Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional lung tissue changes with mechanical ventilation and fluid load

ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the regional gravity-dependent impact of mechanical ventilation and fluid overload on lung extracellular matrix (ECM) in healthy lungs. Materials and Methods: The glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) composition of the ventral and dorsal lung parenchyma was determined in anesthetized supine healthy rats mechanically ventilated for 4 hours in air: (a) at low (∼7.5 mL/kg) or high (∼ 23 mL /kg) tidal volume (VT) and 0 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP); (b) at low or high VT at 5 cmH2O PEEP and (c) with or without 7 mL /(kg·h) intravenous saline infusion. Results: Mechanical ventilation degraded lung ECM, with alveolar septa thinning and structural GAGs disorganization. Low VT ventilation was associated with significant tissue structure changes in both ventral and dorsal lung regions, while high VT mainly affected the dependent ones. PEEP decreased ECM injury mainly in the ventral lung regions, although it did not prevent matrix fragmentation and washout at high VT. Intravascular fluid load increased lung damage prevalently in the ventral lung regions. Conclusion: Mechanical ventilation and fluid load may cause additive injuries in healthy lungs, mainly in ventral regions.
The sampling and estimation of marine paleodiversity patterns: implications of a Pliocene model

Abstract Data that accurately capture the spatial structure of biodiversity are required for many paleobiological questions, from assessments of changing provinciality and the role of geographic ranges in extinction and originations, to estimates of global taxonomic or morphological diversity through time. Studies of temporal changes in diversity and global biogeographic patterns have attempted to overcome fossil sampling biases through sampling standardization protocols, but such approaches must ultimately be limited by available literature and museum collections. One approach to evaluating such limits is to compare results from the fossil record with models of past diversity patterns informed by modern relationships between diversity and climatic factors. Here we use present-day patterns for marine bivalves, combined with data on the geologic ages and distributions of extant taxa, to develop a model for Pliocene diversity patterns, which is then compared with diversity patterns retrieved from the literature as compiled by the Paleobiology Database (PaleoDB). The published Pliocene bivalve data (PaleoDB) lack the first-order spatial structure required to generate the modern biogeography within the time available (<3 Myr). Instead, the published data (raw and standardized) show global diversity maxima in the Tropical West Atlantic, followed closely by a peak in the cool-temperate East Atlantic. Either today's tropical West Pacific diversity peak, double that of any other tropical region, is a purely Pleistocene phenomenon—highly unlikely given the geologic ages of extant genera and the topology of molecular phylogenies—or the paleontological literature is such a distorted sample of tropical Pliocene diversity that current sampling standardization methods cannot compensate for existing biases. A rigorous understanding of large-scale spatial and temporal diversity patterns will require new approaches that can compensate for such strong bias, presumably by drawing more fully on our understanding of the factors that underlie the deployment of diversity today.
Two consecutive large outbreaks of Salmonella Muenchen linked to pig farming in Germany, 2013 to 2014: Is something missing in our regulatory framework?

In 2013, raw pork was the suspected vehicle of a large outbreak (n = 203 cases) of Salmonella Muenchen in the German federal state of Saxony. In 2014, we investigated an outbreak (n = 247 cases) caused by the same serovar affecting Saxony and three further federal states in the eastern part of Germany. Evidence from epidemiological, microbiological and trace-back investigations strongly implicated different raw pork products as outbreak vehicles. Trace-back analysis of S. Muenchen-contaminated raw pork sausages narrowed the possible source down to 54 pig farms, and S. Muenchen was detected in three of them, which traded animals with each other. One of these farms had already been the suspected source of the 2013 outbreak. S. Muenchen isolates from stool of patients in 2013 and 2014 as well as from food and environmental surface swabs of the three pig farms shared indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Our results indicate a common source of both outbreaks in the primary production of pigs. Current European regulations do not make provisions for Salmonella control measures on pig farms that have been involved in human disease outbreaks. In order to prevent future outbreaks, legislators should consider tightening regulations for Salmonella control in causative primary production settings.
High Rates of Staphylococcus aureus USA400 Infection, Northern Canada

Surveillance of Staphylococcus aureus infections in 3 northern remote communities of Saskatchewan was undertaken. Rates of methicillin-resistant infections were extremely high (146–482/10,000 population), and most (98.2%) were caused by USA400 strains. Although USA400 prevalence has diminished in the United States, this strain is continuing to predominate throughout many northern communities in Canada.
Prediction of Therapeutic Response to Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection According to Distribution of Radicular Pain

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the distribution of radicular pain has predictive value in identifying patients who would benefit from transforaminal cervical epidural steroid injections. Design: Retrospective cohort study of subjects with cervical radiculopathy who underwent cervical epidural steroid injections from February 2005 to January 2006. Data from subjects were divided into groups based on pain distribution, imaging-based diagnosis of cervical disk herniation or stenosis, and their response to treatment. &khgr;2 tests were used to assess the relationships between distribution and benefit. Results: Of the 117 charts reviewed, complete data were available for 94 subjects. Forty-eight subjects had cervical disk herniations and, of these, 52% had pain above the elbow with 60% benefit, and 48% had pain below the elbow with 61% benefit. Forty-six subjects had cervical stenosis and, of these, 57% had pain above the elbow with 62% benefit, and 43% had pain below the elbow with 80% benefit. Benefit was defined as 70% or greater reduction in pain. &khgr;2 testing demonstrated no statistically significant difference in beneficial response to cervical epidural steroid injections based on pain distributions. Conclusions: The likelihood of subjects to report a positive benefit from cervical epidural steroid injections as a treatment of their cervical radicular pain was independent of the distribution of their pain. Although our results did not show pain distribution to have a predictive value, additional research is needed in identifying predictive factors to improve outcomes and reduce cost.
Postoperative follow-up of patients with colorectal carcinoma by colonoscopy.

