Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arterial Thromboembolic Complications in Paediatric Patients

Recent successes in tertiary care paediatrics are paradoxically responsible for the majority of arterial thromboembolic events (TEs) which present significant management dilemmas because they cause considerable morbidity ffid, in some cases, rnortality. The most common etiology of arterial thromboembolic disease is an arterial catheter placed for invasive monitoring of children with serious primary problems. Non-catheter related arterial TEs are relatively rare and can be considered as those within the central nervous system (CNS) (ischemic stroke) and those outside of the CNS which include Takayasu's arteritis (1-3), thrombosis in arteries of transplanted organs (4-8), occlusion of coronary aneurysrs secondary to Kawasaki's disease (9-11), and as complications of some forrrs of congenital heart disease (CHD). Because of the relatively low incidence of arterial TEs in children, the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are frequently extrapolated from adult guidelines. In doing so, clinicians assume that the epidemiology of arterial thrombotic disease is similar in children and adults which is unlikely. A Medline search of the literature since 1975 was performed (reference list available upon request). The following review summarrzes available information on the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, therapeutic interventions and clinical outcome of arterial TEs during childhood. Comparisons to adult patients are made when relevant.
Synthesis and biological screening of some pyridine derivatives as anti-malarial agents

Two series of pyridine derivatives were synthesised and evaluated for their in vivo anti-malarial activity against Plasmodium berghei. The anti-malarial activity was determined in vivo by applying 4-day standard suppressive test using chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive P. berghei ANKA strain–infected mice. Compounds 2a, 2g and 2h showed inhibition of the parasite multiplication by 90, 91 and 80%, respectively, at a dose level of 50 µmol/kg. Moreover, The most active compounds (2a, 2g and 2h) were tested in vitro against CQ-resistant Plasmodium falciparum RKL9 strains where compound 2g showed promising activity with IC50 = 0.0402 µM. The compounds were non-toxic at 300 and 100 mg/kg through the oral and parenteral routes, respectively. The docking pose of the most active compounds (2a, 2g and 2h) in the active site of dihydrofolate reductase enzyme revealed several hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions that contribute to the observed anti-malarial activities.
Capacity Constraints and Hedge Fund Strategy Returns

Hedge funds have generated significant absolute returns (alpha) in the decade between 1995 and 2004. However, the level of alpha has declined substantially over this period. We investigate whether capacity constraints at the level of hedge fund strategies have been responsible for this decline. For four out of eight hedge fund strategies, capital inflows have statistically preceded negative movements in alpha, consistent with this hypothesis. We also find evidence that hedge fund fees have increased over the same period. Our results provide support for the Berk and Green (2004) rational model of active portfolio management.
Recombination factors for the cylindrical FC65-G ionization chamber in pulsed photon beams and the plane-parallel Roos ionization chamber in pulsed electron beams

The use of ionization chambers in linac radiotherapy dosimetry requires various corrections to the measured charges, one of these being the recombination correction. The recombination correction factor (ks) is generally estimated from the two-voltage analysis (TVA) for each beam quality. However, it is possible that the ionization chamber above some threshold polarizing voltage does not follow the accepted Boag theory very well. Secondly the TVA is time-consuming as the chamber needs to stabilize after each polarizing voltage change and since it must be performed for each beam quality. Another approach consists in using the fact that ks is predicted to depend linearly on dose per pulse by Boag theory: determining this relationship once and for all using a multi-voltage analysis (MVA), one also checks the range validity of the Boag theory for the chamber considered. This work presents a thorough analysis of ks dependence on dose per pulse of FC65-G (cylindrical) and Roos (plane-parallel) ionization chambers in pulsed photon and electron beams, respectively. Within the uncertainties, the recombination factors are found to be independent of beam quality, and no deviation from the Boag theory is observed within the tested range of polarizing voltages. Before adapting the equations given using the MVA other users should check that their ionization chambers show the same dose per pulse dependence using the TVA for a few beam qualities.
Efficient Estimation for Patient‐Specific Rates of Disease Progression Using Nonnormal Linear Mixed Models

Summary This article presents a new class of nonnormal linear mixed models that provide an efficient estimation of subject‐specific disease progression in the analysis of longitudinal data from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) trial. This new analysis addresses the previously reported finding that the distribution of the random effect characterizing disease progression is negatively skewed. We assume a log‐gamma distribution for the random effects and provide the maximum likelihood inference for the proposed nonnormal linear mixed model. We derive the predictive distribution of patient‐specific disease progression rates, which demonstrates rather different individual progression profiles from those obtained from the normal linear mixed model analysis. To validate the adequacy of the log‐gamma assumption versus the usual normality assumption for the random effects, we propose a lack‐of‐fit test that clearly indicates a better fit for the log‐gamma modeling in the analysis of the MDRD data. The full maximum likelihood inference is also advantageous in dealing with the missing at random (MAR) type of dropouts encountered in the MDRD data.
Plateletpheresis by Discontinuous Centrifugation: Effect of Collecting Methods on the in Vitro Function of Platelets

