Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using the Care Dependency Scale for fall risk screening.

AIM This paper is a report of a study conducted to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the Care Dependency Scale as a measure of risk of falling for individuals in hospital and nursing home settings. BACKGROUND Falls and their consequences are common problems in hospitals and nursing homes and nurses should assess the potential risks of their patients. Items in fall risk scales resemble a general nursing assessment, which leads to redundant assessment procedures. It would be beneficial to have a single generic instrument for general assessment and fall risk screening. METHODS Standardized questionnaires were used in a cross-sectional study in 2004 and data were gathered from 9943 German nursing home residents and hospital patients (response rate 77.1%). Sensitivity and specificity of all Care Dependency Scale scores were calculated for fall risk. Relationships between the 15 scale items and falls were described using odds ratios and logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS Patients with falls in hospitals were more care dependent than those without falls. Sensitivity and specificity values showed that with the Care Dependency Scale a differentiation is possible between the falls group and the no-falls group. High odds ratios and logistic regression analysis suggest that the Care Dependency Scale item 'Avoidance of danger' indicated fall risk. Nursing home residents with and without falls had similar care dependency scores. CONCLUSION Nursing assessment in hospitals could be simplified by using the Care Dependency Scale for fall risk screening. Its value in fall risk screening in nursing homes requires further testing.
Understanding the Adoption of Wireless Sensor Network Service in Households

Prior research on the adoption of technology mainly focused on individuals and business organizations. However, along the trend of technology innovation toward potential usage of technology in households, deeper understanding of the adopting technologies in household contexts is getting important. With the call for energy efficient consumption and improved living quality in households, this study aims at understanding households' adoption technology using wireless sensor network (WSN) service as an example. The model of Adoption of Technology in Households (MATH) based on the Theory of Planned Behavior was tailored to generate hypotheses for testing the model of households' adoption of WSN service. The hypothesis testing from the survey data support the constructs in determining behavior intention to use WSN services. This research results will benefit the service design for households to engage WSN service.
Comparison of the incidence of postpartum low back pain in natural childbirth and cesarean section with spinal anesthesia.

BACKGROUND Many parturients and their obstetricians believe that spinal anesthesia will cause low back pain (LBP). MATERIALS & METHODS We studied prospectively a total of 160 parturients; 80 of them had cesarean section (CS) with spinal anesthesia and another 80 who had natural childbirth. Incidence of LBP was investigated and compared in these patients before pregnancy, during pregnancy and postpartum. RESULTS Our result showed that before pregnancy, about one third (33.1%) of the parturients already had LBP and the incidence of LBP seemed to increase during pregnancy. The incidence of LBP decreased gradually postpartum. There was no difference in the incidence of postpartum LBP between the CS with spinal anesthesia group and the natural childbirth group. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that postpartum LBP could be related to changes during pregnancy and not related to spinal anesthesia.
On the Role of C1-Inhibitor as Inhibitor of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator in Human Plasma

Summary An enzyme immuno assay was developed to measure complexes of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) with C1-inhibitor in order to study the role of C1-inhibitor as an inhibitor of t-PA in plasma. In vitro experiments with melanoma and recombinant t-PA learned that purified C1-inhibitor reacts with both single chain t-PA and two chain t-PA. The rate constants ranged from 3.0 to 5.2 M-1s-1 In plasma, melanoma and recombinant two chain t-PA were hardly inhibited by C1-inhibitor, in contrast to melanoma and recombinant single chain t-PA which were inhibited to the same extent by endogenous C1-inhibitor as they were by purified C1-inhibitor. In vivo, t-PA/C1-inhibitor complex could be measured in plasma in a few cases in healthy volunteers (0.62 ± 0.43 ng/ml t-PA equivalents), after exercise (0.84 ± 0.25 ng/ml t-PA equivalents) and after a desmopressin infusion (0.26 ± 0.04 ng/ml t-PA equivalents). However, t-PA/C1-inhibitor complex was found in plasma in all cases after venous occlusion (1.7 ± 0.5 ng/ml t-PA equivalents), in peritoneal fluid from patients suffering from peritoneal inflammatory disease (2.2 ± 1.3 ng/ml t-PA equivalents) and in plasma from healthy volunteers during a t-PA infusion (27.7 ± 18.5 ng/ml t-PA equivalents at peak level). In the last case, about 8 % of the infused dose of recombinant t-PA (alteplase) was inhibited by C1-inhibitor at peak level. The half-life (t1/2α) of t-PA antigen in plasma was found not to be altered when t-PA was inhibited by C1-inhibitor (4.0 min and 4.2 min, respectively). Thus, in vivo, t-PA/C1-inhibitor complex is mostly present when t-PA escapes rapid liver clearance and accumulates in one place (e.g. during venous occlusion or in peritoneal fluid) or when it circulates in high concentrations (e.g. during t-PA infusion).
Is Sustainability Reporting a Business Strategy for Firm’s Growth? Empirical Study on the Romanian Capital Market

