Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No impact from active dissemination of the Ottawa Ankle Rules: further evidence of the need for local implementation of practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND Local implementation strategies are often required to promote consistent adherence to clinical guidelines, but they are time consuming and expensive. The authors tested an educational intervention designed to increase use of the Ottawa Ankle Rules, a widely publicized set of clinical guidelines previously shown to reduce the use of radiography for diagnosis of acute ankle injuries. METHODS The study consisted of a quasi-experimental, before-and-after comparative analysis. Trained experts provided 1-hour educational sessions and supplied resource materials on the Ottawa Ankle Rules to health care professionals from 63 Ontario hospitals. Participants were asked to evaluate the intervention. The authors then compared, for periods before and after the educational sessions, the use of ankle radiography for adults with acute ankle injury in 10 hospitals that received the educational intervention and reported no (n = 5) or some (n = 5) prior use of the rules and in 5 control hospitals, which declined the educational intervention because they were already implementing the rules. RESULTS Although participants gave highly positive appraisals of the Ottawa Ankle Rules and the educational sessions, there was no reduction in the use of ankle radiography for the 10 hospitals that received the educational sessions (73% before and 78% after the intervention, p = 0.11). In contrast, use of radiography decreased significantly, from 75% to 65%, in the 5 control hospitals (p = 0.022). INTERPRETATION Even when a dissemination strategy is well received and involves a widely accepted clinical guideline, the impact on behaviour in clinical practice may be small. In addition to broad dissemination, an active local implementation strategy is necessary to encourage physicians to adopt clinical guidelines.
Investigation of Sub-Band Discriminative Information Between Spoofed and Genuine Speech

A speaker verification system should include effective precautions against malicious spoofing attacks, and although some initial countermeasures have been recently proposed, this remains a challenging research problem. This paper investigates discrimination between spoofed and genuine speech, as a function of frequency bands, across the speech bandwidth. Findings from our investigation inform some proposed filter bank design approaches for discrimination of spoofed speech. Experiments are conducted on the Spoofing and Anti-Spoofing (SAS) corpus using the proposed frequency-selective approach demonstrates an 11% relative improvement in terms of equal error rate compared with a conventional mel filter bank.
Models agree on forced response pattern of precipitation and temperature extremes

Model projections of heavy precipitation and temperature extremes include large uncertainties. We demonstrate that the disagreement between individual simulations primarily arises from internal variability, whereas models agree remarkably well on the forced signal, the change in the absence of internal variability. Agreement is high on the spatial pattern of the forced heavy precipitation response showing an intensification over most land regions, in particular Eurasia and North America. The forced response of heavy precipitation is even more robust than that of annual mean precipitation. Likewise, models agree on the forced response pattern of hot extremes showing the greatest intensification over midlatitudinal land regions. Thus, confidence in the forced changes of temperature and precipitation extremes in response to a certain warming is high. Although in reality internal variability will be superimposed on that pattern, it is the forced response that determines the changes in temperature and precipitation extremes in a risk perspective.
Mood change following left hemispheric brain injury

Eighteen patients with left hemispheric strokes were compared to 11 patients with traumatic brain injury for frequency and severity of depression, using several mood scales. More than 60% of the stroke patients had clinically significant depressions as compared with about 20% of the trauma patients, even though the two groups had comprable impairments in their activities of daily living and global cognitive functions. Analyses of brain CT scans revealed that the two groups had similar‐sized lesions, but the areas of ischemic injury were more anterior than the traumatic lesion. When the results were controlled for lesion location, there were no significant differences in mood between the two groups. The severity of depression was directly correlated with the closeness of the lesion to the frontal pole. These results suggest that depression following left hemispheric brain injury may not be a nonspecific neurological or psychological response, but rather may be a symptom of injury to specific pathways, such as the catecholamine‐containing ones, as they pass through the frontal cortex.
Adsorption of Pb(II) onto Modified Rice Bran

In this study, the modified rice bran was tested to remove Pb(II) from water. Batch experiments were carried out to evaluate the adsorption characteristics of the modified rice bran for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. The adsorption isotherms, thermodynamic parameters, kinetics, pH effect, and desorbability were examined. The results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of the modified rice bran was approximately 70.8 mg Pb(II)/g absorbent at temperature of 25℃ and at the initial Pb(II) concentration of 400 mg/L and pH 7.0. And the adsorption isotherm data could be well fitted by both Langmuir equation and Freundlich equation. Thermodynamic studies confirmed that the process was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorbed amounts of Pb(II) tend to increase with the increase of pH. The adsorption kinetic data can be satisfactorily described by either of the power functions and simple Elovich equations. The desorbability of Pb(II) is about 15-20%, and it is relatively difficult for the adsorbed Pb(II) to be desorbed. The relatively low cost and high capabilities of the rice bran make it potentially attractive adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from wastewater.
Can remote Internet voting increase turnout?

