Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heart failure patients’ attitudes, beliefs, expectations and experiences of self-management strategies: A qualitative synthesis

Objectives To develop a model of heart failure patients’ attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and experiences based on published qualitative research that could influence the development of self-management strategies. Methods A synthesis of 19 qualitative research studies using the method of meta-ethnography. Results This synthesis offers a conceptual model of the attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of patients with heart failure. Patients experienced a sense of disruption before developing a mental model of heart failure. Patients’ reactions included becoming a strategic avoider, a selective denier, a well-intentioned manager, or an advanced self-manager. Patients responded by forming self-management strategies and finally assimilated the strategies into everyday life seeking to feel safe. Discussion This conceptual model suggests that there are a range of interplaying factors that facilitate the process of developing self-management strategies. Interventions should take into account patients’ concepts of heart failure and their subsequent reactions.
Oxalates may not be effective in treating dentin hypersensitivity.

Systematic review conclusion Current evidence does not support the routine use of oxalates—with the possible exception of 3 percent monohydrogen monopotassium oxalate alone—for the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity (DH) in adults. Critical summary assessment Results of this well-designed review and comprehensive analysis of the literature show, with the possible exception of 3 percent monohydrogen monopotassium oxalate alone, no significant difference in effectiveness between oxalates and placebo or no treatment in the treatment of DH. Evidence quality rating Limited.
Identifying nutritionally vulnerable groups in case of emergencies: experience from the Athens 1999 earthquake

During emergency situations in developing countries, young children have been identified as the most nutritionally vulnerable group. Comparatively less is known regarding nutritional risk of individuals in well-nourished societies hit by a major disaster. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to assess the nutritional status of Greek people who were left homeless after the Athens 1999 earthquake. A total of 225 volunteers from two camps were surveyed for dietary intake information and surrogate measures of nutritional status. Energy consumption and anthropometric indices of the children and adolescents revealed no sign of undernourishment. On the other hand, adults and the elderly consumed considerably less energy than that required for long-term preservation of health. Short-term energy and protein deficits, however, did not jeopardise their nutritional status as it might have expected, on the basis of high body mass indexes and normal haematological and biochemical profiles that were documented. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that nutritional risk in the acute phase after a major emergency in a previously well-nourished population is rather low. This is especially true for younger individuals, probably due to increased provision from the family and the community. Nevertheless, older persons may face increased risk as the situation is prolonged.
Second to fourth digit ratio: a predictor of adult testicular volume

It has been suggested that second to fourth digit ratio (digit ratio) may correlate with male reproductive system function or disorders. This hypothesis is based on finding that the Hox genes control finger development and differentiation of the genital bud during embryogenesis. Thus, we investigated the association between digit ratio and adult testicular volume. A total of 172 Korean men (aged 20–69 years) hospitalized for urological surgery were prospectively enrolled. Patients with conditions known to strongly influence testicular volume were excluded. Before determining testicular volume, the lengths of the second and fourth digits of the right hand were measured by a single investigator using a digital vernier calliper. Using orchidometry, the testes were measured by an experienced urologist who had no information about the patient's digit ratio. To identify the independent predictive factors influencing testicular volume, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using linear regression models. Age, height, serum testosterone and free testosterone level were not correlated with testicular volume. Digit ratio, along with weight, was significantly correlated with testicular volume (right testicular volume: r = −0.185, p = 0.015; left testicular volume: r = −0.193, p = 0.011; total testicular volume: r = −0.198, p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis using linear regression models showed that only digit ratio was the independent factor to predict all (right, left and total) testicular volumes (right testicular volume: β = −0.174, p = 0.023; left testicular volume: β = −0.181, p = 0.017; total testicular volume: β = −0.185, p = 0.014). Our findings demonstrated that digit ratio is negatively associated with adult testicular volume. This means that men with a higher digit ratio may be more likely to have smaller testis compared to those with a lower digit ratio.
A new method to determine postantibiotic effect and effects of subinhibitory antibiotic concentrations

