Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple system organ failure. Is mechanical ventilation a contributing factor?

Few problems facing the intensivist are as frustrating or as difficult to manage as multiple system organ failure (MSOF). While the precise etiology remains unknown, an integral feature is the development of a rampant systemic inflammatory response that persists unabated by host control mechanisms. Either a single massive insult, or a series of less intense insults (i.e., “two-hits”) appear to be necessary to overwhelm the individuals innate regulatory mechanisms. Often the lung is the first organ to fail, leading to initiation (or continuation) of ventilatory support. Although in some patients a precipitating nidus of infection or inflammation is identifiable, and lung injury is simply the first clinically evident manifestation of a systemic process, there remain a large number of patients in whom the explanation for progression from respiratory failure to multiple system organ failure is unclear. In this Perspective, we explore the hypothesis that mechanical ventilation may play a pivotal (and hereto unrecognized) role in the initiation and/or propagation of a systemic inflammatory response leading to MSOF in certain patients. We address this issue by examining the following questions: Can mechanical ventilation initiate or exacerbate lung injury/inflammation? Can lung injury/inflammation lead to systemic inflammation? Is there evidence of MSOF secondary to mechanical ventilation?
The Donnan equilibrium: I. On the thermodynamic foundation of the Donnan equation of state

The thermodynamic equilibrium between charged colloids and an electrolyte reservoir is named after Frederic Donnan who first published on it one century ago (Donnan 1911 Z. Electrochem. 17 572). One of the intriguing features of the Donnan equilibrium is the ensuing osmotic equation of state which is a nonlinear one, even when both colloids and ions obey Van ’t Hoff’s ideal osmotic pressure law. The Donnan equation of state, nevertheless, is internally consistent; we demonstrate it to be a rigorous consequence of the phenomenological thermodynamics of a neutral bulk suspension equilibrating with an infinite salt reservoir. Our proof is based on an exact thermodynamic relation between osmotic pressure and salt adsorption which, when applied to ideal ions, does indeed entail the Donnan equation of state. Our derivation also shows that, contrary to what is often assumed, the Donnan equilibrium does not require ideality of the colloids: the Donnan model merely evaluates the osmotic pressure of homogeneously distributed ions, in excess of the pressure exerted by an arbitrary reference fluid of uncharged colloids. We also conclude that results from the phenomenological Donnan model coincide with predictions from statistical thermodynamics in the limit of weakly charged, point-like colloids.
The Widening Income Achievement Gap.

Historically, low-income students as a group have performed less well than high-income students on most measures of academic success—including standardized test scores, grades, high school completion rates, and college enrollment and completion rates. Countless studies have documented these disparities and investigated the many underlying reasons for them. But no research had systematically investigated whether these incomerelated achievement gaps have narrowed or widened over time.
Understanding the validity of self-reported positive family history of lymphoma in extended families to facilitate genetic epidemiology and clinical practice

The validity of self-reported information about familial Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), important for epidemiologic research and clinical practice, is undetermined. We attempted to validate 55 familial lymphomas previously reported by 48 subjects in a population-based case – control study of HL in women. Of 44 diagnoses (80%) reported by 40 (83%) recontacted subjects, we obtained medical documentation for 36 (82%). Twenty-nine (81%) were validated as lymphoma, with accuracy better for first-degree relatives and subjects with larger nuclear families and other family illness. Fourteen reports of familial HL were validated as lymphoma for 13 (93%) and as HL for nine (64%). Fifteen reports of familial NHL were validated as lymphoma for 10 (67%) and as NHL for 10 (67%). Thus, familial HL reported by HL patients and controls is highly likely to be lymphoma even in extended family members but less likely to be HL per se. Validity may vary with the subject's family size and medical history.
Developing a Consumer Complaining and Recovery Effort Scale

