Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of post-discharge follow-up care on re-admissions among US veterans with congestive heart failure: a rural-urban comparison.

INTRODUCTION Hospital re-admissions for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are relatively common and costly occurrences within the US health infrastructure, including the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. Little is known about CHF re-admissions among rural veteran patients, including the effects of socio-demographics and follow-up outpatient visits on these re-admissions. PURPOSE To examine socio-demographics of US veterans with CHF who had 30 day potentially preventable re-admissions and compare the effect of 30 day VA post-discharge service use on these re-admissions for rural- and urban-dwelling veterans. METHODS The 2005-2007 VA data were analyzed to examine patient characteristics and hospital admissions for 36 566 veterans with CHF. The CHF patients who were and were not re-admitted to a VA hospital within 30 days of discharge were identified. Logistic regression was used to examine and compare the effect of VA post-acute service use on re-admissions between rural- and urban-dwelling veterans. RESULTS Re-admitted veterans tended to be older (p=.002), had disability status (p=.024) and had longer hospital stays (p<.001). Veterans Affairs follow-up visits were negatively associated with re-admissions for both rural and urban veterans with CHF (ORs 0.16-0.76). Rural veterans aged 65 years and older who had VA emergency room visits following discharge were at high risk for re-admission (OR=2.66). CONCLUSIONS Post-acute follow-up care is an important factor for promoting recovery and good health among hospitalized veterans with CHF, regardless of their rural or urban residence. Older, rural veterans with CHF are in need of special attention for VA discharge planning and follow up with primary care providers.
Sexual Sensation Seeking, Compulsivity, and HIV Risk Behaviors in College Students

The purpose of this descriptive and correlational study was to understand the role of sexual compulsivity, sensation seeking, and alcohol use as mediators of HIV risk behaviors among college students. College students (n = 256) completed an online survey in 2003. Instruments included the Sexual Compulsivity Scale (SCS), Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), and the College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS). Men scored higher on the SSS and SCS than women. Women who belong to Greek organizations reported significantly more personal problems, including depression and low self-esteem, after consuming alcohol than women who were not members of Greek organizations. Four predictor variables associated with HIV risk behaviors were age, high score on SSS and CAPS, but a low score on SCS. The personality dispositions of sexual sensation seeking and compulsivity among college students may need to be explored in other college settings, to determine if these traits are related to HIV risk taking behaviors. Interventions to help women better cope with the effects of alcohol and self-esteem issues may be beneficial.
Analysis of the outage probability for MIMO systems with receive antenna selection

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the outage probability for multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems with receive antenna selection. In this analysis, it is assumed that 1) for a given M receive antennas, the receiver selects the best L antennas that maximize the capacity, 2) the channel state information is perfectly known at the receiver, but not at the transmitter, 3) the subchannels fade independently, and 4) the fading coefficients change very slowly such that averaging with respect to these coefficients is not possible. Under these assumptions, two upper bounds on the outage probability with receive antenna selection are derived. The first bound is used to show that the diversity order is maintained with antenna selection. The second bound is used to approximate the degradation in signal-to-noise ratio due to antenna selection. Furthermore, the asymptotic behavior of the outage probability for MIMO systems is analyzed as the number of transmit antennas tends to infinity. The asymptotic results presented are extended to the case with receive antenna selection. For all cases, explicit expressions for the threshold for the outage probability are derived. Several numerical examples that validate the analysis are also presented
Spectrum of heart diseases in children: an echocardiographic study of 1,666 subjects in a pediatric hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.

BACKGROUND Children's health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa have always been oriented primarily to infectious diseases and malnutrition. We are witnessing in the early 21(st) century an epidemiological transition marked by the decline of old diseases and the identification of new diseases including heart disease. Therefore, it is necessary to describe the spectrum of these diseases in order to better prepare health workers to these new challenges. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study focused on heart disease diagnosed by echocardiography in children seen from January 2006 to December 2014 in a pediatric hospital of Yaounde. We collected socio-demographic data and the types of heart disease from registers, patients files as well as the electronic database of echocardiographic records. RESULTS A total of 2,235 patients underwent echocardiographic examination during the study period including 1,666 subjects with heart disease. Congenital cardiopathies were found in 1,230 (73.8%) patients and acquired abnormalities in 429 (25.8%). Seven children (0.4%) had a combination of both types. Congenital heart defects (CHD) were dominated by ventricular septal defect (VSD). Acquired heart disease was mostly rheumatic valvulopathies. Dyspnea on exertion was the most frequent presenting complaint (87.6%). Discovery of a heart murmur was the principal clinical finding on physical examination (81.4%). The median age was 9 months for congenital heart disease and 132 months for acquired heart disease. CONCLUSIONS As infectious diseases recede and the diagnostic facilities are improving, pediatric heart diseases occupy a more important position in the spectrum of pediatric diseases in our context. However, the ability to evoke the diagnosis remains unsatisfactory by the majority of health personnel and therefore needs to be improved. Apart from congenital heart diseases, the impact of acquired heart diseases, rheumatic valvulopathy being the highest ranking, is remarkable in pediatrics. Awareness of health personnel for better management of child tonsillitis is more than ever a necessity. This preventive attitude of rheumatic heart disease is the main attitude available in our disadvantaged economic environment.
Microleakage and penetration of a hydrophilic sealant and a conventional resin-based sealant as a function of preparation techniques: a laboratory study.

