Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arthroscopic Synovectomy in Children and Adolescents With Hemophilia

Purpose To retrospectively review the authors' institutional experience with arthroscopic synovectomy in young patients with hemophilia. Patients and Methods Patients with moderate or severe hemophilia seen in the authors' center were eligible to undergo synovectomy if they developed subacute or chronic synovitis that did not improve with prophylactic factor replacement. A single orthopedic surgeon performed all procedures. Each patient received aggressive physical rehabilitation and regular factor replacement for 6 weeks following surgery. Outcome data regarding the frequency of bleeding and range of motion were evaluated. Results Twenty-eight arthroscopic synovectomies (11 knees, 12 ankles, 5 elbows) were performed on 26 joints in 20 hemophilia patients between November 1992 and May 2002. There were no intraoperative complications. One patient developed hemarthrosis 1 week postoperatively and another had a soft tissue hematoma at the incision site. Two patients required a second procedure on the same joint because of trauma that occurred 2 months following surgery. Follow-up data were available on 26 joints during the first year after the procedure. The frequency of hemarthrosis diminished significantly in that first year and was maintained for up to 5 years in all but three joints. Seventy-six percent of evaluable patients (19/25) had stable or improved joint function at their most recent comprehensive clinic visit. Patients whose range of motion worsened were older and required more than one procedure. Conclusions Arthroscopic synovectomy significantly reduces hemorrhage into the index joint and allows for stabilization of joint range of motion. This procedure should be considered in young hemophilia patients with chronic synovitis.
Retinopathy of prematurity in a cohort of neonates at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

BACKGROUND Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can cause blindness. Before 2016, resource limitations precluded routine screening for ROP at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), Cape Town, South Africa. Previous pilot studies at GSH found no patients with ROP requiring treatment; however, improved preterm infant survival may affect the prevalence. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence and severity of ROP, describe potential risk factors, and assess the feasibility of ROP screening. METHODS Infants with a birth weight (BW) of <1 251 g or a gestational age (GA) of ≤31 weeks were screened from November 2012 to May 2013. RESULTS Three hundred and thirteen ROP examinations were performed in 135 of 191 eligible infants. The mean GA and BW were 30.1 weeks (standard deviation (SD) 1.9) and 1 056 g (SD 172), respectively. ROP was diagnosed in 40 infants (29.6%); 8 (5.9%) had severe ROP and 2 (1.5%) received laser treatment. Infants with ROP had a lower mean GA (29.2 weeks (SD 1.6) v. 30.5 weeks (SD 1.9)) (p<0.002) and a lower mean BW (988 g (SD 181) v. 1 085 g (SD 160)) (p=0.001) than those without ROP. Infants weighing <1 000 g had a 2.5 times higher risk than those with a BW of ≥1 000 g of having ROP (95% confidence interval 1.05 - 5.90; p=0.03). Blood transfusions (p<0.002) and late-onset sepsis (p=0.024) were strongly associated with ROP. Screening was completed in 91.1% (123/135) of the infants. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence and severity of ROP have increased at GSH. The strong association between ROP, BW and GA suggests that infants with lower BWs and GAs should be prioritised for screening in our resource-limited setting.
Anatomical variations of mental foramen in Sudanese populations

tudying the position and morphological variation of Smental foramen (MF); helps to localize the mental nerve in order to prevent complications during surgery . The oral panoramic radiographs are commonly used in determination of hard and soft tissue coverage, continuity of the visualized area, ability to view the entire body of the mandible which identifies more accurate location of the mental foramen in both horizontal and vertical dimension [1].
Infants' Listening Preferences: Baby Talk or Happy Talk?

