Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrically Small, Broadside Radiating Huygens Source Antenna Augmented With Internal Non-Foster Elements to Increase Its Bandwidth

A broadside radiating, linearly polarized, electrically small Huygens source antenna system that has a large impedance bandwidth is reported. The bandwidth performance is facilitated by embedding non-Foster components into the near-field resonant parasitic elements of this metamaterial-inspired antenna. High-quality and stable radiation performance characteristics are achieved over the entire operational bandwidth. When the ideal non-Foster components are introduced, the simulated impedance bandwidth witnesses approximately a 17-fold enhancement over the passive case. Within this –10-dB bandwidth, its maximum realized gain, radiation efficiency, and front-to-back ratio (FTBR) are, respectively, 4.00 dB, 88%, and 26.95 dB. When the anticipated actual negative impedance convertor circuits are incorporated, the impedance bandwidth still sustains more than a 10-fold enhancement. The peak realized gain, radiation efficiency, and FTBR values are, respectively, 3.74 dB, 80%, and 28.01 dB, which are very comparable to the ideal values.
Mangle and severe wringer injuries of the hand in children.

The importance and seriousness of wringer and mangle injuries have been emphasized. In most wringer injuries the trauma to the hand is comparatively slight, the most serious See Images in the PDF file injury occurring about the elbow and axilla. With mangle injuries of the hand, the mechanism of injury is the same, but in addition to the effect of rolling, there is a thermal burn. The treatment of both injuries is basically the same. Attempts are made to clean the wound as early as possible and this is done at the end of five to seven days, by mechanical debridement. Split-thickness skin grafts should be applied early to prevent secondary infection and to minimize scar formation. The wound should be closed by the fourteenth to the twenty-first day. Later, in the case of palmar defects, the contracted skin graft is excised and full-thicknsess skin grafts are applied. A tube pedicle graft may be necessary if tendons and nerves have been destroyed. Postoperative splinting and physical therapy are necessary to prevent recurrence of contractures and to restore function.
Prescriber Continuity and Medication Adherence for Complex Patients

Background: Medication adherence is a critical aspect of managing cardiometabolic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and heart failure. Patients who have multiple cardiometabolic conditions and multiple prescribers may be at increased risk for nonadherence. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between number of prescribers, number of conditions, and refill adherence to oral medications to treat cardiometabolic conditions. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 7933 veterans were identified with 1 to 4 cardiometabolic conditions. Refill adherence to oral medications for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia was measured using an administrative claims–based continuous multiple-interval gap (CMG) that estimates the percentage of days a patient did not possess medication. We dichotomized refill adherence for each condition as a CMG ≤20% for each year of analysis. Condition-specific logistic regression models estimated the relationship between refill adherence and number of cardiometabolic conditions and number of prescribers, controlling for demographic characteristics, other comorbidities, and a count of cardiometabolic drug classes used. Results: Compared with patients with 1 prescriber, antihypertensive refill adherence was lower in patients seeing ≥4 prescribers (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.59-0.80), but the number of cardiometabolic conditions was not a significant predictor. Antidyslipidemia refill adherence was lower in patients seeing 3 prescribers (OR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.70-0.92) or ≥4 prescribers (OR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.64-0.91). Conversely, antidyslipidemia refill adherence improved with the number of cardiometabolic conditions, but differences were only statistically significant for ≥3 conditions (OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.09-1.57). In multivariate regression models, the number of conditions and number of prescribers were not significant predictors of refill adherence in the group of patients with diabetes. Conclusions: Effective management of care and medication regimens for complex patients remains an unresolved challenge, but these results suggest that medication refill adherence might be improved by minimizing the number of prescribers involved in a patient’s care, at least for hypertension and dyslipidemia.
Targeted delivery of RNA-cleaving DNA enzyme (DNAzyme) to tumor tissue by transferrin-modified, cyclodextrin-based particles

