Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Method for Estimating the Risk of Surgical Site Infection in Patients With Abdominal Colorectal Procedures

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection is one of the most common and significant morbidities following colon and rectal surgery, representing a marker of institutional quality. Various measures have been implemented to lower its incidence. However, the level of incidence remains unacceptable in many reports. OBJECTIVE: This study addresses whether surgical site infections can be accurately predicted in an outpatient clinical setting among patients undergoing elective colon and rectal surgery. DESIGN: This investigation was designed as a retrospective cohort study with the use of logistic regression modeling. SETTINGS: Data for this study were extracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant user data file. PATIENTS: Patients undergoing elective intraabdominal colorectal surgery during 2009 were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measured was the probability of 30-day surgical site infection (superficial and deep incisional). RESULTS: A total of 18,403 records for patients with colorectal surgery were identified. Superficial incisional surgical site infections were identified in 1447 records (7.86%). Deep incisional surgical site infections were identified in 278 records (1.51%). Body mass index, preoperative hematocrit, open approach, ASA classification level, smoking, alcohol use, functional status before surgery, and age more than 75 years were identified as likely independent predictors of deep and superficial surgical site infections. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop a series of predictive models. Reduced versions of the models were then developed that included only highly statistically significant predictors of infection in the corresponding full models (age, alcohol abuse, ASA classification, stoma closure, open approach, BMI, and hematocrit). Nomograms representing the final reduced model equations are presented. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by the use of an administrative database and its retrospective design. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical site infection is common morbidity following colon and rectal surgery. Nomograms using key patient characteristics can be used to accurately calculate a patients’ risk of surgical site infection. This tool could be applied in the clinical setting to prospectively identify patients at highest risk of surgical site infection.
The Local / Global Integration of MNC subsidiaries and their Technological Behaviour : Argentina in the Late 1990 s Paper for the DRUID Summer Conference 2006

This paper examines reasons for differences in the innovative activity of MNC subsidiaries in the context of a late industrialising host economy, Argentina in the late 1990s. It builds on our earlier work which demonstrated that local spillovers from FDI did arise, but not as a generalised consequence of all kinds of FDI-mediated technology transfer from parent companies. Instead spillovers were associated with the existence of significant knowledgecreation and related innovative activity undertaken by the local subsidiaries themselves. That local technological behaviour varied widely between subsidiaries. We have provisionally explored reasons for this variability, highlighting the possible significance of locationspecific factors. In this paper we examine the importance of the subsidiaries functional integration within (a) their global corporations and (b) the host economy. The results show that functional integration into the local economy is on its own associated with low levels of local innovative activity. In contrast, close corporate integration has positive effects on local innovative activity under particular conditions when subsidiaries also functionally integrated into the local economy or when they are integrated into global markets as well as the global corporation.
Growth of SHG-Bank Linkage Programme -- A Comparative Study of Six Regions in India

The SHG-Bank Linkage Programme in India has been a flag-ship programme of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), with the objective of enabling the poorest of the poor to access financial resources to increase household income and to achieve sustained livelihood. The purpose of the study was to explore the penetration and growth trend of SBL programme in the six regional divisions of India.
Neutral Amino Acid Transport Characterization of Isolated Luminal and Abluminal Membranes of the Blood-Brain Barrier (*)

The neutral amino acid carrier composition of luminal and abluminal membranes of the blood-brain barrier has been studied using isolated membrane vesicles. Phenylalanine was carried almost exclusively by a high affinity (K = 10 ± 2 μM), Na-independent amino acid transport system, presumably L1 system, that was found to be symmetrically distributed between luminal and abluminal membranes. Inhibition of phenylalanine uptake was used to determine the affinities (K values) toward leucine (17 ± 3 μM), tryptophan (8 ± 1), 2-aminobicyclo(2,2,1)-heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH) (11 ± 2), alanine (628 ± 117), and glutamine (228 ± 51). Alanine was found to be transported by two Na-dependent transport systems that were located exclusively on the abluminal membrane. Kinetic and inhibition experiments indicated that one of these activities was due to system A, which is probably the main route for Na-dependent alanine transport (K = 0.6 ± 0.2 mM) under physiological conditions. The other Na-dependent activity was attributed to a B-like system based on its sensitivity toward BCH. This latter system showed greater affinity for large neutral amino acids. The affinities of these two transport systems for several other amino acids were also studied.
Policy in transition: the emergence of tackling early school leaving (ESL) as EU policy priority

