Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HLA-Dr negative acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.

Absent or diminished HLA-Dr antigen representation on the cell surface of both normal and leukemic promyelocytes is a hallmark of this stage of myeloid maturation. In order to document the specificity of this finding for acute promyelocytic leukemia, flow cytometric analysis of leukemic blasts was utilized on 36 cases of acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. All 15 of the promyelocytic leukemias (FAB-M3) studied showed absent or markedly decreased HLA-Dr antigen on their cell surface. However, the majority of cases (21) in which this finding was noted were other than promyelocytic leukemias and included all FAB subtypes, most particularly FAB-M2, i.e., myeloblastic leukemia with maturation. It is concluded that absent to decreased HLA-Dr antigen representation on leukemic blasts lacks specificity and can be seen in all acute myeloid/monocytic leukemic subtypes.
Progress feedback effects on students' writing mastery goal, self-efficacy beliefs, and performance

The effects of progress feedback on university students' writing mastery goal, self-efficacy beliefs, and writing performance were examined in this experiment. Students in the experimental condition (n = 42) received progress feedback on their writing assignment, whereas students in the control condition (n = 44) received feedback without progress information. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was used to measure students' writing mastery goal and self-efficacy beliefs. Results showed that progress feedback did not affect students' writing mastery goal and performance but did affect students' self-efficacy beliefs. The effect depended on the number of progress comments.
Political information and interpersonal conversations in a multimedia environment: A quantitative and qualitative examination of information practices in France

This article is concerned with the way in which the Internet may affect political information patterns and interpersonal conversations about issues of public interest. It presents the first findings of a quantitative and qualitative study done in France about news consumption of traditional mass media and of the web. It investigates the impact of the Internet on information sources and studies the forms of information practices on the web. It also examines the difference between face-to-face discussions and online exchanges about politics and current events. Data show that even if digital practices are developing, the use of the mass media for political information still prevails, while political exchange mainly takes place in the ordinary social networks of daily life. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that people who are the most engaged in information and political practices on the Internet are also those who previously had a high interest in current events.
Abstract competitive systems and orbital stability in $\mathbf{{\mathbb R}^3}$

COMPETITIVE SYSTEMS AND ORBITAL STABILITY IN R RAFAEL ORTEGA AND LUIS ANGEL SANCHEZ (Communicated by Hal L. Smith) Abstract. Competitive autonomous systems in R3 have the remarkable property of verifying an analogue of the Poincare-Bendixon theorem for planar equations. This fact allows us to prove the existence of orbitally stable closed orbits for those systems under easily checkable hypothesis. Our aim is to introduce, by changing the ordering in R3, a new class of autonomous systems for which the preceding results directly extend. As a consequence we shall reinterpret some of the results of R. A. Smith in terms of the theory of monotone systems. Competitive autonomous systems in R3 have the remarkable property of verifying an analogue of the Poincare-Bendixon theorem for planar equations. This fact allows us to prove the existence of orbitally stable closed orbits for those systems under easily checkable hypothesis. Our aim is to introduce, by changing the ordering in R3, a new class of autonomous systems for which the preceding results directly extend. As a consequence we shall reinterpret some of the results of R. A. Smith in terms of the theory of monotone systems.
Protein-based biofilm matrices in Staphylococci

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are the most important etiological agents of biofilm associated-infections on indwelling medical devices. Biofilm infections may also develop independently of indwelling devices, e.g., in native valve endocarditis, bone tissue, and open wounds. After attachment to tissue or indwelling medical devices that have been conditioned with host plasma proteins, staphylococcal biofilms grow, and produce a specific environment which provides the conditions for cell–cell interaction and formation of multicellular communities. Bacteria living in biofilms express a variety of macromolecules, including exopolysaccharides, proteins, extracellular eDNA, and other polymers. The S. aureus surface protein C and G (SasC and SasG), clumping factor B (ClfB), serine aspartate repeat protein (SdrC), the biofilm-associated protein (Bap), and the fibronectin/fibrinogen-binding proteins (FnBPA and FnBPB) are individually implicated in biofilm matrix formation. In S. epidermidis, a protein named accumulation-associated protein (Aap) contributes to both the primary attachment phase and the establishment of intercellular connections by forming fibrils on the cell surface. In S. epidermidis, proteinaceous biofilm formation can also be mediated by the extracellular matrix binding protein (Embp) and S. epidermidis surface protein C (SesC). Additionally, multifunctional proteins such as extracellular adherence protein (Eap) and extracellular matrix protein binding protein (Emp) of S. aureus and the iron-regulated surface determinant protein C (IsdC) of S. lugdunensis can promote biofilm formation in iron-depleted conditions. This multitude of proteins intervene at different stages of biofilm formation with certain proteins contributing to biofilm accumulation and others mediating primary attachment to surfaces. This review examines the contribution of proteins to biofilm formation in Staphylococci. The potential to develop vaccines to prevent protein-dependent biofilm formation during staphylococcal infection is discussed.
Experimental mycoplasma mastitis in mice

