Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does what we measure matter? Quality-of-life defined by adolescents with brain injury

Abstract Objectives: To determine if domains included in popular measurement systems (e.g. the Peds QL™) reflect the adolescent survivor of a brain injury’s sense of QoL and explore this relationship in reference to an emerging model of wellbeing in the adolescent with TBI. Methods: Mixed methods; adolescent QoL assessed using the PedsQL™ self-report and a semi-structured interview created by the lead author. Adolescent self-report was compared to adolescent narratives. Results: Ten adolescents participated. Adolescent PedsQL™ total was within normal limits. Adolescents reported that changes identified by the PedsQL were not important and did not impact on their sense of QoL. The importance on social components of QoL—as opposed to cognitive—provide additional support of the emerging model of wellbeing in adolescents with TBI. Conclusions: The PedsQL can identify changes post-TBI, but fails to consider whether these changes are relevant to the adolescent. Alternate methods of exploring QoL—which emphasize the interaction of social networks and friendships, should be considered to avoid an oblique view of QoL outcomes after TBI.
Effects of hormones on reproduction in rats fed a diet deficient in retinol (vitamin A alcohol) but containing methyl retinoate (vitamin A acid methyl ester).

Summary. The observations of Thompson, Howell & Pitt (1964), that male and female rats maintained on diet deficient in vitamin A but containing retinoic acid (vitamin A acid, see page 310) are unable to reproduce, have been confirmed. The development of the testicular lesions in male rats was not prevented by injections of fsh or testosterone propionate, and injections of oestrone and progesterone, alone or in com-bination, did not prevent resorptions in pregnant females. Small amounts of retinyl acetate (vitamin A acetate) prevented the development ofrepro-ductive lesions in both males and females. It seems unlikely that the failure of retinoic acid to support normal reproduction in the rat can be explained in terms of a known endocrine insufficiency.
Growth factors and the skeletal System

Two different proliferation assays have been used to measure the proliferative Potential of IgG-fractions from 57 patients with nontoxic goiter of an iodine-deficient area: primary human thyroid epithelial cells (TEC) and the thouroughly investigated FRTL-5 cell line. IgGfractions from patients with nontoxic goiter (n = 30), nontoxic recurrent goiter (n = 8), toxicnodular goiter (n = 15) and Carcinoma of the thyroid (n = 4) were highly purified on DEAE-Sepharose and additionaly Protein A-Sepharose in some cases. The two proliferation assays gave contradictory results: primary cultures of human thyroid epithelial cells (TEC) could not be stimulated by any of the patient's IgG-fractions nor by bTSH. The FRTL-5 cells, however, were stimulated with 10 / /U/ml bTSH by 326% ± 96% (ränge: 222% 497%, p < 0.001). In one experimental series, 72% of all patients exceeded mean + 2 SD of normal controls, when the Stimulation index was referred to the effect of bTSH (NTG: 77%, Ree. G.: 88%, Tox. G.: 53%, Ca. thyroid: 75%). With a different method of calculation Stimulation index referred to the basal value the number of patients above mean + 2 SD of normal controls decreased to 30% 1 Abbreviations used: AC-activity, activity of the adenylate-cyclase; bTSH, bovine thyroidea stimulating hormone; Ca. thyroid, Carcinoma of thyroid; FRTL-5 cells, Fischer's rat thyroid cell line 5; GD, Graves' disease; 3 H-TdR, 3 H-Thymidine; IBMX. 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine; MAB, microsomal antibody; NTG, non-toxic goitre; PBS, phosphate buffered saline; Ree. goiter, recurrent goiter; SD, Standard deviation; Sl, Stimulation index; TAB, thyroglobulin antibody; TBII, TSH-binding inhibiting immunoglobulin; TGI, thyroid growth stimulating immunoglobulin; Tox. goiter. toxic goiter, TSI. thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin. Key-words: Non-immune thyroid disease, thyroid growth stimulating antibody (TGI), FRTL-5 cells, human thyroid epithelial cells (TEC). Correspondence to. Dr. B.E. Wenzel, Department of Medicine, Cell and Immunobiological Laboratory, Medical University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D 2400 Lübeck, FRG. Received January 24, 1989; aeeepted June 20,1989. (NTG: 33%, Ree. G.: 12,5%, Tox. G.: 33%, Ca. thyroid: 25%). Statistical analysis, however, of results of different patient groups compared to the normal control group failed to show any significance.
Study of possible risk factors for severe retinopathy in non-insulin dependent diabetes.

