Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An empirical comparison of four generic health status measures. The Nottingham Health Profile, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, the COOP/WONCA charts, and the EuroQol instrument.

OBJECTIVES An empirical, head-to-head comparison of the performance characteristics of four generic health status measures. METHODS The Nottingham Health Profile, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the COOP/WONCA charts, and the EuroQol instrument were simultaneously employed in a controlled survey measuring the impact of migraine on health status. The feasibility (number of missing cases per item), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), construct validity (correlation patterns and common factor analysis), and discriminative ability (Receiver Operating Characteristics analyses) of the four measures were investigated. RESULTS The Nottingham Health Profile produced the lowest missing value rate. The internal consistency of the Nottingham Health Profile scales was lower than the scales of the SF-36. Combined factor analyses with data of the four instruments together resulted in two-factor solutions with a physical and a mental factor, explaining approximately 50% of variance. The SF-36 exhibited the best ability to discriminate between groups. Test-retest reliability and sensitivity to change over time could not be tested because of the cross-sectional character of the study. CONCLUSIONS None of the instruments performed uniformly as "best" or "worst. " Purely on the basis of the results of the psychometric analyses, the SF-36 appeared to be the most suitable measure of health status in this relatively healthy population. In general, the choice of the most suitable instrument for generic health status assessment in a particular study should be guided by the special features of each candidate instrument under consideration.
DeepFacade: A Deep Learning Approach to Facade Parsing

The parsing of building facades is a key component to the problem of 3D street scenes reconstruction, which is long desired in computer vision. In this paper, we propose a deep learning based method for segmenting a facade into semantic categories. Man-made structures often present the characteristic of symmetry. Based on this observation, we pro-pose a symmetric regularizer for training the neural network. Our proposed method can make use of both the power of deep neural networks and the structure of man-made architectures. We also pro-pose a method to reﬁne the segmentation results us-ing bounding boxes generated by the Region Pro-posal Network. We test our method by training a FCN-8s network with the novel loss function. Experimental results show that our method has out-performed previous state-of-the-art methods significantly on both the ECP dataset and the eTRIMS dataset. As far as we know, we are the ﬁrst to employ end-to-end deep convolutional neural network on full image scale in the task of building facades parsing.
New trends in the cyber and street market of recreational drugs? The case of 2C-T-7 (‘Blue Mystic’)

2C-T-7 (‘Blue Mystic’), an illicit compound which shows similarities with MDMA and other designer drugs, has been only occasionally identified in the EU, but discussion on the Internet between experimenters has recently grown significantly. We aimed at collecting together in a review the available information on 2C-T-7, both at the cyber and at the street market level. 2C-T-7 was first synthesized in 1986; its desired effects include both a sense of empathy and of well-being. Hallucinations, nausea, anxiety, panic attacks and paranoid ideation are anecdotally reported. According to the different European sources here approached, the availability of 2C-T-7 at street level seems to be currently very low, although one death related to a mono-intoxication with 2C-T-7 has been documented in the USA. With respect to information on 2C-T-7 available online, due to both redundancy and relevance issues the initial identified sample of 360 was reduced to 118 websites. In 14 (11.9%) websites, the detailed description of the 2C-T-7 synthesis was given. Harm Reduction websites appeared significantly earlier in the search engines results’ list than Anti drugs (p 0.006) websites. Five (4.2%) websites apparently offered 2C-T-7 for sale. The large body of knowledge available online seems to contrast with small numbers of seizures at street level; an exhaustive web mapping of drug-related issues may be of interest for the clinician. Projects aimed at designing more ‘attractive’ prevention websites should be planned and future studies should better assess the characteristics of those consumers who take advantage of the online information of hallucinogenic compounds.
A Word Identification Strategy for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Editor's Comment: The purpose of the Interventions section of the journal is to provide professional practitioners with overviews of successful interventions that can be replicated with individuals with learning disabilities. These interventions can be either physiological or psychoeducational and can occur in school settings, clinics, hospitals, homes, communities, or employment sites. The discussion of these interventions generally includes (a) the theory or rationale of the interventions, (b) previous research findings, (c) characteristics of the individuals receiving the interventions, (d) the intervention that was applied, and (e) the criteria used to evaluate its success. The following article by Drs. B. Keith Lenz of the Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities, the University of Kansas, and Charles A. Hughes of the Department of Special Education at Penn State University describes a word identification strategy for use with adolescents with learning disabilities. By using this strategy, 12 students who ranged in age from 13 to 15 years reduced the number of oral reading errors they made. Reading comprehension also increased for most of these students. As a result, this intervention may be effective for other students with learning disabilities when reduction of oral reading errors is the goal in the instruction. ---JLW Students with learning disabilities frequently experience difficulty on reading tasks. This difficulty is heightened for adolescents with learning disabilities who are responsible for reading and understanding materials written at several grade levels above their reading ability. Word identification becomes an increasingly important skill for these students, especially when confronted with unfamiliar, polysyllabic words. The present study investigated the effects of training 12 adolescents with learning disabilities in a word identification strategy, DISSECT. The results indicated that the strategy was effective in reducing reading errors for all subjects. However, it was found that increases in word identification differentially affected reading comprehension and indicate the need for separate and/or simultaneous attention to comprehension processes.
Systematic n-Tuple Networks for Othello Position Evaluation

