Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Routine Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Does Not Reduce the Risk of Surgical Site Infections.

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold standard for the treatment of symptomatic gallbladder stones. As infections are rare in uncomplicated LC, it is widely accepted that prophylactic antibiotics need not be administered, and guidelines do not support routine antibiotic prophylaxis during elective LC. However, routine antibiotic prophylaxis for elective LC is still popular in many clinical settings. We investigated this situation in our department. METHOD This randomized double-blind controlled study included 570 patients who underwent LC between March 2007 and February 2010. The exclusion criteria were antibiotic intake before surgery, steroid treatment, and the presence of pancreatitis, cholangitis, obstructive jaundice, cephalosporin allergy, or pregnancy. The patients were randomized into three groups. Group 1 (n = 193) received physiologic saline as placebo, Group 2 (n = 191) received a first-generation cephalosporin (cefazolin; 1 g), and Group 3 (n = 186) received a second-generation cephalosporin (cefuroksim aksetil; 750 mg). Bile and epigastric and umbilical port tissue samples were harvested for culture. All patients were observed until the end of the fourth week after surgery. Patient age, sex, weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, diabetes mellitus, smoking history, history of biliary colic in the past month, length of the hospital stay before the operation, operational findings (acute or chronic cholecystitis), operation duration, use of drainage, type of prophylaxis administered if any, culture results, surgical site infection (SSI) development, and time to SSI development along with associated treatments were evaluated. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to any of the demographic and clinical features analyzed in this study. The SSI rate was 1.2% in total, and in Groups 1, 2, and 3, it was 1.5%, 1.04%, and 1.07%, respectively. There was no statistical difference regarding SSI among the groups (p = 1.00). Superficial SSI was observed in all groups, and in all patients, the site of infection was the entrance to the epigastric port through which the gallbladder had been removed. CONCLUSIONS Surgical site infection is rare after LC, and antibiotic prophylaxis does not appear to affect the outcome significantly. Moreover, factors such as positive bile cultures, history of biliary attack, ASA score, diabetes, obesity, and smoking do not have any effect on SSI development. Thus, we conclude that antibiotic prophylaxis is not needed for elective LC.
An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols

In nearly 1500 entries, many of them strickingly and often surprisingly illustrated, J.C. Cooper has documented the history and evolution of symbols from pre-history to our own day. Lively, informative and often ironic, she discusses and explains an enormous variety of symbols extending from the Artic to Dahomey, from the Iroquois to Oceania, and coming from systems as diverse as Tao, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Tantra, the ancient cult of Cybele and the great Goddess, the Pre-Columbian religions of the Western Hemisphere and the Voodoo cults of Brazil and West Africa.
The Suitability of Moldova Climate for Balneary - Climatic Tourism and Outdoor Activities - A Study Based on the Tourism Climate Index

Abstract This study addresses a current issue concerning spatial and temporal analysis of Moldova's climate resources and is intended for the use of people involved in various tourism and related activities. For researchers in the field, the study will be a source of information, allowing comparison of the results obtained for other locations, and for practitioners an indispensable working tool. The motivation for the present study resides in the sparseness and ambiguity of the analysis of climate resources for tourism included in the assessment of the natural tourism potential of Romania. We aim to improve this approach by constructing for Moldova a statistically relevant, quantitative analysis of what climate offers the tourists. To achieve the proposed objectives, we used TCI and a climate database sufficiently detailed to capture climate patterns up to ten-days time intervals. We showed that in Moldova the May-September interval is the most favorable for developing all forms of tourism. We then customized the analysis at the level of each tourism resort. Our study is among the first in this region to use such analysis and provides clear research results to those involved in tourism to improve their decision-making process. The results are very important in supporting tourism in Moldova and will contribute to raising the economic potential of the region.
A Research Note on Age Discrimination and the Desire to Retire

Age discrimination is a common problem in organizations. In our pilot study, we want to explore the processes how the desired retirement age is influenced by age discrimination and see psychological empowerment as an important mediator for the relationship between these variables. Data stem from an online questionnaire completed by 130 employees from different organizations in Germany (all 50 years or older). Our results show that age discrimination is an antecedent for the desired retirement age. It has a direct as well as an indirect (via psychological empowerment) effect on the desired retirement age.
Possible risk factors associated with moderate or severe airway injuries in children who underwent endotracheal intubation

