Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What the clinician can learn from MRS lactate measurements

Lactate is of special importance in brain metabolism. In the 1980s, noninvasive methods for measurement of lactate concentration and turnover rate in living brain by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy were implemented in both animals and humans, opening the way to innovative examination of lactate's role in normal and deranged brain function. Early data on elevation of lactate in human visual cortex by physiologic stimulation and turnover of pathologically elevated brain lactate pools in animals and humans suggest that the new methods are likely to benefit clinical practice both directly–by providing information useful in management of individual patients–and indirectly–through improved understanding of disease processes.
Institutional Rules and Legislative Outcomes in the Italian Parliament

The Italian Parliament tends to displace aggregative and controversial legislation and to make special room for legislation of limited import on which coalition partners and the opposition can more easily agree. Standing committees can be empowered by constitutional norm to enact legislation without reporting it to the floor. This easier procedure is used by the parliamentary leadership to process more minute and less controversial legislation, and increases its chances of success. More aggregative and controversial legislation is given low priority in the committee and floor agenda. It therefore tends to die upon dissolution of parliament without ever being debated.
Teaching Our Own Babies: Teachers' Life Journeys into Community-Based Initial Education in Indigenous Oaxaca, Mexico.

In an era when U.S. and Mexican teachers are valued more for their academic achievements than their community knowledge and local/ethnic identity (e.g. Teach for America, or its off-shoot, Teach for Mexico), this study provides partial results of a one-year (2011-2012) intensive professional development experience (called a diplomado) for 35 indigenous teachers of Initial Education who attend pregnant mothers and infants from birth to 3 years old in marginalized communities of Oaxaca, Mexico. The goal was to enrich these local teachers' background knowledge and equip them with research skills to investigate and honor the collectivized practices, original languages, values and governance structures (together known as comunalidad) of the rural indigenous communities where they teach. The intent was to generate an authentic, bilingual, and community-based approach to Initial Education - a groundbreaking alternative to the Mexican government’s homogeneous approach. An analysis of their autobiographies indicated that these Oaxacan indigenous teachers faced a complex of internal and external challenges in this radical, regenerative work: they are young, female, mostly novice teachers, they lack professional preparation, and they have confronted racism throughout their own lives, especially and intensely in Mexican public schools. In the process of documenting communal life and early childhood socialization practices in rural communities where they teach, they confronted their own (often uneasy) biculturalism and bilingualism. “Communalizing” early education in indigenous Oaxaca involves reconstructing and revitalizing the indigenous identities and language use of children and teachers alike – a challenging, invaluable and achievable task.
Health characteristics and health services utilization in older adults with intellectual disability living in community residences.

BACKGROUND The health status and health needs of adults with intellectual disability (ID) change with advancing age, and are often accompanied by difficulties with vision, hearing, mobility, stamina and some mental processes. AIM The present study collected health status information on a large cohort of adults with ID aged > or = 40 years living in small group, community-based residences in two representative areas of New York State, USA. METHOD Adult group home residents with ID aged between 40 and 79 years (n = 1371) were surveyed to determine their health status and patterns of morbidity. RESULTS Most subjects were characterized as being in good health. The frequency of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions, and sensory impairments increased with age, while neurological, endocrine and dermatological diseases did not. Psychiatric and behavioural disorders declined with increasing age, at least through 70 years of age. Although most conditions increased with age, their frequency varied by sex and level of ID. Frequencies of age-related organ system morbidity were compared to data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey III. It was found that adults with ID had a lower overall reported frequency of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, and adult-onset diabetes. Inconsistencies with mortality data among older adults with ID were observed (which showed equal if not greater prevalence of deaths as a result of cardiovascular disease and cancer). CONCLUSION These results suggest that either a cohort effect is operating (i.e. contemporary populations are healthier than previous populations), or that there may be under-recognition of select risk factors and diseases.
Error-related brain activity dissociates hoarding disorder from obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with an abnormally large error-related negativity (ERN), an electrophysiological measure of error monitoring in response to performance errors, but it is unclear if hoarding disorder (HD) also shows this abnormality. This study aimed to determine whether the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying error monitoring are similarly compromised in HD and OCD. Method We used a visual flanker task to assess ERN in response to performance errors in 14 individuals with HD, 27 with OCD, 10 with HD+OCD, and 45 healthy controls (HC). Age-corrected performance and ERN amplitudes were examined using analyses of variance and planned pairwise group comparisons. Results A main effect of hoarding on ERN (p = 0.031) was observed, indicating ERN amplitudes were attenuated in HD relative to non-HD subjects. A group × age interaction effect on ERN was also evident. In HD-positive subjects, ERN amplitude deficits were significantly greater in younger individuals (r = −0.479, p = 0.018), whereas there were no significant ERN changes with increasing age in OCD and HC participants. Conclusions The reduced ERN in HD relative to OCD and HC provides evidence that HD is neurobiologically distinct from OCD, and suggests that deficient error monitoring may be a core pathophysiological feature of HD. This effect was particularly prominent in younger HD participants, further suggesting that deficient error monitoring manifests most strongly early in the illness course and/or in individuals with a relatively early illness onset.
Comprehensive assessment of genetic and molecular features predicting outcome in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: results from the US Intergroup Phase III Trial E2997.

