Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency in 2 Independent Cohorts of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Objective. To investigate 25-OH vitamin D concentrations in 2 independent systemic sclerosis (SSc) populations from France and Italy. Methods. We studied 156 consecutive SSc patients comparable for demographic characteristics: 90 from Northern France and 66 from Southern Italy. 25-OH vitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone, and serum total calcium and phosphorus were measured in all patients. Vitamin D concentrations < 30 ng/ml were considered insufficiency, while values < 10 ng/ml were classified as deficiency. Results. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency rates were very high and comparable between the 2 populations: 74/90 (82%) versus 57/66 (86%) for insufficiency and 29/90 (32%) versus 15/66 (23%) for deficiency, respectively, in the French and Italian patients. They were not influenced by vitamin D supplementation, which was not statistically different in the 2 groups. In the combined populations, a significant negative correlation was found between low vitamin D levels and European Disease Activity Score (p = 0.04, r = −0.17) and an even more significant correlation was found with acute-phase reactants (p = 0.004, r = −0.23 for erythrocyte sedimentation rate), and low levels of vitamin D were associated with the systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) estimated by echocardiography (p = 0.004). In multivariate analysis, vitamin D deficiency was associated with sPAP (p = 0.02). Conclusion. Vitamin D deficiency was very common in the 2 SSc populations, independent of geographic origin and vitamin D supplementation. This suggests that common vitamin D supplementation does not correct the deficiency in SSc patients, and that a higher dose is probably needed, especially in those with high inflammatory activity or severe disease.
Supervising Neural Attention Models for Video Captioning by Human Gaze Data

The attention mechanisms in deep neural networks are inspired by humans attention that sequentially focuses on the most relevant parts of the information over time to generate prediction output. The attention parameters in those models are implicitly trained in an end-to-end manner, yet there have been few trials to explicitly incorporate human gaze tracking to supervise the attention models. In this paper, we investigate whether attention models can benefit from explicit human gaze labels, especially for the task of video captioning. We collect a new dataset called VAS, consisting of movie clips, and corresponding multiple descriptive sentences along with human gaze tracking data. We propose a video captioning model named Gaze Encoding Attention Network (GEAN) that can leverage gaze tracking information to provide the spatial and temporal attention for sentence generation. Through evaluation of language similarity metrics and human assessment via Amazon mechanical Turk, we demonstrate that spatial attentions guided by human gaze data indeed improve the performance of multiple captioning methods. Moreover, we show that the proposed approach achieves the state-of-the-art performance for both gaze prediction and video captioning not only in our VAS dataset but also in standard datasets (e.g. LSMDC [24] and Hollywood2 [18]).
Protected areas as biodiversity benchmarks for human impact: agriculture and the Serengeti avifauna

Protected areas as biodiversity benchmarks allow a separation of the direct effects of human impact on biodiversity loss from those of other environmental changes. We illustrate the use of ecological baselines with a case from the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania. We document a substantial but previously unnoted loss of bird diversity in agriculture detected by reference to the immediately adjacent native vegetation in Serengeti. The abundance of species found in agriculture was only 28% of that for the same species in native savannah. Insectivorous species feeding in the grass layer or in trees were the most reduced. Some 50% of both insectivorous and granivorous species were not recorded in agriculture, with ground–feeding and tree species most affected. Grass–layer insect abundance and diversity was much reduced in agriculture, consistent with the loss of insectivorous birds. These results indicate that many species of birds will become confined to protected areas over time. We need to determine whether existing protected areas are sufficiently large to maintain viable populations of insectivorous birds likely to become confined to them. This study highlights the essential nature of baseline areas for assessing causes of change in human–dominated systems and for developing innovative strategies to restore biodiversity.
Lamina Propria CD4+ T Lymphocytes Synergize with Murine Intestinal Epithelial Cells to Enhance Proinflammatory Response Against an Intracellular Pathogen1

