Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of iatrogenic injury studies in Australia and the USA. II: Reviewer behaviour and quality of care.

OBJECTIVE To better understand the remaining three-fold disparity between adverse event (AE) rates in the Quality in Australia Health Care Study (QAHCS) and the Utah-Colorado Study (UTCOS) after methodological differences had been accounted for. SETTING Iatrogenic injury in hospitalized patients in Australia and America. DESIGN Using a previously developed classification, all AEs were assigned to 98 exclusive descriptive categories and the relative rates compared between studies; they were also compared with respect to severity and death. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The distribution of AEs amongst the descriptive and outcome categories. RESULTS For 38 categories, representing 67% of UTCOS and 28% of QAHCS AEs, there were no statistically significant differences. For 33, representing 31% and 69% respectively, there was seven times more AEs in QAHCS than in UTCOS. Rates for major disability and death were very similar (1.7% and 0.3% of admissions for both studies) but the minor disability rate was six times greater in QAHCS (8.4% versus 1.3%). CONCLUSIONS A similar 2% core of serious AEs was found in both studies, but for the remaining categories six to seven times more AEs were reported in QAHCS than in UTCOS. We hypothesize that this disparity is due to different thresholds for admission and discharge and to a greater degree of under-reporting of certain types of problems as AEs by UTCOS than QAHCS reviewers. The biases identified were consistent with, and appropriate for, the quite different aims of each study. No definitive difference in quality of care was identified by these analyses or a literature review.
Event aware elasticity control for cloud applications

A distinctive component of cloud-based applications is the elasticity control. This component facilitates the adaptation necessary for an application to maintain service quality in the presence of fluctuating demand. Elasticity control achieves this adaptation at runtime by managing the expansion and contraction of resource capacity in response to demand. How to design the rules of elasticity control is a central challenge when deploying cloud-based software. Many application providers express the need to manage the large fluctuations in demand associated with planned events, like marketing events. Existing reactive and predictive elasticity control strategies can be ineffective in managing the surges in workload associated with such planned events. This report will introduce a novel control strategy that integrates expert knowledge about planned events, along with runtime measurements and trend prediction from recent history. We will evaluate how well this strategy can maintain quality of service as planned events alter the load. The initial results presented in this paper are promising and suggest that making an elasticity controller aware of upcoming events is an effective strategy for dealing with event-associated surges in workload. Keywords-control; adaptive; cloud computing; autonomic computing; control; elasticity; flash crowd; prediction;
Measurement of a number of indices of hand and movement angles in pianists with overuse disorders

Abduction angles of the thumb and little finger, hand span, length of thumb, middle finger and little finger were measured using radiographs of the right hand with the thumb and the little finger abducted, in a comparative study of 220 pianists with overuse disorder and 62 unaffected pianists. Overuse disorders included tenosynovitis, lateral and medial epicondylitis, forearm flexor muscle pain, distal tendinitis of the wrist extensors and flexors and intrinsic muscle pain. Hand span or other hand size parameters showed significant differences, while abduction angles showed no difference. The patients’ group had smaller hand size than the controls when analyzed for tenosynovitis, epicondylitis and muscle pain. From these results we hypothesize that pianists with small hands tend to hyper-abduct and hyper-extend the thumb to attain greater hand span. Their little finger is also stiffer and the hypothenar muscle and the wrist flexors need greater strength to resist the reaction force in each piano key.
Binding of porcine spermatozoa to uterine epithelial cells modulates the female immune response and might indicate the formation of a pre-oviductal sperm reservoir.

