Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Norovirus and Rotavirus Disease Severity in Children: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Rotaviruses (RVs) and noroviruses (NoVs) are the most common causes of severe acute gastroenteritis in children. It is generally accepted that RVs cause severe acute gastroenteritis in a higher proportion of cases compared with NoVs. To our knowledge, there are no systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing the severity of NoV and RV disease. Methods: We searched MEDLINE for studies reporting data for NoV and RV medically attended disease severity in children. We included studies where all children had been tested for both NoV (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) and RV (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) and that reported disease severity using the Vesikari or modified Vesikari score, or provided clinical information on severity. We generated pooled estimates of the mean with 95% confidence intervals using random effects meta-analysis. Results: We identified 266 publications, of which 31 were retained for qualitative analysis and 26 for quantitative analysis. Fourteen studies provided data on severity score for the meta-analysis. The pooled mean severity scores (95% confidence interval) among outpatients were 10 (8–12) and 11 (8–14) for NoV and RV, respectively. Among inpatients, they were 11 (9–13) for NoV and 12 (10–14) for RV. The difference was statistically significant among inpatients, but relatively small (1 point in a 20-point scale). About 20% more children with RV required rehydration when compared with children with NoV. Conclusions: NoV causes moderate to severe disease similar to RV in young children. This information should be useful for future evaluations of an eventual introduction of NoV vaccines in national immunization programs.
Examining relations between alpha power as well as anterior cingulate cortex-localized theta activity and response to single or dual antidepressant pharmacotherapies

Electrocortical indices may be useful in predicting antidepressant response. Greater pretreatment alpha power and high rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) theta activity tend to index a favorable outcome. The predictive utility of alpha power asymmetry has been under-explored. Baseline alpha2 (10.5–13.0 Hz) power/asymmetry, rACC theta2 (6.0–8.0 Hz) activity and early (one week) changes in these measures were assessed in relation to antidepressant response by week 12 to three treatment regimens (escitalopram (ESC) + bupropion (BUP), ESC or BUP) in patients with major depressive disorder (N=51). No treatment differences in response existed at week 12. Overall, treatment responders exhibited high, and non-responders low, frontal baseline alpha2 power. Frontal alpha2 power weakly discriminated responders/non-responders overall while posterior alpha2 power and BA25-localized theta2 activity strongly discriminated ESC responders/non-responders. No associations with alpha2 asymmetry and response emerged. BUP responders exhibited high, and BUP non-responders low, baseline rACC theta2 activity. Greater early decreases in rACC theta2 activity existed in ESC+BUP non-responders versus ESC+BUP responders. BUP responders exhibited greater rACC theta2 activity decreases than ESC responders. These preliminary results indicate that baseline and early changes in alpha2 and rACC theta2 activity associate with response and have implications for tailoring antidepressant treatments.
Outcome assessment alternatives for young children during the first 12 months after pediatric hearing-aid fittings

Abstract Objective: Perform longitudinal evaluations of young children during the first 12 months after initial hearing-aid fitting. Document evidence of early prelingual auditory development (EPLAD), identify factors that affect EPLAD, and define performance milestones that can guide best practices. Design: Unblinded, prospective, within-subject, repeated-measures design. Audiological measures and measures of EPLAD were taken at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months after hearing-aid fitting. Study sample: Subjects were 45 pediatric patients initially fitted with hearing aids between 1 and 5.5 years of age. Four groups were formed for analysis purposes based on severity of hearing loss (moderate-to-severe and profound) and initial fitting age (≤ 30 months and > 30 months). Results: All groups exhibited statistically significant increases in EPLAD within six months of hearing-aid fitting, and those with profound losses exhibited further statistically significant improvement between six and 12 months. Similar EPLAD levels were reached at 12 months regardless of severity of hearing loss. The EPLAD trajectory is similar to that following early cochlear implantation. Conclusions: Measures of EPLAD provide a means of evaluating outcomes following early pediatric hearing-aid intervention, supplementing behavioral audiological measures.
Determinants of Tax Morale in Croatia: an Ordered Logit Model