BACKGROUND Optimal pit and fissure sealing is determined by surface preparation techniques and choice of materials. AIM This study aimed (i) to compare the microleakage and penetration depth of a hydrophilic sealant and a conventional resin-based sealant using one of the following preparation techniques: acid etching (AE) only, a diamond bur + AE, and Er:YAG laser combined with AE, and (ii) to evaluate the microleakage and penetration depth of the hydrophilic pit and fissure sealant on different surface conditions. DESIGN Eighty recently extracted 3rd molars were randomly assigned to eight groups of ten teeth according to the material, preparation technique, and surface condition. For saliva contamination, 0.1 mL of fresh whole human saliva was used. All samples were submitted to 1000 thermal cycles and immersed in 2% methylene blue dye for 4 h. Sections were examined by a light microscope and analysed using image analysis software (Sigmascan(®)). RESULTS The combination of Er:YAG + AE + conventional sealant showed the least microleakage. The sealing ability of the hydrophilic sealant was influenced by the surface condition. CONCLUSION Er:YAG ablation significantly decreased the microleakage at the tooth-sealant interface compared to the non-invasive technique. The hydrophilic sealant applied on different surface conditions showed comparable result to the conventional resin-based sealant.
The Good Life of Teaching: An Ethics of Professional Practice

The Good Life of Teaching extends the recent revival of virtue ethics to professional ethics and the philosophy of teaching. It connects long-standing philosophical questions about work and human growth to questions about teacher motivation, identity, and development. • Makes a significant contribution to the philosophy of teaching and also offers new insights into virtue theory and professional ethics
Evidence that GroEL, not sigma 32, is involved in transcriptional regulation of the Vibrio fischeri luminescence genes in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, transcription of the inducible Vibrio fischeri luminescence operon, luxICDABE, has been reported to require sigma 32, the product of rpoH. Consistent with previous studies, we report that an E. coli delta rpoH mutant, KY1601 containing luxICDABE and luxR, which codes for the activator of luxICDABE transcription on a plasmid (pJE202), was weakly luminescent. Transformation of this E. coli strain with a plasmid containing rpoH under the control of the tac promoter resulted in high levels of cellular luminescence. However, the level of expression of the pJE202 luxICDABE was also high in E. coli 1603, a delta rpoH mutant with a second-site mutation that resulted in sigma 32-independent overexpression of the groE operon. Apparently, sigma 32 is not directly required for the transcription of luxICDABE in E. coli but is required for sufficient expression of groE, which is in turn required for the transcription of luxICDABE. This conclusion is supported by the finding that E. coli groE mutants containing pJE202 were weakly luminescent. In the E. coli delta rpoH mutant KY1601, the sigma 32 requirement for the transcription of luxICDABE was partially compensated for by the addition of saturating concentrations of the inducer to the culture medium and largely compensated for when cells were transformed with a luxR overexpression vector. These data support the hypothesis that sigma 32 is not required for transcription of luxICDABE. Rather, it appears that the products of groE are required for the folding of LuxR into an active protein, like they are for the folding of several other proteins.
Evaluation of ultrasound based acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and eSie touch sonoelastography for diagnosis of inflammatory pancreatic diseases.

CONTEXT Pathology changes the consistency of the tissues. OBJECTIVE To prospectively assess the accuracy of per-abdominal US elastography in the form of acoustic radiation force impulse--virtual touch tissue quantification (ARFI-VTQ) and eSie touch elasticity imaging in characterizing and differentiating inflammatory pancreatic diseases. PATIENTS One-hundred and 66 patients from among the patients that visited the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, India, during the period April 2009 to December 2010, for master health check-up, blood donation and those with pancreatic pathology. SETTING Based on the clinical symptomatic criteria and diagnostic imaging findings, the patients were divided into normal, chronic and acute, or acute resolving, pancreatitis group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The ultrasound based ARFI-VTQ and eSie touch elasticity imaging techniques were applied. DESIGN Prospective single-center study. RESULTS The mean ARFI-VTQ values were 1.28 m/s, 1.25 m/s and 3.28 m/s for the normal, chronic and acute pancreas, respectively. The eSie touch gray scale and color elastograms were light gray and purple-greenish, respectively for both normal and chronic pancreas, while for acute pancreas the elastograms were dark black on the gray scale and orange to red on color scale. CONCLUSION Both the ARFI-VTQ and eSie touch elasticity imaging techniques may be successfully adopted in order to diagnose acute pancreatitis, to assess extent of inflammation (whether focal or diffuse), to assess peripancreatic edema, to identify presence of necrotic areas and early pseudocyst formation, to early diagnose acute recurrent attacks and to monitor patient's response to treatment.
Analysis of cumulative number and polarity of creeping discharges initiated at solid/liquid interfaces subjected to AC voltage