Short nucleic acid sequences specific to oncogene targets such as bcl-2, bcr-abl, and c-myc have been shown to exhibit specific anti-cancer activity in vitro through antigene or antisense activity. Efficient in vivo delivery of oligonucleotides remains a major limitation for the therapeutic application of these molecules. We report herein on the preparation of transferrin-modified nanoparticles containing DNAzymes (short catalytic single-stranded DNA molecules) for tumor targeting as well as their biodistribution using various methods of administration in the mouse. Linear, ? - cyclodextrin-based polymers are complexed with DNAyzme molecules to form sub- 50 nm particles termed “polyplexes”. The surface properties of the cyclodextrincontaining polyplexes are modified by exploiting the ability of the ? -cyclodextrin substructure and adamantane to form inclusion complexes. Accordingly, conjugates of adamantane with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are prepared and combined with the polyplexes. The adamantane form inclusion complexes with the surface cyclodextrins of the polyplexes to provide a sterically stabilizing layer of PEG. The stabilized polyplexes are also modified with transferrin for increasing targeting to tumor cells expressing transferrin receptors. The preparation, characterization, and in vitro application of these nanoparticles are discussed. The transferrin-polyplexes containing fluorescently-labeled DNAzyme molecules are administered to tumorbearing nude mice and their biodistribution and clearance kinetics are monitored using a fluorescence imaging system. Four methods of administration are studied: intraperitoneal bolus and infusion, intravenous bolus, and subcutaneous injection. DNAzymes packaged in polyplex formulations are concentrated and retained in tumor tissue and other organs, whereas unformulated DNAzyme is eliminated from the body within 24 hours post-injection. Intravenous and intraperitoneal bolus injections result in the highest fluorescent signal (DNAzyme) at the tumor site. Tumor cell uptake is observed with intravenous bolus injection only, and intracellular delivery requires transferrin targeting.
Our lives: An examination of sexual health issues using photovoice by non‐gay identified African American men who have sex with men

African American men who have sex with men and who do not identify as gay are at high risk for HIV infection. This paper presents the results of the photovoice component, a participatory action research method, of a two‐tiered qualitative study design that explored the perceptions of non‐gay identified African American men who have sex with men living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area regarding the social, cultural, community, and family influences associated with their HIV risk and their general sexual health. Major themes that emerged from the photographs and discussions fell into three main categories: (1) The importance of a black identity, (2) factors inhibiting HIV prevention, and (3) factors that maintain health or promote health. Through their photographs, the men in this study explored the challenges and difficulties associated with maintaining their sexual health, in addition to describing the health promoting factors that reinforce wise choices in their everyday lives.
Pathogenic Yersinia DNA Is Detected in Bowel and Mesenteric Lymph Nodes From Patients With Crohn's Disease

Previously, we detected pathogenic (invasive) Yersinia DNA in the appendices of two patients who later developed Crohn's disease (CD). This subsequent investigation is the first to evaluate a series of specimens from CD patients for the presence of pathogenic Yersinia DNA. A total of 54 intestinal resection specimens from 52 patients with confirmed CD were evaluated. Lesional tissue was tested by polymerase chain reaction analysis for the presence of genes occurring only in pathogenic Yersinia. Primer pairs are specific for each species, with no known cross reactions with other bacteria. Forty normal bowel specimens, 30 cases of acute appendicitis, and 50 cases of various active colitides served as disease controls. Medical records were reviewed following polymerase chain reaction and histologic evaluation. A total of 17 of 54 resections (31%) contained Yersinia DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Mesenteric lymph nodes were also positive in eight of these cases. All controls were negative. Yersinia-positive patients had carried the diagnosis of CD for a median of 10 years before resection (range 1 month to 40 years). We report the first documentation of Yersinia DNA in a series of CD cases. Further studies are needed, including serial study, over time, of Yersinia-positive CD patients, as well as prospective studies of newly diagnosed CD patients for evidence of Yersinia infection. Like previous studies associating infectious organisms with CD, much work remains to elucidate whether the presence of Yersinia DNA is an epiphenomenon or actually a factor in the pathogenesis of CD.
Nasal airflow and resistance measured by active anterior rhinomanometry in healthy children and adolescents