We selected consecutively from the clinic 100 non-insulin dependent diabetics. Fifty had severe retinopathy (proliferative retinopathy or maculopathy) that had developed within 10 years of diagnosis (group 1), and 50 had no evidence of microvascular complications after more than 14 years of diabetes (group 2). Non-insulin dependent diabetes was diagnosed if patients developed diabetes in middle or late life without ketosis. Groups were compared with respect to sex, cigarette smoking, blood pressure, serum creatinine concentration, family history, treatment regimens, and glycaemic control. Blood pressure was measured by the same observer after three minutes' recumbency. Diastolic pressure was recorded as fifth phase (fourth phase if no clear end point). Glycaemic control was assessed as mean laboratory blood glucose value over the previous five years, most subjects having had a mid-morning and afternoon measurement before each clinic visit. Results were analysed by a Wilcoxon U or y2 test.
Bohr sets and multiplicative Diophantine approximation

In two dimensions, Gallagher's theorem is a strengthening of the Littlewood conjecture that holds for almost all pairs of real numbers. We prove an inhomogeneous fibre version of Gallagher's theorem, sharpening and making unconditional a result recently obtained conditionally by Beresnevich, Haynes and Velani. The idea is to find large generalised arithmetic progressions within inhomogeneous Bohr sets, extending a construction given by Tao. This precise structure enables us to verify the hypotheses of the Duffin--Schaeffer theorem for the problem at hand, via the geometry of numbers.
Elevated serum progastrin‐releasing peptide (31–98) level is a predictor of short response duration after hormonal therapy in metastatic prostate cancer

The neuroendocrine (NE) pathway has been attracting attention as a mechanism for the androgen‐independent progression because the neuropeptide provokes tumor growth and inhibits apoptosis under androgen‐deprived milieu in prostate cancer cells. On the basis that serum progastrin‐releasing peptide (ProGRP) is elevated in patients with advanced disease stage, we examined the prognostic value of the neuropeptide.
Variation in FGF1, FOXE1, and TIMP2 genes is associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate.

BACKGROUND Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is a common complex birth defect caused by the interaction between multiple genes and environmental factors. METHODS Five hundred and eighty-seven single nucleotide polymorphisms in 40 candidate genes related to orofacial clefting were tested for association with CL/P in a clefting sample composed of 300 patients and 606 controls from Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian populations. RESULTS In case-control comparisons, the minor alleles of FGF1 rs34010 (p = 4.56 × 10(-4) ), WNT9B rs4968282 (p = 0.0013), and FOXE1 rs7860144 (p = 0.0021) were associated with a decreased risk of CL/P. Multiple haplotypes in FGF1, FOXE1, and TIMP2 and haplotypes in WNT9B, PVRL2, and LHX8 were associated with CL/P. The strongest association was found for protective haplotype rs250092/rs34010 GT in the FGF1 gene (p = 5.01 × 10(-4) ). The strongest epistatic interaction was observed between the COL2A1 and WNT3 genes. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide for the first time evidence implicating FGF1 in the occurrence of CL/P, and support TIMP2 and WNT9B as novel loci predisposing to CL/P. We have also replicated recently reported significant associations between variants in or near FOXE1 and CL/P. It is likely that variation in FOXE1, TIMP2, and the FGF and Wnt signaling pathway genes confers susceptibility to nonsyndromic CL/P in Northeastern European populations.
The marginal liver donor – an update