The in vitro function of platelets collected by two different methods during centrifugal plateletpheresis was compared. The RBC method involves collecting platelets with red cells followed by a supplementary spin to remove them, whereas the no‐RBC method requires collecting platelets only from the buffy coat without red cells. Platelet response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), epinephrine and collagen was slightly reduced in platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) prepared by no‐RBC technique and was markedly decreased in samples obtained by the RBC technique when compared to prepheresis controls. The decrease in platelet response to ADP, epinephrine and collagen was apparent in three testing systems: aggregation, release of serotonin and reptilase clot retraction. Both plasma and platelets appeared to be affected by the pheresis procedure. Platelet preparations obtained by both RBC and no‐RBC techniques showed an increase of platelet factor 3 activity and an enhancement of aggregation, release of serotonin and clot retraction induced by thrombin as compared to prepheresis controls. Postpheresis platelet‐poor plasma contains platelet membrane fragments which exhibit a high platelet factor 3 activity. The results showed that the RBC method, although providing a higher platelet yield, caused more qualitative alterations in platelets than in those obtained by no‐RBC method, and that both methods of collecting platelets activated the procoagulant activity of platelets.
Thinking about fantasy: are children fundamentally different thinkers and believers from adults?

Young children are often viewed as being unable to differentiate fantasy from reality. This article reviews research on both children's and adults' beliefs about fantasy as well as their tendency to engage in what is thought of as "magical thinking. " It is suggested that children are not fundamentally different from adults in their ability to distinguish fantasy from reality: Both children and adults entertain fantastical beliefs and also engage in magical thinking. Suggestions are offered as to how children and adults may differ in this domain, and an agenda for future research is offered.
Theileriasis : a comprehensive review.

Summary: Theileriasis is a protozoan infection of wild and domestic Bovidae which occurs throughout much of the world. The Theileria spp. are transmitted by ixodid ticks and have complex life cycles in both vertebrate host and vector, with sexual reproduction occurring in the tick. The classification and distribution of the different species are reviewed, followed by a description of the pathology, immunology, chemotherapy and control of the important species causing disease in domestic animals. The most widely used method of theileriosis control has involved tick control with acaricides. For many reasons this form of control has become less reliable and with the development of methods of immunisation, vaccination is being used more widely, particularly to control T. annulata. Biological differences between Theileria spp. have dictated different methods of vaccination, with an in vitro cultured schizont infected cell being used for T. annulata and T. hirci, and infection with sporozoites followed by drug treatment for T. parva. These live vaccines have limitations and considerable research is being directed towards identifying parasite antigens which may form the basis of newer killed vaccines. The broad immunising capacity of T. annulata isolates contrasts strongly with the antigenic complexity of T. parva. There is an urgent need for in vitro tests which will distinguish between stocks ofT. parva with different immunising capacities. In view of the relatively limited distribution of T. parva and the importance of the disease it causes, an effective system of information exchange and some co-operation and co-ordination in research towards its control have been instituted. The very wide distribution of T. annulata, and the variety of languages and cultures within its distribution, have limited exchange and co-operation but this situation needs to be corrected.
A critical-layer framework for turbulent pipe flow

A model-based description of the scaling and radial location of turbulent fluctuations in turbulent pipe flow is presented and used to illuminate the scaling behaviour of the very large scale motions. The model is derived by treating the nonlinearity in the perturbation equation (involving the Reynolds stress) as an unknown forcing, yielding a linear relationship between the velocity field response and this nonlinearity. We do not assume small perturbations. We examine propagating helical velocity response modes that are harmonic in the wall-parallel directions and in time, permitting comparison of our results to experimental data. The steady component of the velocity field that varies only in the wall-normal direction is identified as the turbulent mean profile. A singular value decomposition of the resolvent identifies the forcing shape that will lead to the largest velocity response at a given wavenumber–frequency combination. The hypothesis that these forcing shapes lead to response modes that will be dominant in turbulent pipe flow is tested by using physical arguments to constrain the range of wavenumbers and frequencies to those actually observed in experiments. An investigation of the most amplified velocity response at a given wavenumber–frequency combination reveals critical-layer-like behaviour reminiscent of the neutrally stable solutions of the Orr–Sommerfeld equation in linearly unstable flow. Two distinct regions in the flow where the influence of viscosity becomes important can be identified, namely wall layers that scale with R+1/2 and critical layers where the propagation velocity is equal to the local mean velocity, one of which scales with R+2/3 in pipe flow. This framework appears to be consistent with several scaling results in wall turbulence and reveals a mechanism by which the effects of viscosity can extend well beyond the immediate vicinity of the wall. The model reproduces inner scaling of the small scales near the wall and an approach to outer scaling in the flow interior. We use our analysis to make a first prediction that the appropriate scaling velocity for the very large scale motions is the centreline velocity, and show that this is in agreement with experimental results. Lastly, we interpret the wall modes as the motion required to meet the wall boundary condition, identifying the interaction between the critical and wall modes as a potential origin for an interaction between the large and small scales that has been observed in recent literature as an amplitude modulation of the near-wall turbulence by the very large scales.
Aberrant DNA methylation of GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) promoters in Behcet's disease

The pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD) remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an aberrant DNA methylation of transcriptional and inflammatory factors, including TBX21, GATA3, RORγt, FOXP3, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17A and TGF-β, in CD4+T confers risk to BD. We found that the promoter methylation level of GATA3, IL-4 and TGF-β was significantly up-regulated in active BD patients and negatively correlated with the corresponding mRNA expression. The mRNA expression of GATA3 and TGF-β was markedly down-regulated in active BD patients compared to healthy individuals. Treatment with corticosteroids and cyclosporine (CsA) resulted in a decrease of the methylation level of GATA3 and TGF-β in inactive BD patients. Our results suggest that an aberrant DNA methylation of GATA3 and TGF-β is associated with their mRNA expression and participates in the pathogenesis of BD.
Phase II study of the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor ridaforolimus in patients with advanced bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

PURPOSE Ridaforolimus is an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin, an integral component of the phosphatidyl 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway, with early evidence of activity in sarcomas. This multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II trial was conducted to assess the antitumor activity of ridaforolimus in patients with distinct subtypes of advanced sarcomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with metastatic or unresectable soft tissue or bone sarcomas received ridaforolimus 12.5 mg administered as a 30-minute intravenous infusion once daily for 5 days every 2 weeks. The primary end point was clinical benefit response (CBR) rate (complete response or partial response [PR] or stable disease ≥ 16 weeks). Safety, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), time to progression, and duration of response were also evaluated. RESULTS A total of 212 patients were treated in four separate histologic cohorts. In this heavily pretreated population, 61 patients (28.8%) achieved CBR. Median PFS was 15.3 weeks; median OS was 40 weeks. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) confirmed response rate was 1.9%, with four patients achieving confirmed PR (two with osteosarcoma, one with spindle cell sarcoma, and one with malignant fibrous histiocytoma). Archival tumor protein markers analyzed were not correlated with CBR. Related adverse events were generally mild or moderate and consisted primarily of stomatitis, mucosal inflammation, mouth ulceration, rash, and fatigue. CONCLUSION Single-agent ridaforolimus in patients with advanced and pretreated sarcomas led to PFS results that compare favorably with historical metrics. A phase III trial based on these data will further define ridaforolimus activity in sarcomas.
[Ciprofloxacin and Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea].

To the Editor: We believe that the study reported by Yip et al. in the September 2001 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology regarding exposure to ciprofloxacin as a risk factor for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is flawed from both an epidemiologic and a microbiological perspective. Several issues regarding the research methodology and statistical analysis used in this study are worthy of comment. First, the authors matched controls to cases by date of admission, ward, age, and gender. They found that they could not also match on length of stay and had to use a second control group. If the authors intended to use logistic regression to analyze the results, then why did they match on so many factors? It would have been easier to match only on date of admission and ward, and then include the remaining variables in the analysis. This would have had the added advantage of exploring interaction effects (eg, between age and antibiotic exposure). Moreover, matching on date of admission in this study may not have been to any advantage because the study period was only 3 months. The local environment was not likely to have changed significantly during this period, and it would have been acceptable to randomly select controls from this period. Finally, matching on the factors described in this study does not control for comorbidities, as stated by the authors.
Oxymatrine therapy for chronic hepatitis B: a randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled multi-center trial.

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of capsule oxymatrine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. METHODS A randomised double-blind and placebo-controlled multicenter trial was conducted. Injection of oxymatrine was used as positive-control drug. A total of 216 patients with chronic hepatitis B entered the study for 24 weeks, of them 108 received capsule oxymatrine, 36 received injection of oxymatrine, and 72 received placebo. After and before the treatment, clinical symptoms, liver function, serum hepatitis B virus markers, and adverse drug reaction were observed. RESULTS Among the 216 patients, six were dropped off, and 11 inconsistent with the standard were excluded. Therefore, the efficacy and safety of oxymatrine in patients were analysed. In the capsule treated patients, 76.47% became normal in ALT level, 38.61% and 31.91% became negative both in HBV DNA and in HBeAg. In the injection treated patients, 83.33% became normal in ALT level, 43.33% and 39.29% became negative both in HBV DNA and in HBeAg. In the placebo treated patients, 40.00% became normal in ALT level, 7.46% and 6.45% became negative both in HBV DNA and in HBeAg. The rates of complete response and partial response were 24.51% and 57.84% in the capsule treated patients, and 33.33% and 50.00% in the injection treated patients, and 2.99% and 41.79% in the placebo treated patients, respectively. There was no significance between the two groups of patients, but both were significantly higher than the placebo. The adverse drug reaction rates of the capsule, injection and placebo were 7.77%, 6.67% and 8.82%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference among them. CONCLUSION Oxymatrine is an effective and safe agent for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.
Assessment of energy expenditure for physical activity using a triaxial accelerometer.

