Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calf Bioimpedance Ratio Improves Dry Weight Assessment and Blood Pressure Control in Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Chronic fluid overload due to overestimation of dry weight (DW) is the major factor in the development of hypertension in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether bioimpedance ratio in the calf (Calf-BR = impedance at 200 kHz/impedance at 5 kHz) could be a useful hydration marker for estimation of DW and facilitate better control of blood pressure (BP) in HD patients. Methods: Target range of Calf-BR was derived from 157 healthy Chinese subjects. Post-dialysis Calf-BR was measured in 117 stable, non-edematous HD patients. Those with Calf-BR(s) above target level had their DW(s) gradually reduced under the guidance of Calf-BR. Results: The Calf-BR was normally distributed and increased with age, but was independent of BMI and gender in both healthy subjects and dialysis patients. HD patients with Calf-BR above age-stratified target range had significantly higher home BP, in spite of more antihypertensive treatments (p = 0.058). The patients who reached the target range of Calf-BR by decreasing DW, had their home BP significantly decreased, along with reduction in antihypertensive medications (p = 0.012). Conclusion: Recognition and correction of chronic fluid overload based on age-stratified Calf-BR is helpful in hypertension control in Chinese HD patients.
Toxicity of atrazine to the estuarine phytoplankter Pavlova sp. (Prymnesiophyceae): Increased sensitivity after long‐term, low‐level population exposure

Phytoplankton are potentially more at risk to the adverse effects of herbicides than many other organisms in estuarine ecosystems. The focus of this study was to characterize the toxicity of a widely used herbicide, atrazine, to a single species of phytoplankton. The nanoplankter Pavlova sp. was grown under controlled laboratory conditions and was used to elucidate short‐term, high‐level population effects of atrazine. Secondly, a long‐term, multigenerational population exposure was performed with a low level of atrazine followed by an additional short‐term, high‐level exposure on the same population with no recovery period. The 96–h growth rate of 50% effective concentration (EC50) for Pavlova sp. was 147 μg/L (95% CI = 116.4–178.7 μg/L). Long‐term exposure at 20 μg/L for four (batch culture) growth cycles (∼20 generations) had no significant effect on the growth rate of Pavlova sp. except during the fourth growth cycle. However, a subsequent short‐term, high‐level 96–h exposure inoculated from the long‐term, low‐level exposed population showed increased sensitivity to atrazine (96–h growth rate EC50 = 96.0 μg/L, 95% CI = 90.2–103.7 μg/L). Multigenerational exposure to atrazine appeared to render phytoplankton significantly more sensitive (35%) to atrazine effects. Given the documented persistence of atrazine in surface waters, long‐term exposure to low levels of atrazine without recovery may lead to shifts in species sensitivity and potential alterations in phytoplankton population dynamics.
Extending the bat foraging metaphor for optimisation algorithm design

A particular feature of most species of bats is that they use echolocation, or 'active sensing', in which pulses of acoustic energy are emitted and the resulting echo is resolved into an 'image' of their surrounding environment. This is used to detect objects and to locate food resources such as flying insects. Previous work has taken inspiration from the process of echolocation to develop the 'bat algorithm' Yang, 2010 and this has demonstrated good results on a wide range of optimisation problems. In this paper we build on this work in order to stimulate further interest in exploration of a bat foraging metaphor as an inspiration for the design of optimisation algorithms. This study provides a review of some recent relevant literature on bat foraging and uncovers several aspects of the foraging process which have not been given explicit consideration in bat algorithm design thus far. We also outline a general framework of foraging behaviour which distinguishes between the role of 'perception', 'memory', and the use of the 'social' information available to a foraging bat. We demonstrate how some of these features can be integrated into an exemplar optimisation algorithm and test the performance of this algorithm on a series of benchmark problems. The study also provides several ideas for future work.
A human interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of psoriasis.

