Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rewards can be used effectively with repeated exposure to increase liking of vegetables in 4–6-year-old children

Abstract Objective To examine whether parents offering a sticker reward to their child to taste a vegetable the child does not currently consume is associated with improvements in children's liking and consumption of the vegetable. Design A randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of exposure only (EO) and exposure plus reward (E + R), relative to a control group, on children's liking and consumption of a target vegetable. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 2 weeks from baseline (post-intervention). Follow-up assessments were conducted at 4 weeks and 3 months from baseline. Setting The study took place in Adelaide, South Australia. Participants were self-selected in response to local media advertisements seeking to recruit parents finding it difficult to get their children to eat vegetables. Subjects Participants were 185 children (110 boys, seventy-five girls) aged 4–6 years and their primary caregiver/parent (172 mothers, thirteen fathers). Results The E + R group was able to achieve more days of taste exposure. Both EO and E + R increased liking at post-intervention compared with control and no further change occurred over the follow-up period. All groups increased their intake of the target vegetable at post-intervention. Target vegetable consumption continued to increase significantly over the follow-up period for E + R and control but not for EO. Conclusions The findings provide support for the effectiveness of using a sticker reward with a repeated exposure strategy. In particular, such rewards can facilitate the actual tastings necessary to change liking.
Mortality from gastric cancer in patients followed with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Objective. Although commonly practiced in Japan, the effectiveness of regular screening with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy against gastric cancer has not been well evidenced. The aim of the study was to investigate if gastric cancer-related morrality can be reduced by regular endoscopy. Material and methods. The medical records of 833 patients with gastric ulcer (GU) and 2547 without ulcer (NU) were analyzed; these patients received long-term, repeated endoscopic examinations between 1969 and 2004. Gastric cancer incidence, death by gastric cancer, and overall survival were compared with those in a Japanese general population by calculating the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). Results. The interval between UGI endoscopic examinations was 1.4±1.4 years in the GU group and 1.8±1.5 years in the NU group. During follow-up, 32 patients with GU and 61 in the NU group developed gastric cancer, showing annual incidence rates of 0.40% (95% CI: 0.24–0.56%) and 0.38% (0.28–0.48%), and SIRs of 2.21 (1.44–2.98) and 1.72 (1.29–2.15), respectively. The 5-year survival rate exceeded 80% among patients who developed gastric cancer. SMRs for gastric cancer and overall deaths were 0.50 (0.01–0.99) and 1.05 (0.87–1.23) in GU patients, and 0.45 (0.15–0.74) and 0.78 (0.69–0.88) in NU patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups in gastric cancer incidence, mortality from gastric cancer, and overall survival. Conclusions. Mortality from gastric cancer could be reduced by regular UGI endoscopy in a population with a high incidence of gastric cancer.
A prospective controlled trial of early postoperative oral intake following major abdominal gynecologic surgery.

OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine whether, when compared with traditional dietary advancement, early oral intake following major gynecologic surgery leads to a reduction in the length of hospitalization. METHODS Patients undergoing major abdominal gynecologic surgery were invited to participate in this study. After informed consent was obtained, they were randomized to one of two groups. The control group (group 1) was treated traditionally. Oral intake was initiated only after documentation of bowel function, which was defined by two of the following three criteria: (1) bowel sounds; (2) flatus or bowel movement; and (3) subjective hunger. Those assigned to the study group (group 2) were given a clear liquid diet on postoperative day 1. Once 500 cc was tolerated, a regular diet was given. Patients were evaluated on a daily basis for bowel sounds, flatus, bowel movement, hunger, nausea, vomiting, and need for nasogastric tube decompression. The groups were compared with regard to length of hospital stay, length of postoperative ileus, and incidence of adverse effects including nausea, vomiting, and postoperative complications. Statistical analyses were performed with the Student t and chi 2 tests. RESULTS The demographic characteristics of the control (N = 47) and study groups (N = 49) were similar, with no significant differences in underlying medical conditions, prior abdominal surgery, or diagnosis of a malignancy. The groups did not vary statistically in the number of subjects who required postoperative antiemetics or postoperative biscodyl suppository. There was a statistically significant reduction in the length of hospitalization for those patients on the early feeding regimen. The average length of stay for group 1 was 4.02 days +/- 0.30 (SEM), while that for group 2 was 3.12 days +/- 0.16 (P = 0.008). While there was a significantly higher incidence of emesis in the study population, this was not associated with any untoward outcome, and this group actually tolerated a solid diet nearly one full day earlier (2.72 days +/- 0.14 vs 1.88 days +/- 0.14, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Early postoperative oral intake results in a decreased length of hospitalization and is well tolerated when compared with traditional dietary management in patients undergoing abdominal surgery on a university gynecologic oncology service.
Sensory and Sensorimotor Gating Deficits after Neonatal Ventral Hippocampal Lesions in Rats

Neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions (NVHLs) in rats lead to reduced prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle and other behavioral deficits in adulthood that model abnormalities in schizophrenia patients. A neurophysiological deficit in schizophrenia patients and their first-degree relatives is reduced gating of the P50 event-related potential (ERP). N40 ERP gating in rats may be a cross-species analog of P50 gating, and is disrupted in experimental manipulations related to schizophrenia. Here, we tested whether N40 gating as well as PPI is disrupted after NVHLs, using contemporaneous measures of these two conceptually related phenomena. Male rat pups received sham or ibotenic acid NVHLs on postnatal day 7. PPI was tested on days 35 and 56, after which rats were equipped with cortical surface electrodes for ERP measurements. One week later, PPI and N40 gating were measured in a single test, using paired S1-S2 clicks spaced 500 ms apart to elicit N40 gating. Compared to sham-lesioned rats, those with NVHLs exhibited PPI deficits on days 35 and 56. NVHL rats also exhibited reduced N40 gating and reduced PPI, when measured contemporaneously at day 65. Deficits in PPI and N40 gating appeared most pronounced in rats with larger lesions, focused within the ventral hippocampus. In this first report of contemporaneous measures of two important schizophrenia-related phenotypes in NVHL rats, NVHLs reproduce both sensory (N40) and sensorimotor (PPI) gating deficits exhibited in schizophrenia. In this study, lesion effects were detected prior to pubertal onset, and were sustained well into adulthood.
The Prevalence of Blindness and Cataract Surgery in Rautahat District, Nepal

Purpose: The Gaur Eye Hospital, which provides eye care services to the people in Rautahat and adjacent districts, completed 9 years of operation in 2006. Over 14,000 cataract surgeries were performed during this period. This study aimed to ascertain the impact of the hospital services by estimating the prevalence of blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgical coverage among the older adult population of the Rautahat district. Methods: People aged 50 years and older were enrolled in this study that used a stratified cluster design. Subjects in 32 randomly selected clusters were identified through door-to-door visits, presenting and corrected visual acuities measurement, and clinical examination by ophthalmologists were conducted at a centrally located site. Results: Of the 5,533 identified subjects, 85.3% were examined. Blindness was defined as presenting with visual acuity < 6/60 in both eyes. Blindness was found in 17.4% (95% Confidence Interval: 15.1 to 19.7); however, 55.6% of individuals examined had vision < 6/18 in one or both eyes. Cataracts were the principal cause of blindness in 82.1%, and were associated with elder age, illiteracy and female gender. Surgical coverage was found to be 37.3%. Conclusion: The findings suggest that despite 9 years of hospital and community eye care services the prevalence of blindness in this area is still challengingly high and the cataract surgical coverage unacceptably low. Community outreach awareness programs and accessibility for the Nepali cataract blind to the hospital need to be upgraded.
Plasmid-Mediated Resistance to Cephalosporins and Fluoroquinolones in Various Escherichia coli Sequence Types Isolated from Rooks Wintering in Europe

