Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiparameter scoring system for the prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer

Summary The aim of the study was to develop a scoring system consisting of multiple parameters that are significant for prognosis of thyroid cancer. The score was designed to permit a risk stratification with all available information at any time of presentation. Patients, methods: A score using 25 parameters was used for 171 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, who were included in follow up over a mean of 9 (± 5) years. The significance of each parameter as well as of a summation outcome score was determined. The result of this scoring system was compared to other scores reported in the literature applied to the same patients' group. Thirty-two out of the 171 patients presented with recurrence during follow up. Results: The summation score was highly significant for prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer. Out of 25 parameters, 18 showed a significant association with outcome also as individual parameters. In comparison to the scores commonly used, this new system showed the highest significance (p < 0.0001, chi square 90, df 1) to estimate recurrence free survival. At a cutoff of –5.95 the sensitivity and specificity for the distinction between high and low risk patients were 87.5 and 77.0%, respectively. Conclusion: With our multiparameter scoring system a reliable prognosis with respect to recurrence free survival is possible in patients suffering from differentiated thyroid cancer. A summation score of all parameters gives the best results. Scoring is also possible, if several important parameters are missing.
on TCR Avidity for Self-Antigens CD8 T Cell Sensory Adaptation Dependent

Vincenzo Di BartoloSanchez-Guajardo, Antonio A. Freitas, Oreste Acuto and Maria-Elena Marquez, Wilfried Ellmeier, Vanesahttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/175/11/7388J Immunol€2005; 175:7388-7397; ;Referenceshttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/175/11/7388.full#ref-list-1This article cites 41 articles, 17 of which you can access for free at: Subscriptionshttp://jimmunol.org/subscriptionsInformation about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: Permissionshttp://www.aai. org/ji/copyright.htmlSubmit copyright permission requests at: Email Alertshttp://jimmunol.org/cgi/alerts/etocReceive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at:
Prognostic value of the objective measurement of daily physical activity in patients with COPD.

BACKGROUND Subjective measurement of physical activity using questionnaires has prognostic value in COPD. However, their lack of accuracy and large individual variability limit their use for evaluation on an individual basis. We evaluated the capacity of the objective measurement of daily physical activity in patients with COPD using accelerometers to estimate their prognostic value. METHODS In 173 consecutive subjects with moderate to very severe COPD, daily physical activity was measured using a triaxial accelerometer providing a mean of 1-min movement epochs as vector magnitude units (VMUs). Patients were evaluated by lung function testing and 6-min walk, incremental exercise, and constant work rate tests. Patients were followed for 5 to 8 years, and the end points were all-cause mortality, hospitalization for COPD exacerbation, and annual declining FEV(1). RESULTS After adjusting for relevant confounders, a high VMU decreased the mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.986; 95% CI, 0.981-0.992), and in a multivariate model, comorbidity, endurance time, and VMU were retained as independent predictors of mortality. The time until first admission due to COPD exacerbation was shorter for the patients with lower levels of VMU (adjusted HR, 0.989; 95% CI, 0.983-0.995). Moreover, patients with higher VMU had a lower hospitalization risk than those with a low VMU (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.099; 95% CI, 0.033-0.293). In contrast, VMU was not identified as an independent predictor of the annual FEV(1) decline. CONCLUSION The objective measurement of the daily physical activity in patients with COPD using an accelerometer constitutes an independent prognostic factor for mortality and hospitalization due to severe exacerbation.
Preservation of Motion at the Surgical Level after Minimally Invasive Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy

