Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of MRI in Complicated Congenital Heart Disease with Visceral Heterotaxy Syndrome

Purpose The authors' goal was to assess the diagnostic accuracy and clinical effect of MRI compared with echocardiography and catheterization in the evaluation of cardiac defects with situs ambiguous. Method Twenty-two patients with visceral heterotaxy syndrome were included. Results Because situs determined by the relation between the pulmonary artery and bronchi showed most predominantly a tendency toward lateralization, this was regarded as the standard reference of situs determination. For the purpose of this study, patients were classified as having right isomerism (n = 13) or left isomerism groups (n = 9). MRI has several advantages compared with echocardiography or cardiac angiography for examining patients with situs ambiguous. (1) The bronchial, pulmonary arterial, and splenic situs can be readily determined, and discrepancies (n = 2) can be assessed easily. (2) Venoatrial connections are adequately imaged. In particular, all types of total and partial anomalous pulmonary venous return are delineated, regardless of whether restrictions of pulmonary blood flow or pulmonary venous obstructions are involved (n = 4). The courses of vertical veins were easily identified, and the prearterial position was revealed in only one of seven right isomerisms with total anomalous pulmonary venous return. The drain pattern of the hepatic vein can be visualized using three-dimensional spatial information and is useful for total cavopulmonary connection design. (3) Associated complicated cardiac anomalies, particularly the size or peripheral stenosis of the pulmonary arteries, may be evaluated, and this information is useful for palliative shunt operations. Conclusion Because of its wide field of view and imaging, which is not restricted by associated anomalies, a thorough understanding of the cardiovascular anatomy of the situs ambiguous can be achieved using MRI, which is of considerable value in the surgical correction of this complicated anomaly. MRI can obviate or facilitate catheterization in these critically ill patients.
Stigma and Discontinuity in Multilevel Senior Housing's Continuum of Care.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This article presents data from 2 qualitative studies, confirming what gerontologists observed 30 years ago. Multilevel senior housing residents experience stigma and distress in an environment where people are grouped by levels of functioning. DESIGN AND METHODS Qualitative, interview-based (N = 367) studies were conducted in senior housing settings offering multiple levels of care (N = 7). Analyses involved revisiting coded narrative data, ethnographers' field-based knowledge, and identification of pattern saturation. RESULTS Residents and places reflecting the highest levels of care are stigmatized in a context where people are monitored for health changes and required to relocate. Consequently, residents self-isolate, develop a diminished sense of self, and hide health and cognitive conditions out of fear of relocation. IMPLICATIONS Developers, operators, staff, and potential residents need to recognize the personal and social challenges typically experienced even in within-site relocation. It is important to rethink the predominant model of senior housing that requires residents with changing needs to move and adapt to the setting.
Grid based 2D navigation by a decentralized robot system with collison avoidance

This paper presents a collision-free decentralized random algorithm for robots to search an unknown 2D area with obstacles. Assumptions in this paper are based on real robots instead of particles so collisions between robots are considered. Robots move along edges of a grid and randomly choose the next steps in sequence based on local sensing, communication, and the repulsive force method. A rigorous mathematical proof of convergence with probability 1 is given. For a complete search of the area, an equilateral triangular grid should be used and the algorithm is compared with others in the simulation.
Effect of vitamin E sources (RRR- or all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) and levels on sow reproductive performance, serum, tissue, and milk alpha-tocopherol contents over a five-parity period, and the effects on the progeny.

