Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of 2 strategies to prevent infection following pertussis exposure in vaccinated healthcare personnel.

BACKGROUND Antibiotic postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) following pertussis exposure is recommended but has never been evaluated in healthcare personnel (HCP) vaccinated with acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap). METHODS Tdap-vaccinated HCP were randomized to receive azithromycin PEP or no PEP following pertussis exposure. Acute and convalescent nasopharyngeal swabs and sera were obtained for pertussis testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and anti-pertussis toxin (PT) immunoglobulin G, respectively. A nasopharyngeal aspirate was also collected for PCR and culture from subjects who reported respiratory symptoms within 21 days following identification of the exposure. Pertussis infection was defined as a positive culture or PCR, a 2-fold rise in anti-PT titer, or a single anti-PT titer of ≥94 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay units/mL. Daily symptom monitoring without PEP was considered noninferior to PEP after pertussis exposure if the lower limit of the 1-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for the reduction in pertussis was greater than -7%. RESULTS During 30 months of study, 86 subjects were randomized following a pertussis exposure. Using the predefined definition of infection, pertussis infection did not develop in 41 (97.6%) of 42 subjects who received azithromycin PEP and 38 (86.4%) of 44 subjects who did not receive PEP (absolute risk difference, -11.3%; lower bound of the 1-sided 95% CI, -20.6%; P = .81). However, no subject developed symptomatic pertussis confirmed with culture or a specific PCR assay, and possibly no subject developed subclinical pertussis infection based upon additional serologic testing. CONCLUSIONS Using the predefined definition of pertussis infection, noninferiority for preventing pertussis following exposure was not demonstrated for daily symptom monitoring of Tdap-vaccinated HCP without PEP when compared with antibiotic PEP. However, the small number of exposed HCP warrants further study of this approach. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT00469274.
Understanding Facebook Commerce (F-Commerce) Actual Purchase from an Artificial Neural Network Perspective

Despite the abundance of studies in electronic commerce, few studies have validated the antecedents of actual purchase from the perspective of Facebook commerce or f-commerce. Most of the existing e-commerce studies have focused on purchase intention and little attention has been paid on consumers’ actual purchase especially from the f-commerce context. This study intends to examine the effects of demographic variables, Web Usage Theory, Trust Transference Theory and F-commerce usage behaviors in predicting f-commerce actual purchase. The instrument was rigorously developed and validated using expert panel, Q-sort procedure, pretest and pilot test. Several issues of validity in previous studies were addressed. Unlike existing studies which engaged compensatory linear models such as SEM, PLS, MLR and etc., in this study 808 f-commerce users were selected and the data is analyzed using the non-compensatory and non-linear artificial neural network (ANN) model. ANN can overcome challenges encountered by conventional statistical analysis that relies on p-value caused by false correlations. The findings reveal that consumers’ experience is the strongest predictor followed by Facebook usage, hedonic motivation, browsing, age, trust motivation, participation, utilitarian motivation, number of children, monthly income and educational level. Theoretical and managerial contributions were provided for scholars and practitioners of f-commerce.
The effect of nonuniform vertical profiles of chlorophyll concentration on apparent optical properties

The purpose of this research is to study the effect of nonuniform vertical profiles of chlorophyll concentration on apparent optical properties with Radiative transfer model Hydrolight. The vertical profiles of chlorophyll concentration were approximated according to a Gaussian function(Lewis et al, 1983). The simulated AOPs for nonuniform chlorophyll profiles were compared with those for homogenous ocean whose chlorophyll concentration was identical to the background chlorophyll concentration of inhomogenous cases. The results reveal that the subsurface maximal chlorophyll concentration increase remote sensing reflectance in the blue wavelength and decrease it in the green wavelength, and nonuniform vertical profiles of chlorophyll concentration change the diffuse attenuation coefficient profiles and the angular structure of the light field in the seawater.
Revisiting the Causal Nexus between Defense Expenditure and Economic Growth: Time Series Analysis for Saudi Arabia