The number of patients awaiting liver transplantation keeps steadily rising with no corresponding rise in suitable grafts for transplantation. There also is an increasing trend of patients dying or being taken off waiting lists because of deterioration while waiting for a transplant. Over the preceding years the use of marginal grafts in liver transplantation has been driven by the critical shortage of donor organs and by emerging data that their use has resulted in a favourable outcome. This review revisits the factors defining marginality of a graft, and the issues faced by transplant units in making the decision to use such a graft. It also looks at the innovations in transplantation geared towards increasing the donor pool and the resulting issues of matching marginal grafts to suitable recipients.
Rotation and scale invariant texture classification

The problem of classifying a textured image which might be subject to unknown rotation and magnification scale changes into one of C possible texture classes is discussed. The texture classes are modeled by Gaussian Markov random fields. A Bayes decision rule based on the generalized likelihood function is used to classify a given test sample. A maximum-likelihood estimate for the scale and rotation parameters for each of the C texture classes is computed under the assumption that the observed texture came from a particular unrotated and unscaled texture model. The test texture is allocated to the class with the highest generalized likelihood function. The classification power of the method is demonstrated through extensive experimental results on natural texture from the Brodatz album as well as for the problem of fabric inspection. <<ETX>>
The Global Network Organization of the Future: Information Management Opportunities and Challenges

The key information processing building blocks for yesterday's organizations were typewriters, carbon paper, filing cabinets, and a government mail service. The constraints of these crude information processing technologies often required workers to be located under one roof and organizations to arrange themselves as efficient, but relatively change-resistant, management hierarchies. Those legacy organization designs have persisted despite fundamental changes in information processing technology. Tomorrow's successful organizations will be designed around the building blocks of advanced computer and communications technology. The success of these organizations will come from the ability to couple to, and decouple from, the networks of knowledge nodes. These networked organizations will link, on an as-needed basis, teams of empowered employees, consultants, suppliers, and customers. These ad hoc teams will solve one-time problems, provide personalized customer service, and then, as lubricant for subsequent interactions, evaluate one another's performance. In the network organization, structure will dominate strategy, credentials will give way to performance and knowledge, and human resources will be the only sustainable advantage. Despite the promise, networked organizations present difficult information management challenges. Among these are developing a flexible and efficient information architecture, establishing new values, attitudes, and behaviors concerning information sharing, building databases that can provide integrated customer support on a worldwide basis, and protecting personal freedoms and privacy. Here, we explore the opportunities and challenges that networked organizations will present for information technology management.
An Exploratory Study on Turnover Intention among Private Sector Employees

This study aims to study the organizational commitments, job stress, job satisfaction and turnover intentionamong the private sector employees in Petaling. A total of 120 respondents in Petaling District were selectedconveniently. Organizational Commitments Questionnaire (Mowday, Steers & Porter, 1979), perceived StressScale (PSS), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and Mobley, Horner & Hollingsworth (1978) wereused to measure organizational commitments, job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Majority of therespondents were single (77.5%), followed by married (20%), and divorced 2.5%. Results showed that majorityof the respondents experienced moderate level of commitment (70.8%); half of the total respondents (50%)experienced high level of job stress; 67.5% of them experienced moderate level of job satisfaction and 42.5% ofthem experienced moderate level of turnover intention. The result uncovered that there was a significant negativerelationship between organizational commitments and turnover intention in the study (r = -.367, p ? .05);positive relationship between job stress and turnover intention (r = .96, p ? .05) and negative relationshipbetween job satisfaction and turnover intention in the study (r = -.447, p ? .01). Further analysis concluded thatdemographic background of respondent mediated the relationship between organizational commitments, jobstress, job satisfaction and turnover intention. For future research, it is suggested to compare the predictivevalidity of the model across different jobs and industries. The methodology of study can be improved by increasethe sample size to wider population and adopt probability sampling method in order to generalize more reliableresults.
Service-users' experiences of an early intervention in psychosis service: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

