Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rituximab maintenance for the treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

BACKGROUND Follicular lymphoma is characterized by slow growth and an initially high rate of response to treatment, but patients typically relapse and experience progressive disease. Rituximab in combination with chemotherapy has been shown to improve overall survival in patients with follicular lymphoma compared with chemotherapy alone, but data from randomized clinical trials evaluating rituximab maintenance treatment in these patients are limited. We aimed to evaluate the effect of maintenance treatment with rituximab on the overall survival of patients with follicular lymphoma. METHODS We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared rituximab maintenance therapy with observation or treatment at relapse (no maintenance therapy). We searched The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, conference proceedings, databases of ongoing trials, and references of published trials. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the trials and extracted data. Hazard ratios for time-to-event data were estimated and pooled. RESULTS Five trials including 1143 adult patients were included in this meta-analysis. Data for 985 patients with follicular lymphoma were available for the meta-analysis of overall survival. Patients treated with maintenance rituximab had statistically significantly better overall survival than patients in the observation arm or patients treated at relapse (hazard ratio [HR] for death = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45 to 0.79). The rate of infection-related adverse events was higher with rituximab maintenance treatment (HR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.21 to 3.27). Patients with refractory or relapsed (ie, previously treated) follicular lymphoma had a survival benefit with maintenance rituximab therapy (HR for death = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.79), whereas previously untreated patients did not (HR for death = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.37 to 1.25). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that maintenance therapy with rituximab, either as four weekly infusions every 6 months or as a single infusion every 2-3 months, should be added to standard therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory (ie, previously treated) follicular lymphoma after successful induction therapy. The higher rate of infections with rituximab therapy should be taken into consideration when making treatment decisions.
Italy and the Dialogue on Human Health between Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture and Western Medicine

From May 10 to May 11, 2012 Italy hosted the first conference on the ‘Dialogue on Human Health between Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture and Western Medicine’ [1]. This dialogue between China and Europe, focusing on possible integrations of their respective medical cultures, has been concluded with the signing of the ‘Declaration of Bologna’ by Romano Prodi, president of the Foundation for World Wide Cooperation, former president of the European Union, and former Prime Minister of Italy, and Xu Jialu, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. The goal is to set up a permanent round table meeting every year in a different country with the objective of building a new synergistic model of healthcare and treatment of diseases that will integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) knowledge and Western medical science. The event was promoted and organized by the Foundation for World Wide Cooperation, the Bonn Project, the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS), and the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bologna. The scientific portion of the dialogue included lectures and round tables featuring some of the world’s most prominent experts on Western medicine and TCM who address history and culture, efficacy and safety, research and innovation, and cooperation between the 2 different approaches to medicine, with the goal of exploring concrete opportunities for making these 2 worlds more complementary and synergistic. The scientific meetings focused on various aspects of human health, with special attention to most common diseases, such as cardiovascular and chronic degenerative diseases. Others addressed the state of the art in research and treatment methods, the evidence-based approach and the standards applied to the clinical trials conducted in the context of TCM practice, the drawing up of monographs for the pharmacopoeia, and the European norms on natural products. In addition to considering traditional techniques, such as acupuncture, the presentations also examined innovative scientific advances, such as a cellular technology designed to identify new pharmacological targets for natural products in human stem cells.
Ethical Leadership and Multidimensional Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

This study examined the relationship between ethical leadership and multidimensional organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), specifically organization-targeted OCBs (OCBO) and individual-targeted OCBs (OCBI). In addition, the study examined the multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy, respect, and leader–member exchange (LMX) on the relationship between ethical leadership and OCBO, as well as the relationship between ethical leadership and OCBI. Through the application of a hierarchical linear model, an analysis of the results from 656 dyadic supervisor–subordinate data from 145 business units in Taiwan showed that both respect and LMX significantly mediated the ethical leadership–OCBO and leadership–OCBI relationships. The implications of these results for theory and practice and directions for future research are also discussed.
Evaluation of Hospital Room Assignment and Acquisition of Clostridium difficile Infection

