Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Excimer Laser–Assisted Removal of Embedded Inferior Vena Cava Filters: A Single-Center Prospective Study

Background—Although chronically implanted inferior vena cava filters may result in filter-related morbidity, there is currently no routine option for removing such filters when they become firmly embedded along the vena cava endothelium. Methods and Results—During a 3-year period, 100 consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in a single-center study. There were 42 men and 58 women (mean age, 46 years; limits, 18–76 years). Retrieval indications included filter-related acute inferior vena cava thrombosis, chronic inferior vena cava occlusion, and pain from retroperitoneal or bowel penetration. Filter retrieval was also performed to prevent risks from prolonged implantation and to potentially eliminate the need for lifelong anticoagulation. After standard methods failed, photothermal tissue ablation was attempted with a laser sheath powered by a 308-nm xenon chloride excimer laser. Applied forces were recorded with a digital tension meter before and during laser activation. Laser-assisted retrieval was successful in 98.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.0%–99.8%) with mean implantation of 855 days (limits, 37–6663 days; >18 years). The following filter types were encountered in this study: Günther-Tulip (n=34), Celect (n=12), Option (n=17), Optease (n=20, 1 failure), TrapEase (n=6, 1 failure), Simon-Nitinol (n=1), 12F Stainless Steel Greenfield (n=4), and Titanium Greenfield (n=6). The average force during failed standard retrievals was 7.2 versus 4.6 pounds during laser-assisted retrievals (P<0.0001). The major complication rate was 3.0% (95% CI, 0.6%–8.5%), the minor complication rate was 7.0% (95% CI, 0.3%–13.9%), and there were 4 adverse events (2 coagulopathic hemorrhages, 1 renal infarction, and 1 cholecystitis; 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.1%–9.9%) at mean follow-up of 500 days (limits, 84–1079 days). Scar tissue ablation was histologically confirmed in 96.0% (95% CI, 89.9%–98.9%). Successful retrieval allowed cessation of anticoagulation in 30 of 30 (100%) patients and alleviated morbidity in 23 of 24 patients (96%). Conclusions—Excimer laser–assisted removal is effective in removing embedded inferior vena cava filters refractory to standard retrieval and high force. This method can be safely used to prevent and alleviate filter-related morbidity. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT01158482.
Radiofrequency thermocoagulation for the treatment of lower extremity ischemic pain: Comparison of monopolar and bipolar modes.

OBJECTIVES Radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) has been reported to be used safely to treat ischemic lower extremity pain. The objective of the present study was to evaluate efficiency of RFT for treatment of lower extremity ischemic pain and to compare effectiveness of monopolar RFT and bipolar RFT modes. METHODS Following ethics committee approval, 30 American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I-III patients with ischemic lower extremity pain aged between 18 and 65 years were recruited. Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: MRT group (n=15) received monopolar RFT (80°C) for 2 minutes at L2-3 level, and BRT group (n=15) received bipolar RFT (80°C) for 2 minutes at L2-3 level. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, pain score, and supplemental analgesic requirements were recorded at 24 hours after application and at 7, 30, and 90 days. RESULTS Numerical rating scale values in both groups decreased significantly over time and it was found to be significantly lower in BRT group after first and third months (p<0.05). Supplemental analgesic requirements were similar with no significant difference between the 2 groups at any point of study period (p>0.05). No adverse event or complication related to procedure or treatment was reported. CONCLUSION In patients with ischemic lower extremity pain, both monopolar and bipolar RFT treatment modalities were found to significantly decrease pain levels. However, bipolar mode led to lower pain scores at 30 and 90 days, and longer duration of analgesia than monopolar mode.
The teacher's body: discourse, power and discipline in the history of the feminization of teaching

