Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
‘PINK TEST’ AND OSMOTIC FRAGILITY TEST FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HEREDITARY SPHEROCYTOSIS: ANOTHER VIEW

The problem of laboratory diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is still controversial, in spite of many methods proposed (1-6). A recent paper in this journal (7) has evaluated the three perhaps most commonly used tests for the detection of HS: osmotic fragility (OF) test, acidified glycerol lysis test (3) and the ‘Pink test’ (4). The conclusion reached by the authors (7) was that the most recently introduced ‘Pink test’ has, in fact, lower sensitivity and specificity than the OF test and lower specificity than the acidified glycerol lysis test, especially after 24-h incubation of blood. In connection with these results, we would like to give an account of our experience in the evaluation of the modified ‘Pink test’ ( 5 ) and the OF test (manuscript in preparation) in a group of patients with HS and in healthy controls. The summary of our results (Table 1) demonstrates no overlap between the values obtained for controls and HS patients in the two methods (sensitivity and specificity of 100% in both cases). When studying other groups of subjects, we noted only one overlapping result out of 12 patients with prosthetic heart valves in OF test (C5, of 149.3 mosmol/l) and one overlapping result out of 12 in a group of women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy in the ‘Pink test’ (19.4% hemolysis). Unlike Bucx et a1 (7) we did not observe any difference in the OF between splenectomized and nonsplenectomized HS patients. Perhaps fine differences in the execution of the tests, including the time analysis (7), may contribute to the
Rethinking Life-long Learning: The Empirical Modelling Approach

Educational technology is seen as key for life-long learning, but it has yet to live up to expectation. We argue that current learning environments are typically oriented too much towards structured learning to meet the needs of the life-long learner. Environments for life-long learning demand a higher degree of autonomy for the learner, must be open to eclectic sources, support soft informal learning activity, and accommodate evolution both in the experience of the learner and in the context in which this occurs. We propose sense-making through the construction of suitable interactive artefacts as a core activity for life-long learning, and briefly discuss and illustrate how this can be supported using empirical modelling
Chlorogenic acid composition of instant coffees.

A method, based on high-performance liquid chromatography, is described for the determination of chlorogenic acid isomers in instant coffee. Identification of the individual components was assisted by the preparation of isomeric mixtures by the isomerisation of available compounds and quantification based on published ultraviolet molar absorptivities. A number of extraction and clearing techniques were studied to determine the optimum conditions for the recovery of all the isomers present. The developed method was applied to a wide range of commercially available instant coffees.
Overall human mortality and morbidity due to exposure to air pollution.

OBJECTIVES Concentrations of particulate matter that contains particles with diameter ≤ 10 mm (PM10) and diameter ≤ 2.5 mm (PM2.5) as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have considerable impact on human mortality, especially in the cases when cardiovascular or respiratory causes are attributed. Additionally, they affect morbidity. An estimation of human mortality and morbidity due to the increased concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 between the years 2005-2013 was performed for the city of Kraków, Poland. For this purpose the Air Quality Health Impact Assessment Tool (AirQ) software was successfully applied. MATERIAL AND METHODS The Air Quality Health Impact Assessment Tool was used for the calculation of the total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality as well as hospital admissions related to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Data on concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and NO2, which was obtained from the website of the Voivodeship Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (WIOS) in Kraków, was used in this study. RESULTS Total mortality due to exposure to PM10 in 2005 was found to be 41 deaths per 100 000 and dropped to 30 deaths per 100 000 in 2013. Cardiovascular mortality was 2 times lower than the total mortality. However, hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases were more than an order of magnitude higher than the respiratory mortality. CONCLUSIONS The calculated total mortality due to PM2.5 was higher than that due to PM10. Air pollution was determined to have a significant effect on human health. The values obtained by the use of the AirQ software for the city of Kraków imply that exposure to polluted air can result in serious health problems.
Arginine supplementation is well tolerated but does not enhance mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in elderly nursing home residents with pressure ulcers.

