Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FIBTEM of Thromboelastometry does not Accurately Represent Fibrinogen Concentration in Patients with Severe Hypofibrinogenemia During Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND Among rotation thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) parameters, the maximum clot firmness (MCF) of EXTEM (MCFEX), INTEM (MCFIN) and FIBTEM (MCFFIB) are influenced by both the platelet count and fibrinogen concentration. We evaluated the relative contribution of laboratory variables to MCF amplitude and determined whether the severity of hypofibrinogenemia could affect the relationship between these variables during liver transplantation (LT). MATERIAL AND METHODS Retrospective ROTEM® assays with simultaneous laboratory tests in 282 patients receiving LT were analyzed. Relative contribution of platelet and fibrinogen to MCF was assessed and a subgroup analysis based on fibrinogen concentration was performed. RESULTS Platelet count accounted for 60% of the variability in both MCFEX and MCFIN, whereas fibrinogen concentration explained 12% and 9%, respectively. In subgroup analysis, platelets accounted for 56-57% of MCFEX and MCFIN variability with fibrinogen <100 mg/dL, and 59% of the variability with fibrinogen ≥100 mg/dL. Fibrinogen was the primary determinant of MCFFIB, accounting for 73% of the variability. However, in severe hypofibrinogenemia (fibrinogen<100 mg/dL), fibrinogen explained only 22% of MCFFIB variability. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of the fibrinogen concentration, the platelet count is a constant primary determinant of the MCFEX and MCFIN during LT. However, MCFFIB may predict the fibrinogen concentration less reliably in cases of severe hypofibrinogenemia.
Meningococcemia as a model for testing the hypothesis of antisepsis therapies

ObjectiveTo critically review the advantages and disadvantages of pediatric meningococcemia as a model for testing antisepsis therapies. Data SourcesResearch and review articles on the pathogenesis and treatment of human meningococcemia, as well as editorial commentaries discussing the failure of clinical trials for adult sepsis or Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Data from these sources are presented in the context of the author’s experience as principal investigator in a large, randomized trial on children with invasive meningococcal disease. Study Selection and Data ExtractionStudies were selected to include aspects of epidemiology, pathophysiology, outcome prediction, and therapeutic trials. Data SynthesisCompared with an adult sepsis population, meningococcemia is a single disease, diagnosed clinically with high reliability. Patients are previously healthy, without underlying medical or surgical conditions. In contrast to sepsis trials, nearly all patients with meningococcal disease receive effective antibiotics. Finally, meningococcemia most closely resembles animal models of endotoxin infusion, in which most antisepsis therapies have been highly effective.However, the meningococcal model carries major disadvantages, among them that meningococcemia is rare and rapidly progressive and patients are widely dispersed geographically. In addition, a wide range of experimental therapies is routinely provided in an attempt to preserve life or limbs. ConclusionsMeningococcemia is an ideal model of a rapidly progressive bacterial infection associated with marked endotoxemia. Problems with the model can be overcome by extensive pretrial logistic planning, as well as close coordination and cooperation with national regulatory agencies.
Internal consistency and factor structure of the Portuguese version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale among alcoholic patients.

OBJECTIVE Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale is an instrument used to evaluate the severity of social phobia. It has been widely used in different contexts and cultures, presenting variable psychometric properties. The objective of this article is to investigate the internal consistency and the factor structure of this scale. METHOD In a sample of 300 alcoholic patients hospitalized in 3 mental clinics in Southern Brazil, 74 of them were social phobics (24.6%). The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-Axis I Disorders - Patient Edition, a semi-structured clinical interview based on DSM-IV, was used to check for the diagnosis of social phobia. The internal consistency was measured by Cronbach's alpha. Data were subjected to a factor analysis with the principal component method of parameter estimation. Questionnaire items loading at 0.35 or above were considered in the final factor solution. RESULTS The coefficient of internal consistency was 0.95. All items showed corrected item-total correlation coefficient above 0.15, considered the minimum requested index. The factor analysis resulted in 5 dimensions which corresponded to 52.9% of the total variance. The five factors extracted were: factor I - speaking in a group, factor II - activity in public, factor III - social interaction with unknown person, factor IV - attitude of disagreement or disapproval and factor V - social interaction in leisure activity. CONCLUSIONS The scale proved to be reliable and structurally valid instrument for use in a population of alcoholic patients. The possibility of screening for social phobia through the use of the instrument may be helpful in identifying probable cases of the disorder among alcoholics.
Alcohol intake and colorectal cancer risk: A dose–response meta‐analysis of published cohort studies