The main purpose of this study is to identify the underlying dimensions of consumer complaining and recovery effort and to develop a multidimensional scale to measure this construct. Literature suggests that the consumer complaining and recovery effort is a four-dimensional construct consisting of procedural, cognitive, time-related, and affective components. Using data collected from hotel guests, a measurement scale is developed to assess this four-dimensional construct. First, a factor analysis is conducted on one set of data. Afterward, the underlying dimensions identified by the exploratory factor analysis are confirmed by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis on a separate set of data. Findings suggest that the scale developed in this study presents substantial convergent validity, discriminant validity, predictive validity, and reliability.
RE‐EVALUATION OF THE CLINICAL VALUE OF THE 30 MIN ACTH TEST IN ASSESSING THE HYPOTHALAMIC‐PITUITARY‐ADRENOCORTICAL FUNCTION

The insulin hypoglycaemia test has been widely used for assessing the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical function. The outcome of this test has been compared to that of the 30 min ACTH test in 200 consecutive patients with proven or suspected hypothalamic‐pituitary disorder. A significant correlation (R= 0.83, P < 0.001) between the results of the two tests was found. In patients in whom blood glucose levels fell to 2.2 mmol/l (40 mg/dl) or below, the ratio between the peak plasma Cortisol concentration during hypoglycaemia and plasma Cortisol concentration 30 min after ACTH was 1.002. In patients in whom blood glucose concentration declined to 2.3–30 mmol/l (41–54 mg/dl) the ratio was significantly lower (0.828). In eight patients discordant results between the two tests were found. In two patients the ACTH test was normal despite impaired response to insulin. They were studied shortly after acute symptoms of a pituitary adenoma necrosis. Two patients had subnormal responses to insulin despite the fact that pituitary‐adrenal function appeared to be intact. In both cases relative insufficiency of the hypoglycaemic stimulus was the likely cause of the discrepancy. In the remaining four patients results of one test was marginally below, and that of the other test marginally above the lower limit of normal. It is concluded that the 30 min ACTH test is reliable for assessing integrated hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal function (except shortly after acute ACTH deprivation).
The Antecedents of in-Store Experience: Experimental Study

Understanding consumers and their consumption experience of products, services and brands in both retailing and online environment is one of the main tasks of marketing. Therefore the purpose of this research is to investigate the circumstances of in-store experiences in hyper star markets that have been evaluated under the main hypothesis “shopping motives, store environment and employee characteristics are circumstances that influence in-store experiences. This study was a qualitative one that was conducted as an experiential study using Islamic Azad University who had been chosen through stratified random sampling relevant to the size. 2560 questionnaires were distributed in different universities of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz in February and March in 2015 and 2510 questionnaires were returned. Also to analyze research data non-parametric statistical methods have been used. In this research to describe data descriptive statistics and to analyze data and test research hypotheses inferential statistics and structural equation modeling have been used, respectively. For this purpose SPSS and LISRE software has been used. With respect to the fact that it is a multilevel model in order to confirm the model and respond to the hypotheses structural equation modeling with partial least square (PLS) has been employed using SMARTPLS software. Finally, according to the findings of this study (1) when sales staff are women the means of customers’ sensory/affective/cognitive experience is more than the time when sales staff are men; (2) it became apparent that experience-based shopping motives influenced sensory and affective experience and product-based shopping motives affected cognitive experience respectively; (3) it became apparent that store brightness had the most effect on sensory experience and arrangement influenced sensory and affective experience but these two factors didn’t influence cognitive influence. (4) finally it became apparent that employee physical attractiveness and cheerfulness influenced each of three in-store experiences but employee helpfulness didn’t affect employee affective and cognitive experience.
Poisson-gaussian denoising using the exact unbiased inverse of the generalized anscombe transformation

The characteristic errors of many digital imaging devices can be modelled as Poisson-Gaussian noise, the removal of which can be approached indirectly through variance stabilization. The generalized Anscombe transformation (GAT) is commonly used for stabilization, but rigorous studies regarding its unbiased inverse transformation have been neglected. We introduce the exact unbiased inverse of the GAT, show that it is of essential importance for ensuring accurate denoising, and demonstrate that our approach leads to state-of-the-art results. This paper generalizes our earlier work, in which we presented an exact unbiased inverse of the Anscombe transformation for the case of pure Poisson noise removal.
A comparison of stainless steel hand and rotary nickel-titanium instrumentation using a silicone impression technique.