PURPOSE Genomic features including unmutated immunoglobulin variable region heavy chain (IgVH) genes, del(11q22.3), del(17p13.1), and p53 mutations have been reported to predict the clinical course and overall survival of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In addition, ZAP-70 and Bcl-2 family proteins have been explored as predictors of outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS We prospectively evaluated the prognostic significance of a comprehensive panel of laboratory factors on both response and progression-free survival (PFS) using samples and data from 235 patients enrolled onto a therapeutic trial. Patients received either fludarabine (FL; n = 113) or fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide (FC; n = 122) as part of a US Intergroup randomized trial for previously untreated CLL patients. RESULTS Complete response (CR) rates were 24.6% for patients receiving FC and 5.3% for patients receiving FL (P = .00004). PFS was statistically significantly longer in patients receiving FC (median, 33.5 months for patients receiving FC and 19.9 months for patients receiving FL; P < .0001). The occurrence of del(17p13.1) (hazard ratio, 3.428; P = .0002) or del(11q22.3) (hazard ratio, 1.904; P = .006) was associated with reduced PFS. CR and overall response rates were not significantly different based on cytogenetics, IgVH mutational status, CD38 expression, or p53 mutational status. Expression of ZAP-70, Bcl-2, Bax, Mcl-1, XIAP, Caspase-3, and Traf-1 was not associated with either clinical response or PFS. CONCLUSION These results support the use of interphase cytogenetic analysis, but not IgVH, CD38 expression, or ZAP-70 status, to predict outcome of FL-based chemotherapy. Patients with high-risk cytogenetic features should be considered for alternative therapies.
Perception of Family Support is Correlated with Glycemic Control in Greeks with Diabetes Mellitus

We studied 98 native Greek patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Their degree of glycemic control, evaluated with glycated hemoglobin A1c levels, was correlated with perceived family support, assessed with the Family Support Scale. The different social context of Greece—and its corresponding perception of family support—influence glycemic control in a way that is at variance from data of some studies of Anglo-Saxon families. In conclusion, family support should be taken into consideration in the management of native Greek patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Urbanization, Tourism and Migrations: Interrelationships and Challenges in Spain

The increase in the flows of people due to the boom in tourism and leisure-oriented migration from central and northern Europe towards the Mediterranean coasts (Williams et al., 1997, 2000, 2004; King et al., 2000) has coincided in southern Spain since the 1960s with the transition from farming and fishing communities to communities whose economies are based on the construction sector and property-related activities around an intense development of second homes in coastal towns and nearby areas (Warnes, 1991; O’Reilly, 2000, 2003, 2007; Gustafson, 2001, 2009; Salvà, 2002; Rodríguez et al., 2004; Casado, 2006; Huete, 2009). Thus, in the process of modernisation that began fifty years ago in the Spanish Mediterranean region, the urban and tourism planning have been subject to the production of urban land demanded by the international real estate market (Barke, 1991; Monfort and Ivars, 2001; Vera and Ivars, 2003; Pedro, 2006). It is an economic system supported by the activity of the real estate sector, which has made a mere increase of the construction activity appear like tourism development (Mantecón, 2010).
Long-term outcomes after lower extremity trauma.

Previous studies have shown that over one-quarter of patients who were working before a severe lower extremity fracture had not returned to work by 12 months after injury. Disabilities also persisted in household management, recreation, and social interaction. The objective of this study was to determine whether recovery extended beyond 12 months. Three hundred nineteen patients who were previously working and were treated at three level I trauma centers for a severe lower extremity fracture were prospectively followed at 3, 6, and 12 months after injury. Patients were queried at each follow-up about their work status and completed the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) at 6 and 12 months. The SIP is a widely used and well validated measure of general health status; it was used in this study to measure functional recovery across several domains of daily living. Patients who had not recovered by 12 months (i.e., 204 who were not working, working with limitations, or had limitations in performing other daily activities as measured by elevated scores on the SIP) were contacted again at 30 months and asked to complete an interview and the SIP. At 30 months, an estimated 82% of the study patients had returned to work (compared to 72% at 12 months). SIP scores improved only slightly from 6.4 at 12 months to 5.7 at 30 months. At 30 months, 64% of the patients had no disability (SIP scores less than 4), 17% had mild disability (SIP scores of 4 to 9), 12% had moderate disability (SIP scores of 10 to 19), and 7% had severe disability (SIP scores of 20 or higher). Although the majority of patients with persistent disabilities at 30 months had residual physical impairments at 12 months, the extent of impairment did not fully explain why some people had and had not recovered at 30 months after injury. The results confirm those of other studies that conclude that overall, outcomes after serious trauma are good when appropriate trauma and rehabilitation care are rendered. However, a minority of patients still report limitations at 30 months after injury, with one-fifth not returning to work.
New Insights from the Enhancements to Quarterly Financial Accounts