In an effort to increase turnout at elections the UK government has been piloting electronic voting. At the 2002 local elections five councils tested remote Internet voting for the first time. Swindon Borough Council conducted the largest pilot, offering remote Internet voting to all voters. Almost 15,000 voters were surveyed as to their motivation for choosing their voting method. Turnout did increase by 3.5 per cent but it is impossible to state conclusively that this was due to the availability of the Internet voting option, since most Internet voters were already regular voters. Future pilots should allow a more conclusive assessment of the impact on turnout of remote Internet voting.
Gamma-Terpinene Modulates Acute Inflammatory Response in Mice

Abstract The monoterpene gamma-terpinene is a natural compound present in essential oils of a wide variety of plants, including the Eucalyptus genus, which has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of gamma-terpinene on several in vivo experimental models of acute inflammation. Swiss mice were pretreated with gamma-terpinene and subjected to protocols of paw edema with different phlogistic agents such as carrageenan, prostaglandin-E2, histamine, or bradykinin. The microvascular permeability was measured by intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid and measuring the amount of protein extravasation. Carrageenan-induced peritonitis was used to analyze the effect of gamma-terpinene on inflammatory cell migration and cytokine production. We also developed an acute lung injury protocol to define the anti-inflammatory effect of gamma-terpinene. Mice pretreated with gamma-terpinene displayed reduced paw edema induced by carrageenan from 1–24 h after challenge. A similar reduction was observed when gamma-terpinene was administered after stimulation with PGE2, bradykinin, and histamine. Treatment with gamma-terpinene also inhibited fluid extravasation in the acetic acid model of microvascular permeability. In a carrageenan-induced peritonitis model, gamma-terpinene treatment reduced neutrophil migration as well as the production of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α when compared to nontreated animals, and in the acute lung injury protocol, gamma-terpinene diminished the neutrophil migration into lung tissue independently of the total protein extravasation in the lung. These data demonstrate that, in different models of inflammation, treatment with gamma-terpinene alleviated inflammatory parameters such as edema and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, as well as cell migration into the inflamed site, and that this monoterpene has anti-inflammatory properties.
Geographic and ecological distribution of the dengue and chikungunya virus vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in three major Cameroonian towns

Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) was first reported in Central Africa in 2000, together with the indigenous mosquito species Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Because Ae. albopictus can also transmit arboviruses, its introduction is a public health concern. We undertook a comparative study in three Cameroonian towns (Sahelian domain: Garoua; equatorial domain: Douala and Yaoundé) in order to document infestation by the two species and their ecological preferences. High and variable levels of pre‐imaginal Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus infestation were detected. Only Ae. aegypti was encountered in Garoua, whereas both species were found in Douala and Yaoundé, albeit with significant differences in their relative prevalence. Peridomestic water containers were the most strongly colonized and productive larval habitats for both species. No major differences in types of larval habitat were found, but Ae. albopictus preferentially bred in containers containing plant debris or surrounded by vegetation, whereas Ae. aegypti tended to breed in containers located in environments with a high density of buildings. These findings may have important implications for vector control strategies.
Highway Networks for Visual Question Answering

We propose a version of highway network designed for the task of Visual Question Answering. We take inspiration from recent success of Residual Layer Network and Highway Network in learning deep representation of images and fine grained localization of objects. We propose variation in gating mechanism to allow incorporation of word embedding in the information highway. The gate parameters are influenced by the words in the question, which steers the network towards localized feature learning. This achieves the same effect as soft attention via recurrence but allows for faster training using optimized feed-forward techniques. We are able to obtain state-of-the-art1 results on VQA dataset for Open Ended and Multiple Choice tasks with current model.
Consumer Preference Formation and Pioneering Advantage

