Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution of ABO phenotypes in patients with congenital cardiac defects

Abstract Background Cardiac anomalies are among the most frequent congenital malformations, but the basic underlying causes for most cardiac defects remains undetermined. Some 40 years ago, a higher incidence of blood group B was reported in a small number of African-American children with congenital cardiac defects. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate this association using a larger population. Methods and Results We collected data from 1985 patients undergoing cardiac surgery from July, 2000, through December, 2004. We divided the patients into 6 subgroups according to their diagnosis. We then compared the prevalence of ABO phenotypes between the patients and the general population of the United States of America by chi-square analysis. There were no significant differences in the distribution of the ABO phenotypes amongst the subgroups of those with congenital cardiac disease, or any for subgroup compared to the general population. Conclusion While statistical significance is influenced by the size of the population within the United States of America and the small numbers within each of our subgroups of patients with congenital cardiac disease, we have been unable to show any relationship between the distribution of ABO phenotypes and the existence of congenital cardiac disease.
2009 Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in critically ill children in Cincinnati, Ohio*

Objective: To compare the clinical features, management, and outcome of critically ill children with H1N1 to children with seasonal influenza from the previous three influenza seasons. Design: The overall number of hospitalizations and the proportion cared for in the pediatric intensive care unit during the H1N1 epidemic period and the three previous influenza seasons (2007-2009) were determined. Medical records of patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with H1N1 and seasonal influenza infection were reviewed. Setting: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a large, 523-bed hospital located in Cincinnati. Patients: Hospitalized children with laboratory-confirmed seasonal or H1N1 infection. Measurements: Study variables included demographic data (age, gender), clinical factors (weight, Pediatric Risk of Mortality III scores, presenting signs and symptoms, comorbid conditions), management (length of mechanical ventilation, other treatments, including high-frequency oscillatory ventilatory support, inhaled nitric oxide, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), and outcome (overall and pediatric intensive care unit length of stay and mortality). Main Results: Overall, 312 children were hospitalized with H1N1 and 222 with seasonal influenza from the three previous seasons. Children with H1N1 infection were significantly less likely to require pediatric intensive care unit care compared to children with seasonal influenza infection (14% vs. 24%, p = .02). Compared to children with seasonal influenza, children in the pediatric intensive care unit with H1N1 were older (median age in months 107 vs. 68, p = .05) and significantly more likely to have comorbid conditions (64% vs. 40%, p = .03), especially respiratory conditions. While there were no significant differences in severity of illness by Pediatric Risk of Mortality III scores or pediatric intensive care unit length of stay, children with H1N1 were significantly less likely to have acute respiratory failure (p = .04) or die compared to children with seasonal influenza infection (p = .03). Conclusions: In contrast to other studies, we found that critically ill children with H1N1 had a significantly lower morbidity and mortality compared to children with seasonal influenza.
Structural Breaks in Potential GDP of Three Major Economies: Just Impaired Credit or the 'New Normal'?

This paper investigates the factors behind the recent growth slowdown (so-called Secular Stagnation) in the US, the euro area and Japan using the metrics of potential output growth. Specifically, our results offer limited support for an impaired credit transmission channel hypothesis (Reinhart and Rogoff, 2009a), while not supporting a supply slowdown hypothesis (Gordon, 2012). We propose a unified framework to test those hypotheses based on structural break tests of potential output. We estimate a variety of potential output growth models accounting for inflation, unemployment, and private credit dynamics (finance-neutral estimates) with multivariate Kalman filters and subject our estimates to structural break tests. We detect structural breaks between 2008 and 2010 for all three countries with Bai-Perron search procedure, the result being robust to the model specification and sample choice, with no significant difference between ordinary and finance-neutral estimates. We proceed with the Chen-Liu test to detect negative temporary change outliers in the Great Recession for the US and the euro area and negative level shift outliers for Japan. Moreover, original breaks in the Chen-Liu test disappear in the US and the euro area once we account for private credit and labour market dynamics, but do not change for Japan.
The Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey. Physical fitness related to blood pressure but not lipoproteins.

