Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How can a brief intervention contribute to coping with back pain? A focus group study about participants’ experiences

Background: Our aim was to explore how individuals who had participated in a brief back and neck pain intervention perceived connections between the intervention and their subsequent coping. Methods: Three focus group discussions were conducted with a sample of ten employees aged 20–67 years, who had participated in a brief intervention for back and neck pain, perceived the intervention as helpful and had returned or remained at work subsequent to the intervention. Participants were invited to share stories of how the intervention had made a positive difference to their work situation and everyday life and helped them cope with their complaints. Systematic text condensation was used for analysis. Results: Analysis revealed several aspects of how the participants considered the intervention to be helpful. They emphasized the importance of having the information delivered in a comprehensible way, with the use of practical examples and images of the spine. Discussions revealed the significance of trusting the lecturers and perceiving them as experts. Understanding why they felt the pain and that it was not a sign of serious disease changed the participants’ perception of how they could live with the complaints. They told stories of how they had exceeded their previous limits and dared to undertake activities they previously had avoided due to fear. Conclusions: Having confidence in the lecturers and seeing them as experts that delivered the information in a comprehensible way helped participants to cope with their pain and was seen as the most important aspects of the brief back and neck pain intervention.
Predicting Concentrations of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds Resulting from Desktop 3D Printer Operation and the Impact of Potential Control Strategies

Recent studies have shown that potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles (UFPs) are emitted from many desktop three‐dimensional printer and filament combinations. We use recently published measurements of UFP and speciated VOC emission rates from a number of desktop 3D printers and filaments to predict the magnitudes of human exposures to airborne pollutants that would be expected in multiple locations within a typical small office environment. We also model the impacts of several control strategies for reducing occupational exposures. Results demonstrate that UFP and VOC concentrations within close or moderate proximity (i.e., within 3 and 3 to 18 meters, respectively) to some desktop 3D printer and filament combinations with the highest emissions can exceed recommended exposure levels (RELs) for some VOCs and typical indoor concentrations for both UFPs and VOCs. Concentrations of caprolactam within close proximity to a printer using some nylon‐based filaments are predicted to exceed both acute and chronic RELs set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. UFP concentrations are predicted to reach as high as 80,000 particles per cubic centimeter in close proximity to the highest emitting printer and filament combinations. The printer and filament combinations with the lowest UFP and VOC emission rates are not expected to yield concentrations at levels of concern. The most effective control strategies for reducing both UFP and VOC concentrations included installing a high‐flow spot ventilation system and operating the printer in a sealed enclosure with high‐efficiency gas and particle filtration.
Tacrolimus prolonged release in kidney transplantation

Lack of improvement in long-term post-transplant outcomes in recent times has highlighted nonadherence to immunosuppressive therapy as a major risk factor for poor patient outcomes. A once-daily immunosuppressive dosing regimen has been shown to be associated with improved patient adherence and, possibly, better long-term outcomes. Consequently, tacrolimus prolonged release (Advagraf®) has been developed to ensure similar efficacy and safety to Prograf®, with the added benefit of once-daily dosing. Phase II pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that patients can be converted from Prograf to Advagraf on a one-to-one total daily-dose basis and that trough levels can be monitored using the systems already in place. Studies investigating de novo use have shown that Advagraf can be initiated within the same dose range as Prograf, and that trough levels should be monitored over time, with the dose adjusted accordingly to maintain exposure within the appropriate therapeutic range. Large multicenter Phase III studies have demonstrated the good long-term efficacy and safety profiles of Advagraf, and suggest that Advagraf also has the potential to provide the added benefits of lower inter- and intrasubject variability compared with Prograf. In one large Phase III study, measures of renal function also favored Advagraf over Prograf. In conclusion, once-daily Advagraf treatment could potentially enhance post-transplantation adherence to medication and, consequently, improve long-term graft protection while maintaining adequate immunosuppression.
Banks’ loan rejection rates and the creditworthiness of the banks’ corporate customers

We offer micro-econometric evidence on the relationship between the banks’ loan rejection rates and the creditworthiness of the banks’ small and mediumsized corporate customers in 2007 and 2009-2010 based on a unique Danish firmand bank-level dataset. We find lower acceptance rates for applications for bank loans from firms with weak economic performance than for firms with strong economic performance. This was the case both prior to but especially during the financial crisis in 2009-2010, where firms with higher profit ratios, solvency ratios and liquidity ratios had a significantly higher probability of having their loan application accepted than firms with poor economic performance. Firms that did not apply for debt financing in 2009-2010 due to fear of rejection or high interest rates had weaker economic performance measured by solvency ratio, profit ratio, short-term debt ratio and liquidity than firms which applied for debt finance.
The Effects of Regulatory Reforms on Public Procurement: The Case of a National University in Russia