Rhinomanometry allows objective assessment of nasal patency in pediatric patients with nasal and other respiratory problems. However, no reliable reference values are available in the pediatric age group. We measured nasal inspiratory airflow and nasal inspiratory resistance of the right and left nostrils (V′nar, V′nal, Rnar, and Rnal) and total nasal inspiratory flow and resistance (V′na and Rna) at a transnasal pressure of 150 Pa during quiet breathing in healthy children with a closed mouth by using active anterior rhinomanometry. Cross‐sectional measurements were done in 192 healthy Caucasian children and adolescents free of nasal or other respiratory diseases (age, 2–19 years; body height, 94–190 cm; 95 boys and 97 girls).
the incubation period and mortality of loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta ) pre-emergent hatchlings in

Incubation period, hatching success, and emergence percentage in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests were quantified during the 1993 and 1995 nesting seasons and following incubation seasons in Minabe, Wakayama, Japan. Sand and nest temperatures were also monitored. Over the seasons, daily mean sand temperature at nest depth fluctuated between 18.0 C and 33.3 C, with a steep increase in the second week of July and a peak in late August. Temperatures inside the nest chambers were a few degrees above those of the surrounding sand at the end of incubation. The incubation period ranged from 46 to 82 days. A significant negative correlation was found between mean sand temperature and incubation period. The relationship conformed to the day-degree concept. There was no significant seasonal trend in hatching success, but many pre-emergent hatchlings were found dead in most of the clutches during the warmest part of the season. Emergence percentage was correlated with mean sand temperature calculated for 4 days before emergence, suggesting that mortality may be due to heat. This heat-related mortality is considered to be a common phenomenon at our study site, because the peak in emergences coincides with the peak in high temperatures. These temperature effects on hatchling mortality must be taken into account in estimates of hatchling sex ratios. Because sand temperatures already exceed the optimal thermal range for incubation, this population is vulnerable to even small temperature increases resulting from global warming.
Extracavitary KSHV-associated Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Distinct Entity or a Subtype of Primary Effusion Lymphoma? Study of 9 Cases and Review of an Additional 43 Cases

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare form of aggressive B-cell lymphoma in HIV patients, which typically presents with lymphomatous effusions in the body cavities without forming mass lesions. PEL is associated with Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) (also called human herpesvirus-8) with distinct clinical and pathologic features. Rare cases of KSHV-associated large B-cell lymphoma (KSHV-LBL) have been observed in the lymph nodes or extranodal sites without lymphomatous effusions during the course of disease. KSHV-LBL is generally similar to classic PEL on the basis of the clinical presentation (HIV+ male), morphology (immunoblastic, plasmablastic, or anaplastic), immunophenotype (CD45+, CD20−, CD79a−, CD30+, CD138+, and EMA+), presence of Epstein-Barr virus infection, and clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements. However, it is not clear whether KSHV-LBL is a distinct entity or represents part of the spectrum of classic PEL; in particular, there is no consensus diagnostic term for KSHV-LBL. In this study, we investigated the clinicopathologic features of 9 cases of KSHV-LBL from our files. An additional 43 such cases and 84 cases of classic PEL from the English literature were reviewed and compared with each other. In contrast to the classic PEL, KSHV-LBL had a very significant lower expression of CD45 (74% vs. 94%, P=0.004) but significant higher expression of CD20 (17% vs. 5%, P=0.04) and CD138 (70% vs. 38%, P=0.05). KSHV-LBL also had slightly higher positivity of CD79a (23% vs. 5%, P=0.13) and immunoglobulin light chain expression, although the difference was not statistically significant [&kgr; chain (12% vs. 0%) and &lgr; chain (31% vs. 21%)]. The expressions of EMA and CD30 were slightly lower in KSHV-LBL compared with those observed in PEL (57% vs. 75% and 63% vs. 76%, respectively). Interestingly, 29% (10/34) of cases of KSHV-LBL revealed aberrant CD3 expression, which may mislead to a diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma, particularly anaplastic large cell lymphoma in combination with the anaplastic morphology and expression of CD30 and EMA. Although KSHV-LBL shows different clinical presentations and some variations in immunophenotype from classic PEL, it is still uncertain, on the basis of our findings, whether it is justifiable to separate them as 2 distinct entities. Nevertheless, we feel it is necessary to have a consensus diagnostic term, and we recommend a tentative one as “KSHV-associated large B-cell lymphoma (KSHV-LBL)” to replace many different names previously used.
The Hospital Compare mortality model and the volume-outcome relationship.