BACKGROUND Recent research indicates that levels of conventional coronary heart disease risk factors in children are related to the premature development of atheroma. It is therefore important to determine how risk factors might be modified on a population scale in children. METHODS AND RESULTS In 1985, the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey was conducted on a representative sample of Australian schoolchildren aged 7 to 15 years. In children aged 9, 12, and 15, data on plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were obtained along with measurements of blood pressure, fitness, and body fatness. From an original sample of 2400 in these three age categories 1919 underwent the full set of measurements. Univariate analysis of these data revealed a strong association between body fatness and plasma lipids. There was no significant association between fitness (measured as physical work capacity at a heart rate of 170 beats per minute per kilogram of lean body mass) and plasma lipids, but a significant negative association was found for fitness and systolic blood pressure (r = -.12, P < .001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the association of fitness with systolic blood pressure was only partly accounted for by the confounding effect of lower body fatness in fitter children. CONCLUSIONS These data collected on a representative sample of children under standardized conditions confirm a previous finding of a link between fitness and blood pressure in schoolchildren and also support a growing consensus that fitness is only weakly linked to plasma lipids and lipoproteins in children and adolescents.
Fusion may not be a necessary procedure for surgically treated burst fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spines: a follow-up of at least ten years.

BACKGROUND The surgical results of treating thoracolumbar and lumbar burst fractures were reported to be comparable between patients with and without fusion in an intermediate-term follow-up. To our knowledge, no prior report has compared the results of fusion and non-fusion with long-term follow-up. METHODS This study was designed to provide long-term evaluation of patients with a burst fracture of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine treated with short-segment fixation who were randomly assigned to a fusion or non-fusion group. Patients older than sixty years of age at the time of injury and those who were lost to follow-up were excluded. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Greenough Low-Back Outcome Score and the visual analog scale for back pain. Radiographic outcomes were focused on the vertebral body height of the injured vertebra, the kyphotic angle, and the regional segmental motion. RESULTS Twenty-two patients were enrolled in the non-fusion group, and twenty-four patients were enrolled in the fusion group. The average follow-up period was 134 months (range, 121 to 161 months). The average preoperative kyphotic angle was 16.4° for the non-fusion group and 19.5° for the fusion group. The average postoperative kyphotic angle was 1.5° for the non-fusion group and 4.0° for the fusion group. At the time of the latest follow-up, the average kyphotic angle was 13.8° for the non-fusion group and 14.7° for the fusion group. The average kyphotic angle between the two groups was similar at all follow-up times. A progressive decrease of the kyphotic angle was significant (p < 0.05) with time, regardless of fusion. The radiographic outcomes were similar between these two groups at all follow-up times, as were functional outcomes. More patients in the non-fusion group underwent additional surgery to remove implants. Regional segmental motion was preserved in the non-fusion group, with a mean motion (and standard deviation) of 4.2° ± 1.9°. CONCLUSIONS The long-term results of short segmental fixation with and without fusion for burst fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine were comparable. Regional segmental motion could be preserved without fusion, and bone graft donor site complications could be eliminated. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A Multiple Case Study of Challenges and Successes Experienced by Founders and Directors of Nature-Based Preschools in the United States

Nature-based preschools are defined as educational settings in which children spend three or more hours per school day in natural environments such as woods, meadows, and beaches (Knight, 2013). The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to obtain a deep understanding of the challenges and successes of nature-based preschool (NBP) founders and directors in the United States and to develop recommendations for those interested in establishing and operating NBPs in the United States. A rich description of the phenomenon of founding and directing NBPs was developed by first answering the primary research question: “What can be learned from the challenges and successes experienced by founders and directors of NBPs in the United States? ” The study’s participants included directors and founders from three NBPs in the United States. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, public documents, timelines, and through multi-media sources, such as each school’s website. Withincase analysis and cross-case analysis was employed to analyze the data, generating the following key themes: experience, relationships, temperament, like-mindedness, mission focus, collaboration, leadership, worldview, and outlook. Recommendations are provided for other NBP founders and directors which may lead to an increase in the number of NBPs in the United States.
HLA-G is differentially expressed in thyroid tissues.