Abstract This paper explores, from a Foucauldian perspective, the emergence and nature of the current EU education policy priority issue of ‘early school leaving’. The paper suggests that a number of problematisations developing from the failure to secure Lisbon Strategy objectives have served to create a much stronger focus on the issue of young people deemed to be leaving education and training early in EU states. In examining how EU policy discourse positions such young people (subjectivation), the paper highlights how this has narrowed to a concern with young people as economic problems and principally positioned as economic units which are required to be more productive. Education and training are understood as investments in human capital and as the principal means to secure the dominant global economic position desired by the EU. The paper suggests, however, that human capital theory has been modified within this approach so that merely being retained in an educational setting is seen as proxy for the investment which education and training represent. This is a weaker policy position than previously espoused but, born of economic crisis, one which addresses related EU political aims of softening youth unemployment figures, dampening associated unrest and reducing risks to social cohesion.
A new concept in the sewing rings for mechanical heart valves

Background: valve-associated complications challenge the quality of life and longevity after heart valve replacement. Inappropriate healing may be a contributing factor. Objective: to evaluate a new design mechanical heart valve in an animal model. Methods and results: the new valve was fabricated by substituting the sewing ring with an inbuilt suture ridge and an overlying fabric flap. It improved the effective orifice area. Animal experiments were performed on pigs to compare this valve with standard valve models. The animals were kept on dual antiplatelet drugs. Six of the 8 test animals survived the observation period of 140 days compared to 2 of the 6 controls. Among the test valves, one had thrombosis and 3 had significant tissue hyperplasia, whereas 5 control valves had thrombosis associated with significant tissue hyperplasia. Three test valves had paravalvular defects compared to none in the control group. Histology showed good tissue incorporation of the fabric flap of the test valves, whereas the control valves had tissue infiltration limited to the peripheral fabric layer of the sewing ring. Conclusion: the new valve has improved effective orifice area, and the animal study showed better survival, good healing, and a lower incidence of thrombosis and tissue hyperplasia.
Low dark current logarithmic pixels

The sensitivity of logarithmic pixels at low light levels is limited by the dark current that flows through the load transistor in the pixel in parallel with the photocurrent. A new layout for a logarithmic pixel is reported that significantly reduces the dark current in the pixel. In addition a simple change to the bias voltages applied to the pixel means that the new layout can simultaneously exhibit a linear response to low-light levels and a logarithmic response at higher light levels.
Perceptions of Help Given to Healthy Older Mothers by Adult Daughters: Ways of Initiating Help and Types of Help Given

Older mother-adult daughter dyads (N = 43) addressed two issues pertaining to the ways in which help is initiated (offered, requested, and imposed help) and type of help given (instrumental help, advice, and emotional support) a) mothers' reasoning about these aspects of help, and b) daughters' understanding of mothers' feelings. Both groups noted that mothers were most comfortable with offered help; however, mothers indicated equal comfort with requested or imposed help, while daughters felt mothers were more comfortable with requested help than imposed help. Mothers and daughters both felt that mothers were less comfortable receiving additional instrumental help or advice than emotional support. Reasons given for mothers' feelings indicated that mothers saw both positive and negative elements in the help given by their adult daughters. Overall, daughters demonstrated a good understanding of mothers' feelings about the helping relationship.
Arthroscopic meniscus repair

From February 1982 through July 1987, the author studied 87 patients who had a total of 116 meniscus tears, 96 of which were repaired. Seventy patients (79 meniscus repairs) had postoperative followup ranging from 12 months to 5½ years (mean, 39 months). The patients' ages ranged from 14 to 51 years with a mean age of 22. The time from injury to surgery ranged from 1 week to 6 years. Twenty-five percent of the injuries were considered acute, i.e., less than 6 weeks after the injury, and 75% of the injuries were considered chronic. Nineteen patients (27%) had isolated meniscus injuries. All meniscus repairs were done arthroscopically, using an inside-outside technique. Ligament stabilizing pro cedures were done on all patients who had ACL defi cient knees. Forty-seven patients (67%) had postoper ative documentation including either an arthroscopic examination or an arthrogram done an average of 5 to 6 months after surgery. There was one case of peroneal nerve palsy from which the patient made a complete recovery in 6 months. There was one case of infection/ thrombophlebitis. One patient had paresthesia and numbness along the medial aspect of the left leg cor responding to a saphenous nerve injury. The aim of this investigation was two-fold, consisting of determin ing if an arthroscopic technique could be used success fully to repair acute as well as chronic vertical tears involving the meniscus, and also, evaluating the rela tionship between ACL stability and meniscus healing. The overall success rate of retained menisci following repair was 91 %. The time from injury to repair did not affect meniscus healing. Associated stabilization of ACL deficiencies is imperative in patients undergoing menis cus repair.
Krukenberg tumor: a clinico-pathological study of 15 cases.