Background and Objective. Clostridium difficile spores persist in hospital environments for an extended period. We evaluated whether admission to a room previously occupied by a patient with C. difficile infection (CDI) increased the risk of acquiring CDI. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. Medical intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary care hospital. Methods. Patients admitted from January 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, were evaluated for a diagnosis of CDI 48 hours after ICU admission and within 30 days after ICU discharge. Medical, ICU, and pharmacy records were reviewed for other CDI risk factors. Admitted patients who did develop CDI were compared with admitted patients who did not. Results. Among 1,844 patients admitted to the ICU, 134 CDI cases were identified. After exclusions, 1,770 admitted patients remained for analysis. Of the patients who acquired CDI after admission to the ICU, 4.6% had a prior occupant without CDI, whereas 11.0% had a prior occupant with CDI (P = .002). The effect of room on CDI acquisition remained a significant risk factor (P = .008) when Kaplan-Meier curves were used. The prior occupant's CDI status remained significant (P = .01; hazard ratio, 2.35) when controlling for the current patient's age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score, exposure to proton pump inhibitors, and antibiotic use. Conclusions. A prior room occupant with CDI is a significant risk factor for CDI acquisition, independent of established CDI risk factors. These findings have implications for room placement and hospital design.
Muscarinic modulation of calcium current in neurones from the interatrial septum of bull‐frog heart.

1. The effects of activation of muscarinic receptors on the voltage‐dependent calcium current, ICa, in parasympathetic neurones were examined. 2. Neurones were enzymatically isolated from the interatrial septum of bull‐frog (Rana catesbeiana) heart, and were maintained in short‐term (1‐6 day) tissue culture. ICa was recorded from the cells using whole‐cell patch‐clamp methods (Clark, Tse & Giles, 1990). 3. External application of 2 nM to 10 microM acetylcholine (ACh) reduced the amplitude and slowed the time course of activation of ICa. These effects were dependent on membrane potential; they were most pronounced at potentials near the peak of the current‐voltage relation for ICa (i.e. +10 to +15 mV), whereas at more‐negative potentials (i.e. ‐15 to ‐25 mV) the effects on both amplitude and time course were relatively small. 4. Atropine (1 microM) completely blocked the action of 1 microM‐ACh, indicating that the effects of ACh on ICa were mediated by activation of muscarinic receptors. 5. Other muscarinic agonists, such as carbamylcholine (0.1‐10 microM), DL‐muscarine (0.1‐2.5 microM) and oxotremorine (5 microM), had similar effects on ICa to ACh. 6. A guanine nucleotide‐binding protein (G‐protein) is involved in this muscarinic inhibition of ICa. Inclusion of the non‐hydrolysable guanosine triphosphate analogue guanosine 5'‐O‐(3‐thiotriphosphate) (GTP‐gamma‐S; 200 microM) in the intracellular solutions mimicked the effects of ACh, and application of external ACh in the presence of internal GTP‐gamma‐S produced smaller changes in ICa than in control conditions. Inclusion of another non‐hydrolysable analogue, guanosine 5'‐O‐(2‐thiodiphosphate) (GDP‐beta‐S; 0.5‐5 mM), blocked the inhibitory effect of ACh on ICa. 7. The G‐protein involved in the inhibition of ICa was sensitive to pertussis toxin (islet‐activating protein; IAP). The inhibition of ICa by carbamylcholine (5 microM) was reduced by about 90% after incubating cells for 12‐15 h in culture medium containing 200 ng/ml IAP. 8. The possible roles of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP‐dependent protein kinases, or protein kinase C, in the muscarinic inhibition of ICa were tested, but these enzymes appear not to be directly involved.
Simple Computer Vision System for Chess Playing Robot Manipulator as a Project-based Learning Example

This paper presents an example of project-based learning (PBL) in an undergraduate course on Image processing. The design of a simple, low-cost computer vision system for implementation on a chess-playing capable robot is discussed. The system is based on a standard CCD camera and a personal computer. This project is a good tool for learning most of the course material that would otherwise be mastered by homework problems and study before an exam. An algorithm which detects chess moves is proposed. It compares two or more frames captured before, during and after a played chess move, and finds differences between them, which are used to define a played chess move. Further image processing is required to eliminate false readings, recognize direction of chess moves, end eliminate image distortion. Many Image processing problems and solutions can be introduced to students, through the proposed algorithm. The results are encouraging - students without any previous knowledge in image processing and advanced topics, such as artificial intelligence (neural networks etc.), may attain a chess move recognition success rate greater than 95%, in controlled light environments.
The influence of trained peer tutoring on tutors' motivation and performance in a French boxing setting