The Teacher’s Body: Discourse, Power, and Discipline in the History of the Feminization of Teaching. (May 2006) Cinthya Michelle Saavedra, B.A., Texas A&M University; M.Ed., Texas A&M University Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Gaile Cannella Dr. Radhika Viruru Historical studies of the feminization of teaching have provided important additions to feminist understandings of teaching and education in general. However, most historical accounts of the feminization of teaching have absorbed the body. Teachers are presented as bodyless entities. El cuerpo is ignored, passed over, and perhaps denied to the point of invisibility. The absence of the body in educational research is problematic. The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal the images of the body of the teacher in the history of the feminization of teaching (HFT) texts and to illuminate the discursive impacts on the body of the teacher in HFT texts. Multiple epistemologies of the body provide a theoretical framework and analytical tool to highlight the oftenignored and marginalized body of the teacher. I draw on multiple research methods of deconstruction, genealogical analysis, and carnal metodologías to allow for images of the body to emerge and for discursive impacts on the body to surface. Four images of the body are discussed as possibilities: teacher as container, spatial organization of the teacher’s body, teacher’s body as performative, and resisting bodies. The implications of the study suggest a rethinking of the teacher’s body as a vessel of multiple possibilities and counter discourses, beginning in a revolutionary teacher education. Western and androcentric conceptions of educational spaces must be
Evaluation of the Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA) for diagnosis of brucella melitensis infection of goats in Argentina.

AIM Determine the optimal cut-off and the use of Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA) to improve the detection of brucellosis in individual goats in Argentina. METHODS Sera from 96 goats from a flock with abortion due to B. melitensis biovar 1 were used to assess the efficacy of the FPA to detect brucellosis in goats. FPA results were compared with those of the Buffered Antigen Plate Agglutination test (BPAT) confirmed by Seroagglutination in tube (SAT), the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) and the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA). Sera from 554 goats free from brucellosis were tested with the BPAT, SAT, c-ELISA and i-ELISA to determine its Specificity. Vaccination had not been performed in the flocks evaluated. RESULTS The most appropriate cut-off was selected for the FPA by using MedCalc software. It was fixed at 87 mP giving a sensitivity and specificity of 98.1% (CI 89.9-99.7) and 92.8% (CI 90.4-94.7). The relative sensitivity compared with i-ELISA and c-ELISA was 97% and 92.9% respectively. The relative specificity compared with i-ELISA and c-ELISA was 97.5% and 98% respectively. The kappa measures of agreement between tests was higher than 0.75 CONCLUSION: The high correlation between FPA results and other serological methods with sera goats is indicative of the excellent performance of FPA technique in diagnosis of caprine brucellosis and we endorse it as a recommended method.
Fast Reconstitution Method (FRM) to Compute the Broadband Spectrum of Common Mode Conducted Disturbances

This paper deals with time domain simulation of common mode (CM) conducted disturbances in power electronics. This study proposes a proof of concept of a fast reconstruction method (FRM), which allows to compute the spectrum of a current based on the knowledge of a single pulse of current (i.e., the knowledge of the disturbances on a small fraction of time) and of the switching instants (i.e., the control strategy of the structure). The first parts of the paper demonstrate the reliability of the method using data measurements of a CM current generated by a PWM half-bridge converter and then by a three phase inverter. The simulation time saved thanks to the FRM is then quantified by comparing the simulation durations with or without using the FRM. In our example, the FRM allows to divide the simulation time by about 10. This analysis points out that the complex information of a CM current is contained in a small time interval. As a consequence the complete spectrum can be predicted with only a very fast simulation. The mathematical techniques developed here forecast promising reduction of simulation durations.
Somatotopic organization of the embryonic chick trigeminal ganglion

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been injected into periocular, upper beak, or lower jaw tissues of chick embryos aged 6–8 days of incubation. Subsequent mapping of the distribution of labeled neurons in the trigeminal ganglion indicates that the somatotopic organization of neurons is essentially identical to that found after hatching.
Neoadjuvant Interferons: Critical for Effective PD-1–Based Immunotherapy in TNBC