Inseminations in pigs are characterized by the tremendous amount of spermatozoa needed for successful fertilisation. lf, in contrast, spermatozoa are deposited at the tip of the uterine horn a fraction of the usual porcine insemination dose suffices (Johnson 1991, Vazquez et al. 2005). It thus seems to be the uterine passage where the need for such high sperm numbers arises. In the past the provision of sufficient sperm numbers to reach acceptable fertility rates did not pose a problem due to the abundance of spermatozoa in one single boar ejaculate. However, modern biotechnological procedures, such as sex sorting of spermatozoa, require insemination of sperm portions containing no more then 50 x 106spermatozoa. To facilitate insemination with such small sperm doses also for conventional Al-techniques, more knowledge has to be gathered about fundamental sperm transport and selection mechanisms within the uterus. Previous studies on the pig uterus (Lovell & Getty 1968), the utero-tubal junction (Rodriguez-Martinez et al. 1990) and the oviduct (Wagner et al. 2002) suggested that spermatozoa are indeed subject to close interaction and even binding with the epithelial structures of the female genital tract. The present study aimed to further our understanding of such interactions specifically in the porcine uterus. For this purpose an ex vivo model was developed using uterine segments of 10 cm derived from 50 freshly slaughtered peri-ovulatory German Landrace gilts. In each segment 100 x 106 spermatozoa were incubated for 60 min at 38°C. The sperm cells originated from ejaculates provided by 4 boars of the same breed and of proven fertility. Previous to incubation spermatozoa were either washed and diluted in the semen extender Androhep or diluted with autologous seminal plasma without further washing. The spermatozoa were subsequently flushed out of the segments, counted and their viability parameters were established flow cytometrically using the stains PI and JC1 for membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential respectively. The results indicated a retention of viable spermatozoa within the uterine cavity since only 55 ± 7% of the intact spermatozoa (PI-4C1+) were rediscovered in the flushing, while the damaged sperm population (PI+ /JC1-) was flushed out almost in its entity (93 ± 12%; p < 0.03). The effect was more emphasised in the sperm population, which had been washed and diluted in Androhep' (p < 0.05). The location of the uterine segments in relation to the cervix had no effect on the numbers of recovered sperm cells. Neither were differences observed between segments from the right and left uterine horn. In order to determine the physiological reasons behind the observed uterine sperm retention an in vivo experiment was performed looking for changes in uterine gene expression in response to insemination by measuring endometrial mRNA concentration. Because many processes concerning reproduction such as ovulation and implantation involve the immune system, the
Effectiveness of an intervention program on knowledge of oral cancer among the youth of Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND The study is the first of its kind to be conducted in Saudi Arabia (KSA), aiming to analyze the effectiveness of an intervention program in improving the knowledge of oral cancer among the youth. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 1,051 young Saudis (57% males and 43% females with a mean age of 20.4 ± 1.98) were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Knowledge assessment was accomplished using a closed-ended questionnaire which was subjected to reliability tests. Prevalence of risk factors in relation to gender was analyzed using the chi-squared test. Effectiveness was calculated by comparing the pre- and post-intervention means, using the two-tailed paired t-test. Multiple logistic regression was employed in order to determine factors associated with awareness of risk habits, signs/symptoms and prevention of oral cancer. The significance level in this study was set at 0.05. RESULTS Females were seen to be more into the habit of sheesha smoking (3.3% rather than the use of other forms of risk factors. Prevalence of diverse risk factors such as cigarette smoking (20%), sheesha (15.3%), khat (27%) and shamma (9%) was seen among males. Gender and the use of modifiable risk factors among the study sample were significantly (p<0.001) associated with effectiveness of the intervention. The intervention program was highly effective (p<0.001) in improving the knowledge of oral cancer among the youth in Jazan, KSA. Multivariate analysis revealed that age and gender are the most significant factors affecting knowledge. CONCLUSIONS The study gives a direction for further public health initiatives in this oral cancer prone region.
Inhibition of the actions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha on obesity by estrogen.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the major ovarian factor estrogen modulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha actions on obesity and to investigate the mechanism by which estrogen regulates PPARalpha actions. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Female ovariectomized mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8/group). After they were treated with combinations of high fat, fenofibrate (FF), or 17beta-estradiol (E) for 13 weeks, variables and determinants of obesity and lipid metabolism were measured using in vivo and in vitro approaches. RESULTS When female ovariectomized mice were given a high-fat diet with either FF or E, body weight gain and white adipose tissue mass were significantly reduced and serum lipid profiles were improved compared with control mice fed a high-fat diet alone. When mice were concomitantly treated with FF and E, however, E reversed the effects of FF on body weight gain, serum lipid profiles, and hepatic PPARalpha target gene expression. Consistent with the in vivo data, E not only decreased basal levels of PPARalpha reporter gene activation but also significantly decreased Wy14,643-induced luciferase reporter activity. In addition, inhibition of PPARalpha functions by E did not seem to occur by interfering with the DNA binding of PPARalpha. DISCUSSION Our results demonstrate that in vivo and in vitro treatment of estrogen inhibited the actions of FF-activated PPARalpha on obesity and lipid metabolism through changes in the expression of PPARalpha target genes, providing evidence that FF does not regulate obesity in female mice with functioning ovaries.
T1 relaxation time at 0.2 Tesla for monitoring regional hyperthermia: Feasibility study in muscle and adipose tissue

