Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bilateral Symmetric and Asymmetric Superior Rectus Recession for Patients with Dissociated Vertical Deviation

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of bilateral symmetric and asymmetric superior rectus (SR) recessions in patients with bilateral dissociated vertical deviation (DVD) without oblique dysfunction and determine factors that might influence the surgical outcome. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: All patients who underwent bilateral SR recession for bilateral DVD from January 2012 to December 2016 at an eye hospital in New Delhi, India were included. Indication for surgery was decompensated DVD in 1 or both eyes. Symmetric SR recession was performed for symmetric DVD and asymmetric SR recession was performed for asymmetric DVD of 10 prism diopters (PD) or more. Patients with a minimum follow‐up of 6 months were included. Success was defined as absence of manifest DVD in both eyes at the final postoperative visit. Results: Medical records of 27 patients were analyzed. Their median age at surgery was 8 years [interquartile range (IQR), 6‐10 years] and mean follow‐up was 16.3 months (range, 6‐48 months). Symmetric and asymmetric surgeries were performed in 19 and 8 patients, respectively. The amount of SR recession performed ranged from 5 to 10 mm. The median DVD reduced from 9 PD (IQR, 6‐14 PD) to 5 PD (IQR, 3‐8 PD) in the right eye (P = 0.015) and 9 PD (IQR, 7‐12 PD) to 6 PD (IQR, 3‐10 PD) in the left eye (P = 0.016) after surgery. Successful outcome was seen in 63% of patients. There was no difference in successful outcome with respect to age, sex, preoperative horizontal deviation, preoperative vertical deviation, postoperative residual horizontal deviation, surgical technique, asymmetry of SR recession, and magnitude of preoperative DVD. Patients with a preference for fixation were more likely to have a successful outcome. Conclusions: Bilateral SR recession resulted in a success rate of 63% after single operation for bilateral DVD without oblique dysfunction. We found that the probability of a successful outcome did not depend on age at surgery, sex, preoperative horizontal or vertical deviation, magnitude of preoperative DVD, symmetry of SR recession, or surgical technique.
Effects of ethnicity on glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and beta cell function in 223 women with an abnormal glucose challenge test during pregnancy

Summary: This study was conducted to investigate body‐mass‐index (BMI), insulin resistance and beta cell function in a group of pregnant women. Two hundred and twenty‐three consecutive women with an abnormal 50 g glucose challenge test in the third trimester were studied. All underwent oral glucose tolerance testing; 97 had a 100 g test and 126 a 75 g test. Fasting insulin was measured. Insulin resistance and beta cell function were calculated using the homeostasis model.
An empirical examination of the value relevance of intellectual capital using the Ohlson (1995) valuation model

The debate on the determinants of firm value is ongoing; and the increasing gap in the book‐to‐market ratio (Lev & Sougiannis 1999) has yet to be explained in the financial literature. This article contributes to the debate by examining whether intellectual capital measured using the value added intellectual coefficient (VAICTM) (Pulic 1998) contributes to the explanation of the book‐to‐market ratio. This study used Ohlson’s 1995 valuation model and JSE Securities Exchange (SA) (JSE) data in an attempt to identify whether the book value of assets, accounting (accrual) earnings and VAICTM explain the behaviour of South African share prices. The panel data least squares model results indicate a significant relationship between share prices three months after year end, and abnormal earnings, abnormal cash dividends, book value of assets, the capital employed coefficient, and the human capital coefficient.
Export-Led Growth In South Africa: Evidence From The Components Of Exports

The main objective for this paper is to test the export-led growth hypothesis by analyzing the causal relationships between the components of exports and real gross domestic product for South Africa for the quarterly period 1960:1 to 2008:3. Total exports are decomposed into merchandise exports, net gold exports, export of services and income receipts. The study also uses a modified version of the Granger causality test developed by Toda and Yamamoto (1995), which is an innovative and more efficient econometric methodology compared to traditional Granger causality tests, to test for the causal relationship between the variables. This study does find long-run relationships between the components of real exports and real gross domestic product. Causality tests find evidence of export-led growth only in the case of merchandise exports. For income receipts and service exports there was reverse causality. There was no evidence of causality in either direction in the case of net gold exports.
An innovative vending machine-based HIV testing and intervention service in China: anonymous urine collection kits distributed at universities