This time series study analyzed the effect of defense expenditure on GDP, oil GDP and non-oil GDP of Saudi Arabia. The defense expenditure is introduced as explanatory variable in production function for said purpose. This study used time series data from 1969 to 2013 and unit root test determined that variables of the study share same integration order. Long run relationship was established among variables through cointegration test. Dynamic ordinary least squares results showed that defense expenditure positively affect GDP and non-oil GDP in the long run while its impact on oil GDP is insignificantly positive. The causality analysis confirmed that defense expenditure has direct and indirect effect on GDP in Saudi Arabia as defense expenditure causes GDP, oil GDP, non-oil GDP, investment, and labor force in the long run. This study concluded that defense expenditure is as one of the factor of the economic growth in Saudi Arabia.
The feasibility of wireless capsule endoscopy in detecting small intestinal pathology in children under the age of 8 years: a multicentre European study

Objective: To systematically evaluate the feasibility and methodology to carry out wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) in children <8 years to define small intestinal pathology. Design: Prospective European multicentre study with negative prior investigation. Patients and interventions: 83 children aged 1.5–7.9 years were recruited. Initially, all were offered “swallowing” (Group 1) for capsule introduction. If this failed endoscopic placement (Group 2) was used and the Roth net, Advance or custom-made introducers were compared. Outcome measures: Primary endpoint: to determine pathology; secondary endpoint: comparison of capsule introduction methods. Results: Capsule introduction: 20 (24%) children aged 4.0–7.9 years (mean, 6.9 years; 14 male) comprising Group 1 were older (p<0.025) than 63 (76%) aged 1.5–7.9 years (mean, 5.25 years; 30 male) forming Group 2. Complications: Roth net mucosal trauma in 50%; no others occurred. The available recording apparatus was inappropriate for those <3 years. Indications: gastrointestinal bleeding: n = 30 (16 positive findings: four ulcerative jejunitis, four polyps, two angiodysplasia, two blue rubber blebs, two Meckel’s diverticula, one anastomotic ulcer, one reduplication); suspected Crohn’s disease: n = 20 (11 had Crohn’s disease); abdominal pain: n = 12 (six positive findings: three Crohn’s disease, two lymphonodular hyperplasia, one blue rubber bleb); protein loss: n = 9 (four lymphangectasia); malabsorption: n = 12 (seven positive findings: six enteropathy, one ascaris). No abnormalities overall: 45%. Conclusion: WCE is feasible and safe down to the age of 1.5 years. 20 children >4 years swallowed the capsule. The Advance introducer proved superior for endoscopic placement. The pathologies encountered showed age specificity and, unlike in adolescents, obscure gastrointestinal bleeding was the commonest indication.
Comparison of Path Tracking Control of a Car-Like Mobile Robot With and Without Motor Dynamics

The path tracking model of a car-like mobile robot (CLMR), including its kinematic and dynamic characteristics and the dc motor dynamics, is derived. Due to the hierarchical architecture of the model, the virtual reference input (VRI) (i.e., the reference motor current) is first designed by the first sliding surface, which is set as the linear dynamic pose error of the CLMR. After that, the linear dynamic tracking error of the VRI constructs the second sliding surface for the design of the hierarchical variable structure tracking control (HVSTC). Thus, the direct output (i.e., the motor current) either asymptotically or boundedly tracks the VRI. In this situation, the asymptotic or bounded tracking of the indirect outputs (i.e., the pose of CLMR) is achieved. In addition, the variable structure tracking control (VSTC) based on the above model without the motor dynamics is compared with the model with motor dynamics by HVSTC. To demonstrate the advantageous feature of this paper, the obstacle avoidance (OA) and the target approach (TA) are accomplished by the concept of waypoints. Finally, the simulations for tracking the straight-line and circular paths with the simultaneous OA and TA of the CLMR with and without motor dynamics are compared by the HVSTC and the VSTC, respectively.
Discordance between the Binding Affinity of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Subfamily Members for MAP Kinase Phosphatase-2 and Their Ability to Activate the Phosphatase Catalytically*