Objective Although minimally invasive posterior cervical foraminotomy (MI-PCF) is an established approach for motion preservation, the outcomes are variable among patients. The objective of this study was to identify significant factors that influence motion preservation after MI-PCF. Methods Forty-eight patients who had undergone MI-PCF between 2004 and 2012 on a total of 70 levels were studied. Cervical parameters measured using plain radiography included C2–7 plumb line, C2–7 Cobb angle, T1 slope, thoracic outlet angle, neck tilt, and disc height before and 24 months after surgery. The ratios of the remaining facet joints after MI-PCF were calculated postoperatively using computed tomography. Changes in the distance between interspinous processes (DISP) and the segmental angle (SA) before and after surgery were also measured. We determined successful motion preservation with changes in DISP of ≤3 mm and in SA of ≤2°. Results The differences in preoperative and postoperative DISP and SA after MI-PCF were 0.03±3.95 mm and 0.34±4.46°, respectively, fulfilling the criteria for successful motion preservation. However, the appropriate level of motion preservation is achieved in cases in which changes in preoperative and postoperative DISP and SA motions are 55.7 and 57.1%, respectively. Based on preoperative and postoperative DISP, patients were divided into three groups, and the characteristics of each group were compared. Among these, the only statistically significant factor in motion preservation was preoperative disc height (Pearson’s correlation coefficient=0.658, p<0.001). The optimal disc height for motion preservation in regard to DISP ranges from 4.18 to 7.08 mm. Conclusion MI-PCF is a widely accepted approach for motion preservation, although desirable radiographic outcomes were only achieved in approximately half of the patients who had undergone the procedure. Since disc height appears to be a significant factor in motion preservation, surgeons should consider disc height before performing MI-PCF.
ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF SOME POSSIBLE CAUSATIVE AGENTS OF SWOLLEN HEAD SYNDROME (SHS) IN BROILER CHICKENS IN EGYPT

The current study was designed to detect, isolate and identify the etiological agents of SHS in chicken flocks in Egypt. Clinical samples, including the trachea, lung and choanal cleft swabs, from different flocks, ages and localities were collected from non-vaccinated commercial broiler flocks with respiratory signs then transmitted directly to the laboratory for further examination. Avian metapneumovirus RNA (aMPV RNA) was extracted then amplified using one step RT-PCR using both subtype A and B (G gene) primers then differentiation occurred by real time PCR (qPCR). Swab samples from subcutaneous edema and exudates were directly cultured and the suspected bacterial colonies were biochemically identified then confirmed by PCR. Four samples were positive and one doubtful for aMPV using RT-PCR confirmed by qPCR. Bacteria isolation revealed that out of 40 samples, 16 samples were positive for E.coli , 4 samples were positive for P. aeruginosa , 6 samples were positive for P. mirabilis , 4 were mixed E. coli and P. aeruginosa , 8 were mixed E. coli with P. mirabilis and 2 samples were mixed P. mirabilis and P. aeruginosa . Depending on these findings, we could prescribe a preliminary guide to decrease SHS outbreaks by primary control of bacterial complication. Key words : Swollen Head Syndrome; PCR; bacterial complication
Reliability of displayed tidal volume in infants and children during dual-controlled ventilation

Objective: Previous studies have shown a significant difference between ventilator-measured tidal volume and actual-delivered tidal volume. However, these studies used external methods for measurement of compression volume. Our objective was to determine whether tidal volume could be accurately measured at the expiratory valve of a conventional ventilator using internal computer software to compensate for circuit compliance with a dual control mode of ventilation. Design: Clinical study during an 8-month period. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit. Patients: All patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit during the enrollment period who were mechanically ventilated using the Servo I (Maquet, Bridgewater, NJ) were eligible for this study. Interventions: Patients were ventilated using a dual-control mode of ventilatory support and either an infant or adult circuit (with and without circuit compensation). Measurements and Main Results: Tidal volume measured at the endotracheal tube using a pneumotachometer was compared with ventilator-displayed tidal volume. Sixty-eight patients were studied between September 2004 and April 2005. Age range was 2 days to 18 yrs (median, 23 mos) and weight range was 2.3 kg to 103 kg (median, 14.5 kg) with 41 male patients (60%). We found ventilator-displayed tidal volume, without circuit compensation, generally overestimates true-delivered tidal volume and, with circuit compensation, generally underestimates true-delivered tidal volume. However, agreement between tidal volume measured at the patient's airway and that measured with and without compensation for circuit compliance was good. The error in both cases, without and with circuit compensation, is relatively greater in infants and small children. Conclusions: There is an underestimation of delivered tidal volume when compensating for circuit volume loss measured at the ventilator. There is no improvement in measured tidal volume using circuit compensation in small infants and children.
Citizenship Education and Migrant Youth in China: Pathways to the Urban Underclass