BACKGROUND Root canal preparation using rotary nickel-titanium instruments has been reported to be superior to hand instrumentation in terms of root canal shape, centring and frequency of procedural errors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate canal preparations using a sequential silicone impression technique to assess root canal morphology. METHODS Pre-operative canal impressions were obtained from 24 extracted single-rooted premolars. Canals were randomly assigned to be firstly, instrumented with stainless steel K-type files or rotary nickel-titanium instruments (Profile), then further apically enlarged with rotary nickel-titanium instruments (Profile or Lightspeed). Post instrumentation impressions were taken and digitally photographed in a bucco-lingual and mesio-distal orientation at low-power magnification. Images were evaluated for procedural defects, changes in canal curvature, canal enlargement and canal rounding at 1, 3 and 7mm from the working length. RESULTS Silicone impressions could accurately reproduce the detailed root canal morphology of single-canal premolars. Repeated impressions of each canal using a standardized procedure allowed a detailed comparison of instrumentation techniques at various stages. Hand instrumentation incurred more errors than rotary nickel-titanium instrumentation (Profile). Further apical enlargement using Lightspeed instruments incurred fewer errors than with Profile instruments. Differences among techniques were highly significant (p<0.005). All techniques resulted in slight canal straightening, as well as rounder and enlarged canals particularly in the apical third. CONCLUSIONS Rotary nickel-titanium instrumentation, especially Lightspeed, may produce better canal shape by reducing procedural errors.
The Relationships Between Leadership Styles and Personality Types of Texas Elementary Administrators

The purposes of this study were to explore the leadership styles and personality types of Texas elementary administrators. The Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description-Self (LEAD-Self) assessed the leadership style and adaptability of the administrators. The four identified styles were Telling/Directing, Selling/Coaching, Participating/Supporting, and Delegating. The MBTI measured 16 combinations of 4 personality types which included Extrovert or Introvert, Sensing or Intuition, Thinking or Feeling, and Judging or Perceiving. The sample was 200 Texas elementary administrators: 100 with early childhood certification and 100 without early childhood certification. A chi-square test of independence was utilized. Findings included: (a) A majority of Texas elementary administrators in both groups had a Selling/Coaching or Participating/Supporting leadership style; (b) Leadership adaptability scores of both groups were equivalent; (c) Most Texas elementary administrators had Introvert/Sensing/Thinking/Judging and Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Judging personality types; (d) Administrators with early childhood certification had a higher percentage of Intuitive personality types, while administrators without early childhood certification had a predominance of Sensing types; (e) A large percentage of administrators which had Participating/Supporting leadership styles had Feeling personality types; (f) No significant relationship between leadership styles and personality types was found in either group; and (g) No significant relationship between leadership adaptability and personality types was found in either group. Recommendations included: (a) further study to investigate the role of gender in leadership style and personality type; (b) further study to determine if elementary administrators have higher adaptability scores than secondary administrators; (c) further study to determine if elementary administrators have different leadership styles than secondary administrators; (d) further study to determine if elementary administrators have different personality types than secondary administrators; (e) further study to determine if leadership adaptability scores accurately portray an administrator's effectiveness; and (f) provide opportunities for future and practicing administrators to assess their leadership style, leadership adaptability, and personality type.
Physiological Studies of Encystment in Azotobacter vinelandii