This study analyzed the impact of sustainability reporting on firms’ growth as a result of adopting an environmentally and socially responsible behavior. The information published by companies listed on the main section of the Bucharest Stock Exchange during a period spanning six financial years (2012–2017) was used to assess the influence exerted by the conduct of activities related to sustainability; the integrated reporting of economic, social and environmental protection information; and the quality of published reports on certain indicators relevant to appreciating a firm’s growth (price-to-book ratio, sales growth and cost of capital). The results obtained indicate a low influence of sustainable reporting on a firm’s growth indicators. Current and potential investors, lenders and business partners interpret sustainability reporting as insufficiently documented and as having a low capacity for integration within the decision-making process. However, significant dependency relationships were identified, and particularized on various connections without following a correlation pattern between a firm’s growth directions and the indicators of sustainability reporting. The results remain robust even after the introduction of certain control variables, such as sustainability sensitive industry sectors, company size and age, or increase of investments. Our paper sets out to contribute to expanding the specialty literature by highlighting the involvement of sustainable reporting as a factor in optimizing firms’ growth strategies and, at a methodological level, by using a quantile regression.
Palestinian Solidarity Action: The Dynamics of Politicized and Religious Identity Patterns Among Student Activists

This study attempted to explain the factors that lead Muslim student activists to participate in Palestinian solidarity actions by testing the Social Identity Model Collective Action model (SIMCA, van Zomeren, Postmes, & Spears, 2008). A survey of 303 student members/administrators of Islamic organizations was conducted. The sample was obtained from more than seven Islamic-based student organizations. Collective solidarity actions were comprised of peaceful actions such as demonstrations, protests, and petition signings. The model involved two identities (politicized and religious) and two mediators (group efficacy and group-based anger). Results of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis suggest that politicized identity, as indicated by strength of participants’ affiliations with Islamic movement organizations, predicts solidarity action intention more effectively than religious identity. Other study findings demonstrated that group efficacy is a significant partial mediator of the interaction between politicized and religious identities, and collective action. Religious identity has a stronger interaction with collective action than politicized identity within the partial mediating effect of group efficacy. Meanwhile group-based anger does not influence the desire to engage in collective action either directly or as a mediator. Aksi solidaritas Palestina: Dinamika Pola Identitas Terpolitisasi dan Keagamaan pada Aktivis Mahasiswa
Demographic differences and trends of vitamin D insufficiency in the US population, 1988-2004.

BACKGROUND Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with suboptimal health. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency may be rising, but population-based trends are uncertain. We sought to evaluate US population trends in vitamin D insufficiency. METHODS We compared serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), collected during 1988 through 1994, with NHANES data collected from 2001 through 2004 (NHANES 2001-2004). Complete data were available for 18 883 participants in NHANES III and 13 369 participants in NHANES 2001-2004. RESULTS The mean serum 25(OH)D level was 30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 29-30) ng/mL during NHANES III and decreased to 24 (23-25) ng/mL during NHANES 2001-2004. Accordingly, the prevalence of 25(OH)D levels of less than 10 ng/mL increased from 2% (95% CI, 2%-2%) to 6% (5%-8%), and 25(OH)D levels of 30 ng/mL or more decreased from 45% (43%-47%) to 23% (20%-26%). The prevalence of 25(OH)D levels of less than 10 ng/mL in non-Hispanic blacks rose from 9% during NHANES III to 29% during NHANES 2001-2004, with a corresponding decrease in the prevalence of levels of 30 ng/mL or more from 12% to 3%. Differences by age strata (mean serum 25[OH]D levels ranging from 28-32 ng/mL) and sex (28 ng/mL for women and 32 ng/mL for men) during NHANES III equalized during NHANES 2001-2004 (24 vs 24 ng/mL for age and 24 vs 24 ng/mL for sex). CONCLUSIONS National data demonstrate a marked decrease in serum 25(OH)D levels from the 1988-1994 to the 2001-2004 NHANES data collections. Racial/ethnic differences have persisted and may have important implications for known health disparities. Current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation are inadequate to address the growing epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency.
Establishing a Feature Pattern of Blood Stasis Syndrome with Myocardial Ischemia by Least Angle Regression

