Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Descriptive epidemiology of clubfoot in Peru: a clinic-based study.

congenital clubfoot is the most common birth defect of the musculoskeletal system and affects 1 in every 1000 live births each year. (1) Although there have been numerous studies of investigation, the etiology and pathogenesis of clubfoot remains unknown. To date, no epidemiological studies have been conducted in Peru to assess possible genetic and environmental risk factors associated with this deformity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate specific environmental and socioeconomic factors that may increase the risk of clubfoot. A descriptive clinic-based study was conducted using structured questionnaires given to biological mothers of clinically confirmed clubfoot patients (n=72) and biological mothers of children between ages 0-18 with no first or second degree family history of clubfoot as controls (n=103). Phenotypic data from clubfoot subjects were also collected. We found that males were twice as likely to have clubfoot as females, and half of all clubfoot patients had bilateral clubfoot. There was no significant difference in the rate of left vs. right clubfoot. Infant birth in the winter months correlated with an increased risk of clubfoot (p=0.01476). Maternal characteristics found to be significantly associated with increased risk of clubfoot were young maternal age at conception (p=0.04369) and low maternal education (p=0.003245). Young paternal age also had a correlation with increased risk of clubfoot in the child (p=0.0371). Both paternal smoking (p=0.00001) and the presence of any household smoking (p=0.00003) were strongly associated with an increased risk of clubfoot.
Rodent motor and neuropsychological behaviour measured in home cages using the integrated modular platform SmartCage™

To facilitate investigation of diverse rodent behaviours in rodents’ home cages, we have developed an integrated modular platform, the SmartCage™ system (AfaSci, Inc. Burlingame, CA, USA), which enables automated neurobehavioural phenotypic analysis and in vivo drug screening in a relatively higher‐throughput and more objective manner. The individual platform consists of an infrared array, a vibration floor sensor and a variety of modular devices. One computer can simultaneously operate up to 16 platforms via USB cables. The SmartCage™ detects drug‐induced increases and decreases in activity levels, as well as changes in movement patterns. Wake and sleep states of mice can be detected using the vibration floor sensor. The arousal state classification achieved up to 98% accuracy compared with results obtained by electroencephalography and electromyography. More complex behaviours, including motor coordination, anxiety‐related behaviours and social approach behaviour, can be assessed using appropriate modular devices and the results obtained are comparable with results obtained using conventional methods. In conclusion, the SmartCage™ system provides an automated and accurate tool to quantify various rodent behaviours in a ‘stress‐free’ environment. This system, combined with the validated testing protocols, offers powerful a tool kit for transgenic phenotyping and in vivo drug screening.
Time-reversal of ultrasonic fields. III. Theory of the closed time-reversal cavity

For pt.II see ibid., vol.39, no.5, p.567-78 (1992). A theoretical model for time-reversal cavities to optimize focusing in homogeneous and inhomogeneous media is described. The concept of the cavity can be understood as the most realistic approximation to an exact three-dimensional (3-D) time-reversal of ultrasonic fields; it is also a generalization of the time-reversal mirrors realized experimentally in the laboratory. The proposed method is based on an approach in the transient regime that is more general than the monochromatic formalism used in optics to analyze the phase conjugation mirrors efficiency. This method uses impulse diffraction theory to obtain the impulse response of the cavity in any inhomogeneous medium. An original interpretation of the limitations due to diffraction observed in wave field propagation in terms of the different waves generated inside the cavity is also proposed. The time-reversal focusing process using a closed cavity in a weakly inhomogeneous medium is compared with more classical techniques to compensate wavefront distortions, thus illustrating the focusing improvement due to the time-reversal method. <<ETX>>
The Political Economy of Austerity in Southern Europe

ABSTRACT Europe’s response to the sovereign debt crisis in Southern Europe has been premised on the idea that these states can return to growth through internal devaluation and fiscal consolidation. This article explores the distributive consequences of that strategy in Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. We argue that standard measures of poverty do not capture the deterioration in living standards as fully as anchored poverty. Moreover, we show that inequality trends conceal considerable re-ranking within the income distribution: those who were rich in 2012 had got richer in 2009–12, but those who were rich in 2009 lost ground in 2009–12. We find that in all four countries the new poor include significantly fewer pensioners and more unemployed workers, and are considerably poorer than the old poor had been. We demonstrate that there was significant variation in the magnitude and design of austerity, with Italy imposing a far smaller adjustment than Spain, and Portugal achieving less inequality in spite of robust fiscal consolidation. Nevertheless, even when austerity measures were designed to reduce inequality by compressing incomes downward, their second-order macro-economic effects ultimately increased inequality (except in Portugal). In the last section, we explore the political reasons for this variation.
Determination of α‐conotoxin binding modes on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

