Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of gas leak on triggering function, humidification, and inspiratory oxygen fraction during noninvasive positive airway pressure ventilation.

OBJECTIVES During noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV), the gas leak that commonly occurs around the mask can render NPPV ineffective. We evaluated the effects of gas leak on inspiratory trigger function during NPPV with bilevel pressure and ICU ventilators. In addition, we evaluated the effects of gas leak on fraction of inspired oxygen (Fio(2)) and humidification. METHODS Air leak was created at the airway opening of a model lung by establishing several different-size holes in the circuit. During simulated spontaneous breathing, we evaluated inspiratory trigger performance of two bilevel pressure ventilators (BiPAP Vision and BiPAP S/T-D; Respironics; Murrysville, PA) and two ICU ventilators (Puritan-Bennett 7200ae and Puritan-Bennett 840; Tyco Healthcare; Mansfield, MA). Inspiratory delay time and inspiratory trigger pressure were analyzed. Fio(2) at the airway opening and inside the model lung were evaluated during BiPAP S/T-D ventilation at supplemental oxygen flows of 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 L/min. Measured oxygen concentration was compared to mathematically predicted levels. Finally, using two heated humidifiers, we evaluated the effect of gas leak on humidification. RESULTS The bilevel pressure ventilators triggered properly at all levels of gas leak, and inspiratory triggering was more effective than with the ICU ventilators. Delivered Fio(2) with the BiPAP S/T-D ventilator was affected by gas leak and could be predicted mathematically unless the gas leak was large. With large gas leaks, although relative humidity was maintained, absolute humidity decreased. CONCLUSION Gas leak affected triggering of ICU ventilators, Fio(2) of the BiPAP S/T-D ventilator, and humidity with both types of humidifiers.
Forest cover dynamics of shifting cultivation in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a remote sensing-based assessment for 2000–2010

Shifting cultivation has traditionally been practiced in the Democratic Republic of Congo by carving agricultural fields out of primary and secondary forest, resulting in the rural complex: a characteristic land cover mosaic of roads, villages, active and fallow fields and secondary forest. Forest clearing has varying impacts depending on where it occurs relative to this area: whether inside it, along its primary forest interface, or in more isolated primary forest areas. The spatial contextualization of forest cover loss is therefore necessary to understand its impacts and plan its management. We characterized forest clearing using spatial models in a Geographical Information System, applying morphological image processing to the Forets d’Afrique Central Evaluee par Teledetection product. This process allowed us to create forest fragmentation maps for 2000, 2005 and 2010, classifying previously homogenous primary forest into separate patch, edge, perforated, fragmented and core forest subtypes. Subsequently we used spatial rules to map the established rural complex separately from isolated forest perforations, tracking the growth of these areas in time. Results confirm that the expansion of the rural complex and forest perforations has high variance throughout the country, with consequent differences in local impacts on forest ecology and habitat fragmentation. Between 2000 and 2010 the rural complex grew by 10.2% (46 182 ha), increasing from 11.9% to 13.1% of the total land area (1.2% change) while perforated forest grew by 74.4% (23 856 ha), from 0.8% to 1.5%. Core forest decreased by 3.8% (54 852 ha), from 38% to 36.6% of the 2010 land area. Of particular concern is the nearly doubling of perforated forest, a land dynamic that represents greater spatial intrusion of forest clearing within core forest areas and a move away from the established rural complex.
The Role of Social Networks in the Creation and Development of Business among African Immigrants in Madrid Area (Spain)

Social networks provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to gain information from a wide variety of sources, to get capital, to test idea of business, to gain moral and material support, and to get talents for the venture. Immigrants use their social networks as a strategy to maximize their opportunities of integration and success in the host country. This study explores the impact of social networks on African immigrants business creation and growth in Madrid area (Spain). A survey was conducted among 200 African immigrant entrepreneurs in Madrid area, using faceto-face interviews by mean of a questionnaire. The findings indicate that more than 75 per cent of African immigrant entrepreneurs interviewed decided to go abroad for Political instability in their home country and for economic reasons. Moreover, this study shows that the social networks play an important role in African immigrants for the start up and development of business. Family, friends and ethnic ties are among the largest part of the social networks where African entrepreneurs find the main resources they need to run their business. African entrepreneurs value the positive role of cultural factors in their success. Practical implications and recommendations for future researches are discussed.
Canagliflozin versus glimepiride treatment in patients with Type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin (CANTATA-SU trial)