Abstract Background: A lower tax morality leads to an increased readiness to become active in the unofficial economy and causes the lack of public revenues. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to investigate determinants that shape tax morale of Croatian citizens. Methods/Approach: An ordered logit model is employed to evaluate which determinants shape tax morale of Croatian citizens. Data for the research were collected from 2,000 face-to-face interviews conducted in Croatia in late 2015. Results: The descriptive analysis illustrates that 52 percent of respondents reported a high level of tax morale, 26 percent of respondents have a low tax morale, while 8 and 14 percent have a mid-low and a mid-high tax morale, respectively. The ordered logit analysis revealed that gender, age, financial situation, region, and participation in the unofficial economy have an impact on the tax morale. Conclusions: Besides socio-demographic, socio-economic, and spatial determinants, a great number of sanctions for participation in informal activities also shapes tax morale of the Croatian citizens. More precisely, marginal effects show that those perceiving the expected sanctions as “normal tax or social security contributions due, plus a fine or a prison sentence” have by 6.3 percentage points higher probability of reporting the highest tax morale than others.
National Public Health Data Systems in the United States: Applications to Child Agricultural Injury Surveillance

PURPOSE The United States has no comprehensive national surveillance system for fatal or nonfatal child agricultural injuries. Thus, important knowledge gaps exist about recurrent injury patterns that could provide targeted focus for prevention efforts. The purpose of this study was to explore existing US public health data systems to determine their utility with respect to informing child agricultural injury surveillance and primary prevention. METHODS Public health data systems were selected if they: (1) were national in scope, (2) were active and ongoing, (3) included physical injuries, and (4) contained a "farm" location variable. Data systems explored included National Emergency Medical Services Information System, National Trauma Data Bank, National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program, and National Vital Statistics System-Multiple Cause File. FINDINGS Each data system contained substantial information per case with the number of fields ranging from 77 to 127. Beyond basic demographic information about the injured child, there were many injury descriptors, but few commonalities across systems. The most striking finding was the uniform absence of information on injury circumstances; that is, why and how the injury occurred, which is fundamental to planning and evaluating prevention initiatives. CONCLUSIONS Although these public health data systems captured many details regarding medical aspects of the injury, they included little information on circumstances leading to injury, thus limiting their utility for child agricultural injury surveillance and primary prevention initiatives. We recommend any child agricultural injury data collection tool formally incorporate a structured narrative so underlying circumstances leading to injury events are documented.
A comparison of the effects of raloxifene and conjugated equine estrogen on bone and lipids in healthy postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND Although many studies have assessed the effects of estrogen and raloxifene hydrochloride on bone mineral density and serum lipid concentrations, there are few direct comparative data. METHODS Randomized placebo-controlled trial for 3 years, intention-to-treat analysis. Six hundred nineteen postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy (mean age, 53.0 years) were studied in 38 centers in Europe, North America, Australasia, and South Africa. They were randomized to 60 mg/d or 150 mg/d of raloxifene, 0.625 mg/d of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE), or placebo. Bone density of the lumbar spine and proximal femur, biochemical markers of bone turnover, and fasting serum lipid concentrations were assessed for 3 years. RESULTS Compared with baseline, bone density in the lumbar spine progressively declined by 2.0% in the placebo group (P <.05), was stable in the 2 raloxifene groups, and increased 4.6% in the subjects receiving CEE (P <.001). Effects in both raloxifene groups were different from those observed in the CEE and placebo groups (P <.001). Bone density in the total hip showed similar results. Conjugated equine estrogen produced significantly greater depression of serum osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and urine C-telopeptide, compared with raloxifene. Each of the active treatments caused comparable depression of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol below placebo levels (P <.001 at most time points). Raloxifene did not affect high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, whereas CEE increased it by 13.4% compared with placebo at 3 years (P <.001). Triglyceride concentrations increased 24.6% in the CEE group at 3 years (P <.003), a significantly greater change than in the raloxifene groups, which were 4.9% and 8.0% above baseline (P < or =.002) but not different from placebo. Urinary incontinence was reported in 11 women receiving CEE, but in only 1 or 2 in each of the other groups (P < or =.01 compared with the other groups). Hernias occurred less frequently in those receiving 150 mg/d of raloxifene or CEE (P =.03 vs placebo). CONCLUSIONS Raloxifene and CEE have beneficial effects on bone density and bone turnover, although effects of CEE are more marked. Raloxifene and CEE produce different patterns of lipid responses and have distinct adverse effect profiles.
Troponin-I concentration 72 h after myocardial infarction correlates with infarct size and presence of microvascular obstruction