Acute and lethal ileitis can be elicited in certain strains of inbred mice after oral infection with the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The development of this inflammatory process is dependent upon the induction of a robust Th1 response, including overproduction of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and NO, as has been reported in other experimental models of human inflammatory bowel disease. In this study we have investigated the role of CD4+ T cells from the lamina propria (LP) in the early inflammatory events after T. gondii infection using isolated and primary cultured intestinal cells from infected mice and immortalized mouse mICcl2 intestinal epithelial cells. Primed LP CD4+ T cells isolated from parasite-infected mice produce substantial quantities of both IFN-γ and TNF-α. IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing LP CD4+ T cells synergize with infected mICcl2 and enhance the production of several inflammatory chemokines including macrophage-inflammatory protein-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-3, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1αβ, and IFN-γ-inducible protein-10. Furthermore, primed LP CD4+ T cells cocultured with infected mICcl2 inhibited replication of the parasite in the intestinal epithelial cells. Thus, LP CD4+ T cells can interact with parasite-infected intestinal epithelial cells and alter the expression of several proinflammatory products that have been associated with the development of intestinal inflammation. The interaction between these two components of the gut mucosal compartment (CD4+ T cells and enterocytes) may play a role in the immunopathogenesis of this pathogen-driven experimental inflammatory bowel disease model.
Incidence of Plasmids in Marine Vibrio spp. Isolated from an Oil Field in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Presumptive marine Vibrio spp. were collected from an operational oil field and control site located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Of 440 isolates analyzed for the presence of extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid elements or plasmids by using the cleared lysate and agarose gel techniques, 31% showed distinct plasmid bands on agarose gels. A majority of the plasmids detected were estimated to have molecular masses of 10 × 106 or less. Multiple plasmids were observed in approximately half of the plasmid-containing strains. A number of isolates contained plasmids with similar banding and mobility patterns. The oil field area had noticeably more plasmid-containing strains (35 versus 23% in the control site) and a greater number of plasmids per plasmid-containing strain (an average of 2.5 plasmids, versus 1.5 in the control site). Oil field discharges might have resulted in increased plasmid incidence and diversity.
Mandibular Morphology in Complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare mandibular morphology and spatial position in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) treated at two different cleft centers (Hannover and Brussels) following different surgical treatment protocols. Patients A total of 62 Caucasian children (40 boys, 22 girls) with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) were evaluated by means of conventional cephalometric analysis at approximately the age of 10 years. Data of both cleft groups were compared with a control, noncleft group (n = 40) matched according to age and sex. Interventions The Hannover children with cleft (n = 36) underwent lip repair at a mean age of 5.83 ± 1.16 months. The hard and soft palates were closed at a mean age of 29.08 ± 4.68 and 32.25 ± 4.29 months, respectively. The Brussels children with cleft (n = 26) were treated according to the Malek surgical protocol with soft palate repair at a mean age of 3.04 ± 0.20 months and simultaneous lip and hard palate repair at a mean age of 6.15 ± 0.68 months. Results Statistical analysis (analysis of variance with post hoc Tukey's test) showed a significant (p = .001) smaller mandibular ramus length (Co-Go) in the Brussels cleft group, compared with the control group. The Hannover-Brussels comparison data revealed that the S-N-B angle was significantly (p = .047) less in the Brussels cleft group. Conclusions The influence of surgical procedures in patients with UCLP might not be restricted to the maxilla but could influence mandibular spatial position to the cranial base. Because of these positional changes of the mandible, both cleft groups showed facial balance.
Optimal Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Vaccinated Against Human Papillomavirus.

Background Current US cervical cancer screening guidelines do not differentiate recommendations based on a woman's human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination status. Changes to cervical cancer screening policies in HPV-vaccinated women should be evaluated. Methods We utilized an individual-based mathematical model of HPV and cervical cancer in US women to project the health benefits, costs, and harms associated with screening strategies in women vaccinated with the bivalent, quadrivalent, or nonavalent vaccine. Strategies varied by the primary screening test, including cytology, HPV, and combined cytology and HPV "cotesting"; age of screening initiation and/or switching to a new test; and interval between routine screens. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from the societal perspective to identify screening strategies that would be considered good value for money according to thresholds of $50 000 to $200 000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Results Among women fully vaccinated with the bivalent or quadrivalent vaccine, optimal screening strategies involved either cytology or HPV testing alone every five years starting at age 25 or 30 years, with cost-effectiveness ratios ranging from $34 680 to $138 560 per QALY gained. Screening earlier or more frequently was either not cost-effective or associated with exceedingly high cost-effectiveness ratios. In women vaccinated with the nonavalent vaccine, only primary HPV testing was efficient, involving decreased frequency (ie, every 10 years) starting at either age 35 years ($40 210 per QALY) or age 30 years ($127 010 per QALY); with lower nonavalent vaccine efficacy, 10-year HPV testing starting at earlier ages of 25 or 30 years was optimal. Importantly, current US guidelines for screening were inefficient in HPV-vaccinated women. Conclusions This model-based analysis suggests screening can be modified to start at later ages, occur at decreased frequency, and involve primary HPV testing in HPV-vaccinated women, providing more health benefit at lower harms and costs than current screening guidelines.
Genetic Algorithms for Multiple-Choice Problems