The epidemiologic evidence support that alcohol intake might be associated with increased colorectal cancer risk. However, the results by anatomic site in the large bowel are inconsistent. We conducted a meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies published between 1990 and June 2005 on the relationship between alcohol intake and colon and rectal cancer. We quantified associations with colon and rectal cancer using meta‐analysis of relative risk (RR) associated to the highest versus the lowest category of alcohol intake and meta‐analysis of study‐specific dose–response slopes using fixed or random effect models depending on the heterogeneity of effects among studies. Sixteen prospective cohort studies including more than 6,300 patients with colorectal cancer were eligible for inclusion. High alcohol intake was significantly associated with increased risk of colon (RR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.25, 1.79) and rectal cancer (RR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.35, 1.97) when comparing the highest with the lowest category of alcohol intake, equivalent to a 15% increase of risk of colon or rectal cancer for an increase of 100 g of alcohol intake per week. The relationship did not differ significantly by anatomical site (colon, rectum). Using meta‐regression analysis, we identified geographical area where the study was conducted as a possible source of between‐study heterogeneity of effects among studies. Lifestyle recommendations for prevention of colorectal cancer should consider limiting alcohol intake. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effect of landscape on functional connectivity and shell shape in the land snail Humboldtiana durangoensis

The populations of Humboldtiana durangoensis have experienced a drastic reduction in the effective population size; in addition, the species is threatened by anthropogenic activities. For the aforementioned, landscape genetics will serve as a tool to define the potential evolutionarily significant units (ESU) for this species. To complete our objective, we evaluated the effect of cover vegetation and climate on the functional connectivity of the species from the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the present as well as the effect of climate on shell shape. Partial Mantel tests, distance-based redundance analysis and a Bayesian framework were used to evaluate connectivity. On the other hand, geometric morphometrics, phylogenetic principal component analysis and redundancy analysis were used for the analysis of shell shape. Our results suggest that the suitable areas have been decreasing since the LGM; also, vegetation cover rather than climate has influenced the genetic connectivity among land snail populations, although temperature had a high influence on shell shape in this species. In conclusion, vegetation cover was the main factor that determined the functional connectivity for the land snail; however, local selective pressures led to different phenotypes in shell shape that allowed us to postulate that each one of the previously defined genetic groups must be considered as a different ESU.
Preventing diabetes in south Asians

Too little action and too late The south Asian diaspora in the United Kingdom comprises Indians (predominantly Gujaratis and Punjabis), Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis. A dramatic increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in south Asians is observed in many parts of the world including the United Kingdom.1 While marked cultural and social differences arise within this racial group, south Asians have the unenviable distinction of achieving the highest death rates of coronary heart disease in the United Kingdom,2 with Bangladeshis being particularly disadvantaged.3 Much of this excess risk may be attributed to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes (four times that of Europeans), which develops about 10 years earlier than in Europeans,4 and renal and cardiac complications are encountered more commonly.5 Although genetic factors are important, the increased incidence of type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with increasing central (intra-abdominal) obesity and hyperinsulinaemia.6 South Asians seem to be more insulin resistant, even at an early age.7 The relation between obesity and insulin resistance may occur at lower levels of …
Analogue Electronic Circuit Fault Diagnosis Based on Hierarchical Support Vector Machine and Dempster-Shafer Theory