Objectives: The aim of this study was to use late gadolinium hyper-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging to determine if a 72-h troponin-I measurement would provide a more accurate estimation of infarct size and microvascular obstruction (MVO) than serial creatine kinase (CK) or early troponin-I values. Methods: LGE-CMR was performed 3.7±1.4 days after medical treatment for acute ST elevation or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Infarct size and MVO were measured and correlated with serum troponin-I concentrations, which were sampled 12 h and 72 h after admission, in addition to serial CK levels. Results: Ninety-three patients, of whom 71 had received thrombolysis for ST elevation myocardial infarction, completed the CMR study. Peak CK, 12-h troponin-I, and 72-h troponin-I were related to infarct size by LGE-CMR (r = 0.75, p<0.0001; r = 0.56, p = 0.0003; r = 0.62, p<0.0001 respectively). Serum biomarkers demonstrated higher values in the group with MVO compared with those without MVO (Peak CK 3085±1531 vs 1471±1135, p<0.001; 12-h troponin-I 58.3±46.9 vs 33.4±40.0, p = 0.13; 72-h troponin-I 11.5±9.9 vs 5.5±4.6, p<0.005). The correlation between the extent of MVO and 12-h troponin-I was not significant (r = 0.16), in contrast to the other serum biomarkers (peak CK r = 0.44, p<0.0001; 72-h troponin-I r = 0.46, p = 0.0002). Conclusion: A single measurement of 72-h troponin-I is similar to serial CK measurements in the estimation of both myocardial infarct size and extent of MVO, and is superior to 12-h troponin-I measurements.
Official Development Assistance and Foreign Direct Investment: An Empirical Investigation of Their Implications for Domestic Capital Formation in Africa

This study assesses the relationship between official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment (FDI) and the extent to which each influenced domestically financed capital formation (DFCF) in Africa. An empirical analysis using dynamic panel data estimation methods reveals that both FDI and ODA exerted independent and interactive effects on DFCF in the typical study country. We find that the effect of FDI on DFCF is generally negative, while that of ODA is positive. Whether ODA influenced FDI is observed to depend, in part, on whether the aid was committed to complementary or productive activities in the recipient countries.
Governance of Ecosystem Services in Agroecology: When Coordination is Needed but Difficult to Achieve