The purpose of this study was to characterize T1, particularly in the hyperthermia temperature range (ca. 37–44°C), in order to control regional hyperthermia with MR monitoring using 0.2 Tesla, and to improve T1 mapping. A single‐slice and a new multislice “T One by Multiple Read‐Out Pulses” (TOMROP) pulse sequence were used for fast T1 mapping in a clinical MRI hyperthermia hybrid system. Temporal stability, temperature sensitivity, and reversibility of T1 were investigated in a polyamidacryl gel phantom and in samples of muscle and adipose tissues from turkey and pig, and verified in patients. In the gel phantom a high linear correlation between T1 and temperature (R2 = 0.97) was observed. In muscle and adipose tissue, T1 and temperature had a linear relationship below a breakpoint of 43°C. Above this breakpoint muscle tissue showed irreversible tissue changes; these effects were not visible in adipose tissue. The ex vivo results were confirmed in vivo under clinical conditions. T1 mapping allows the characterization of hyperthermia‐related tissue response in healthy tissue. T1, in combination with fast mapping, is suitable for controlling regional hyperthermia at 0.2 T within the hybrid system. Magn Reson Med 47:1194–1201, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
What will they think of next?

Inevitably, reading is one of the requirements to be undergone. To improve the performance and quality, someone needs to have something new every day. It will suggest you to have more inspirations, then. However, the needs of inspirations will make you searching for some sources. Even from the other people experience, internet, and many books. Books and internet are the recommended media to help you improving your quality and performance.
Preterm Birth and Maternal Occupation in a Hispanic Population

Abstract Introduction: The goal of this study was to examine the differences in preterm birth (PTB) among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women in regard to occupation in the service industry.PTB outcomes for Hispanic women by country of origin were also analyzed. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based study using Nevada’s electronic birth records from January 2010 to December 2014 to extract maternal and infant characteristics and information on occupation. We calculated crude and adjusted odds ratios of PTB (<37 weeks) using multiple logistic regression. Results: Hispanic women working in the service industry had higher odds of delivering a premature infant (AOR=1.40; 95% CI=1.04-1.89). By nativity, women from Spain (AOR=1.93; 95% CI=1.02-3.64) and Central South America (AOR=1.26; 95% CI=1.09-1.44) had higher odds of a PTB. Hispanic mothers who were students had increased odds of PTB. Maternal risk factors associated with PTB included: high school education or less, previous PTB, Medicaid status, and smoking and/or drinking during pregnancy. Prenatal care utilization was a protective factor for PTB. Conclusion: Hispanic women working in the service industry are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke which increases their risk of PTB. The increased odds could be further modified by nativity. Therefore, maternal occupation should be accounted for when examining ethnic disparities in preterm birth.
Fracture of the radial head and neck of Mason types II and III during growth: a 14–25 year follow-up