Evaluation of: Cefalu WT, Leiter LA, Yoon KH et al. Efficacy and safety of canagliflozin versus glimepiride in patients with Type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin (CANTATA-SU): 52-week results from a randomized, double-blind, Phase III non-inferiority trial. Lancet 382, 941–950 (2013). The CANTATA-SU study compared two doses of the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor canagliflozin (CANA 100 and 300 mg) with the sulfonylurea, glimepiride (6–8 mg) in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients inadequately controlled on metformin, over 52 weeks. Glimepiride reduced the mean baseline HbA1C from 7.8–6.99%. CANA 100 mg reduced the baseline HbA1C from 7.8–6.98% and CANA 300 mg reduced HbA1C from 7.8–6.87%. Fasting plasma glucose was lowered to a greater extent following CANA 100 mg (1.3 mmol/l) and CANA 300 mg (1.52 mmol/l) as compared to glimepiride (1.02 mmol/l). CANA 100 and 300 mg reduced body weight by 3.7 and 4.0 kg, respectively compared to a 0.7 kg increase with glimepiride. Blood pressure was modestly reduced by both CANA treatments. Both high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were increased by both doses of CANA compared to glimepiride. Documented hypoglycemia was lower with CANA, but polyuria, pollakiuria, genital mycotic and urinary tract infections were significantly greater in both doses of CANA compared to glimepiride.
Understanding Diversity

Two studies investigated how people define and perceive diversity in the historically majority-group dominated contexts of business and academia. We hypothesized that individuals construe diversity as both the numeric representation of racial minorities and the social acceptance of racial minorities within a group. In Study 1, undergraduates’ (especially minorities’) perceptions of campus diversity were predicted by perceived social acceptance on a college campus, above and beyond perceived minority representation. Study 2 showed that increases in a company’s representation and social acceptance independently led to increases in perceived diversity of the company among Whites. Among non-Whites, representation and social acceptance only increased perceived diversity of the company when both qualities were high. Together these findings demonstrate the importance of both representation and social acceptance to the achievement of diversity in groups and that perceiver race influences the relative importance of these two components of diversity.
The Magnitude of Neonatal Mortality and Its Predictors in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Although neonatal death is a global burden, it is the highest in Sub Saharan Africa countries such as Ethiopia. This study was aimed to provide pooled national prevalence and predictors of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. Objective To assess the pooled prevalence and predictors of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. Search Strategy global databases were systematically explored. Systematically searched using the following databases: Boolean operator, Cochrane library, PubMed, EMBASE, HINARI, and Google Scholar. Selection, screening, reviewing and data extraction was done by two reviewers independently using Microsoft excel spread sheet. The modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of evidence Selection criteria All studies conducted in Ethiopia and reporting the prevalence and predictors of neonatal mortality were included Data Collection and Analysis Data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software and imported into STATA Version 14 s for further analysis. The pooled effect size with 95% confidence interval of neonatal mortality rate was determined using a weighted inverse variance random-effects model. Publication bias was checked using funnel plots, Egger’s and bagger’s regression test. Heterogeneity also checked by Higgins’s method. A random effects meta-analysis model was computed to estimate the pooled effect size (i.e. prevalence and odds ratio). Moreover, subgroup analysis based on region, sample size and study design were done. Results After reviewing 88 studies, 12 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled national prevalence of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia was 16.3% (95% CI: 11.9, 20.7, I2 =88.6%). The subgroup analysis indicated that the highest prevalence was observed in Amhara region with a prevalence of 20.3% (95% CI: 9.6, 31.1, I2 =98.8) followed by Oromia, 18.8% (95%CI: 11.9,49.4, I2=99.5). Gestational age AOR,1.14 (95% CI: 0.94, 1.3), neonatal sepsis (OR:1.2(95% CI: 0.8, 1.5), respiratory distros (OR: 1.2(95% CI: 0.8, 1.5) and place of residency (OR:1.93 (95% CI:1.1,2.7) were the most important predictor. Conclusions neonatal mortality in Ethiopia was significantly decreased than the national report. There was evidence that neonatal sepsis, gestational age, respiratory distress were the significant predictors. We strongly recommended that health care workers should give a priority for the identified predictors.
The Epidemiology of Diabetes and its Complications in New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the South Pacific with a high proportion of Polynesians. While the prevalence of diabetes appears the same in New Zealand Europeans as Europeans elsewhere, Maori and Pacific Islands people have a 2 to 4‐fold excess prevalence of diabetes. Although Europeans make up the majority of diabetic New Zealanders, the greatest concern lies with the Maori and Pacific Islands patients who experience an earlier age at diagnosis, greater obesity, higher rates of smoking (in Maori), poorer diabetes knowledge, poorer glucose control, and more end stage renal failure and blindness. Efforts are now being made to control the current epidemic.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, Community Development, and Fair Housing: A Response to Orfield et al.

