Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Algorithms for Measuring Similarity Between ELH Concept Descriptions: A Case Study on Snomed ct

In Description Logics, subsumption is regarded as one of the most prominent reasoning services. It checks, relative to the logical deﬁnitions in the ontology, whether one concept is more general/speciﬁc than another. When no subsumption relationship is identiﬁed, however, no information about the two concepts can be given. In several realistic Semantic Web applications, knowing the level of similarity between two concepts, though lacking the subsumption relationship, is beneﬁcial. This work introduces a new method for measuring the degree of similarity be-tween two concept descriptions in the DL ELH , despite not being in a subsumption relation. Two algorithms are devised based on the known homomorphism-based structural subsumption characterization. The ﬁrst algorithm employs the top-down approach, whereas the second is carried out in the reverse direction. A bottom-up algorithm has better eﬃciency, making it more suitable to large-scale ontologies developed using an inexpressive DL in the EL family, such as the renowned medical ontology Snomed ct . The computational performance of the proposed measure is intensively studied, and interesting ﬁndings in Snomed ct are reported.
The Role of Informatics in Promoting Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care is an important aspect of high-quality care. Health informatics, particularly advances in technology, has the potential to facilitate, or detract from, patient-centered cancer care. Informatics can provide a mechanism for patients to provide their clinician(s) with critical information and to share information with family, friends, and other patients. This information may enable patients to exert greater control over their own care. Clinicians may use information systems (e.g., electronic medical records) to coordinate care and share information with other clinicians. Patients and clinicians may use communication tools and information resources to interact with one another in new ways. Caution in using new information resources is warranted to avoid reliance on biased or inappropriate data, and clinicians may need to direct patients to appropriate information resources. Perhaps the greatest challenge for both patients and providers is identifying information that is high quality and that enhances (and does not impede) their interactions.
Effects of Chronic Isoproterenol Administration on β1-Adrenoceptors and Growth of Pancreas of Young and Adult Rats

Abstract [3H]Dihydroalprenolol (DHA) binding of membranes of adult pancreas differed from that of pancreas of young rats, and the DHA binding in the presence of atenolol or butoxamine also was different in the two age groups. The adult pancreas had 93% β2- and 7% β1-adrenoceptors and did not exhibit an increased incorporation of [3H]thymidine into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) following 2 days of DL-isoproterenol (ISO) administration; in contrast, pancreas of the 20-day-old rat had 71% β2-adrenoceptors and 27% β1-adrenoceptors and exhibited a 34-fold increase over that of adult, and a 6-fold increase over that of the control 20-day-old pancreas. Acinar cell differentiation was also accelerated by a 7-day regimen of ISO administration from 13 to 20 days of age. These growth responses to ISO appear to be β1 mediated. The lack of β1-adrenoceptors in the adult may account for the failure of the adult pancreas to exhibit a growth response to ISO.
Alternative routes of measles immunization: a review.