Throughout 2015 and 2016, the Quarterly Financial Accounts of Ireland (QFA) will be expanded to reflect enhanced user requirements, the changing economic environment and the implementation of the latest European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA 2010) manual. The enhancements to the data will include the publication of whom-to-whom data for deposits and loans for the first time in end-April 2015. Other notable features of the enhancements to QFA include a change to the definition of non-financial corporations (NFCs) and the publication of NFCs trade credit liabilities, which is an important source of funding for NFCs. Further enhancements to the data will be made during 2016. This article analyses some of the insights which can be gained from the enhancements to the QFA data. It finds that since the financial crisis intensified in Q3 2008, there have been significant inflows into government deposit accounts by households and outflows from monetary financial institutions (MFIs) deposit accounts. The change in definition of NFCs under ESA 2010 markedly reduced Irish NFC debt, but it still remains quite elevated. Nearly half of NFC debt was with non-resident lenders, most likely reflecting the activities of multinational corporations (MNCs). The enhancements to the QFA data will be particularly useful in assessing financial stability risks to the economy and the potential transmission of risks between the institutional sectors of the economy.
Central auditory processing and social functioning following brain injury in children

Primary ive: To describe the percentage of children with central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) and examine the recovery patterns of social functional skills in children with and without CAPD admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following an acquired brain injury (ABI). Research design: Retrospective, descriptive. Methods and procedures: Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine overall differences in social functioning between groups, within groups and interaction effects for the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) Social Functional Skills and Caregiver Assistance scales for 31 children admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following ABI. Main outcomes and results: Significant overall effects were found in group differences and test occasions, but no significant interaction for either PEDI scale. Both groups showed significant intra-group changes between admission and discharge on both scales. Conclusions: Children with and without CAPD recovered social functional skills during inpatient rehabilitation. Children with CAPD were admitted and discharged with lower Social Function scores but demonstrated greater changes. The identification of CAPD during inpatient rehabilitation allows for appropriate discharge recommendations and realistic recovery expectations.
Targeting EGFR-PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling enhances radiosensitivity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is frequently characterized by high resistance to radiotherapy, which critically depends on both altered signaling pathways within tumor cells and their dynamic interaction with the tumor microenvironment. Areas covered: This review covers EGFR-phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT)-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in HNSCC. The role of each pathway node in radioresistance is discussed. Preclinical and clinical innovative aspects of targeting EGFR-PI3K-AKT and mTOR are demonstrated. Ongoing clinical trials and future perspectives are presented. Expert opinion: Different cellular signaling pathways seem to mediate radioresistance in advanced HNSCC and various molecular targeted therapies are currently being investigated to sensitize tumor cells to radiotherapy. Recently, new insights in the mutational landscape of HNSCC unraveled critical alterations in putative oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and have emphasized the importance of PI3K and the corresponding upstream and downstream signaling pathways in pathogenesis and treatment response. The frequent activation of the EGFR-PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway in HNSCC and its implication in the context of radiosensitivity make this pathway one of the most promising targets in the therapy of HNSCC patients. Clinical studies targeting EGFR and mTOR in combination with radiotherapy are under investigation.
Short-Term Molding Effects on the Upper Alveolar Arch following Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair with/without Nasal Vestibular Expansion