Azotobacter vinelandii, in late exponential growth phase, encysts when the glucose in the medium is replaced with β-hydroxybutyrate. A final cell division then occurs without apparent deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis, resulting in a reduction from two to one nucleoids per cell and a final DNA content of 3.2 × 10−14 g per cell. This is also the DNA content per cyst. A β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase is derepressed by the addition of the inducer and is identical to the enzyme in acetate-grown cells in its pH optimum, Michaelis constant for substrate, temperature-activity response, and mobility during electrophoresis in acrylamide gel.
Three treatment methods via the hepatic artery for hepatocellular carcinoma - a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND To evaluate the relative effectiveness of different treatments of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via the hepatic artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study sample group consisted of 418 patients who were randomly selected from 2008 to 2012 with a first diagnosis of HCC and treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or without (TAE) chemotherapy or transcatheter arterial infusion (TAI). We collected data including tumor size preoperative and one month thereafter to compare change in areas across the three groups, along with various laboratory indexes for comparison. RESULTS The overall average change of areas was 240.8 ± 72.1 mm2. In the three groups it was 265.0 ± 58.0 mm2 vs. 250.5 ± 51.9 mm2 vs. 123.7 ± 26.2 mm2. In groups TACE and TAE values were larger than in group TAI (p<0.01), but the difference between the two was not statistically significant (p= 0.191). Additionally, U/L change of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in groups TACE and TAE was greater than in the TAI cases (24.0 ± 13.5 vs. 20. 9± 12.1 vs. 5.47 ± 8.20 and 25.6 ± 13.5 vs.23.2 ± 12.28 vs.5.48 ± 14.3) on the preoperative day and two days thereafter (p<0.01). Between the two groups there was no significant cariation (p= 0.320 and p= 0.609). However, the AST and ALT recovered to normal levels one month later on therapy with liver protecting drugs. CONCLUSION The groups TACE and TAE demonstrated more effective reduction of tumor size than group TAI. While lipiodol caused acute liver function damage, this proved reversible.
Towards Understanding Hierarchical Natural Language Commands for Robotic Navigation and Manipulation

We describe a new model for understanding hierarchical natural language commands for robot navigation and manipulation. The model has three components: a semantic structure that captures the hierarchical structure of language; a cost function that maps the command’s semantic structure to the robot’s sensorimotor capabilities; and an efficient search method for finding the lowest-cost plan. We present a proofof-concept system that carries out navigation commands in a simulated setting.
Thyroid Cancer in Patients 70 Years of Age or Older

This report presents our experience with 50 thyroid cancer patients 70 years of age or older, out of 606 patients of all ages. Comparing this series to those describing thyroid cancer patients of all ages, we found that thyroid carcinoma in the 70 + age group presents at a more advanced clinical stage, behaves more aggressively, and has a higher death rate. These findings are attributed mainly to the higher incidence of undifferentiated carcinoma and the more aggressive course of the differentiated types of carcinoma in the older age group. If suspected thyroid nodules are managed by initial radical treatment, carcinoma can be diagnosed earlier and patients will survive longer.
Dynamics of China's regional development and pollution: an investigation into the Environmental Kuznets Curve

This paper addresses the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve for China, using a sample of 30 regions, covering the period 1982–1997. The types of pollution included are wastewater, waste gas, and solid waste. We consider the development of the sources of pollution in a pooled cross-section analysis with pollution in absolute levels, in per capita terms, and relative to real Gross Regional Product (GRP). At intermediate levels of GRP per capita, the increase of solid and gas emissions tends to decelerate, but it accelerates again at high levels of GRP per capita. Water pollution decreases with per capita GRP. We also predict future waste gas emissions.
Problemas de la extensión rural en América Latina

Aiming to identify the problems faced by Latin American rural extensionists, 589 practitioners that work in ten different countries were surveyed. The open questions were categorized follow - ing Grounded Theory. The differences between national samples were studied using chi-square. Fifteen problems are highlighted because of having been frequently mentioned including: diffi - culties in group or cooperative work, use of inappropriate technologies, and problems to sell the produce. It is fundamental to address these problems, to strengthen rural extensionists' training and to re-shape rural extension practices.
SILENCE, INTERCULTURAL CONVERSATION, AND MISCOMMUNICATION