The aim of this study was to examine the potential motivational and behavioural benefits of two peer tutoring programmes for tutors in a sport setting. Differences between the sexes were also explored. Thirty two college-age males and females, all novices on a French boxing task, were assigned to a 2×2 [sex×training type: physical practice associated with trained peer tutoring (TPT) vs physical practice associated with untrained peer tutoring (UPT)] factorial design. All participants were given six French boxing lessons of 2 h each. The TPT programme included structured methods to prepare the participants to fulfil their role of tutors, whereas the UPT programme did not. The results demonstrated that the TPT programme resulted in higher scores for coaching skills. Furthermore, interaction effects revealed that the TPT programme yielded better offensive outcomes for males and better defensive outcomes for females. Although the UPT participants expressed higher self-efficacy, no differences emerged for intrinsic motivation and causal attributions. Finally, male tutors displayed higher self-efficacy and offensive outcomes than female tutors. The results are discussed in the light of previous findings in the educational and sport psychology literature.
Subgroups in language trajectories from 4 to 11 years: the nature and predictors of stable, improving and decreasing language trajectory groups

BACKGROUND Little is known about the nature, range and prevalence of different subgroups in language trajectories extant in a population from 4 to 11 years. This hinders strategic targeting and design of interventions, particularly targeting those whose difficulties will likely persist. METHODS Children's language abilities from 4 to 11 years were investigated in a specialist language longitudinal community cohort (N = 1,910). Longitudinal trajectory latent class modelling was used to characterise trajectories and identify subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors associated with the language trajectories children followed. RESULTS Three language trajectory groups were identified: 'stable' (94% of participants), 'low-decreasing' (4%) and 'low-improving' (2%). A range of child and family factors were identified that were associated with following either the low-improving or low-increasing language trajectory; many of them shared. The low-improving group was associated with mostly environmental risks: non-English-speaking background, social disadvantage and few children's books in the home. The low-decreasing group was associated with mainly biological risks: low birth weight, socioemotional problems, lower family literacy and learning disability. CONCLUSIONS By 4 years, services can be confident that most children with low language will remain low to 11 years. Using rigid cut-points in language ability to target interventions is not recommended due to continued individual variability in language development. Service delivery models should incorporate monitoring over time, targeting according to language abilities and associated risks and delivery of a continuum of interventions across the continuum of need.
Integrated Multihazard Mapping

A primary goal of the US Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 is to slow the increase in disaster losses by emphasizing a proactive approach focusing on predisaster hazard mitigation, rather than postdisaster relief. The legislation requires local communities to produce hazard-mitigation plans that include multihazard maps, signifying a de facto prioritization of mitigation dollars on the basis of areas with the greatest vulnerability. However, there is little formal or practical guidance for communities on how to produce such maps. We propose a methodology for hazard-vulnerability assessments using multihazard mapping, where hazard frequency is a measure of risk, historical dollar losses are a proxy for infrastructure impact or exposure, and the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) evaluates human vulnerability. Using a test case of one county, Charleston, South Carolina, a geographic information system spatially combined these dimensions of vulnerability across multiple hazards. The resulting maps provide a tool for hazard-mitigation planning, which contains an initial screening element to highlight zones of highest multihazard vulnerability. The approach helps to generate a view of not just what is at risk, but who is at risk, and where, thus enhancing the implementation of targeted impact-reduction strategies.
The Optimality of Sensory Processing during the Speed–Accuracy Tradeoff

When people make decisions quickly, accuracy suffers. Traditionally, speed–accuracy tradeoffs (SATs) have been almost exclusively ascribed to changes in the amount of sensory evidence required to support a response (“response caution”) and the neural correlates associated with the later stages of decision making (e.g., motor response generation and execution). Here, we investigated whether performance decrements under speed pressure also reflect suboptimal information processing in early sensory areas such as primary visual cortex (V1). Human subjects performed an orientation discrimination task while emphasizing either response speed or accuracy. A model of choice behavior revealed that the rate of sensory evidence accumulation was selectively modulated when subjects emphasized accuracy, but not speed, suggesting that changes in sensory processing also influence the SAT. We then used fMRI and a forward encoding model to derive orientation-selective tuning functions based on activation patterns in V1. When accuracy was emphasized, the extent to which orientation-selective tuning profiles exhibited a theoretically optimal gain pattern predicted both response accuracy and the rate of sensory evidence accumulation. However, these relationships were not observed when subjects emphasized speed. Collectively, our findings suggest that, in addition to lowered response thresholds, the performance decrements observed during speeded decision making may result from a failure to optimally process sensory signals.
Characterization of porcine endogenous retrovirus expression in neonatal and adult pig pancreatic islets