BACKGROUND Skin-infiltrating lymphocytes expressing type 1 cytokines have been linked to the pathophysiology of psoriasis. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a human interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody in treating psoriasis. METHODS In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 320 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis underwent randomization to treatment with the interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody (one 45-mg dose, one 90-mg dose, four weekly 45-mg doses, or four weekly 90-mg doses) or placebo; 64 patients were randomly assigned to each group. Patients assigned to the interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody received one additional dose at week 16 if needed. Patients assigned to placebo crossed over to receive one 90-mg dose of interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody at week 20. RESULTS There was at least 75% improvement in the psoriasis area-and-severity index at week 12 (the primary end point) in 52% of patients who received 45 mg of the interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody, in 59% of those who received 90 mg, in 67% of those who received four weekly 45-mg doses, and in 81% of those who received four weekly 90-mg doses, as compared with 2% of those who received placebo (P<0.001 for each comparison), and there was at least 90% improvement in 23%, 30%, 44%, and 52%, respectively, of patients who received the monoclonal antibody as compared with 2% of patients who received placebo (P<0.001 for each comparison). Adverse events occurred in 79% of patients treated with the interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody as compared with 72% of patients in the placebo group (P=0.19). Serious adverse events occurred in 4% of patients who received the monoclonal antibody and in 1% of those who received placebo (P=0.69). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of an interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody in psoriasis and provides further evidence of a role of the interleukin-12/23 p40 cytokines in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Larger studies are needed to determine whether serious adverse events might limit the clinical usefulness of this new therapeutic target. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00320216 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
Carotid artery intima-media thickness in pediatric type 1 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE To compare the carotid artery intima-media thickness in pediatric type 1 diabetic patients with that in healthy control subjects matched for age, sex, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. METHODS Fifty diabetic patients and forty-five control subjects were enrolled into this observational, cross-sectional, controlled study. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid stiffness index were measured by using a carotid Doppler and real-time ultrasound. Student's t, chi-square and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS There were no significant differences in the groups for age, sex, height, weight, BMI and waist circumference (mean age 12.10 ± 2.02 vs. 11.49 ± 1.90 years, weight 41.14 ± 11.28 vs. 40.88 ± 11.68 kg, height 149.78 ± 20.3 vs. 145.62 ± 20.14 cm, BMI 18.49 ± 2.64 vs. 18.26 ± 2.59 kg/m2, waist circumference 69.72 ± 8.6 vs. 66.05 ± 7.47 cm, respectively). A significantly higher cIMT was found in the patients with type 1 diabetes (0.49 ± 0.05 vs. 0.44 ± 0.03 mm; p<0.001). A higher carotid stiffness index was found in the diabetic group when compared with control group (3.11 ± 0.46 vs. 2.6 ± 0.29 mm; p<0.001). Carotid IMT was not affected by mean HbA1c level and median HbA1c level (r=0.112, p=0.437 and r=0.249, p=0.082). CONCLUSION Type 1 diabetes is associated with higher cIMT and carotid stiffness index in a pediatric population.
Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Hotel Service Performance

Online user-generated content in various social media websites, such as consumer experiences, user feedback, and product reviews, has increasingly become the primary information source for both consumers and businesses. In this study, we aim to look beyond the quantitative summary and unidimensional interpretation of online user reviews to provide a more comprehensive view of online user-generated content. Moreover, we would like to extend the current literature to the more customer-driven service industries, particularly the hotel industry. We obtain a unique and extensive dataset of online user reviews for hotels across various review sites and over long time periods. We use the sentiment analysis technique to decompose user reviews into different dimensions to measure hotel service quality and performance based on the SERVPERF model. Those dimensions are then incorporated into econometrics models to examine their effect in shaping users’ overall evaluation and content-generating behavior. The results suggest that different dimensions of user reviews have significantly different effects in forming user evaluation and driving content generation. This paper demonstrates the importance of using textual data to measure consumers’ relative preferences for service quality and evaluate service performance.
Ultrafast gain dynamics in InAs-InGaAs quantum-dot amplifiers

The ultrafast dynamics of gain and refractive index in an electrically pumped InAs-InGaAs quantum-dot (QD) optical amplifier are measured at room temperature using differential transmission with femtosecond time resolution. Both absorption and gain regions are investigated. While the absorption bleaching recovery occurs on a picosecond time scale, the gain compression recovers with /spl sim/100-fs time constant, making devices based on such dots promising for high-speed optical communications.
Volumizing Hyaluronic Acid Filler for Midface Volume Deficit: Results After Repeat Treatment

BACKGROUND Juvéderm Voluma XC (VYC-20L; hyaluronic acid gel) is approved in the United States for correction of age-related midface volume deficit (MVD). OBJECTIVE Assess safety and effectiveness of VYC-20L after repeat treatment. METHODS Subjects with MVD underwent optional repeat treatment 12 to 24 months after initial treatment if correction was lost or at 24 months regardless of loss of correction (n = 167). Investigators rated outcomes on the Mid-Face Volume Deficit Scale (MFVDS) and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Subject-rated outcomes were the GAIS, overall satisfaction with facial appearance, achievement of treatment goal, and Self-Perception of Age questionnaire. Subjects recorded treatment-site responses in 30-day diaries. RESULTS Mean injection volume for repeat treatment (3.13 mL) was approximately half the mean total injection volume for initial/touch-up treatment (6.8 mL). After repeat treatment, effectiveness was demonstrated on all investigator-rated and subject-rated measures, consistent with results observed after initial treatment. The percentage of subjects improving by ≥1 point on the MFVDS was 82.8% and 91.1% at 6 and 12 months after repeat treatment, respectively. The incidence, severity, and duration of common treatment-site responses were lower after repeat versus initial treatment. CONCLUSION Repeat treatment with VYC-20L was well tolerated and resulted in high levels of effectiveness and subject satisfaction.
An Incentive‐Compatible Experiment on Probabilistic Insurance and Implications for an Insurer's Solvency Level