Because of its ambiguous function and usage, silence is a major source of intercultural miscommunication, which frequently leads to negative judgments, and breeds stereotypes. Grounded in a cross-cultural and interactive framework, I conducted a five-month descriptive qualitative study, which explored silence perceptions among Chinese, Korean, Russian, Colombian and Iranian ESL speakers, and Canadian native-speakers of English (NS). Multiple perspectives were investigated using stimulated recall, in a context of intercultural mentoring sessions and interviews. Eight ESL 'silence producer' participants were asked to explain their silence use, and their interpretations were compared with the functions attributed to these silences by other participants, one from the same cultural background as the 'silence producer', and a NS. Participants' silence perceptions were described, and most negatively-interpreted silences were identified. Analysis revealed intra-cultural acrimony, that high language proficiency perceptions increase negative silence attributions, cross-cultural differences in attitudes towards fillers, and the systematic silencing of ESL speakers.
Draw a computer scientist

Each fall in the first class of the introductory computer science course I do an opening exercise with the incoming freshmen students. I give out a short survey asking for some general demographic information about them - gender, age, nationality, and prior computer experience. Then I ask them to do two things that have produced some interesting results. First, they are asked to answer the question, "what is computer science? " The majority of the students answer the question with a reference to programming. Many say they really don't know and hope they will find out in the class. Others mention the study of hardware and software. A few even use the word algorithm. These results clearly indicate that our profession is not doing a good job communicating the diversity and complexity of our field to the general public and to high school students in particular.
A feasibility, toxicity, and early response study of etoposide, ifosfamide, and vincristine for the treatment of children with rhabdomyosarcoma: a report from the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) IV pilot study.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, toxicity, and early response of patients with clinical group III rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) to a chemotherapy regimen of etoposide (ETOP), ifosfamide (IFOS), and vincristine (VCR) with hyperfractionated radiation therapy (XRT). PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty-eight patients aged < 21 years, previously untreated, with clinical group III RMS or undifferentiated sarcoma with normal organ function were eligible for this study. Chemotherapy was as follows: weeks 0-8: IFOS 1.8 g/m2/day X 5 days every 3 weeks X 3 (with mesna), ETOP 100 mg/m2/day X 5 days every 3 weeks X 3, and VCR 1.5 mg/m2/week X 9; weeks 9-16: hyperfractionated XRT (except patients with parameningeal tumors with meningeal extension, who received XRT on day 0), IFOS/mesna weeks 9, 12, 16, and VCR weeks 9, 10, 11, 12, 16; weeks 20-99; IFOS/mesna q 3 weeks X 2, ETOP q 3 weeks X 2, and VCR weekly X 6 weeks. Four drug cycles were repeated every 9 weeks, beginning at week 29. In January 1991, the duration of therapy was reduced to 12 courses due to emerging evidence of IFOS-induced renal tubular dysfunction. RESULTS Of the 62 patients evaluable for response, 45 (73%) achieved a complete response. There were three fatal toxicities due to infection. Life-threatening neutropenia was seen in 55 of 60 patients, and life-threatening infections occurred in 27 of 60 patients. Twenty-five patients (42%) developed some degree of neurotoxicity from vincristine. Eleven patients (18%) developed nephrotoxicity, 7 cases of which were severe; 6 of the 11 patients who developed nephrotoxicity were < 2 years old. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study had toxicity and response rates comparable to the other two Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS)-IV pilot trials of vincristine-actinomycin-cyclophosphamide and vincristine-actinomycin-ifosfamide and is, therefore, being evaluated in the current IRS randomized trial. Due to the high incidence of life-threatening neutropenia and infections, the use of growth factors is now routine. Five of 11 patients who developed nephrotoxicity did so after more than eight courses of IFOS; therefore, the current randomized trial limits IFOS to a total of eight courses.