Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-Dependent Cost-Utility of Pediatric Cochlear Implantation

Objectives: Cochlear implantation (CI) has become the mainstay of treatment for children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Yet, despite mounting evidence of the clinical benefits of early implantation, little data are available on the long-term societal benefits and comparative effectiveness of this procedure across various ages of implantation—a choice parameter for parents and clinicians with high prognostic value for clinical outcome. As such, the aim of the present study is to evaluate a model of the consequences of the timing of this intervention from a societal economic perspective. Average cost utility of pediatric CI by age at intervention will be analyzed. Design: Prospective, longitudinal assessment of health utility and educational placement outcomes in 175 children recruited from six U.S. centers between November 2002 and December 2004, who had severe-to-profound SNHL onset within 1 year of age, underwent CI before 5 years of age, and had up to 6 years of postimplant follow-up that ended in November 2008 to December 2011. Costs of care were collected retrospectively and stratified by preoperative, operative, and postoperative expenditures. Incremental costs and benefits of implantation were compared among the three age groups and relative to a nonimplantation baseline. Results: Children implanted at <18 months of age gained an average of 10.7 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) over their projected lifetime as compared with 9.0 and 8.4 QALYs for those implanted between 18 and 36 months and at >36 months of age, respectively. Medical and surgical complication rates were not significantly different among the three age groups. In addition, mean lifetime costs of implantation were similar among the three groups, at approximately $2000/child/year (77.5-year life expectancy), yielding costs of $14,996, $17,849, and $19,173 per QALY for the youngest, middle, and oldest implant age groups, respectively. Full mainstream classroom integration rate was significantly higher in the youngest group at 81% as compared with 57 and 63% for the middle and oldest groups, respectively (p < 0.05) after 6 years of follow-up. After incorporating lifetime educational cost savings, CI led to net societal savings of $31,252, $10,217, and $6,680 for the youngest, middle, and oldest groups at CI, respectively, over the child’s projected lifetime. Conclusions: Even without considering improvements in lifetime earnings, the overall cost-utility results indicate highly favorable ratios. Early (<18 months) intervention with CI was associated with greater and longer quality-of-life improvements, similar direct costs of implantation, and economically valuable improved classroom placement, without a greater incidence of medical and surgical complications when compared to CI at older ages.
The Influence of Arterial Carbon Dioxide Tension on the Cerebrovascular Response to Arterial Hypoxia and to Haemodilution

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements and blood gas analyses were performed on anaesthetized and artifically ventilated dogs during arterial hypoxia or haemodilution in different ranges of arterial carbon dioxide tension. Arterial hypoxia as well as haemodilution produced a flow increase in all ranges of ventilation. However, this flow increase was elicited at a cerebrovenous oxygen tension which rose with the arterial carbon dioxide tension, but which tended to be maintained by the flow increase during continued decrease of the arterial oxygen content. On the assumption that the cerebrovenous oxygen tension reflects the oxygen tension of the brain tissue, it is suggested that the arterial carbon dioxide tension influences the ability of the brain tissue to maintain the aerobic metabolism during reduced tissue oxygen tension. This means that tissue hypoxia, in the sense of utilisation of anaerobic metabolism, occurs at a tissue oxygen tension which is lower the lower the arterial carbon dioxide tension is.
Chromosomal Organization and Sequence Diversity of Genes Encoding Lachrymatory Factor Synthase in Allium cepa L.

Lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) catalyzes the formation of lachrymatory factor, one of the most distinctive traits of bulb onion (Allium cepa L.). Therefore, we used LFS as a model for a functional gene in a huge genome, and we examined the chromosomal organization of LFS in A. cepa by multiple approaches. The first-level analysis completed the chromosomal assignment of LFS gene to chromosome 5 of A. cepa via the use of a complete set of A. fistulosum–shallot (A. cepa L. Aggregatum group) monosomic addition lines. Subsequent use of an F2 mapping population from the interspecific cross A. cepa × A. roylei confirmed the assignment of an LFS locus to this chromosome. Sequence comparison of two BAC clones bearing LFS genes, LFS amplicons from diverse germplasm, and expressed sequences from a doubled haploid line revealed variation consistent with duplicated LFS genes. Furthermore, the BAC-FISH study using the two BAC clones as a probe showed that LFS genes are localized in the proximal region of the long arm of the chromosome. These results suggested that LFS in A. cepa is transcribed from at least two loci and that they are localized on chromosome 5.
Kosten von Rückenschmerzen in Deutschland

Physiotherapeutischer Hintergrund In Deutschland liegt die Punktprävalenz bei geschätzten 30–40 %, die Jahresprävalenz bei 60–70 % und die Lebensprävalenz über 80 % [6, 7, 21]. Rückenschmerzen sind jedoch mehr als ein häufig auftretendes gesundheitliches Problem, da durch Arbeitsausfall und vorzeitige Berentung hohe Kosten entstehen [19, 22]. Viele zumeist ausländische Studien haben die durch Rückenschmerzen entstehenden Kosten analysiert [8, 17, 21, 22]. Soziodemografische Daten wurden im Zusammenhang mit den errechneten Kosten nur selten beachtet. Die Berücksichtigung dieser Variablen ist jedoch wichtig, weil dies die Identifikation von Risikofaktoren für die Entstehung von hohen Kosten ermöglicht.
Length-Weight relationship and sex ratio of fresh water fish Amblypharyngodon mola (HAM-BUCH) from Assam

The length-weight relationship and sex ratio of the cyprinid Amblypharyngodon mola collected from the ponds of Jorhat district were studied during the period from July 2009 to June 2011. The length – weight equations and the correlation coefficients obtained for males, females and pooled or combined ones were: Males Log W= -4.759 + 2.846 Log L (r = 0.945, SE=0.0392, df=309) Females Log W= -5.536 + 3.286 Log L (r = 0.953, SE=0.0496, df=259) Sexes combined Log W= -4.965 + 2.966 Log L (r = 0.947, SE=0.0427, df=479) The females of A.mola gained more weight with increase in length, indicating a better well-being than the males. The length-weight relationship of A.mola in both sexes combined, shows almost isometric pattern of growth in the studied habitat indicating that the existing hydro biological conditions of culture pond is conducive for the feeding and optimum growth of the fish. The study on sex ratio showed dominance of females over the males all throughout the year with an annual average sex ratio of 1: 1.953.
Adequacy of different wheat cultivars for low-hydration bread making.

BACKGROUND There is considerable interest in recovering landraces as genetic resources and as raw materials in ecological production. Low-hydration bread, whose dough is submitted to a sheeting roll process, is commonly prepared in Spain and other countries. The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of some landraces, compared with commercial cultivars and flours, for making this type of bread. Eight Spanish landraces, four wheat cultivars developed during the green revolution and three commercial flours were chosen, their alveographic and kneading behaviours were analysed and the characteristics of the resulting breads were determined. RESULTS The best correlations were obtained in breads with improver. Flours with extreme alveographic behaviour differed markedly from the rest. When these flours were excluded from the analysis, the parameters best correlated with bread quality (when using improver) were strength, tenacity and development time. A significant correlation between flour colour, a genetic factor, and crumb colour was found. This correlation was higher in breads without improver. CONCLUSION When flours with extreme characteristics were removed, the protein quality characteristics of flours defined the quality characteristics of low-hydration breads.
Reliability of Phonological and Surface Subtypes in Developmental Dyslexia: A Review of Five Multiple Cases Studies