Krukenberg tumor clinically mimics primary ovarian cancer. We report a series of 15 cases of Krukenberg tumor. The patients' age range from 13 to 71 years. Most ovarian tumors (14/15) were bilateral. A primary digestive tumor was diagnosed pre-operatively in 3 cases, per-operatively in 3 cases and post-operatively in 4 cases. No primary tumor was identified in the 5 other cases. Histological diagnosis of Krukenberg tumor is usually easy either on paraffin or frozen sections. Mucin stains are helpful. Two main histological types were found in our series : the classic form with sarcoma-like storiform tumoral stroma and an alternative cellular-acellular pattern. Mucinous carcinoid was microscopically challenged in two cases. Most patients died within 2 years (median survival 14 months). Nor surgery, neither chemotherapy is efficient but bilateral oophorectomy should be proposed in post-menopausal women with gastric linitis removed surgically.
The International Burden of Migraine Study (IBMS): Study design, methodology, and baseline cohort characteristics

Objective: To describe a survey methodology to evaluate headache characteristics and burden and to present baseline characteristics for the international cohort of survey participants. Methods: A targeted, web-based methodology was used to recruit and survey subjects with migraine in 10 countries. Based on reported symptoms, subjects meeting ICHD-2 criteria for migraine were included; eligible subjects were classified as chronic (≥ 15 headache days per month) or episodic (< 15 headache days per month). Outcomes included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, resource utilization, disability, health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression and productivity. Results: Of 23,312 survey respondents, 11,897 were eligible and 9715 (81.7%) completed the survey; subjects were 81.5% female; 5.7% (n = 555) had chronic migraine. Conclusions: This is the first large international cohort of persons with chronic and episodic migraine studied using a web-based approach, a methodology well suited to the study of the burden of migraines.
Activity of newer triazoles against Histoplasma capsulatum from patients with AIDS who failed fluconazole.

OBJECTIVES To determine the activity of newer triazoles against strains of Histoplasma capsulatum resistant to fluconazole. METHODS Susceptibility testing was performed on 17 paired pre- and post-treatment H. capsulatum isolates from patients with AIDS who failed fluconazole. RESULTS The median MICs of fluconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole and ravuconazole for the pre-treatment isolates were 1 mg/L, 0.015 mg/L and <0.007 mg/L, respectively. A 4-fold or greater increase in the MIC of fluconazole and voriconazole was observed in 12 and 7 of the post-treatment isolates, respectively; the median fold increases in MIC were 8 and 2.1, respectively. No MIC increases were observed for posaconazole and ravuconazole. One pair of isolates exhibiting reduced susceptibility was examined in more detail. A single amino acid substitution (at tyrosine 136) was identified in the active site of the CYP51 protein from the post-treatment isolate, which is presumed to be responsible for reduced susceptibility to voriconazole and fluconazole, analogous to recent observations in Candida albicans. CONCLUSIONS These findings support careful monitoring for relapse in patients receiving voriconazole treatment for histoplasmosis, particularly in those who were previously treated with fluconazole.
Increasing Incidence of Candidemia: Results from a 20-Year Nationwide Study in Iceland

ABSTRACT A nationwide study on candidemia was conducted in Iceland from 1980 to 1999. The annual incidence increased from 1.4 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year between 1980 and 1984 to 4.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year between 1995 and 1999 (P < 0.0001). Candidemia episodes at university hospitals increased from 0.15/1,000 admissions to 0.55/1,000 admissions (P < 0.0001). Candida albicans was the predominant species responsible (64.4%). The national import of fluconazole increased approximately fourfold during the second half of the study, but increased resistance to this agent was not observed.
Time–Frequency Analysis of the Endocavitarian Signal in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

We apply the time-frequency analysis to the endocavitarian signal of patients suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The time-frequency spectrum reveals the components of the endocavitarian signal. These components are located in the regions of the time-frequency domain that differ for in-rhythm and in-atrial fibrillation signals. By using experimental data, we perform a statistical study of these regions, and we obtain their average value. The difference in the shape of these regions is caused by the re-entry circuits that characterize atrial fibrillation. We propose a propagation model for atrial fibrillation based on the re-entry circuits, which explains the shape of the time-frequency spectrum.
‘Bottom-hung window’ trauma in cats: neurological evaluation and outcome in 71 cats with bilateral hindlimb injury