This paper analyses the impact of reform and different regulation regimes on the effectiveness of procurement at a large state university in the period from 2008 to 2012. We evaluate the impact on the procurement effectiveness parameters of two significant changes in the public procurement regulations: transfer to electronic auctions from 2010 under the Federal Law and the adoption by this organization of its own Procurement Provision from 2011. We show that transfer to electronic auctions leads to higher competition and more significant price decreases, whereas the adoption of Procurement provision has the opposite effect. Regarding delays in contract execution, the first reform has no effect and the second regulation change results in decreasing delays.
Molecular Cloning of a Functional Allatostatin Gut/Brain Receptor and an Allatostatin Preprohormone from the Silkworm Bombyx mori *

The cockroach-type or A-type allatostatins are inhibitory insect neuropeptides with the C-terminal sequence Tyr/Phe-X-Phe-Gly-Leu-NH2. Here, we have cloned an A-type allatostatin receptor from the silkworm Bombyx mori (BAR). BAR is 361 amino acid residues long, has seven transmembrane domains, shows 60% amino acid residue identity with the first Drosophila allatostatin receptor (DAR-1), and 48% identity with the second Drosophila allatostatin receptor (DAR-2). The BAR gene has two introns and three exons. These two introns coincide with and have the same intron phasing as two introns in the DAR-1 and DAR-2 genes, showing that the three receptors are not only structurally but also evolutionarily related. Furthermore, we have cloned a Bombyx allatostatin preprohormone that contains eight different A-type allatostatins. Chinese hamster ovary cells permanently transfected with BAR DNA react on the addition of 4 × 10−9 m Bombyx A-type allatostatins with a second messenger cascade (measured as bioluminescence), showing that BAR is a functional A-type allatostatin receptor. Southern blots suggest that Bombyx has at least one other BAR-related gene in addition to the BAR gene described in this paper. Northern blots and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of different larval tissues show that BAR mRNA is mainly expressed in the gut and to a much lesser extent in the brain. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular cloning and functional expression of an insect gut/brain peptide hormone receptor.
Frequency Dependence Hearing Loss Evaluation in Perforated Tympanic Membrane

Abstract Introduction Tympanic membrane perforation is a relatively common problem that predisposes patients to varying degrees of conductive hearing loss. Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate and analyze the frequency dependence hearing loss in tympanic membrane perforation based on the size and the site of perforation. Methods For the study, I selected 71 patients' (89) ears for the cross-sectional study with tympanic membrane perforations; I examined the size and the site of perforations under the microscope and classified them into small, moderate, large, and subtotal perforations, and into anterior central, posterior central, malleolor central, and big central perforations. I measured mean level of speech frequencies hearing loss, and its relation with the site and the size of the perforation analyzed. Results The mean hearing loss at different sizes of the perforation at all speech frequencies was 37.4 dB, with ABG of 26.6 dB, and its maximum loss was detected in subtotal perforation of 42.3 dB, with ABG of 33.7 dB, at 500 Hz frequency, while in relation to the sites, it was 38.2 dB, with ABG of 26.8 dB, and its maximum loss was detected in big central site perforation of 42.1 dB, with ABG of 33.6 dB, at 500 Hz frequency. Conclusions The hearing loss was proportionally related with the sizes of the perforations, and the posterior site had greater impact on the hearing than anterior site perforations. This was also applied to the frequency dependence hearing level, as was detected to be worse at lower frequencies as 500 Hz, than those of 1000–2000 Hz.
Pathogenesis of renal injury in obstructive uropathy

Purpose of review This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the factors contributing to obstructive nephropathy, the most important cause of renal failure in children. The major focus is on renal cellular and molecular events, with emphasis on those affecting the developing kidney. Recent findings Experiments in the fetal sheep or neonatal rat, mouse, or pig reveal dramatic effects of urinary tract obstruction on renal growth and development. Surgical relief of obstruction can reverse some of the structural and functional deficits, but cannot restore normalcy. Renal tubular apoptosis is a major factor leading to tubular atrophy following unilateral ureteral obstruction. Increased reactive oxygen species, and a renal environment favoring pro-apoptotic, over survival, signals, contribute to cell death. A variety of intrarenal factors lead to progressive interstitial fibrosis, including the newly described process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, whereby tubular epithelial cells are transformed into activated fibroblasts. A number of endogenous antifibrotic counter-regulatory molecules have been identified, opening the possibility of enhancing the kidney's own defenses against progressive fibrosis. Summary The renal response to urinary tract obstruction is complex and involves a wide array of interacting molecules. Elucidation of these interactions will lead to the identification of biomarkers that will allow a more precise prediction to the response to surgical intervention and, hopefully, to novel therapies to prevent renal deterioration.
Halting the Development of Conduct Problems in Head Start Children: The Effects of Parent Training