We reviewed five studies that relied on the same methodologies to determine the prevalence of Phonological, Surface and Double-Deficit-Subtypes in developmental dyslexia. The proportion of these subtypes was found to vary according to the method (classical method or regression method), the measure (accuracy or processing time), the dyslexics’ language (English or French) and their chronological age. Only two results appeared consistently across the studies. First, with the classical method, and as compared to chronological age controls, most of the dyslexics appeared to suffer from a double deficit. Second, with the regression method, and as compared to reading level controls, the surface profile, though not the phonological profile, almost disappeared, thus suggesting that only the latter corresponds to a developmental deviance. In addition, in the sole study in which both accuracy and processing time were taken into account, in the comparison with reading level controls, only the phonological skills of both the phonological and the surface dyslexics were found to be impaired, either in accuracy or in processing time. These results are more in line with the hypothesis that a phonological deficit is at the core of developmental dyslexia, than with the idea that a clear dissociation exists between surface and phonological profiles.
Factors Influencing Brown Trout Reproductive Success in Ozark Tailwater Rivers

Abstract The reproductive success of brown trout Salmo trutta in White River, Arkansas, tailwater reaches is highly variable, resulting in the need for supplemental stocking. A better understanding of the physical and biotic factors affecting reproduction and survival would enhance the contribution of wild fish. We compared fecundity, reproductive chronology, physical habitat, water quality, trout density, food availability, diet, predation, and competitive interactions among four tailwater reaches to identify factors influencing brown trout reproductive success. The fecundity and condition factor of prespawning brown trout were significantly lower at Beaver Tailwater, a reach known for reproductive failure, than at other sites, among which no differences were found. Brown trout spawning was observed from 11 October to 23 November 1996, and juvenile emergence began on 28 February 1997. Significant among-site differences were detected for spawning and juvenile microhabitat variables, but the variables fell.
Pharmacokinetics of Single‐Dose Doripenem in Adults With Cystic Fibrosis

The pharmacokinetics of doripenem and doripenem‐M‐1 (inactive metabolite) were evaluated in an open‐label, 2‐period, single‐sequence study in which single 1‐g and 2‐g doses of doripenem were administered intravenously over 4 hours to adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The systemic exposure to doripenem and doripenem‐M‐1, as measured by observed apparent maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC), increased approximately proportionally to the increase in dose. Other pharmacokinetic parameters of doripenem and doripenem‐M‐1, including clearance, volume of distribution, and elimination half‐life, were similar for the 1‐g and 2‐g doses. The results from this study were also compared with those from a previous study in adult healthy volunteers (HVs) without CF, from a previously conducted pharmacokinetic study, who received single doses of 500 mg and 1 g doripenem administered over 4 hours. The pharmacokinetics of doripenem in adult patients with CF are similar to those from adult HVs, noting some differences in the disposition when comparing body mass index‐adjusted pharmacokinetic parameters.
Bibliometric and thematic analysis of articles in the field of infertility (2011-2015)

Background: Infertility is a disease that results in the abnormal functioning of the male or female reproductive system. Systematic research planning on any subject, including infertility is in need of solid data regarding previous efforts in this field and to identify the gaps in the research. Objective: The aim of this research is to study the thematic structure of articles related to infertility. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study with a scientometric approach, the PubMed database was searched for research publications indexed under "Infertility" over the period 2011-2015. Specific parameters were retrieved from the PubMed. Articles about infertility were analyzed regarding the journal of publication, topics, and countries using Net draw, Ucinet and RavarPreMap software. Also, the most influential topics were analyzed by indicators in the analysis of the network: closeness centrality, and between centrality Results: The growth in scientific productions the area of infertility over the mentioned period shows an upward trend with the highest growths seen in countries like the United States, the UK, Netherlands, China, and Germany. Moreover, the contents such as fertilization in vitro, adverse effects, spermatozoa, pregnancy rate, and treatment outcome were among the most frequently-used topics in the sphere. Conclusion: Thematic analysis can provide us the research topics, important expressions, and the relationships between them. Users and policymakers can also have a better understanding of the research status in the sphere and consequently, they can plan to increase the quantity and quality of scientific productions in a more efficient way.
Two‐dimensional Blue Native/sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis for analysis of multimeric proteins in platelets

