Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Growth and Physical Outcome of Children Conceived by In Vitro

Objective. To determine the growth and physical outcome at 2 years of age for children born after assisted reproductive techniques in the state of Victoria. Design. Using a case-matched control study between January 1991 and July 1993, 314 children (196 singletons, 47 sets of twins, 8 sets of triplets) conceived after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and related techniques at the Monash IVF and Royal Women's Hospital Reproductive Biology Unit and 150 control children (113 singletons, 17 sets of twins, 1 set of triplets) randomly selected from the gen- eral population using the Victorian Perinatal Data Col- lection Unit records were enrolled to be examined for minor dysmorphic and major organ abnormalities. Sin- gl eton and twin cases were matched for plurality and gestation and date of birth. Triplets were not matched. Results. IVF status was not a significant independent factor for physical outcomes, including malformation rates, nor for days of hospitalization postdischarge and operations. There was no significant interaction between IVF status and mean percentiles for weight and head circumference. The IVF group had a greater mean length percentile. Twins in both groups had significantly poorer physical outcomes than singletons on some measures. Conclusion. This study did not demonstrate an hide- pendent IVF effect on the growth and physical outcome of children at 2 years of age when matched for plurality and gestation. The poor outcomes where noted were re- lated to the effects of multiple births. These findings must be viewed in context of the response rates and
Femoral Revision with Impaction Allografting and an Uncemented Femoral Component

A technique for uncemented revision of the femoral component which combines impaction allografting and the use of a long-stemmed proximally coated titanium prostheses (Bimetric®, Biomet Inc.) is described. The results after a mean follow-up of 112 months are reported. From 1991 to 1995 femoral component revision for aseptic loosening was performed on 100 hips. In 14 cases (14%) an intraoperative fracture occurred and 7 patients (7%) had other postoperative complications. Seventeen patients (17%) required further revision, 10 because of aseptic loosening. Of 50 surviving patients with retained implants 88% had no pain, 10% had slight pain and only 2% had severe pain. Thirty-eight patients had radiographic signs of remodelling of the graft and/or cortical repair. In cases with a successful outcome, the results have been encouraging in relation to clinical performance, regeneration of bone and implant survival.
Reference Intervals of Hematological Variables for Healthy Antepartum and Postpartum Women

Objective: To report the reference intervals for antepartum and postpartum hematological variables. Material and methods: The series consists of 488 women with a normal pregnancy duration of ≧37 weeks and a normal delivery with a newborn weight >2500 g. Blood samples were obtained 24 hours before birth and 24 hours after birth. The following indicators were analyzed: white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), platelet (PLT), and neutrophil (NE) counts. Reference values were calculated as the mean ±1. 96 ×SD. Results: Compared with antepartum measurements, RBC, Hb, PLT, and HCT values declined at 24 hours postpartum (P < 0. 05), whereas WBC and NE values significantly increased (P < 0. 05). Conclusion: The characteristic changes occurring in hematological indices at 24 h antepartum and 24 h postpartum are described in this study. The results may be used as reference values in the assessment of blood infection in antepartum and postpartum women.
Indexation of psychiatric journals from low‐ and middle‐income countries: a survey and a case study

There is a marked underepresentation of low- and middle-income countries (LAMIC) in the psychiatric literature, which may reflect an overall low representation of LAMIC publications in databases of indexed journals. This paper investigates the worldwide distribution of indexed psychiatric journals. A survey in both Medline and ISI Web of Science was performed in order to identify journals in the field of psychiatry according to their country of origin. Two hundred and twenty-two indexed psychiatric journals were found. Of these, 213 originated from high-income countries and only nine (4.1%) from middle-income countries. None were found in low-income countries. We also present the experience of a LAMIC psychiatric journal, the Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, in its recent indexation process. This case study may serve as an example for other LAMIC journals to pursue indexation in major databases as a strategy to widen the international foundation of psychiatric research. There is an important need for the inclusion of LAMIC psychiatric publications in the major indexation databases. This process will require multiple agents to partner with journals from LAMIC to improve their quality and strengthen their chances of being indexed.
WWC Intervention Report U . S . DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION What Works Clearinghouse TM Early Childhood Education Updated December 2013 Pre-K Mathematics with DLM Early Childhood Express

Pre-K Mathematics is a supplemental curriculum designed to develop the informal mathematical knowledge and skills of preschool children with content organized into seven units. Specific math concepts and skills from each unit are taught in the classroom through teacherguided, small-group activities with concrete manipulatives. The curriculum also includes take-home activities that parallel the smallgroup classroom activities, and are designed to help parents support their children’s mathematical development at home. The DLM Early Childhood Express Math software includes corresponding math-based activities to reinforce math concepts taught in the classroom.
Adaptive control of simple time-varying systems