MKP-2 is a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase family which has been suggested to play an important role in the feedback control of MAP kinase-mediated gene expression. Although MKP-2 preferentially inactivates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) MAP kinase subfamilies, the mechanisms underlying its own regulation remain unclear. In this report, we have examined the MKP-2 interaction with and catalytic activation by distinct MAP kinase subfamilies. We found that the catalytic activity of MKP-2 was enhanced dramatically by ERK and JNK but was affected only minimally by p38. By contrast, p38 and ERK bound MKP-2 with comparably strong affinities, whereas JNK and MKP-2 interacted very weakly. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we defined the ERK/p38-binding site as a cluster of arginine residues in the NH2-terminal domain of MKP-2. Mutation of the basic motif abrogated its interaction with both ERK and p38 and severely compromised the catalytic activation of MKP-2 by these kinases. Unexpectedly, such mutations had little effect on JNK-triggered catalytic activation. Both in vitro and in vivo, wild type MKP-2 effectively inactivated ERK2 whereas MKP-2 mutants incapable of binding to ERK/p38 did not. Finally, in addition to its role as a docking site for ERK and p38, the MKP-2 basic motif plays a role in regulating its nuclear localization. Our studies provided a mechanistic explanation for the substrate preference of MKP-2 and suggest that catalytic activation of MKP-2 upon binding to its substrates is crucial for its function.
Deep Sternal Wound Infection after Open-Heart Surgery: A 13-Year Single Institution Analysis.

PURPOSE The present study aimed to compare the clinical outcome for patients with or without muscle flap reconstruction after deep sternal wound infection due to open-heart surgery. METHODS The study was a retrospective cohort study, including patients who developed deep sternal wound infection after open-heart surgery in the Western Denmark Region from 1999 to 2011. Journals of included patients were reviewed for clinical data regarding the treatment of their sternal defect. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they received a muscle-flap-based sternal reconstruction or traditional rewiring of the sternum. RESULTS A total of 130 patients developed deep sternal wound infection in the study period. In all, 12 patients died before being discharged, leaving a total of 118 patients for analysis. Of these, 50 (42%) patients received muscle flap reconstruction. Muscle flap recipients had significantly longer total hospital stays (p <0.001). However, after receiving muscle flap reconstruction, patients were discharged after a median of 14 days, with 74% not needing additional surgery. CONCLUSION It is difficult to predict which patients eventually require muscle flap reconstruction after deep sternal wound infection. Although patients receiving muscle flap reconstructions have longer hospital stays, they are quickly discharged after the reconstruction.
An Exploration of the Effect of On-Site 12-Step Meetings on Post-Treatment Outcomes among Polysubstance-Dependent Outpatient Clients

Rates of return to active substance use after addiction treatment tend to be high; participation in 12-step fellowships (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous) reduces relapse rates but many clients do not attend or attend for a short period only. This quasi-experimental study uses repeated measurement to explore the role of presence/absence of on-site 12-step meetings during treatment on post-treatment outcomes. Polysubstance-dependent clients (N = 219) recruited at a program with and one without 12-step on-site, were followed for one year post-treatment. On-site 12-step enhanced 12-step attendance, especially during treatment, and predicted continuous abstinence for the post-treatment year. Holding 12-step meetings on-site is a low-cost strategy that programs should consider to foster post-treatment remission maintenance.
Entecavir plus Adefovir Combination Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B Patients after Failure of Nucleoside/Nucleotide Analogues