ABSTRACT To find more effective test and intervention measures, and to achieve the first 90 of the 90–90–90 target, this study was conducted for the first time to develop and assess an innovative HIV anonymous urine test service-based vending machine and Internet at universities of China. From June to December 2016, 11 vending machines were placed in 7 pilot universities in Beijing, Sichuan, Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces. A total of 957 HIV urine collection kits were dispensed free and also through vending machines and 378 (39.5%) urine samples were returned and 376 (99.5%) of them were qualified to be tested for HIV antibody in professional laboratories. Participants searched for confidential test results using an ID code online. Only seven (1.86%) urine samples were positive. Monitoring data showed 67.8% (255/376) participants searched for test results online, 72.2% of kits were purchased in dormitory buildings and 27.8% were purchased in teaching buildings and 88.9% were purchased between 21:00 and 24:00. In conclusion, this study analyzes the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of HIV testing and intervention service.
Success Expectancy: A Mediator of the Effects of Source Similarity and Self-Efficacy on Health Behavior Intention

ABSTRACT Although many health communication studies have substantiated the role of self-efficacy as one of the most proximal determinants of behavioral intention, a recent body of research has also shown that high self-efficacy does not always translate into intention to perform a recommended health behavior. Recognizing the common ground among three independent lines of research on outcome expectancy, goal attainability, and expectation of success, the present study proposed success expectancy, or perceived likelihood of goal achievement, as a mediator between self-efficacy and health behavior intention, which may explain the inconsistent findings on self-efficacy. An online experiment (N = 336), in which similarity of the source in health messages was manipulated, demonstrated that success expectancy indeed mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and behavioral intention. Success expectancy also mediated the effects of source similarity on behavioral intention, while neither task nor coping self-efficacy showed such effects. These results suggest that health promotion messages focusing specifically on increasing perceptions of success expectancy may be more effective in inducing health behaviors than messages that promote self-efficacy, particularly in health contexts, in which people with high self-efficacy do not tend to successfully enact recommended health behaviors.
Deinstitutionalization and mortality: findings of a controlled research design in New Jersey.

In previous studies of the mortality of deinstitutionalized persons with disabilities in California and Pennsylvania, investigators failed to employ a prospective controlled research design. We identified a sample of 150 "movers" scheduled for placement from an institution and a matched sample of 150 institutional "stayers. " The matching and other risk variables were measured in 1994. Visits to all residences occurred between 1997 and mid-2000 at specified intervals after movers left the institution. Logistic regression analyses identified the 1994 preclosure risk variables of age, low self-care, medical conditions, and epilepsy/seizure disorders as the best ones for explaining all deaths. Adding mover/stayer status and community/institutional placement to the analyses did not enhance the model. Nursing home placements emerged as a postclosure risk variable.
Loop formation of microtubules during gliding at high density

The microtubule cytoskeleton, including the associated proteins, forms a complex network essential to multiple cellular processes. Microtubule-associated motor proteins, such as kinesin-1, travel on microtubules to transport membrane bound vesicles across the crowded cell. Other motors, such as cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin-5, are used to organize the cytoskeleton during mitosis. In order to understand the self-organization processes of motors on microtubules, we performed filament-gliding assays with kinesin-1 motors bound to the cover glass with a high density of microtubules on the surface. To observe microtubule organization, 3% of the microtubules were fluorescently labeled to serve as tracers. We find that microtubules in these assays are not confined to two dimensions and can cross one other. This causes microtubules to align locally with a relatively short correlation length. At high density, this local alignment is enough to create ‘intersections’ of perpendicularly oriented groups of microtubules. These intersections create vortices that cause microtubules to form loops. We characterize the radius of curvature and time duration of the loops. These different behaviors give insight into how crowded conditions, such as those in the cell, might affect motor behavior and cytoskeleton organization.
Effects of carotenoids from lucerne, marigold and tomato on egg yolk pigmentation and carotenoid composition

1. The effects of various sources of natural carotenoids (Px alfalfa concentrate, tomato powder and marigold extract) as feed additives in quail diets on egg yolk pigmentation and carotenoid composition were investigated. 2. Adult Japanese quail were fed one of 5 different diets for 23 d: three diets each contained Px alfalfa concentrate (PX) or tomato powder (TP) or marigold extract (MG), one diet contained marigold extract and tomato powder (MG + TP) and a control diet (wheat/barley based) was low in carotenoid. All products were added at a rate of 2%, apart from marigold extract which was added at a rate of 0·2%. 3. Visual assessment of yolk colour (Roche colour fan) showed a stabilised yolk colour of 1·6, 7·7, 8·5, 8·8 and 10·6 for the control, PX, TP, MG and MG + TP treatments, respectively. 4. The total carotenoid concentration of the egg yolks were 2·2, 22·4, 4·1, 39·0 and 37·7 µg/g for the experimental groups fed the following diets: control, PX, TP, MG and MG + TP, respectively. Deposition of retinol, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in the egg yolk was unaffected by treatments. 5. Lutein was shown to be the major carotenoid in the egg yolk, comprising 1·65, 17·97, 2·03, 31·14 and 28·57 µg/g in control, PX, TP, MG and MG + TP, respectively. Inclusion of TP in the quail diet resulted in lycopene transfer to the egg. 6. It was concluded that, in comparison with the control group, there was an increase in the yolk concentrations of lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene and β-carotene in eggs produced by female quail fed diets supplemented with natural carotenoids.
Trueness assessment of HbA1c routine assays: are processed EQA materials up to the job?