The most robust finding on infants' listening preferences has been widely characterized as a preference for baby talk (BT) over adult-directed speech (ADS). Although prosodic modifications characteristic of BT also convey positive affect, differences in affect across BT and ADS speech registers have not been controlled in previous studies. This set of experiments sought to elucidate the basis for 6-month-olds' listening preference by independently manipulating affect and speech register. When affect was held constant, no preference for any speech register was observed. Moreover, when ADS stimuli presented more positive affect than BT stimuli, infants' preferences followed the positive affect. Higher and more variable pitch was neither necessary nor sufficient for determining infants' preferences, although pitch characteristics may modulate affect-based preferences. The BT preference is thus attributable to a more general preference for speech that imparts relatively positive affect, a preference perhaps ascribable to a preexisting general-purpose mechanism opportunistically exploited by language.
Computing in memory architectures for digital image processing

Continuing improvements in semiconductor fabrication density are enabling new classes of system-on-a-chip architectures that combine extensive processing logic and high-density memory. Many of the capabilities of these new architectures can be custom tailored to the demands of real-time digital image processing. This paper evaluates several candidate designs, using the criteria of image processing performance, flexibility, manufacturability, and fabrication cost.
The making of an imperial slum: Nyasaland and its railways, 1895–1935

This paper is meant to be a contribution towards assessing the impact of the colonial experience upon Nyasaland, concentrating upon the decision-making processes involved in building the railways that served Nyasaland and the impact that they had upon Nyasaland's economy. In the early 1890s British metropolitan interests became alive to the strategic and commercial importance of Portuguese East Africa south of the Zambezi. To further British interests in the area, imperial decisions were taken to protect the British proxy there, the Mozambique Company. This protection included support for the Trans Zambesia Railway project. This support was calculated to protect British interests from American commercial threats, but the cost of the railway was placed upon the Nyasaland administration. Lumbered with the burden of the railway guarantees, Nyasaland's economy stagnated in the 1920s and African agricultural development was impeded. As a result, by the end of the twenties Nyasaland was being described as ‘the Cinderella of Africa’. In the late 1920s a second major project was approved. This was the construction of the Zambezi bridge. Again, the decision to build this was not taken with the interests of Nyasaland in mind, but rather in order to provide steel orders for a stagnating British steel industry in 1929. The one possible moneymaker for the bridge and railway system, coal from Moatize, was prevented from being developed lest it compete with Welsh coal. And when the decision to build the bridge was made, it was decided that Nyasaland should pay.
Minimal Residual Disease in Early Phase of Chemotherapy Reflects Poor Outcome in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia--A Retrospective Study by the Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group in Japan

We analyzed the minimal residual disease (MRD) in 50 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by amplifying the clonally rearranged T-cell receptor (TCR) γ / δ chain and/or immunoglobulin (Ig) κ chain gene using the allele-specific-PCR method. All children were treated according to the protocols of the Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group of Japan (CCLSG). The patients were stratified into four risk-groups according to the leukocyte count and age at diagnosis. We prospectively sampled the patients' bone marrow at 1 month (point 1) and 3 months (point 2) after the initiation of chemotherapy and quantitated the MRD retrospectively. The results of MRD were closely related with the clinical outcome. The relapse rate of the patients MRD-positive at points 1 and 2 was 46% (6/13) and 86% (6/7), respectively, whereas those MRD-negative results at point 1 and 2 were 13% (3/13) and 3% (3/30), respectively. We found significant differences in the event-free survival between MRD-positive children and MRD-negative children like the reports, which have been made by BFM and EORTC groups. We conclude that MRD in an early phase of chemotherapy can be a good predictor of the prognosis of childhood ALL regardless of the protocol of chemotherapy or race.
A correlative analysis of in vitro parameters of cellular immunity in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Multiple parameters of non-tumor-specific immunocompetence were measured in 37 previously untreated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and in 51 controls (23 over age 50). Peripheral blood lymphocytes were separated on a Ficoll-Hypaque gradient and tested for spontaneous rosette formation with unsensitized sheep red blood cells (thymus-dependent cells). They were also tested for blastogenic response ([3H]thymidine incorporation) to phytohemagglutinin- and mitomycin C-treated allogeneic lymphocytes in a one-way mixed-lymphocyte culture in which AB serum-supplemented media were used. The results were compared by clinical stage, tumor size, degree of tumor differentiation, and presence or absence of nodal metastases. A variety of statistical methods, including multivariate analysis, were used to evaluate the data. Decreased percentages of thymus-dependent cells and depressed phytohemagglutinin responses were found in all stages, but the results were not consistent and some patients with advanced tumors had normal results. The patient's mixedlymphocyte culture response was depressed in 27 of 33 experiments and was the only abnormal test in some instances. We conclude that: ( a ) significant intercorrelations exist among immunological parameters in patients and controls and influence the choice of statistical techniques; ( b ) many patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck have defects in non-tumor-specific immunocompetence, but they are not always predictive of extent of malignant disease; ( c ) no single test will identify all abnormal patients; and ( d ) controls of an age similar to the patients are important.
Structural integrity of polypropylene prosthetic sockets manufactured using the polymer deposition technique

