Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Should Value-Added Models Control for Student Absences?

Whether or not value-added models should control for contemporaneous student absences is theoretically ambiguous, as such absences are only partly outside of teachers' control. Teachers often feel strongly that value-added models should account for student attendance, and many districts' value-added models condition on lagged student absences as a result. Using matched teacher-student administrative data from a state-wide longitudinal data system, this note investigates the practical importance of this modeling decision for value-added measures of teacher effectiveness (VAMs). This is done by comparing VAM-based rankings of teacher effectiveness generated by value-added models that either control for current absences, control for lagged absences, or exclude student absences altogether. Regardless of how between-school differences are accounted for, VAM-based rankings of teacher effectiveness are insensitive to how, and whether, student absences enter the value-added model's conditioning set. Spearman Rank Correlations are always larger than 0.99 for both math and reading VAMs, suggesting that whether or not value-added models control for annual student absences is a relatively unimportant modeling decision, at least in the context of self-contained primary school classroom teachers. These results are consistent with recent research suggesting that simply conditioning on lagged achievement yields approximately unbiased VAMs. Moreover, these findings suggest that controlling for student absences in teacher evaluation systems' value-added models is a relatively inexpensive way to increase teacher buy-in.
Sensorineural hearing loss following stapedectomy.

Profound sensorineural hearing losses have occurred in 20 of 750 stapedecto-mies for an incidence of 2.66 %. Nineteen of the 20 losses can be related to surgical technique. Eleven of the losses are probably related to extensive drilling of bony growth, other factors being previous traumatic mobilization, hemorrhage and instrumental trauma.Surgical exploration performed on five ears following sensorineural hearing losses after stapedectomy revealed in one an excessively long prosthesis and, in four, fibrous tissue proliferation in the oval window and vestibule associated with resorption of the free graft. This reaction is identical with the serofibrinous type of labyrinthitis which is readily produced in animals by trauma or by creating a perilymphatic fistula in the oval or round window.The five types of inner ear reaction to traumatic stapes surgery are: hyd-rops, hypotonic atrophy, acoustic trauma, serofibrinous labyrinthitis and suppurative labyrinthitis.A set of human temporal bones acquired from a pa.
Monitoring intensive care unit performance—impact of a novel individualised performance scorecard in critical care medicine: a mixed-methods study protocol

Introduction Patients admitted to a critical care medicine (CCM) environment, including an intensive care unit (ICU), are susceptible to harm and significant resource utilisation. Therefore, a strategy to optimise provider performance is required. Performance scorecards are used by institutions for the purposes of driving quality improvement. There is no widely accepted or standardised scorecard that has been used for overall CCM performance. We aim to improve quality of care, patient safety and patient/family experience in CCM practice through the utilisation of a standardised, repeatable and multidimensional performance scorecard, designed to provide a continuous review of ICU physician and nurse practice, as well as departmental metrics. Methods and analysis This will be a mixed-methods, controlled before and after study to assess the impact of a CCM-specific quality scorecard. Scorecard metrics were developed through expert consensus and existing literature. The study will include 19 attending CCM physicians and approximately 300 CCM nurses. Patient data for scorecard compilation are collected daily from bedside flow sheets. Preintervention baseline data will be collected for 6 months for each participant. After this, each participant will receive their scorecard measures. Following a 3-month washout period, postintervention data will be collected for 6 months. The primary outcome will be change in performance metrics following the provision of scorecard feedback to subjects. A cost analysis will also be performed, with the purpose of comparing total ICU costs prior to implementation of the scorecard with total ICU costs following implementation of the scorecard. The qualitative portion will include interviews with participants following the intervention phase. Interviews will be analysed in order to identify recurrent themes and subthemes, for the purposes of driving scorecard improvement. Ethics and dissemination This protocol has been approved by the local research ethics board. Publication of results is anticipated in 2019. If this intervention is found to improve patient- and unit-directed outcomes, with evidence of cost-effectiveness, it would support the utilisation of such a scorecard as a quality standard in CCM.
Pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction assessment of LCZ696 (an angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor) with omeprazole, metformin or levonorgestrel‐ethinyl estradiol in healthy subjects