Objective To elucidate the various effects on maxillary growth following different procedures for vestibular expansion at the time of primary lip repair for unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Participants Thirty patients with complete UCLP who underwent primary lip repair using a triangular-flap technique with nasal vestibular expansion (NVE; the NVE group) and 30 patients who underwent the same lip repair with closure of the nasal floor (non-NVE group) were enrolled in this study. Interventions Serial dental casts on lip and palatal repair were scanned with a laser scanner. The three-dimensional coordinates of seven anatomical landmarks and their growth changes, the curvature radius rate between major/minor segments, and the collapse rates were compared between the two groups. Results At the time of lip repair, the incisal point was located slightly anteriorly in the non-NVE group. At the time of palatal repair, the cleft edge of the alveolar process in the minor segment was located significantly anteriorly and laterally in the NVE group, showing the significantly forward change of the minor segment. The minor segment collapsed in the non-NVE group. The collapse rate of the NVE group (3.3%) was significantly lower than that of the non-NVE group (40.0%). Conclusions NVE following simultaneous advancement of nasolabial components on the affected side at the time of primary lip repair for UCLP facilitates the forward molding of the maxilla, resulting in a more symmetrical alveolar arch form.
Visual PET/CT scoring for nonspecific 18F-FDG uptake in the differentiation of early malignant and benign esophageal lesions.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to evaluate a visual PET/CT scoring system for the differentiation of benign and early malignant esophageal uptake. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-six consecutive patients with precancerous or early malignant esophageal lesions including Barrett's esophagus, Tis, T1, and T2 adenocarcinomas were eligible. Findings of these patients were compared with 66 patients who had reported increased esophageal (18)F-FDG uptake due to benign esophageal disorders. Lesions were evaluated with scores using the following characteristics in PET/CT: FDG uptake intensity (low = 0, moderate = 1, high = 2), FDG uptake eccentricity (concentric = 0, eccentric = 1), FDG uptake focality (diffuse = 0, segmental = 1, focal = 2), esophageal thickness on the CT component (normal = 0, thickening = 1, mass = 2), and location (distal third of the esophagus = 0, middle third of the esophagus = 1, proximal third of the esophagus = 2). RESULTS Early malignant lesions had higher scores in FDG uptake intensity (p = 0.003; chi-square), eccentricity (p < 0.001), and focality (p < 0.001) compared with benign lesions. No significant difference was seen in esophageal thickness on CT (p = 0.168) and in location of the lesion (p = 0.291). Binary logistic regression analysis with a stepwise forward inclusion of all score components including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) of the lesions revealed that a total score combining eccentricity and focality scores has the highest accuracy of predicting early malignant disease. Using a threshold of equal or higher than 2 in the combined total focality-eccentricity score, the sensitivity was 83.3% and specificity was 68.2% for predicting early malignant disease. CONCLUSION Focality and eccentricity of FDG uptake prove to be valuable PET/CT characteristics for the differentiation of nonspecific FDG uptake in the esophagus.
Identifying Monetary Policy Shocks in a Data-Rich Environment: A Sign Restriction Approach in a Bayesian Factor-Augmented VAR †

In this paper we estimate the effects of monetary policy shocks in a Bayesian FactorAugmented vector autoregression (BFAVAR). We propose to employ as an identification strategy sign restrictions on the impulse response function of pertinent variables according to conventional wisdom, namely prices, monetary aggregates, spreads and interest rates. The key strength of our factor based approach is that sign restrictions can be imposed on many more (soundly selected) variables in order to pin down the impact of monetary policy shocks. Thus an exact identification of shocks can be approximated.Wefindthatourfactorgeneralizationofsignrestrictionoutperformsthecompeting Cholesky identification, is robust across different subsamples and avoids anomalies
Benefits and costs of cover crops: A framework for data collection and analysis

Bounaffaa, Myriam. M.S., Purdue University, August 2015. Benefits and Costs of Cover Crops: a Framework for Data Collection and Analysis. Major Professor: Wallace E. Tyner. Soil erosion and soil compaction can cause a decline in crop productivity and have harmful impacts on the environment. These concerns have raised awareness around the concept of sustainable production. Cover crops are crops that are grown in between cash crop growing seasons for their agronomic and environmental benefits. Researchers have proven the ability of cover crops to reduce soil erosion, reduce soil compaction, increase soil fertility, control weeds and possibly increase cash crop yields. Albeit their numerous benefits, incorporating cover crops into farming systems carry additional costs in terms of time and labor management. In the Midwest, the number of farmers using cover crops is minimal because they perceive the costs to be greater than the benefits. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to quantify the benefits and costs of cover crops in the Midwest. To meet the objective, primary data were collected by field and over the last five years. A total of 82 fields was collected, including 52 cover crop fields and 30 non-cover crop fields. The data were related to cash crops, chemical inputs and cover crops. Given the fact that each farm is unique, the data collected resulted in a high variability and heterogeneity in the crop rotation, field soil types and soil slopes. This variability greatly reduced the data that could be used in the quantitative analysis. From assessing the limitations of our study, we designed a framework for farmers’ selection process, data needs, and the analysis needed for future research. We suggested controlling for soil characteristics, crop rotation, and to some extent weather in farmer selection. Only farmers with five years of historic data by field should be included. About 350 fields of data need to be collected in order to perform the