BACKGROUND Immune function declines with age, increasing risk for infection and delaying wound healing. Arginine enhances immune function and healing of standardized wounds in healthy elderly persons. The purpose of this study was to determine what level of arginine supplementation was orally and metabolically tolerated and effective in enhancing immune function in elderly persons with pressure ulcers. METHODS Residents with one or more pressure ulcers were recruited from two local nursing homes. Subjects were randomized to receive 0 g (n = 10; age, 82 +/- 3 years), 8.5 g (n = 11; 81 +/- 3 years), or 17 g (n = 11; 87 +/- 2 years) of supplemental arginine each day for 4 weeks. Oral tolerance, ie, absence of nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention, or diarrhea, was assessed daily. Metabolic tolerance was assessed weekly by evaluating serum electrolytes. Lymphocyte proliferation to phytohemagglutinin and interleukin 2 production were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of supplementation as indicators of immune function. RESULTS Supplemental arginine significantly increased plasma arginine levels and was orally and metabolically tolerated with no complaints of abdominal distress or no clinically relevant changes in electrolyte levels among groups. Lymphocyte proliferation and interleukin 2 production were significantly different between nursing homes. When data from nursing homes were considered individually, arginine supplementation did not enhance the proliferative response. In subjects from nursing home 2 only, there was a 38% and 75% decrease (p < .05) in lymphocyte proliferation with 8.5 and 17 g of supplemental arginine, respectively. Interleukin 2 production was no different among supplementation groups. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacologic doses of arginine were well tolerated but did not enhance lymphocyte proliferation or interleukin 2 production in nursing home residents with pressure ulcers. CLINICAL RELEVANCY: Enteral formulas supplemented with pharmacologic levels of arginine are frequently administered to elderly persons. This study demonstrates that the very old can tolerate these nitrogen loads if baseline renal function is normal and fluid intake is encouraged. Further research needs to be completed investigating the effect of arginine supplementation on immune function in this population before recommending arginine use.
Management of stigma and disclosure of HIV/AIDS status in healthcare settings.

PURPOSE This paper aims to examine the management strategies adopted by older people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) to conceal their positive status in healthcare settings, and their responses taken and means used to cope with the stigmatizing and exclusionary effects as a result of the disclosure of their status by/to healthcare workers. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Under the auspices of a local NGO in Hong Kong, a total of seven male older PHAs aged 55 or above from pre-existing HIV/AIDS self-help groups were recruited for two separate focus groups. A thematic approach was adopted for data analysis and specific themes identification. FINDINGS An analysis of the data revealed that older PHAs did exercise their own agency in preventing against and managing stigma in their access to and use of health care services. Two more specific themes around "sign of disapproval" and "discriminatory practice" as barriers to access were also identified. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS Because of the small sample size, the pattern of stigmatization experiences and coping strategies cannot claim to be representative of the complete picture of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This is the first exploratory study of the stigmatization and devaluation suffered by older PHAs in healthcare settings in the context of Hong Kong. It also explored in details the pros and cons of the stigma management strategies employed by this vulnerable group of patients. The implications for practice both on the side of healthcare workers and policy makers and that of PHAs were discussed.
Polynomial Fuzzy Observer Designs: A Sum-of-Squares Approach

This paper presents a sum-of-squares (SOS) approach to polynomial fuzzy observer designs for three classes of polynomial fuzzy systems. The proposed SOS-based framework provides a number of innovations and improvements over the existing linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based approaches to Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy controller and observer designs. First, we briefly summarize previous results with respect to a polynomial fuzzy system that is a more general representation of the well-known T-S fuzzy system. Next, we propose polynomial fuzzy observers to estimate states in three classes of polynomial fuzzy systems and derive SOS conditions to design polynomial fuzzy controllers and observers. A remarkable feature of the SOS design conditions for the first two classes (Classes I and II) is that they realize the so-called separation principle, i.e., the polynomial fuzzy controller and observer for each class can be separately designed without lack of guaranteeing the stability of the overall control system in addition to converging state-estimation error (via the observer) to zero. Although, for the last class (Class III), the separation principle does not hold, we propose an algorithm to design polynomial fuzzy controller and observer satisfying the stability of the overall control system in addition to converging state-estimation error (via the observer) to zero. All the design conditions in the proposed approach can be represented in terms of SOS and are symbolically and numerically solved via the recently developed SOSTOOLS and a semidefinite-program solver, respectively. To illustrate the validity and applicability of the proposed approach, three design examples are provided. The examples demonstrate the advantages of the SOS-based approaches for the existing LMI approaches to T-S fuzzy observer designs.
Prehistoric Human Use of Fire, the Eastern Agricultural Complex, and Appalachian Oak-Chestnut Forests: Paleoecology of Cliff Palace Pond, Kentucky

Fossil pollen assemblages from Cliff Palace Pond, Kentucky, characterize changes in forest composition through the past 9,500 years of the Holocene. Early-Holocene spruce and northern white cedar stands were replaced by mixed mesophytic forests after 7300 B.P. Hemlock declined around 4800 B.P., and eastern red cedar became locally important. After 3000 B.P, mixed oak-chestnut and pine forests were dominant. The fossil charcoal record from Cliff Palace Pond demonstrates that Late Archaic and Woodland peoples cleared forest gaps to cultivate native plants in the Eastern Agricultural Complex and that anthropogenic fires served to increase populations of fire-tolerant oaks, chestnut, and pines in upland forests of the northern Cumberland Plateau.
Impact of low level magnification on incipient occlusal caries diagnosis and treatment decision making.