Combination therapy exploiting the interplay between type I IFN signaling and the PD-1/PD-L1 axis induced a tumor-specific cytotoxic response in mouse models of triple-negative breast cancer, extending survival specifically in the neoadjuvant setting. The lack of targeted therapies available for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who fail to respond to first-line chemotherapy has sparked interest in immunotherapeutic approaches. However, trials utilizing checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in TNBC have had underwhelming responses. Here, we investigated the interplay between type I IFN signaling and the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and tested the impact of combining IFN inducers, as immune activators, with anti–PD-1, to induce an antimetastatic immune response. Using models of TNBC, we demonstrated an interplay between type I IFN signaling and tumor cell PD-L1 expression that affected therapeutic response. The data revealed that the type I IFN-inducer poly(I:C) was an effective immune activator and antimetastatic agent, functioning better than anti–PD-1, which was ineffective as a single agent. Poly(I:C) treatment induced PD-L1 expression on TNBC cells, and combined poly(I:C) and anti–PD-1 treatment prolonged metastasis-free survival in a neoadjuvant setting via the induction of a tumor-specific T-cell response. Use of this combination in a late treatment setting did not impact metastasis-free survival, indicating that timing was critical for immunotherapeutic benefit. Together, these data demonstrated anti–PD-1 as an ineffective single agent in preclinical models of TNBC. However, type I IFN inducers were effective immune activators, and neoadjuvant trials combining them with anti–PD-1 to induce a sustained antitumor immune response are warranted. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(10); 871–84. ©2017 AACR.
Systems proteomic analysis reveals that clusterin and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 increase in leptomeningeal arteries affected by cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation in the walls of leptomeningeal arteries as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a major feature of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we used global quantitative proteomic analysis to examine the hypothesis that the leptomeningeal arteries derived from patients with CAA have a distinct endophenotypic profile compared to those from young and elderly controls.
Specificity in Links between Parenting Style, Peer Relationship Difficulties, and Adjustment Problems in Preadolescences

ii Acknowledgments. iii List of Tables . vi List of Figures . viii Chapter I: Introduction . 1 Bullying, Victimization, and Youth Adjustment . 2 Bullying, Victimization, and Parent-Child Relationships . 4 Parenting and Peer Problems as Additive Predictors of Adjustment Problems. 5 The Current Study . 5 Chapter II: Review of Literature . 8 Bullying, Victimization, and Youth Adjustment . 8 Specificity in Links between Bullying, Victimization, and Adjustment Problems . 13 Informant Considerations in the Research on Bullying and Victimization . 14 Antecedents of Bullying and Victimization: The Role of Parenting . 15 Antecedents of Internalizing and Externalizing Problem: The Role of Parenting. 19 The impact of Peer Relationship Problems and Parenting on Children’s Adjustments: Additive or Redundant? 23 Goals of Present Study . 25 Chapter III: Method . 27
Activated Macrophage-Like THP-1 Cells Modulate Anulus Fibrosus Cell Production of Inflammatory Mediators in Response to Cytokines

