Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Central Nervous System Lymphomas In Organ Allograft Recipients

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement occurred in 289 of 1332 patients (22%) with posttransplant non-Hodgkins lymphomas. The average time of appearance was 33 months (range 3 weeks to 248.5 months) posttransplantation. Lesions were confined to the CNS in 159 patients (55%), while 130 (45%) had involvement of other organs. Lesions involved the brain in 254 patients (88%), the brain and spinal cord in 5 (2%), the spinal cord in 2 (1%), unspecified locations in the CNS in 13 (4%), the meninges in 8 (3%), and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 7 (2%). All patients whose only involvement of the CNS was of the meninges or CSF had lymphomas involving multiple organs. Many tumors (48%) appeared within one year after transplantation. Brain lesions were frequently multicentric in distribution. Ninety-one (31%) of the 289 patients had no treatment and died, 70 (77%) of their malignancies and 21 (23%) from other causes. Of 198 patients who received treatment 124 (63%) died of their malignancies; 40 (20%) died of other causes, including 17 patients who had had complete remissions following treatment; 22 (11%) are currently alive and in complete remission; and 12 (6%) are alive and still undergoing therapy. The treatment of choice is local radiotherapy to the brain, which either alone (18 patients) or in combination with other modalities (14 patients) caused 32 of the 39 (82%) complete remissions. Ten of 30 patients with disease localized to the CNS survived more than 5 years, including 6 who survived more than 10 years. CNS lymphomas should be suspected whenever a transplant patient has neurologic symptoms however minor, and prompt work-up is essential to eliminate other possible causes. The dismal prognosis can be improved only by early diagnosis and prompt therapy.
Affective modulation of anterior cingulate cortex in young people at increased familial risk of depression

Background We previously found that children of parents with depression showed impaired performance on a task of emotional categorisation. Aims To test the hypothesis that children of parents with depression would show abnormal neural responses in the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region involved in the integration of emotional and cognitive information. Method Eighteen young people (mean age 19.8 years) with no personal history of depression but with a biological parent with a history of major depression (FH+ participants) and 16 controls (mean age 19.9 years) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing an emotional counting Stroop task. Results Controls showed significant activation in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex to both positive and negative words during the emotional Stroop task. This activation was absent in FH+ participants. Conclusions Our findings show that people at increased familial risk of depression demonstrate impaired modulation of the anterior cingulate cortex in response to emotionally valenced stimuli.
Perceptions of Hospitality Faculty and Students of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

ABSTRACT Over the past few years, higher education has been introduced to the new concept of massive open online courses (MOOCs). MOOCs deliver free courses to thousands of students around the globe, and the impact they will have on higher education has become a topic of discussion. This study investigated perceptions of hospitality students and faculty with regard to MOOCs. The study found significant differences for several attributes and behavioral aspects. Overall, students expressed more enthusiasm compared to faculty regarding MOOCs. Perhaps faculty may have a deeper understanding of the MOOCs concept and the challenges that they may bring.
Fibrin network structure and clot mechanical properties are altered by incorporation of erythrocytes

Summary Although many in vitro fibrin studies are performed with plasma, in vivo clots and thrombi contain erythrocytes, or red blood cells (RBCs). To determine the effects of RBCs on fibrin clot structure and mechanical properties, we compared plasma clots without RBCs to those prepared with low (2 vol%), intermediate (5-10 vol%), or high (≥20 vol%) numbers of RBCs. By confocal microscopy, we found that low RBC concentrations had little effect on clot structure. Intermediate RBC concentrations caused heterogeneity in the fiber network with pockets of densely packed fibers alongside regions with few fibers. With high levels of RBCs, fibers arranged more uniformly but loosely around the cells. Scanning electron micrographs demonstrated an uneven distribution of RBCs throughout the clot and a significant increase in fiber diameter upon RBC incorporation. While permeability was not affected by RBC addition, at 20% or higher RBCs, the ratio of viscous modulus (G′′) to elastic modulus (G′) increased significantly over that of a clot without any RBCs. RBCs triggered variability in the fibrin network structure, individual fiber characteristics, and overall clot viscoelasticity compared to the absence of cells. These results are important for understanding in vivo clots and thrombi.
Large-scale clinical comparison of the lysis-centrifugation and radiometric systems for blood culture

The Isolator 10 lysis-centrifugation blood culture system (E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc., Wilmington, Del.) was compared with the BACTEC radiometric method (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.) with 6B and 7D broth media for the recovery of bacteria and yeasts. From 11,000 blood cultures, 1,174 clinically significant organisms were isolated. The Isolator system recovered significantly more total organisms, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus spp. , and yeasts. The BACTEC system recovered significantly more Pseudomonas spp. , Streptococcus spp. , and anaerobes. Of the Isolator colony counts, 87% measured less than 11 CFU/ml of blood. Organisms, on an average, were detected the same day from each of the two culture systems. Only 13 of the 975 BACTEC isolates (0.01%) were recovered by subculture of growth-index-negative bottles, and 12 of the 13 were detected in another broth blood culture taken within 24 h. Contaminants were recovered from 4.8% of the Isolator 10 and 2.3% of the BACTEC cultures.
Combined Therapy with GnRH Analog Plus Growth Hormone in Central Precocious Puberty