OBJECTIVES Previous research regarding Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services has mainly adopted quantitative methodologies, in order to study the effectiveness of EIP services. Research studies that have explored service-users' experiences of EIP services are small in number. This research aimed to explore service-users' experiences of being in contact with an EIP service, its impact of their experience of psychosis and current life situation. DESIGN Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to conduct an in-depth qualitative study of a small sample of EIP service-users, in order to explore their experiences of being in contact with the service. METHOD Flexibly guided interviews were conducted with eight service-users who had been receiving a service from an EIP team for more than 2 years and were recruited using a purposive sampling method. Verbatim interview transcripts were analysed using IPA. RESULTS Five super-ordinate themes, developed from the analysis, are discussed in sections: Stigma, Relationships, Understanding the experiences, Sense of agency, and Impact on sense of self. Sub-themes of these super-ordinate themes are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS The themes developed from the analysis were envisioned as representing an overarching theme of 'A personal journey of recovery', which was influenced by participants' involvement with the EIP service. Clinical implications include the need for EIP services, as with other mental health services, to find ways to promote recovery and create opportunities for agency and control. Future research directions are also discussed.
Ética del uso del placebo en la investigación clínica: propuesta de algoritmos para la toma de decisiones

Tavares Guerreiro Fregnani, Jose Humberto; Lopes Carvalho, Andre; Rocha Lima Paranhos, Flavio; de Souza Viana, Luciano; Serrano, Sergio Vicente; Carcano, Flavio; Monteiro Ferreira, Joao Fernando; Solci Zier, Sandra; Anicio Magalhaes Gontijo, Pollyana; Stefanoff, Claudio Gustavo; Condeixa Franca, Paulo Henrique; de Almeida Bendati, Maria Mercedes; Marodin, Gabriela; de Almeida Venâncio, Jorge Alves Eticidade do uso de placebo em pesquisa clinica: proposta de algoritmos decisorios Revista Bioetica, vol. 23, num. 3, 2015, pp. 456-467 Conselho Federal de Medicina Brasilia, Brasil
Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of the Physiological Response of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Sakai to Steady-state Conditions of Cold and Water Activity Stress*

An integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis was undertaken to determine the physiological response of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Sakai to steady-state conditions relevant to low temperature and water activity conditions experienced during meat carcass chilling in cold air. The response of E. coli during exponential growth at 25 °C aw 0.985, 14 °C aw 0.985, 25 °C aw 0.967, and 14 °C aw 0.967 was compared with that of a reference culture (35 °C aw 0.993). Gene and protein expression profiles of E. coli were more strongly affected by low water activity (aw 0.967) than by low temperature (14 °C). Predefined group enrichment analysis revealed that a universal response of E. coli to all test conditions included activation of the master stress response regulator RpoS and the Rcs phosphorelay system involved in the biosynthesis of the exopolysaccharide colanic acid, as well as down-regulation of elements involved in chemotaxis and motility. However, colanic acid-deficient mutants were shown to achieve comparable growth rates to their wild-type parents under all conditions, indicating that colanic acid is not required for growth. In contrast to the transcriptomic data, the proteomic data revealed that several processes involved in protein synthesis were down-regulated in overall expression at 14 °C aw 0.985, 25 °C aw 0.967, and 14 °C aw 0.967. This result suggests that during growth under these conditions, E. coli, although able to transcribe the required mRNA, may lack the cellular resources required for translation. Elucidating the global adaptive response of E. coli O157:H7 during exposure to chilling and water activity stress has provided a baseline of knowledge of the physiology of this pathogen.
Phase III comparison of high-dose paclitaxel + cisplatin + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor versus low-dose paclitaxel + cisplatin in advanced head and neck cancer: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study E1393.