N-tuple networks have been successfully used as position evaluation functions for board games such as Othello or Connect Four. The effectiveness of such networks depends on their architecture, which is determined by the placement of constituent n-tuples (sequences of board locations) providing input to the network. The most popular method of placing n-tuples consists in randomly generating a small number of long, snake-shaped board location sequences. In this paper, we show that learning n-tuple networks is more effective if it involves, instead, a large number of systematically placed, short, straight n-tuples. In addition, we demonstrate that a simple variant of coevolutionary learning can evolve a systematic n-tuple network with tuples of size just 2 of a comparable performance to the best 1-ply Othello players. Our network consists of only 288 parameters, which is an order of magnitude less than the top published players to date. This indicates a need for more effective learning methods that would be capable of taking a full advantage of larger networks.
Clinical features and heritability of hypoadrenocorticism in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers: 25 cases (1994-2006).

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical features and heritability of naturally occurring hypoadrenocorticism in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (NSDTRs). DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 25 NSDTRs with hypoadrenocorticism. PROCEDURES Questionnaires completed by owners of NSDTRs with hypoadrenocorticism and medical records from veterinarians were reviewed for information regarding diagnosis, age at diagnosis, concurrent diseases, age at death, and cause of death. Pedigrees were analyzed for heritability and mode of inheritance of hypoadrenocorticism (including complex segregation analysis of pedigrees of 1,515 dogs). RESULTS On the basis of results of ACTH stimulation testing, hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed in 16 female and 9 male NSDTRs (including 6 full siblings). Median age at diagnosis was 2.6 years; the diagnosis was made prior to 2 years of age in 11 dogs. Seventeen dogs had hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, or both, and serum electrolyte concentrations were within reference ranges for 8 dogs at the time of diagnosis. Median survival time after diagnosis for 4 dogs that died or were euthanized as a result of medical causes was 1.6 years. Heritability was calculated at 0.98 with no sex effect, and complex segregation analysis fit a major gene model with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In NSDTRs, hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed at an earlier age, compared with published reports of age at diagnosis among the general dog population. Among the study dogs, 32% had no serum electrolyte abnormalities at the time of diagnosis, and the disease appeared to have an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in the breed.
T lymphocytes of HIV-positive individuals: preloaded guns in spite of highly active antiretroviral therapy?

A perverse relationship between HIV and the complex network of cytokines orchestrating the immune response against invading pathogens and controlling inflammation has been suspected since the mid-1980s. Several cytokines, particularly pro-inflammatory cytokines, have been shown to activate virus replication in T cells, macrophages or cell lines. Conversely, the virus seemed to possess the ability to ‘turn on’ the cytokine network, with a propensity for those molecules upregulating its own replication. In contrast, a very limited number of cytokines possessed clear-cut anti-HIV effects, in particular class I interferons [1]. Nevertheless, a key cytokine, IL-2, is currently being investigated in a phase III clinical trial (ESPRIT) as a potential antiHIV therapeutic agent [2]. On one hand, this demonstrates the possibility of complementing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with cytokine-based intervention, and on the other, it indicates the possibility of altering the balance between the virus and the host by manipulating the cytokine network. A paper by Johansson and colleagues in this issue of AIDS [3] revisits all these aspects of HIV–host cell interaction by studying the messenger RNA expression profile of cytokines and their related genes in purified T cells from HAART-treated HIV-positive individuals, in comparison with the profile of the same cells isolated from healthy seronegative controls. After setting their experimental conditions on lymphocytes from control individuals, pooled T-cell lysates of polyAþ selected mRNA were compared between infected and uninfected individuals. Two clusters of information were obtained: (i) baseline mRNA expression patterns in purified T cells of infected and uninfected individuals, and (ii) the pharmacological upmodulation or downmodulation of these mRNA by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) agonists and antagonists.
Measuring Nurses’ Computer Competency: An Analysis of Published Instruments