LCZ696 is a novel angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor in development for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Here, we assessed the potential for pharmacokinetic drug‐drug interaction of LCZ696 (400 mg, single dose or once daily [q.d.]) when co‐administered with omeprazole 40 mg q.d. (n = 28) or metformin 1000 mg q.d. (n = 27) or levonorgestrel‐ethinyl estradiol 150/30 μg single dose (n = 24) in three separate open‐label, single‐sequence studies in healthy subjects. Pharmacokinetic parameters of LCZ696 analytes (sacubitril, LBQ657, and valsartan), metformin, and levonorgestrel‐ethinyl estradiol were assessed. Omeprazole did not alter the AUCinf of sacubitril and pharmacokinetics of LBQ657; however, 7% decrease in the Cmax of sacubitril, and 11% and 13% decreases in AUCinf and Cmax of valsartan were observed. Co‐administration of LCZ696 with metformin had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of LBQ657 and valsartan; however, AUCtau,ss and Cmax,ss of metformin were decreased by 23%. Co‐administration of LCZ696 with levonorgestrel‐ethinyl estradiol had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of ethinyl estradiol and LBQ657 or AUCinf of levonorgestrel. The Cmax of levonorgestrel decreased by 15%, and AUCtau,ss and Cmax,ss of valsartan decreased by 14% and 16%, respectively. Co‐administration of LCZ696 with omeprazole, metformin, or levonorgestrel‐ethinyl estradiol was not associated with any clinically relevant pharmacokinetic drug interactions.
Temporal Interleukin-1β Secretion from Primary Human Peripheral Blood Monocytes by P2X7-independent and P2X7-dependent Mechanisms*

The processing and regulated secretion of IL-1β are critical points of control of the biological activity of this important pro-inflammatory cytokine. IL-1β is produced by both monocytes and macrophages, but the rate and mechanism of release differ according to the differentiation status and the origin of these cells. We aimed to study the control of processing and release in human blood monocytes and human monocyte-derived macrophages. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced IL-1β production and release were investigated for dependence upon caspase-1, P2X7 receptor activation, and loss of membrane asymmetry associated with microvesicle shedding. TLR agonists induced P2X7 receptor-dependent IL-1β release in both monocytes and macrophages; however, only monocytes also showed P2X7 receptor-independent release of mature IL-1β. Furthermore, in monocytes ATP-mediated PS exposure could be activated independently of IL-1β production. Release of IL-1β from monocytes showed selectivity for specific TLR agonists and was accelerated by P2X7 receptor activation. Human monocytes released more IL-1β/cell than macrophages. These data have important implications for inflammatory diseases that involve monocyte activation and IL-1 release.
Clinical spectrum of intrinsic renovascular hypertension in children.