Market pioneers outsell later entrants in both consumer and industrial markets. Entry barriers arising from preemptive positioning and switching costs have been advanced to explain this market share difference, termed “pioneering advantage. ” However, empirical studies show that pioneering advantages are present even in mature markets in which brands reposition and switching costs are minimal. In these cases, the authors argue that pioneering advantage can arise from the process by which consumers learn about brands and form their preferences. This process can produce a preference structure that favors the pioneer, making it difficult for later entrants to “compete away” the pioneer's large market share, even if brands can reposition and switching costs are minimal.
Embracing changes: adaptation by adolescents with cancer.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to use the Roy Adaptation Model (RAM) to examine adaptive strategies of adolescents with cancer. METHOD This theory-based, descriptive study was conducted through a children's hematology/oncology clinic. Investigator-designed open-ended interview questions were generated based on the four adaptive modes--physiological, self-concept, role function, and interdependence. Respondents included adolescents and young adults who had experienced cancer as adolescents. FINDINGS Adolescents and young adults reported evidences of positive adaptation. Experiences congruent with the adaptive modes included responding to uncontrolled nausea, embracing changes, wanting to feel normal, having the support and protection of family, and feeling increased psychosocial maturation. CONCLUSIONS Respondents reported creatively managing bodily changes, keeping positive attitudes, and demonstrating psychosocial maturation. Practice implications highlight the imperative for nurses to listen to patients in the evaluation of care. In addition, establishing survivor clinics, structuring peer support, and encouraging involvement in activities such as cancer camps can facilitate adaptation. Through the crisis of cancer, the adolescent's voice can shape the direction for nursing care.
Adaptive Dynamic Surface Control for Stabilization of Parametric Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems With Unknown Time Delays

The robust stabilization method via the dynamic surface control (DSC) is proposed for uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown time delays in parametric strict-feedback form. That is, the DSC technique is extended to state time delay nonlinear systems with linear parametric uncertainties. The proposed control system can overcome not only the problem of ldquoexplosion of complexityrdquo inherent in the backstepping design method but also the uncertainties of the unknown time delays by choosing appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals. In addition, we prove that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semiglobally uniformly bounded. Finally, an example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system.
Analysts and Taxes

This paper investigates how analysts use earnings generated by changes in the effective tax rate (i.e., the tax change component of earnings) in forecasting annual earnings. We examine whether analysts incorporate this tax-based information into their annual earnings forecasts to a different degree than they do other earnings information, whether information about pretax income or effective tax rates affect how analysts incorporate the implications of tax-based information into their annual earnings forecasts, and the extent to which differences in information processing costs affect analysts’ reactions. We find that the persistence of the tax change component embedded in analysts’ forecasts is systematically lower than that implied by a time-series model. This underreaction represents analysts’ failure to fully impound the difference between permanent and transitory effective tax rate changes. We then find that analysts underreact to the tax change component to a greater extent than other earnings components and reducing information processing costs attenuates analysts’ underreaction to the tax change component. This research answers the call from Graham, Raedy, and Shackelford (2012) for more research on users of taxbased information in the financial statements. We thank Jeff Abarbanell, Steve Lim, Ed Maydew, Lil Mills, Jared Moore, Jana Raedy, Doug Shackelford, and Ryan Wilson, as well as workshop participants at Oregon State University, North Carolina State University, the 2014 AAA Annual Meeting, and the 2014 ATA Midyear Meeting, participants at the University of North Carolina Tax Doctoral Seminar, and the Arizona State Tax Readings Group for their helpful comments and suggestions. Special thanks to Dave Weber as our discussant at the 2014 ATA Midyear Meeting and Zhenhua Chen as our discussant at the 2014 AAA Annual Meeting.
Pharmacokinetics of Nelfinavir and Efavirenz in Antiretroviral-Naïve, Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Subjects when Administered Alone or in Combination with Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Pharmacokinetic studies were conducted with human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving efavirenz, nelfinavir, or both agents at weeks 4 and 32. Reductions of 25% and 45% were observed in the mean nelfinavir area under the concentration-time curve and minimum concentration of the drug in serum, and there was a 31% more rapid half-life for patients receiving both drugs compared to patients receiving nelfinavir alone. There were no significant differences in efavirenz pharmacokinetics.
Update in intensive care medicine: acute liver failure. Initial management, supportive treatment and who to transplant