α‐Conotoxins, from cone snails, and α‐neurotoxins, from snakes, are competitive inhibitors of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) that have overlapping binding sites in the ACh binding pocket. These disulphide‐rich peptides are used extensively as tools to localize and pharmacologically characterize specific nAChRs subtypes. Recently, a homology model based on the high‐resolution structure of an ACh binding protein (AChBP) allowed the three‐fingered α‐neurotoxins to be docked onto the α7 nAChR. To investigate if α‐conotoxins interact with the nAChR in a similar manner, we built homology models of human α7 and α3β2 nAChRs, and performed docking simulations of α‐conotoxins ImI, PnIB, PnIA and MII using the program GOLD. Docking revealed that α‐conotoxins have a different mode of interaction compared with α‐neurotoxins, with surprisingly few nAChR residues in common between their overlapping binding sites. These docking experiments show that ImI and PnIB bind to the ACh binding pocket via a small cavity located above the β9/β10 hairpin of the (+)α7 nAChR subunit. Interestingly, PnIB, PnIA and MII were found to bind in a similar location on α7 or α3β2 receptors mostly through hydrophobic interactions, while ImI bound further from the ACh binding pocket, mostly through electrostatic interactions. These findings, which distinguish α‐conotoxin and α‐neurotoxin binding modes, have implications for the rational design of selective nAChR antagonists. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked clinical trial of etanercept for the treatment of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the safety and efficacy of etanercept in the treatment of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS Children who met the American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria for JIA with active uveitis, who had anterior chamber cells of >/=1+ or requiring topical corticosteroid >/=3 times daily, and who were on a stable regimen for arthritis treatment were eligible. Study participants received etanercept (0.4 mg/kg) or placebo administered subcutaneously twice weekly for 6 months. All participants received open-label etanercept for an additional 6 months. RESULTS Five patients received placebo and 7 received etanercept. Three of the 7 patients treated with etanercept and 2 of the 5 placebo-treated patients were considered ophthalmic successes (P = 1.0). One patient in each treatment group was considered a treatment failure. Three of the 7 etanercept-treated and 2 of the 5 placebo-treated patients were neither successes nor failures by our definition. There were no serious adverse events for any patient during the entire study period. Reports of minor infections were comparable in each treatment group, 71% for etanercept and 60% for placebo (P = 0.58). CONCLUSION In this small pilot study there was no apparent difference in the anterior segment inflammation between patients treated with etanercept and placebo. The stringent criteria used to measure ophthalmic success of treatment and the small patient population limit the implications of our findings.
The criteria for effective policy design: character and context in policy instrument choice

ABSTRACT Recent studies of policy design have grappled with such issues as policy tool use, overcoming historical policy legacies, the nature of policy mixes and issues around policy formulation and the nature of ‘design’ and ‘designing’ in policy-making. These studies have begun to establish insights into what makes a policy design ‘effective’ or likely to succeed in being adopted or implemented or both. This paper draws lessons from both the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ design work to establish several basic criteria for effective design and designing. As the review of the literature shows, the kinds of lessons that can be drawn from these studies fall into two categories: those dealing with matching design activity to the context of policy-making and those which focus on the character of the tools deployed in a design. The paper sets out both these elements and shows how they can be combined to generate lessons, insights and practices for both policy scholars and practitioners alike.
The effect of octreotide on the prevention of acute pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia after diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Acute pancreatitis is a serious complication of diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). In addition, serum pancreatic enzymes increase without symptoms in about 40-50% of patients undergoing these endoscopic procedures. In order to evaluate the efficacy of octreotide in the prevention of these complications, we performed this randomised, prospective study. METHODOLOGY We studied 73 patients (31 males, 42 females), mean age 63.3 +/- 12.9 years (range 28-87 yrs). The patients were randomly allocated into two groups (A and B). Group A (37 patients) was given 0.1 mg of octreotide subcutaneously 30 min before and 8 and 16 hours after the procedure, and group B (36 patients) was given a placebo. Serum amylase was measured 30 min before and 3 and 6 hrs after ERCP. All patients were subjected to ultrasonography for signs of pancreatic inflammation. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups concerning age, sex and indication for ERCP. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) was performed in 14 patients of group A and 10 patients of group B. RESULTS There were 4 cases of acute pancreatitis in each group and the mean serum amylase at 3 and 6 hrs was comparable (494/676 and 429/582 IU/L, respectively). In comparing patients who were subjected to either diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP, there was no statistically significant difference concerning episodes of acute pancreatitis and the level of serum amylase. CONCLUSION Octreotide does not seem to prevent acute pancreatitis and hyperamylasaemia after diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP.
Spray-painting and chronic airways obstruction.