Measles is one of the major causes of childhood mortality in developing countries, despite current prevention of over 2 million child deaths each year by measles vaccination programmes. New strategies, such as mass campaigns, and possibly new preparations of measles vaccines, may facilitate further progress in controlling the disease and improving the prospects for its ultimate eradication. To evaluate the potential for non-percutaneous routes of vaccine administration to improve control, we reviewed studies of serological responses to measles vaccine after intradermal, conjunctival, oral, aerosol and intranasal administration. The response to intradermal vaccination exceeded percutaneous results in only one of eight instances in five studies where such comparisons could be made, often producing substantially lower seroresponses. Further, intradermal administration using a needle and syringe is more difficult than subcutaneous vaccination. After oral administration of vaccine, less than 50% of children seroconverted in three small studies. Intranasal administration has not yet been studied extensively, but it may be susceptible to interference by upper respiratory infections. Seroconversion after conjunctival administration was very variable, and this route was difficult practically in young children. In infants below 9 months of age, aerosol administration of vaccine resulted in 80% or better seroresponse in seven of nine trials, with the Edmonston-Zagreb strain in standard titre doses consistently producing better results than the Schwarz strain. However, seroresponses after subcutaneous administration clearly exceeded those from aerosols of the same vaccine in four of six comparisons. Several trials noted practical difficulties in aerosol administration in young infants. In contrast, older seronegative children generally responded well to aerosol administration of vaccine (above 90% and often 100% seroresponse), regardless of vaccine strain and often with surprisingly low estimated retained doses. In each of three studies where it was possible to compare the same vaccines given percutaneously and by aerosol to seropositive children, better seroresponses followed aerosols. In older children, aerosols of the Edmonston-Zagreb strain also rather consistently provided better seroresponses than aerosols of the Schwarz strain, with the most notable differences in seropositive children. Thus, with the possible exception of very young infants, the aerosol route is promising and offers several theoretical and practical advantages as well. Further randomized trials should be conducted to evaluate comparative responses to aerosolized, intranasal, and subcutaneous vaccine, especially in those age ranges targeted for mass campaigns (most commonly 9 months to 15 years). The development of improved technology for aerosol delivery of measles vaccine would greatly advance the potential for wide scale use of this route, especially in mass campaigns in low income countries.
Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Lung: CT, FDG PET, and Clinicopathologic Findings

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate CT, FDG PET, and clinicopathologic features of the adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung (ASC). Patients and Methods Twenty-six patients (M/F = 20:6; mean age, 65.0 years) who underwent surgical resection of ASC were included. The tumors were assessed in terms of size, location, morphologic characteristics, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on CT and FDG PET. Proportion of adenocarcinoma was determined. The central and peripheral groups were compared. The differences in disease-free survival among the groups according to the observations were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier test for patients who underwent curative resection (n = 21). Results Diameter was 3.8 ± 1.9 cm. Five tumors were located centrally (19.2%) and 21 tumors peripherally (80.8%). Internal low and heterogeneous attenuation was found in all patients. Margins were lobulated in 20 (80%) patients, spiculated in 23 (92%), and ill-defined in 23 (92%). SUVmax was 8.3 ± 3.9. Adenocarcinoma proportion was 33 ± 28%. Central ASC were larger than peripheral ASC (5.7 cm vs. 3.4 cm, P = 0.007). Only SUVmax >6.3 was a poor prognostic factor. Conclusion ASC was more commonly peripheral than central, and showed internal low and heterogeneous attenuation and possessed lobulated, spiculated, or ill-defined margin on CT. Mean SUVmax of ASC was 8.3 ± 3.9. Central ASC was larger than peripheral ASC. Except for tumor size, central ASC and peripheral ASC showed no significant differences in pathology, FDG PET, and survival. Higher SUVmax was a poor prognostic factor.
Relationship Between Patients’ Warfarin Knowledge and Anticoagulation Control

OBJECTIVE To evaluate patients’ knowledge of warfarin and its relationship to anticoagulation control. METHODS From January to March 1999, 122 patients attending the warfarin clinic of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong were interviewed. Their knowledge of warfarin therapy and adherence to medical advice were tested by 9 questions. A score (maximum 1.0) was calculated for each patient. The number of international normalized ratios (INRs) that was within the target range in the 4 most recent clinic visits was noted. RESULTS Fifty-six men and 66 women participated in the study (mean ± SD age 58.0 ± 13.0, duration of treatment 43.1 ± 39.8 mo). Patients’ warfarin knowledge was poor, with an overall score of 0.48 ± 0.18. Participants generally knew the colors of their warfarin tablets and took them regularly. They almost always informed their physicians and dentists of their warfarin therapy. Only 40–45% of patients knew the strengths of their warfarin tablets, the reason for taking warfarin, and its effect on the body. Their deficiencies in knowledge were even more obvious with respect to the possible consequences of under- or over-anticoagulation, drugs and medicated oils that might interact with warfarin, and management of a missed dose. Knowledge was related to age (r −0.43; p < 0.001) and duration of therapy (r 0.18; p = 0.044). Sixty patients (49.2%) had read the information booklet on warfarin and had better knowledge than those who had not (0.53 ± 0.20 vs. 0.42 ± 0.20; p < 0.001). Illiteracy was the main reason for not reading the booklet. There was a positive correlation between patients’ warfarin knowledge and the number of INR values that was within the target range in the 4 most recent clinic visits (r 0.20; p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS Patients’ warfarin knowledge, a determinant of anticoagulation control, was generally poor. More attention should be given to the education of elderly and illiterate patients.
Septic shock: an analysis of outcomes for patients with onset on hospital wards versus intensive care units.

