Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Resistant Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura with Rituximab and Cyclophosphamide

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an uncommon acquired disease in adults, especially young women, characterized by fever, neurologic manifestations, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal dysfunction. Treatment with plasmapheresis has increased the survival rate from 10% to greater than 90%. Still, a subset of patients with resistant TTP fail to respond to plasmapheresis or remain dependent on this procedure.We report such a patient who was successfully treated with rituximab and cyclophosphamide. She has now been disease free for more than 6 months. This novel treatment modality for TTP has been described for only a few patients.A well-controlled clinical trial is warranted to determine the role and place of this therapeutic approach in the management of TTP.
Maternal Near Miss: An Indicator for Maternal Health and Maternal Care

Maternal mortality is one of the important indicators used for the measurement of maternal health. Although maternal mortality ratio remains high, maternal deaths in absolute numbers are rare in a community. To overcome this challenge, maternal near miss has been suggested as a compliment to maternal death. It is defined as pregnant or recently delivered woman who survived a complication during pregnancy, childbirth or 42 days after termination of pregnancy. So far various nomenclature and criteria have been used to identify maternal near-miss cases and there is lack of uniform criteria for identification of near miss. The World Health Organization recently published criteria based on markers of management and organ dysfunction, which would enable systematic data collection on near miss and development of summary estimates. The prevalence of near miss is higher in developing countries and causes are similar to those of maternal mortality namely hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, sepsis and obstructed labor. Reviewing near miss cases provide significant information about the three delays in health seeking so that appropriate action is taken. It is useful in identifying health system failures and assessment of quality of maternal health-care. Certain maternal near miss indicators have been suggested to evaluate the quality of care. The near miss approach will be an important tool in evaluation and assessment of the newer strategies for improving maternal health.
A bibliometric analysis of research on Big Data analytics for business and management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize and classify the literature linking Big Data analytics and management phenomena. Design/methodology/approach An objective bibliometric analysis is conducted, supported by subjective assessments based on the studies focused on the intertwining of Big Data analytics and management fields. Specifically, deeper descriptive statistics and document co-citation analysis are provided. Findings From the document co-citation analysis and its evaluation, four clusters depicting literature linking Big Data analytics and management phenomena are revealed: theoretical development of Big Data analytics; management transition to Big Data analytics; Big Data analytics and firm resources, capabilities and performance; and Big Data analytics for supply chain management. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first attempts to comprehend the research streams which, over time, have paved the way to the intersection between Big Data analytics and management fields.
Resistin in serum and gingival crevicular fluid as a marker of periodontal inflammation and its correlation with single-nucleotide polymorphism in human resistin gene at −420

Aims: Resistin is an adipocytokine, which have been studied for its role in insulin resistance and recently in inflammation. The aim of the present study is to assess the concentration of resistin in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and to compare the levels between subjects with and without periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to further correlate the resistin levels with the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at −420. Setting and Designs: A total of 96 subjects (48 males and 48 females) were divided on the basis of gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and hemoglobin A1c levels into healthy (group 1, n = 24), uncontrolled-diabetes related periodontitis (group 2, n = 24), controlled-diabetes related periodontitis (group 3, n = 24) and chronic periodontitis without T2DM (group 4, n = 24). Materials and Methods: The GCF and serum levels of resistin were quantified using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared among the study groups. Further, the association of the resistin levels with periodontal inflammation and SNP at −420 was studied. Results and Conclusion: The resistin levels in GCF and serum from patients with periodontitis or diabetes mellitus related periodontitis (controlled or uncontrolled) were higher than that of healthy subjects and correlated positively with GI. Further, subjects with GG genotype at −420 showed significantly higher GI, PD, CAL as compared with genotype group CC. Resistin was detected in all serum and GCF samples and was significantly higher in periodontitis. Further, GG genotype at −420 was associated significantly with periodontal inflammation and resistin levels.
Factors that influence emergency department doctors' assessment of suicide risk in deliberate self-harm patients

Objectives: To determine the patient factors influencing UK Emergency Department doctors' assessment of suicide risk. To establish whether immediate clinical management is consistent with perceived risk. Methods: The Manchester and Salford Self-Harm project is a multi-centre deliberate self-harm monitoring study. Data collected were used to analyse risk assessments made by Emergency Department doctors between September 1997 and August 1999. We used univariate and logistic regression analyses to determine the factors Emergency Department doctors used to make suicide risk assessments. Results: A total of 3220 deliberate self-harm assessment forms were completed in two years by Emergency Department doctors; 2922 (91%) included a clinical assessment of risk; 28 out of 48 variables were associated with perceived suicide risk. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that current mental state, high suicidal intent (including medical seriousness of attempt), and male sex were the most important independent predictors of suicide risk. Being referred to psychiatric services directly from the Emergency Department or to surgical/medical services was also strongly associated with a perceived high risk. Conclusion: In contrast to the negative findings of previous research, we found that Emergency Department doctors were influenced by key risk factors for suicide in their assessment of deliberate self-harm patients. Emergency Department doctors' assessments reflected the immediate risk of suicide, indicated by factors such as current mental state and strong suicidal intent. Background risk factors such as social adversity and psychiatric history were less influential. We would recommend that training for emergency doctors should emphasize the importance of both immediate and background risk factors.
Sutureless total thyroidectomy: a safe and cost‐effective alternative