Objective: To analyze the role of risk factors associated with moderate or severe airway injuries in children who underwent endotracheal intubation. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit. Patients: All patients who required endotracheal intubation during a 25-mo period (October 1999 through October 2001). Exclusion criteria were death before extubation and weight of < 1250 g. Interventions: Airway endoscopy at extubation and reevaluation for those reintubated. Measurements: Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated in the univariate risk factor analysis (age, sex, organ failure, difficult intubation, tube size, reintubation, tube changes, and duration of intubation). p Values were calculated from the chi-square test with Yates' correction or for trend, and a value of <. 05 was considered significant. To define which of the main variables were independently associated with the outcomes of interest, we used logistic stepwise forward modeling. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used for the stratified analysis between the two independently associated variables. Results: The study population consisted of 215 patients (61 newborns and 154 children). Moderate lesions occurred in 24.2% of patients, and severe lesions in 10.7% of patients. Risk factors associated with moderate or severe injury in a univariate analysis were age, sex, organ failure, reintubation, tube changes, and longer duration of intubation. According to Mantel-Haenszel stratified analysis results, reintubation and tube changes were the only variables independently associated with the outcomes. Conclusions: We concluded that to prevent morbidity secondary to airway injury, efforts should be directed to avoid reintubation and tube changes in the concerned scenario.
Widely programmable high-frequency continuous-time filters in digital CMOS technology

We present design considerations for programmable high-frequency continuous-time filters implemented in standard digital CMOS processes. To reduce area, accumulation MOS capacitors are used as integrating elements. The filter design problem is examined from the viewpoint of programmability. To allow frequency scalability without deterioration of noise performance and of the frequency response shape, we employ a technique called "constant-capacitance scaling," which assures that even parasitic capacitances remain invariant when transconductors are switched in and out of the filter. This technique is applied to the design of a programmable fourth order Butterworth continuous-time filter with a bandwidth programmable from 60 to 350 MHz implemented in a 0.25-/spl mu/m digital CMOS process. The filter has a dynamic range of 54 dB, dissipates 70 mW from a 3.3-V supply, and occupies an area of 0.15 mm/sup 2/.
Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of a stable, polyethylene‐glycolated liposomal doxorubicin in patients with solid tumors

Compared with free drug, sterically stabilized liposomal drug has prolonged circulation time and, thereby, higher tumor selectivity and antitumor activity. The stability in plasma is an important consideration in the formulation of clinically useful liposomal drug. A Phase I study of a stable liposomal doxorubicin with polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating and phospholipid component of distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) was performed to characterize its pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity profile, and maximal tolerated dose.
Ca2+ influx through both L‐ and N‐type Ca2+ channels increases c‐fos expression by electrical stimulation of sympathetic neurons

During direct membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influx primarily through L‐type Ca2+ (L‐) channels initiates activity‐dependent gene transcription. This is surprising given that in most neurons a minority of the total Ca2+ current arises from L‐channel activity. However, many studies have stimulated Ca2+ influx with unphysiological stimuli such as chronic membrane depolarization using high K+ medium. Few studies have tested whether other Ca2+ channels stimulate gene transcription in adult neurons as a consequence of direct electrical stimulation. Therefore, we evaluated the role of L‐ and N‐type Ca2+ (N‐) channel activity in regulating mRNA levels of c‐fos, an activity‐dependent transcription factor, in adult rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons as the majority of Ca2+ channels are N‐type, while only a minority are L‐type. Changes in c‐fos mRNA levels were measured using semi‐quantitative and single‐cell RT‐PCR. Phosphorylation of CREB (pCREB) and changes in c‐Fos levels were visualized in dissociated cells by immunocytochemistry. Increases in pCREB, c‐fos mRNA and c‐Fos protein with either K+ or electrical depolarization required Ca2+ influx. These results support previous findings that elevated c‐fos levels result from pCREB stimulating c‐fos transcription. Elevation of pCREB, c‐fos and c‐Fos with K+ depolarization depended on L‐channel activity. By contrast, antagonizing either channel at 10‐Hz stimulation minimized these increases despite unequal numbers of the two channel types. Transition to exclusive L‐channel involvement occurred with increasing frequency of stimulation (from 10 to 20 to 50 Hz). Our results demonstrate that N‐ and L‐channel participation in regulating c‐fos expression is encoded in the pattern of electrical stimulation.
Clinical Description of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Occupational therapists working within School Health Support Services are receiving increasing numbers of referrals, relative to past rates, for children who are experiencing motor problems and may have developmental coordination disorder. Based upon clinical experience, therapists indicate that these children are typically referred in the early school years and that most have handwriting difficulties; to date, however, there has been little empirical evidence to support these observations. In this paper, descriptive information is presented for 556 children who may be presumed to have developmental coordination disorder and who had been referred to school-based health services in two centres. Typical reasons for referral, co-morbidity information, and assessment practices are presented. Findings confirmed the presence of many occupational performance issues in this population, including handwriting difficulties, and challenge therapists to broaden the current scope of school health assessment and intervention practices.
Possible Regulatory Roles of Cytokinins : NADH Oxidation by Peroxidase and a Copper Interaction.