The adaptive control of simple linear time-varying systems is treated for the case in which their parameters vary arbitrarily in an unknown compact set. The state variables of these systems are assumed to be available for measurement. It is shown that all the signals in the adaptive system are bounded for any bounded reference input. This result requires neither a modification of the standard adaptive law, nor the persistent excitation of the reference input. The extension of the result to general cases, where only the input and output are accessible, is briefly discussed. <<ETX>>
Mapping of wind-thrown forests using CARABAS-II VHF SAR image data

Heavy storms are causing severe damage worldwide to forested land every year. The devastating storms that struck central Europe in late 1999 destroyed the equivalent of several years of normal forest harvesting, amounting to very large economical sums. Therefore, rapid mapping of damaged areas is of major importance for assessment of short-term actions as well as for long-term reforestation purposes. In this paper, the use of airborne CARABAS-II VHF (20-90 MHz) SAR imagery for high spatial resolution mapping of wind-thrown forests has been investigated and evaluated. The investigation was performed at a test site located in southern Sweden, dominated by Norway spruce forests. A regression model predicting forest stem volume from radar backscattering amplitude was used to retrieve stem volume for storm-damaged areas. Finally, the predicted volumes were compared with subjectively inventoried stem volumes. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that the backscattering amplitude is considerably higher for wind-thrown forests in comparison with backscattering from unaffected forests. Nevertheless, this finding implies that VHF SAR imagery has potential for mapping wind-thrown forests, preferably using change detection techniques of images acquired prior to and after storm-fellings.
Library Homepage Design at Smaller Bachelor of Arts Institutions

This study examined the homepages of the libraries of 175 smaller bachelor of arts institutions, coding for the presence of 98 design elements. By reporting and examining the frequency of these features, the authors noted what is and is not common practice at these libraries. They found that only fourteen elements were present on at least half of the homepages studied. The most common elements were hours, a link to the university homepage, interlibrary loan, library instruction/tutorials/guides, a staff directory, an “about section,” and a “contact librarian” link. The large degree of variability in design demonstrates the unsettled nature of academic library homepage design, at least among smaller institutions, and makes it difficult for designers of such pages to follow a standard set of practices.
Management of Peritoneal Metastases of Colorectal Cancer, Literature Review

Background: Management of peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer is a highly debatable subject. Treatment options of this disease range from systemic chemotherapy, surgery followed by chemotherapy to resection, then chemotherapy and intraperitoneal chemotherapy with hyperthermia. Aim of the study: To review guidelines and updated studies on management of peritoneal carcinomatosis caused by colorectal cancer. Methodology: The study includes review of systematic reviews, multi-institutional data collection, randomized controlled trials and clinical reviews. Results: A total number of 893 patients with advanced colon cancer who presented as stage IV with peritoneal metastases as first presentation have been involved in this study. The most significant finding in these studies is the role of systemic chemotherapy either given as neoadjuvant, adjuvant or combined modality. The addition of Bevazucimab as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was a significant factor in improving response rate and survival. The use of Mitomycin C (MMC) as a component of HIPEC: hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) was better than Oxaliplatinin terms of median overall survival. Conclusion: The best treatment strategy for these patients is to give neoadjuvant chemotherapy (no specific regime showed superiority over others) with VEGF Bevazucimab aiming at maximum cytoreduction, and then doing HIPEC using Mitomycin C as chemotherapeutic agent followed by adjuvant chemotherapy including Bevazicumab as VEGF component.
Multicenter External Validation and Comparison of Stone Scoring Systems in Predicting Outcomes After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Several scoring systems have recently emerged to predict stone-free rate (SFR) and complications after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We aimed to compare the most commonly used scoring systems (Guy's stone score, S.T.O.N.E. nephrolithometry, and CROES nomogram), assess their predictive accuracy for SFR and other postoperative variables, and develop a risk group stratification based on these scoring systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective review of patients who have had a PCNL at four academic institutions between 2006 and 2013. Primary outcome was SFR within 3 weeks of the surgery and secondary outcomes were operative time (OT), complications, and length of stay (LOS). We performed chi-squared, t-test, logistic, linear, and Poisson regressions, as well as receiver operating characteristics curve with area under the curve (AUC) calculation. RESULTS We identified 586 patients eligible for analysis. Of these, 67.4% were stone free. Guy's, S.T. O.N. E. , and CROES score were predictive of SFR on multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio [OR]: 1.398, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.056, 1.852, p = 0.019; OR: 1.417, 85% CI: 1.231, 1.631, p < 0.001; OR: 0.993, 95% CI: 0.988, 0.998, p = 0.004) and have similar predictive accuracy with AUCs of 0.629, 0.671, and 0.646, respectively. On multivariable linear regression, only S.T. O.N. E. was an independent predictor of longer OT (β = 14.556, 95% CI: 12.453, 16.660, p < 0.001). None of the scores were independent predictors of postoperative complications or a longer LOS. Poisson regression allowed for risk group stratification and showed the S.T. O.N. E. score and CROES nomogram to have the most distinct risk groups. CONCLUSIONS The three evaluated scoring systems have similar predictive accuracy of SFR. S.T. O.N. E. has additional value in predicting OT. Risk group stratification can be used for patient counseling. Further research is needed to identify whether or not any is superior to the others with regard to clinical usefulness and predictive accuracy.
Process-related competence areas to computer science education: An empirical determination

