Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple electrode aggregometry predicts stent thrombosis better than the vasodilator‐stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation assay

Summary. Background and Aim: The prognostic value of the vasodilator‐stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation assay and multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) for thrombotic adverse events has been shown in independent studies. As no direct comparison between the two methods has been made so far, we investigated which laboratory approach has a better predictive value for stent thrombosis. Methods: The VASP phosphorylation assay and MEA were performed in 416 patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The rate of stent thrombosis was recorded during a 6‐month follow‐up. Results: Definite stent thrombosis occurred in three patients (0.7%) and probable stent thrombosis in four (1%). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that MEA distinguishes between patients with or without subsequent stent thrombosis better than the VASP phosphorylation assay: the area under the ROC curve was higher for MEA (0.92; P = 0.012) than for the VASP phosphorylation assay (0.60; P = 0.55). At equal levels of sensitivity (100%), the specificity was greater for MEA than for the VASP phosphorylation assay (86% vs. 37%). Stent thrombosis occurred in 9% of patients with platelet hyperreactivity in MEA, who were simultaneously clopidogrel non‐responders in the VASP phosphorylation assay. Interestingly, clopidogrel non‐responders in the VASP phosphorylation assay without platelet hyperreactivity in MEA did not suffer from stent thrombosis. Conclusions: Platelet hyperreactivity in MEA might be a better risk predictor for stent thrombosis than the assessment of the specific clopidogrel effect with the VASP phosphorylation assay.
Characterising the reactivity of metallic iron in Fe 0 /As-rock/H 2 O systems by long-term column experiments

The intrinsic reactivity of 4 metallic iron materials (Fe0) was investigated in batch and column experiments. The Fe0 reactivity was characterised by the extent of aqueous fixation of in-situ leached arsenic (As). Air-homogenised batch experiments were conducted for 1 month with 10.0 g/l of an As-bearing rock (ore material) and 0.0 or 5.0 g/l of Fe 0 . Column experiments were performed for 2 and 3 months. Each dynamic experiment was made up of 2 glass columns in series. The first column contained 2.5 or 5.0 g of the ore material and the second column 0.0 or 5.0 g of a Fe 0 material. Results showed no significant reactivity difference in batch studies for all 4 materials; ZVI2 was by far the most reactive material in column experiments. This observation was attributed to the relative kinetics of production of aqueous As and Fe species under the experimental conditions and their impact on the formation of a protective film on Fe 0 . Accordingly, no protective film could be built at the surface of the least reactive materials. The results corroborated the urgent need for unified experimental procedures to characterise Fe 0 materials.
Testing calibrated general equilibrium models

This paper illustrates the philosophy which forms the basis of calibration exercises in general equilibrium macroeconomic models and the details of the procedure, the advantages and the disadvantages of the approach, with particular reference to the issue of testing ``false'' economic models. We provide an overview of the most recent simulation--based approaches to the testing problem and compare them to standard econometric methods used to test the fit of non--linear dynamic general equilibrium models. We illustrate how simulation--based techniques can be used to formally evaluate the fit of a calibrated model to the data and obtain ideas on how to improve the model design using a standard problem in the international real business cycle literature, i.e. whether a model with complete financial markets and no restrictions to capital mobility is able to reproduce the second order properties of aggregate saving and aggregate investment in an open economy.
Probing Protein Structure and Dynamics by Hydrogen Exchange–Mass Spectrometry

Hydrogen exchange rates at peptide backbone amide linkages of proteins are highly sensitive to changes in protein structure and dynamics. Hydrogen exchange‐mass spectrometry (HX‐MS) can be used to measure hydrogen/deuterium exchange in protein fragments and allows the study of large proteins with high sensitivity and at very low concentrations as well as determination of the intermolecular distribution of deuterium. This unit provides a brief discussion of the interplay between protein dynamics and hydrogen exchange, a detailed prescription for designing and performing typical HX‐MS experiments, and common procedures for processing and interpreting HX‐MS data.
The effect of exercise on hip muscle strength, gait speed and cadence in patients with total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled study