Study Design. Anulus fibrosus (AF) cells obtained from patients undergoing surgery were cocultured with macrophage-like cells and production of inflammatory mediators was analyzed by quantitative assay. Objective. To investigate the role of macrophages in AF cell production of inflammatory mediators by cytokines stimulation. Summary of Background Data. Discogenic pain caused by anular disruption is an important cause of low back pain and recent studies show the presence of macrophages in symptomatic discs but not in normal and aging discs. We hypothesize that macrophages play a major role in development of symptomatic disc. Methods. Human AF cells were cocultured with phorbol myristate acetate stimulated macrophage-like THP-1 cells. The conditioned medium from cells cultured alone or in coculture was assayed for cytokines by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and nitric oxide (NO) by the Greiss method. Using the same outcome measures, comparisons of cell response to cytokines were made among macrophage-like cells, naïve AF cells, and macrophage exposed AF cells. Results. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&agr;, interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, and NO (TNF-&agr;: 1.45 ± 0.29 ng/mL, IL-8: 97.02 ± 7.94 ng/mL, IL-6: 33.40 ± 3.55 ng/mL, NO: 8.42 ± 0.78 &mgr;mol/L) were secreted in much greater amounts by cells maintained in coculture compared to macrophages (TNF-&agr;: 0.78 ± 0.12 ng/mL, IL-8: 58.04 ± 4.44 ng/mL, IL-6: 0.14 ± 0.03 ng/mL, NO: 0.30 ± 0.08 &mgr;mol/L) or AF cells cultured alone. In addition, IL-6 secretion from AF cells in response to TNF-&agr; was up-regulated by coculture, however, IL-6 secretion in response to IL-1 &bgr; was downregulated in a dose-dependent manner. Coculture with macrophages also up-regulated AF cell secretion of IL-8 dose-dependently and downregulated NO to TNF-&agr; or IL-1&bgr; stimulation. Conclusion. We conclude that exposure to macrophages, as can be expected after anular injury, can result in enhanced response to local inflammation. Although changes were observed in all inflammatory mediators after macrophage exposure, the most significant change was observed in IL-6 and IL-8, implicating these mediators in development of symptomatic disc.
Short sleep duration is independently associated with overweight and obesity in Quebec children.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of sleep duration with adiposity and to determine if caloric intake and physical activity mediate this relationship. METHODS The Quebec Adiposity and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) study is an ongoing longitudinal investigation of Caucasian children with at least one obese biological parent. Children (n = 550) with an average age of 9.6 years (SD = 0.9) who provided complete data at baseline were included in the cross-sectional analyses. Objective measures of adiposity (BMI Z-score, waist circumference, percent body fat measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), sleep duration and physical activity (accelerometer over 7 days), and diet (24-hour food recalls) were collected. Children were categorized into 4 groups according to sleep duration: < 10 hours, 10-10.9 hours, 11-11.9 hours, and > or = 12 hours of sleep per night. RESULTS We observed a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and all adiposity indices. None of energy intake, snacking, screen time or physical activity intensity differed significantly between sleep categories. After adjusting for age, sex, Tanner stage, highest educational level of the parents, total annual family income, and parental BMI, only short-duration sleepers (< 10 hours) had an increased odds of overweight/obesity (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.16-3.67). Addition of total energy intake and physical activity to the model did not change the association substantially (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.15-3.63). CONCLUSION The present study provides evidence that short sleep duration is a risk factor for overweight and obesity in children, independent of potential covariates. These results further emphasize the need to add sleep duration to the determinants of obesity.
Self-reported Barriers to Professional Help Seeking Among College Students at Elevated Risk for Suicide

Abstract Objectives: This study sought to describe self-reported barriers to professional help seeking among college students who are at elevated suicide risk and determine if these barriers vary by demographic and clinical characteristics. Participants: Participants were 165 non–treatment seekers recruited as part of a Web-based treatment linkage intervention for college students at elevated suicide risk (from September 2010 through December 2011). Methods: Data were collected using Web-based questionnaires. Two coders coded students’ responses to an open-ended question about reasons for not seeking professional help. Results: The most commonly reported barriers included perception that treatment is not needed (66%), lack of time (26.8%), and preference for self-management (18%). Stigma was mentioned by only 12% of students. There were notable differences based on gender, race, and severity of depression and alcohol abuse. Conclusions: Efforts aimed at reaching students at elevated risk for suicidal behavior should be particularly sensitive to these commonly described barriers.
Optimization of fetal weight estimates using MRI: comparison of acquisitions.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences are seen in calculation of fetal weight using 5-mm sagittal, 3-mm coronal, and 8-mm axial MRI acquisitions compared with term birth weight and contemporaneous sonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fetal volume measurements were obtained from MRI acquisitions as follows: 5-mm sagittal (2 acquisitions), 3-mm coronal (2 acquisitions), and 8-mm axial (1 acquisition). A 90-sec single-shot fast spin-echo sequence was used. MRI and sonographic studies for fetal weight estimates were performed within 3 hr of term delivery. MRI calculation was based on the equation 0.12 + 1.031 x fetal volume (fetal area x slice thickness) (mL) = MRI fetal weight (kg). The sonographic fetal weight estimate was calculated using the Hadlock formula. MRI and sonographic calculations were compared with birth weight. Concordance coefficient analysis was performed. RESULTS Thirty-five retrospective fetal calculations were performed. Concordance coefficients, gram weight means and standard deviations (mean +/- SD) between birth weight and MRI acquisitions were as follows: 8-mm axial, 0.91 (3,554 +/- 431 g); 3-mm coronal, 0.84 (3,752 +/- 578 g); and 5-mm sagittal, 0.83 (3,685 +/- 567 g), compared with 0.78 (3,518 +/- 332 g) for sonography. The MRI axial concordance coefficient was significantly different from that of the sonographic estimates (p = 0.05). MRI axial concordance coefficient was not statistically different from that of the MRI coronal concordance coefficient (p = 0.22) or the MRI sagittal concordance coefficient (p = 0.19). CONCLUSION Calculated weights from a 90-sec single-shot fast spin-echo sequence MR acquisition with 8-mm-thick slices in the axial plane at term are better than sonographic estimates.
Bronchial reactivity indices are determinants of health-related quality of life in patients with stable asthma