Foreword Lois Weis Introduction 1. Rural-Urban Migration and the Schooling of Migrant Youth 2. Citizenship Education and Youth Identity 3. Chaotic Schooling: Migrant Youth's Experiences in Green Tree School 4: The "Sunshine Education" of Red River Middle School 5: Shaken Faith in Formal Schooling 6: The Ideology of Individual Efforts: Meritocracy and Education 7: Experiencing the Urban-Rural Dichotomy Conclusion: Citizenship Rights, Identity, and Collective Action
Reliability of computer‐assisted retinal vessel measurement in a population

The purpose of the study was to assess the intergrader and intragrader reliability of computer‐assisted retinal vessel diameter measurement in a defined, community‐based population. Retinal photographs from participants in the Blue Mountains Eye Study were digitized using standard techniques. A grader identified all retinal vessels located 0.5−1.0 disc diameter from the optic disc margin, and a computer program measured the width of these vessels. Intergrader and intragrader reliability was assessed on a random subsample of 184 and 97 images, respectively, using quadratic weighted kappa (κ) and correlation analysis (R2). Intergrader reliability was high for summary indices of retinal arteriolar (κ = 0.85, R2 = 0.88) and venular (κ = 0.90, R2 = 0.90) diameters, and their ratio, the arteriole‐to‐venule ratio (κ = 0.75, R2 = 0.79). Intragrader reliability was also high, with kappa values ranging from 0.80 to 0.93 and from 0.80 to 0.92 for graders 1 and 2, respectively. It is concluded that the retinal vessel diameters could be reliably measured using computer‐assisted software and may be used for population‐based research.
Outcomes of Transobturator Tape Surgery with Safyre T® Slings for Female Stress Urinary Incontinence after 96 Months of Follow-Up

Background/Aims: To report the outcomes of transobturator tape (TOT) surgery with Safyre T® (Promedon, Argentina) slings for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) at a 96- month follow-up. Methods: We conducted a clinical follow-up study of 153 patients diagnosed with SUI between January 2005 and December 2014. Patients were provided with detailed a priori information pertaining to the TOT procedure and were invited to attend follow-up visits at 1, 3, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 months. Follow-up visits included physical examination involving sling palpation, checking of the vaginal mucosa for erosion, cough test, as well as validated Urinary Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7) questionnaires. Results: The overall objective success rates, based on cough test results, were 91.3% at 12 months, 86.8% at 48 months and 77.6% at 96 months. Similarly, the overall subjective success rate, based on the validated UDI-6 and IIQ-7 scales, was 77.6% at 96 months. Conclusion: The cure rates achieved, following TOT treatment of SUI at 1-year follow-up, showed a statistically significant decline over an 8-year period, especially at months 48 and 96.
Clinical experience with mitomycin C in large infrequent doses

One hundred and six patients (103 solid tumors, three lymphomas) were treated with large infrequent doses of mitomycin C. Thirteen patients in this group received combined radiation and chemotherapy and were evaluated separately. Most patients received 50 mg of the drug in a divided dose during the first week of treatment. After 6 weeks, maintenance injections of 10 to 30 mg of the drug were given to responsive patients at 4‐ to 6‐week intervals. Twenty‐two per cent of the patients showed a 50% reduction in tumor mass for a month or longer. Patients with breast and gastrointestinal carcinoma responded most frequently. The remission rates and durations are similar to those of published studies using other dosage schedules. Toxic effects have been similar though possibly less frequent. There appears to be no therapeutic advantage in using large infrequent doses of the drug; however, the time‐saving to both patient and medical staff has been significant.
Psychopharmacological Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, Irritability and Insomnia in Patients Receiving Interferon-α: a Prospective Case Series and a Discussion of Biological Mechanisms