Objective: To evaluate the effect of home versus in-hospital exercise (under supervision) programmes on hip strength, gait speed and cadence in patients with total hip arthroplasty at least one year after operation. Setting: Physical therapy and rehabilitation department. Subjects: Twenty-six patients who had had a total hip arthroplasty operation 12—24 months prior to the study were enrolled. Interventions: The patients were randomized into three groups: group 1 patients were assigned a home exercise programme, group 2 patients exercised under physiotherapist supervision in hospital, and group 3 served as the control group, with no specific intervention. The study duration was six weeks. Main measures: Maximum isometric abduction torque of operated hip muscle, gait speed and cadence were measured before and after the study. Results: Maximum isometric abduction torques of the hip abductor muscles improved in groups 1 and 2, but not in group 3 (30 ± 12 to 38 ± 11 ft.lb in group 1, 18 ± 10 to 30 ± 9.8 ft.lb in group 2). Gait speed improved from 67.8 ± 23 to 74.35 ± 24 m/min in group 1, from 48.53 ± 4 to 56.7 ± 5 m/min in group 2 and from 58.01 ± 12 to 59.8 ± 14 m/min in group 3. Cadence also improved, from 97.7 ± 18 to 111 ± 17 steps/min in group 1, from 90.75 ± 6 to 104.75 ± 7 steps/min in group 2, and from 87 ± 16 to 88.22 ± 16 steps/min in group 3. When the three groups were compared, group 2 showed the best improvement (P = 0.006) only in maximum isometric abduction torque. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that both home and supervised exercise programmes are effective one year after total hip arthroplasty. Home exercise programmes with close follow-up could be recommended.
Continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil and low dose cisplatin infusion for the treatment of advanced and recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND Several chemotherapy studies have suggested that continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is more effective than bolus 5-FU. In addition, 5-FU and cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum-II (cisplatin) in combination have been shown to have synergistic cytotoxicity against several human neoplasms. In this study, the authors evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of continuous infusion of 5-FU and low dose cisplatin infusion (FP therapy) in the treatment of advanced and recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma. The relationship between the response to FP therapy and several factors was also examined. METHODS A total of 26 patients fulfilling standard eligibility criteria were enrolled in the trial. FP therapy consisted of 5-FU (350 mg/m2/day every day by continuous infusion) and cisplatin (7.5 mg/m2/day in 100 mL of normal saline infused over 1 hour on Days 1-5 every week) for 4 weeks. RESULTS A complete response was observed in 2 cases and a partial response in 11 cases, for an overall response rate of 50%. Patients with good performance status (PS) (0-1) and differentiated histologic type showed higher response rates (50.0% and 63.6%, respectively) than patients with poor PS (2 or 3) and undifferentiated histologic type (28.6% and 35.3%, respectively), although there were no significant differences. Patients with low serum levels of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) showed a significantly higher response rate (71.4%) than those with high IAP levels (0%). Toxic effects included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, and vomiting; these were not life-threatening and did not require treatment interruption. CONCLUSIONS FP therapy is a promising regimen for patients with advanced and recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma. Serum levels of IAP may predict chemosensitivity.
What’s Behind a Guideline?

Taking the French oncology sector as a case study, this paper shows that guidelines are used strategically by individual physicians and groups of physicians. While some studies have made convincing arguments about the rise of guidelines as a manifestation of a new type of objectivity, this case study provides evidence that the proliferation of medical guidelines is also the result of an attempt by some physicians to improve their positions relative to competing groups. Guidelines could indeed be strategic resources used by professional actors at the expense of other professionals in order to (1) maintain a sufficient amount of activity and (2) increase control over therapeutic decisions. The study also points to other kinds of changes that guidelines may influence, beyond medical practices and coordination: the evolution of the structure of power relationships inside the medical profession. A perspective on the sociology of organizations, which places concrete exchange and bargaining relations at the core of its analysis and treats social control as being continually challenged and (re)produced, helps to identify other reasons why standardization does not prevent local specificities and may even enhance them.
One‐stage reconstruction of large scalp defects: Anterolateral thigh flap

Seven patients with large scalp and calvarial defects underwent reconstruction with free tissue transfer. Patients fell into two groups according to etiology: tumoral (five) or traumatic (two). A single type of free flap was used in each patient, i.e., the anterolateral thigh flap. Duraplasties with the flaps' vascularized fasciae were performed in two patients with minor calvarial defects, and nonvascularized fasciae were used in another two, with a cranioplasty using methylmetacrylate. One postoperative death and one venous congestion necessitating exploration were observed. The explored anastomosis revealed occlusion of the venous anastomosis; drainage with a venous graft into the neck veins was performed. Minor tissue loss with secondary healing was observed in the flap. Extensive scalp defects often necessitate challenging reconstructive procedures. Single‐stage reconstruction with good qualified tissue is possible with a free tissue transfer. The anterolateral thigh flap provides a large amount of tissue with decreased donor‐site morbidity and good cosmetic results. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2006.
Efficacy of labeling of foods and pharmaceuticals.