Purpose of reviewAcute liver failure (ALF) is associated with significant mortality. Although specific therapies may be available, the evidence base for these and for many aspects of supportive therapy has been slow to emerge. Liver transplantation continues to be a cornerstone of treatment, and the management of ALF, therefore, remains the domain of the specialist ICU. The purpose of this review is to identify and critically appraise the recent evidence and to inspire those who strive to provide excellent care for a difficult patient cohort. Recent findingsEffective vaccination programmes have reduced the incidence of viral hepatitis in Europe and the USA. Spontaneous survival has improved in causes such as acetaminophen toxicity. Early recognition and proactive intensive management have reduced the incidence of early neurological death. The use of artificial liver assist devices and therapeutic plasma exchange is controversial, yet intriguing, with some early evidence of efficacy. SummaryIncreasingly sophisticated prognostication tools are evolving, which have the potential to transform clinical decision-making. A review of the indications for transplantation in acetaminophen toxicity is overdue. The use of therapeutic plasma exchange and extracorporeal liver support in ALF requires further investigation.
[Correlations of CpG island methylator phenotype and OPCML gene methylation to carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) is cancer-specific and involves in the promoter hypermethylation of multiple genes. It is correlated to the genesis or prognosis of various tumors, but it has rarely been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). OPCML (opioid-binding protein/cell adhesion molecule-like) gene has been studied mainly in epithelial ovarian cancer, and is thought to be a candidate tumor suppressor gene in epithelial ovarian cancer. This study was to explore the correlations of CIMP and OPCML gene expression to the carcinogenesis of HCC. METHODS The methylation status of OPCML, p15, SOCS-1, GST-p, RAR-b, p16, p73, p14, MGMT, hMLH1 in 50 specimens of HCC and pericancer tissues was detected using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). RESULTS The hypermethylation rates of genes were higher in HCC than in pericancer tissues [OPCML (70.0% vs. 64.6%), p15 (58.0% vs. 50.0%), SOCS-1 (78.0% vs. 50.0%), GST-p (56.0% vs. 27.1%), RAR-b (30.0% vs. 6.3%), p16 (26.0% vs. 14.6%), p73 (16.0% vs. 0%), p14 (36.0 vs. 27.1%), MGMT (16.0% vs. 10.4%), and hMLH1 (18.0% vs. 4.2%)]. The methylation rates of SOCS-1, GST-p, RAR-b, p16 and p73 were significantly higher in HCC than in adjacent non-neoplastic tissues (P<0.05). The recurrence occurred earlier in CIMP-positive group (> or =3 methylated genes) than in CIMP-negative group (<3 methylated genes)(P<0.05). The 1-year disease-freely survival rate was significantly lower in CIMP-positive group than in CIMP-negative group (18.2% vs. 75.0%, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS CIMP exists in HCC, and may be a prognostic factor of HCC. Promoter methylation of OPCML gene may play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Investigating Predictors of Listening Comprehension in Third-, Seventh-, and Tenth-Grade Students: A Dominance Analysis Approach

This study rank ordered the contributive importance of several predictors of listening comprehension for third, seventh, and tenth graders. Principal components analyses revealed that a three-factor solution with fluency, reasoning, and working memory components provided the best fit across grade levels. Dominance analyses indicated that fluency and reasoning were the strongest predictors of third-grade listening comprehension. Reasoning emerged as the strongest predictor of seventh- and tenth-grade listening comprehension. These findings suggest a shift in the contributive importance of predictors to listening comprehension across development (i.e., grade levels). The implications of our findings for educators and researchers are discussed.
Extraintestinal manifestations of Edwardsiella tarda infection

Edwardsiella tarda, a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae, is a rare human pathogen. Gastroenteritis is the most frequently reported manifestation of E. tarda infection. In contrast, extraintestinal infection with E. tarda has rarely been reported. This study made a retrospective case and microbiological data review of patients with extraintestinal E. tarda infections to further understand this disease.
Silica, Apoptosis, and Autoimmunity

Abstract Relatively little is known regarding mechanisms of environmental exposures in the development of autoimmune disease. However, several environmental agents are implicated in triggering or accelerating systemic autoimmune disease, including mercury, iodine, vinyl chloride, certain pharmaceuticals, and crystalline silica. There is increasing epidemiological evidence supporting the hypothesis that occupational silica exposure is associated with a variety of systemic autoimmune diseases, including scleroderma (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), glomerulonephritis (GN) and small vessel vasculitis (SVV). However, there have been few mechanistic studies examining silica exposure and autoimmune disease initiation and progression. This review summarizes human epidemiology data linking silica exposure with systemic autoimmune disease, but focuses on possible mechanisms by which silica can lead to the development and progression of autoimmunity.