A fault diagnosis method for analog circuits based on hierarchical support vector machine (HSVM) and Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory is developed in this paper. Firstly, output voltage signals from the test nodes are obtained from analog circuits test points and the fault feature vectors are extracted from Haar wavelet transform coefficients. Then, after training the HSVM by faulty feature vectors, the HSVM model of the circuit fault diagnosis system is built. Finally, combing D-S theory with probabilistic interpretation of SVM scores estimate confidences over the prediction, which improves diagnosis results. Simulation results of diagnosing a four op-amp biquad high-pass filter circuit have confirmed the validity of the proposed technique.
The Itasca Bison Kill Site: An Ecological Analysis. C. Thomas Shay. Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota, 1971. ix + 122 pp., 38 figs., 36 tables, 36 plates, bibliography. No price given.

ditches, linear borders, and terraces. Although it was not possible to reconstruct how this water and soil control system had worked as a system, the authors were able to define several components of the system and to make some interesting inferences about their functions. (4) Upper Desha Creek sites. Of a cluster of 22 sites located within a half-mile of a small mesa adjacent to the west branch of Upper Desha Creek, 8 sites were excavated. The largest was Upper Desha Pueblo, a site of 27 rooms and a kiva, built around a plaza and located on the edge of the small mesa. The site is roughly square in plan, and is enclosed by a substantial wall on all sides. It was occupied during the latter half of the thirteenth century. Located on a nearby spur of the same mesa is the approximately contemporary and more obviously defensible Cactus Rock Pueblo. A massive masonry wall blocks access to the tip of the spur, where 6 rooms and a kiva are found. Four other rooms are, however, accessibly located outside the wall. The other excavated sites in this cluster range from a small cliff dwelling type site built under a ledge to a field house consisting of a shallow pit structure and associated ramada-covered occupation surface. Several of these sites seem contemporaneous with the 2 larger pueblos; the others are slightly earlier. There also is Cactus Rock Gardens, an agricultural area with numerous stone alignments or linear borders, which probably functioned to inhibit soil erosion by wind and water, as well as to accumulate soil and moisture. Dating evidence is minimal, but the site probably served the occupants of at least some of the nearby structures.
Simulated annealing on uncorrelated energy landscapes

A function f: {0,1,2,r, ,a} n R is said to be uncorrelated if Prob (f(x) < u)= G(u). This paper studies the effectiveness of simulated annealing as a strategy for optimizing uncorrelated functions. A recurrence relation expressing the effectiveness of the algorithm in terms of the function G is derived. Surprising numerical results are obtained, to the effect that for certain parametdzed families of functions {Gc,c R}, where c represents the "steepness" of the curve G'(u), the effectiveness of simulated annealing increases steadily with c These results suggest that on the average annealing is effective whenever most points have very small objective function values, but a few points have very large objective function values.
The Time Course of Routine Action

Previous studies of action selection in routinized tasks have used error rates as their sole dependent measure (e.g. Reason, 1979; Schwartz et al., 1998). Consequently, conclusions about the underlying mechanisms of correct behavior are necessarily indirect. The present experiment examines the performance of normal subjects in the prototypical coffee task (Botvinick & Plaut, 2004) when carried out in a virtual environment on screen. This has the advantage of (a) constraining the possible errors more tightly than a real world environment, and (b) giving access to latencies as an additional, finer grained measure of performance. We report error data and timing of action selection at the crucial branching points for the production of routinized task sequences both with and without a secondary task. Processing branching points leads to increased latencies. The presence of the secondary task has a greater effect on latencies at branching points than at equivalent non-branching points. Furthermore, error data and latencies dissociate, suggesting that the exact timing is a valid and valuable source of information when trying to understand the processes that govern routine tasks. The results of the experiment are discussed in relation to their implication for computational accounts of routine action selection.
Income distribution and life expectancy.