GnRH analogues (GnRHa) arrest pubertal development, and slow growth velocity (GV) and bone maturation, thus improving adult height in central precocious puberty (CPP). In some patients, however, GV decreases to such an extent that it compromises the improvement in predicted adult height (PAH) and therefore the addition of GH is suggested. Of 20 patients with idiopathic CPP (treated with GnRHa [depot-triptorelin] at a dose of 100 microg/kg every 21 days i.m. for at least 2-3 yr) whose GV fell below the 25th percentile for chronological age (CA), ten received, in addition to the GnRHa, GH at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg/wk, s.c. 6 days weekly, for 2-4 yr. Ten patients matched for BA, CA, and duration of GnRHa treatment who showed the same growth pattern but refused GH treatment, served to evaluate the efficacy of the addition of GH. No patient showed classical GH deficiency. Both groups discontinued treatment at a comparable BA (mean +/- SEM): 13.2 +/- 0.2 yr in GnRHa + GH vs 13.0 +/- 0.1 yr in the control group. At the conclusion of the study all the patients had achieved adult height. Adult height was considered to be attained when the growth during the preceding year was less than 1 cm, with a BA of over 15 yr. Patients of the group treated with GH + GnRHa showed an adult height significantly higher (p<0.001) than pretreatment PAH (160.6 +/- 1.3 vs 152.7 +/- 1.7 cm). Height SDS for BA significantly increased from -1.5 +/- 0.2 at start of GnRHa to -0.21 +/- 0.2 at adult height (p<0.001). Target height was significantly exceeded. The GnRH alone treated group reached an adult height not significantly higher than pretreatment PAH (157.1 +/- 2.5 vs 155.5 +/- 1.9 cm). Height SDS for BA did not change (from -1.0 +/- 0.3 at start of GnRHa to -0.7 +/- 0.4 at adult height). Target height was just reached but not significantly exceeded. The gain in centimeters obtained calculated between pretreatment PAH and final height was 7.9 +/- 1.1 cm in patients treated with GH combined with GnRH analogue while in patients treated with GnRH analogue alone the gain was just 1.6 cm +/- 1.2 (p=0.001). Furthermore, no side effects, bone age progression, or ovarian cysts, were observed in GnRHa + GH treated patients. In conclusion, a gain of 7.9 cm in adult height represents a significant improvement which justifies the addition of GH for 2-3 yr to conventional treatment with GnRH analogues in patients with central precocious puberty, and with a decrease in growth velocity so marked as to impair predicted adult height to below the third percentile.
Microbial biomass and abundance after forest fire in pine forests in Japan

Microbial characteristics of soil are being evaluated increasingly as sensitive indicators of soil health because of the clear relationship between microbial diversity, soil and plant quality and ecosystem sustainability. This study aimed to determine microbial carbon biomass and microbial abundance after fire to estimate the degree of damage, including the rate of recovery of micro-organisms, in each area. The study also aimed to establish relationships between microbial biomass and microbial abundance and the physico-chemical properties of the soil. The study was conducted in three different study areas in Hiroshima prefecture, one unburned area and two burnt areas (one immediately after and one 2 years after fire). anova showed a significant difference in microbial carbon biomass and microbial abundance among the study areas. Microbial carbon biomass and microbial abundance were highest in the unburned area, followed by the area burnt 2 years ago and lastly by the area studied immediately after fire. Carbon biomass was highly correlated with microbial abundance (r2 = 0.950). Carbon biomass and microbial abundance were shown to be significantly correlated to the soil’s physico-chemical properties, such as pH, moisture content, water-holding capacity and carbon : nitrogen (C : N) ratio. However, the C : N ratio was closely correlated to both carbon biomass and microbial abundance with r2 = 0.705 (P < 0.01) and r2 = 0.560 (P < 0.01), respectively.
In Service of the Leviathan: Democracy, Ethics and the Potential for Administrative Evil in the New Public Management

Abstract In this paper, we argue that the practice of New Public Management (NPM) subverts democracy by undermining the social contract and substituting a market mentality with very different normative expectations. Like late modern Hobbesians, those who advocate NPM offer a vision of public service in which democratic politics and ethics become increasingly irrelevant. In this scenario, the market becomes the new leviathan, which we have no choice but to obey. The values of this sovereign-competition, exchange values, transaction costs, and survival of the fittest-have driven most remaining vestiges of democracy from the public square. Such an atmosphere leaves us disturbingly vulnerable to the practice of administrative evil.
Amniotic Membrane Implantation as a Therapeutic Contact Lens for the Treatment of Epithelial Disorders

Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of amniotic membrane implantation as a therapeutic contact lens in the treatment of different epithelial defects without stromal ulceration. Methods. We used amniotic membrane implantation as a therapeutic contact lens in 20 consecutive patients with epithelial defects. Group 1 included 10 patients with persistent epithelial defects that did not respond to medical treatment. Group 2 included 10 patients with surgically induced epithelial defects. Results. No intra-or postoperative complications were observed. The amniotic membrane implant remained in place for a mean of 12.5 days (range, 3–34). In 11 of the 20 patients, the amniotic membrane implant became detached within the first 8 days. When the corneal implant was postoperatively covered with a soft contact lens, this time increased. In group 1, complete epithelialization was achieved in three of the four cases in which the amniotic membrane remained in place for 2 or more weeks. There were no cases of complete epithelialization in which the implant remained in place for less than 1 week. In group 2, epithelialization was achieved in all cases, regardless of the time that the implant remained in place. Conclusion. Amniotic membrane implanted as a therapeutic contact lens can be an effective and safe option for the treatment of different epithelial defects. In patients with persistent epithelial defects, the number of cases with complete postoperative epithelialization was higher when the amniotic membrane remained in place longer. The early detachment of the amniotic membrane implant remains a major problem, even with the use of multiple fixation sutures.
Efficacy and safety of apatinib treatment for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective No standard chemotherapy is available for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who have failed prior first-line chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib, an oral VEGFR-2 inhibitor, as salvage treatment for advanced ESCC. Patients and methods After apatinib dosing, the efficacy and toxicity were evaluated in 62 patients with pretreated advanced ESCC from 2014 to 2016 at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. In addition, survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Results Among the 62 patients, 15 achieved partial response while 31 had stable disease with a response rate of 24.2% and a disease control rate of 74.2%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 115 and 209 days, respectively. Grade 3/4 toxicities (59.7%) were acceptable. Patients with grade 3/4 toxicities showed a longer PFS than those without (136 vs 63 days, P=0.044). Conclusion Apatinib is efficacious as second- or further-line treatment for advanced ESCC.
Predictors of ambulance use in patients with acute myocardial infarction in Australia

Aims: To determine ambulance transport rates and investigate predictors for ambulance use by patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Australia. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional descriptive survey using structured interviews. It included patients who were admitted to two hospitals (Western, Bendigo, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) with AMI between 1 October 2004 and 31 March 2005, and data were collected by semistructured interview and medical record review. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analysis using SPSS. Results: 105 patients were interviewed. 48 (46%) participants called for an ambulance as their initial medical contact. Participants who called for an ambulance had a shorter interval between symptom onset and presentation to hospital than those who did not (non-ambulance participants)(median 2.1 v 7.8 h; p = 0.001). Predictors of ambulance transport were older age (p = 0.008), symptom onset on the weekend (p = 0.022), presence of sharp chest pain (p = 0.011), self-administered anginine (p = 0.007), symptom onset at home (p = 0.027) and having a lower income (<$A20 000; p = 0.022). After multivariate analysis, self-administered anginine, sharp chest pain and occurrence of symptom onset at home remained as independent predictors of ambulance use. Conclusion: A substantial number of patients do not call for an ambulance as their first medical contact after the onset of AMI symptoms. Public education on the benefits of ambulance transport and early treatment, as well as recognition of AMI symptoms, is required.
Adhesion of Thymocytes to Bone Marrow Stromal Cells: Regulation by bFGF and IFN‐γ

We recently reported on selective interactions between immature T cell subpopulations and bone marrow (BM) stromal cells. To further study this process, we first examined the efficacy of methods estimating cell‐cell adhesion and then investigated the effects of cytokines on thymocyte‐stroma associations. Techniques based on the use of the fluorochromes calcein‐acetomethylester (calcein‐AM) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) were studied and compared to regular cell counting methods. With calcein‐AM labeling, the retention time was relatively long, while with FDA labeling, there was a rapid cellular efflux. Using calcein‐AM, we developed an accurate quantitative fluorometric assay for determining the adherence of thymocytes to a BM stromal cell line (MBA‐13). A maximal fraction of about 29% thymocytes was found to adhere to confluent MBA‐13 cell layers after four to six h of coculture. Whereas interleukin 1 did not change the rate of adhesion of thymocytes to the stroma, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) significantly increased adhesion. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) had a dose‐dependent biphasic effect on thymocyte adhesion, and a greater fraction of double negative thymocytes adhered to stroma pretreated with bFGF. Taken together, these results suggest that IFN‐γ and bFGF modulate T cells‐BM stromal cell adhesion.
Melatonin improves the survival of cryopreserved callus of Rhodiola crenulata