We examined parent and child moderators of outcome, program engagement effects, and predictors of engagement in the Incredible Years Parent Training Program. Head Start classrooms (N = 882 children) were randomly assigned to an intervention condition (that received the Incredible Years program) or to a control condition (that received usual Head Start services). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to model the effects of the training program on child outcomes. The analyses showed differential program effects depending on children's initial levels of conduct problems and mothers' initial levels of critical parenting. Children with high baseline levels of conduct problems and children of mothers with high initial levels of critical parenting benefited most from the program. Changes in children's conduct problems were also related to maternal engagement in the program and to intervention mothers' success at reducing their critical parenting.
Determining risk factors for surgical wound dehiscence: a literature review

Postoperative wound healing plays a significant role in facilitating a patient's recovery and rehabilitation. Surgical wound dehiscence (SWD) impacts on mortality and morbidity rates and significantly contributes to prolonged hospital stays and associated psychosocial stressors on individuals and their families. A narrative review of SWD was undertaken on English‐only studies between 1945 and 2012 using three electronic databases Ovid CINHAL, Ovid Medline and Pubmed. The aim of this review was to identify predisposing factors for SWD and assessment tools to assist in the identification of at‐risk patients. Key findings from the included 15 papers out of a search of 1045 revealed the most common risk factors associated with SWD including obesity and wound infection, particularly in the case of abdominal surgery. There is limited reporting of variables associated with SWD across other surgical domains and a lack of risk assessment tools. Furthermore, there was a lack of clarity in the definition of SWD in the literature. This review provides an overview of the available research and provides a basis for more rigorous analysis of factors that contribute to SWD.
Clinical features and visual outcomes of scleritis patients presented to tertiary care eye centers in Saudi Arabia.

AIM To describe the clinical features, systemic associations, treatment and visual outcomes in Saudi patients with scleritis. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed for patients with scleritis presenting to two tertiary care eye hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2001 to 2011. Data were collected on the clinical features of scleritis, subtypes of scleritis, associated systemic disease, history of previous ocular surgery and medical therapy, including the use of immunosuppressants. Treatment outcomes were evaluated based on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and response to treatment. RESULTS Of the 52 patients included in the study, non-necrotizing anterior scleritis was the most common type of scleritis in 22 patients (42.3%), followed by posterior scleritis in 14 patients (26.9%). The majority of cases, 31 patients (59.6%), were idiopathic in nature. Systemic associations were present in 12 patients (23.1%). Infectious scleritis was confirmed in 6 patients (11.5%): 3 with bacterial scleritis after pterygium excision, 2 patients with scleritis related to tuberculosis and 1 patient with scleritis resulting from herpes simplex infection. For the various subtypes of scleritis, BCVA values after treatment and time to remission significantly differed (P<0.05, all cases). Systemic immunosuppressive therapies in addition to steroids were administered to 46.2% of all patients. The T-sign was present on B-scan ultrasonography in 9 (64.3%) of the 14 posterior scleritis patients. CONCLUSION Non-necrotizing anterior scleritis was the most common subtype of scleritis. Final visual outcome and time to remission differed among the various scleritis subtypes.
Pediatric Paradoxical Vocal-Fold Motion: Presentation and Natural History

OBJECTIVES: To describe (1) a cohort of children with paradoxical vocal-fold motion (PVFM) who were referred to a multidisciplinary airway center and (2) the outcomes of various treatment modalities including speech therapy, gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment, and psychiatric treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a case series with chart review of children younger than 18 years with PVFM evaluated at a tertiary care pediatric airway center over a 36-month period. RESULTS: Fifty-nine children with PVFM were evaluated. The cohort had a mean age of 13.64 years (range: 8–18 years) and a female-to-male ratio of 3:1. Speech therapy as an initial treatment resulted in a 63% (24 of 38) success rate after an average of 3.7 treatment sessions. Speech therapy was a more successful treatment than antireflux therapy (P = .001). Ten percent (6 of 59) of the children presented with a known psychiatric diagnosis, and 30% (18 of 59) of children in the cohort were ultimately diagnosed with a psychiatric condition. Children with inspiratory stridor at rest had a lower initial success rate with speech therapy (56%), a higher rate of underlying psychiatric disorders (75%), and a high rate of success after psychiatric treatment (100%) that required, on average, 3 sessions over a 2-month period. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date on pediatric PVFM. The majority of children with PVFM improve with speech therapy. Children with PVFM at rest may be better treated with psychiatric therapy than speech therapy. Furthermore, children who present with symptoms at rest may have a higher likelihood of underlying psychiatric disease.
A Comparison of Confidence Interval Methods for the Concordance Correlation Coefficient and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient with Small Number of Raters