Two dietary sources of vitamin E (DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate [DL-beta-TAc], or D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate [DL-alpha-TAc]) at two dietary supplemental levels (30 vs 60 IU/kg) were evaluated in reproducing sows over a five-parity period. The experiment was a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments conducted as a randomized complete block in two replicates. A total of 48 gilts were fed their treatment diets from 40 kg BW through five parities, reflecting a total of 171 farrowings. Reproductive measurements of litter size, sow weight, and back-fat thickness were collected. The incidence of mastitis-metritis-agalactia (MMA) and fluid discharge from the vagina were evaluated for each sow on each of the first 3 d postpartum. Sows were bled at periodic intervals during gestation and at weaning (21 d) and serum was frozen. After the fifth parity, two to four sows from each treatment group were killed and tissues collected. At birth, two to three neonatal pigs were killed from each sow treatment group within each parity and livers were collected and frozen. In addition, three pigs from each litter from three to four sows per treatment group within each parity were bled at weaning and serum was saved. Six pigs from each sow group at weaning of Parity 5 were also killed and livers were collected and frozen. Sow and pig sera and tissues were analyzed for a-tocopherol. There was no effect (P > .15) of vitamin E source or level on the various sow reproductive measurements, litter size, or the incidences of MMA or fluid discharges from the vagina. Feeding D-alpha-TAc compared with DL-alpha-TAc or 60 IU compared with 30 IU vitamin E/kg diet resulted in higher (P < .01) sow serum, colostrum, and milk alpha-tocopherol contents at each measurement period. Sow liver, adipose, lung, and heart alpha-tocopherol contents were also higher (P < .01) when the 60 IU vitamin E level had been fed. Both serum and liver a-tocopherol contents in 21-d-old nursing pigs were higher (P < .01) when the sow had been fed D-alpha-TAc compared with the DL-alpha-TAc source or when the 60 IU level had been fed. There were no vitamin E source x vitamin E level interactions (P > .15) for the various alpha-tocopherol measurements. Although the supplemental vitamin E sources were provided on an equivalent IU basis, these results suggest that D-alpha-TAc has a higher equivalency than DL-alpha-TAc on an IU basis, but higher dietary levels also resulted in higher sow and pig alpha-tocopherol contents.
Management of typical and atypical intestinal malrotation.

BACKGROUND "Atypical Malrotation" has been increasingly diagnosed at the authors' institution. METHODS The authors reviewed retrospectively 201 consecutive operations for malrotation over 5 years to anatomically classify, and describe results of operation for, atypical malrotation. The ligament of Treitz (LOT) was classified as high if left of midline and above the 12th thoracic vertebra, low if left of midline and below the 12th thoracic vertebra, and typical if absent or right of midline. RESULTS A total of 201 patients underwent operation for malrotation, in 176 there were adequate radiologic studies to allow classification of the LOT. Typical malrotation was present in 75 patients, low LOT in 56, and a high LOT in 45. Volvulus was more common in the Typical group compared with the other 2 groups (12 of 75 v 1 of 56 low; 1 of 45 high; P <.05) as were internal hernias (18 of 75 v 6 of 56 low, 1 of 45 high; P <.05). Complications occurred in 13% of typical versus 22% low and 21% of high patients (P =.10). Low and high LOT patients had 13% and 11% incidence of persistent symptoms postoperatively versus 0% of typical patients. CONCLUSION Atypical malrotation patients are at significantly lower risk of volvulus and internal hernia compared with typical malrotation patients, and operation appears to come with increased morbidity.
Making Sense of War and Peace: From extreme distrust to institutional trust in Aceh, Indonesia

At the end of every violent conflict, leaders must help citizens make sense of the human suffering endured and thereby help create a foundation for reconciliation. In Aceh, Indonesia, representatives of the two conflicting groups chose to tell stories in which life was perceived as better after the war than it had been before, because new institutions would secure the dignity of people. This explorative study contributes to research in trust as a process with analyses of seven episodes. They demonstrate that — in retrospect — trust and risk assessment has been an ongoing intersubjective process in which trust repertoires were continually adapted, first throughout decades of war and later during peace negotiations and decommission. Analyses of their stories also give us indications of what bases of trust people rely on in high-risk situations. For example, there are indications that perceptions of the divine can provide an alternative framework Pre-print copy of manuscript modified April 26, 2015. Printed in “Trust, Organizations and Social Interaction: Studying Trust as Process within and between Organizations. ” Edited by Søren Jagd and Lars Fuglsang (ISBN: 9781783476190). Published in print: 27 May 2016, Edward Elgar. Chapter 6. DOI:10.4337/97817834762 06.00015
Big Data Analysis of the Dynamic Relationship between Stock Prices and Business Cycles Via Bayesian Methods