OBJECTIVE To determine if early interventions for septic shock were associated with reduced mortality. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING University hospital intensive care unit (ICU) and general wards. PATIENTS Forty-one consecutive patients prospectively identified with positive blood cultures and septic shock. Although all patients were eventually treated in an ICU, ten (24%) patients were on a general ward at the onset of septic shock, and 31 (76%) were in an ICU setting. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Over a period of 9 mos, a cohort of 41 patients who had positive blood cultures and septic shock was prospectively identified. The 28-day crude mortality was 46% (19 deaths). We compared the management of septic shock and outcome for patients on a general ward vs. those patients in an ICU setting. Of the ten patients on the ward at time of shock onset (median age 55.5 yrs; median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II score of 18.5), seven (70%) died. In contrast, the 31 patients receiving intensive care when shock developed were older and more ill (median age 66 yrs; median APACHE II 24), yet had a mortality of 39% (12 deaths). The odds ratio (OR) for death for ward patients compared with ICU patients was 3.57 (p=.17). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, two risk factors for mortality were important: APACHE II score (p=.015) and ward status (p=.08). Candida species in the bloodstream is known to have a high attributable mortality. When type of bloodstream pathogen (Candida species vs. bacteria) was added to the model, APACHE II (OR 2.64 for 10-unit increase) remained significant (p=.014), but ward status (OR 3.97) became statistically nonsignificant (p=.222). The patients who were on a general ward when their shock developed had a median delay of 67 mins before transfer to an ICU setting. Ward patients received an intravenous fluid bolus after a median delay of 27 mins, whereas those in the ICU who received a fluid bolus did so after a median of 15 mins (p=.48). Ward patients also had a median delay of 310 mins to receive inotropic support compared with a median 22.5 mins (p=.037) for the patients in an ICU setting when shock started. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that for patients with septic shock on wards, there were clinically important delays in transfer of patients to the ICU, receipt of intravenous fluid boluses, and receipt of inotropic agents. However, the most powerful predictors of mortality were APACHE II scores and bloodstream infection with Candida species.
Visual performance of an apodized diffractive multifocal intraocular lens with +3.00-d addition: 1-year follow-up.