In this article empirically determined, process-related competence areas to computer science education at primary and secondary school levels are discussed. Based on the results of interviews with 120 professors of computer science and using multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analysis, six process-related competence areas to computer science education characterized by the degree of content-related coverage and educational accessibility can be defined: critical thinking, ordering, abstracting, problem solving, analyzing and collaborative construction. These competence areas consist of central process concepts of computer science (e.g., classifying, problem solving and posing) combined with central content concepts of computer science (e.g., algorithm, system, process).
Variants génétiques du gène IL28B et élimination du virus de l’hépatite C

> L’hepatite C (causee par le virus C ou VHC) est un probleme majeur de sante publique. L’OMS en estime la prevalence a environ 170 millions de cas dans le monde (3 % de la population mondiale), avec environ 1 million de cas nouveaux chaque annee. Il y aurait 3 millions d’individus infectes aux Etats-Unis, 300 000 en France. L’hepatite C represente aussi la principale cause d’evolution vers la cirrhose et l’hepatocarcinome. C’est dire l’importance d’une therapeutique efficace dont on sait qu’elle reduit drastiquement ce risque d’evolution. La prise en charge standardisee d’une hepatite C chronique de genotype 1, le plus frequent dans les pays industrialises, comporte l’association pendant 48 semaines de PEG-INF-1 (pegylated interferon a) a liberation prolongee et de ribavirine (RBV, un analogue nucleosidique de synthese utilise comme antiviral). Ce traitement ne permet d’obtenir une reponse virale soutenue (ou RVS definie par la non-detection de l’ARN du VHC dans le plasma des patients apres traitement) que dans environ la moitie des cas chez les sujets infectes par ce genotype [1]. Or, le traitement est couteux et induit des effets secondaires non negligeables parmi lesquels des troubles depressifs, une thrombopenie ou une anemie pouvant justifier son arret premature. Etre capable de predire une RVS au traitement est donc devenu un enjeu important. Parmi les facteurs predictifs de bonne reponse, on
Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: How Deal With This Epidemic?

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTmC), encompassing any papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) measuring 10 mm or below in greatest dimension. In the last four decades, trend incidence of PTC, especially the microtumors, is increasing in several epidemiological studies around the world [1-3]. Microcarcinomas are usually an incidental finding, increasing found on imaging or on histology of thyroidectomy specimens. The term incidental refers to a tumour that is not the target lesion and is found on histological examination of a thyroid removed for another reason, for instance nodular goitre. These lesions nearly always are of papillary form.
Clinical and Radiographic Results of Kyphoplasty with Mid-Term Follow-Up

The goal of our retrospective case series is to understand better the demographics and outcomes of kyphoplasty in improving pain in insufficiency fractures that are non-responsive to conservative treatment, identify risk factors for recurrence of back pain due to new fractures or not, discern and understand the timing for symptom improvement after the procedure, and correlate the amount of vertebral height correction with clinical improvement. We hypothesized that kyphoplasty would be effective for pain management in vertebral compression fractures that have been refractory to clinical management. Eighty-one patients underwent kyphoplasty and were followed at two, four, and nine weeks and at one year. Demographics, clinical and radiographic outcomes, and risk factors for new fractures and other complications were analyzed. Maximal improvement in the VAS was seen at two weeks in 90% of our patients and at nine weeks 100% reached maximal improvement. At one-year follow up, recurrent or new onset back pain was noted in 27% of patients, while only 24% of had new vertebral fractures. Fractures at the adjacent level accounted for 50% of the new onset insufficiency vertebral fractures. Approximately 50% of patients had passed away or were not reachable at one year. Also, 50% of our osteoporotic compression fractures happened at the upper lumbar spine. Female sex was the only significant risk factor for subsequent new onset back pain. Male sex and lumbar fractures responded worse to the kyphoplasty treatment. Finally, the amount of radiographic reduction did not correlate with clinical outcomes. From the data analyzed from this case series, we found that kyphoplasty provides a safe and effective treatment for pain in patients with vertebral compression fractures.
Discovering dependencies among data quality dimensions : a validation of instrument.