INTRODUCTION This in-vitro study aimed to test the accuracy and reproducibility in detection of incipient occlusal caries and treatment decision making using unenhanced visual-tactile technique and low level magnification by the use of loupes and surgical operating microscope (SOM). METHODOLOGY Sixty extracted human posterior teeth were assessed by two examiners using ICDAS- II index and CPI- TN probe, with and without magnification. Histopathology was used as gold standard for diagnosis of caries and treatment decision making. Inter and intra examiner reproducibility was determined using Kappa statistics. RESULTS Intraobserver reproducibility for caries detection using surgical operating microscope ranged from average to good (0.4-0.63). Inter-examiner reproducibility values for treatment decision making using experimental techniques such as unaided (0.40), Loupes (0.51) & SOM (0.63) were similar.
The Relationship between Blood and Urine Alcohol Concentrations at Autopsy

The relationship between the blood alcohol concentration and the urine alcohol concentration was studied in 109 routine coroner's autopsies. Although the average ratio for urine alcohol concentration to blood alcohol concentration lay close to the ratio of 4:3 quoted in the literature, the actual ratios determined were widely scattered around this value. Thus the use of this simple ratio to estimate the blood alcohol concentration from the urine alcohol concentration at post-mortem was unreliable. An equation determined by employing linear regression analysis was similarly unhelpful in enabling one to derive a precise value for the blood alcohol concentration from a given urine alcohol concentration. It was concluded that the main value in determining the urine alcohol concentration at autopsy was to exclude the possibility of the alcohol present in the blood sample having been generated during the post-mortem interval.
Aligning Software Processes with Strategy

Although increasing evidence suggests that superior performance requires alignment between firms' strategies and production processes, it is not known if such alignment is relevant for software development processes. This study breaks new ground by examining how firms align their software processes, products, and strategies in Internet application development. Drawing upon the literatures in strategy, operations management, and information systems, we identify four dimensions that influence alignment: the business unit strategy, the level of product customization, the level of process customization, and the volume of customers. To examine how these dimensions are synchronized, we conducted detailed case studies of Internet application development in nine varied firms including both start-ups and established "brick and mortar" companies. Our analyses reveal that the firms in our study do use differing processes for Internet application development, and that many of the firms match their software process choices to product characteristics, customer volume, and business unit strategies. We develop concept maps for the firms that are in alignment to illustrate how managers configure specific product and process dimensions. We also offer potential explanations for why some firms are misaligned, such as attempting to execute incompatible strategies, the lack of coordination between marketing and production strategies, the too rapid expansion of process scope, and inflexible barriers to rapid adaptation of process. Our study contributes detailed insights into how software processes are customized to complement different types of product requirements and strategies.
Aquatic therapy for people with persistent knee pain: A feasibility study

Annually, approximately 25% of people ≥55 years old in the UK experience persistent knee pain (PKP) which causes disability and reduced quality of life (Peat, McCarney, & Croft, 2001). Key management strategies comprise self‐management advice, weight reduction and exercise (Fransen et al., 2015; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2014). Aquatic therapy (AT; exercise in warm water) improves pain and function in long‐term musculoskeletal conditions (Barker et al., 2014; Waller et al., 2014). It utilizes the properties of water, including buoyancy (Harrison & Bulstrode, 1987), resistance (Petrick, Paulsen, & George, 2001; Poyhonen et al., 2001) and heat (optimal water temperature 34–45°C (Becker, 2009; Hall, Bisson, & O’Hare, 1990; Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group, 2013) to aid exercise performance. Evidence from a recent meta‐analysis, including eight high‐ and three moderate‐quality studies (1,092 participants), suggested that AT has a short‐term, small–medium beneficial effect on self‐reported pain, joint mobility and function compared with a control group in people with lower limb osteoarthritis (OA) (Waller et al., 2014). When compared with land‐based exercise, evidence from meta‐analyses of six studies (five with a risk of selection bias due to poor reporting of allocation of concealment; 398 participants) suggested that AT produces similar improvements in self‐reported pain and function (Lu et al., 2015). However, the longer‐term effects of AT are not clear (Cochrane, Davey, & Matthes Edwards, 2005; Lund et al., 2008). There is no consensus on the most clinically‐ or cost‐effective dosage or location of delivery for AT for people with PKP (Bartels
Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Sitagliptin Prevented Weight Regain in Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Previously Treated with Liraglutide: A Pilot Randomized Study.