ABSTRACT Extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, AmpC beta-lactamase-producing, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene-positive strains of Escherichia coli were investigated in wintering rooks (Corvus frugilegus) from eight European countries. Fecal samples (n = 1,073) from rooks wintering in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Switzerland were examined. Resistant isolates obtained from selective cultivation were screened for ESBL, AmpC, and PMQR genes by PCR and sequencing. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing were performed to reveal their clonal relatedness. In total, from the 1,073 samples, 152 (14%) cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates and 355 (33%) E. coli isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were found. Eighty-two (54%) of these cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates carried the following ESBL genes: bla CTX-M-1 (n = 39 isolates), bla CTX-M-15 (n = 25), bla CTX-M-24 (n = 4), bla TEM-52 (n = 4), bla CTX-M-14 (n = 2), bla CTX-M-55 (n = 2), bla SHV-12 (n = 2), bla CTX-M-8 (n = 1), bla CTX-M-25 (n = 1), bla CTX-M-28 (n = 1), and an unspecified gene (n = 1). Forty-seven (31%) cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates carried the bla CMY-2 AmpC beta-lactamase gene. Sixty-two (17%) of the E. coli isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were positive for the PMQR genes qnrS1 (n = 54), qnrB19 (n = 4), qnrS1 and qnrB19 (n = 2), qnrS2 (n = 1), and aac(6′)-Ib-cr (n = 1). Eleven isolates from the Czech Republic (n = 8) and Serbia (n = 3) were identified to be CTX-M-15-producing E. coli clone B2-O25b-ST131 isolates. Ninety-one different sequence types (STs) among 191 ESBL-producing, AmpC-producing, and PMQR gene-positive E. coli isolates were determined, with ST58 (n = 15), ST10 (n = 14), and ST131 (n = 12) predominating. The widespread occurrence of highly diverse ESBL- and AmpC-producing and PMQR gene-positive E. coli isolates, including the clinically important multiresistant ST69, ST95, ST117, ST131, and ST405 clones, was demonstrated in rooks wintering in various European countries.
Development of Microarray and Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for Identification of Serovars and Virulence Genes in Salmonella Enterica of Human or Animal Origin

Salmonella enterica is an important enteric pathogen consisting of many serovars that can cause severe clinical diseases in animals and humans. Rapid identification of Salmonella isolates is especially important for epidemiologic monitoring and controlling outbreaks of disease. Although immunologic and DNA-based serovar identification methods are available for rapid identification of isolates, they are time consuming or costly or both. In the current study, 2 molecular methods for identification of Salmonella serovars were developed and validated. A 70-mer oligonucleotide spotted microarray was developed that consisted of probes that detected genes responsible for genetic variation among isolates of Salmonella that can be used for serotyping. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was also developed, which is capable of identifying 42 serovars, thus providing a valuable prediction of the pathogenicity of the isolates by detecting the presence of virulence genes sseL, invA, and spvC. The gene spvC was the best predictor of pathogenicity. In a blind study, traditional serologic methods were correlated at 93.3% with the microarray-based method and 100% with the multiplex PCR-based serovar determination.
Mechanical tests regarding low-temperature lead-free solder pastes application in automotive electronics

Taking into account the real working temperatures from different zones and daily requirement of reduction of production costs, into automotive electronics production the trend is the one towards low melting point alloys that will enable energy savings and cost reductions during the manufacturing processes. In the paper, the mechanical strength of solder joints and samples having the same transversal section as resistor 1206 case type made using Low Temperature Lead-Free (LTLF) solder pastes into VPS processes characterized by different cooling rates, were benchmarked according to temperature. The experiments were done in line with the concept of "Homologous temperatures", by measuring LTLF solder joints and alloys samples shear forces keeping the samples, respectively the surface of test boards at temperatures of up to 398K (125°C) using a dedicated auxiliary device, specially designed and manufactured to complete the multifunctional bond tester “Condor 70-3”, XYZTECH. The results of the experiments regarding references values of LTLF solder joints and alloys samples shear forces offer a data base useful in the new solder alloy creation processes and their qualification for automotive electronics domain according to RoHS 2 EU Directive.
Auditory pseudohallucinations in United Kingdom war veterans and civilians with posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE Hearing voices is a little-known feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mainly reported in US war veterans; it may be better conceived of as a dissociative than as a psychotic phenomenon. We investigated this feature in a pair of studies: Study 1 tested whether hearing voices was also reported by United Kingdom war veterans and whether it was associated with other dissociative reactions. Study 2 tested whether reports of hearing voices would generalize to a civilian sample, evaluated whether it was specific to PTSD or could be explained by trauma exposure alone, and investigated its phenomenological characteristics in more detail. METHOD Study 1, which was conducted from 2005 to 2008 at numerous sites in the United Kingdom, contrasted male war veterans with current PTSD, past PTSD, and no PTSD on measures of dissociation and hearing voices. Study 2, which was conducted from 2004 to 2008 in London, United Kingdom, compared hearing voices in civilian patients with PTSD, healthy controls exposed to trauma, and depressed patients. RESULTS Study 1 showed that more veterans with current or past PTSD than no PTSD described hearing voices, which was related to other dissociative reactions. Study 2 confirmed that hearing voices was also present in a civilian sample, that it was specific to PTSD, and that it had the characteristics of a pseudohallucination. CONCLUSIONS The results emphasize the dissociative nature of PTSD, identify a little-known symptom that causes considerable distress, and suggest new directions for the assessment and treatment of PTSD in military and civilian populations.
Development and testing of the UK SF-12 (short form health survey).