It has been shown that bacteria in a postantibiotic (PA) phase exposed to subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of antibiotics show a long delay before regrowth. This effect has been named the PA sub-MIC effect (PA SME). In the present study, we have used a new method to demonstrate this phenomenon. A computerized incubator for bacteria, Bioscreen C (Lab Systems, Helsinki, Finland), which incubates the bacteria, measures growth continuously by vertical photometry, processes the data, and provides a printout of the results was used. With this method, one may easily test several antibiotics against different bacteria for PA effects (PAEs), PA SMEs, and SMEs. In this study, the effects of benzylpenicillin against beta-hemolytic streptococci and pneumococci were examined. The bacteria were exposed to 2, 10, or 50x MIC for 2 h, washed and diluted, incubated in the Bioscreen C incubator, and then exposed to 0.1 to 0.9x MIC. The regrowth was monitored for 20 h. The PAE was calculated as the difference in the time required for the exposed and unexposed bacteria to grow to a defined point (A50) on the absorbance curve. A50 was defined as 50% of the maximum absorbance for the control cultures. The PA SMEs were calculated as the difference in the time required for the reexposed cultures and the unexposed controls to reach A50. The PAEs ranged between 0.6 and 3.2 h and varied little with the concentration used for the induction of the PAEs. At 0.2x MIC, the PA SMEs were 2 to 3 h longer than the PAEs. Higher sub-MICs increased this delay before regrowth. Most cultures exposed to sub-MICs alone were only slightly affected compared with the controls.
A Balanced Translocation t(6;14)(q25.3;q13.2) Leading to Reciprocal Fusion Transcripts in a Patient with Intellectual Disability and Agenesis of Corpus Callosum

We identified a male patient presenting with intellectual disability and agenesis of the corpus callosum, carrying an apparently balanced, reciprocal, de novo translocation t(6;14)(q25.3;q13.2). Breakpoint mapping, using array painting, identified 2 interesting candidate genes, ARID1B and MRPP3, disrupted in the patient. Unexpectedly, the rearrangement produced 3 in-frame reciprocal fusion transcripts that were further characterized. Formation of fusion transcripts is mainly reported in acquired malignancies and is very rarely observed in patients with intellectual disability (ID) and/or multiple congenital malformations (MCA). Additional experimental results suggest that ARID1B, a gene involved in chromatin remodeling, constitutes a good candidate for the central nervous system phenotype present in the patient.
Quora Question Duplication

We explored two approaches based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks on the Quora duplicate question dataset. The first model uses a Siamese architecture with the learned representations from a single LSTM running on both sentences. The second method uses two LSTMs with the two sentences in sequence, and the second attending on the first (word-by-word attention). Our best model achieved 79.5% F1 with 83.8% accuracy on the test set.
Binocular depth-from-motion in infantile and late-onset esotropia patients with poor stereopsis.

PURPOSE There are at least two possible ways to detect motion-in-depth binocular without monocular cues: the binocular disparities at different times and a mechanism that detects interocular velocity differences. The perception of interocular velocity differences (Binocular depth-from-motion [BDFM]) depends on the relative velocity of the images on the retina of the left and right eyes, and this information can be experienced by normal and some strabismic patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of esotropic patients who have BDFM but have poor stereopsis. METHODS Forty-one infantile and 28 late-onset esotropia patients with poor stereopsis were studied. Dynamic stereopsis and BDFM were tested with computer-generated random dot stereograms and kinematograms. The correlations between BDFM and other binocular functional tests were determined. RESULTS A total of 31 (44.9%) patients, 15 (36.5%) of the infantile and 16 (57.1%) of the late-onset esotropia group, passed the BDFM test. None of these patients passed the random dot stereo test under static or dynamic conditions. Fusion of the Worth four dot test at near 0.3 m was correlated with the presence of BDFM. Three of the 15 infantile and 10 of the 16 late-onset esotropic patients with positive BDFM showed gross stereopsis as measured by the Titmus Fly. The angle of strabismus was significantly smaller in the patients with positive BDFM for the infantile and the late-onset esotropia groups. CONCLUSIONS BDFM was present in about half of the esotropic patients who do not have fine stereopsis. Ocular alignment within 10 to 15 prism diopters is an important factor in obtaining BDFM. Strabismus surgery still provides some binocular benefit for infantile esotropia patients who were bypassed for early surgery. Separate mechanisms may underlie static stereopsis and BDFM.
Cannabis dependence and psychotic symptoms in young people

Background. The aims of this research were to use data gathered over the course of a 21 year longitudinal study to examine the linkages between cannabis dependence at ages 18 and 21 and rates of psychotic symptoms taking into account previous symptom levels and other confounding factors. Method. Data were gathered during the course of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS). The CHDS is a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 children who have been studied from birth to age 21. As part of this study, data were gathered on cannabis dependence and psychotic symptoms at ages 18 and 21. Results. Young people meeting DSM-IV criteria for cannabis dependence had elevated rates of psychotic symptoms at ages 18 (rate ratio = 3.7; 95% CI 2.8–5.0; P<0.0001) and 21 (rate ratio = 2.3; 95% CI 1.7–3.2; P<0.0001). These associations were adjusted for previous psychotic symptoms and a range of other confounding factors using a generalized estimating equation model. This analysis showed that after adjustment for confounding factors, those meeting criteria for cannabis dependence still had an increased rate of psychotic symptoms (rate ratio = 1.8; 95% CI 1.2–2.6; P<0.005). Conclusions. The results show that the development of cannabis dependence is associated with increased rates of psychotic symptoms in young people even when pre-existing symptoms and other background factors are taken into account.
Let's See Your Digits: Anomalous-State Detection using Benford's Law