—In previous study, we proposed a Bayesian modeling technique to decompose a daily time series of Nikkei Stock Average (NSA) into three components which include a trend component, and analyzed the behavior of each estimated component. It was confirmed that there is time-varying correlation between the trend component and the coincident Composite Index in Japan (CIJ). In this paper, as an extension of the previous study we analyze the dynamic relationship between the trend component in the NSA and the CIJ using a regression model with a time-varying coefficient and a lag parameter. The regression model is constructed using the NSA as the dependent variable and the CIJ as the explanatory variable. Bayesian smoothness prior technique is applied to estimate the time-varying coefficient. Moreover, we explain the dynamic relationship between business cycles and stock prices based on the estimates of the time-varying coefficient and the lag parameter. As an empirical example, we analyze the daily time series of NSA closing values from January 4, 1991, to March 30, 2018, together with the monthly CIJ data over the same period.
Estimating the Precision of Information on Earnings and Non-earnings Announcement Days, and Its Relation with the Cost of Equity

ABSTRACT Using daily stock returns, we estimate the precision of information during earnings and non-earnings announcement days, and find that although the precision of information in daily stock returns increases during earnings announcement days, it explains less of the variation in expected returns than the precision of information on non-earnings announcement days. Our findings suggest that the precision of earnings disclosures has a small effect on the cost of equity relative to the precision of information on other days of the year.
Prostate — Specific G Protein Couple Receptor Genes and STAG1/PMEPA1 in Peripheral Blood from Patients with Prostatic Cancer

We investigated whether prostate - specific G protein couple receptor genes (PSGR) and STAG1/PMEPA1 gene expression in peripheral- blood could be useful as a diagnostic or prognostic marker of prostate cancer. Circulating cells were identified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect PSGR and STAG1/PMEPA1 mRNA in peripheral blood (PB) from 11 patients with treated prostate cancer (CaP), 11 with newly-diagnosed untreated CaP and 20 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (controls). RT-PCR amplified PSGR in 8 of 11 untreated and in 9 of 11 treated patients with CaP and in 16 of 20 with BPH; whereas it amplified PMEPA1 in 1 of 11 untreated and in 7 of 11 treated patients with CaP and in 4 of 20 with BPH. In our control tissues and cell lines nearly all the prostatic and non- prostatic tissues and cell lines expressed PSGR mRNA, whereas only one prostatic neoplastic tissue and the androgen-responsive (LNCaP) and androgen non-responsive (PC3) prostatic cell lines expressed PMEPA1. These findings suggest that the investigated genes are poorly specific and probably of little use as diagnostic or prognostic markers in peripheral blood for monitoring prostate cancer progression and recurrence.
Effect of 5 y of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation on change in circulating lipids: results from the Women's Health Initiative.

BACKGROUND Dietary calcium and vitamin D intakes may be inversely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, possibly because of their potential beneficial effects on circulating lipids. Clinical trials that have evaluated the effect of calcium supplementation on lipids are limited by a short follow-up, and data on vitamin D are scarce. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate the effect of a longer-term effect (over 5 y) of calcium and vitamin D (CaD) supplementation on changes in the concentrations of several lipids: LDL, HDL, non-HDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. DESIGN The study was conducted in 1259 postmenopausal women in the Calcium plus Vitamin D Trial (1 g elemental Ca as carbonate plus 400 IU vitamin D(3)/d compared with placebo) of the Women's Health Initiative. Analyses were conducted by intention-to-treat. Repeated measurements on lipids during follow-up were analyzed by linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS Overall, the change in lipids was relatively small [< or =5% except for Lp(a), which was 20-25%], and there was no significant difference in the mean change of any lipid variable between the active and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that CaD supplementation is not associated with lipid changes over 5 y. Existing and future CaD trials should consider evaluating this association for different doses of supplements. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00000611.
Positive and Negative Associations of Human Leukocyte Antigen Variants with the Onset and Prognosis of Adult Glioblastoma Multiforme