A triaxial accelerometer was used to evaluate the relationship between energy expenditure due to physical activity (EEact) and body acceleration during different types of activity. In a laboratory experiment, 11 male subjects performed sedentary activities and walked on a motor driven treadmill (3-7 km.h-1). EEact was calculated from total energy expenditure (EEtot), as measured by indirect calorimetry, and sleeping metabolic rate (SMR): EEact = EEtot--SMR. Body accelerations were measured with a triaxial accelerometer at the low back. Special attention was paid to the analysis of unidirectional and three-directional accelerometer output. During sedentary activities a linear relationship between EEact and the sum of the integrals of the absolute value of accelerometer output from all three measurement directions (IAAtot) was found (r = 0.82, P < 0.001, Sy,x = 0.22 W.kg-1). During walking EEact was highly correlated with the integral of absolute accelerometer output in antero-posterior direction (IAAx; r = 0.96, P < 0.001, Sy,x = 0.53 W.kg-1). When all examined activities were included in a regression analysis, a strong linear relationship between EEact and IAAtot was found (r = 0.95, P < 0.001, Sy,x = 0.70 W.kg-1). Using this relationship, EEact during sedentary activities as well as EEact during walking could be estimated with an accuracy of about 15%. Although sedentary activities and walking represent a large part of normal daily physical activity, the validity and usefulness of the triaxial accelerometer--measuring IAAtot--to predict EEact in daily life must be studied under free-living conditions.
Usability, expectation, confirmation, and continuance intentions to use electronic textbooks

A trend in education is the use of electronic textbooks (e-textbook, [Stone, R. W., and L. Baker-Eveleth. 2013. “Students’ Expectation, Confirmation, and Continuance Intention to Use Electronic Textbooks.” Computers in Human Behavior 29 (3): 984–990. ]). A variety of research has examined the motivations for e-textbook adoption as well as continuance intentions of e-textbooks after an initial adoption. This research extends the continuance intentions literature using the expectation–confirmation model ([Bhattacherjee, A. 2001. “Understanding Information Systems Continuance: An Expectation–Confirmation Model.” MIS Quarterly 25 (3): 351–370. ]) and including the constructs of e-textbook usability and its dimensions. The data were responses to an online questionnaire by students at a medium-sized (USA) university. A total of 1434 responses were received for a 12.52% response rate. These responses were partitioned to include only complete responses from students who had previously used an e-textbook. This produced a sample of 639 questionnaire responses for empirical analysis. The analysis was performed using structural equation modelling (i.e. Procedure Calis in PC SAS version 9.2). The results showed that students' continuance intentions of e-textbooks are driven by students' satisfaction with e-textbooks and perceived usefulness. Additionally, students' expectation–confirmation and e-textbook usability positively influence both students' satisfaction and perceived usefulness and hence the intentions for continued e-textbook adoptions. Finally, the usability dimensions of efficiency and effectiveness significantly influence e-textbook usability.
Preparation of Low Microwave Loss YIG Thin Films by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Y<sub>3</sub>Fe<sub>5</sub>O<sub>12</sub> thin films with thickness 10 nm ≤ t ≤ 1440 nm were grown on Gd<sub>3</sub>Ga<sub>5</sub>O<sub>12</sub> (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The X-ray diffraction experiments confirmed the films are pure yttrium iron garnet (YIG) phase with preferred (111) orientation. The magnetic and microwave properties were studied as a function of film thickness by the dc magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements. The FMR linewidth (ΔH) was found to decrease with the increase in film thickness (10 nm ≤ t ≤ 45 nm), attaining a minimum value of ΔH<sub>⊥</sub> = 5 Oe and ΔH<sub>||</sub> = 6 Oe, for perpendicular and parallel resonance, and then rising with further increase in thickness. Acid etching experiments were performed to understand the mechanism contributing to ΔH. The increase in ΔH with thickness (t > 45 nm) may be explained in terms of extrinsic mechanisms, such as inhomogeneities present at the surface of the films. However, the decrease in ΔH with thickness (t <; 45 nm) is believed to be due to the surface anisotropy effect. The films showed low coercivity values in the range of ~1.5-7 Oe, which is an indicator of good quality YIG films.