OBJECTIVES The 36 item short form health survey (SF-36) has proved to be of use in a variety of settings where a short generic health measure of patient-assessed outcome is required. This measure can provide an eight dimension profile of health status, and two summary scores assessing physical function and mental well-being. The developers of the SF-36 in America have developed algorithms to yield the two summary component scores in a questionnaire containing only one-third of the original 36 items, the SF-12. This paper documents the construction of the UK SF-12 summary measures from a large-scale dataset from the UK in which the SF-36, together with other questions on health and lifestyles, was sent to randomly selected members of the population. Using these data we attempt here to replicate the findings of the SF-36 developers in the UK setting, and then to assess the use of SF-12 summary scores in a variety of clinical conditions. METHODS Factor analytical methods were used to derive the weights used to construct the physical and mental component scales from the SF-36. Regression methods were used to weight the 12 items recommended by the developers to construct the SF-12 physical and mental component scores. This analysis was undertaken on a large community sample (n = 9332), and then the results of the SF-36 and SF-12 were compared across diverse patient groups (Parkinson's disease, congestive heart failure, sleep apnoea, benign prostatic hypertrophy). RESULTS Factor analysis of the SF-36 produced a two factor solution. The factor loadings were used to weight the physical component summary score (PCS-36) and mental component summary score (MCS-36). Results gained from the use of these measures were compared with results gained from the PCS-12 and MCS-12, and were found to be highly correlated (PCS: rho = 0.94, p < 0.001; MCS: rho = 0.96, p < 0.001), and produce remarkably similar results, both in the community sample and across a variety of patient groups. CONCLUSIONS The SF-12 is able to produce the two summary scales originally developed from the SF-36 with considerable accuracy and yet with far less respondent burden. Consequently, the SF-12 may be an instrument of choice where a short generic measure providing summary information on physical and mental health status is required.
Comparative Analysis of the Clinical Outcomes With a Monofocal and an Extended Range of Vision Intraocular Lens.

PURPOSE To evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes with an aspheric monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) and an extended range of vision (ERV) IOL based on achromatic diffractive technology. METHODS This was a prospective comparative study including 80 eyes undergoing cataract surgery with implantation of the monofocal Tecnis ZCB00 IOL (Abbott Medical Optics Inc., Santa Ana, CA) (monofocal group: 30 eyes of 15 patients) or the ERV Tecnis Symfony IOL (Abbott Medical Optics, Inc.) (ERV group: 50 eyes of 25 patients). Visual, refractive, contrast sensitivity, defocus curve, ocular optical quality (Optical Quality Analysis System; Visiometrics SL, Terrassa, Spain), and quality of life (National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life Instrument 42 Questionnaire) outcomes were evaluated during a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS Significantly better postoperative uncorrected monocular and binocular distance (UDVA), intermediate (UIVA), and near (UNVA) visual acuities were found in the ERV group (P ≥ .013). Postoperative spherical equivalent was within ±1.00 diopters in 94% and 100% of eyes in the ERV and the monofocal groups, respectively. Binocular UIVA and UNVA of 0.20 or better (Snellen 20/30) were observed in all cases in the ERV group and in 13.3% and 6.7% of eyes of the monofocal group, respectively. No significant differences among groups were observed in contrast sensitivity (P ≥ .156) or ocular optical quality parameters (P ≥ .084). In the monocular defocus curve, all visual acuities were better in the ERV group (P ≤ .002), except for the +0.50-diopter defocus level (P = .367). Significantly better scores were obtained for dependence on correction (P = .003) and suboptimal correction (P = .038) subscales in the ERV group. CONCLUSIONS The extended range of vision IOL provides better distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity than the aspheric monofocal IOL, while maintaining the same level of visual quality. [J Refract Surg. 2016;32(7):436-442. ].
A case about Amy