Apparently free-base cytokinins can interact with cupric ions in a specific manner. Oxidation of NADH by a horseradish peroxidase system was strongly promoted by such cytokinins provided cupric ions were present. Oxidation was promoted by 5 micromolar kinetin, zeatin, 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), or 6-(Delta(2)-isopentenylamino)purine (2iP) but not by adenine, 6-methylaminopurine or 6,6-dimethylaminopurine. The 6-methylaminopurine promoted oxidation at 500 micromolar but adenine and 6,6-dimethylaminopurine did not. Activity of the free-base purines correlated well with their activity in cell-division assays. However, addition of methoxymethyl-, cyclohexyl-, or tetrahydropyranyl- at N-9 of BA or of ribosyl- at N-9 of BA, 2iP, kinetin, or zeatin eliminated activity in the peroxidase system. In a nonenzymic system containing cupric ions, all of the bases, including adenine, inhibited the Cu(2+) -stimulated oxidation of ascorbic acid. As in the peroxidase system, the N-9 derivatives were inactive. The cytokinin promotion of NADH oxidation by peroxidase may result from an interaction of the hormones with copper, with peroxidase conferring a specificity similar to the cytokinin specificity observed in growth and development.
Use of family planning services in the transition to a static clinic system in Bangladesh: 1998-2002.

CONTEXT In rural Bangladesh, family planning services--previously provided through household visits and satellite clinics--were transferred to static community clinics under the government's sectoral program for 1998-2003, but the next sectoral program reversed the change without a formal evaluation. It is important to assess changes in utilization and coverage to inform further development of the service delivery system. METHODS Longitudinal data on use of family planning services and contraceptive methods were collected quarterly in 1998-2002 from married women in about 11,000 households in two rural surveillance areas--Abhoynagar and Mirsarai. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted among women and service providers in 2003 to gather detailed information about the transition to static clinics and women's response to the changes. Quarterly time series graphs of selected indicators were plotted for areas served by community clinics. RESULTS In a time of considerable change in service delivery and sources of contraceptive supply, contraceptive prevalence remained constant in Abhoynagar and increased in Mirsarai. Community clinics quickly became the source of supplies for one-third of contraceptive users in Abhoynagar and one-fifth in Mirsarai. In wards where community clinics became operational (mostly in 2001-2002), three-quarters of women had used one at some time. CONCLUSIONS Despite cultural constraints on mobility, women do not appear to have become dependent on home delivery of contraceptives.
Predictive modelling of bone ageing

Bone age assessment (BAA) is a task performed daily by paediatricians in hospitalsworldwide. The main reasons for BAA to be performed are: fi�rstly, diagnosis of growth disorders through monitoring skeletal development; secondly, prediction of final adult height; and fi�nally, verifi�cation of age claims. Manually predicting bone age from radiographs is a di�fficult and time consuming task. This thesis investigates bone age assessment and why automating the process will help. A review of previous automated bone age assessment systems is undertaken and we investigate why none of these systems have gained widespread acceptance. We propose a new automated method for bone age assessment, ASMA (Automated Skeletal Maturity Assessment). The basic premise of the approach is to automatically extract descriptive shape features that capture the human expertise in forming bone age estimates. The algorithm consists of the following six modularised stages: hand segmentation; hand segmentation classifi�cation; bone segmentation; feature extraction; bone segmentation classifi�cation; bone age prediction. We demonstrate that ASMA performs at least as well as other automated systems and that models constructed on just three bones are as accurate at predicting age as expert human assessors using the standard technique. We also investigate the importance of ethnicity and gender in skeletal development. Our conclusion is that the feature based system of separating the image processing from the age modelling is the best approach, since it off�ers flexibility and transparency, and produces accurate estimates.
Ferimento por arma branca: perfil epidemiológico dos atendimentos em um pronto socorro

