diabetes, though with poor overall success (reviewed in Hering, Bretzel and Federlin 1988). Inferring from experimental islet transplantation, it is presently suggested that methods for separating the endocrine from the exocrine pancreas portion and/or serological tissue manipulations prior to islet transplantation should be sought in order to reduce the graft's immunogenicity and thus improve the clinical results (Gray and Morris 1987; Gray 1989). In addition to physical separation procedures, anti-MHC class II (pre )treatment of the graft appears to remain an attractive concept, though thus far insufficiently controlled and with controversial success in vivo (Faustman, Hauptfeld, Lacy and Davie 1981; ReeceSmith, McShane and Morris 1984). This situation calls for suitable in vitro test systems to better define manipulative conditions and to help in predicting the in vivo outcome.