BACKGROUND The aim was to investigate the respiratory response of HDI-based paint aerosol within the context of the protection afforded by current exposure guidelines. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 240 painters spraying polyurethane enamels was undertaken at four aircraft maintenance plants. Questionnaire and spirometric data were related to gravimetric measures of cumulative total and respirable paint aerosol (TPA and RPA) and estimated isocyanate in total and respirable aerosols (TIA and RIA). RESULTS Average cumulative exposures in mg/m(3)-years +/- SD were 159.0 +/- 115.2 TPA, 19.1 +/- 13.8 RPA, 15.8 +/- 11.5 TIA, and 1.9 +/- 1.4 RIA. After adjusting for smoking and asthma symptoms, higher exposures were associated with statistically significant reduction in expiratory flowrates. Significant smoking-related reductions were also observed, without exposure interactions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest important respiratory effects from exposures to spray paint aerosols at levels generally in compliance with existing standards for otherwise unregulated particulates and for the isocyanate component of the paint.
Further development of a physical function scale on a MDHAQ [corrected] for standard care of patients with rheumatic diseases.

OBJECTIVE To analyze a further version of the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) with 10 activities of daily living (ADL), which is more easily completed by patients and scored by health professionals than a 14-ADL MDHAQ; and to determine if the 10-ADL MDHAQ would be as informative as the 14-ADL MDHAQ, the 20-ADL HAQ, and the 8-ADL modified HAQ (MHAQ), which is more easily reviewed and scored than the HAQ, but scores are routinely 0.3-0.5 units lower than HAQ scores. METHODS In standard care, 144 consecutive patients completed a HAQ, which includes a MHAQ, and 14-ADL MDHAQ, which includes a 10-ADL MDHAQ subscale, all scored 0-3. These scales were analyzed for mean and median scores, Cronbach's alpha to estimate internal consistency, factor analysis to estimate construct validity, and cumulative percentile scores. RESULTS Mean (median) scores for the HAQ, MHAQ, 14-ADL MDHAQ, and 10-ADL MDHAQ physical function scales were 0.80 (0.75), 0.48 (0.38), 0.83 (0.79), and 0.73 (0.70), respectively. Internal consistency of each scale was very good. The lowest 25 percentile score was 0.16 on the HAQ, 0.0 on the MHAQ, 0.36 on the 14-ADL MDHAQ, and 0.20 on the 10-ADL MDHAQ. CONCLUSION The MDHAQ physical function scale of 10 ADL is more easily completed and scored than the 14-ADL MDHAQ or 20-ADL HAQ, while providing similar information.
Taxi Drivers and Taxidars: A Case Study of Uber and Ola in Delhi

This article examines the role of the sharing economy in India’s development through the examples of aggregated taxis such as Uber and Ola in Delhi. 1 Based on a general survey of Uber and Ola drivers and users in Delhi, we argue that Uber and Ola do not measure up to their expected potential in the development of India’s economy on the parameters of ecological sustainability, employment through renting out assets and reduction in the need to own assets. Yet, Uber and Ola are notable for the creation of viable employment opportunities for drivers, and their many benefits for urban middle class users. Unique to the Uber and Ola phenomenon in India is the interception of driver opportunities by taxidars (taxi-owners). This tweaked Uber model for the Indian market allows the middle class individual—the police official, bureaucrat, property dealer, transporter or a professional—an entry into the aggregated taxi market.
The gel hypothesis applied to the rat renal capillary membranes – a review

In the gel model for the glomerular (and peritubular) capillary membrane, the integrity of the membrane is supposed to result from the fluid reabsorption induced by the osmotic action of the counter‐ions attracted to negative fixed charges, increasing the gel pressure such that it becomes the same as in the capillaries. From this point on, the gel will be unaffected by the high capillary pressure. The same fluid reabsorption will also suspend the fibrils in the matrix such that they form a series of grids composed of, for example, horizontal fibrils spaced similarly from one another. The model thereby explains the well‐known phenomenon of a uniform ‘pore’ size, although slits rather than pores constitute the transport routes. The model also explains the fact that the plasma proteins are free to move in the membrane matrix, which is the consequence of a recent finding that a major restriction to albumin is offered by a unique protein, nephrin, located between the podocytes in Bowman’s space cells. A large molecule, which may become trapped in a slit between two fibrils, will thus push out the positive counter‐ions whereby the charges become free and hence repel one another, widening the slit such that the molecule is free to move in any direction. It is furthermore concluded that the restriction to proteins is also dependent on the width of the slits closest to plasma.
FENOMENA PENGANGGURAN TERDIDIK DI INDONESIA

