Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A review of the public-funded primary health care facilities for children in the pluralistic health care settings of Barbados, a Caribbean island

Aim The major objectives of this study were to evaluate the existing pediatrics health care service provisions and utilizations of the public polyclinics in Barbados. Furthermore, the aim was to assess if the existing manpower resources were adequate. Background Barbados has a mixed health care system consisting of both a socialized and a private health care system. The Ministry of Health commissioned a needs assessment survey of the pediatrics primary health care at the public polyclinics. Methods Primary data were collected through interviews with the public primary health care providers. Secondary data were collected from the Barbados Census Data and Ministry of Health statistics. Data were analyzed to assess the pediatrics primary health care service utilization and adequacy of existing resources at the polyclinics. Findings In 2012, there were 62 934 visits from children <16 years of age to the public polyclinics in Barbados and this accounted for 39.1% of all visits (both adults and children) to the polyclinics. An overall 16.7% of the visits were from children less than five years old to the Well Child Clinic for immunization and for growth and development monitoring; 32% of all physician consultations at the polyclinics were for children <16 years. Utilization of health services by children at the polyclinics was 5245 visits/month. Given an expected monthly demand for 10 822 visits from children, the polyclinics serve 48.5% of the primary health care demand for children in Barbados. Conclusions The public polyclinics play a pivotal role in the pluralistic primary health care system in Barbados. They fulfill nearly half of all the primary care demand and more importantly provides for almost the entire immunization demand, and thereby ensuring high coverage. The existing resources, if used optimally, would reduce the long consultation time observed in this setting, and thereby increase the capacity considerably.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoenzyme S is an adhesion

Exoenzyme S from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been studied as an adhesion for glycosphingolipids and buccal cells. Binding of exoenzyme S to gangliotriosylceramide (GalNAc beta 1-4Gal beta 1-4Glc beta 1-1Cer), gangliotetraosylceramide (Gal beta 1-3 GalNAcT beta 1-4 Gal beta 1-4Glc beta 1-1Cer), and lactosylceramide (Gal beta 1-4Glc beta 1-1Cer) separated on thin-layer chromatograms was observed. Binding curves for exoenzyme S with dilutions of gangliotetraosylceramide immobilized on plastic plates were similar to previously reported results for the intact bacteria. Binding of exoenzyme S to sialylated counterparts of these glycosphingolipids was not seen, indicating that the addition of a sialic acid residue interferes with binding. Exoenzyme S and monoclonal antibody to exoenzyme S inhibit the binding of P. aeruginosa to buccal cells. The presence of exoenzyme S on the surface of P. aeruginosa was detected by immunogold labeling of bacteria with antibodies to exoenzyme S. Results of these studies led us to conclude that exoenzyme S is an important adhesion of P. aeruginosa.
Prognostic Significance of Interleukin-7 Receptor-&agr; Gene Polymorphisms in Allogeneic Stem-Cell Transplantation: A Confirmatory Study

Background. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a hematopoietic cytokine essential for T-cell development in the thymus and for the maintenance of peripheral T cells. A previous study of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the exons of IL-7 receptor &agr;-chain (IL-7R&agr;) in a Danish cohort of patients undergoing allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT) identified donor genotype GG at rs1494555 as a risk factor for treatment-related mortality (TRM) after SCT. Methods. In this validation study, 116 British and French SCT patients and their donors were investigated by sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction. Results. Both donor rs1494555GG genotype and the tightly coupled rs1494558TT genotype were significantly associated with grade 3 to 4 acute graft versus host disease. Although both genotypes tended to be associated with increased TRM, this did not translate into altered overall survival. Conclusion. The present data indicate that the IL-7 pathway is associated with alloreactivity in SCT, which is in line with the previously observed association between IL-7R&agr; single nucleotide polymorphisms and TRM.
Subungual Melanoma: A Study of 124 Cases Highlighting Features of Early Lesions, Potential Pitfalls in Diagnosis, and Guidelines for Histologic Reporting