This paper deals with the influence of voltage and the nature of solid sample on the cumulative number of creeping discharge events and their locations on one voltage cycle. It's shown that the total number of discharges recorded during 500 cycles of voltage increases significantly with the voltage. The threshold voltage U¡ of discharges depends on the kind of material; and the average number of discharges (n<inf>moy</inf>) increases with the dielectric constant, ε<inf>r</inf>, of insulator. For instance, n<inf>moy</inf> is the highest for Bakelite (ε<inf>r</inf> = 4.8) and the lowest for Polycarbonate (ε<inf>r</inf> = 2.9). On the other hand, n<inf>moy</inf> of negative discharges seems to be slightly higher than that of positive ones whatever the solid sample and the amplitude of voltage.
Linearity of metoclopramide kinetics at doses of 5-20 mg.

The disposition of metoclopramide was studied on a four-way crossover basis in six healthy non-smoking volunteers. The linearity of kinetic parameters and absolute bioavailability of metoclopramide were examined. In contrast to previous reports, metoclopramide obeyed linear kinetics over oral doses ranging from 5 to 20 mg. The absolute bioavailability of metoclopramide was 0.76 +/- 0.38 (mean +/- s.d.) from the oral dosage forms examined in this study.
Age‐dependent change in behavioral feature in Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome

Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome (RTS) is characterized by developmental delay, postnatal growth retardation, typical facial appearance, and broad thumbs and big toes. The behavioral phenotype of children with RTS has been described as friendly and having good social contacts; however, a short attention span and hyperactivity are sometimes present. Little attention has been paid to the behavioral aspects of adults with RTS. We conducted an observational study focusing on behavioral problems in adolescents and adults with RTS compared with children with RTS. A total of 63 patients with RTS and their caretakers answered self‐administered questionnaires regarding behavioral features including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). High total CBCL scores were observed, and the mean score was beyond the clinical cut‐off point. After stratification into two groups according to age, the older group (≥14 years) displayed statistically significant higher scores for Anxious/Depression (P = 0.002) and Aggressive Behavior (P = 0.036) than the younger group (≤13 years). In analyses of single items, statistically significant differences between the younger group and the older group were found for ‘Nervous, high‐strung, or tense’ (31.3% vs 67.7%, P = 0.004) and ‘Too fearful or anxious’ (37.5% vs 64.5%, P = 0.032). Here, we showed that the specific behavioral phenotypes of RTS change during adolescence, with anxiety, mood instability, and aggressive behavior emerging as patients age. A clear need exists to follow‐up patients with RTS to catch the eventual emergence of psychiatric problems with age. If necessary, pharmacological treatment should be considered.
Asian Indians, coronary artery disease, and physical exercise

Objective To evaluate the relation of physical activity to different clinical and biochemical risk factors for coronary artery disease among people from different ethnic groups with angiographically proven coronary artery disease. Subjects British Asians, Indian Asians, and white people suffering from coronary artery disease, and their respective controls. Interventions History, physical examination, coronary angiography (at baseline), laboratory investigations. Main outcome measures Relation of physical activity level to serum insulin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and high density lipoproteins, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and body mass index in patients and controls. Results 391 male patients were studied, of whom 260 (66.5%) were classified as sedentary. Mean serum insulin at 0, 1, and 2 hours after 75 g oral glucose was higher among the sedentary population (17.1 v 11.6, 88.2 v 62.1, and 57.9 v 36.2 μU/ml, respectively (all p < 0.0001). Mean body mass index was also higher among the sedentary population (25.53 v 23.95, p < 0.0001), as were mean serum triglycerides (1.85 v 1.60 mmol/l, p < 0.01) and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (133.9 v 129.4, p < 0.05, and 81.1 v 79.0, p < 0.01). There was no difference in the mean serum cholesterol and high density lipoprotein between the two groups. British Asians were the most sedentary and Indian Asians the most physically active. Conclusions There are marked differences in the level of physical activity among the various ethnic groups in the United Kingdom. In each ethnic group, physical activity reduced mean serum insulin, body mass index, and serum triglycerides and had a favourable effect on systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Promotion of physical activity could be of value for the Asian community in the United Kingdom.
Effects of gate-to-body tunneling current on PD/SOI CMOS SRAM