Foreword Frank G. Bowe Acknowledgments Legal Chronology 1. Time Tears Us Apart 2. The Battle Joined 3. Like Light Pouring Down over Me 4. Vindication by Trial 5. A Case about Amy 6. A "Voice" in the Classroom 7. "Full Potential" in the Court 8. Maybe It Wouldn't Happen Today 9. What Amy Hears 10. A Matter of Growth 11. Amy in Oz 12. Equal Opportunity Writ Large 13. Is It Really Money? 14. Amy Remembering 15. Not Quite Human 16. Struggling and Succeeding 17. If Heaven Isn't Accessible, God Is in Trouble 18. To Be Who We Are Index
Smoking cessation is associated with an increase in exhaled nitric oxide.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Nitric oxide (NO), a gas produced by cells lining the respiratory tract, has been reported to be decreased in the exhaled air of cigarette smokers. We hypothesized that smoking cessation would result in an increase in exhaled NO. DESIGN Comparison of exhaled NO measured from nonsmokers, cigarette smokers, and smokers after smoking cessation. SETTING University outpatient smoking cessation clinic. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS Twenty-five cigarette smokers and 23 normal, nonsmokers. INTERVENTIONS Exhaled NO was measured by three techniques: (1) a peak oral method; (2) a mean oral method; and (3) a nasal method. The smokers were given nicotine patches and instructed to return after 1 and 8 weeks. The exhaled NO determinations were repeated on each visit. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Compared with nonsmokers, smokers had decreased NO levels measured by all three methods (p<0.05, each comparison). Nineteen smokers returned after 1 week. Fourteen were successfully abstinent from cigarettes and their exhaled NO increased compared with baseline (p<0.01 for each method) but not in the five subjects who had not successfully quit smoking (p>0.05 for each method). Ten subjects returned after 8 weeks. The exhaled NO levels increased further and were not significantly different from the normal nonsmokers for the peak oral and nasal NO methods (p>0.2), but were still lower than the normal nonsmoker mean oral NO (p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that smoking cessation is associated with an increase in exhaled NO.
Circulating anti-endothelial cell antibodies are associated with poor outcome in renal allograft recipients with acute rejection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Anti-endothelial cell antibody (AECA) can cause hyperacute rejection and immediate graft loss after renal transplantation; however, its prevalence and significance during acute rejection are unknown. Previous studies suggested that AECA may be detected in recipients with acute vascular rejection (AVR). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We retrospectively analyzed 653 cadaveric renal transplant recipients; circulating AECA was positive in 13 of 47 cases of AVR; another two cases of hyperacute rejection also had detectable AECA. Twenty-six cases of AVR without circulating AECA were selected as controls. RESULTS AECA-positive AVR usually occurred within 1 yr after transplantation and mostly was resistant to steroid treatment. Compared with the control group, the AECA-positive group was associated with a significantly lower 1-yr graft survival rate (46.7 versus 80.5%; P = 0.038), and more patients had histologic interstitial plasma cell infiltration (53.8 versus 11.5%; P = 0.005). More patients with AECA-positive AVR experienced another one or more episodes of acute rejection during 1 yr of follow-up (75.0 versus 13.0%; P = 0.003). AECA-positive AVR with C4d deposition in peri-tubular capillaries had the worst outcome in this cohort, and it accounted for 38.5% graft loss in AVR. AECA in turn accounted for 71.4% of graft loss in C4d(+) AVR. CONCLUSIONS Circulating AECA is associated with poor outcome in renal allograft recipients with acute rejection and should be monitored regularly.