Associations of genetic factors with malignant gliomas have been modest. We examined the relationships of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and related polymorphisms to glioblastoma multiforme in adult Caucasians (non–Hispanic Whites) from the San Francisco Bay area. For 155 glioblastoma multiforme patients and 157 control subjects closely matched by ethnicity, age, and gender, PCR-based techniques resolved alleles at HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 loci along with short tandem repeat polymorphisms of MICA exon 5 and TNFb. By multivariable logistic regression, B*13 and the B*07-Cw*07 haplotype were positively associated with glioblastoma multiforme (P = 0.01 and <0.001, respectively), whereas Cw*01 was the only variant showing a negative association (P = 0.05). Among glioblastoma multiforme patients, progression to death after diagnosis was slower in those with A*32 (relative hazard, 0.45; P < 0.01) and faster in those with B*55 (relative hazard, 2.27; P < 0.01). Thus, both the occurrence and the prognosis of glioblastoma multiforme could be associated with specific but different HLA genotypes. B*07 and the B*07-Cw*07 haplotype are much more common in Caucasians than other ethnic groups in the U.S., which may partially explain the higher incidence of glioblastoma multiforme in Caucasians.
On the Limitation of Convolutional Neural Networks in Recognizing Negative Images

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance on a variety of computer vision tasks, particularly visual classification problems, where new algorithms reported to achieve or even surpass the human performance. In this paper, we examine whether CNNs are capable of learning the semantics of training data. To this end, we evaluate CNNs on negative images, since they share the same structure and semantics as regular images and humans can classify them correctly. Our experimental results indicate that when training on regular images and testing on negative images, the model accuracy is significantly lower than when it is tested on regular images. This leads us to the conjecture that current training methods do not effectively train models to generalize the concepts. We then introduce the notion of semantic adversarial examples - transformed inputs that semantically represent the same objects, but the model does not classify them correctly - and present negative images as one class of such inputs.
Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging in Pyogenic and Tuberculous Spondylitis: Preliminary Study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in distinguishing between tuberculous and pyogenic spondylitis with that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients confirmed to have tuberculous or pyogenic spondylitis were examined with both MRI and dual-time point PET/CT. The serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level was measured. The early and delayed PET/CT data were analyzed using the standardized uptake value (SUV). The radiologists scored the MRI findings and differentiated between tuberculous and pyogenic spondylitis. Each MRI result and CRP value was compared with the SUVs of PET/CT. Results: The reviewers identified tuberculous spondylitis (n = 11) on MRI, with a sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values of 90%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. For pyogenic spondylitis (n = 11), the corresponding values were 100%, 90%, and 92%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the maximum SUVs of the early phase between tuberculous and pyogenic spondylitis (P = 0.028). Magnetic resonance imaging was superior to PET/CT in differentiating between tuberculous and pyogenic spondylitis (P = 0.043). A comparison of the maximum SUVs of the early phase and CRP values revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.581 (P = 0.006). Conclusions: The maximum SUVs of early-phase PET/CT may be complementary to MRI for differentiating pyogenic and tuberculous spondylitis and reflecting the activity of infectious spondylitis.
Ovarian cancer screening.