OBJECTIVE We ask whether Medicare's Hospital Compare random effects model correctly assesses acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospital mortality rates when there is a volume-outcome relationship. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Medicare claims on 208,157 AMI patients admitted in 3,629 acute care hospitals throughout the United States. STUDY DESIGN We compared average-adjusted mortality using logistic regression with average adjusted mortality based on the Hospital Compare random effects model. We then fit random effects models with the same patient variables as in Medicare's Hospital Compare mortality model but also included terms for hospital Medicare AMI volume and another model that additionally included other hospital characteristics. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Hospital Compare's average adjusted mortality significantly underestimates average observed death rates in small volume hospitals. Placing hospital volume in the Hospital Compare model significantly improved predictions. CONCLUSIONS The Hospital Compare random effects model underestimates the typically poorer performance of low-volume hospitals. Placing hospital volume in the Hospital Compare model, and possibly other important hospital characteristics, appears indicated when using a random effects model to predict outcomes. Care must be taken to insure the proper method of reporting such models, especially if hospital characteristics are included in the random effects model.
First Countrywide Survey of Acquired Metallo-β-Lactamases in Gram-Negative Pathogens in Italy

ABSTRACT Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) can confer resistance to most β-lactams, including carbapenems. Their emergence in gram-negative pathogens is a matter of major concern. Italy was the first European country to report the presence of acquired MBLs in gram-negative pathogens and is one of the countries where MBL producers have been detected repeatedly. Here, we present the results of the first Italian nationwide survey of acquired MBLs in gram-negative pathogens. Of 14,812 consecutive nonreplicate clinical isolates (12,245 Enterobacteriaceae isolates and 2,567 gram-negative nonfermenters) screened for reduced carbapenem susceptibility during a 4-month period (September to December 2004), 30 isolates (28 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, 1 Pseudomonas putida isolate, and 1 Enterobacter cloacae isolate) carried acquired MBL determinants. MBL producers were detected in 10 of 12 cities, with a predominance of VIM-type enzymes over IMP-type enzymes (4:1). Although having an overall low prevalence (1.3%) and significant geographical differences, MBL-producing P. aeruginosa strains appeared to be widespread in Italy, with a notable diversity of clones, enzymes, and integrons carrying MBL gene cassettes.
The Effects of Family-Centred Functional Therapy on the Occupational Performance of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background. Family-Centred Functional Therapy (FCFT) is a comprehensive approach to paediatric occupational therapy that considers and addresses the skills of the child, the requirements of functional tasks and the elements within the tasks environment, including family goals and preferences. Purpose. The purpose of the present study was to determine if interventions based on FCFT, but limited to addressing elements of the task and environment, would improve task performance. Method. A single subject, multiple baseline design was applied to three children, for three tasks each. Tasks were selected by parents and measured during baseline and intervention phases. Results. Results indicate that for each child at least one of the two tasks for which intervention was provided demonstrated improved performance. Parents reported a clinically significant improvement in satisfaction with their children's performance in the tasks that were addressed. Practice Implications. This study provides preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of the FCFT approach.
Stigmatizing Clients With Mental Health Conditions: An Assessment of Social Work Student Attitudes

Research suggests that stigma plays a major role in discouraging clients from participating in mental health treatment. Because social workers provide a significant amount of such services, this study investigates social work student stigma as a function of their willingness to treat clients with alcohol dependence, nicotine dependence, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. Students held higher levels of stigma toward nicotine dependent clients and less toward those with depression. Personal histories of depression and student age—but not smoking or alcohol use—were predictive of higher stigma levels toward nicotine dependent clients. Implications for social work are discussed.
Effectiveness of the Dader Method for Pharmaceutical Care on Patients with Bipolar I Disorder: Results from the EMDADER-TAB Study.