Over the past several decades, the US Congress and regulatory agencies have developed a complex system of informational regulations for food and drugs that goes far beyond indications such as "USDA pproved. " Individual states have also begun to display increasing interest in this issue. California, for instance, has adopted its own warning system for risks of cancer and reproductive toxicity, and many other states are also considering warning measures. These efforts have diverse objectives. One function is to provide information about beneficial features, such as information about the nutritional value of foods and the medical conditions that pharmaceutical products can address. A second function is to alert the consumers to possible adverse effects of the product, for instance sodium labels for foods, health warnings for cigarettes, and information about adverse reactions to drugs. A third function of warnings is to indicate the particular types of precautions, that should be exercised, e.g. cautioning against driving after drinking alcoholic beverages, and against adverse drug interactions. Examination of food and drug warnings is instructive more generally since these warnings embody all the functions of risk communication mechanisms. Moreover, the presence of the learned intermediary--the physician in the case of prescription medications--provides an interesting variation on the context of risk communication.
Morphological studies on simian virus S.A. 11 and the 'related' O agent.

Studies on viruses recovered from South African Cercopithecus monkeys have been carried out by Malherbe & Harwin (1957) and Malherbe, Harwin & Ulrich (1963). One such virus, designated S.A. 11 (strain h96) was isolated from a rectal swab taken from a healthy vervet monkey in 1958 (Malherbe & Strickland-Cholmley, 1967). This virus has not yet been characterized morphologically. A virus isolated from intestinal washings of cattle and sheep (Malherbe, Strickland-Cholmley & Geyer, 1967) and designated O agent, showed eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions in monkey kidney cell cultures similar to those of S.A. 11 (Malherbe & Strickland-Cholmley, 1967). No published information is available on the structure of this virus. On the basis of similarities in serology, pH instability, resistance to desoxycholate and certain other characteristics, the viruses are considered to be virtually identical (Malherbe & Strickland-Cholmley, 1970). In addition Verwoerd (1970) has suggested that S.A. 11 is similar in structure to the bluetongue-type viruses.
Experimental Time Evolution Study of the HfO2-Based IMPLY Gate Operation

In the last years, memristor devices have been proposed as key elements to develop a new paradigm to implement logic gates. In particular, the memristor-based material implication (IMPLY) gate has been presented as a potential powerful basis for logic applications. In the literature, the IMPLY operation has been widely simulated, but most of the efforts have been just focused on accomplishing its truth table, only considering the initial and final states of the gate. However, a complete understanding of the time evolution between states is still missing and barely reported yet. In this paper, the time evolution of the memristors involved in an IMPLY gate are studied in detail for every case of the gate. Furthermore, the impact on IMPLY gate operation of the internal resistor connected in series with the memristors of the IMPLY gate is included.
Measured Antenna Response of a Proposed Microwave Tomography System Using an Efficient 3-D FDTD Model

This letter presents a detailed study of a microwave tomography system using 3-D finite-difference time-domain methods (FDTDs). The algorithm, which uses a subcell model in form of the thin-wire approximation to model wire antennas, has been validated numerically using published numerical electromagnetic code (NEC) data for dipole antennas, and experimentally by comparing with measurements obtained for a monopole antenna array. The agreement between calculated and measured performances of the monopoles is close. In order to understand the fabrication tolerance, a parametric study was performed with regards to position of ground plane and grid size. It is found that the ground plane plays an important role in the performance of the monopole antennas. The excellent agreement is very promising for future deployment of the algorithm in 3-D microwave tomography applications.
Providing feedback to students on clinical skills by using the Objective Structured Clinical Examination

Summary. Student opinions of some methods of how and when to provide feedback on clinical skills in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) were gathered. Feedback with their marked checklists plus a model videorecording was preferred to either on its own. Feedback was preferred during the examination rather than after it. No undue stress appeared to be associated with receiving feedback during the examination. Valuable extra instruction to students can be provided with minimal staff input.
Higher Survival Rates Among Younger Patients After Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Cardiac Arrests

BACKGROUND. Age is an important determinant of outcome from adult cardiac arrests but has not been identified previously as an important factor in pediatric cardiac arrests except among premature infants. Chest compressions can result in more effective blood flow during cardiac arrest in an infant than an older child or adult because of increased chest wall compliance. We, therefore, hypothesized that survival from cardiac arrest would be better among infants than older children. METHODS. We evaluated 464 pediatric ICU arrests from the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation from 2000 to 2002. NICU cardiac arrests were excluded. Data from each arrest include >200 variables describing facility, patient, prearrest, arrest intervention, outcome, and quality improvement data. Age was categorized as newborn (<1 month; N = 62), infant (1 month to <1 year; N = 105), younger child (1 year to <8 years; N = 90), and older child (8 years to <21 years; N = 207). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to examine the association between age and survival. RESULTS. Overall survival was 22%, with 27% of newborns, 36% of infants, 19% of younger children and 16% of older children surviving to hospital discharge. Newborns and infants demonstrated double and triple the odds of surviving to hospital discharge from a cardiac arrest in an intensive care setting when compared with older children. When potential confounders were controlled, newborns increased their advantage to almost fivefold, while infants maintained their survival advantage to older children. CONCLUSIONS. Survival from pediatric ICU cardiac arrest is age dependent. Newborns and infants have better survival rates even after adjusting for potential confounding variables.
Varieties of Musical Disorders