The gate tunneling current for gate oxide thickness around 2.0 nm or below has been known to increase device leakage and power dissipation, and deteriorate device performance and circuit stability in bulk CMOS. Recently, direct tunneling current models for bulk CMOS circuit simulations have been developed (Choi et al., 1999; Lee and Hu, 2000). The gate-to-substrate tunneling current resulting from the electron tunneling from the valence band (EVB) is significantly less than the tunneling current from the channel into the gate, and its effect can usually be neglected in bulk CMOS devices and circuits. For floating-body partially-depleted (PD) SOI devices, however, the gate-to-body tunneling current charges/discharges the floating-body, thus changing the body voltage and V/sub T/ and affecting circuit operation (Fung et al., 2000). In this paper, we present a detailed study of the effect of gate tunneling current on a high performance 34 Kb L1 directory SRAM in a 1.5 V, 0.18 /spl mu/m PD/SOI technology with L/sub eff/=0.08 /spl mu/m and t/sub ox/=2.3 /spl mu/m. This SRAM was originally designed in a 1.5 V, 0.18 /spl mu/m bulk CMOS technology and has achieved 2.0 GHz cycle time and 430 ps access time (Joshi et al., 2000). It utilizes pseudo-static circuits for robust timing and to facilitate migration to PD/SOI technology.
Relationship of serum levels of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, and C-reactive protein with forced expiratory volume in first second in patients with mustard lung and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction The chronic systemic inflammation is a result of releasing inflammatory cytokines from the cells relating to the body immunity system and chronic activation of the innate immunity system. Aim To evaluate the relationship among serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), C-reactive protein (CRP) with forced expiratory volume in 1st s (FEV1) in patients with mustard lung (ML) and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Material and methods A published literature search was performed through SID, web of science, ISI, Science Direct, Scopus, Medline, and PubMed databases for articles published in English. The correlation coefficient (r) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using random or fixed effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using χ2 and I2 statistics. Results In total, 4 published studies were included in the final analysis. Using the random-effect model, meta-analysis showed that the r was –0.052 (95% CI: –0.14–0.049, p = 0.28) at serum level of IL-8, serum levels of CRP and FEV1 in these results were r = –0.13, p = 0.012, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and FEV1 levels were r = –0.39, p = 0.03 in the conducted studies on mustard lung patients. The IL-6 serum level was explored in COPD patients. The results of the given studies in these patients are r = –0.006, 95% CI: –0.37–0.15, and p = 0.44. Conclusions In this meta-analysis, there was evidence that serum levels of CRP and TNF have been significantly increased in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases compared to the healthy control group, which signifies the presence of systemic inflammation in ML and COPD patients.
Perspectives of Canadian Researchers on Ethics Review of Neuroimaging Research

The current and potential uses of neuroimaging in healthcare and beyond have spurred discussion about the ethical issues related to neuroimaging and neuroimaging research. This study examined the perspectives of neuroimagers on ethical issues in their research and on the ethics review process. One hundred neuroimagers from 13 Canadian neuroscience centers completed an online survey and 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Neuroimagers felt that most ethical and social issues identified in the literature were dealt with adequately, well, and even very well by research ethics boards (REBs), but some issues such as incidental findings and transfer of knowledge were problematic. Neuroimagers reported a range of practical problems in the ethics review process. We aimed to gather perspectives from REB on the ethics review process, but insufficient participation by REBs prevented us from reporting their perspectives. Given shortcomings identified by neuroimagers as well as longstanding issues in Canadian ethics governance, we believe that substantial challenges exist in Canadian research ethics governance that jeopardize trust, communication, and the overall soundness of research ethics governance. Neuroimagers and REBs should consider their shared responsibilities in developing guidance to handle issues such as incidental findings, risk assessment, and knowledge transfer.
A Novel Binding Protein Composed of Homophilic Tetramer Exhibits Unique Properties for the Small GTPase Rab5*

The small GTPase Rab family, which cycles between GTP-bound active and GDP-bound inactive states, plays an important role in membrane trafficking. Among them, Rab5 is involved in early endocytic pathway, and several Rab5-binding proteins have been identified as regulators or effectors to coordinate the docking and fusion processes of endocytic vesicles. We describe a novel binding protein exhibiting unique biochemical properties for Rab5. The Rab5-binding protein enhances GDP-GTP exchange reaction on Rab5 but preferentially interacts with its GTP-bound form. Gel filtration and immunoprecipitation analyses indicate that the Rab5-binding protein functions as a tetramer composed of anti-parallel linkage of two parallel dimers. These results suggest that the newly identified protein may function as an upstream activator and/or downstream effector for Rab5 in endocytic pathway. Possible roles of the quaternary structure have been discussed in terms of the Rab5-mediated signaling.