BACKGROUND Bipolar I disorder (BD-I) is a chronic illness characterized by relapses alternating with periods of remission. Pharmacists can contribute to improved health outcomes in these patients through pharmaceutical care in association with a multidisciplinary health team; however, more evidence derived from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is needed to demonstrate the effect of pharmaceutical care on patients with BD-I. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention using the Dader Method on patients with BD-I, measured by the decrease in the number of hospitalizations, emergency service consultations, and unscheduled outpatient visits from baseline through 1 year of follow-up. METHODS This study is based on the EMDADER-TAB trial, which was an RCT designed to compare pharmaceutical care with the usual care given to outpatients with BD-I in a psychiatric clinic. The main outcome was the use of health care services, using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression. The trial protocol was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT01750255). RESULTS 92 patients were included in the EMDADER-TAB study: 43 pharmaceutical care patients (intervention group) and 49 usual care patients (control group). At baseline, no significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were found across the 2 groups. After 1 year of follow-up, the risk of hospitalizations and emergencies was higher for the control group than for the intervention group (HR = 9.03, P = 0.042; HR = 3.38, P = 0.034, respectively); however, the risk of unscheduled outpatient visits was higher for the intervention group (HR = 4.18, P = 0.028). There was no "placebo" treatment, and patients in the control group might have produced positive outcomes and reduced the magnitude of differences compared with the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS Compared with usual care, pharmaceutical care significantly reduced hospitalizations and emergency service consultations by outpatients with BD-I. DISCLOSURES This study received funding from the Universidad de Antioquia, Committee for Development Research and Sustainability Program, CODI, (2013-2014 and 2014-2015). Humax Pharmaceutical provided support for the initial development of the EMDADER-TAB trial without commercial interest in the outcomes derived from the trial. Salazar-Ospina reports grants from Credito Beca Francisco José de Caldas Scholarship for Doctoral Programs (528), which also contributed to the support of this study. González-Avendaño is an employee of Humax Pharmaceutical. The other authors have nothing to disclose. Study concept and design were contributed by Benjumea, Faus, and Rodriguez, along with Salazar-Ospina and Amariles. Salazar-Ospina took the lead in data collection, assisted by González-Avendaño, and data interpretation was performed by Salazar-Ospina, Hincapié-García, and González-Avendaño. The manuscript was written primarily by Salazar-Ospina, with assistance from Amariles and González-Avendaño, and revised by all the authors.
Stochastic Spatial Model of Producer-Consumer Systems on the Lattice

The objective of this paper is to give a rigorous analysis of a stochastic spatial model of producer-consumer systems that has been recently introduced by Kang and the author to understand the role of space in ecological communities in which individuals compete for resources. Each point of the square lattice is occupied by an individual which is characterized by one of two possible types, and updates its type in continuous time at rate 1. Each individual being thought of as a producer and consumer of resources, the new type at each update is chosen at random from a certain interaction neighborhood according to probabilities proportional to the ability of the neighbors to consume the resource produced by the individual to be updated. In addition to giving a complete qualitative picture of the phase diagram of the spatial model, our results indicate that the nonspatial deterministic mean-field approximation of the stochastic process fails to describe the behavior of the system in the presence of local interactions. In particular, we prove that, in the parameter region where the nonspatial model displays bistability, there is a dominant type that wins regardless of its initial density in the spatial model, and that the inclusion of space also translates into a significant reduction of the parameter region where both types coexist.