This thesis investigates the use of problem-specific knowledge to enhance a genetic algorithm approach to multiple-choice optimisation problems.It shows that such information can significantly enhance performance, but that the choice of information and the way it is included are important factors for success.Two multiple-choice problems are considered.The first is constructing a feasible nurse roster that considers as many requests as possible.In the second problem, shops are allocated to locations in a mall subject to constraints and maximising the overall income.Genetic algorithms are chosen for their well-known robustness and ability to solve large and complex discrete optimisation problems.However, a survey of the literature reveals room for further research into generic ways to include constraints into a genetic algorithm framework.Hence, the main theme of this work is to balance feasibility and cost of solutions.In particular, co-operative co-evolution with hierarchical sub-populations, problem structure exploiting repair schemes and indirect genetic algorithms with self-adjusting decoder functions are identified as promising approaches.The research starts by applying standard genetic algorithms to the problems and explaining the failure of such approaches due to epistasis.To overcome this, problem-specific information is added in a variety of ways, some of which are designed to increase the number of feasible solutions found whilst others are intended to improve the quality of such solutions.As well as a theoretical discussion as to the underlying reasons for using each operator,extensive computational experiments are carried out on a variety of data.These show that the indirect approach relies less on problem structure and hence is easier to implement and superior in solution quality.
The effect of an educational programme on attitudes of nurses and medical residents towards the benefits of positive communication and collaboration.

AIMS This article is a report of a study to determine the effect of an educational programme and to follow up weekly meetings on nurses and medical resident's attitudes towards positive communication and collaboration. BACKGROUND Clear and appropriate communication and interdisciplinary collaboration is critical to the delivery of quality care. Collaborative practice among all healthcare professionals creates a positive work environment, decreases costs, improves job satisfaction among nurses and improves patient care, as well as decreasing patient morbidity and mortality. Poor communication and lack of teamwork or collaboration have been cited as persistent problems in healthcare. METHOD The study was conducted in 2008 - 2009 at a hospital where a new medical residency programme was beginning and nurses had no prior experience working with medical residents. A quasi-experimental pre test, post-test design was used. The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes towards Physician-Nurse Collaboration and the Communication, Collaboration and Critical Thinking for Quality Patient Outcomes Survey tool measured the attitudes of 68 nurses and 47 medical residents in the areas of positive communication and collaboration. RESULTS/FINDINGS The study demonstrates that a formal educational programme and follow-up discussions improved the attitudes of both nurses and medical residents on the Jefferson scale (medical residents t = 4·68, P = 0·001, nurses t = 4·37, P = 0·001) and on the communication scale (medical residents t = 4·23, P = 0·001, nurses t = 4·13, P = 0·001). CONCLUSION Continuing education for nurses, medical residents and other healthcare providers may assist in developing positive communication styles and promote collegiality and team work.
A training needs assessment for the United Way of Dunn County Wisconsin

McClelland Susan D (Writer) (Last Name) (First) (Initial) TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE UNITED WAY OF DUNN COUNTY WISCONSIN (Title) Training and Development Dr. Steve Schlough August 2002 56_ (Graduate Major) (Research Advisor) (Month/Year) (# Pgs) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fourth Edition (Name of Style Manual Used in this Study) This study attempted to assess the training needs of those nonprofit agencies receiving funding from the United Way of Dunn County. Interview questions were developed and administered to the agency directors face-to-face. A questionnaire was distributed to agency support staff and volunteers. Questions were designed to determine those common performance problems crossing agency lines that can be addressed by training. Not all performance problems can be addressed by training. In some cases, non-training interventions are necessary. By identifying performance problems that can be improved by training, the assessment will allow the agencies to focus on the real training needs within their organizations.
Smart Operation of Smart Grid: Risk-Limiting Dispatch

The drastic reduction of carbon emission to combat global climate change cannot be realized without a significant contribution from the electricity sector. Renewable energy resources must take a bigger share in the generation mix, effective demand response must be widely implemented, and high-capacity energy storage systems must be developed. A smart grid is necessary to manage and control the increasingly complex future grid. Certain smart grid elements-renewables, storage, microgrid, consumer choice, and smart appliances-increase uncertainty in both supply and demand of electric power. Other smart gird elements-sensors, smart meters, demand response, and communications-provide more accurate information about the power system and more refined means of control. Simply building hardware for renewable generators and the smart grid, but still using the same operating paradigm of the grid, will not realize the full potential for overall system efficiency and carbon reduction. In this paper, a new operating paradigm, called risk-limiting dispatch, is proposed. It treats generation as a heterogeneous commodity of intermittent or stochastic power and uses information and control to design hedging techniques to manage the risk of uncertainty.
Impact of diabetes mellitus on lymphocyte GRK2 protein levels in patients with heart failure