Abstract Rapid prototyping (RP) technology has been used recently as a means for automated socket fabrication. Although the technology has proven to be promising and has truly automated the socket fabrication process, the structural integrity of RP sockets remains questionable. For the long term, unsupervised use of these ‘unconventional’ sockets, their material properties and structural integrity must be determined. This study investigated the structural integrity of polypropylene sockets manufactured using a polymer deposition technique, in which a socket is formed by a continuous strand of partially melted polypropylene that is spirally deposited according to the socket's cross-sectional contour. To investigate the problem of delamination of the socket, the tensile properties of the socket material were determined according to ASTM D638-99. The ultimate tensile strength was found to be approximately 13–23 per cent lower than that of polypropylene sheets that are at present normally used for socket fabrication. In order to improve the load-bearing capacity of the socket, it was reinforced using a double-wall arrangement at the distal region, where failure normally occurs. The structural integrity of the complete prosthesis was then investigated according to ISO 10328 (loading condition II). The prosthesis passed the static loading test registering only 12 mm permanent deformation, and it successfully completed a preliminary cyclic test of 250000 cycles with no observable failure.
Association of Neuroimmune Guidance Cue Netrin-1 and Its Chemorepulsive Receptor UNC5B With Atherosclerotic Plaque Expression Signatures and Stability in Human(s): Tampere Vascular Study (TVS)

Background—Macrophage (M&PHgr;) infiltration and smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation are hallmarks of atherosclerosis and unstable plaques. Neuroimmune guidance cue 1 (netrin-1 [NTN1]) plays a critical role controlling M&PHgr; trafficking and SMC activation. Characterization of expression of NTN1 and its receptors and their association with plaque stability in human(s) is lacking. Methods and Results—The expression of NTN1 and its receptors did not differ in either whole blood or circulating monocytes from patients with coronary artery disease (n=55) compared with healthy controls (n=45). However, NTN1 was downregulated (−2.9-fold; P<0.0001) and UNC5B upregulated (2.2-fold; P<0.0001) in atherosclerotic plaques (n=68), whereas there were no differences in other NTN1 receptors compared with histologically normal controls (n=28). Increased UNC5B expression is associated with histologically more stable plaques (P=0.011). NTN1 expression correlated positively with SMC markers and signatures and negatively with inflammatory markers and M1 and especially M2 signatures in the atherosclerotic plaques. UNC5B clustering correlated positively with inflammatory and M&PHgr; markers. NTN1 protein colocalized with CD68-positive cells of monocytic origin and muscle-actin-specific-antibody (HHF3)-positive cells indicative of SMCs in the plaques and only with SMCs in the control samples. NTN1 protein was highly expressed in the intimal layer of the control vessels. Conclusions—Present findings provide support for the hypothesis that dysregulation of expression of NTN1 in SMCs and its chemorepulsive receptor UNC5B in macrophages are involved in the development of atherosclerosis and unstable plaques.
Detection of Polyclonality among Clinical Isolates from Prosthetic Joint Infections