SIR,-Adam Fitzpatrick and Richard Sutton make no mention of monitoring a supply of oxygen and resuscitation facilities as being necessary parts of a "suitable environment" for transvenous pacing. ' In the past few years I have attended three cardiac arrest calls to patients undergoing pacing: in no case was any written record being kept of heart rate, blood pressure, or pulse oximetry readings, and in only one case was oxygen being given. Yet patients with slow heart rates or sick hearts, or both, are likely to have impaired cardiac output and reduced oxygen supply to the tissues. I strongly recommend that oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and blood pressure are recorded every five minutes for all patients undergoing transvenous pacing (this is becoming standard practice in anaesthesia); there should be a low threshold for giving supplemental oxygen; and emergency drugs, suction equipment, and equipment to intubate and ventilate patients should be immediately to hand. Transvenous pacing is an operation; a minor procedure can become a major performance if the suitable environment does not include adequate monitoring and resuscitation facilities.
Documents de Travail du Centre d ’ Economie de la Sorbonne Holdout threats of the union during wage bargaining

We investigate a wage bargaining between the union and the firm where the parties’ preferences are expressed by varying discount rates and the threat of the union is to be on go-slow instead of striking. First, we describe the attitude of the union as hostile or altruistic where a hostile union is on go-slow in every disagreement period and an altruistic union never threatens the firm and holds out in every disagreement period. Then we derive the subgame perfect equilibrium of the bargaining when the union’s attitude is determined exogenously. Furthermore, we determine necessary conditions for the extreme equilibrium payoffs of both parties independently of the union’s attitude and calculate the extreme payoffs for a particular case of discount rates. JEL Classification: J52, C78
Early Life Nutritional Programming of Obesity: Mother-Child Cohort Studies

Background: The obesity epidemic has resulted in more overweight/obese women before and during pregnancy. Their offspring tend to have higher birth weights and more body fat, and carry an increased risk of obesity later in life. These effects may partly be related to the heightened risk of gestational diabetes, occurring in at least 16% of all pregnancies irrespective of current body weight. Methods: An ILSI Europe workshop reviewed the key contributors leading to adverse outcomes in pregnancy and childhood, including gestational weight gain and nutrition. New research opportunities from prospective mother-child cohort studies were explored. Results: Simple measures of gestational weight gain provide insufficient detail of the underlying physiological and metabolic adaptations occurring in pregnancy, and should be complemented by measures of body composition, metabolic and endocrine responses. Recordings of maternal dietary intake and nutrient status are often limited and potential correlations with gestational weight gain have been poorly studied. Many pregnancies in overweight/obese women are uncomplicated and result in offspring of normal weight, leaving the main determinants of later adverse outcomes to be clarified. Conclusions: The workshop provided insights of primary measurements for the characterization of sustainable nutritional intervention strategies in the mother, infant and child for preventing obesity in later life.
Production of CTX-M-3 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and IMP-1 metallo beta-lactamase by five Gram-negative bacilli: survey of clinical isolates from seven laboratories collected in 1998 and 2000, in the Kinki region of Japan.

The aim of this study was to research the distribution in the Kinki region of Japan of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and metallo beta-lactamase (MBL). One thousand isolates, 200 of each of four enterobacterial species (i.e. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia marcescens) and 200 of P. aeruginosa, were collected from seven different laboratories during two 2 month periods, one in 1998 and one in 2000. A double-disc synergy test (DDST) and 2-mercaptopropionic acid inhibition test (2-MPAT) were used to confirm beta-lactamase-producing isolates. The DDST was positive for one isolate of E. coli, five of K. pneumoniae, two of E. cloacae and 14 of S. marcescens. The 2-MPAT was positive for five isolates of S. marcescens and two of P. aeruginosa. We identified the beta-lactamase type of each isolate by molecular confirmatory tests (isoelectric focusing, PCR and DNA sequencing): CTX-M-3 ESBLs (three isolates of K. pneumoniae, two of E. cloacae and 13 of S. marcescens), CTX-M-2 ESBL (one isolate of K. pneumoniae), SHV-12 ESBLs (one isolate of E. coli and one of S. marcescens), CTX-M-3 and SHV-12 combination ESBL (one isolate of K. pneumoniae) and IMP-1 MBLs (five isolates of S. marcescens and two of P. aeruginosa). In conclusion, many species of Gram-negative bacilli that produce CTX-M-3 ESBLs and IMP-1 MBLs were disseminated widely in different hospitals of the Kinki region of Japan. Therefore, monitoring of laboratory bacterial ecology seems important to stop the spread of these strains through nosocomial outbreaks.
Application of laser scanning for the rapid and automated detection of bacteria in water samples