In the past two decades, 853 children and adolescents have been evaluated for elevated BP as inpatients and outpatients by the hypertension service at Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati. Most children with hypertension secondary to coarctation of the aorta and all children with glomerulonephritis are managed by other services and are not included in that total. In a retrospective study, 27 children (3%) were identified as having hypertension secondary to intrinsic renal arterial stenosis. The age at presentation ranged from 5 months to 20 years. The mean BP at that time was 171.6/114.2 mm Hg. Ten categories of causes were identified, including fibromuscular dysplasia, arteritis, Williams syndrome, neurofibromatosis, congenital malformations, blunt abdominal trauma, surgical vascular trauma-irradiation, thrombosis, congenital rubella syndrome, and unknown. Overall, symptoms were not common. However, findings of end-organ response, such as left ventricular hypertrophy and retinal vascular abnormalities were prevalent. This is not surprising given the mean BP level at presentation. Physical examination, laboratory tests, and radiologic evaluations (exclusive of renal angiography) were not useful in detecting or identifying the location and extent of the renovascular lesions. Fourteen patients were treated surgically, and 13 were managed medically. The outcome was variable for both treatment modalities. The management of renovascular hypertension in children must be individualized depending on the cause, location, and severity of the lesion, as well as the size of the child. Some forms of renovascular pathology, particularly the arteritides, may resolve spontaneously, and children with these entities should have their BP treated medically until the inflammatory process has subsided. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Use of 2-Channel Bedside Electroencephalogram Monitoring in Term-Born Encephalopathic Infants Related to Cerebral Injury Defined by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVE. Single-channel amplitude-integrated electroencephalography has been shown to be predictive of neurodevelopmental outcome in term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We describe the relationship of quantifiable electroencephalogram (EEG) measures, obtained using a 2-channel digital bedside EEG monitor from term newborn infants with encephalopathy and/or seizures, to cerebral injury defined qualitatively by MRI. METHODS. Median values of minimum, mean, and maximum EEG amplitude were obtained from term-born encephalopathic infants during a 2-hour seizure-free period obtained within 72 hours of admission. Infants underwent MRI with images qualitatively scored for abnormalities of cortex, white matter, deep nuclear gray matter, and posterior limb of the internal capsule. Eighty-six infants had EEG measures related to qualitative MRI outcomes. RESULTS. The most common diagnosis was hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (n = 40). For all infants there was a negative relationship between EEG amplitude measures and MRI abnormality scores assessed on a scale from 4 to 15, with a higher score indicating more abnormalities. This relationship was strongest for the minimum amplitude measures in both hemispheres; that is, for every unit increase in score there was a mean drop of 0.41 μv for the left cerebral hemisphere, with 35% of variance explained. This relationship persisted on sub-group analyses for infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, infants with other diagnoses and infants monitored after the first 24 hours of life. Using an MRI abnormality score cutoff of 8 or worse for cerebral injury in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a minimum amplitude of 4 μV showed a higher specificity (80%: left hemisphere), whereas a minimum amplitude of 6 μV showed a higher sensitivity (92%: left hemisphere). CONCLUSIONS. Bedside EEG measures in term-born encephalopathic infants are related to the severity of cerebral injury as defined by qualitative MRI. A minimum amplitude of <4 μV appears useful in predicting outcome.
Efficacy and tolerability of temozolomide in an alternating weekly regimen in patients with recurrent glioma.