ABSTRACT Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is an increasingly important health concern in the Western world due to the rising number of joint arthroplasties. Although most infections are considered to be monomicrobial, the introduction of sonication procedures has led to an increase in the detection of polymicrobial infections. To date, no published studies have investigated the presence of different clones of the same species in the infected patient. The objective of this study was to analyze whether the phenomenon of polyclonality, or the appearance of different clones in the same sample, occurs in PJI. Bacteria isolated by sonication of the retrieved implant from patients with theoretically monomicrobial PJI were included in the study. Two techniques (random amplified polymorphic DNA [RAPD] and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight [MALDI-TOF] mass spectrometry) were used to determine the presence of several clones in the same sample. Results were analyzed to determine bacterial species and infection type (acute versus chronic). RAPD showed a predominance of polyclonal cases (16 of 19). However, when performing the analysis with MALDI-TOF, all cases were shown to be polyclonal. We were unable to establish any relationship between the two methodologies. Polyclonality is a common phenomenon in acute and chronic PJI. Further studies are needed to establish the potential implications of this phenomenon on patient outcomes.
Online resources for shoulder instability: what are patients reading?

BACKGROUND Evaluations of the medical literature suggest that many online sites provide poor-quality information. The purpose of our study was to investigate the value of online resources for patient education about shoulder instability. METHODS Three search terms ("shoulder instability," "loose shoulder," and "shoulder dislocation") were entered into three Internet search engines. Three orthopaedic residents independently gauged the quality and accuracy of the information with use of a set of predetermined scoring criteria, in addition to noting whether or not four potential surgery options were mentioned. The readability of the web sites was evaluated with use of the Flesch-Kincaid score. RESULTS Eighty-two unique web sites were evaluated. Quality and accuracy were significantly higher with use of the term "shoulder instability" compared with the term "loose shoulder" (quality, p < 0.001; accuracy, p = 0.001). However, the reading level was significantly more advanced for the "shoulder instability" web sites (p < 0.001). Quality was significantly higher on web sites with reading levels above the eighth grade level (p = 0.001) (88% of web sites). Only twenty-three sites (28%) mentioned surgical options for shoulder instability, and of these, only eight mentioned thermal capsulorrhaphy as a primary treatment. CONCLUSIONS Online information regarding shoulder instability is often inaccurate and/or at an inappropriately high reading level. The quality of information is highly dependent on the specific search term used. Clinicians need to be aware of the information that is available online and should help direct patients to proper sites and guide Internet search terms.
The effect of fish oil on blood pressure and high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol levels in phase I of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention

Objective To study the effects of moderate doses of fish oil on blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. Methods The participants were 350 normotensive men and women aged 30–54 years who were enrolled from seven academic medical centers in phase I of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention. They were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 6g purified fish oil once a day, which supplied 3g n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for 6 months. Results Baseline blood pressure was (mean ± SD) 123±9/81 ±5mmHg. The mean differences in the blood pressure changes between the fish oil and placebo groups were not statistically significant. There was no tendency for fish oil to reduce blood pressure more in subjects with baseline blood pressures in the upper versus the lower quartile (132/87 versus 114/75 mmHg), low habitual fish consumption (0.4 versus 2.9 times a week) or low baseline plasma levels of n-3 fatty acids. Fish oil increased HDL2-cholesterol significantly compared with the placebo group. Subgroup analysis showed this effect to be significant in the women but not in the men. Increases in serum phospholipid n-3 fatty acids were significantly correlated with increases in HDL2-cholesterol and decreases in systolic blood pressure. Conclusion Moderate amounts of fish oil (6g/day) are unlikely to lower blood pressure in normotensive persons, but may increase HDL2-cholesterol, particularly in women.
A Randomized Prospective Study on Outcomes of an Empathy Intervention among Second-year Student Pharmacists