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with impaired prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF), but pathogenic mechanisms are unclear. In the failing heart, elevated β‐adrenergic receptor (β‐AR) activation by catecholamines causes G‐protein‐coupled receptor kinase‐2 (GRK2) upregulation which is responsible for β‐AR signalling dysfunction. Importantly, GRK2 expression, measured in peripheral lymphocytes of HF patients, correlates with levels of this kinase in the failing myocardium reflecting the loss of hemodynamic function. Moreover, HF‐related GRK2 protein overexpression promotes insulin resistance by interfering with insulin signalling. The aim of this study was to assess lymphocyte GRK2 protein levels in HF patients with and without DM.
Intravascular ultrasound analysis of beta radiation therapy for diffuse in‐stent restenosis to inhibit intimal hyperplasia

We evaluated the efficacy of β‐radiation therapy (188Re‐MAG3) to inhibit intimal hyperplasia (IH) in diffuse in‐stent restenosis by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis in 50 patients. Nine patients who did not agree with radiation therapy, and therefore underwent rotational atherectomy and balloon angioplasty for diffuse in‐stent restenosis in the same study period, were selected for control groups. Serial IVUS comparisons were available in 44 of 50 patients with radiation therapy and 7 of 9 control patients. At 6‐month follow‐up, there was less significant increase of IH area in patients with radiation therapy than in control patients (Δ IH area = 0.1 ± 0.8 mm2 vs. 2.6 ± 1.8 mm2, P > 0.001 in mean values, and 0.6 ± 1.4 mm2 vs. 2.9 ± 2.1 mm2, P = 0.026 in values of follow‐up lesion site, respectively). In conclusion, β‐radiation therapy might be an effective treatment modality to inhibit intimal hyperplasia in patients with diffuse in‐stent restenosis. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;54:169–173. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Use of Alfentanil and Propofol for Outpatient Monitored Anesthesia Care: Determining the Optimal Dosing Regimen

Propofol and alfentanil are both rapid and short-acting drugs that can be used for sedation and analgesia during monitored anesthesia care (MAC). This study was designed to determine the optimal infusion rates of propofol and alfentanil when administered during local anesthesia. In this randomized, double-blind study, we evaluated the effects of different propofol infusion rates on the alfentanil requirement, level of sedation, intraoperative recall, respiratory and cardiovascular variables, and recovery. Seventy-two consenting ASA physical status I or II female outpatients undergoing breast biopsy procedures with local anesthesia were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. All patients received midazolam, 2 mg intravenously (IV) for premedication. Propofol was infused at 0, 25, 50, or 75 micro g [center dot] kg-1 [center dot] min-1 during the operation. Sedation was evaluated using the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) scale at 5-min intervals by a blinded observer. Two minutes before the infiltration of the local anesthetic solution, a bolus of alfentanil, 2.5 micro g/kg IV, was administered, followed by a maintenance infusion of 0.5 micro g [center dot] kg-1 [center dot] min-1. The alfentanil infusion rate was subsequently varied to maintain patient comfort and stable cardiovascular and respiratory function. Pictures were shown at the start of the propofol infusion, upon initiating the alfentanil infusion, and at 45 min after the skin incision to evaluate recall of intraoperative events. Propofol produced dose-dependent increases in the level of sedation (with median OAA/S scores of 2-4, P < 0.05). Higher infusion rates of propofol (50-75 micro g [center dot] kg-1 [center dot] min-1) produced significant amnesia, opioid-sparing effects (alfentanil 0.3 +/- 0.2 vs 0.6 +/- 0.2 micro g [center dot] kg-1 [center dot] min-1), and less postoperative nausea and vomiting (P < 0.05). However, episodes of transient hemoglobin oxygen desaturation were more common in the deeply sedated patients. Thus, in healthy outpatients premedicated with midazolam, 2 mg IV, a propofol infusion of 25-50 micro g [center dot] kg-1 [center dot] min-1 in combination with an alfentanil infusion of 0.2-0.4 micro g [center dot] kg-1 [center dot] min (-1) is recommended for sedation and analgesia during MAC in the ambulatory setting. Implications: Sedation is often given during local anesthesia. This study demonstrated that administration of an intravenous anesthetic, propofol, in combination with an opioid infusion (i.e., alfentanil) to provide sedation analgesia and amnesia with a low incidence of side effects, such as nausea and vomiting and respiratory depression in outpatients premedicated with midazolam. (Anesth Analg 1997;85:566-72)