Background The combination of entecavir, a nucleoside analogue, and adefovir, a nucleotide analogue, would be a promising salvage treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who fail nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA) regimens. Methods A total of 89 CHB patients who had failed NA regimens and were treated with entecavir plus adefovir combination for at least 12 months were included. Results Mean baseline HBV DNA of patients was 6.16 ±1.44 log10 IU/ml. Patients were classed by the number of previously failed NAs; 1 NA (lamivudine; n=15; Group 1), 2 NAs (lamivudine and either adefovir or entecavir; n=39; Group 2) and 3 NAs (lamivudine, adefovir and entecavir; n=35; Group 3). After 12 months of treatment, the mean reduction in HBV DNA was greater in Group 1 than in Group 2 or 3 (-5.81 ±1.71, -3.20 ±1.36 and -2.93 ±1.56 log10 IU/ml, respectively; P<0.01). The rates of virological response (HBV DNA<2,000 IU/ml) were 100%, 79.5% and 34.3% (P<0.01), and the rates of complete virological response (HBV DNA<60 IU/ml) were 53.3%, 25.6% and 14.3% in Group 1, 2 and 3, respectively (P<0.01) at 12 months. Higher baseline HBV DNA (odds ratio =0.59; P=0.02) and increasing number of previously failed NAs (P<0.01) were independently associated with a lower rate of complete virological response at 12 months. Conclusions Entecavir plus adefovir combination treatment was effective in achieving virological response in CHB patients after failure of NAs. However, its effect progressively decreased as the number of previously failed NAs increased.
Melanoma prognostic model using tissue microarrays and genetic algorithms.

PURPOSE As a result of the questionable risk-to-benefit ratio of adjuvant therapies, stage II melanoma is currently managed by observation because available clinicopathologic parameters cannot identify the 20% to 60% of such patients likely to develop metastatic disease. Here, we propose a multimarker molecular prognostic assay that can help triage patients at increased risk of recurrence. METHODS Protein expression for 38 candidates relevant to melanoma oncogenesis was evaluated using the automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) method for immunofluorescence-based immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from a cohort of 192 primary melanomas collected during 1959 to 1994. The prognostic assay was built using a genetic algorithm and validated on an independent cohort of 246 serial primary melanomas collected from 1997 to 2004. RESULTS Multiple iterations of the genetic algorithm yielded a consistent five-marker solution. A favorable prognosis was predicted by ATF2 ln(non-nuclear/nuclear AQUA score ratio) of more than -0.052, p21(WAF1) nuclear compartment AQUA score of more than 12.98, p16(INK4A) ln(non-nuclear/nuclear AQUA score ratio) of < or = -0.083, beta-catenin total AQUA score of more than 38.68, and fibronectin total AQUA score of < or = 57.93. Primary tumors that met at least four of these five conditions were considered a low-risk group, and those that met three or fewer conditions formed a high-risk group (log-rank P < .0001). Multivariable proportional hazards analysis adjusting for clinicopathologic parameters shows that the high-risk group has significantly reduced survival on both the discovery (hazard ratio = 2.84; 95% CI, 1.46 to 5.49; P = .002) and validation (hazard ratio = 2.72; 95% CI, 1.12 to 6.58; P = .027) cohorts. CONCLUSION This multimarker prognostic assay, an independent determinant of melanoma survival, might be beneficial in improving the selection of stage II patients for adjuvant therapy.
Evaluation of T cell receptor gene rearrangement excision circles after antiretroviral therapy in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Immune reconstitution after antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infected patients may result from the recovery of thymus function, peripheral redistribution, or decreased T cell destruction. This study investigated levels of T cell receptor gene rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) as a measure of recent thymic emigrant cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 50 HIV-infected infants and children who were followed-up for 40 months after the start or change of antiretroviral therapy. At baseline, patients exhibited fewer TRECs than did uninfected control subjects. The increase in TRECs after antiretroviral therapy was greater in infants than in older HIV-infected children. Of interest, patients who demonstrated discordant responses (i.e., increased CD4 T cell counts without significant virologic suppression) also had substantial gains in TRECs. Furthermore, TRECs correlated positively with the number of CD4 and naive T cells and negatively with age and virus load. Measurement of TRECs may serve as a useful tool for evaluating immune reconstitution in HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy.
Palliative Care Crises in the Community: A Survey