In their recent article, “High Costs and Segregation in Subsidized Housing Policy,” Orfield, Stancil, Luce, and Myott, argue that the placement of subsidized rental housing for low-income people in central city neighborhoods violates the Fair Housing Act. They also argue that the cost of developing new low-income housing is higher in the inner city than in suburban locations, and that there is no evidence that the development of subsidized housing for low-income people in central city locations improves the quality of the surrounding neighborhood or the lives of the residents (Orfield, Stancil, Luce, & Myott, 2015a, 2015b). As the centerpiece of a “Forum” in Housing Policy Debate, the article was joined by four commentaries about Orfield et al.’s thesis and the evidence marshaled to support it (Dawkins, 2015; Goetz, 2015; Khaddurri, 2015; Massey, 2015). Although the commentators raise several important points, both supportive and critical, about the argument, their discussion was not exhaustive. Orfield et al.’s article, as well as previous related work, has received considerable amounts of attention in public discourse. For example, Thomas Edsall (2015) published a column in The New York Times that drew closely on Orfield’s work to criticize affordable housing development as a strategy for community development. The editorial board of The New York Times has also voiced similar concerns (“The End of Federally Financed Ghettos,” 2015). Given the prominence and apparent influence of Orfield’s viewpoint, I believe it is important to provide a different, balanced view of subsidized housing, fair housing, and community development. In this essay I raise several points not discussed in the commentaries, and I elaborate on a few that were analyzed. My argument has three dimensions. First, federal policy has played an immense role in promulgating, abetting, and perpetuating racial discrimination and racial segregation, but the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is not a significant part of this story. Second, Orfield et al. are right to emphasize the need for affordable housing to be accessible to good schools, but they overlook the fact that many recipients of low-income housing subsidies do not have school-age children. These households may value other neighborhood characteristics more highly than the quality of local schools. My third point is that Orfield is overly dismissive of affordable housing as a community development strategy, and unfairly denigrates the work of community development organizations. In developing this argument I join Orfield et al. in drawing on data specific to the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.
Calcium, diet and fracture risk: a prospective study of 1898 incident fractures among 34 696 British women and men

Abstract Objective The risk factors for fractures are incompletely understood. An outstanding question concerns the optimal amount of dietary calcium needed to minimise the risk of fracture. Design We examined the associations of dietary calcium and other nutrients with self-reported fracture risk in a prospective cohort study. Nutrient intakes were estimated using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire administered at recruitment. Setting The UK. Participants A total of 26 749 women and 7947 men aged 20–89 years. Results Over an average of 5.2 years of follow-up, 1555 women and 343 men reported one or more fractures, 72% of these resulting from a fall. Among women, fracture risk was higher at lower calcium intakes, with a relative risk of 1.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33–2.29) among women with a calcium intake of < 525 mg day− 1 compared with women with a calcium intake of at least 1200 mg day− 1 (test for linear trend, P < 0.001). The association of dietary calcium with fracture risk was stronger among women aged under 50 years at recruitment than among women aged 50 and above. Dietary calcium intake was not associated with fracture risk in men. Fracture risk was not related to the dietary intake of any other nutrient examined. Conclusion In this population, women with a low dietary calcium intake had an increased risk of bone fracture, and this association was more marked among younger women than among older women.
A new hierarchical intrusion detection system based on a binary tree of classifiers

– The purpose of this paper is to build a new hierarchical intrusion detection system (IDS) based on a binary tree of different types of classifiers. The proposed IDS model must possess the following characteristics: combine a high detection rate and a low false alarm rate, and classify any connection in a specific category of network connection. , – To build the binary tree, the authors cluster the different categories of network connections hierarchically based on the proportion of false-positives and false-negatives generated between each of the two categories. The built model is a binary tree with multi-levels. At first, the authors use the best classifier in the classification of the network connections in category A and category G2 that clusters the rest of the categories. Then, in the second level, they use the best classifier in the classification of G2 network connections in category B and category G3 that represents the different categories clustered in G2 without category B. This process is repeated until the last two categories of network connections. Note that one of these categories represents the normal connection, and the rest represent the different types of abnormal connections. , – The experimentation on the labeled data set for flow-based intrusion detection, NSL-KDD and KDD’99 shows the high performance of the authors' model compared to the results obtained by some well-known classifiers and recent IDS models. The experiments’ results show that the authors' model gives a low false alarm rate and the highest detection rate. Moreover, the model is more accurate than some well-known classifiers like SVM, C4.5 decision tree, MLP neural network and naive Bayes with accuracy equal to 83.26 per cent on NSL-KDD and equal to 99.92 per cent on the labeled data set for flow-based intrusion detection. As well, it is more accurate than the best of related works and recent IDS models with accuracy equal to 95.72 per cent on KDD’99. , – This paper proposes a novel hierarchical IDS based on a binary tree of classifiers, where different types of classifiers are used to create a high-performance model. Therefore, it confirms the capacity of the hierarchical model to combine a high detection rate and a low false alarm rate.
Communication gaps about OFF periods between physicians and patients with Parkinson’s disease: a patient–physician dialogue analysis