The unemployment in Indonesia shows a relatively stable rate at the level of 5% -6%. However, when viewed in more detail, the unemployment in Indonesia is dominated by youth unemployment and also educated unemployment (with a minimum education of senior high school), with a rate ofover 20%. Using the data from the 2016 National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas), this study will look at the factors that affect a highly educated person to become unemployed in Indonesia (educated unemployment). Some of the aspects that are predicted to affect educated unemployment in Indonesia are from both labor demand and supply factors, such as labour absorption of industrial and service sectors, minimum wage rates and some individual characteristics such as age, marital status, and family economic background. Keywords: Unemployment, Labour Force Survey, Employment
Provision of Medication Therapy Management to University Faculty and Staff Members by Third-year Pharmacy Students

Objective. To develop and implement a medication therapy management (MTM) curriculum and assess students' skills and attitudes after the provision of MTM services to faculty and staff members. Design. Third-year students enrolled in a pharmaceutical care laboratory course received lectures and participated in MTM activities in preparation for an MTM encounter. Students conduced MTM sessions with university faculty and staff members, providing comprehensive medication review, blood pressure checks, and optional blood glucose and cholesterol (total cholesterol and HDL) screenings. Assessment. A faculty-developed rubric was used to evaluate students' ability to explain MTM to the participant and address medication-related problems. Students' responses on pre- and post-encounter survey instruments showed their confidence to provide MTM services, communicate with participants and other health care providers, and provide point-of-care screening services had increased. Conclusion. Incorporating MTM into an existing laboratory course increased students' confidence and perceived ability to provide MTM services.
Endogenous versus Exogenous Fairness Indices in Repeated Ultimatum Games

In ultimatum games, we often observe some participants rejecting offers that may be normally viewed as “fair” while others accept even lower offers that are typically viewed as “unfair”. The objective of this study is to construct and examine an endogenous fairness index that helps explain this phenomenon. To achieve this objective, we construct a repeated ultimatum game environment in which each participant plays the roles of both the sender and the receiver with two different participants. We conjecture that the ratio of the amount that an individual receives divided by the amount the individual sends, captures the benchmark of what constitutes a fair offer for that individual when an offer-acceptance decision has to be made. Our design includes a fixed- and random-partners treatment in the repeated ultimatum game as an attempt to identify and isolate the effects of social distance on offer-acceptance decisions. In addition to the inclusion of the fairness indices in the offer-acceptance models, we introduce measures of social value orientations and risk attitudes as control variables in our analyses. We find that our belief-related fairness index is, in some cases, a better explanatory variable for offer-acceptance decisions than the conventional “offer index” and in other cases significantly augments the “offer index”. As well, the offer-acceptance model including the belief-related fairness index can account for likelihoods of accepting less fair offers that can, at times, exceed likelihoods of accepting more fair offers.
The effect of pre-soaking and time in the ultrasonic cleaner on the cleanliness of sterilized endodontic files.

AIMS To assess whether pre-soaking files in an enzymatic cleaner prior to ultrasonic cleaning had any effect on cleanliness and also to assess the effect of the time that endodontic files spend in an ultrasonic bath prior to sterilization on their overall cleanliness. METHODOLOGY Twenty root canals in a total of ten patients were cleaned and shaped using conventional techniques. Following use, some of the files were pre-soaked and then ultrasonically cleaned for either 5, 10, 30 or 60 min. Other files had no pre-soaking and were then ultrasonically cleaned. There were two control groups, one where the files were pre-soaked and not ultrasonically cleaned and the other where the files were neither pre-soaked nor ultrasonically cleaned. All files were then subjected to a standard packing and autoclaving process. Following autoclaving, the files were examined using a light microscope at a magnification of 40x. The cutting section of each file was divided into two parts, the tip and the shaft, for visualization under the microscope. Any debris or cement on the files was scored using a modification of the scale used by Smith et al. (Journal of Hospital Infection, 51, 2002, 233). The data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS Pre-soaking had no significant effect on the cleanliness of the files (P = 0.18 at the tip, P = 0.93 at the shaft). Ultrasonic cleaning had a significant effect on the cleanliness of the files (P < 0.00) but there was not a linear relationship between cleanliness and the ultrasonic cleaning time. There was little benefit in extending the ultrasonic cleaning time beyond 5 min. Calcium hydroxide deposits on two files were resistant to ultrasonic cleaning. CONCLUSIONS There is no benefit in pre-soaking endodontic files prior to ultrasonic cleaning. The optimum time for ultrasonic cleaning was between 5 and 10 min. Further ultrasonic exposure, up to 60 min, did not improve cleanliness. Although a majority of files were free from debris following ultrasonic cleaning, a substantial minority still retained debris. This supports the case for endodontic files being single-use only.