BACKGROUND Weight loss is often nonsustainable after liraglutide cessation. The present study is the first insight into the potential prevention of weight regain in obese subjects who have been withdrawn from liraglutide. We evaluated whether dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin in adjunct to metformin prevents body weight regain more effectively than metformin alone in obese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) previously treated with liraglutide. METHODS A 12-week prospective randomized open-label study was conducted with 24 obese women with PCOS who had been pretreated with liraglutide 3.0 mg due to antiobesity management (aged 34.3 ± 6.8 years, body mass index [BMI] 36.3 ± 5.2 kg/m2, mean ± standard deviation). They were randomized to combined treatment (COMBO) with sitagliptin 100 mg per day (QD) and metformin (MET) 1000 mg twice daily (BID) (n = 12) or MET 1000 mg BID (n = 12). Lifestyle intervention was promoted in both groups. The primary outcome was change in anthropometric measures of obesity. RESULTS Women treated with MET regain 4.7 ± 2.7 kg (P = 0.002) compared with a 0.9 ± 2.5 kg in COMBO (P = 0.147). BMI increased for 1.7 ± 0.9 kg/m2 in MET (P = 0.002) compared with 0.3 ± 0.8 kg/m2 increase in COMBO (P = 0.136). MET group regain 4.5% ± 2.5% of body weight as opposed to 0.8% ± 2.6% in COMBO. The between-treatment differences were significant for weight change (P < 0.001), percentage of weight change (P < 0.001), and BMI change (P < 0.001). Greater ability to resist emotional eating was demonstrated in COMBO. CONCLUSION Sitagliptin in adjunct to metformin prevented weight regain in obese women with PCOS previously treated with liraglutide.
Antidepressants and body weight: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE Psychotropic drugs often induce weight gain, leading to discomfort and discontinuation of treatment and, more importantly, increasing the risk of obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. There is evidence that antidepressant drugs may induce a variable amount of weight gain, but results are sparse and often contradictory. DATA SOURCES We performed a literature search using the MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane research databases for all publications available to January 2009. We used the following keywords: antidepressant, psychotropic drugs, body weight, weight gain, obesity, overweight, adverse event, side effects, SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and the name of each antidepressant active compound together with body weight or other keywords. Studies reporting body weight changes during treatment with different antidepressants were selected for eligibility. Finally, 116 studies were included in the analysis. DATA EXTRACTION Weight change mean and standard deviation and size of each group were recorded. Missing means and standard deviations were directly calculated by using information available in the article when possible. Non-placebo-controlled studies were compared to a virtual placebo sample, whose mean and standard deviation were derived by the weighted mean of means and standard deviations of all placebo samples. Methodological quality of studies, heterogeneity, publication bias, and effect of treatment duration were systematically controlled. DATA SYNTHESIS Quantitative results evidenced that amitriptyline, mirtazapine, and paroxetine were associated with a greater risk of weight gain. In contrast, some weight loss occurs with fluoxetine and bupropion, although the effect of fluoxetine appears to be limited to the acute phase of treatment. Other compounds have no transient or negligible effect on body weight in the short term. However, the effect of each antidepressant may vary greatly depending on an individual's characteristics and generally became more evident in the long term to a variable degree across compounds. CONCLUSIONS Despite the fact that some analyses were done on only a few studies due to the difficulty of finding reliable information in literature, to our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive meta-analysis to allow comparison of different antidepressants as regards their impact on body weight. Data presented may be helpful for a more accurate treatment selection in patients at risk of obesity or related medical illness.
Physical model for breakdown structures in solid dielectrics.

A quantitative physical model is presented for the breakdown of solids by void or channel discharges. It is found that fractal treelike structures only occur when the «fields» at the growth tips are allowed to fluctuate about their Laplace values. By treating the local-field enhancement factor as a white noise produced by the breakdorun mechanism itself, it is shown that the amount of branching depends only on the range of fluctuations allowed
Breast Cancers With Brain Metastases are More Likely to be Estrogen Receptor Negative, Express the Basal Cytokeratin CK5/6, and Overexpress HER2 or EGFR

Brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In the current study, we have examined a cohort of breast cancer patients who went on to develop BM for clinical-pathologic features and predictive markers that identify this high-risk subgroup of patients at the time of diagnosis. The primary tumors from 55 patients who developed BM were used to construct a tissue microarray. The clinical and pathologic features were recorded and the tissue microarray was stained for estrogen receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, cytokeratin 5/6, and epidermal growth factor receptor by immunohistochemistry . This cohort of patients was compared against a group of 254 patients who remain free of metastases (67 mo mean follow-up), and another cohort of 40 patients who developed mixed visceral and bone metastatic disease without brain recurrence over a similar period of time. Breast cancer patients who went on to develop BM were more likely to be <50 years old (P<0.001), and the primary tumors were more likely to be estrogen receptor negative (P<0.001) and high grade (P=0.002). The primary tumors were also more likely to express cytokeratin 5/6 (P<0.001) and epidermal growth factor receptor (P=0.001), and to overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (P=0.001). The data presented above suggest a profile for breast cancer patients at increased risk for developing BM. Predictive factors to help identify patients with metastatic breast cancer who are at an increased risk for developing central nervous system recurrence might allow for screening of this population for early detection and treatment or for the development of targeted strategies for prevention.