Anna V Levit Cheryl Zebendon Lauren Walter Patricia O’Donnell Connie Marras 1Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., Ardsley, NY, USA; 2Verilogue, Inc., Horsham, PA, USA; 3The Edmond J Safra Program in Parkinson’s Research, University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada Background: As Parkinson’s disease (PD) progresses, patients may experience the return of PD symptoms (OFF periods) despite treatment. Recognizing and treating OFF periods requires effective communication between physicians and patients. Methods: A linguistic analysis investigated communication gaps between patients and physicians using a database containing dialogues recorded during regular office visits. Follow-up interviews were conducted with selected physicians, patients, and caregivers. Results: Four areas were identified showing communication gaps between patients and physicians: differences in language; patient knowledge about OFF periods; differences in approach to describing OFF periods; and attitude toward management of OFF periods. Conclusion: Closing communication gaps may improve overall PD management.
Exchange Rate Dynamics and the Welfare Effects of Monetary Policy in a Two-Country Model with Home-Product Bias

International spillovers and exchange rate dynamics are examined in a two-country dynamic optimizing model that allows for home-product bias in consumption patterns: at given relative prices the ratio of home goods consumed to foreign goods consumed is higher in the home country. The setup nests Obstfeld and Rogoff (1995), who assume identical tastes. With home bias, results are different in three ways. When preferences are biased, the wealth transfers associated with current account imbalances induce movements in the real exchange rate and produce large short-run and small long-run deviations from consumption-based purchasing power parity. With home bias, interest rates, both real and nominal, can differ across countries; relatedly, home bias is a necessary but not sufficient condition for Dornbusch (1976) type exchange rate overshooting. Finally, in this model the welfare effects of expansionary monetary policy depend not only on world demand but also on the expenditure-switching effect of an exchange rate depreciation; monetary policy is `beggar-thy-neighbor' if individuals have strong preferences for domestic products, but can be `beggar-thyself' if, instead, imported goods are preferred.
Glaucoma in pregnancy

Purpose of review Glaucoma management during pregnancy generates numerous therapeutic challenges and potential risks for both the patient and the fetus. Data are limited on this topic given the lack of large, prospective, and randomized clinical trials because of ethical and legal constraints in this patient population. Therefore, many ophthalmologists remain unsure about treating glaucoma during pregnancy and lactation. This review focuses on the importance of preconception planning, the natural course of intraocular pressure during pregnancy, and a discussion of various therapeutic modalities during pregnancy and lactation. Recent Findings The risks of glaucoma medications during pregnancy are not well established for the human fetus or infant and are often inferred from animal studies. Some guidelines have been provided by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about medication safety during pregnancy. Currently, brimonidine is classified as a category B medication with presumed safety based on animal studies. Other glaucoma medications (beta blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, parasympathomimetics, and prostaglandin analogues) are classified as category C medications with uncertain safety from the lack of human studies and reported adverse effects in animal studies. Summary The treatment of glaucoma during pregnancy and lactation requires careful consideration and understanding of disease status, stage of pregnancy, FDA classification and guidelines, and potential benefits and limitations of various therapeutic modalities. A multidisciplinary team approach is necessary to appropriately balance the risks and benefits of any intervention and to individualize treatment to achieve the best outcomes for both mother and fetus.
Probiotic supplementation in systemic nickel allergy syndrome patients: study of its effects on lactic acid bacteria population and on clinical symptoms

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 strain supplementation in patients suffering from systemic nickel allergy syndrome, in terms of modulation of faecal LAB population linked to a reduction of GI and cutaneous symptoms and to an increase of patient's quality of life.
The Rose-Colored Glasses of Homeowners

Based on annual household surveys between 2003 and 2012, we show that owners have a rosy picture of their current house value and hold optimistic views on the historical and expected change in house value compared to general price trends. Optimism is both driven by loss aversion and an endowment effect as overestimation of the house value is positively related to the mortgage loan-to-value ratio and tenure of the owner-occupier. After several years of national declines in house prices, the estimates in our sample have become more realistic but the glasses of homeowners remain rose-colored. Even groups of homeowners that are arguably well-informed, e.g. homeowners with moving plans and homeowners that are in charge of household finances, overestimate the value of their house.