It is widely accepted that the heterotrophic plate count method may not support the growth of all viable bacteria which may be present within a water sample and that alternative procedures using ‘viability markers’ may yield additional information. In this study, ChemChrome B (CB), which is converted to a fluorescent product by esterase activity, was used to stain viable bacteria (captured by membrane filtration) from potable water samples. The labelled bacteria from each sample were subsequently enumerated using a novel laser scanning instrument (ChemScan). Analysis of 107 potable water samples using this procedure demonstrated the presence of a significantly greater number of bacteria than were detected by culture (z‐test, P < 0·05). The mean number of bacteria isolated by culture on R2A agar incubated at 22 °C for 7 d was only 25·2% of the total number of viable bacteria detected using the CB/ChemScan viability assay. Further analysis of 81 water samples using a 5‐cyano‐2,3,4‐tolyl‐tetrazolium chloride (CTC) viability assay also demonstrated the presence of many viable bacteria which were not capable of growth under the culture conditions employed in this study. However, the results indicate that ChemChrome B has the ability to stain a significantly greater number of heterotrophs than CTC (z‐test, P < 0·05). In contrast, six potable waters were identified in which the CTC viability assay resulted in counts greater than those obtained using CB. The ChemScan instrument was successfully used for rapid and accurate enumeration of labelled micro‐organisms, allowing information on the total viable microbial load of a water sample to be determined within 1 h. Furthermore, the ChemScan system has the potential for use in detecting specific organisms labelled with fluorescently‐labelled antibodies or nucleic acid probes.
West Saqqara: Excavations, 2001

The Polish-Egyptian archaeological mission pursued its activities at Saqqara from October 7 until November 22, 2001. 1 ) Ongoing conservation of relief and paintings inside the funerary chapel of vizier Meref-nebef, discovered in 1997 west of the Djoser pyramid, was the main focus. of the present campaign. Restorers also worked on finds from previous campaigns, e.g., the wooden harpoon discovered in 2000. Following a request from Egyptian colleagues, they also undertook the conservation of stone and ceramic vessels from the newly discovered tomb of Qar near the Wenis pyramid. Specialists continued the recording and study of the various groups of objects found during previous campaigns, including two of the largest: pottery, and anthropological remains (mummies and skeletons). The excavation program was limited to two areas: 1) the trench extending westwards from the tomb of Meref-nebef and the immediate neighborhood of the vizier's mastaba to the north and south, and 2) the area located between the enclosure wall of the step pyramid and the mud brick mastaba of Peh-en-Ptah excavated in 1999.
Thermal damage of the genitofemoral nerve due to radiofrequency ablation of renal cell carcinoma: a potentially avoidable complication.

OBJECTIVE A technique is presented that may prevent damage to the genitofemoral nerve during percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of renal cell carcinomas. The genitofemoral nerve originates from the upper part of the lumbar plexus and descends laterally along the psoas major muscle, which is anatomically close to the kidney. During radiofrequency ablation, nearby healthy nerve tissue could be damaged by heat conductance. In the described technique, the radiofrequency applicator within the renal tumor is used as a lever to displace the kidney away from the psoas muscle. CONCLUSION Three clinical cases are presented in this study. In one case, the technique was not applied, leading to coagulation of the genitofemoral nerve. In the other two cases, hazard to the genitofemoral nerve was averted by using the mentioned technique.