We studied 60 patients receiving a 1-year course of interferon (IFN)-αtherapy for chronic viral hepatitis. Patients underwent psychiatric assessment before starting the IFN-αtherapy, and monthly throughout the therapy, using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R, the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Spielberg State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. Five patients had a baseline diagnosis of major depression and 18 (30%) developed an IFN-α-induced psychiatric adverse effect; 12 of these 23 patients received psychopharmacological treatment (patients and clinicians jointly decided the need for treatment). Two of the five patients with baseline depression started an antidepressant treatment (paroxetine) together with the IFN-α and successfully completed the IFN-αtherapy. Ten patients received treatment for the IFN-α-induced psychiatric adverse effects (depression in five patients, anxiety in two patients, severe irritability in two patients and insomnia in one patient). Depression was treated with paroxetine, amisulpride or levosulpiride; anxiety and insomnia were treated with benzodiazepines; and irritability was treated with thioridazine. Individual response to medications was measured with the Clinical Global Impression scale. Of the patients with IFN-α-induced depression, two received paroxetine (one showed a good response), two received amisulpride (one showed a good response) and one did not respond to levosulpiride but responded to paroxetine. The patients experiencing anxiety or insomnia responded well to benzodiazepines. One patient showed a good response, and one a poor response, to thioridazine for irritability. Only one patient interrupted the therapy because of psychiatric adverse effects. Overall, the 12 patients that received psychopharmacological treatment developed less severe psychopathological symptoms during the IFN-αtherapy compared to the 11 patients who had untreated baseline depression or untreated IFN-α-induced psychiatric adverse effects. Thus, psychopharmacological management can successfully treat psychiatric symptoms in patients who are receiving IFN-α.
Interfering with hepatitis C virus IRES activity using RNA molecules identified by a novel in vitro selection method

Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the world's major health problems, and the identification of efficient HCV inhibitors is a major goal. Here we report the isolation of efficient anti-HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES) RNA molecules identified by a new in vitro selection method. The newly developed procedure consists of two sequential steps that use distinct criteria for selection: selection for binding and selection for cleaving. The selection protocol was applied to a population of more than 1015 variants of an anti-hepatitis C virus ribozyme covalently linked to an aptamer motif. The ribozyme was directed against positions 357 to 369 of the HCV IRES, and the cleavage substrate was a 691-nucleotide-long RNA fragment that comprises the entire HCV IRES domain. After six selection cycles, seven groups of RNA variants were identified. A representative of each group was tested for its capacity to inhibit IRES activity using in vitro translation assays. All selected RNAs promoted significant inhibition, some by as much as 95%.
StepWatch stride counting: accuracy, precision, and prediction of energy expenditure in children.

INTRODUCTION Accuracy and precision of the StepWatch (SW) was tested in typically developing youth (TDY) with the prediction of oxygen consumption derived from stride counts. METHODS Ten TDY (5 boys, 5 girls) with an average age 14.1 years (SD=2.2) enrolled. Participants underwent treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) wearing two SW devices at 1, 2, 3, and 4 miles per hour (mph). RESULTS Average sign-corrected disagreement for strides counted between the 2 monitors was 0.4 (0.52), 0.2 (0.42), 0.1 (0.32), and 0.1 (0.32) for 1, 2, 3, and 4 mph, respectively. The ratio of SW counts to observed manual counts averaged 100.03% with ICC=0.995. Oxygen consumption equations were derived from resting and walking VO(2), age, gender, and stride counts. CONCLUSIONS Excellent accuracy and precision was documented for treadmill walking speeds up to 4 mph while VO(2) per number of strides taken appears to decrease with age and is lower in girls.
Prevention of ischemic events in patients with peripheral arterial disease design, baseline characteristics and 2-year results an observational study.