Background A very weak relationship has been reported between the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients with asthma and their degree of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR), evaluated in terms of sensitivity. However, this relationship still has not been sufficiently explored for bronchial reactivity indices. Objectives To analyse the relationship between bronchial reactivity and sensitivity with the HRQL of patients with stable asthma, identifying the functional parameters that determine HRQL. Methods In 103 consecutive patients with stable asthma, HRQL was evaluated using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Patients underwent spirometry and non-specific bronchial provocation with methacoline. Sensitivity (PD20) and reactivity (dose–response slope (DRS), continuous index of responsiveness (CIR) and bronchial reactivity index (BRI)) of the dose–response curve were analysed. Results BRI presented significant differences with different degrees of asthma severity. Although patients with AHR showed poorer quality of life than patients without AHR, the AQLQ total score was not related to PD20 but rather to DRS (r=−0.784), CIR (r=−0.712) and BRI (r=−0.776). The indices of bronchial reactivity reached a negative correlation with all the domains of the AQLQ. In a multiple linear regression model, BRI, DRS, FIV1 (forced inspiratory volume in 1 s) and VCIN (inspiratory vital capacity) were identified as independent predictors of the AQLQ total score (r2=0.742, p<0.001). Conclusion In patients with stable asthma, bronchial reactivity is associated with HRQL. This could justify incorporating bronchial reactivity indices in bronchial provocation analyses.
Sustainable Methods of Addressing Challenges Facing Small Holder Tea Sector in Kenya: A Supply Chain Management Approach

This Conceptual paper addresses the challenges facing the small holder tea sector in Kenya. It provides background information about tea growing in Kenya, its export performance, and organizational structure. It then categorizes the main challenges into five and provides some solutions to the challenges, borrowing from some supply chain management practices to culminate into competitive strategies. In the face of declining and shifting competitiveness of the small holder tea sector in Kenya, this paper identifies the special role of supplier and customer relationships, value addition, information technology, information sharing, flexibility in internal operations/processes, upgrading of tea seedlings, proper coordination, institutionalization, policy reforms, training, monitoring marketing environment, strategic decisions, irrigation, venturing in new markets through partnership, and civil society involvement as competitive supply chain strategies.
DETECTION OF A NEW INTERSTELLAR MOLECULE: THIOCYANIC ACID HSCN

A new interstellar molecule, HSCN (thiocyanic acid), an energetic isomer of the well-known species HNCS, has been detected toward Sgr B2(N) with the Arizona Radio Observatory 12 m telescope. Eight rotational transitions in the Ka = 0 ladder were observed in the 2 mm and 3 mm bands. Five consecutive transitions in the 3 mm band are unblended, but three in the 2 mm band are partially masked by lines of other molecules. The peak intensity of all eight transitions are well described by a rotational temperature that is in very good agreement with that of many other molecules in this source. The line width and radial velocity of HSCN match closely with those of the ground state isomer HNCS (isothiocyanic acid), HNCO (isocyanic acid), and HOCN (cyanic acid); preliminary maps indicate that all four molecules are similarly distributed in Sgr B2. Although HSCN is calculated to lie over 3000 K higher in energy than HNCS, its column density of 1.3 × 1013 cm−2 in Sgr B2(N) is only three times lower than that of HNCS. The fractional abundances of HSCN and HNCS relative to H2 are 4.5 × 10−12 and 1.1 × 10−11. By analogy with the isomeric pair HCN and HNC, these two sulfur-bearing isomers are plausibly formed from a common cation precursor.