Benford's Law explains a curious phenomenon in which the leading digits of "naturally-occurring" numerical data are distributed in a precise fashion. In this paper we begin by showing that system metrics generated by many modern information systems like Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube and GitHub obey this law. We then propose a novel unsupervised approach called BenFound that exploits this property to detect anomalous system events. BenFound tracks the "Benfordness" of key system metrics, like the follower counts of tweeting Twitter users or the change deltas in Wikipedia page edits. It then applies a novel Benford-conformity test in real-time to identify "non-Benford events". We investigate a variety of such events, showing that they correspond to unnatural and often undesirable system interactions like spamming, hashtag-hijacking and denial-of-service attacks. The result is a technically-uncomplicated and effective "red flagging" technique that can be used to complement existing anomaly-detection approaches. Although not without its limitations, it is highly efficient and requires neither obscure parameters, nor text streams, nor natural-language processing.
Application and use of Inulin as a tool for therapeutic drug delivery

Abstract Inulin is a polysaccharide with an extensive range of therapeutic uses such as a vehicle in drug delivery vehicle, as a diagnostic/analytical tool or as a dietary fibre with additional health benefits. In the main, much research has focussed on inulin as a drug delivery carrier for colon-targeted drug delivery. The justification for this is its potential to survive the stomach's acidic environment. This unique stability and strength is utilized in many ways to deliver drugs safely to colon, where they can be easily absorbed through the gut epithelium into the blood. Inulin based hydrodynamic research will be useful to discover the potential of inulin.
Performance enhancing drug abuse and cardiovascular risk in athletes: implications for the clinician

The use of performance-enhancing and social drugs by athletes raises a number of ethical and health concerns. The World Anti-Doping Agency was constituted to address both of these issues as well as publishing a list of, and testing for, banned substances in athletes. Despite continuing methodological developments to detect drug use and associated punishments for positive dope tests, there are still many athletes who choose to use performance and image enhancing drugs. Of primary concern to this review are the health consequences of drug use by athletes. For such a large topic we must put in place delimitations. Specifically, we will address current knowledge, controversies and emerging evidence in relation to cardiovascular (CV) health of athletes taking drugs. Further, we delimit our discussion to the CV consequences of anabolic steroids and stimulant (including amphetamines and cocaine) use. These drugs are reported in the majority of adverse findings in athlete drug screenings and thus are more likely to be relevant to the healthcare professionals responsible for the well-being of athletes. In detailing CV health issues related to anabolic steroid and stimulant abuse by athletes we critique current research evidence, present exemplar case studies and suggest important avenues for on-going research. Specifically we prompt the need for awareness of clinical staff when assessing the potential CV consequences of drug use in athletes.
Non-Projectivity in Serbian: Analysis of Formal and Linguistic Properties

This paper presents insights into non-projective relations in Serbian based on the analysis of an 81K token gold-standard corpus manually annotated for dependencies. We provide a formal profile of the non-projective dependencies found in the corpus, as well as a linguistic analysis of the underlying structures. We compare the observed properties of Serbian to those of other languages found in existing studies on non-projectivity.
Effects of School Safety and School Characteristics on Grade 8 Achievement: A Multilevel Analysis.

This paper reports on a statewide study that examined the extent to which a safe school influences individual student achievement. The study used a two-level hierarchical model that included student characteristics and school conditions used in prior research. The statewide analysis was based on 46 of the 50 schools with grade 8 classes in one western state. The study used scores from the Stanford Achievement Test, along with data obtained from state department of education data bases for the school years 1993 through 1996. The findings suggest that school safety has statistically significant effects on students' grade 8 reading and mathematics achievement. Controlling for student background characteristics and differences in school conditions, students who are in safer schools have higher grade 8 achievement scores than students who are in less-safe schools. The results suggest that schools with lower levels of school violence provide better learning environments for students in middle-level schools. Additionally, there was a statistically significant negative effect on student achievement associated with increased school disciplinary infractions after controlling for student background characteristics and school conditions. Since students who are in safer schools have higher grade 8 achievement scores than students who are in less-safe schools, school safety should receive increased attention from policymakers. (Contains 39 references.) (RJM) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** Effects of School Safety on Achievement I Effects of School Safety and School Characteristics on Grade 8 Achievement: A Multilevel Analysis Sarah S. Gronna Selvin A. Chin-Chance U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUC TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as recmved from the person or organizahon originafing . t. CI Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view 0; opinions stated in this docu ment do not necessanly represent official OERI position or pohcy. 2 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 1 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BESTCOPYAVAILABLE Efr
Comparison of path loss measurements and predictions at urban crossroads for C2C communications