AIM Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with frequent cardiovascular ischemic events. We followed the survival of PAD patients and tested whether PAD remains an adverse prognostic indicator in spite of treatment according to the current European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention. METHODS Eight hundred eleven patients with PAD and 778 control subjects, aged 65 (SD 9) years at inclusion, with a male/female ratio of 3/2 were treated according to the European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention and evaluated yearly for occurrence of death, non-fatal acute coronary syndrome, stroke or critical limb ischemia (major events) and revascularization procedures (minor events). At baseline, classical risk factors were significantly more prevalent in the PAD group and protective cardiovascular medication was prescribed to patients with PAD more frequently than to control subjects. RESULTS In the PAD group, the 2-year Kaplan-Meier survival estimate was 96.7% (CI 95.4-97.9) vs. 98.2% (CI 97.2-99.1) in the control group, P=0.059. The groups differed in the 2-year major event-free survival: 93.5% (CI 92.7-95.3) in PAD vs. 97.1% (CI 95.9-98.4) in controls, P<0.017, as well as in event-free survival: 79.9% (CI 77.1-82.9) in PAD vs.96. 4% (CI 95.0-97.9) in controls, P<0.001. CONCLUSION Patients with PAD had a borderline higher risk of all-cause death and a significantly higher risk of major and minor non-fatal cardiovascular events compared to control subjects. However, treatment according to the European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention resulted in encouragingly low absolute mortality and morbidity. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00761969.).
New Blood as an Elixir of Youth: Effects of Human Capital Tenure on the Explorative Capability of Aging Firms

The relationship between firm age and innovation has been an enduring topic of interest. We contribute to this research by studying how the effect of firm age on the quality of explorative and exploitative innovations is affected by the firm-specific and industry tenure of the talent resources (employees) that the firm utilizes. We start with the baseline predictions that firm age is related to the development of better exploitative innovations and worse explorative innovations. However, the tenure of employees intervenes in these relationships, by way of bringing in new knowledge, mental models, and beliefs. We predict that longer firm-specific and industry tenure of employees enhances the positive effect of firm age on the quality of exploitative innovations, while amplifying the negative effect of firm age on the quality of explorative innovations. In addition, for both the baseline and the moderating effect, we also formulate a prediction comparing the quality of explorative innovations with those of exploitative innovations. We find support for the moderating effects of human capital tenure for the quality of explorative innovations, but not for the quality of exploitative innovations. We reason that the latter may be due to the need for some level of exploration even in exploitative innovations, at least in the setting we study—the video game industry. Our results suggest that the negative effects of firm age on the quality of explorative innovations can be mitigated by talent resources (employees) the firm uses who have lower firm-specific and industrywide tenure.
Does Ramadan fasting affect expiratory flow rates in healthy subjects?

OBJECTIVE To assess whether Ramadan fasting affects the expiratory flow rates in healthy subjects, and to know if these effects correlate to a change in other variables. METHODS This unmatched case-control longitudinal study includes 46 non-smoking healthy subjects who undertook lung function testing at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan. Expiratory flow rates and body mass were measured in 3 Islamic months, corresponding to November 2001 to January 2002. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in body mass in Ramadan compared to pre and post Ramadan. No significant changes in expiratory flows were seen during Ramadan as compared to the pre Ramadan period. However, forced expiratory flow rates at 75% of vital capacity (FEF(75)) and between 75% and 85% of vital capacity (FEF(75-85)) showed a significant increase in the post Ramadan period compared to Ramadan. Changes in FEF(75) were negatively correlated to changes in body mass between Ramadan and post Ramadan. CONCLUSION This study shows that Ramadan fasting will not affect expiratory flow rates in healthy subjects. Post Ramadan values did show an increase in FEF(75) and FEF(75-85), possibly due to changes in body water and fat content. The reductions in body mass were most probably due to lack of nutrition and not dehydration as the fasts were performed in winter. Collection of reference values or early phase clinical trials measuring expiratory flow rates should not be affected by Ramadan fasting.