BACKGROUND Despite advances in evaluation and treatment, ovarian cancer mortality has decreased minimally during the past two decades. Most patients have advanced-stage disease at diagnosis, and the prognosis is poor. As a result, there has been increasing interest in the development of methods for the early detection of ovarian cancer. To benefit from screening, a disease should (1) be a significant cause of mortality, (2) have a high prevalence in the screened population, (3) have a preclinical phase that can be detected by screening, and (4) be amenable to therapy, such that the survival rate of patients with early-stage disease is significantly higher than that of patients with advanced-stage disease. Ovarian cancer fulfils all of these criteria. METHODS An optimal screening method should be safe, easy to do, time efficient, and acceptable to the patients being screened. Most importantly, it should have a high sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS Currently, the most effective screening methods for ovarian cancer are serum CA 125 levels and transvaginal sonography (TVS). In screening studies, the serum CA 125 level has had a reasonably high specificity but a low sensitivity. Currently, approximately 8000 asymptomatic women have been screened with TVS. Ten primary ovarian cancers were detected, and all were Stage I lesions. Patients whose tumors were detected by TVS all have been cured by conventional treatment. TVS screening has resulted in a significant reduction in stage at detection and in the case-specific death rate from ovarian cancer. In these studies, TVS has had a high sensitivity but only a moderate specificity. CA 125 level, Doppler flow sonography, and the use of a morphology index are being evaluated as methods to increase the specificity of TVS. CONCLUSIONS A large multiinstitutional study is indicated to determine if annual TVS screening will cause a significant decrease in site-specific mortality from ovarian cancer.
AIDS and Palliative Care in South Africa

As a result of limited access to antiretroviral treatment, many South Africans die yearly of AIDS. It is important that the end-of-life needs of these people be met. This article examines the major challenges involved in providing quality end-of-life care to people with AIDS in South Africa. Published reports are reviewed, as is the author's experience living and working in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The issues discussed include the nature of the South African health care system, with emphasis on the scarcity of palliative care resources for AIDS patients, ineffective control of pain, models of care such as the integrated community-based home care model that relies heavily on community caregivers to meet the needs of people dying of AIDS, the living conditions of AIDS patients and their families, and AIDS-related stigma. Broad recommendations are presented for improving palliative care services for people with AIDS in the South African context.
Maximal Predictability Under Long-Term Mean Reversion

I analyse the relationship between two stylized empirical facts for stock returns: Unconditional long-term mean reversion and predictability by variables such as the dividend-price ratio or the short-term interest rate. In particular, I show that if one imposes that returns satisfy long-term mean reversion, this implies an upper bound on the predictive regression R-square. If a predictive regression is intended as a motivational building block for theoretical modelling, and the R-square bound is violated, one should recognize that the implied returns process violate long-term mean reversion. Empirical results show that the proposed bound is binding for several leading predictors.
Psychological health and the risk of diabetes mellitus in Australian women: a 21-year prospective study.

BACKGROUND Symptoms of depression can be recurrent or limited to one episode. This study discusses the prospective association between psychological health, measured as change in depression symptoms, and the risk of diabetes mellitus in Australian women. METHODS Data obtained from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy. Depression was measured using the Delusions-Symptoms: States Inventory. To examine possible transitions over time, depression was grouped into four categories and assessed at different phases over the 21-year period. Multiple logistic regression models and sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of our analytical strategy were performed. RESULTS Three hundred and one women reported diabetes 21 years after the index pregnancy. Almost one-third of the women who reported depression symptoms continued to report these at a subsequent follow-up (FU) phase. About 1 in 20 women who had not reported depression symptoms at the 5-year FU did so at the subsequent 14-year FU. In prospective analyses, we did not find a significant association between diabetes and negative change (not depressed to depressed, at subsequent phase); however, for women with positive history of symptoms of depression and women with persistent symptoms, there was a 1.97-fold (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14-3.40) to 2.23-fold (95% CI: 1.09-4.57) greater risk of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that an increased risk of diabetes is significantly associated with persistent depression symptoms. It highlights the importance of recognizing depression symptoms in terms of women's psychological wellbeing and thus provides a basis for targeting those most at risk.