Abstract Background With the worldwide increase of diabetes mellitus prevalence, ensuring that HbA1c assays are accurate is essential. External quality assessment (EQA) programs enable laboratories to verify that analytical methods perform according to the manufacturers’ specifications. However, assessing trueness requires commutable materials, a property that is rarely characterized for EQA materials. Methods The difference in bias approach was used to assess commutability of 26 processed quality control materials for 17 of the most frequently used HbA1c assays. Involved assays included immuno-assays, enzymatic assays, affinity, ion-exchange HPLC boronate affinity HPLC and capillary electrophoresis. The measurements were performed at manufacturers or expert laboratories. Assay trueness was additionally assessed against the IFCC reference measurement procedure using fresh clinical specimens that were distributed to 450 medical laboratories. Results Commutability of processed EQA materials was highly heterogeneous and globally insufficient to rigorously assess the trueness of HbA1c assays. Using fresh clinical specimens, mean bias was −0.13 mmol/mol for low HbA1c (34 mmol/mol), between +1.0 and +1.3 mmol/mol for intermediate HbA1c (49 and 58 mmol/mol) and +1.2 mmol/mol for elevated HbA1c (90 mmol/mol). Conclusions This study demonstrates that due to insufficient commutability, most processed EQA materials are unsuitable to assess trueness of HbA1c assays and agreement between the different assays. These materials can only provide information on comparability of individual laboratory results with its peers and on assay precision. Using fresh whole blood samples, this study additionally shows that most HbA1c assays are fairly accurate and meet the total allowable error quality target of 5 mmol/mol.
miR-940 potentially promotes proliferation and metastasis of endometrial carcinoma through regulation of MRVI1

The specific functions and clinical significance of miR-940 in endometrial carcinoma (EC) have not been studied. First, we assessed the expression of miR-940 and MRVI1 in EC tissues collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and EC cell lines. miR-940 was significantly overexpressed in EC tissues and cell lines, particularly in RL95-2 cells. Correlation analysis showed that miR-940 expression level was remarkably associated with age, grade, and death. Moreover, the overall survival (OS) rate in the miR-940 low expression group was higher, compared with miR-940 high expression group. Univariate and multivariate models demonstrated that miR-940 expression, stage, and age were predictive indicators of OS. Moreover, there was no significance of the proliferation ability among the three EC cell lines (RL95-2, ISK, and KLE). To reveal the biological roles of miR-940, we respectively transfected RL95-2 cells with miR-940 mimics, miR-940 inhibitors, and control to further investigate the cell proliferation ability, and migration as well as invasion potential of RL95-2 cells. The transfection of miR-940 mimics significantly increased the proliferation and migration/invasion ability of RL95-2 cells. MRVI1 was predicted to be a potential target of miR-940 by means of in silico analysis followed by validation using luciferase reporter assays. MRVI1 was correlated with good prognosis. Moreover, forced expression of MRVI1 in miR-940 mimic transfected cells abolished the facilitation of miR-940 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of RL95-2 and KLE cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that miR-940 might function as a reliable diagnostic and prognostic signature in EC.
Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate in College Students With ADHD

Objective: To evaluate stimulant medication on symptoms and functioning for college students with ADHD using double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Method: Participants included 24 college students with ADHD and 26 college students without psychopathology. Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) was examined for ADHD participants over five weekly phases (no-drug baseline, placebo, 30-, 50-, and 70-mg LDX per day). Self-report rating scales of functioning and direct assessment of ADHD symptoms, verbal learning/memory, and adverse side effects were collected (baseline only for control students). Results: LDX was associated with large reductions in ADHD symptoms and improvement in executive functioning along with smaller effects for psychosocial functioning. Reduction in ADHD symptoms was found for 86.4% of participants; however, large differences in symptoms and executive functioning remained relative to controls. Conclusion: LDX is a safe, efficacious treatment for symptom relief in college students with ADHD. Research documenting medication effects on academic functioning and evaluating psychosocial/educational interventions is needed.
Customer Satisfaction and Behavioural Intentions in a Rural Community Museum Environment