Background: Advanced vessel sealing devices provide an alternative to conventional ligation techniques for thyroidectomy. To date, most studies have been inadequately powered to explore differences in the infrequent post‐operative complications following thyroidectomy. This study is designed to compare the outcomes of sutureless thyroidectomy and conventional thyroidectomy for recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, permanent hypoparathyroidism, and haematoma formation.
Six -Year Experience with Swan Neck Catheters

From the beginning of our continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) program in January 1977 until June 1985, we used Tenckhoff and Toronto Western Hospital catheters. Throughout these years catheter survival probabilities of about 30% at three years persisted unchanged and were similar to survival probabilities reported by the National CAPD Registry special survey for these catheters. The first improvement in catheter results regarding leaks was noted after the adoption of lateral catheter insertion. Malfunction was less using swan neck prototypes from August 1985 to April 1986. The latter catheters were made of 80° are angle tubing between 8.5 cm spaced cuffs and were inserted in a reversed U-shape tunnel with the incision at the top of the tunnel. The use of these catheters was abandoned because of high cuff extrusion and exit infection rates. The next generation of swan neck catheters, the swan neck Missouri 2 and 3 catheters with straight intraperitoneal segments, improved the results dramatically. These catheters were made of 180° are angletubing between 5 or 3 cm spaced cuffs. The estimated survival probability of 61% at three years more than doubled compared to previously used catheters. Recently we modified the intraperitoneal segment of the catheters, replacing the straight segment with a coiled one. These modified catheters, the swan neck Missouri coiled catheters, have been used exclusively since February 1990. In addition to an acceptable survival probability of 88% at one year, there are two major advantages of these catheters, the same as for other coiled catheters: elimination of infusion pain due to a jet effect and pain related to straight catheter tip pressure on the peritoneum experienced by some patients.
Antagonists of the Neurokinin‐1 or Dopamine D1 Receptors Confer Protection from Methamphetamine on Dopamine Terminals of the Mouse Striatum

Abstract: Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive compound that induces toxicity of the dopamine (DA) terminals of the neostriatum. Exposure to METH induces long‐term deficits in dopamine transporter (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels as well as induction of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the caudate putamen (CPu) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The primary effect of exposure to METH is elevation of the level of extracellular DA; therefore, we assessed the role of the DA D1 receptor (D1R) and neurokinin‐1 receptor (NK‐1R) on the expression of toxicity. METH was injected intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg) four times at 2‐h intervals (an acute toxic dose), and the mice were sacrificed three days after the treatment. Exposure to METH resulted in marked reduction of DAT sites (reduced to 30 and 21% relative to control in medial and lateral aspects of the CPu) assessed by binding of [125I]RTI‐121 by autoradiography or Western blot analysis. Pretreatment with the nonpeptide NK‐1R antagonist WIN‐51,708 (10 mg/kg) 30 min prior to the first and fourth injections of METH prevented the loss of DAT sites of the CPu. Moreover, pretreatment with WIN‐51,708 also prevented the reduction of TH levels induced by METH as well as the induction of GFAP in astrocytes. Pretreatment with the D1R antagonist SCH‐23390 (0.25 mg/kg) 30 min before the first and fourth injections of METH conferred partial protection on DAT sites of the CPu. These results demonstrate that receptors postsynaptic to the DA terminals of the CPu are needed in order to express the neurotoxic effects of METH on integral components of the DA terminals of the nigrostriatal projection.
Exploring the Most Likely Case for Constituency Service: Finnish MPs and the Change towards Personalised Representation

The Finnish open list electoral system provides strong incentives for MPs to cultivate ties with their constituents. There is arguably more competition for seats within than between parties, with election campaigns revolving around individual candidates. Examining how Finnish parliamentarians carry out constituency service, this article argues that such contacts are increasingly non-partisan and geared either towards the ‘home turf’ or specific policy interests. Cross-partisan cooperation among MPs from the same electoral district is institutionalised in the Eduskunta. There is surprisingly little variation between the 200 MPs regarding the level and types of constituency service, irrespective of district magnitude, the safety of the seat or parliamentary experience. Constituency service is clearly a key element of MPs’ work and forms an essential part of their re-election strategies.
An evolutionary theory of schizophrenia: Cortical connectivity, metarepresentation, and the social brain