The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with fixed raters or, equivalently, the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) for continuous outcomes is a widely accepted aggregate index of agreement in settings with small number of raters. Quantifying the precision of the CCC by constructing its confidence interval (CI) is important in early drug development applications, in particular in qualification of biomarker platforms. In recent years, there have been several new methods proposed for construction of CIs for the CCC, but their comprehensive comparison has not been attempted. The methods consisted of the delta method and jackknifing with and without Fisher's Z-transformation, respectively, and Bayesian methods with vague priors. In this study, we carried out a simulation study, with data simulated from multivariate normal as well as heavier tailed distribution (t-distribution with 5 degrees of freedom), to compare the state-of-the-art methods for assigning CI to the CCC. When the data are normally distributed, the jackknifing with Fisher's Z-transformation (JZ) tended to provide superior coverage and the difference between it and the closest competitor, the Bayesian method with the Jeffreys prior was in general minimal. For the nonnormal data, the jackknife methods, especially the JZ method, provided the coverage probabilities closest to the nominal in contrast to the others which yielded overly liberal coverage. Approaches based upon the delta method and Bayesian method with conjugate prior generally provided slightly narrower intervals and larger lower bounds than others, though this was offset by their poor coverage. Finally, we illustrated the utility of the CIs for the CCC in an example of a wake after sleep onset (WASO) biomarker, which is frequently used in clinical sleep studies of drugs for treatment of insomnia.
The Removable Mandibular Retractor vs the Bone-anchored Intermaxillary Traction in the Correction of skeletal class III Malocclusion in children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND No randomized controlled trial has tried to compare early class III treatment outcomes between the removable mandibular retractor (RMR) and the bone-anchored intermaxillary traction (BAIMT). The objective of this study was to evaluate skeletal, dental, and soft-tissue changes following early class III treatment with these two treatment modalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS A parallel group randomized controlled trial was conducted on patients with class III malocclusion, treated at the University ofAl-Baath Dental School in Hamah, Syria. Ninety-three children with skeletal class III malocclusion were evaluated and 41 children fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Randomization was performed using computer-generated tables; allocation was concealed using sequentially numbered opaque and sealed envelopes. Thirty-eight participants were analyzed (mean age 11.46 ± 1.28 years). They were randomly distributed into two groups receiving either the RMR or the BAIMT technique with 19 children in each (1:1 allocation ratio). The primary outcome measure was the horizontal movement of points A, B, and Pogonion. RESULTS Point A showed greater anterior movement in the BAIMT group (x = 1.69 mm) than in the RMR group (x = 1.05 mm; p < 0.001). Points B and Pog showed posterior movement in the BAIMT group (x=-3.01 and -2.51 mm respectively) and anterior movements in the RMR group (x = 0.22 and 0.78 mm respectively). CONCLUSION The BAIMT appeared to be more effective than the RMR in the correction of mild to moderate class III malocclusion in growing patients. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Bone-anchored intermaxillary elastics appears to be a promising solution for class III growing patients with mild to moderate degrees of skeletal discrepancy.
Modelling responses to spatially fractionated radiation fields using preclinical image-guided radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE Radiotherapy is planned to achieve the optimal physical dose distribution to the target tumour volume whilst minimizing dose to the surrounding normal tissue. Recent in vitro experimental evidence has demonstrated an important role for intercellular communication in radiobiological responses following non-uniform exposures. This study aimed to model the impact of these effects in the context of techniques involving highly modulated radiation fields or spatially fractionated treatments such as spatially fractionated radiotherapy (GRID). METHODS Using the small-animal radiotherapy research platform as a key enabling technology to deliver precision imaged-guided radiotherapy, it is possible to achieve spatially modulated dose distributions that model typical clinical scenarios. In this work, we planned uniform and spatially fractionated dose distributions using multiple isocentres with beam sizes of 0.5-5 mm to obtain 50% volume coverage in a subcutaneous murine tumour model and applied a model of cellular response that incorporates intercellular communication to assess the potential impact of signalling effects with different ranges. RESULTS Models of GRID treatment plans which incorporate intercellular signalling showed increased cell killing within the low-dose region. This results in an increase in the equivalent uniform dose for GRID exposures compared with standard models, with some GRID exposures being predicted to be more effective than uniform delivery of the same physical dose. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the potential impact of radiation-induced signalling on tumour cell response for spatially fractionated therapies and identifies key experiments to validate this model and quantify these effects in vivo. Advances in knowledge: This study highlights the unique opportunities now possible using advanced preclinical techniques to develop a foundation for biophysical optimization in radiotherapy treatment planning.