This article is the first to conduct an incentive-compatible experiment using real monetary payoffs to test the hypothesis of probabilistic insurance, which states that willingness to pay for insurance decreases sharply in the presence of even small default probabilities as compared to a risk-free insurance contract. In our experiment, 181 participants state their willingness to pay for insurance contracts with different levels of default risk. We find that the willingness to pay sharply decreases with increasing default risk. Our results, hence, strongly support the hypothesis of probabilistic insurance. Furthermore, we study the impact of customer reaction to default risk on an insurer's optimal solvency level using our experimentally obtained data on insurance demand. We show that an insurer should choose to be default-free rather than having even a very small default probability. This risk strategy is also optimal when assuming substantial transaction costs for risk management activities undertaken to achieve the maximum solvency level.
Tumour boards/multidisciplinary head and neck cancer meetings: are they of value to patients, treating staff or a political additional drain on healthcare resources?

Purpose of reviewThis article reviews the literature on the management of head and neck cancer using multidisciplinary team meetings as well as addressing the question of whether or not this organization is of benefit to the patients and treating staff and if it is cost efficient. Recent findingsThe multidisciplinary team has developed because of the complexity of clinical workup and treatment of head and neck cancer for which no single physician can claim to master all the training and skills necessary to treat the patients. The multidisciplinary team ensures that the professional efforts are coordinated and timely, thus ensuring the best results for patients. The multidisciplinary team usually involves a centralization of care with specialization, which benefits the outcome of treatment as well as enabling the development of clinical pathways to minimize complications, and improving on cost effectiveness. SummaryThe multidisciplinary team has become more and more an integral part of the clinical pathway for a patient with head and neck cancer in many European countries. This is cost effective and benefits patient outcomes.
Origin of exhaled breath particles from healthy and human rhinovirus-infected subjects.

BACKGROUND Exhaled breath studies suggest that humans exhale fine particles during tidal breathing, but little is known of their physical origin in the respiratory system during health or disease. METHODS Particles generated by 3 healthy and 16 human rhinovirus (HRV)-infected subjects were counted using an optical particle counter with nominal diameter-size bins ranging between 0.3 and 10 μm. Data were collected from HRV-infected subjects during tidal breathing. In addition, data from healthy subjects were collected during coughs, swallows, tidal breathing, and breathing to total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV). Using general additive models, we graphed exhaled particle concentration versus airflow during exhalation. Exhaled particles were collected from expired air on gelatin filters and analyzed for HRV via quantitative PCR. RESULTS HRV-infected subjects exhaled from 0.1 to 7200 particles per liter of exhaled air during tidal breathing (geometric mean = 32 part/L). A small fraction (24%) of subjects exhaled most (81%) of the particles measured and 82% of particles detected were 0.300-0.499 μm. Minute ventilation, maximum airflow during exhalation, and forced expiratory volume 1 second (FEV(1) % predicted) were positively correlated with particle production. No human rhinovirus was detected in exhaled breath samples. Three healthy subjects exhaled less than 100 particles per liter of exhaled air during tidal breathing and increased particle concentrations more with exhalation to RV than with coughing, swallowing, or rapid exhalation. CONCLUSIONS Submicron particles were detected in the exhaled breath of healthy and HRV-infected subjects. Particle concentrations were correlated with airflow during the first half of exhalation, and peaked at the end of exhalation, indicating both lower and upper airways as particle sources. The effect of breathing maneuver suggested a major contribution from lower airways, probably the result of opening collapsed small airways and alveoli.
Situational and sociodemographic characteristics of children infected with human immunodeficiency virus from pediatric sexual abuse.

This study assessed the situational and sociodemographic characteristics of children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from pediatric sexual abuse. A letter of inquiry was sent to 2147 professionals across health and social service disciplines involved with child abuse assessment, treatment, and prevention. Respondents working in programs where HIV antibody testing of abuse victims occurs and who had identified HIV infection in one or more abused children were sent a survey to assess the demographics of victims, the family/living situation where abuse occurred, alternative risks for HIV infection, bases for diagnosis of sexual abuse and for HIV antibody testing, and profiles of the perpetrator and type of abuse. Of 5622 estimated HIV antibody tests conducted during 113,198 sex abuse assessments, 28 children were infected with HIV and lacked any alternative transmission route to that of sexual abuse. A total of 41 HIV-infected children with a history of sexual abuse were identified. Thirteen cases had alternative risk factors and were excluded from analysis. Sixty-four percent of the 28 victims with sexual abuse as the sole risk factor were female and 71% were African-American. The mean age was 9 years. Coinfection with another sexually transmitted disease (STD) occurred in 9 (33%) cases. Sexual abuse was diagnosed on the basis of a victim disclosure in 21 (75%) cases. The basis for HIV antibody testing was physical findings suggestive of HIV infection in 9 (32%) cases, HIV-seropositive or high-risk perpetrator in 6 (21%) and 2 (7%) cases, respectively, and the presence of another STD in the victim in 4 (14%) cases. Perpetrators were a child's parent in 10 (42%) cases and another relative in 6 (25%) cases. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sodium Bicarbonate Infusion to Reduce Cardiac Surgery–Associated Acute Kidney Injury: A Phase II Multicenter Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial*