Abstract: Multiple disorders of musical abilities can occur after brain damage. Conversely, early brain anomalies or vast brain injuries may sometimes spare ordinary musical skills in individuals who experience severe cognitive losses. To document these incidences, comprehensive behavioral testing is required. We propose to use the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) because it is arguably the best tool currently available. Over the last decade, this battery was developed and validated in populations with brain damage of various etiologies. Furthermore, the MBEA is theoretically motivated and satisfies important psychometric properties. It is sensitive, normally distributed, reliable on test‐retest, and correlates with Gordon's Musical Aptitude Profile, another more widely used battery of tests. To promote its wide usage, the MBEA is now available upon request. In addition, individual MBEA data of 160 normal participants of variable age and education have been made available to all via the internet.
Beating effects in cubic Schrödinger systems and growth of Sobolev norms

We consider the following coupled cubic Schrödinger equations We prove that there exists a beating effect, i.e. an energy exchange between different modes. This construction may be transported to the linear time-dependent Schrödinger equation: we build solutions such that their Sobolev norms grow logarithmically. All of these results are stated for large but finite times.
Humoral immunity host factors in subjects with failing or successful titanium dental implants.

BACKGROUND Treatment with titanium dental implants is in general successful. However, an unknown number of implants do not integrate and are removed either by exfoliation or at the time of second stage surgery. It would be of importance to identify subjects at risk and predict early implant failure. METHODS In a retrospective study serum IgG antibody titers and avidity in sera from 40 subjects who had experienced titanium dental implant treatments with non-osseo-integration as the outcome (NOTI) and in sera from 40 age and gender matched control subjects who had received successful titanium dental implants (SOTI) were studied. Serum IgG titers to whole cell Actinomyces viscosus, Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus intermedius sonicated antigen preparations were studied by ELISA. RESULTS Serum IgG antibody titers to S. aureus were significantly higher in subjects with SOTI than in NOTI (p<0.001) suggesting that higher titers indicate protection against implant failure as a result of S. aureus infection. Statistically significant higher serum IgG antibody avidity to P. gingivalis and B. forsythus were found in subjects with SOTI than in subjects with NOTI (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). Statistical analysis failed to demonstrate antibody titer or avidity differences to the other pathogens studied. The likelihood that SOTI was associated with a high OD reading for S. aureus was 13.1:1 (p<0.001). Whether subjects were edentulous or not, or if they had lost teeth because of periodontitis or caries did not seem to matter. CONCLUSION Serum IgG antibodies relative to B. forsythus, P. gingivalis and S. aureus may be associated with the outcome of implant procedures and explain why early implant failures occur.
Wage Disparity and Team Performance in the Process of Industry Development

The changing effects of wage disparity on team performance during the process of industry development are examined using data sourced from the Japanese professional football league. The results show that wage disparity leads to a reduction in team performance during the developing stage but does not influence performance during the developed stage. Unobserved fixed team effects and endogeneity bias were controlled in the study.
Cancer Attributions, Distress, and Health Practices Among Gynecologic Cancer Survivors

Objective: Personal beliefs about one’s medical condition have been related to health behaviors and psychological distress among individuals with serious illness. We examined whether beliefs about cause of cancer and prevention of recurrence were associated with health practices and distress in 134 long-term endometrial and cervical cancer survivors. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, anxiety, health behavior, and beliefs about factors that may have caused their cancer and prevented recurrence. Results: Genetics/heredity was rated as the most important cancer cause, followed by stress, God’s will, hormones, and environmental factors. Medical screening was rated as most important in preventing recurrence, followed by positive attitude and prayer. Stronger causal attributions were generally associated with elevated depressive symptomatology and anxiety, but women citing potentially controllable causes were more likely to be practicing healthy behaviors. Similarly, women citing health behaviors as important in preventing recurrence reported greater anxiety but were more likely to practice positive health behaviors. Health behavior and lifestyle attributions interacted with health practices in predicting distress. For example, among women who had not made positive dietary changes, rating lifestyle as important in preventing recurrence was associated with greater distress, whereas among women who had made a positive change in diet, this belief was associated with less distress. Conclusions: Results suggest that stronger attributions are associated with greater distress, but engaging in behavior believed to be important in preventing cancer or recurrence may ameliorate this distress. CAM = complementary and alternative medicine; FACT = Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy; CES-D = Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; IES = Impact of Events Scale; CARS = Concerns About Recurrence Scale; ANOVA = analysis of variance; ANCOVA = analysis of covariance.