PURPOSE To determine dose-response effects and the activity of paclitaxel combined with cisplatin in patients with incurable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two hundred ten patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic disease were randomly placed in either Arm A, paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2) (24-hour infusion) + cisplatin 75mg/m(2) + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or Arm B, paclitaxel 135 mg/m(2) (24-hour infusion) + cisplatin 75 mg/m(2). Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks until progression or a total of 12 cycles for complete responses. Primary outcomes were event-free and overall survival. RESULTS No significant differences in outcomes were observed between the high- and low-dose paclitaxel regimens. The estimated median survival was 7.3 months (95% confidence interval, 6.0 to 8.6). The 1-year survival rate was 29%, and event-free survival was 4.0 months. The objective response rate (complete response plus partial response) was 35% for the high-dose patients and 36% for the low-dose patients. Myelosuppression was the most frequent toxicity: grade 3 or 4 granulocytopenia, 70% of patients in Arm A and 78% in Arm B; febrile neutropenia, 27% of patients in Arm A and 39% in Arm B. Grade 5 toxicities occurred in 22 patients (10.5%). Treatment was terminated early in 31% because of excessive toxicity or patient refusal. CONCLUSION This phase III multicenter trial showed (1) no advantage for high-dose paclitaxel and (2) excessive hematologic toxicity associated with both regimens. Therefore, neither of the paclitaxel regimens evaluated in this trial can be recommended.
Comment on a recent conjectured solution of the three-dimensional Ising model

In a recent paper published in Philosophical Magazine [Z. -D. Zhang, Phil. Mag. 87 (2007) p.5309], the author advances a conjectured solution for various properties of the three-dimensional Ising model. Here, we disprove the conjecture and point out the flaws in the arguments leading to the conjectured expressions.
Delusional Depressive In-Patients, 1892 to 1982

Summary Three groups of 114 depressed patients admitted to hospital in Edinburgh, one in the year 1892, one in 1942–3 and one in 1981–2, were studied. The occurrence and content of depressive delusions were recorded. A significantly higher proportion of depressives had delusions in 1892 than in 1942–3, but there was no significant decline between 1942–3 and 1981–2. It is concluded that this decline in the proportion of depressives having delusions since 1892 probably does not reflect a genuine decline in the prevalence of depressive illness with delusions. The content of delusions differs between the years and between the sexes, and these differences are discussed.
Predictors for successful angioplasty of chronic totally occluded coronary arteries.

AIMS Reevaluation of clinical and angiographic predictors for percutaneous recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) using current techniques with conventional PTCA wires and balloons. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 253 consecutive patients with 283 lesions who underwent attempted PTCA of CTO (mean time since occlusion 33 months, range 3-150 month). Immediate procedural success rate was 84.8% (95% CI = 80.3%-88.6%). Multiple clinical and angiographic characteristics were evaluated as possible predictors of success/failure. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that a tapered morphology (P < 0.001, OR = 6.1; 95% CI = 2.1-18.2), </=45 degree of angulations of the target artery (P < 0.03, OR = 4.5; 95% CI = 1.2-17.2), length of occlusion <15 mm (P < 0.001, OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.6-7.0), and the presence of multiple lesions in the target artery (P < 0.03, OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.1-4.4) were statistically significant independent predictors of procedural success. According to absence or presence of the various identified determinants of outcome, predicted procedural success rates varied between 26 and 98%. CONCLUSIONS Although the probability of immediate procedural success with percutaneous recanalization of coronary CTO using conventional PTCA is now high, a number of characteristics of the occlusive lesion represent significant modulators of success or failure. These factors should be utilized in the process of patients or lesions selection.
Water and Ion Absorption by Polyethylene in Relation to Water Treeing

Water absorption by polyethylene (PE) is discussed in relation to water treeing. Two steps have been considered: the first is water diffusion into undamaged PE, the second is water migration into growing water-tree channels. A critical discussion of published data is presented. Diffusion of water and Na+ ions into a low density PE film is studied by a radiotracer method in the absence of water-treeing. Na+ permeation is found to be very low (P < 4x10-15 cm2/s). A water permeability of 4.5x1O-10 cm2/s has been measured and is not affected by an applied uniform dc or ac electric field.