Objectives Influence of neurological status on the mortality rate of paraparetic/paralysed cats presenting after entrapment in a bottom-hung window was evaluated. It was hypothesised that (1) loss of deep pain sensation at admission would not be a negative prognostic factor for regaining motor function and that (2) mortality rate would be influenced by the severity of neurological grade upon admission. Methods Clinical and pathological data of affected cats that presented at our institution between 2001 and 2012 for this specific trauma were collected retrospectively: breed, age , sex, last contact with owner (<3 hours and >3 hours), whether the cat was suffering from monoparesis or paraparesis/paraplegia, duration of hospitalisation ,rectal temperature, surface temperature of the skin of the hindlimbs, femoral pulse and tone of the pelvic musculature. Neurological status was categorised according to Scott’s classification scheme with neurological grade 1 representing spinal pain on manipulation down to neurological grade 5 representing paraplegia with no deep pain sensation. Results Data were collected for 98 cats that had been caught in the thoracolumbar area. A total of 71 cats were included in the statistical analysis after excluding 27 cats for the following reasons: monoparesis/monoplegia by getting one limb caught only (15), no initial neurological examination (5), was dead on arrival (1), caught within the thoracolumbar area but no clinical or neurological abnormalities (6). The proportional mortality rate overall was 35% (25/71) with 65% of these (16/25) dying with clinical signs of respiratory distress. The proportional mortality rate of patients with a neurological grade of 5 on admission was 55% (17/31). Conclusions Mortality was influenced by the severity of neurological grade on admission, with the majority of cats having a neurological grade of 5 (paraplegia with loss of deep pain perception) at admission dying (11/31) rather than undergoing euthanasia on admission at the owner’s request (6/31). In the survivors’ group, loss of deep pain perception was not a negative prognostic factor for regaining motor function although it was associated with mortality.
Differential Mechanism and Prognostic Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment

OBJECTIVES:Diabetes mellitus (DM) is prevalent in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to coexisting cirrhosis. This study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of DM on HCC patients and its underlying mechanism.METHODS:A total of 567 (120 diabetic) HCC patients were included. The survival was compared between patients with and without DM according to the treatment modality. The occurrence of hepatic decompensation was defined as the sustained increment of the Child-Pugh score by 2 points or more during the follow-up period.RESULTS:Survival analysis showed that DM was not a significant prognostic predictor among the 255 (41 diabetic, 16%) patients who underwent resection (p= 0.155). However, DM was a poor prognostic predictor among those with small (≤5 cm) HCC (n = 159; relative risk [RR]: 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–5.1, p= 0.021) or those without postoperative tumor recurrence (n = 133; RR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2–4.8, p= 0.032) due to the occurrence of more diabetes-related deaths. Of the 312 (79 diabetic, 25%) patients who underwent nonsurgical treatment including transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneous injection, DM was a poor prognostic predictor among those with Child-Pugh A reserve (n = 222; RR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1–2.5, p= 0.044). Diabetic patients were more susceptible to develop hepatic decompensation in this group (RR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.6, p= 0.012). CONCLUSIONS:There is a selective mechanism and prognostic impact of DM on HCC patients undergoing surgical and nonsurgical therapy. DM may affect the long-term survival through diabetes-related complications or inducing liver failure depending on treatment strategy and under the influence of tumoral and cirrhosis factors.
The First Year Experience on an Urban Campus: A Case Study Exploring the Impact of First Year Programs on Student Perceptions of Belonging, Adjustment, Success, and Support

First-year experience programs on college and university campuses are designed to support the academic, social, and institutional transition needs of the first-year student. Retention on campuses has been an issue that educational leaders have been addressing for many years. On average, approximately 20% to 30% of first-year students will not return for the second year. A review of the literature shows that there is a positive impact of such programs on a student’s achievement and retention on college campuses. It also reflects the various factors outside of an institution’s control that can have an impact on the student’s achievement. This qualitative study included one case study that analyzed the experiences of thirteen (13) first-year students who participated in a first-year experience program consisting of an extended orientation camp and an intentional programming model on large, public, 4-year, urban campus in the Southern United States. Findings and discussion from the study revealed: (a) the perceptions of impact that first-year programs have on a student’s belonging, adjustment, success, and support after the first semester of college; and (b) common themes and trends throughout the first six weeks of the participants related to their perceptions of belonging, adjustment, success, and support. Implications of this study also prescribe future research that could explore specific resources, learning outcomes, and retention rates across other urban institutions. INDEX WORDS: Student retention, Orientation camp, First-year experience, Camp FYRE, First-year residential experience THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE ON AN URBAN CAMPUS: A CASE STUDY EXPLORING THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF FIRST YEAR PROGRAMS ON STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF BELONGING, ADJUSTMENT, SUCCESS, AND SUPPORT