PURPOSE To determine whether implantation of a multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) with a lower addition (+3.00 diopters [D]) at the lens plane results in better intermediate visual acuity 1 year after surgery compared with a multifocal IOL with higher addition (+4.00 D). METHODS This prospective, randomized, double-masked study included 80 eyes from 40 patients. Twenty patients were implanted bilaterally with the ReSTOR +3.00-D add IOL and 20 patients were implanted bilaterally with the ReSTOR +4.00-D add IOL. Primary outcome measures were distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity. Secondary outcomes were defocus curves, best reading distance, mesopic and photopic contrast sensitivity, quality of life, and spectacle independence. Monocular and binocular visual acuity were measured as uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity at 4 m, uncorrected near and distance-corrected near visual acuity at 40 cm, and uncorrected intermediate visual acuity and distance-corrected intermediate visual acuity at 50, 60, and 70 cm. RESULTS Twelve months postoperatively, no statistically significant difference between groups in distance and near visual acuity was noted. The ReSTOR +3.00-D add group performed better than the ReSTOR +4.00-D add group at all intermediate distances studied. The ReSTOR +4.00-D group chose a reading distance 8 cm closer than the +3.00-D group. Both groups performed similarly with respect to contrast sensitivity, quality of life, and spectacle independence rates. CONCLUSIONS Patients implanted with a multifocal IOL with lower addition (ReSTOR +3.00 D) had better performance at intermediate distances compared with the ReSTOR +4.00-D add IOL with similar performance for distance and near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and quality of life.
Pathophysiology and treatment of motion sickness.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Motion sickness remains bothersome in conventional transport and is an emerging hazard in visual information technologies. Treatment remains unsatisfactory but advances in brain imaging, neurophysiology, and neuropharmacology may provide insights into more effective drug and behavioural management. We review these major developments. RECENT FINDINGS Recent progress has been in identifying brain mechanisms and loci associated with motion sickness and nausea per se. The techniques have included conventional neurophysiology, pathway mapping, and functional MRI, implicating multiple brain regions including cortex, brainstem, and cerebellum. Understanding of the environmental and behavioural conditions provocative of and protective against motion sickness and how vestibular disease may sensitize to motion sickness has increased. The problem of nauseogenic information technology has emerged as a target for research, motivated by its ubiquitous applications. Increased understanding of the neurophysiology and brain regions associated with motion sickness may provide for more effective medication in the future. However, the polysymptomatic nature of motion sickness, high interindividual variability, and the extensive brain regions involved may preclude a single, decisive treatment. SUMMARY Motion sickness is an emerging hazard in information technologies. Adaptation remains the most effective countermeasure together with established medications, notably scopolamine and antihistamines. Neuropharmacological investigations may provide more effective medication in the foreseeable future.
Assessing Values for Health: Numeracy Matters

Background. Patients’ values are fundamental to decision models, cost-effectiveness analyses, and pharmacoeconomic analyses. The standard methods used to assess how patients value different health states are inherently quantitative. People without strong quantitative skills (i.e., low numeracy) may not be able to complete these tasks in a meaningful way. Methods. To determine whether the validity of utility assessments depends on the respondent’s level of numeracy, the authors conducted in-person interviews and written surveys and assessed utility for the current health for 96 women volunteers. Numeracy was measured using a previously validated 3-item scale. The authors examined the correlation between self-reported health and utility for current health (assessed using the standard gamble, time trade-off, and visual analog techniques) across levels of numeracy. For half of the women, the authors also assessed standard gamble utility for 3 imagined health states (breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis) and asked how much the women feared each disease. Results. Respondent ages ranged from 50 to 79 years (mean = 63), all were high school graduates, and 52% had a college or postgraduate degree. Twenty-six percent answered 0 or only 1 of the numeracy questions correctly, 37% answered 2 correctly, and 37% answered all 3 correctly. Among women with the lowest level of numeracy, the correlation between utility for current health and self-reported health was in the wrong direction (i.e., worse health valued higher than better health): for standard gamble, Spearman r = -0.16, P =0.44; for time trade-off, Spearman r = -0.13, P = 0.54. Among the most numerate women, the authors observed a fair to moderate positive correlation with both standard gamble (Spearman r = 0.22, P = 0.19) and time trade-off (Spearman r = 0.50, P = 0.002). In contrast, using the visual analog scale, the authors observed a substantial correlation in the expected direction at all levels of numeracy (Spearman r =0.82, 0.50, and 0.60 for women answering 0-1, 2, and 3 numeracy questions, respectively; all Ps ≤ 0.003). With regard to the imagined health states, the most feared disease had the lowest utility for 35% of the women with the lowest numeracy compared to 76% of the women with the highest numeracy (P = 0.03). Conclusions. The validity of standard utility assessments is related to the subject’s facility with numbers. Limited numeracy may be an important barrier to meaningfully assessing patients’ values using the standard gamble and time trade-off techniques.
The “De-escalation Concept” and Antibiotic De-escalation: A Missed Opportunity?