Objectives:Cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury occurs in up to 50% of patients and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to discover if perioperative urinary alkalinization with sodium bicarbonate infusion reduces the prevalence of cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury. Design:This study was a phase IIb multicenter double-blind randomized controlled trial. Setting:This study was conducted in three tertiary hospitals in New Zealand and Australia. Patients:A total of 427 patients scheduled to undergo elective cardiac surgery, who were at increased risk of development of cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury using recognized risk factors. Measurements and Main Results:Patients were randomly allocated to receive either sodium bicarbonate (n = 215) or sodium chloride (n = 212) infusion, commencing at the start of anesthesia, in a dose of 0.5 mEq/kg/hr for the first hour and then 0.2 mmol/kg/hr for 23 hours. The primary outcome measure was the number of patients with development of cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury, defined as an increase in creatinine greater than 25% or 0.5 mg/dL (44 µmol/L) from baseline to peak value within the first five postoperative days. Significant differences among the groups in both plasma and urinary biochemistry were achieved 6 hours after commencement of the infusion, and these changes persisted for more than 24 hours. A total of 100 out of 215 patients (47% [95% CI, 40%–53%]) in the sodium bicarbonate group and 93 of 212 patients (44% [95% CI, 37%–51%]) in the sodium chloride group with development of acute kidney injury within the first five postoperative days (p = 0.58). There were also no significant differences in ventilation hours, ICU or hospital length of stay, or mortality. Conclusions:Perioperative alkalinization of blood and urine using an infusion of sodium bicarbonate did not result in a decrease in the prevalence of acute kidney injury in patients following cardiac surgery.
Are Use Cases Beneficial for Developers Using Agile Requirements?

Agile teams commonly use User Stories, conversations with On-Site Customers, and Test Cases to gather requirements. Some Agile teams like to add other artifacts, such as Use Cases to provide more detail to the Agile Requirements. This paper presents the results of a controlled experiment aimed to learn whether Use Cases could help Agile Requirements, and, indirectly, to find if Agile Requirements techniques are sufficient. In the study, subjects were given requirements for three maintenance tasks as Use Cases, or Agile Requirements, or both. We found that subjects using Use Cases spent less time understanding requirements in comparison to subjects not using Use Cases. In addition, the presence of the Use Cases helped subjects to ask better questions to the On-Site Customer. However, we could not determine if subjects using Use Cases understood the requirements better. We conclude that the inclusion of Use Cases in Agile Requirements could benefit Agile teams.
First Direct Body Fat Content Measurement during Pregnancy Using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Currently, there are no direct and reliable methods to measure the body fat content of women during pregnancy. Estimates of fat accretion can significantly affect calculations of energy requirements. We report here the first direct measurement of determining the body fat content of two women during pregnancy using the Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) method. Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy was shown to provide comparable results to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging. These latter methods, even though very reliable to measure body fat levels, cannot be used to measure the body fat of women during pregnancy because of health concerns, while FT-NIR poses no health risk. The FT-NIR results showed the percent body fat remained relatively constant throughout pregnancy, but fat mass and fat free mass increased. Fat mass followed an S curve with a maximum increase between 15 to 25 weeks of gestation that was only detected by repeated measurements using the FT-NIR technique. These results demonstrate the value of the FT-NIR method to directly measure the fat content of pregnant women in minutes instead of relying on indirect calculations or taking measurements before and after pregnancy to track gestational fat mass accretion.
Educating Our MBAs: On Teaching What We Haven't Taught

This article asserts that we have generally failed to include "front end," pathfinding aspects of management in our programs of management education. Instead, we have concentrated on analytic problem solving and, to a much lesser extent, on teaching collaboration and teamwork. Our emphasis on those aspects has led us, implicitly, to reject individualistic, pro-active pathfinders because their cognitive styles are an anathema both to convergent analysis and also to group-oriented teambuilders. Pathfinding imagination and purposiveness can and should be taught, but it will require that we redefine the teaching process.