Subungual melanoma (SUM) is an uncommon variant of melanoma that is often difficult to diagnose, both clinically and pathologically. In an attempt to provide pathologic clues to diagnosis, especially in early lesions or small biopsies, and to provide practical advice to pathologists in reporting, the clinicopathologic features of 124 cases of SUM were reviewed, the largest series reported to date. The features of 28 cases of subungual melanoma in situ (MIS), comprising 4 cases of MIS and 24 cases where areas of MIS were present adjacent to dermal-invasive SUMs, were compared with those of a similar number of acral nevi to identify useful distinguishing features. The median age of the patients was 59 years and the most common site was the great toe (24%). Nine percent of cases were AJCC stage 0, 14% were stage I, 41% were stage II, 32% were stage III, and 4% were stage IV at initial diagnosis. The commonest histogenetic subtype was acral lentiginous (66%), followed by nodular (25%) and desmoplastic (7%). The majority of tumors were locally advanced at presentation with 79% being Clark level IV or V. The median Breslow thickness was 3.2 mm. The median mitotic rate was 3 per mm2 and 33% of cases demonstrated primary tumor ulceration. Seven of 29 patients (24%) who underwent a sentinel lymph node biopsy had nodal disease. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis showed higher disease stage to be the only significant predictor of shortened survival. In comparison to acral nevi, MIS more frequently showed lack of circumscription, a prominent lentiginous growth pattern, predominance of single cells over nests, moderate-to-severe cytologic atypia, a dense and haphazard pagetoid intraepidermal spread of melanocytes, and the presence of junctional/subjunctional lymphocytes (“tumor infiltrating lymphocytes”). Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes have not been highlighted previously as a feature of subungual MIS and represent a useful diagnostic clue. Guidelines for the reporting of SUMs are also presented. Knowledge and recognition of the pathologic features of SUMs and the important features that distinguish them from nevi should reduce the frequency of misdiagnosis.
A model for Mars radiation environment characterization

A modeling framework for the prediction of the Martian radiation environment is presented. Features include input solar cycle modulated cosmic ray and solar particle event spectra, based both on CREME-96, the transport of this radiation in the Martian atmosphere and regolith, including creation of secondaries, using the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit. Details of the atmosphere are derived from the European Mars Climate Database with a dense topological grid and layering of the atmosphere. Seasonal and diurnal variations are considered. Surface topology is derived from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and geology is modeled. The outputs are full particle transport histories, maps of radiation fluxes, and doses. The model will be applied to future European Mars missions.
Fluorine-19 Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography of Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Tumor Metabolism

The presence of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is significantly associated with poor prognosis of tumors. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging- (MRI-) based TAM imaging methods that use nanoparticles such as superparamagnetic iron oxide and perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions are available for quantitative monitoring of TAM burden in tumors. However, whether MRI-based measurements of TAMs can be used as prognostic markers has not been evaluated yet. In this study, we used positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) as a radioactive tracer and fluorine-19- (19F-) MRI for imaging mouse breast cancer models to determine any association between TAM infiltration and tumor metabolism. Perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions were intravenously administered to track and quantify TAM infiltration using a 7T MR scanner. To analyze glucose uptake in tumors, 18F-FDG-PET images were acquired immediately after 19F-MRI. Coregistered 18F-FDG-PET and 19F-MR images enabled comparison of spatial patterns of glucose uptake and TAM distribution in tumors. 19F-MR signal intensities from tumors exhibited a strong inverse correlation with 18F-FDG uptake while having a significant positive correlation with tumor growth from days 2 to 7. These results show that combination of 19F-MRI and 18F-FDG-PET can improve our understanding of the relationship between TAM and tumor microenvironment.
Role of Polyethylene Glycol in the Treatment of Functional Constipation in Children

ABSTRACT According to international guidelines, polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the laxative of first choice in the treatment of functional constipation in children, both for disimpaction and for maintenance treatment. PEG acts as an osmotic laxative and its efficacy is dose dependent. PEG is highly effective, has a good safety profile, and is well tolerated by children. Only minor adverse events have been reported. Overall the use of PEG in children has been reported to be safe, although in patients predisposed to water and electrolyte imbalances monitoring of serum electrolytes should be considered.
De-Europeanisation in Turkey: The Case of the Rule of Law

Abstract This article investigates the political dynamics shaping the post-2010 ‘de-Europeanisation’ of Turkey’s judicial system, particularly regarding judicial independence and rule of law. The analysis suggests the limits of conventional Europeanisation accounts emphasising causal factors such as European Union (EU) conditionality and the ‘lock-in effects’ of liberal reforms due to the benefits of EU accession. The article argues that the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP’s) bid for political hegemony resulted in the reversal of rule of law reforms. De-Europeanisation is discussed in terms of both legislative changes and the government’s observed discourse shift.
Major stressful life events and other risk factors for first admission with mania.