Schizophrenia is a worldwide, prevalent disorder with a multifactorial but highly genetic aetiology. A constant prevalence rate in the face of reduced fecundity has caused some to argue that an evolutionary advantage exists in unaffected relatives. Here, I critique this adaptationist approach, and review – and find wanting – Crow's “speciation” hypothesis. In keeping with available biological and psychological evidence, I propose an alternative theory of the origins of this disorder. Schizophrenia is a disorder of the social brain, and it exists as a costly trade-off in the evolution of complex social cognition. Paleoanthropological and comparative primate research suggests that hominids evolved complex cortical interconnectivity (in particular, frontotemporal and frontoparietal circuits) to regulate social cognition and the intellectual demands of group living. I suggest that the ontogenetic mechanism underlying this cerebral adaptation was sequential hypermorphosis and that it rendered the hominid brain vulnerable to genetic and environmental insults. I argue that changes in genes regulating the timing of neurodevelopment occurred prior to the migration of Homo sapiens out of Africa 100,000–150,000 years ago, giving rise to the schizotypal spectrum. While some individuals within this spectrum may have exhibited unusual creativity and iconoclasm, this phenotype was not necessarily adaptive in reproductive terms. However, because the disorder shared a common genetic basis with the evolving circuitry of the social brain, it persisted. Thus schizophrenia emerged as a costly trade-off in the evolution of complex social cognition.
A polymer neural probe with tunable flexibility

A novel polymeric material, off-stoichiometry thiol-ene-epoxy (OSTE+), has been evaluated for the fabrication of neural implants. OSTE+ is easily photo-structurable and exhibits mechanical properties suitable for stable implantation of the probe into brain tissue, while being sufficiently soft at physiological temperatures to reduce living tissue damage. The facile processing of OSTE+ allows use in applications where SU-8 or polyimide currently are the materials of choice. Uniquely, OSTE+ has a Young's modulus of 1.9 GPa at 10 °C decreasing almost two orders of magnitude to 30 MPa at 40 °C, which can be compared to the Young's modulus of 2.1 GPa for SU-8. We show a probe, with nine gold electrode sites, implanted into 0.5% agar at 40 °C using active cooling during the implantation.
Effect of additional functional exercises on balance in elderly people

Objective: To evaluate the additional effect of functional exercises on balance and lower extremity function among hostel-dwelling elderly people partaking in strength,training. Design: A randomized two-group parallel controlled trial. Setting: A senior resident’s hostel in Switzerland. Participants: Thirty-two individuals randomized to either strength or strength and functional exercise groups. Interventions: Both groups received machine-driven strength training for 45 min, twice weekly, for 12 weeks. The strength and functional exercises group received an additional 30 min of functional exercise training, once weekly. Main outcome measures: Tinetti test, balance tests and a physical performance test. Assessments were performed before and after the intervention. Results: Improvements for the balance test depended on the type of training (significant interaction effects [F(1,20)= 6.7; P = 0.018]). This test improved from 11.3 ∓ 11.7 to 17 ∓ 11.2 (P = 0.009) in the combined training group (n = 12) and remained from 7.3 ∓ 9.5 to 6.9 ∓ 9.2 unchanged (P = 0.821) in the strength training group (n = 13). A significant difference between groups following training was observed (P = 0.031). The Tinetti balance score and the chair stand test of the physical performance assessment improved from 14.3 ∓ 1.9 to 15.3 ∓ 1.1 (P = 0.026) and 1.8 ∓ 1.2 to 2.8 ∓ 1.1 (P = 0.012) respectively in the combined training group only. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that twice-weekly lower extremity strength training of 12 weeks’ duration in hostel-dwelling elderly people only improves task-specific balance performance and lower extremity physical function when additional functional exercises are added.
Propositional density and cognitive function in later life: findings from the Precursors Study.