Two‐dimensional (2‐D) Blue Native/SDS gel electrophoresis combines a first‐dimensional separation of monomeric and multimeric proteins in their native state with a second denaturing dimension. These high‐resolution 2‐D gels aim at identifying multiprotein complexes with respect to their subunit composition. We applied this method for the first time to analyze two human platelet subproteomes: the cytosolic and the microsomal membrane protein fraction. Solubilization of platelet membrane proteins was achieved with the nondenaturing detergent n‐dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltoside. To validate native solubilization conditions, we demonstrated the correct assembly of the Na,K‐ATPase, a functional multimeric transmembrane protein, when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We identified 63 platelet proteins after in‐gel tryptic digestion of 58 selected protein spots and liquid chromatography‐coupled tandem mass spectrometry. Nine proteins were detected for the first time in platelets by a proteomic approach. We also show that this technology efficiently resolves several known membrane and cytosolic multiprotein complexes. Blue Native/SDS gel electrophoresis is thus a valuable procedure to analyze specific platelet subproteomes, like the membrane(‐bound) protein fraction, by mass spectrometry and immunoblotting and could be relevant for the study of protein‐protein interactions generated following platelet activation.
Particulate matter and particle-attached polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the indoor and outdoor air of Tokyo measured with personal monitors.

Using two types of personal monitors for suspended particulate matter of diameter under 10 microm (PM-10) and for particles of diameter under 1 microm with attached polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH), we measured the PM-10 and PPAH concentrations in the indoor and outdoor air in various locations in the Tokyo area. The major findings were as follows. (1) The PPAH concentrations in a clean living room increased rapidly within several minutes after one cigarette was smoked. (2) Using the average indoor concentrations of PM-10 and PPAH in a department store as control concentrations, respectively, where the average indoor PM-10 concentration was closest to an annual average outdoor concentration in Japan, the mean value for indoor air concentrations of PM-10 by location ranged from 2.2 to 6.2 times the control concentration, and the mean value for indoor air concentrations of PPAH by location ranged from 1.0 to 32.2 times the control concentration. (3) Using the same control concentrations, the mean value of outdoor concentrations of PM-10 by location ranged from 1.6 to 8.5 times the control concentration, while the mean value of outdoor concentrations of PPAH by location were up to 353.7 times the control concentration. The major polluted places were main traffic roads, highways, and street tunnels. (4) The correlation coefficient between the PM and the PPAH concentrations in the total monitoring time was 0.014, which was not significant (P>0.05).
Pneumatic ureterolithotripsy in paediatric and adolescent patients: a ten-year experience at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION Two to three percent of stone disease cases occur in the paediatric age group. It is common in some parts of the world, such as in Turkey, India and Thailand. More than 50 percent of stones in children are still managed through open surgery. Ureteroscopic intervention for children remains a challenging treatment option. However, in contemporary urology practice, this mode of intervention is becoming more common. In this retrospective study, we reviewed our experiences with ureteroscopy and pneumatic lithotripsy in the paediatric and adolescent age group. METHODS A total of 13 patients at or below the age of 18 years underwent 17 retrograde semirigid ureteroscopy between 1998 and 2008. Their median age was 14 (range 3-18) years. The technique of ureterolithotripsy used for this age group was similar to that used among adults. The ureteric orifice and intramural part of the ureter were not dilated in all the patients. A double J stent was inserted into all the patients. RESULTS The mean stone size was 7.9 (range 5-13) mm. The stone was in the distal ureter in eight patients, in the mid ureter in seven patients and at the ureterovesical junction in another two patients. The overall stone-free rate after one ureterolithotripsy procedure was 84.6%. We failed to clear the stones in two patients at the first sitting. CONCLUSION Semi-rigid ureteroscopy and pneumatic ureterolithotripsy are safe and effective procedures that can be performed without ureteric dilation in experienced hands.
Subjective sleep quality, objective sleep characteristics, insomnia symptom severity, and daytime sleepiness in women aged 50 and older with nonmetastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To examine subjective sleep quality in women aged 50 and older as predicted by cancer status, age, number of comorbidities, and symptoms of depressed mood; and to describe objective sleep characteristics, insomnia symptom severity, and daytime sleepiness. DESIGN Descriptive. SETTING Urban university and private oncology clinics in the southern United States. SAMPLE 32 women with and 35 without nonmetastatic breast cancer, aged 50-90 years (X=64.9, SD=4.67). METHODS Two telephone interviews, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Profile of Mood States, three days of home actigraphy, Insomnia Severity Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and medical records review. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Subjective quality of sleep; secondary objectives were sleep characteristics, insomnia symptoms, and daytime sleepiness. FINDINGS Poor subjective sleep quality was predicted by depressed mood (p<0.00005). All mean objective sleep characteristics were similar for the breast cancer and comparison groups. Nocturnal awakenings were excessive (9.2 versus 7.3). Mean sleep onset latency was longer for the breast cancer group than for the comparison group (34.8 versus 15.6 minutes). Mean insomnia severity scores for the breast cancer group indicated subthreshold insomnia symptoms, and no clinically significant insomnia for the comparison group (8.9 versus 6.4). Mean daytime sleepiness scores were normal for both groups (7 versus 6). CONCLUSIONS Subjective sleep quality was predicted by depressed mood only. Sleep in the breast cancer group was characterized by poor sleep quality, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and insomnia symptoms. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Screening and monitoring in women aged 50 and older with breast cancer may help promote early sleep intervention; however, additional collaborative research regarding the underlying causes of sleep disruption is needed.
A Domain Decomposition Algorithm Using a Hierarchical Basis