Abstract This paper examines a cornerstone concept of mainstream marketing theory relating to the importance of customer satisfaction as an influence on future behavioural intentions. The underlying premise is that visitors to a tourist attraction whose expectations are met or exceeded will be satisfied with their experience, and that the degree of perceived satisfaction will positively correlate with their stated intention to repeat purchase and to recommend the experience to others. This paper reports an exploratory project to test the above proposition within a tourism industry context, specifically with reference to the museum sector. The study measures visitor satisfaction levels and future intentions to revisit or recommend the Matakohe Kauri museum in Northland, New Zealand-a rurally isolated tourist attraction which is heavily dependent on referrals to support its continued existence. Research was undertaken by means of a two part structured interview technique, conducted on site with 141 respondents on six separate days in September and October 1996. Visitor expectations were established by questioning prior to entry, whilst a subsequent exit interview captured respondents' perceived degree of satisfaction with their visit. The second interview included a measure of stated intention to return and to recommend the museum to others. Provisional indications are that perceived levels of satisfaction have little bearing on the visitor's stated intention to return to the attraction; however, a significant relationship exists between perceived satisfaction and intention to recommend to others. The results of this research will prove valuable as a foundation for a recommended programme of further research to more rigorously assess the performance of customer satisfaction theory within a rural folk museum environment.
Association of Self-reported Impulsivity to Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Suicidality, and Mortality in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract This study examines the association of self-reported impulsivity to nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicides in a clinical sample of 508 Finnish adolescents (aged 12–17) treated in psychiatric inpatient care between April 2001 and March 2006. The Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime interview was used to gather information on psychiatric disorders, impulsivity, and suicidality of the adolescents. Mortality data were obtained from the national cause of death register. In adolescent girls, impulsivity was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and attempts and completed suicides in adolescent boys. Of adolescent boys with impulsivity, 10.4% had died by suicide during the follow-up time. For preventive purposes, health care professionals are encouraged asked adolescents targeted questions about impulsivity and to consider the associated risk of suicidality identified in this study.
TRUST IN GOVERNMENT: The Relative Importance of Service Satisfaction, Political Factors, and Demography

This paper focuses on trust in government, meaning the parliament, the cabinet, the civil service, local councils, political parties, and politicians. Trust is measured in terms of specific support--as indicated by people's satisfaction with specific public services--and contrasted with more general support, determined by political culture and demographic factors. The data used in this analysis are taken from a general mass survey of Norwegian citizens conducted in 2001. The main findings are, first, that people's trust in government is of a general character: A high level of trust in one institution tends to extend to other institutions. Second, political-cultural variables have the strongest overall effect on variations in people's trust in government. Here, the single most important factor is general satisfaction with democracy. Third, citizens who are satisfied with specific public services generally have a higher level of trust in public institutions than citizens who are dissatisfied. Finally, trust in government is also influenced by demographic factors, such as age, education, and occupation.
Preservation of residual renal function and factors affecting its decline in patients on peritoneal dialysis

SUMMARY: The decline of residual renal function (RRF) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients was analysed and assessed, and risk factors affecting its decline were identified. Residual glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated from averaging the urea and creatinine clearance by 24‐h urine collection, and peritoneal solute removal was evaluated by creatinine clearance calculated from 24‐h effluent collection. Both GFR and peritoneal solute removal were chronologically examined in 34 PD patients from the time of initiation, and risk factors associated with rapid GFR decline were investigated. The RRF contributed to 43.1 ± 17.6% of total (peritoneal and renal) weekly creatinine clearance at 1 month after initiation of PD. Residual GFR, however, declined continuously with time (−0.19 ± 0.14 mL/min per month), and the reduction rate was high with a higher GFR, higher normalized dietary protein intake, higher urine volume and higher urine protein excretion at the initiation of PD. Other factors related to the rapid decline of GFR were: being older than 60 years of age, automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) rather than continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, mean blood pressure higher than 110 mmHg, and serum human atrial natriuretic peptide level higher being than 60 pg/dL. These data suggest that while RRF plays an important role in the removal of uraemic solute in PD patients, they show a significant decrease over 2 years. The factors related to the rapid decline of GFR corresponded to older age, modality of PD (APD), higher GFR and higher amount of urine protein at initiation, higher dietary protein intake, and inadequate control of hypertension and body fluid volume.
Joint production and maintenance planning with machine deterioration and random yield

Production, yield and maintenance are three key components for sustaining the competitiveness of a manufacturing firm. In this paper, we investigate a joint production and maintenance planning problem in a periodic review environment subject to stochastic demand and random yields. The manufacturing system deteriorates from period to period according to a discrete-time Markov chain. The objective is to find an integrated lot sizing and maintenance policy for the system such that the aggregate cost associated with production, holding, backlogging and maintenance is minimised. We formulate this integrated planning problem as a Markov decision process and analyse the structural properties of the optimal policies. We prove that the optimal production and the maintenance policies both exhibit a control limit structure and show that the solution to the finite-horizon problems converges to that of the infinite-horizon problem.