Improving data quality is a basic step for all companies and organizations as it leads to increase opportunity to achieve top services. The aim of this study was to validate and adapt the four major data quality dimensions’ instruments in different information systems. The four important quality dimensions which were used in this study were; accuracy, completeness, consistency and timeliness. The questionnaire was developed, validated and used for collecting data on the different information system’s users. A set of questionnaire was conducted to 50 respondents who using different information systems. Inferential statistics and descriptive analysis were employed to measure and validate the factor contributing to quality improvement process. This study has been compared with related parts of previous studies; and showed that the instrument is valid to measure quality dimensions and improvement process. The content validity, reliability and factor analysis were applied on 24 items to compute the results. The results showed that the instrument is considered to be reliable and validate. The results also suggest that the instrument can be used as a basic foundation to implicate data quality for organizations manager to design improvement process.
Distributed Potential Field Based Routing with Priority Connection Probability for NDN

One challenge to the retrieval process of Named Data Network (NDN) is to take advantage of largely distributed copies in in-network caches. Potential based routing (PBR) uses a potential field defined in the network to facilitate routing data packet towards a desired location is an effective solution. But due to the characteristics of “Volatilize and Dynamic Update” on caches, there exist problems of high request failure rate and transmission delay in real applications. This paper proposes a novel distributed PBR scheme with prioritized connection probability of the nodes calculated by the popularity and similarity. It mapped the nodes into a hyperbolic plane according to the sequence of the caching time, and utilized radial coordinates and angular coordinates to represent the popularity and similarity, which will be used for the function of Fermi-Dirac distribution to calculate connection probability. The connection probability will be prioritized as the weight of the nodes for construction of potential fields. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme can not only significantly improves cache hit and utilization ratio, but also effectively controls network delay and overhead.
A Method and Software Tool for Automated Gearbox Synthesis

In today’s economy, engineering companies strive to reduce product development time and costs. One approach to assisting this goal is to introduce computer-aided methods and tools earlier in the development process. This requires providing robust design automation methods and tools that can support design synthesis and the generation of alternative design configurations, in addition to automated geometric design. A new method for automated gearbox design, tailored for integration within an existing commercial gearbox analysis tool, is described in this paper. The method combines a rule-based generative approach, based on a previous parallel grammar approach for mechanical gear systems, with domain specific heuristics and stochastic search using simulated annealing. Given design specifications that include a bounding box, the number of required speeds and their target ratios, a range of valid gearbox configurations is generated from a minimal initial configuration. Initial test results show that this new method is able to generate a variety of designs which meet the design specifications. The paper concludes with a discussion of the method’s current limitations and a description of the work currently underway to improve and extend its capabilities.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Evaluating Computer Games for Language Learning

The success of games in second language teaching and the success of computers as game machines have led to the increasing use of computer games in foreign language classes. For teachers and software developers interested in this application, two crucial questions arise for a given program: How do we determine whether students will consider it a game? How do we determine whether it helps students learn language? These questions are explored and some recommendations for answering them are provided.
An exploration of SciDB in the context of emerging technologies for data stores in particle physics and cosmology

Traditional relational databases have not always been well matched to the needs of data-intensive sciences, but efforts are underway within the database community to attempt to address many of the requirements of large-scale scientific data management. One such effort is the open-source project SciDB. Since its earliest incarnations, SciDB has been designed for scalability in parallel and distributed environments, with a particular emphasis upon native support for array constructs and operations. Such scalability is of course a requirement of any strategy for large-scale scientific data handling, and array constructs are certainly useful in many contexts, but these features alone do not suffice to qualify a database product as an appropriate technology for hosting particle physics or cosmology data. In what constitutes its 1.0 release in June 2011, SciDB has extended its feature set to address additional requirements of scientific data, with support for user-defined types and functions, for data versioning, and more. This paper describes an evaluation of the capabilities of SciDB for two very different kinds of physics data: event-level metadata records from proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and the output of cosmological simulations run on very-large-scale supercomputers. This evaluation exercises the spectrum of SciDB capabilities in a suite of tests that aim to be representative and realistic, including, for example, definition of four-vector data types and natural operations thereon, and computational queries that match the natural use cases for these data.