ABSTRACT “De-escalation therapy” is a term that suggests the need to reduce the spectrum or the number of antibiotics formerly prescribed for critical patients, upon clinical improvement and/or microorganism recovery. The major goal of this concept is the use of broad-spectrum antibiotic agents as initial drugs of choice for severe patients, instead of “reserving” the most potent agents after an inadequate clinical response, or after the microorganism is recovered. Despite possible commercial concerns and an unproven but possible relationship with enhancing global antibiotic use, the concept was correct and in accordance with scientific evidence. However, the “de-escalation” component of the concept is very seldom reported, and no large clinical trial on this issue is available until today. To definitely put in practice this concept, comparative large trials must be designed and sponsored to insert this strategy at the same level of evidence of wide initial empiric antibiotic treatments.
Self-Reported Emotional Dysregulation But No Impairment of Emotional Intelligence in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Explorative Study

Emotional dysfunction is a key feature of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) but emotional intelligence (EI) has rarely been investigated in this sample. This study aimed at an investigation of ability EI, general intelligence, and self-reported emotion regulation in BPD. We included 19 patients with BPD and 20 healthy control subjects in the study. EI was assessed by means of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso emotional intelligence test and the test of emotional intelligence. For the assessment of general intelligence, we administered the multidimensional “Leistungsprüfsystem-Kurzversion. ” The emotion regulation questionnaire and the difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were used to assess emotion regulation. The patients with BPD did not exhibit impairments of ability EI and general intelligence but reported severe impairments in emotion regulation. Ability EI was related both to general intelligence (patients and controls) and to self-reported emotion regulation (patients). In conclusion, emotional dysfunction in BPD might primarily affect self-perceived behavior rather than abilities. Intense negative emotions in everyday life may trigger dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies in BPD although patients possess sufficient theoretical knowledge about optimal regulation strategies.
Leishmania donovani Amastigotes Mobilize Organic and Inorganic Osmolytes During Regulatory Volume Decrease

Abstract. The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani encounters large fluctuations in osmolality as it cycles between its insect vector and human host. The flagellated promastigote exhibits regulatory volume responses involving organic and inorganic osmolytes, but little is known about volume regulation in the clinically relevant amastigote that multiplies within the parasitophorous vacuoles of mammalian host cells. Using a combination of morphological, X‐ray microanalytical, and biochemical approaches we determined that non‐motile amastigotes respond to hypotonic stress with (1) an amino acid and l‐alanine‐mediated regulatory volume decrease, and (2) a parallel release of Na+, K+, P (presumably as negatively charged phosphates), and subsequently Cl− from cytoplasm and the cell as a whole. In addition P, Zn2+, and subsequently Ca2+ increase in acidocalcisomes as Cl− content declines in this compartment. This evidence is the first to document subcellular translocation of, and thus a potential role for, zinc in volume regulatory responses. These coordinated changes in organic and inorganic osmolytes demonstrate that amastigote subcellular compartments, particularly acidocalcisomes, function in maintaining ionic homeostasis in the response of Leishmania amastigotes to hypo‐osmotic stress.
Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum: Report of Two Pre‐school Children and Review of the Literature

The results of neuropsychological examinations of two patients with agenesis of the corpus callosum showed low intelligence‐test performance, impared visuo‐motor co‐ordination and impaired bimanual co‐ordination. The most striking deficits were observed in Case A, particularly in her inability to identify objects verbally when placed in the non‐dominant hand, and in her ability to complete a task with the non‐dominant hand without vision, when she was unable to complete the same task with vision. This patient is unusual insofar as she manifests deficits noted in acallosal patients, as well as some noted in split‐brain patients but not previously ascribed to acallosal patients.