The purpose of this paper was to find some feature pattern which may be used in diagnosis of blood stasis syndrome (BSS, a unique concept of traditional Chinese medicine) with myocardial ischemia. After establishing an animal model of Chinese experimental miniature swine, 7 indicators in plasma, e.g. troponin T (cTNT), heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), cytochrome C&#65288;Cyt C&#65289;, endothelin-1 (ET-1), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) were detected and then least angle regression was performed to discover the correlation between BSS and these 7 indicators. As the results showed, all the 7 indicators were contributed to the diagnosis of BSS and the regression obtained after 110 steps was curacy enough (>90%) in our cases. This pattern may become a supplementary way of traditional diagnostic methods of BBS. And it also demonstrated that least angle regression may be a better algorithm in the mining of feature patterns of syndromes.
Alleged Allergy to Local Anaesthetics

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of true local anaesthetic allergy in patients with an alleged history of local anaesthetic allergy and whether subsequent exposure to local anaesthetics is safe. Two hundred and eight patients with a history of allergy to local anaesthesia were referred over a twenty-year period to our Anaesthetic Allergy Clinic. In this open study, intradermal testing was performed in three patients and progressive challenge in 202 patients. Four patients had immediate allergy and four patients delayed allergic reactions. One hundred and ninety-seven patients were not allergic to local anaesthetics. In 39 patients an adverse response to additives in local anaesthetic solutions could not be excluded. In all but one patient local anaesthesia has been given uneventfully subsequently. A history of allergy to local anaesthesia is unlikely to be genuine and local anaesthetic allergy is rare. In most instances LA allergy can be excluded from the history and the safety of LA verified by progressive challenge.
Role of Conjunctival Inflammation in Surgical Outcome After Amniotic Membrane Transplantation With or Without Fibrin Glue for Pterygium

Purpose: To determine the clinical significance of postoperative conjunctival inflammation noted at the third or fourth week after intraoperative application of mitomycin C and amniotic membrane transplantation for pterygium. Methods: This retrospective study included 27 eyes of 23 patients with primary (n = 12) or recurrent (n = 15) pterygia. All cases were operated by extensive removal of subconjunctival fibrovascular tissue and intraoperative application of 0.04% mitomycin C in the fornix, followed by amniotic membrane transplantation by using either fibrin glue (14 eyes) or sutures (13 eyes). Main outcome measures included development of conjunctival inflammation, pyogenic granuloma, and pterygium recurrence after surgery. Results: For a follow-up of 29.6 ± 17.2 months (range, 6-56 months), 16 (59.3%) eyes without postoperative conjunctival inflammation resulted in favorable outcomes. Conjunctival inflammation around the surgical site was noted in the remaining 11 (40.7%) eyes and was significantly more common in eyes with sutures than those with fibrin glue (61.5% vs. 21.4%, respectively; P = 0.05). Among those with this inflammation, 7 eyes receiving subconjunctival injection of triamcinolone resulted in complete resolution and a good aesthetic outcome. Four eyes without this injection gradually developed conjunctival (n = 1) or corneal (n = 1) recurrence and/or pyogenic granuloma (n = 3). Conclusions: Host conjunctival inflammation is still common after intraoperative application of mitomycin C and amniotic membrane transplantation, especially when sutures are used in pterygium surgery. If left untreated, persistent inflammation may lead to a poor surgical outcome.
Rac1 Dosage Is Crucial for Normal Endochondral Bone Growth

&NA; Rac1, a member of the small Rho GTPase family, plays multiple cellular roles. Studies of mice conditionally lacking Rac1 have revealed essential roles for Rac1 in various tissues, including cartilage and limb mesenchyme, where Rac1 loss produces dwarfism and long bone shortening. To gain further insight into the role of Rac1 in skeletal development, we have used transgenic mouse lines to express a constitutively active (ca) Rac1 mutant protein in a Cre recombinase‐dependent manner. Overexpression of caRac1 in limb bud mesenchyme or chondrocytes leads to reduced body weight and shorter bones compared with control mice. Histological analysis of growth plates showed that caRac1;Col2‐Cre mice displayed ectopic hypertrophic chondrocytes in the proliferative zone and enlarged hypertrophic zones. These mice also displayed a reduced proportion of proliferating cell nuclear antigen‐positive cells in the proliferative zone and nuclear &bgr;‐catenin localization in the ectopic hypertrophic chondrocytes. Importantly, overexpression of caRac1 partially rescued the phenotypes of Rac1fl/fl;Col2‐Cre and Rac1fl/fl;Prx1‐Cre conditional knockout mice, including body weight, bone length, and growth plate disorganization. These results suggest that tight regulation of Rac1 activity is necessary for normal cartilage development.
Biological agents in kidney transplantation: belatacept is entering the field