Twenty-four individuals, who were 16 years of age or younger when they sustained a fracture of the radial head or neck, were examined at a mean of 19 years (range 14–25 years) after injury. The 12 girls and 12 boys were a mean age of 11 years (range 5–16 years) when the fracture was sustained. Two were excluded due to late resection of the radial head following persisting pain. The fractures, which were of Mason type II in 19 and type III in three cases, were treated by mobilization in eight cases, plaster in eight, open reduction and internal fixation in three and closed reduction and plaster in three. At the follow-up examination, 19 (86%) had no complaints, while three (14%) had occasional pain. Flexion was decreased in the formerly injured compared with the uninjured elbow (139 ± 8° versus 142±5°; P<0.05). None had developed elbow osteoarthritis. Isolated, closed fracture of the radial head and neck during growth has a favourable, long-term outcome.
The validation of HY-2A ACMR retrieval algorithms and product

There are three retrieval algorithms developed for the HY-2A Atmospheric Correction Microwave Radiometer (ACMR). The validation Results of these retrieval algorithms and corresponding products (the wet tropospheric path delays) are presented. Comparisons are made between HY-2A ACMR and various sources including Jason2 Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR), global climatological model (ECMWF).
Cellular permeation pathways in a leaky epithelium: the human amniochorion

The presence of cellular permeation pathways in human fetal membranes at term was evaluated. Electrical parameters (transepithelial potential [TEP], and conductance [Gt], and intracellular potentials [cell PD]), and water and urea diffusional coefficients (Pdw, Pdu), were determined in Ussing‐like chambers.
L-band 3D imaging of an Alpine Glacier: Results from the AlpTomoSAR campaign

In this paper we present results from the tomographic analysis of L-Band SAR data acquired in February/March 2014 over the Mittelbergferner glacier, Austrian Alps, during the ESA campaign AlpTomoSAR. The campaign includes coincident in-situ measurements of snow and ice properties, as well as high-frequency Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data acquired over a total length of 18 km. The analyses of three-dimensional TomoSAR data cubes shows the complexity of the glacier sub-surface scattering. Most areas are characterized by surface scattering in proximity of the Lidar surface, plus a complex pattern of in-depth volumetric scattering beneath. Various subsurface features observed in GPR transects at 600 MHz and 200 MHz clearly showed up in TomoSAR sections as well. In particular: firn bodies, crevasses, and even the bedrock down to 50 m below the ice surface.
Externally disposed membrane polypeptides of intact and protease-treated Trypanosoma lewisi correlated with sensitivity to alternate complement pathway-mediated lysis

Reproducing forms of Trypanosoma lewisi isolated from X-irradiated rats and adult forms from intact rats were not lysed by fresh mammalian sera. Treating parasites with trypsin or chymotrypsin, but not with neuraminidase, under conditions which did not impair viability rendered the parasites sensitive to lysis by rat, mouse, rabbit, and human sera. Serum from animal strains or humans genetically deficient in complement component C3, C5, or C6 did not lyse protease-treated parasites. The lytic factors in serum displayed the heat sensitivity and the Mg2+ requirement characteristic of the alternate complement pathway. Lysis was resolved into two phases, Mg2+-dependent binding of serum factors to parasites and subsequent C5-dependent, Mg2+-independent lysis. Allowing protease-treated parasites to readsorb host proteins did not block lysis by serum. Protease-treated parasites regenerated components which prevented complement-mediated lysis during 2 h in culture at 37 degrees C. This regeneration was inhibited by cycloheximide but not by tunicamycin. Ten major components were resolved in radioautographs of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels of extracts of radioiodinated intact cells. Protease treatment before radioiodination reduced the amount of radioactivity associated with these components disproportionately. Components with apparent molecular weights of 102,000, 88,000, and 47,000 were strongly labeled in intact cells, poorly labeled after enzyme treatment, and again labeled in cells that were cultured at 37 degrees C after enzyme treatment. Cycloheximide blocked the reappearance of these components on cultured cells. The presence of these three components was therefore correlated with resistance to complement-mediated lysis.
The Combination of Chlorthalidone with Nifedipine Does Not Exert an Additive Antihypertensive Effect in Essential Hypertensives: A Crossover Multicenter Study