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether first admission with mania is associated with the occurrence of death in the family or with major stressful life events and to explore whether the associations change with age. METHODS Case register study with linkage of the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, including data on all admissions at psychiatric wards in Denmark from 1981 to 1998, and the Civil Registration System, including data on death and on socio-demographic variables. All patients who got a diagnosis of mania/mixed episode at the first ever admission at a psychiatric ward and a random gender- and age-matched control group of subjects who had never been admitted to psychiatric ward were identified. RESULTS A total of 1565 patients and 31,300 control subjects were identified. Suicide of a mother or of a sibling was associated with a highly increased risk of being admitted for the first time ever at a psychiatric ward with a diagnosis of mania/mixed episode. Death of a relative by other causes than suicide was not associated with increased risk of getting hospitalized with mania. Recent unemployment, recent divorce, but also a recent marriage showed moderate effects. No interaction was found on the association between life events and the first admission with mania, totally, or for men or women, separately regarding ageing. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of death in the family and the experience of major life events are associated with increased risk of first admission with bipolar disorder. The susceptibility to major life stressors of inducing mania does not seem to change throughout life.
Market Reaction to an Earnings Shock: A Test of the Conservatism Effect

In this paper, I empirically test the conservatism effect of Barberis, Shleifer and Vishny (1998). Conditioning on a shock to quarterly earnings, firms ranking in the top (bottom) earnings shock quintile exhibit substantial price momentum over the next three-month periods following the initial earnings shock. In the subsequent quarter, firms reporting earnings performance that maintain their ranking positions in the highest (lowest) earnings quintile exhibit a marginal incremental price run above that of the initial earnings signal. However, firms that fail to keep (succeed at moving out of) their ranking positions in the highest (lowest) earnings quintile experience a strong price reversal. These findings are robust to the four-factor regression (the Fama-French three-factor model extended by the momentum factor) and various robustness tests. Evidence reported in this paper is not consistent with the view that investors underreact to a recent earnings change. Rather, the evidence points to a market that systematically overreacts to extreme earnings news.
iQuiz: Integrated assessment environment to improve Moodle Quiz

Moodle is a well-known open source system to support teaching and learning through the web. It provides Quiz, a tool for learning assessment, which is also adopted by a large community along the world. Another tool that allows automatic assessment within Moodle is the iAssign package. iAssign provides means for integrating interactive Learning Modules (iLM) to Moodle, empowering it with interactive intense activities concerning specific issues implemented in iLM. However, such tools present some limitations that prevent their users to take more benefit of the question types and iLM such as (i) authoring is not a simple task; (ii) iAssign integrates iLM to Moodle without incorporating Moodle questionnaires; (iii) Quiz database for questions and questionnaires is not integrated to a repository with search and retrieving tools; (iv) in the current version of Moodle, Quiz didn't allows the incorporation or exportation of assessment content that follows the IMS-QTI 2.1 (Question and Test Interoperability) specification. In this paper we address such limitations proposing a generic model and its implementation for the Moodle system.
Wheat grain-yield response to lime application: relationships with soil pH and aluminium in Western Australia

Abstract. Soil acidity, or more specifically aluminium (Al) toxicity, is a major soil limitation to growing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the south of Western Australia (SWA). Application of calcium carbonate (lime) is used to correct Al toxicity by increasing soil pH and decreasing soluble soil Al3+. Soil testing using a 0.01 m calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution can measure both soil pH (pHCaCl2) and soil Al (AlCaCl2) for recommending rates of lime application. This study aimed to determine which combination of soil pHCaCl2 or soil AlCaCl2 and sampling depth best explains the wheat grain-yield increase (response) when lime is applied. A database of 31 historical lime experiments was compiled with wheat as the indicator crop. Wheat response to lime application was presented as relative yield percentage (grain yield for the no-lime treatment divided by the highest grain yield achieved for lime treatments × 100). Soil sampling depths were 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm and various combinations of these depths. For evidence that lime application had altered soil pHCaCl2, we selected the change in the lowest pHCaCl2 value of the three soil layers to a depth of 30 cm as a result of the highest lime application (ΔpHmin). When ΔpHmin <0.3, the lack of grain-yield response to lime suggested that insufficient lime had leached into the 10–30 cm soil layer to remove the soil Al limitation for these observations. Also, under high fallow-season rainfall (228 and 320 mm) and low growing-season rainfall (GSR) (<140 mm), relative yield was lower for the measured level of soil AlCaCl2 than in the other observations. Hence, after excluding observations with ΔpHmin <0.3 or GSR <140 mm (n = 19), soil AlCaCl2 provided a better definition of the relationship between soil test and wheat response (r2 range 0.48–0.74) than did soil pHCaCl2 (highest r2 0.38). The critical value (defined at relative yield = 90%) ranged from 2.5 mg Al kg–1 (for soil Al calculated according to root distribution by depth within the 0–30 cm layer) to 4.5 mg Al kg–1 (calculated from the highest AlCaCl2 value from the three soil layers to 30 cm depth). We conclude that 0.01 m CaCl2 extractable Al in the 0–30 cm layer will give the more accurate definition of the relationship between soil test and wheat response in SWA.
Fetal exposure to the antibiotic drug (Ciprofloxacin) in Albino rats