Importance of the field: Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage kidney-disease patients. However, despite major breakthroughs in the last decades, and the progresses made with immunosuppressants, the long-term results still need to be improved. This is related to the increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, de novo post-transplant malignancies, and chronic kidney disease within the allograft. The last is multifactorial and includes immunological and non-immunological factors. Amongst the last is the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) (cyclosporine A (CsA) and tacrolimus)-related nephrotoxicity. Kidney-allograft function at 1-year post-transplantation is a good surrogate marker of long-term allograft survival. Areas covered in this review: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4)-Ig, a fusion protein, presents as abatacept, which conserves the natural structure of CTLA4, and belatacept, which has enhanced activity thanks to two amino-acid substitutions. Abatacept and belatacept block CD86–CD28 interaction, but belatacept blocks them more powerfully. Abatacept is already approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is marketed as Orencia® (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA), whereas belatacept is not yet approved. Herein, we review the current data available on the use of belatacept in Phase II and III kidney-transplantation trials. Note, though, that data from belatacept Phase II liver transplantation trials are not yet available. What the reader will gain: The results show in de novo kidney transplant patients that as compared to CsA-treated patients, belatacept-treated patients showed: i) a significant better allograft function both at 1- and 2- year post-transplantation and ii) better cardiovascular and metabolic profiles. Regarding the safety data, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) seronegative belatacept-treated patients experience more post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders than the EBV seropositive belatacept-treated patients and the CsA-treated patients. Take home message: CNIs are potent immunosuppressants but have some degree of nephrotoxicity. Therefore, it is important to have strong data showing that belatacept-based therapy is as efficient as CsA-based therapy, but displaying at both 1- and 2-year post-transplantation a better allograft function, which might translate in the long-term into longer allograft survival.
ANGIOTENSIN II–NITRIC OXIDE INTERACTION IN GLOMERULAR ARTERIOLES

1. Resistance changes of the afferent and efferent arterioles determine blood flow and filtration rate in the kidney. The tone of both vessels results from the influence of nerves and humoral and paracrine factors, through a balance of constrictor and dilator systems. Angiotensin (Ang) II and nitric oxide (NO) are important factors determining vascular tone.
Strength of affective reaction as a signal to think carefully

Analytic processes reduce biases, but it is not known how or when these processes will be deployed. Based on an affective signal hypothesis, relatively strong affective reactions were expected to result in increased analytic processing and reduced bias in judgement. The valence and strength of affective reactions were manipulated through varying outcomes in a game or evaluative conditioning of a stimulus. Relatively strong positive or negative affective reactions resulted in less desirability bias. Bias reduction only occurred if participants had time to deploy analytic processes and indicators of the degree of analytic processing (in the form of attentional control) predicted less bias. Affective processes have long been acknowledged as a source of bias, but these findings suggest affective processes are also integral to bias reduction.
The colorectal tumour suppressor APC is present in the NMDA‐receptor‐PSD‐95 complex in the brain

The synaptic protein PSD‐95/SAP90 interacts with ion channels such as the N‐methyl‐ D‐aspartate‐receptor (NMDA‐R) via its PDZ domain, and is involved in their clustering. Moreover, it interacts with signalling molecules and plays an important role in coupling NMDA‐R to pathways that control synaptic plasticity and learning.
Field study of the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of an inactivated equine rotavirus vaccine.

OBJECTIVE To determine safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of an inactivated equine rotavirus vaccine. DESIGN Prospective randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS 316 pregnant Thoroughbred mares during the first year of the study and 311 during the second year. PROCEDURE During the first year, mares received 3 doses of vaccine or placebo, IM, at 8, 9, and 10 months of gestation. Serum neutralizing antibody titers were measured before vaccination and 1 and 35 days after foaling. Antibody titers were measured in foals 1, 7, 35, 60, 90, and 120 days after birth. During the second year, mares that had been vaccinated the previous year received a single booster dose of vaccine approximately 1 month prior to parturition. Mares that had received the placebo the previous year and mares new to the study received 3 doses of vaccine or placebo. Serum neutralizing antibody titers were measured in samples taken from mares approximately 1 day after foaling and from foals approximately 1 and 60 days after birth. RESULTS Adverse reactions were not observed. Antibody titers were significantly increased at the time of foaling and 35 days after foaling in vaccinated, compared with control, mares and for 90 days after birth in foals born to vaccinated, compared with foals born to control, mares. Incidence of rotaviral diarrhea was lower in foals born to vaccinated, compared with foals born to control, mares, but the difference was not significant. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Results suggest that the equine rotavirus vaccine is safe and immunogenic and that reasonable efficacy under field conditions can be expected.
Endometrial Pinopodes and Uterine Receptivity

Abstract: The human endometrium is an extremely sensitive target for steroid hormones. During the menstrual cycle, this tissue undergoes dynamic changes which are reflected on the surface morphology of the epithelium, and which can be followed by scanning electron microscopy. The morphological changes peak at the midsecretory phase, with the formation of the so‐called pinopodes. Increasing evidence suggests that these pinopodes are accurate markers for endometrial receptivity, and their detection may be of high clinical utility for the preparation of endometrium before embryo transfer.