PURPOSE Evaluation of toxicity and efficacy of an alternating weekly regimen of temozolomide administered 1 week on and 1 week off in patients with recurrent glioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Ninety adult patients with recurrent gliomas accrued in one center received chemotherapy with temozolomide at 150 mg/m(2)/d (days 1 through 7 and 15 through 21 every 4 weeks) with individual dose adjustments according to hematologic toxicity. RESULTS A total of 906 treatment weeks were delivered. Grade 4 hematotoxicity according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE; version 3.0) was observed in 24 treatment weeks (2.6%). CTCAE grade 4 lymphopenia eventually developed in 11 patients (12%). There were neither cumulative lymphopenias nor opportunistic infections. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 6 months for glioblastoma patients was 43.8%. The median PFS in these patients was 24 weeks (95% CI, 17 to 26 weeks), the median survival time from diagnosis of progression was 38 weeks (95% CI, 30 to 46 weeks), and the 1-year survival rate from progression was 23%. O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter methylation in the tumor tissue was not associated with longer PFS (log-rank P = .37). CONCLUSION These data imply that the alternating weekly schedule is feasible, safe, and effective and clearly warrants investigation in randomized studies. Compared with more protracted low-dose temozolomide schedules, the 1-week-on/1-week-off schedule may be less toxic. We provide preliminary evidence that this dose-dense schedule is also active in patients with tumors lacking MGMT gene promoter methylation.
Non-invasive detection of endothelial dysfunction in sickle cell disease by Doppler ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to assess endothelial function in sickle cell disease (SCD), to compare endothelial dysfunction between sickle cell anemia (SS) and sickle cell trait (SA) cases and to evaluate correlation of endothelial dysfunction with duration of symptoms and vaso-occlusive crises per year (voc/year) [severity of disease]. METHODS We investigated 37 steady state SCD cases, of which 19 were SS [mean age = 23.15 + 5.27 years and M/F = 10/9] and 18 were SA cases [Mean age = 22.05 +/- 5.17 years and M/F = 9/9]. Age, sex, and hemoglobin matched 33 controls [15 (Hb < or = 11g%) for SS cases and 18 (Hb > or = 11g%) for SA cases] were studied. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in brachial artery by vascular Doppler after pneumatic tourniquet stress at forearm (by Celermajer DS, 1992). RESULTS FMD was significantly impaired in SCD cases [6.22% + 0.91% in SS cases vs. 16.85% + 1.06% in controls, P<0.05 and 12.56% + 0.90% in SA cases vs. 16.99% + 1.05% in controls, P < 0.05]. Endothelial function was impaired more in SS as compared to SA cases (p < 0.05). Decline in endothelial function was observed with increasing duration of symptoms and voc/year in SS cases. CONCLUSION These results suggest that endothelial function is impaired in SCD and endothelial function is impaired more in SS as compared to SA cases.
The Role of Event Expression in Grammar

The main thesis of this article is that "event" is an important cognitive category which plays a central role in the semantics of natural languages. It will be shown that apparently unrelated data fall into place as soon as the role of event expressions and the existence of events as a semantic category are recognized. Attention should be drawn to the fact that in current work in Generative Grammar there is considerable disagreement as to the nature of certain syntactic/semantic constructions. A major controversy is between groups claiming that subjects and predicates should be represented as clauses on all levels of grammar (except perhaps PF) and groups claiming that various semantically clause-like structures should not be represented as clauses at all. It is far beyond the scope of this article to investigate even a substantial part of the existing proposals. 1 My goal is rather to discuss some striking similarities between undoubtedly clausal constructions (finite) and bare infinitive constructions ("accusativus cum infinitivo") which, I hope, shed some new light on some of the existing theoretical accounts. My involvement in the syntax controversy will, however with the exception of section 7 be rather indirect. The reason for that is that I will often have to say more about the semantics of the critical data than about their formal syntactic characteristics. We
Discriminating neurogenic from myopathic disease via measurement of muscle anisotropy

Skeletal muscle is electrically anisotropic, with a tendency for applied electrical current to flow more readily along muscle fibers than across them. In this study, we assessed a method for non‐invasive measurement of anisotropy to determine its potential to serve as a new technique for distinguishing neurogenic from myopathic disease. Measurements were made on the biceps brachii and tibialis anterior muscles in 15 normal subjects and 12 patients with neuromuscular disease (6 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 6 with various myopathies) using 50 kHZ applied current. Consistent multi‐angle anisotropic patterns were found for reactance and phase in both muscles in normal subjects. Normalized anisotropy differences for each subject were defined, and group average values identified. The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients demonstrated increased and distorted anisotropy patterns, whereas myopathic patients demonstrated normal or reduced anisotropy. These results suggest that non‐invasive measurement of muscle anisotropy has potential for diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Performance of human papillomavirus ( HPV ) DNA and mRNA testing strategies in women with and without cervical neoplasia

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Norway, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oestfold Hospital Trust, Norway, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway, Specialist Virology Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh of Edinburg,UK, Institute of Population-based Cancer Research, Oslo, Norway, Department of Medical Microbiology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway, Department of Pathology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway, Department of Medicine,Oestfold Hospital Trust, Norway
An adverse event trigger tool in dentistry: a new methodology for measuring harm in the dental office.