BACKGROUND HLA-G is a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex molecule that has well-recognized immunomodulatory properties. The expression of HLA-G in tumor cells has been considered to be detrimental, permitting tumor spreading and decreased survival. We evaluated the expression of HLA-G in histologically normal thyroid tissue, goiter, and benign and malignant thyroid tumors, and studied the relationship between HLA-G expression and patient clinical variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS The immunohistochemistry expression of HLA-G was performed on 72 specimens of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 19 follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC), 22 follicular adenomas (FA), 22 colloid goiters (CG), and 14 histologically normal thyroid glands (NT). The percentage of HLA-G staining was graded from absent (-) to intense (+++). RESULTS HLA-G was faintly expressed in areas of hyperplasia in NT and CG. In PTC, FTC, and FA, the percentage of cell staining was significantly higher than in NT and CG (p<0.001 for each comparison). The tumor area with HLA-G expression was greater in FTC (p=0.0059) and PTC (p=0.0330) compared to FA. According to the magnitude of HLA-G staining, PTC tumors >1 cm exhibited increased HLA-G staining when compared to smaller tumors (p=0.03). Aggressive histologic subtypes of PTC have a higher median stained tumor area. No association was found between HLA-G expression and tumoral staging or patient disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS The gradual increase of HLA-G expression from hyperplasia to carcinomas, and the association of strong HLA staining with some variables implicated in poor prognosis corroborate the unfavorable role of HLA-G in tumor thyroid cells, inhibiting cytotoxic immune system cells and facilitating tumor evasion and progression.
A Tilted Combined Beam Antenna for 5G Communications Using a 28-GHz Band

A novel combined beam antenna for 5G communications using a 28-GHz frequency band is proposed, which provides a tilted radiation on an elevation plane. Instead of applying a conventional array technique to produce a scanned beam, two different radiating elements have been combined in order to obtain a relatively wide beam but high gain in a tilted target direction. There are two main radiators; one is a group of microstrip patches, and the other is a waveguide aperture. The patches produce two split strong beams on the azimuth plane. The aperture further increases antenna gain on the elevation plane. Finally, by optimizing the constructive interference between the patches and the aperture, we can obtain relatively high antenna gain even with a wide beam spreading across an azimuthal plane. All experiments show good agreement with the simulation results, which proves the validity of our approach.
Relationship between MNA and SF-36 in a free-living elderly population aged 70 to 75.

BACKGROUND Within a larger study of social network and nutrition, we investigated measurements of nutritional status and health related quality of life. OBJECTIVE To relate a well-established questionnaire of nutritional status (MNA) to a likewise well-established questionnaire of health related quality of life (SF-36) in community dwelling, free-living and, healthy 70-75 years old persons. DESIGN Before an interview, the MNA and SF-36 questionnaires were filled in by 128 participants from a sample of 262 subjects. RESULTS The MNA worked well as a measurement in this sample. Many MNA aspects correlated with the SF-36 scales. The correlations between MNA total score and the eight SF-36 scales varied from . 27 to . 62. DISCUSSION This correlation was partly due to the fact that MNA has questions of health but also to the fact that there is an empirical relation between nutrition and health. CONCLUSION The MNA measurement is applicable to a healthy, free-living elderly population and parts of the MNA can be interpreted as measurements of health related quality of life. Low values of SF-36 could also be used as predictors of risk of malnutrition, although further studies are required to confirm this result.
Leucocyte esterase testing of first-voided urine and urethral and cervical smears to identify Mycoplasma genitalium-infected men and women

Leucocyte esterase (LE) in first-voided urine (FVU) and presence of leucocytes in urethral and cervical smears were evaluated to identify Mycoplasma genitalium infection in 416 men and 417 women attending Department of Genitourinary Medicine. M. genitalium was diagnosed in FVU specimens by realtime polymerase chain reaction. The prevalence of M. genitalium was 6.5% in women and 6.7% in men. In total, 88.5% (23/26) of M. genitalium-infected men were identified by a combination of urethral smear and the LE test. In women, the combination of urethral and/or cervical smears and/or a positive LE test identified 91.3% (21/23) of M. genitalium-infected patients. Organism load in FVU correlated significantly with presence of urethritis (≥4 leucocytes per high-power field) in men. A combination of LE testing of urine and urethral and/or cervical smears can be used as screening tests to select patients for specific M. genitalium testing. By this strategy, about 10% of infected individuals will remain undetected.
Effects of Impact Fees on Urban Form and Congestion in Florida

This study analyzes the effects of impact fees on urban form and congestion through econometric analysis. The results show that there is some evidence that impact fees might reduce congestion by creating disincentives to residential development and job creation. However, direct evidence of a negative effect of impact fees in development and job growth is not found. There is no evidence that the difference in impact fees between central cities and outer areas promotes a more compact urban form. Likewise, there is no evidence that more road impact fees decrease congestion through more investment in infrastructure. This finding might be because impact fees usually finance local roads but congestion is concentrated on freeways and arterials or because there is a spatial, temporal, or financial mismatch between the collection and investment of impact fees. There is a clear, significant, and substantial positive relationship between density and congestion; this relationship indicates a weak increase in transit use in denser environments or a potential increase in automotive travel through higher trip frequency. However, other urban form variables related to the distribution of that density have a negative effect on congestion, indicating that certain urban configurations could decrease congestion. Finally, changes in congestion are negatively correlated with the congestion levels at the beginning of the period; this finding suggests that congestion is increasing faster in those areas that used to be less congested.
Update on cardiometabolic health effects of &ohgr;-3 fatty acids