Transitioning towards agroecology involves the integration of biodiversity based ecosystem services into farming systems: for example, relying on biological pest control rather than pesticides. One promising approach for pest control relies on the conservation of semi-natural habitats at the landscape scale to encourage natural enemies of insect pests. However, this approach may require coordination between farmers to manage the interdependencies between the providers and beneficiaries of this ecosystem service. The main objective of this study was to identify hindrances to landscape-scale coordination strategies to control pests. To this end, we used a theoretical framework specifically designed to explore social interdependencies linked to ecosystem services. We applied this framework to a participatory research case study on pest control in apple orchards in southwest France to identify and describe key obstacles. We found four main impediments: (1) The perception of most stakeholders that the landscape does not deliver significant pest control services, (2) the challenge of coping with agroecological uncertainties, (3) an integrated vertical supply chain focused on pesticide use, (4) the existence of independent, non-collective alternatives. We discuss the potential of overcoming these obstacles or turning them into opportunities that promote a transition to agroecology and the integration of ecosystem services in farms and their supply chains.
Utility of Cell-cycle Modulators to Predict Vascular Invasion and Recurrence After Surgical Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background. The outcome of surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could be improved by applying patient selection criteria based on tumoral aggressiveness. Here we analyzed the prognostic role of the expression of several genes involved in cell-cycle regulation in a group of patients with HCC. Methods. We retrospectively studied 93 patients (67 transplanted and 26 resections) treated between 1996 and 2000. In micro-thick sections from paraffin-embedded tumoral tissues, the expression of p53, pRb, p16, and cyclin D1 was analyzed. A logistic regression model was used to detect factors related to vascular invasion. A Cox regression model was applied to identify pathologic and molecular factors with the capacity to predict the recurrence of HCC. Results. Only tumor size >3 cm (odds ratio [OR]: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.2–9.9; P=0.019) and pRb expression (OR: 4.1; 95% CI: 1.02–17; P=0.053) were associated with an increased risk of vascular invasion. The regression model applied to the group of transplanted patients showed three factors that were independently related to recurrence: vascular invasion (OR 7.5; 95% CI: 1.1–51.8; P=0.039); pRb expression (OR: 11; 95% CI: 1.2–96.9; P=0.03); and p16 expression (OR: 69.7; 95% CI: 5.1–9448; P=0.001). In the group of resected patients, pRb expression was associated with higher risk of recurrence only in the univariate analysis (P=0.037). The multivariate analysis showed tumor size >3 cm (OR: 57.5; 95% CI: 1.1–51.8; P=0.039) and vascular invasion (OR: 6.1; 95% CI: 1.05–35.3; P=0.044) to be significantly associated with recurrence. Conclusions. Of the molecular factors studied, only pRb expression was useful as a predictive factor of vascular invasion in patients with HCC, and also of recurrence in transplanted patients with this carcinoma. pRb expression may be relevant to consider when selecting patients for resection and when identifying transplanted patients with a high risk of recurrence.
Whi3, a Developmental Regulator of Budding Yeast, Binds a Large Set of mRNAs Functionally Related to the Endoplasmic Reticulum*♦

Whi3 is an RNA-binding protein associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that binds the CLN3 mRNA and plays a key role in the efficient retention of cyclin Cln3 at the ER. In the present work, we have identified new Whi3-associated mRNAs by a genomic approach. A large and significant number of these Whi3 targets encode for membrane and exocytic proteins involved in processes such as transport and cell wall biogenesis. Consistent with the genomic data, we have observed that cell wall integrity is compromised in Whi3-deficient cells and found strong genetic interactions between WHI3 and the cell integrity pathway. Whi3-associated mRNAs are enriched in clusters of the tetranucleotide GCAU, and mutation of the GCAU clusters in the CLN3 mRNA caused a reduction in its association to Whi3, suggesting that these sequences may act as cis-determinants for binding. Our data suggest that Whi3 is involved in the regulation and/or localization of a large subset of mRNAs functionally related to the ER and, since it is important for different molecular processes such as cytoplasmic retention or exocytic traffic of proteins, we propose that Whi3 is a general modulator of protein fate in budding yeast.
Backpacker Identity: Scale Development and Validation

Backpacker identity has attracted growing attention in backpacker tourism research. However, there still lacks a valid scale to measure backpacker identity. Guided by Social Identity Theory (SIT), this study aims to develop and validate a scale to measure backpacker identity in the Chinese context. The study used two Chinese backpacker samples in two stages (Study 1, n=190; Study 2, n=323) to establish the psychometric properties of a backpacker identity scale (BIS). Following the process of scale development, a three-dimension (i.e., self-categorization, group self-value, and group self-evaluation) backpacker identity measurement model was identified. The refined scale with 16 measurement items was finally identified with sufficient reliability and validity. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Predicting Inverter-Induced Harmonic Loss by Improved Harmonic Injection