Objective. To determine the impact of a single, 3-day intervention on empathy levels as measured by the validated Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students version (JSE-HPS). Methods. Forty second-year student pharmacists were recruited to participate in a non-blinded prospective study. Subjects were randomized to an intervention group (n=20) or control group (n=20) and completed the JSE-HPS at baseline, 7 days postintervention, and 90 days postintervention. The intervention group consisted of a 3-day simulation, each day including a designated activity with loss of dominant hand usage, vision, and speech. Results. The 3-day simulation increased empathy levels in the intervention group compared to the control group 7 days postintervention (p=0.035). However, there were no effects on empathy levels 90 days postintervention (p=0.38). Conclusion. Empathy scores increased but were not sustained in the long-term with a 3-day empathy intervention.
Analyses of the impact of climate change on water resources components, drought and wheat yield in semiarid regions: Karkheh River Basin in Iran

Water resources availability in the semiarid regions of Iran has experienced severe reduction because of increasing water use and lengthening of dry periods. To better manage this resource, we investigated the impact of climate change on water resources and wheat yield in the Karkheh River Basin (KRB) in the semiarid region of Iran. Future climate scenarios for 2020–2040 were generated from the Canadian Global Coupled Model for scenarios A1B, B1 and A2. We constructed a hydrological model of KRB using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to project water resources availability. Blue and green water components were modeled with uncertainty ranges for both historic and future data. The Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Version 2 was used with parallel processing option to calibrate the model based on river discharge and wheat yield. Furthermore, a newly developed program called critical continuous day calculator was used to determine the frequency and length of critical periods for precipitation, maximum temperature and soil moisture. We found that in the northern part of KRB, freshwater availability will increase from 1716 to 2670 m3/capita/year despite an increase of 28% in the population in 2025 in the B1 scenario. In the southern part, where much of the agricultural lands are located, the freshwater availability will on the average decrease by 44%. The long‐term average irrigated wheat yield, however, will increase in the south by 1.2%–21% in different subbasins; but for rain‐fed wheat, this variation is from −4% to 38%. The results of critical continuous day calculator showed an increase of up to 25% in both frequency and length of dry periods in south Karkheh, whereas increasing flood events could be expected in the northern and western parts of the region. In general, there is variability in the impact of climate change in the region where some areas will experience net negative whereas other areas will experience a net positive impact. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The city in early India: Perspectives from texts

city, the really significant point, Ramanujan pointed out, is that the wellplanned city of Ayodhyd as described by V51miki ’matches the moral order and the well-planned hierarchy of the society it houses’. The moral order derived from its ruler who gave the city its ’orthogenetic’ character. By contrast, Puhar, the littoral city of the Tamil country in the epic Silappadikaram,2 was ’heterogenetic’; the order it represented was not a moral order but ’a technical order, an environment for both good and evil’. Madurai, also of Silappadikaram, was another variant-a unitary city which was protected but corrupt, and unlike Puhar, was closed and positively inhospitable to outsiders.
Long‐Term Results of Tendon Transfers for Radial Nerve Paisy in Patients With Limited Rehabilitation

&NA; The authors reviewed the long‐term functional results of 22 patients who underwent tendon transfer for isolated radial nerve palsy. The average number of postoperative visits was eight (range of postoperative visits, 3‐16), and the mean follow‐up was 6.3 years. All but 1 patient had improved function after the tendon transfers, and could cope with the activities of daily living. Radial deviation of the wrist at rest was present in 10 of the 15 patients with flexor carpi ulnaris transfer and in 2 of 7 patients with flexor carpi radialis transfer, with a mean of 14.5 deg (range of radial deviation, 5‐30 deg). Although a global decrease in wrist power and power grip was noted, 13 of 17 previously employed patients were able to work after transfer; however, only 1 of 7 heavy manual laborers was able to return to his previous employment. Despite the poor clinic attendance, the overall functional results compared favorably with other published series. It appears that tendon transfer for radial nerve palsy is a viable option, even in patients with limited rehabilitation. Skoll PJ, Hudson DA, de Jager W, Singer M. Long‐term results of tendon transfers for radial nerve palsy in patients with limited rehabilitation. Ann Plast Surg 2000;45:122‐126