BACKGROUND There is a dearth of knowledge about the type and frequency of adverse events (AEs) in dentistry. Current approaches to obtaining information rely on reviews of randomly selected records, which may not be the most efficient or effective methodology. METHODS Inspired by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) global and outpatient trigger tools, which identifies records with characteristics ("triggers") that are associated with AEs, the authors created the dental clinic trigger tool. The triggers included procedures for incision and drainage, failed implants and selected treatment patterns. The authors ran the trigger tool against six months of electronic health records data and compared its performance with that of a review of 50 randomly selected patient records. RESULTS In total, 315 records were triggered, 158 (50 percent) of which were positive for one or more AEs; 17 (34 percent) of the 50 randomly selected records were positive for at least one AE. The authors assigned each AE an IHI severity ranking. Most AEs caused temporary harm, but nine were considered to have caused permanent harm according to a modified IHI severity ranking. CONCLUSIONS The study results demonstrate the promise of a directed records review approach, as the dental clinic trigger tool was more effective in identifying AEs than was a review of randomly selected records. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS All dental practices should proactively monitor the safety of the care they provide. Use of the trigger tool will help make this process more efficient and effective.
Nonsurgical factors of digital replantation and survival rate

The aim of this metaanalysis was to evaluate the association between nonsurgical factors and survival rate of digital replantation. A computer search of MEDLINE, OVID, EMBASE and CNKI databases was conducted to identify literatures for digital replantation, with the keywords of “digit,” “finger” and “replantation” from their inception to June 10, 2014. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted independently by two authors using piloted forms. Review Manager 5.2 software was used for data analysis. The effect of some nonsurgical factors (gender, age, amputated finger, injury mechanisms, ischemia time and the way of preservation) on the survival rate of digital replantation was assessed. The metaanalysis result suggested that gender and ischemia time had no significant influence on the survival rate of amputation replantation. However, the survival rate of digital replantation of adults was significantly higher than that of children. The guillotine injury of a finger was easier to replant successfully than the crush and avulsion. The little finger was more difficult for replantation than thumb. Survival rate of fingers stored in low temperature was higher than that in common temperature. The present metaanalysis suggested that age, injury mechanism, amputated finger and the way of preservation were significantly associated with the survival rate of digital replantation.
A quantitative immunochemical faecal occult blood test is more efficient for detecting significant colorectal neoplasia than a sensitive guaiac test

The sensitive guaiac faecal occult blood test, Haemoccult SENSA (HOS; Beckman Coulter, Fullerton, CA, USA), is our standard screening test for significant colorectal neoplasia. We evaluated an automatically‐developed, quantified human haemoglobin immunochemical faecal test, OC‐MICRO (Eiken Chemical Co., Tokyo, Japan), to improve test specificity and so reduce the colonoscopy burden.
Skeletal changes in Wilson's disease. A radiological study.

The authors have investigated the incidence and type of bone lesions in 38 patients with Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) and correlated the radiographic findings with dysfunction of the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys. The skeletal surveys were considered normal in 5 patients, while 18 demonstrated demineralization alone. Nine showed subarticular cysts; fragmentation of bone about the joints was seen in 6, primarily in the hands, wrists, feet, and ankles.
A Member of the Frizzled Protein Family Mediating Axis Induction by Wnt-5A

In Xenopus laevis embryos, the Wingless/Wnt-1 subclass of Wnt molecules induces axis duplication, whereas the Wnt-5A subclass does not. This difference could be explained by distinct signal transduction pathways or by a lack of one or more Wnt-5A receptors during axis formation. Wnt-5A induced axis duplication and an ectopic Spemann organizer in the presence of hFz5, a member of the Frizzled family of seven-transmembrane receptors. Wnt-5A/hFz5 signaling was antagonized by glycogen synthase kinase-3 and by the amino-terminal ectodomain of hFz5. These results identify hFz5 as a receptor for Wnt-5A.