Over the last five years, several new fast algorithms have been developed for the solution of elliptic finite element problems with many degrees of freedom. Among them are Yserentant's hierarchical basis multigrid method and a number of domain decomposition algorithms for problems divided into many subproblems. The condition number of the relevant operators, for the best of these preconditioned conjugate gradient methods, grows only slowly with the size of the problems; the growth typically is quadratic in the logarithm of the number of degrees of freedom associated with a subregion or an element of the coarsest mesh.Important components of many domain decomposition preconditioners are subproblems related to the sets of variables on the interfaces between neighboring subregions. In this paper, it is demonstrated that, for problems in two dimensions, a very simple change of basis for these one-dimensional problems leads to a preconditioner which is as effective as those previously considered. In the proof, only tools of linear algebra and a result of Yserentant's are used. The numerical experiments confirm that the new algorithm is better conditioned than the original hierarchical basis multigrid method.
Preventing sports injuries at the national level: time for other nations to follow New Zealand’s remarkable success

Imagine yourself reading an editorial in Traffic Injury Prevention about the best system for preventing and managing traffic accidents. The editorial suggests that it is wrong for national governments to take an interest in preventing and managing road trauma. It argues that competition among car manufacturers, local governments and trauma hospitals can be relied upon to ensure road safety. It asserts that driving a motor vehicle is an inherently risky activity and that motor vehicle users should not expect non-driving taxpayers to help fund national government involvement. As you read that editorial you disagree vehemently, perhaps even feeling outrage. You are aware that the countries in which national government bodies are dedicated to preventing and managing traffic accidents have excellent records at lowering mortality and have lower rates of injury than those countries without organised systems.1 You appreciate that the editorial mounts an argument that may sound good in theory, but in the real world it has been proven wrong. The laissez-faire (“do nothing”) approach to traffic injuries costs countries like India (which lack necessary government infrastructure) thousands of deaths per year compared with countries that have nationwide systems dedicated to lowering traffic injuries.2 Now imagine a similar editorial about sports injuries in the British Journal of Sports Medicine . Very few countries have a national government body taking responsibility for sports injuries. Generally, countries rely on the general health …