The rapid expansion of computer-driven technologies into multiple aspects of modern healthcare suggests that many of the important competencies of the 21st century nurse will encompass mastery of computer technology. This is a comprehensive review of the published measures of computer competence during the past 12 years. Essential knowledge, attitudes, and skills were identified and classified. Multiple competency assessment instruments of varying quality were examined. Little agreement was found regarding specific computer-focused competencies necessary for nurses. Taken as a whole, however, there is consensus that the computer-competent nurse possesses a general knowledge and understanding of computer technology, coupled with a positive attitude toward computers and software. In addition, such a nurse is skillful in computer hardware and software use and able to grasp how such technology benefits nursing and the overall healthcare environment.
Endothelium-Dependent Contractions Occur in the Aorta of Wild-Type and COX2−/− Knockout But Not COX1−/− Knockout Mice

The present experiments were designed to determine whether or not endothelium-dependent contractions can be evoked in the aorta of the mouse, and if so, whether or not deleting the COX1 gene affects the response. Sex differences in the response were also examined. Rings of murine aorta were suspended in a Halpern-Mulvany myograph for recording of isometric force. In the aorta of the male wild type C57BL/b6 mice (36-40 weeks old), both acetylcholine and the calcium ionophore caused endothelium-dependent increases in force in the presence of L-NAME, and these were inhibited by valeryl salicylate (a selective COX1 inhibitor) and S18886 (a selective antagonist of TP receptors). Such endothelium-dependent contraction was absent in the aorta of COX1−/− knockout mice and present in that of COX2−/− knockout mice. Similar results were obtained in aortas of female wild-type, COX2−/− and COX1−/− knockout mice. These experiments reveal the existence of EDCF-mediated contractions in arteries of the mouse. These contractions, as in the aorta of the spontaneously hypertensive rat, are caused by endogenous agonists(s) of TP receptors produced by cyclooxygenase 1, because they are observed in the aortas of COX2−/− knockout mice but not in aortas of COX1−/− knockout mice. The present study provides direct evidence that COX1 is indeed the isoform of cyclooxygenase responsible for the production of EDCF.
Fault estimation and accommodation for linear MIMO discrete-time systems

In this brief, a methodology for detection and accommodation of actuator faults for a class of multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) stochastic systems is presented. First, a new real-time fault estimation module that estimates the actuator effectiveness is developed. The actuator fault diagnosis is based on the estimation of the state vector. Under some conditions, the stochastic system is transformed into two separate subsystems. One of them is not affected by actuator faults, so a reduced order Kalman filter can be used to estimate its states. The other, whose states are measurable, is affected by the faults. Then, the output of the nominal controller is reconfigured to compensate for the loss of actuator effectiveness in the system. Simulation results of a helicopter in vertical plane is presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed fault-tolerant control scheme.
Multifocal Visual Evoked Potentials in Unilateral Compressive Optic Neuropathy Secondary to Orbital Tumors

Purpose To evaluate the effects of unilateral compressive optic neuropathy secondary to orbital tumors and the removal of the tumors on amplitude and latency of multifocal visual evoked potentials (mfVEPs) and to compare these responses with visual field defects seen on static automated perimetry. Methods Static automated and mfVEP recordings were obtained from 14 patients with orbital tumors affecting one optic nerve. Monocular and interocular amplitude and latency analyses were performed. Results The change in the mfVEP amplitude agreed with visual field findings with regard to topography and severity of deviation from normal in 10 patients. For 4 patients with normal visual field, the changes in the mfVEP were of significance. The delay in recordable responses from affected eyes ranged from 2.56 to 18.28 ms (interocular analysis) and 0.1 to 21.86 ms (monocular analysis). Ten patients whose tumor was totally removed showed a recovery of the visual field and mfVEP to various degrees. Visual field of 6 patients showed within normal limits after total removal of the tumor, and the defects of mfVEP in 3 patients remained apparent, while the mfVEP of the other 3 patients showed a complete recovery. Conclusions Various orbital tumors can cause compressive optic neuropathy. Compressive optic neuropathy secondary to orbital tumors results in mfVEP amplitude reduction and latency prolongation. The changes in measures of mfVEP due to orbital tumors are consistent with the visual field changes in most patients. In some patients, the subjective visual field results and objective mfVEP are discordant. The objective changes of mfVEP may appear earlier than the defect of visual field, and thus it may be able to identify subtle defects that are undetectable with Humphrey perimetry. Postoperatively, recovery of the mfVEP may be later than that of visual field in some patients. The mfVEP changes may assist in both early diagnosis and follow-up of the compressive optic neuropathy secondary to orbital tumors.
Effect of GSM-900 and -1800 signals on the skin of hairless rats. I: 2-hour acute exposures