Pig islets represent an alternative to the current modes of treatment for patients with diabetes. However, the concerns over pathogen transmission including that of PERV limit their immediate, widespread usage in humans. It has been previously demonstrated that PERV copy number and particularly expression levels can vary considerably between individuals and within different tissues of a single animal. In general, expression levels have been found to be particularly low in the pancreas compared to other porcine tissues suggesting a reduced risk associated with the use of this tissue. Data regarding this crucial aspect, however, remain limited and little is known about PERV status of islets themselves, which represent the final product to be transplanted. In addition, comparative analysis of the PERV status of neonatal piglets with adults is important as they are increasingly considered as potential islet donors for xenotransplantation.
Effects of long-term postoperative interferon-alpha therapy on intrahepatic recurrence after resection of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. A randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Interferon therapy decreases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C. OBJECTIVE To evaluate effects of interferon-alpha on recurrence after resection of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. DESIGN Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING University hospital, medical center, and affiliated hospital in Osaka, Japan. PATIENTS 30 men were randomly allocated after resection to the interferon-alpha group (n = 15) or the control group (n = 15). INTERVENTION Patients in the interferon-alpha group received interferon-alpha, 6 MIU intramuscularly daily for 2 weeks, then three times weekly for 14 weeks, and finally twice weekly for 88 weeks. MEASUREMENTS Recurrence rates after resection. RESULTS Recurrent tumors were detected in 5 patients in the interferon-alpha group and in 12 control patients. The recurrence rate was significantly lower in the interferon-alpha group than in the control group (P = 0.037). CONCLUSION Postoperative interferon-alpha therapy appears to decrease recurrence after resection of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Growth Inhibition of Enteric Pathogens by Zinc Sulfate: An in vitro Study

Objective: To determine the inhibition effect of zinc sulfate on isolates of enteric bacteria. Materials and Methods: Mueller-Hinton agar containing different concentrations of zinc sulfate was prepared. Isolates used in this study were obtained from local clinics. They were Salmonella typhi, Salmonella groups A, B, C, D and E, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Shigella and Vibrio cholerae. Overnight cultures of test organisms in brain-heart infusion broth were adjusted to 0.5 McFarland standard turbidity by adding normal saline with 1 µl of each adjusted broth culture inoculated onto zinc sulfate agar plates. The plates were incubated for 18–20 h at 37°C. The inhibition concentration was recorded as the lowest concentration of zinc sulfate that completely inhibited growth. Results: All enteric pathogens tested were inhibited by zinc sulfate. Of the isolates, S. typhi was most sensitive since 20% of the strains were inhibited by zinc sulfate of 0.8 mg/ml. Salmonella paratyphi A was inhibited at 1.2 mg/ml. Other Salmonella spp. were inhibited at concentrations between 1.4 and 2.0 mg/ml. V. cholerae O1 and Shigella flexneri demonstrated a similar pattern of inhibition as S. paratyphi A. A higher concentration of zinc sulfate (1.6 mg/ml) was required to completely inhibit Shigella sonnei. Conclusion: The findings indicate that zinc sulfate has an antimicrobial effect on enteric pathogens and may contribute to the treatment of diarrhea.
Detection of rotaviruses in the day care environment by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Group A rotavirus is an important cause of morbidity among infants and toddlers in day care centers. Transmission by the fecal-oral route is well established, but fomites and environmental surfaces may also play an important role in transmission. A highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect rotavirus RNA in day care environments. Areas sampled included floors, diaper change areas, toy balls, and other surfaces. In two centers undergoing outbreaks of rotavirus, 7 (39%) of 18 toy balls had detectable rotavirus as did 8 (21%) of 39 swabs from environmental surfaces. By comparison, only 1 (5%) of 21 toy balls and 1 (2%) of 44 environmental surface swabs had detectable rotavirus in centers without rotavirus outbreaks (P = .0001). Thus, rotaviruses are highly prevalent in day care centers during outbreaks of diarrhea. The monitoring of environments by sensitive nucleic acid amplification techniques may lead to strategies for the diminution of disease transmission within the day care environment.
Correlates of Problematic Mobile Phone Use among Korean College Students

Korea The purpose of this study was to explore correlates of problematic mobile phone use among Korean college students. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted. A sample size of 122 male and 106 female students residing in Jeollaman-do province completed the instruments of problematic mobile phone use, depressive symptoms, anxiety, interpersonal relationship, and alcohol drinking. Data was analyzed by multiple logistic regressions. Approximately 17% of college students reported problematic mobile phone use, and female (25%) were more likely to report problematic mobile phone use compared with male (9%). Depressive symptoms, interpersonal relationship, alcohol use, and female were significantly associated with problematic mobile phone use after controlling for other covariates. We call for special effort on early detection and monitoring of problematic mobile phone use among college students. In addition, specific strategies focused on psychological approach for problematic mobile phone use should be developed. (Korean J Str Res 2016;24:13 ∼