Purpose of review The fish fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may promote cardiometabolic health. This review summarizes the results of recent meta-analyses of prospective studies on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes type 2 and markers of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Recent findings The results of recently published meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies showed that eating fish once a week was associated with a 16% lower risk of fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and a 14% lower risk of stroke incidence, but was not related to heart failure. Fish consumption may be associated with a higher risk of diabetes in Western countries and a lower risk in Asian countries. Recent meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials showed that EPA–DHA supplementation reduced the risk of fatal CHD and sudden death by 10% of which the latter was not significant. Extra EPA–DHA did not reduce the risk of heart failure, stroke and cardiac arrhythmias. &ohgr;-3 fatty acid (FA) supplementation did reduce markers of ventricular fibrillation, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction and platelet aggregation. Summary There is strong evidence for a protective effect of &ohgr;-3 FA on fatal CHD and for some markers of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Consistent results were not obtained for other vascular diseases and diabetes. &ohgr;-3 FA reduced markers of ventricular fibrillation but did not reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation.
Virulent Combinations of Adhesin and Toxin Genes in Natural Populations of Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Most cases of severe Staphylococcus aureus disease cannot be explained by the action of a single virulence determinant, and it is likely that a number of factors act in combination during the infective process. This study examined the relationship between disease in humans and a large number of putative virulence determinants, both individually and in combination. S. aureus isolates (n = 334) from healthy blood donors and from patients with invasive disease were compared for variation in the presence of 33 putative virulence determinants. After adjusting for the effect of clonality, seven determinants (fnbA, cna, sdrE, sej, eta, hlg, and ica) were significantly more common in invasive isolates. All seven factors contributed independently to virulence. No single factor predominated as the major predictor of virulence, their effects appearing to be cumulative. No combinations of the seven genes were either more or less likely to cause disease than others with the same number of virulence-associated genes. There was evidence of considerable horizontal transfer of genes on a background of clonality. Our findings also suggested that allelic variants of a polymorphic locus can make different contributions to the disease process, further study of which is likely to expand our understanding of staphylococcal disease pathogenesis.
The tourism Web acceptance model

The tourism Web acceptance model (T-WAM) is a model of consumers’ acceptance of information technology designed for e-tourism. The model aims to explain intention to book tourism products online better than other models do. Results from a survey collected from 389 Tunisian consumers show that the T-WAM is more robust than other models and theories (e.g. technology acceptance model, theory of planned behavior (TPB), decomposed TPB model, and flow theory) to explain behavioral intention in the context of e-tourism. The explained variance of intention to book is about 51% (R 2 = 50.6%). Results are discussed in detail, and recommendations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.
The effect of ultraviolet (UV) A1, UVB and solar‐simulated radiation on p53 activation and p21Waf1/Cip1

Background High‐dose ultraviolet (UV) A1 therapy (doses in the order of 130 J cm−2) is effective for atopic dermatitis and scleroderma. UVA1 has been shown to induce a dose‐dependent increase in p53 expression in keratinocytes.
Blood Money: Violence for Hire in the National Hockey League

Fans have long been attracted to the violence of professional hockey and the positive relationship between attendance and violent incidents has led to its being characterized as a “blood sport. ” This paper assesses how NHL salaries reward not only skilled players but also “enforcers” whose value is driven more by fighting ability. We find evidence that the factors determining the salaries of these two player types differ significantly. Enforcers are seen to be valued more for their defensive contributions and only for the enforcer group is there any evidence that penalty minutes have a positive effect on earnings.
Idiopathic Endolymphatic Hydrops and the Vestibular Aqueduct

The vestibular aqueduct (VA) and endolymphatic sac were examined topographically in 29 human ears with idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops. When compared with 34 control ears, there was found to be a slight but statistically significant reduction in the width (P < 0.005) and length (P < 0.05) of the vestibular aqueduct. A small hypoplastic endolymphatic sac was found in three of the ears with hydrops but was also present in one control ear. It would appear that a marked reduction in sac size is not a consistent feature in ears with endolymphatic hydrops.