Thirteen strains of mycoplasma representing six different species, Acholeplasma laidlawii, Mycoplasma dispar, M. bovirhinis, M. bovigenitalium, M. agalactiae subsp. bovis, and M. mycoides subsp. mycoides, were inoculated into the mammary glands of mice, and the number of mycoplasmas present in the glands three days after inoculation was determined. The predominant response included involution of inoculated glands and a neutrophil infiltration. With the exception of M. dispar, the pathogenicity of the six species for mice was found to be similar to their pathogenicity for cattle.
Relationships Among Passivity, Positive Realness, and Dissipativity with an Application to Passivity Based Pairing

The notions of passivity and positive realness are fundamental concepts in classical control theory, but the use of the terms has varied. For LTI systems, these two concepts capture the same essential property of dynamical systems, that is, a system with this property does not generate its own energy but only stores and dissipates energy supplied by the environment. This paper summarizes the connection between these two concepts for continuous and discrete time LTI systems. Beyond that, the paper summarizes relationships between classes of strictly passive systems and classes of positive real systems. The more general framework of dissipativity is introduced to connect passivity and positive realness. An application is included to demonstrate how these results can be applied to input-output pairing in MIMO control systems. Two case studies are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods.
A synthetic analog of the 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid disaccharide moiety of rough-type endotoxins does not bind to mouse peritoneal macrophages and human monocytes

Strong evidence supports the concept that lipid A is the main biologically active region of endotoxins and is recognized by specific binding sites of different cell types. However, receptors for carbohydrates are also present on mononuclear phagocytes, and it has been suggested that one of these lectin-like proteins may be specific for the 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octolosonic acid (Kdo) residues of endotoxins. To reexamine this hypothesis, we prepared a 125I-labeled conjugate consisting of a synthetic Kdo-2,4-Kdo disaccharide covalently linked to bovine serum albumin (125I-Kdo2-BSA). The Kdo disaccharide residues of this radiolabeled conjugate were fully accessible to a monoclonal antibody which reacts specifically with this epitope. However, 125I-Kdo2-BSA did not exhibit any detectable specific binding on thioglycolate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages or on human monocytes. Furthermore, the specific binding of biotin-labeled lipopolysaccharide derivatives to mouse macrophages and human monocytes was not inhibited by a soluble synthetic Kdo-2,4-Kdo-polyacrylamide copolymer or by a synthetic glycolipid consisting of an alpha-Kdo residue glycosidically linked to O-6 of allyl-4-O-phosphoryl-N-3-hydroxytetradecanoyl-beta-D-glucosaminide. These results indicate that binding sites specific for Kdo are not present (or not accessible) on the surface of mouse macrophages and human monocytes.
Definitions and standard indications of minimally-invasive techniques in thymic surgery.

BACKGROUND The minimally invasive thoracic procedures are those performed through the intercostal, subxiphoid, subcostal or transcervical incisions. In most of these procedures (with exception of some transcervical procedures) the video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) technique is used for performance of an operation under guidance of a video monitor. METHODS According to the definition the minimally invasive procedures do not include the sternal manubriotomy (upper sternal split), transverse sternotomy and subcutaneous longitudinal sternotomy. Currently, a minimally invasive extended thymectomy became a widespread procedure advised for nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis (MG) and early-stage thymomas. The definition of an extended thymectomy is a removal of the whole thymus with the surrounding adipose tissue. Instead of the term "extended thymectomy" some authors recommended a term "complete thymectomy", which means total removal of the whole thymus, without the adjacent fatty tissue. RESULTS There are a lot of doubts about the definition of extended thymectomy. There have been no prospective randomized trials comparing the transsternal and minimally invasive approaches for MG or thymomas. Possible scenarios for such trials are analyzed in this paper. CONCLUSIONS There are several issues of a minimally invasive thymectomy for MG and thymomas necessitating further clarifications.
Willingness to Pay for Cataract Surgery in Post-operative Cataract Patients in Rural Malawi