Abstract: An important aspect of the function of melatonin seems to be the mediation of stress caused by environmental and chemical factors. In the cryopreservation process, environmental changes including osmotic injury, desiccation, and low temperature can impose a series of stresses on plants. In this study, we evaluated the role of melatonin in stress protection during the process of cryopreservation using callus of an endangered plant species Rhodiola crenulata. The survival rate of the cryopreserved callus significantly increased when the callus was pretreated for 5 days with 0.1 μm melatonin prior to freezing in liquid nitrogen. Analysis of antioxidative activity following the pretreatment of callus with 0.1 μm melatonin showed a significant reduction in malondialdehyde production during various steps of cryopreservation. Enhanced peroxidase and catalase activity was observed in the callus after pretreatment with 0.1 μm melatonin compared to the control. These observations provide new evidence of the antioxidant/anti‐stress function of melatonin, and it is the first report of its potential application in the preservation of elite endangered germplasm through the process of cryopreservation.
USING THEORY OF REASONED ACTION (TRA) IN UNDERSTANDING SELECTION AND USE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES: AN INFORMATION RESOURCE SELECTION AND USE MODEL

With advanced computer and networking technologies, more and more information can be accessed electronically. Information overload has become an issue and it is increasingly difficult for a user to quickly identify and locate useful information resources. In order for libraries to provide user-centered services, it is important to examine not only what, but also why information resources are selected and used by users. The present study aims to examine how resource characteristics, library environment, and individual differences factors affect users’ selection and use of information resources by testing a proposed model-Information Resources Selection and Use Model (IRSUM) based upon the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Public health students in a higher institution in the Midwestern United States were study subject. Data was collected through both focus group and self-reported questionnaires and was analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques. The study found that electronic resources were the public health students’ primary resources. Three behavior beliefs (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived least physical effort) and two normative beliefs (instructor’s influence and reference librarian’s influence) largely mediated the effect of external variables on the primary resource selection, while fully mediating their impact on the actual resource use. These findings provide important theoretical and practical implications in library and information science and library services.
Parental Educational Involvement in High School: Practice, Policy, and Implications for Low-Income and Minority Youth

Wehrspann, Elizabeth, A. Ph.D., Purdue University, August 2016. Parental Educational Involvement in High School: Practice, Policy, and Implications for Low-Income and Minority Youth. Major Professor: Aryn M. Dotterer. Parental educational involvement has become a key factor in policies and practice aimed at improving academic achievement, particularly for low-income and racial/ethnic minority youth. While much previous work has explored parental educational involvement for younger children, few consistent findings have emerged regarding parental educational involvement strategies with adolescents. Further, extant literature has shown mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of parents’ school choice (i.e. selecting a school regardless of geographic location) for increasing parents’ educational involvement and social capital more broadly. This dissertation addressed these findings in the literature by using two large nationally representative datasets – the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 – to explore the facets of parental educational involvement that are associated with academic achievement and educational attainment, as well as the role of school choice in increasing parents’ social capital. Findings from the first study suggested that academic socialization may be the most beneficial form of parental educational involvement, particularly for white and
Differential Sensitivity of Well-Differentiated Avian Respiratory Epithelial Cells to Infection by Different Strains of Infectious Bronchitis Virus

ABSTRACT Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is an avian coronavirus affecting the respiratory tract of chickens. To analyze IBV infection of the lower respiratory tract, we applied a technique that uses precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs). This method allows infection of bronchial cells within their natural tissue composition under in vitro conditions. We demonstrate that IBV strains 4/91, Italy02, and QX infect ciliated and mucus-producing cells of the bronchial epithelium, whereas cells of the parabronchial tissue are resistant to infection. This is the first study, using PCLSs of chicken origin, to analyze virus infection. PCLSs should also be a valuable tool for investigation of other respiratory pathogens, such as avian influenza viruses.
Microdeterminants of Poverty among the Farming Population in Bangladesh

This paper examines the determinants of poverty among the farming population of Bangladesh by applying a probit model with heteroscedastic structure (hetprobit). The model diagnostic reveals that the choice of hetprobit instead of a standard probit is more appropriate in this case. Among the socioeconomic factors, land ownership, farm resource endowments and non-agricultural income significantly reduce the probability of becoming poor. On the other hand, the number of dependants and education of female members significantly increase the likelihood of becoming poor. Adoption of green revolution technology does not seem to have any significant influence on the likelihood of being poor. However, regional and village level factors have significant influence on poverty. The likelihood of poverty is significantly lower in regions with developed infrastructure and high soil fertility. Poverty is also significantly lower in Comilla and Jamalpur, implying that geographical location matters. Policies to promote land ownership and farm resource endowments, investment in rural infrastructure development and soil fertility improvement will significantly reduce poverty among the farming population of Bangladesh.