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) available at the receiver significantly affects the performance of Car-to-Car (C2C) communication systems. Thus, accurate models to predict the path loss, in particular for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios, are essential for the development of C2C systems. Since deterministic models are very time-consuming, also fast-computable stochastic models are of great interest. This paper focuses on the radio propagation for C2C communications at urban crossroads under NLOS conditions. 3D ray-optical path loss predictions are compared with narrow-band measurements at 5.9 GHz. Furthermore, a stochastic propagation model that can be used to estimate maximum communication distances for different data rates is derived.
Repeated Electromagnetic Induction Surveys for Determining Subsurface Hydrologic Dynamics in an Agricultural Landscape

Repeated electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys have merits of revealing temporal changes in heterogeneous soilscapes such as subsurface hydrologic dynamics. We conducted eight repeated EMI surveys from 1997 to 2009 over a 19.5-ha agricultural field that revealed soil and water patterns. The first two surveys were done in 1997 and 2006 and compared different EMI meters (EM38, EM31, and Dualem-2), dipole orientations, and geometries. Another six surveys were conducted in different seasons in 2008 to 2009 using the EM38 operated in vertical dipole orientation. Soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) collected during the wetter periods (>10-mm antecedent precipitation during the previous 7 d) showed greater spatial variability (greater sills and shorter spatial correlation lengths), indicating the influence of soil water distribution on soil ECa. During a relatively short time period, most soil properties controlling ECa (e.g., texture, organic matter, and depth to bedrock) remain unchanged. Thus, repeated EMI surveys can capture the dynamics of soil moisture change and related subsurface flow paths in the landscape. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher ECa was detected in areas close to simulated subsurface flow paths, especially during the wetter periods; however, such flow paths could not be pinpointed directly from the ECa maps because of the limitation in ECa spatial resolution. In wetter areas, significant correlation between the relative difference in ECa and that in measured soil moisture was observed (r 2 = 0.59-0.77), but not in drier areas. During drier periods or at drier locations, the influences of soil moisture and flow path on ECa were masked by terrain and other soil properties. Thus, the optimal use of EMI for detecting subsurface hydrologic dynamics would be during wet periods or in wet areas across the landscape in this study.
Trough Concentration Over 12.1 mg/L is a Major Risk Factor of Vancomycin-Related Nephrotoxicity in Patients With Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

Background: High doses of vancomycin increase the risk of nephrotoxicity, but the quantitative relationship between vancomycin exposure and nephrotoxicity is still controversial. This study evaluated the relationship between vancomycin trough concentration and nephrotoxicity, and risk factors for nephrotoxicity in patients undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring. Methods: A total of 1269 cases from patients who underwent therapeutic drug monitoring were collected from 2006 to 2010. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between trough concentration and the incidence of nephrotoxicity. Logistic regression using the generalized Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (lasso) method was used to evaluate possible risk factors for nephrotoxicity. The data were divided into high/low-concentration groups by the cutoff value obtained from the receiver operating characteristic curve, and additional logistic regression using the generalized lasso method was performed for each group. Results: The cutoff value of the vancomycin trough concentration was 12.1 mg/L. Patients with high concentrations (>12.1 mg/L) were more likely to develop nephrotoxicity (odds ratio = 16.0, 95% confidence interval, 8.2–31.1). The vancomycin trough concentration was the only significant risk factor for nephrotoxicity identified using the generalized lasso (P < 0.001). In contrast, no factor was associated with nephrotoxicity in the low-concentration group. Conclusions: Vancomycin trough concentrations over 12.1 mg/L were associated with an increased risk of nephrotoxicity. This is lower than the known threshold. Trough vancomycin concentration over the threshold was the only risk factor of nephrotoxicity among demographic factors, dosing regimen, and other clinical conditions in this study. It is suggested that vancomycin trough concentrations greater than 12.1 mg/L require close monitoring for nephrotoxicity.
Malignant pleomorphic fibrous histiocytoma of the larynx: (Further observations)

An exceptional case of pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the larynx occurring in a 68-year-old male patient is reported. A significant histological documentation is given. Problems connected with histogenesis, treatment and prognosis are dealt with. Stress is laid on the need to establish differential diagnosis from other neoplasms, in particular liposarcoma and spindle-cell carcinoma.