Background: In order to improve the sustainability of eye care programs including provision of surgical services, an understanding of a patient’s capacity to contribute towards the costs relating to sight-restoring surgery is essential. Therefore, we investigated willingness to pay for cataract surgery in a hospital-based cross-sectional study in rural Malawi. Methods: We interviewed consecutive patients following surgery for senile cataract at Nkhoma Eye Hospital, Malawi. Patients were asked about their willingness to pay for surgery (in local currency, Kwacha, as well as surrogates for money). We also collected data on socio-demographic variables and pre- and post-operative visual acuity (VA). Results: A total of 212 participants were included (99.5% acceptance), of whom 82.0% were farmers. Mean age of participants was 68.2 years, and 89 (42.0%) were female. There were 136 (64.2%) who were willing to pay something. Median willingness to pay was 500 Kwacha (interquartile range 0–2,000; ~US$3.00, August 2011). Following adjustment for age, sex, family size and occupation, patients who were blind pre-operatively (pinhole-corrected VA<3/60) were less likely to pay something for surgery (odds ratio 0.44, 95% confidence interval 0.20–0.96, P = 0.038) compared to those with VA>6/60. Conclusion: In this setting where people are used to free services, the median monetary amount elderly patients were willing to pay for surgery is well below the actual cost of screening, transport, accommodation and surgery. Substantial cost recovery will require pre-operative involvement of family members, but might slow down current screening practices and also lower acceptance rates.
Term Length and the Effort of Politicians

We evaluate the effects of a fundamental lever of constitutional design: the duration of public office terms. We present a simple model grounded in interviews with legislators and highlight three forces shaping incentives to exert legislative effort. We exploit two natural experiments in the Argentine Congress (where term lengths were assigned randomly) to ascertain which forces are empirically dominant. Results for separate measures as well as an aggregate index of legislative effort show that longer terms increase effort. Shorter terms appear to discourage effort not due to campaign distractions but due to an investment payback logic: when effort yields returns over multiple periods, longer terms yield a higher chance of capturing those returns. A broader implication is that job stability may promote effort despite making individuals less accountable. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
Predictors of Networking Intensity and Network Quality Among White-Collar Job Seekers

Networking has been identified as an important predictor of both reemployment and career success. This research examines the extent to which several sociodemographic variables (gender, race, and age) and one personality variable (proactive personality) predict the intensity with which individuals engage in networking and the perceived quality of their networks. Consistent with our expectations, age demonstrates a curvilinear relationship with network diversity, and proactive personality is positively related to networking intensity. No effects are found for gender or race. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
More than just clowns – Clown Doctor rounds and their impact for children, families and staff

Admission to hospital is recognised as a difficult time for children and families. This study explored clown doctor activities in an acute paediatric setting and the impact their activities have on children, their families, other health professionals and clown doctors themselves. We used observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with children and parents and staff and clown doctors and results provide a rich description of the work of clown doctors. The major themes were ‘the encounter – in the moment’ of the interaction of the child and the clown doctor and ‘beyond the encounter’. The findings show that the impact of clown doctor visits is experienced beyond the immediate interaction, and this has not been clearly articulated in previous studies. This study highlights the multifaceted and complex nature of the work of the clown doctors and the high level of skill required as they modify and interpret play, activities and environment based on individual need and response.
A fusion-based enhancing approach for single sandstorm image

In this paper, a novel image enhancing approach focuses on single sandstorm image is proposed. The degraded image has some problems, such as color distortion, low-visibility, fuzz and non-uniform luminance, due to the light is absorbed and scattered by particles in sandstorm. The proposed approach based on fusion principles aims to overcome the aforementioned limitations. First, the degraded image is color corrected by adopting a statistical strategy. Then two inputs, which represent different brightness, are derived only from the color corrected image by applying Gamma correction. Three weighted maps (sharpness, chromaticity and prominence), which contain important features to increase the quality of the degraded image, are computed from the derived inputs. Finally, the enhanced image is obtained by fusing the inputs with the weight maps. The proposed method is the first to adopt a fusion-based method for enhancing single sandstorm image. Experimental results show that enhanced results can be improved by color correction, well enhanced details and local contrast while promoted global brightness, increasing the visibility, naturalness preservation. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is mostly calculated by per-pixel operation, which is appropriate for real-time applications.
Which feedback is more effective for pursuing multiple goals of differing importance? The interaction effects of goal importance and performance feedback type on self-regulation and task achievement

This study examined how performance feedback type (progress vs. distance) affects Korean college students’ self-regulation and task achievement according to relative goal importance in the pursuit of multiple goals. For this study, 146 students participated in a computerised task. The results showed the interaction effects of goal importance and performance feedback type on self-regulation and task achievement. Specifically, the participants in high goal importance conditions who received distance feedback showed higher self-regulation of metacognition (goal setting), motivation-emotion (efforts investment, task enjoyment) and task achievement (task completion time, task score) than those who received progress feedback. In addition, effort investment and task enjoyment increased in the latter part of the task for the participants in high goal importance conditions who received distance feedback, whereas they decreased for those who received progress feedback. However, the opposite results were shown for the participants in low goal importance conditions.
HEALTH CARE RESOURCE USE AND STROKE OUTCOME