This letter presents an improved harmonic injection method for determination of inverter-induced harmonic power loss across a range of induction motors rated at 1.1, 7.5, 15, and 30 kW. Techniques to obtain the necessary experimental precision and repeatability are investigated in detail. The harmonic injection method allows the machine to be tested under normal operating conditions while a range of selected harmonics are superimposed on the fundamental frequency of the pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform. This technique is validated by direct loss measurement using a specially built calorimeter capable of detecting power loss as low as a few watts in induction motors of up to 30 kW. Comparisons of segregated losses by IEEE 112 method B for the machines operating on sinusoidal and inverter-fed supplies show a good correlation between high frequency PWM harmonic loss and core loss. Core loss is not a constant proportion of total loss for any machine and neither is harmonic loss independent of machine design.
Subtypes of mild cognitive impairment in parkinson's disease: Progression to dementia

The aim of this study was to establish the rate of progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). PD patients without dementia were recruited in 1997 from an ongoing prospective epidemiological study. The assessment included neurological and psychiatric examinations, a clinical interview based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (DSM‐III‐R) criteria for dementia, and a battery of neuropsychological tests. PD was diagnosed according to established criteria, dementia was diagnosed according to the DSM‐III‐R criteria, and subtypes of MCI were classified according to modified Petersen's criteria. Seventy‐two nondemented PD patients were included. A total of 34 were cognitively intact, whereas 38 were diagnosed with MCI (amnestic, n = 6; single nonmemory domain, n = 17; multiple domains slightly impaired, n = 15). Fifty‐nine patients (82%) completed follow‐up examination 4 years later, and 18 (62%) of the patients with MCI and 6 (20%) of the cognitively intact PD patients were demented (P = 0.001). Single domain nonmemory MCI and multiple domains slightly impaired MCI were associated with later development of dementia (P = 0.003; P = 0.04), whereas amnestic MCI subtype was not (P = 0.76). We conclude that patients with PD and MCI had a higher risk of developing dementia than cognitively intact PD patients, suggesting that MCI in PD is an early manifestation of dementia. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to the relatively small number of subjects included in this study. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Higher Prevalence of TDP‐43 Proteinopathy in Cognitively Normal Asians: A Clinicopathological Study on a Multiethnic Sample

Transactive response DNA binding protein 43 (TDP‐43) proteinopathy is the major hallmark of frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is also present in a subset of Alzheimer's disease cases. Recently, few reports showed TDP‐43 changes in cognitively normal elderly. In Caucasians, TDP‐43 proteinopathy independently correlate with cognitive decline. However, it is challenging to establish direct links between cognitive and/or neuropsychiatric symptoms and protein inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases because individual cognitive reserves modify the threshold for clinical disease expression. Cognitive reserve is influenced by demographic, environmental and genetic factors. We investigated the relationships between demographic, clinical and neuropathological variables and TDP‐43 proteinopathy in a large multiethnic sample of cognitively normal elderly. TDP‐43 proteinopathy was identified in 10.5%, independently associated with older age (P = 0.03) and Asian ethnicity (P = 0.002). Asians showed a higher prevalence of TDP‐43 proteinopathy than Caucasians, even after adjustment for sex, age, Braak stage and schooling (odds ratio = 3.50, confidence interval 1.41–8.69, P = 0.007). These findings suggested that Asian older adults may be protected from the clinical manifestation of brain TDP‐43 proteinopathy. Future studies are needed to identify possible race‐related protective factors against clinical expression of TDP‐43 proteinopathies.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Objective and subjective voice outcomes after total laryngectomy

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