OBJECTIVES We used longitudinal data from the Johns Hopkins Precursors Study to test the hypothesis that written propositional density measured early in life is lower for people who develop dementia categorized as Alzheimer's disease (AD). This association was reported in 1996 for the Nun Study, and the Precursors Study offered an unprecedented chance to reexamine it among respondents with different gender, education, and occupation profiles. METHODS Eighteen individuals classified as AD patients (average age at diagnosis: 74) were assigned 2 sex-and-age matched controls, and propositional density in medical school admission essays (average age at writing: 22) was assessed via Computerized Propositional Idea Density Rater 3 linguistic analysis software. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the matched case-control study were calculated using conditional (fixed-effects) logistic regression. RESULTS Mean propositional density is lower for cases than for controls (4.70 vs. 4.99 propositions per 10 words, 1-sided p = .01). Higher propositional density substantially lowers the odds of AD (OR = 0.16, 95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.90, 1-sided p = .02). DISCUSSION Propositional density scores in writing samples from early adulthood appear to predict AD in later life for men as well as women. Studies of cognition across the life course might beneficially incorporate propositional density as a potential marker of cognitive reserve.
A herpes simplex virus mutant in which glycoprotein D sequences are replaced by beta-galactosidase sequences binds to but is unable to penetrate into cells

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein gD is a major component of the virion envelope and is thought to play an important role in the initial stages of viral infection and stimulates the production of high titers of neutralizing antibodies. We assumed that gD plays an essential role in virus replication, and so to complement viruses with mutations in the gD gene we constructed a cell line, denoted VD60, which is capable of expressing high levels of gD after infection with HSV. A recombinant virus, designated F-gD beta, in which sequences encoding gD and a nonessential glycoprotein, gI, were replaced by Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase sequences, was selected on the basis that it produced blue plaques on VD60 cell monolayers under agarose overlays containing 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (X-Gal). F-gD beta was able to replicate normally on complementing VD60 cells. However, F-gD beta was unable to form plaques on noncomplementing Vero cells. Virions lacking gD were produced in normal amounts by Vero cells infected with F-gD beta, and the virus particles were distributed throughout the cytoplasm and on the cell surface, suggesting that gD is not essential for HSV envelopment and egress. Virions lacking gD were able to bind to cells, but were unable to initiate synthesis of viral early polypeptides. Plaque production of F-gD beta particles lacking gD was enhanced by polyethylene glycol treatment, suggesting that gD is essential for penetration of HSV into cells. Other HSV glycoproteins have been implicated in the entry of virus into cells, and thus this process appears to involve multiple interactions at the cell surface.
Frontier Knowledge and Scientific Production: Evidence from the Collapse of International Science

We show that WWI and the subsequent boycott against Central scientists severely interrupted international scientific cooperation. After 1914, citations to recent research from abroad decreased and paper titles became less similar (evaluated by Latent Semantic Analysis), suggesting a reduction in international knowledge flows. Reduced international scientific cooperation led to a decline in the production of basic science and its application in new technology. Specifically, we compare productivity changes for scientists who relied on frontier research from abroad, to changes for scientists who relied on frontier research from home. After 1914, scientists who relied on frontier research from abroad published fewer papers in top scientific journals, produced less Nobel Prize-nominated research, introduced fewer novel scientific words, and introduced fewer novel words that appeared in the text of subsequent patent grants. The productivity of scientists who relied on top 1% research declined twice as much as the productivity of scientists who relied on top 3% research. Furthermore, highly prolific scientists experienced the starkest absolute productivity declines. This suggests that access to the very best research is key for scientific and technological progress.
Cardiovascular and respiratory effects of the degree of head‐down angle during robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

Robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) requires a steep Trendelenburg position and CO2 pneumoperitoneum for several hours to secure the surgical visual field. The present study was performed to investigate the influence of each angle of Trendelenburg position during RALP on cardiovascular and respiratory homeostasis.
Forearm Electromyographic Changes With the Use of a Haptic Force-Feedback Computer Mouse

Objective: To examine changes in biomechanical and motor control associated with a force-feedback computer mouse. Background: Haptic computer mice can improve the movement times for point-and-click tasks; however, changes in upper extremity biomechanics and motor control are unknown. Method: Eighteen people (ages 22-37 years) performed a point-and-click task 80 times using a force-feedback computer mouse across three different conditions: (a) no force feedback, emulating a conventional mouse; (b) a single attractive force field at the desired target that pulls the mouse to the center of the target; and (c) an attractive force field at the desired target as well as others between the two possible targets, distracting the user from the intended target. Cursor kinematics, wrist posture, and electromyographic (EMG) forearm muscle activity were recorded. Results: The point-and-click movements were 30% faster with the addition of a single force field and 3% faster with the addition of multiple force fields. The Fitts' law index of performance metrics improved from 2.9 bits/response to 4.1 bits/response for multiple attractive fields and to 6.0 bits/response for a single force field. For the distracting force fields, the cursor maximum velocities were over 50% faster. EMG amplitude values were largest for the distracting force fields. These data suggest that the operator uses increased muscle activity to accelerate the mouse through the distracting force fields. Conclusion: When implementing attractive haptic force fields, one needs to consider how to reduce these observed effects of potential distracting force fields. Application: Applications include human-computer interface design for pointing devices extensively used for the graphical user interface.