Background and Purpose: Outcome in patients hospitalized for acute stroke varies considerably between populations. Within the framework of the GAIN International trial, a large multicenter trial of a neuroprotective agent (gavestinel, glycine antagonist), stroke outcome in relation to health care resource use has been compared in a large number of countries, allowing for differences in case mix. Methods: This substudy includes 1,422 patients in 19 countries grouped into 10 regions. Data on prognostic variables on admission to hospital, resource use, and outcome were analyzed by regression models. Results: All results were adjusted for differences in prognostic factors on admission (NIH Stroke Scale, age, comorbidity). There were threefold variations in the average number of days in hospital/institutional care (from 20 to 60 days). The proportion of patients who met with professional rehabilitation staff also varied greatly. Three-month case fatality ranged from 11% to 28%, and mean Barthel ADL score at three months varied between 64 and 73. There was no relationship between health care resource use and outcome in terms of survival and ADL function at three months. The proportion of patients living at home at three months did not show any relationship to ADL function across countries. Conclusions: There are wide variations in health care resource use between countries, unexplained by differences in case mix. Across countries, there is no obvious relationship between resource use and clinical outcome after stroke. Differences in health care traditions (treatment pathways) and social context seem to be major determinants of resource use. In making comparisons between countries, great care should be exercised in using outcome variables as indicators of quality of stroke care.
Mining behavior models from user-intensive web applications

Many modern user-intensive applications, such as Web applications, must satisfy the interaction requirements of thousands if not millions of users, which can be hardly fully understood at design time. Designing applications that meet user behaviors, by efficiently supporting the prevalent navigation patterns, and evolving with them requires new approaches that go beyond classic software engineering solutions. We present a novel approach that automates the acquisition of user-interaction requirements in an incremental and reflective way. Our solution builds upon inferring a set of probabilistic Markov models of the users' navigational behaviors, dynamically extracted from the interaction history given in the form of a log file. We annotate and analyze the inferred models to verify quantitative properties by means of probabilistic model checking. The paper investigates the advantages of the approach referring to a Web application currently in use.
Being a man and becoming a nurse: Three men's stories

Abstract The entry of men into nursing and their disproportionate dominance of the senior positions within the occupation raises some interesting questions about the influence of hegemonic patriarchal attitudes and orientations within this setting. Morgan (’Discovering Men, Routledge, London, 1992) explains that masculinity is not the possession or non‐possession of certain traits. It has to do with the maintenance of certain kinds of relationships between men and men, and women and men. Masculinities need to be understood as sets of attitudes which in varying degrees contribute to the maintenance and reproduction of patriarchal systems. Using this understanding of masculinity the paper examines how first year male nurses approach their entry into nursing. This examination demonstrates the process by which dominance by men is achieved and explains why women nurses need to be aware of the strategies used.
Adenoma Detection Rate: I Will Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the first cause of cancer-related mortality in Portugal. CRC screening reduces disease-specific mortality. Colonoscopy is currently the preferred method for screening as it may contribute to the reduction of CRC incidence. This beneficial effect is strongly associated with the adenoma detection rate (ADR). Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the quality of colonoscopy at our unit by measuring the currently accepted quality parameters and publish them as benchmarking indicators. Methods: From 5,860 colonoscopies, 654 screening procedures (with and without previous fecal occult blood testing) were analyzed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66.4 ± 7.8 years, and the gender distribution was 1:1. The overall ADR was 36% (95% confidence interval [CI] 32-39), the mean number of adenomas per colonoscopy was 0.66 (95% CI 0.56-0.77), and the sessile serrate lesion detection rate was 1% (95% CI 0-2). The bowel preparation was rated as adequate in 496 (76%) patients. The adjusted cecal intubation rate (CIR) was 93.7% (95% CI 91.7-95.8). Most colonoscopies were performed under monitored anesthesia care (53%), and 35% were unsedated. The use of sedation (propofol or midazolam based) was associated with a higher CIR with an odds ratio of 3.60 (95% CI 2.02-6.40, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our data show an above-standard ADR. The frequency of poor bowel preparation and the low sessile serrated lesion detection rate were acknowledged, and actions were implemented to improve both indicators. Quality auditing in colonoscopy should be compulsory, and while many units may do so internally, this is the first national report from a high-throughput endoscopy unit.