With the rising age of the population, hospital cutbacks, and increased attention to home-based care for the dying, the community can expect to experience more intense care situations and a greater potential for palliative care crises developing in the home setting. Whether the crisis is precipitated by hemorrhage, severe uncontrolled pain, or agitation, the demands placed on the family unit and care provider can be phenomenal. Only with a greater awareness of the difficulties encountered in the home setting can the community begin to respond to the needs of the family in crisis. An open-question survey regarding palliative care crises in the community was conducted among community visiting RNs, home care case managers, and palliative outreach clinicians in southwestern Ontario, The objectives were: 1) to determine the pattern of events that precipitated a crisis; 2) to understand how crises were managed; 3) to identify barriers to effective crisis management; 4) to investigate the impact on the family unit and care provider. Participants were also asked to list the essential resources they needed to deal effectively with a crisis situation. This paper highlights the results of the survey and suggests implications for the future direction of palliative care in the home.
System Design Perspective for Human-Level Agents Using Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Survey

Reinforcement learning (RL) has distinguished itself as a prominent learning method to augment the efficacy of autonomous systems. Recent advances in deep learning studies have complemented existing RL methods and led to a crucial breakthrough in the effort of applying RL to automation and robotics. Artificial agents based on deep RL can take selective and intelligent actions comparable with those of a human to maximize the feedback reward from the interactive environment. In this paper, we survey recent developments in the literature regarding deep RL methods for building human-level agents. As a result, prominent studies that involve modeling every aspect of a human-level agent will be examined. We also provide an overview of constructing a framework for prospective autonomous systems. Moreover, various toolkits and frameworks are suggested to facilitate the development of deep RL methods. Finally, we open a discussion that potentially raises a range of future research directions in deep RL.
Effect of surface material on electrostatic charging of houseflies (Musca domestica L).

Houseflies (Musca domestica L) accumulated electrostatic charges when walking over clean, uncharged dielectric surfaces. The charges elicited on a walking housefly by a range of materials were quantified, allowing a triboelectric series to be determined relative to M domestica. This ranged from surfaces that charged individuals positively, e.g. Correx (corrugated polypropylene) [. 1 (+/- 4.2)pC], to those that applied a negative charge, e.g. clear cast acrylic [-14.9 (+/- 2.9)pC]. Maximum positive and negative charges accumulated by individual M domestica were +73 and -27 pC. Replicate measurements on the same fly and surface showed little variation. Variation between individuals was not related to sex and was not consistent between surfaces. Different materials charged M domestica significantly differently and individual flies had significantly different charging properties. Variation in temperature between 21.3 degrees C and 24.7 degrees C and humidity between 24% and 41% RH significantly affected charge accumulated by M domestica on some surfaces, although further experimentation is needed to confirm this. The implications of this work are discussed in relation to insect trap design and pollination biology.
Antihypertensive Prescribing Practices: Impact of the Antihypertensive and Lipid‐Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial

This national study examines the impact of the Antihypertensive and Lipid‐Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) on the prescribing of thiazide‐type diuretics and other antihypertensive medications for patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted using data from a national network of electronic health records for 2 groups with newly diagnosed hypertension and started on antihypertensive medications: one a year before and the other a year after the publication of ALLHAT. The percentage of new hypertensives started on thiazides increased from 29% pre‐ALLHAT to 39% post‐ALLHAT. An increase was also seen for angiotensin receptor blockers, while prescribing for angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and β‐blockers declined. There was no significant change in prescriptions for α‐blockers. Prescriptions for thiazides for patients with newly diagnosed hypertension increased after the publication of ALLHAT. Data from large national trials can have a considerable impact on prescribing practices.
Capital Structure and Bank Performance: Empirical Evidence from Ghana

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of capital structure on profitability of commercial banks in Ghana. The study used a sample of 21 commercial banks over the period 2000–2014 using panel corrected standard errors and two‐stage least‐squares estimation approaches. The results show that bank capital structure measured as capital‐to‐asset ratio is a robust and positive driver of bank performance (profitability) measures (return on assets and net interest margin). Additionally, the results further indicate that share of customer demand deposit positively affects bank profitability. The positive relationship between the capital‐to‐asset ratio and performance provides support for the bank capitalization policy implemented by the Bank of Ghana. Also, the findings provide evidence in support of the recent upsurge in bank short‐term deposit mobilization strategies and promotions by commercial banks in the country to enhance their deposit base.