BACKGROUND: Ciprofloxacin is a broadspectrum antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone class. Since fluroquinolones are the most frequently prescribed in pregnancy particularly in the first trimester for the treatment of highly occurrence urinary tract infections, therefore this study was intended to evaluate the risk of the ciprofloxacin drug on development of fetuses of white albino rat (Rattus norvegicus) during pregnancy. METHODS: Pregnant rats were orally administrated a dose of 155 mg/kg/day of ciprofloxacin from 5th day to 20th day of gestation. The Pregnant rats were sacrificed at 20thday of gestation. Fetuses were taken away from the uterus. The mortality rate, growth parameters, morphological and skeletal malformations were recorded, histopathological studies of brain, liver and kidney were evaluated. RESULTS: The data revealed that There was a significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in fetal body weight, fetal body length in treated group when compared with the control. Hematoma and congenital abnormalities of limbs were detected morphologically in the fetuses of maternally administrated group. Fetal skeletal anomalies included lack of bones ossification and bent ribs. Mild degenerative changes were observed in the liver, kidney as well as the brain following ciprofloxacin administration. CONCLUSION: Consequently administration of ciprofloxacin during pregnancy should only be considered if the expected benefit to the mother is more noteworthy than any conceivable hazard to the fetus.
Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments

The comparison of alternative construction methods is one of the principal reasons for using simulation to model construction processes. The efficiency and effectiveness of such comparisons can be greatly improved by the prudent use of “matched pairs,” a variance reduction technique based on dedicated and fully synchronized random number streams. The basic methodology is illustrated by using the STROBOSCOPE simulation system to compare two alternative construction methods for rock tunneling [Conventional versus the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM)]. For this example the effects are dramatic. The probability of identifying and choosing the cheaper construction method based on a single run increases from 55% to 96%, the variance of the cost difference decreases by two orders of magnitude, and the 95% confidence interval for the true cost difference given by 4,000 independent runs can be obtained by performing only seven replications using matched pairs. Besides this improvement in statistical efficiency, the use of matched pairs is a necessity for this example in order to compare the alternatives on a logical and equitable basis.
Genetic epidemiology of cleft lip with or without cleft palate in the population of Hawaii

Orientals consisting of Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, and Filipinos are clearly at higher risk for cleft lip with or without cleft palate [CL(P)] than whites, Puerto Ricans, and Hawaiians/part‐Hawaiians in Hawaii. Using the model of diallele cross, CL(P) incidences in incrosses and outcrosses involving 564,002 live births distributed among 669 mating types were analyzed to study the extent of major gene involvement in the difference in the two groups and to investigate maternal effect in the etiology of CL(P). CL(P) cases excluding syndrome cases were classified into two types: all CL(P) cases and CL(P) cases without additional malformations. For either type there was no evidence to suggest that simple major gene plays a dominant role in accounting for racial differences as measured by deviations from additivity in the hybrids. For CL(P) cases without additional defects, a negative “maternal effect” was detected in Filipinos such that higher risk for this racial group depends on when the father is Filipino. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Human mesenchymal stem cell transplantation changes proinflammatory gene expression through a nuclear factor‐κB‐dependent pathway in a rat focal cerebral ischemic model

Previous studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory functions of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in cerebral ischemic rats. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of MSC transplantation on transcriptional regulations of proinflammatory genes in cerebral ischemia. Transient ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats. After 24 hr, vehicle (PBS) or a human MSC line (B10) was transplanted intravenously. The neurological deficits, infarct volume, cellular accumulations, and gene expression changes were monitored by means of behavior tests, MRI, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, laser capture microdissection, and real‐time PCR. In the core area of the B10 transplantation group, the number of ED1‐positive macrophage/microglia was decreased compared with the PBS group. In the core, nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) was decreased, although CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein β was not changed; both were expressed mainly in ED1‐positive macrophage/microglia. Likewise, mRNAs of NF‐κB‐dependent genes including interleukin‐1β, MCP‐1, and inducible nitric oxide synthase were decreased in ED1‐positive and Iba‐1‐positive macrophage/microglia in the B10 transplantation group. Moreover, upstream receptors of the NF‐κB pathway, including CD40 and Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2), were decreased. Immunofluorescence results showed that, in the B10 transplantation group, the percentages of NF‐κB‐positive, CD40‐positive, and TLR2‐positive cells were decreased in ED1‐positive macrophage/microglia. Furthermore, NF‐κB‐positive cells in the CD40‐ or TLR2‐expressing cell population were decreased in the B10 transplantation group. This study demonstrates that B10 transplantation inhibits NF‐κB activation, possibly through inhibition of CD40 and TLR2, which might be responsible for the inhibition of proinflammatory gene expression in macrophage/microglia in the infarct lesion. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.