To evaluate whether the combination of nifedipine with chlorthalidone exerts an additive antihypertensive effect when compared to single-drug treatment, 66 uncomplicated essential hypertensives, whose diastolic blood pressure was > 100 and < 115 mm Hg at the end of a 1-month washout placebo period, received, according to a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, nifedipine (20 mg b.i.d.), chlorthalidone (25 mg o.d.), the two drugs combined at the same doses, and the corresponding placebo. When compared to the randomized placebo the three active treatments significantly (p < 0.001) reduced blood pressure without changing heart rate and body weight. However, blood prssure values were similarly reduced under nifedipine and the combination and were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those under chlorthalidone. Moreover, the percentage of responders and normalized patients under nifedipine and the two drugs combined were similar and significantly (normalized, p < 0.001; responders, p < 0.02) greater than those under chlorthalidone. Under chlorthalidone and its combination with nifedipine, plasma potassium tended to decrease and blood glucose and serum uric acid were significantly (p < 0.05) increased. These data show that the combination of nifedipine with chlorthalidone does not exert any additive antihypertensive effect when compared to nifedipine alone and that this combination increases both blood glucose and serum uric acid. Taken together these findings indicate that the combination of a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist with a thiazide diuretic is devoid of any clinical significance in the treatment of uncomplicated essential hypertensives.
Do young adults show conceptual knowledge of previous distractors?

ABSTRACT Using implicit tests, older adults have been found to retain conceptual knowledge of previously seen task-irrelevant information. While younger adults typically do not show the same effect, evidence from one study [Gopie, N. , Craik, F. I. M. , & Hasher, L. (2011). A double dissociation of implicit and explicit memory in younger and older adults. Psychological Science, 22, 634–640. doi:10.1177/0956797611403321] suggests otherwise. In that study, young adults showed greater explicit than implicit memory for previous distractors on a word fragment completion task. This was interpreted as evidence for maintaining access to previous conceptual knowledge of the distractors. Here, we report two failures to replicate that original finding, followed by a third study designed to test directly whether young adults use conceptual-level information that was previously irrelevant. Our findings agree with others that young adults show weak to no evidence of conceptual knowledge of previously irrelevant information.
Optimal timing for initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy in treatment-naïve human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected individuals presenting with AIDS-defining diseases: the experience of the PISCIS Cohort.

In this prospective, multicentre cohort study, we analysed specific prognostic factors and the impact of timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on disease progression and death among 625 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected, treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with an AIDS-defining disease. HAART was classified as early (<30 days) or late (30-270 days). Deferring HAART was significantly associated with faster progression to a new AIDS-defining event/death overall (p 0.009) and in patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (p 0.017). In the multivariate analysis, deferring HAART was associated with a higher risk of a new AIDS-defining event/death (p 0.002; hazard ratio 1.83; 95% CI 1.25-2.68). Other independent risk factors for poorer outcome were baseline diagnosis of AIDS-defining lymphoma, age >35 years, and low CD4(+) count (<50 cells/μL).
The Categorical Distinction of Vowel and Consonant Representations: Evidence from Dysgraphia

Subject GSI presents with a graphemic buffer deficit following a massive left fronto-parietal lesion. His errors involved essentially only consonants (98.2%). However, he always spelled correctly the first consonant in a string, and produced steadily increasing numbers of errors on the following consonants, while always spelling all the vowels in the target correctly. The pattern of performance observed in this subject provides strong evidence for the separate (categorical) representation of consonants and vowels, and suggests that working memory interacts with independent consonant and vowel representations in spelling.