Purpose: The acute influence on the skin of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields in the radiofrequency (RF) range used in mobile telephony has not been widely studied to date. The purpose of this work was to determine whether the cells of hairless rat skin are affected by acute local exposure to Global System for Mobile Communication: GSM-900 or -1800 RadioFrequency Radiation (RFR). Materials and methods: Hairless female rats were exposed or sham-exposed for 2 h to GSM-900 or -1800 signals, using a loop-antenna located on the right part of the rats' back. The local Specific Absorption rate (SAR) at skin level was ca. 5 W/kg (5.8±0.4 and 4.8±0.4 W/kg at 900 and 1800 MHz, respectively). A skin biopsy was done at the end of the experiment not only at the location of exposure, but also on the symmetrical part of the back. Results: Analysis of skin sections using Hematoxylin Eosin Saffron (HES) coloration showed no difference in skin thickness or apparent cell toxicity (with no sign of cellular necrosis) among the animal groups. Histological analysis of the epidermis showed that the ratio between cells expressing the antigen Ki-67 (cellular proliferation marker) and the total number of cells remained within the range of normal proliferation ratio for the exposed side of the animal. No Ki-67 labelling was observed at the dermis level. Results on filaggrin, collagen and elastin levels also showed an insignificant influence of RFR. Conclusions: These results do not demonstrate any major physical and histological variations at skin level induced by RFR used in mobile telephony.
Swelling lecithin: cholesterol implants for the controlled release of proteins

This work demonstrated the effect of two salts as potential simple formulation excipients in modifying hydration properties, phase behavior, and protein release from lecithin-based implants. In vitro release of a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), from cylindrical-shaped lecithin and lecithin:cholesterol (1:1 w/w) implants containing 0, 10, or 30% w/w NaCl or CaCl2 was studied. In the absence of salts, BSA was released from lecithin and lecithin:cholesterol implants with a high monomer content and the release profiles were similar to those previously reported. Cholesterol increased the swelling, induced the formation of myelin structures, and reduced BSA release from the matrices. Addition of the salts to lecithin:cholesterol implants further enhanced the swelling, altered the hydrated morphology, and inhibited protein release. Analyses showed that BSA associated into multimers within these swollen lipid matrices but retained a high degree of protein native structure. Factors that may have contributed to the inhibition of the in vitro release included 1) the swollen multilamellar layers assembled as diffusional barriers, 2) adsorption of BSA onto the hydrated lipid vesicles, and 3) formation of protein aggregates.
The Site of Action of Epidural Fentanyl Infusions in the Presence of Local Anesthetics: A Minimum Local Analgesic Concentration Infusion Study in Nulliparous Labor

We have previously demonstrated that continuous epidural infusions of fentanyl without local anesthetics elicit analgesia by a systemic mechanism. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that, in the presence of epidural bupivacaine, continuous infusions of epidural fentanyl elicit analgesia by a spinal mechanism. Forty-eight nulliparous women in active labor participated in this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. Women received lumbar epidural analgesia with 20–30 mL bupivacaine 0.125% until pain free. Subjects were then randomized to either IV or epidural (EPI) fentanyl infusion groups. Each infusion delivered fentanyl 30 &mgr;g/h. All women received an epidural infusion of bupivacaine at a rate of 20 mL/h, the concentration of which was determined by the response of the previous woman in the same group to the analgesic regimen used. Unlike previous studies that assessed the minimum local analgesic concentration (MLAC) for bolus administration at the initiation of analgesia, this study assessed MLACinfusion for the maintenance of analgesia throughout the first stage of labor. MLACinfusion was determined using the up-down sequential analysis described by Dixon and Massey. The MLACinfusion of epidural bupivacaine was 0.063% (95% confidence interval, 0.058–0.068) and 0.019% (95% confidence interval, 0.000–0.038) in the IV and EPI groups respectively. A continuous infusion of fentanyl was more than three times as potent when administered by the epidural than by the IV route. This marked increase in potency for the epidural route is highly suggestive for a predominantly spinal mechanism of action for infused epidural fentanyl under the conditions of this study.