Objetivou-se neste estudo traçar o perfil epidemiológico das vítimas de ferimento por arma branca atendidas no Pronto Socorro de um Hospital Universitário no ano de 2007, caracterizando o atendimento pré e intra-hospitalar. Estudo exploratório, transversal, retrospectivo de análise descritiva. A amostra constituiu-se de 45 vítimas. A maioria das vítimas era jovem, do sexo masculino, solteira e apresentava ferimento único causado por conflitos interpessoais. O Serviço Integrado de Atendimento ao Trauma em Emergência e o transporte municipal foram os mais utilizados até o hospital. Os procedimentos mais realizados no atendimento pré e intra-hospitalar foram respectivamente, curativo e oxigenoterapia; reposição volêmica e sondagem vesical de demora. A maioria das vitimas necessitou de internação, havendo pouca indicação de encaminhamentos à unidade de terapia intensiva. As lesões não provocaram incapacidades, porém houve três óbitos. Portanto, armas brancas têm uma significância epidemiológica, havendo a necessidade de intervenções que vão além da esfera da saúde.
Deworming drugs for treating soil-transmitted intestinal worms in children: effects on growth and school performance.

BACKGROUND In areas where intestinal worm infections occur, the World Health Organization recommends treating all school children at regular intervals with deworming drugs to improve growth and school performance. The evidence base for this policy needs to be established for countries to commit resources to implement these programmes. OBJECTIVES To summarize the effects of deworming drugs used to treat soil-transmitted intestinal worms (nematode geohelminths) on growth and school performance in children. SEARCH STRATEGY In May 2007, we searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 2), MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, mRCT, and reference lists. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing deworming drugs for geohelminth worms with placebo or no treatment in children aged 16 years or less, reporting on growth, nutritional status, school performance, or cognition tests. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors independently assessed the trials and evaluated methodological quality; one author extracted data, and another checked a sample. Continuous data were analysed using the weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The random-effects model (RE model) was used in the presence of statistically significant heterogeneity. MAIN RESULTS Thirty-four RCTs, including six cluster-RCTs, met the inclusion criteria. Four trials had adequate allocation concealment, and three cluster-RCTs failed to take design effects into account in their analysis. Weight increased after one dose of a deworming drug (WMD 0.34 kg, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.64, RE model; 2448 children, 9 trials); however, there was considerable heterogeneity between trials that was not explained by background intestinal worm infection or intensity. A meta-analysis of multiple dose trials reporting on outcomes within a year of starting treatment showed no significant difference in weight gain (1714 children, 6 trials); however, one cluster-RCT did show effects on weight at one year in a subgroup analysis. In the seven multiple dose trials with follow up beyond 12 months, only one showed a significant increase in weight. Six of seven trials reported clear data on cognitive tests and school performance: five reported no significant effects, and one showed some improvements in three out of 10 cognitive tests. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Deworming drugs used in targeted community programmes may be effective in relation to weight gain in some circumstances but not in others. No effect on cognition or school performance has been demonstrated.
Enhanced Sign Language Transcription System via Hand Tracking and Pose Estimation

In this study, we propose a new system for constructing parallel corpora for sign languages, which are generally under-resourced in comparison to spoken languages. In order to achieve scalability and accessibility regarding data collection and corpus construction, our system utilizes deep learning-based techniques and predicts depth information to perform pose estimation on hand information obtainable from video recordings by a single RGB camera. These estimated poses are then transcribed into expressions in SignWriting. We evaluate the accuracy of hand tracking and hand pose estimation modules of our system quantitatively, using the American Sign Language Image Dataset and the American Sign Language Lexicon Video Dataset. The evaluation results show that our transcription system has a high potential to be successfully employed in constructing a sizable sign language corpus using various types of video resources.
The internet of things [Guest Editorial]

The Internet has experienced a tremendous growth in the past three decades, evolving from a network of a few hundred hosts to a platform linking billions of "things" globally, including individual people as well as enterprises of various sizes, through computers and computerized devices of any conceivable size and capability and the applications running on them. The growth of the Internet shows no signs of slowing down and it steadily becomes the cause of a new pervasive paradigm in computing and communications. This new paradigm enhances the traditional Internet into a smart Internet of Things (IoT) created around intelligent interconnections of diverse objects in the physical world, such as vehicles, cell phones, habitats, and habitat occupants. It utilizes low-cost information gathering and dissemination devices, such as sensors and RFID tags, that facilitate fast-paced interactions among the objects themselves as well as the objects and persons in any place and at any time. IoT will usher in a wide range of smart applications and services to cope with many of the challenges individuals and organizations face in their everyday lives. For example, remote healthcare monitoring systems could aid in managing costs and alleviating the shortage of healthcare personnel; intelligent transportation systems could aid in reducing traffic congestion and inevitably the ills caused by it such as air pollution; smart distribution systems from utility grids to supply chains could aid in improving the quality and reducing the cost of their respective goods and services; tagged objects could result in more systematic recycling and effective waste disposal, and so on.