OBJECTIVE To find out if colonoscopy is of use in the follow-up of patients who have been operated on for colorectal carcinoma. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Department of diagnostic radiology, university hospital. SUBJECTS 390 consecutive patients operated on for colorectal carcinoma during the 10-year period 1981 to 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Number of recurrences, synchronous of metachronous tumours, and number and size of adenomas found on colonoscopy. RESULTS Neoplastic lesions were found in 175 (45%) of the 390 patients studied. There were 14 anastomotic recurrences and 12 new primary carcinomas. At operation for recurrent tumours Dukes' A or B lesions were found in half of the 14 patients who had no symptoms, and a quarter of the 12 who had had symptoms. Those with recurrent carcinoma were younger than those without. Adenomas 1 cm in diameter or more were found in 44 patients and 104 had adenomas less than 1 cm. In addition one carcinoid was found. CONCLUSION Colonoscopy gave a high yield of neoplastic lesions when used to follow-up patients after resection of colorectal carcinoma, particularly at six months, and resulted in half the recurrent carcinomas being diagnosed before the patients had symptoms. We recommend its use for follow-up of high risk patients, but further studies are needed to establish the optimum time intervals.
Facile preparation of magnetic separable powdered-activated-carbon/Ni adsorbent and its application in removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from aqueous solution

The main aim of this study was to synthesize magnetic separable Nickel/powdered activated carbon (Ni/PAC) and its application as an adsorbent for removal of PFOS from aqueous solution. In this work, the synthesized adsorbent using simple method was characterized by using X-ray diffractionometer (XRD), surface area and pore size analyzer, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The surface area, pore volume and pore size of synthesized PAC was 1521.8 m2g−1, 0.96 cm3g−1, 2.54 nm, respectively. Different kinetic models: the pseudo–first-order model, the pseudo–second-order model, and three adsorption isotherms—Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin—were applied to study the sorption kinetics and isothermal behavior of PFOS onto the surface of an as-prepared adsorbent. The rate constant using the pseudo–second-order model for removal of 150 ppm PFOS was estimated as 8.82×10−5 and 1.64×10−4 for PAC and 40% Ni/PAC, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the composite adsorbents exhibited a clear magnetic hysteretic behavior, indicating the potential practical application in magnetic separation of adsorbents from aqueous solution phase as well.
Levels of interleukin-33 and interleukin-6 in patients with acute coronary syndrome or stable angina.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of interleukin-33 (IL-33) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with acute coronary syndrome or stable angina. METHODS Serum IL-33 and IL-6 were measured with Enzyme Linked Immuosorbent Assay (ELISA) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n=40), and stable angina pectoris (SAP, n=43). IL-33 and IL-6 were also determined in 30 healthy subjects (control group). RESULTS The serum level of IL-33 in the ACS group (78.60±44.84 ng/L) was lower than in the SAP (102.58±37.21 ng/L, P<0.01) or control groups (130.24±10.17 ng/L, P<0.01). The serum level of IL-6 in the ACS group (39.90±12.64 ng/L) was higher than in the SAP (18.68±11.89 ng/L, P<0.05) or control groups (6.28±17.72 ng/L, P<0.05). There were no differences in serum levels of IL-33 and IL-6 among the single-, double- and triple-vessel lesion groups. IL-33 and IL-6 levels were negatively correlated with each other in the ACS (r=-0.871, P<0.01) and SAP groups (r=-0.788, P<0.01). CONCLUSION The serum level of IL-33 was lower in patients with ACS or SAP and was negatively correlated with the serum level of IL-6. Thus, IL-33 and IL-6 may be used as biomarkers for evaluating inflammatory response and severity of coronary heart disease in patients with ACS or SAP.
Health related quality of life patterns in patients treated with interstitial prostate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer--data from CaPSURE.

PURPOSE We measured the impact brachytherapy monotherapy (BMT) has on general and disease specific health related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). MATERIALS AND METHODS We studied 419 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer who enrolled in CaPSURE (Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urological Research Endeavor) data base whose primary treatment was brachytherapy monotherapy (92) or radical prostatectomy (327). The validated RAND 36-Item Health Survey and the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index were used to measure HRQOL before treatment and at 6-month intervals during the first 2 years after treatment. RESULTS Patients treated with BMT or RP did not differ greatly in general HRQOL after treatment. Both treatment groups showed early functional impairment in most general domains with scores returning to or approaching baseline in most domains 18 to 24 months after treatment. Patients treated with BMT had significantly higher urinary function scores at 0 to 6 months after treatment (84.5, SD 18.7) than patients treated with RP (63.3, SD 26.6). Urinary bother scores at 0 to 6 months after treatment were not significantly different between patients treated with BMT (67.7, SD 31.2) and those treated with RP (67.4, SD 29.1). Both treatment groups had decreases in sexual function that did not return to pretreatment levels. CONCLUSIONS Overall BMT and RP are well tolerated procedures that cause mild changes in general HRQOL. Disease specific HRQOL patterns are different in patients treated with BMT or RP. Baseline and serial HRQOL measurements after treatment can provide valuable information regarding expected quality of life outcome after treatment for localized prostate cancer.
Obesity at Diagnosis of Breast Carcinoma Influences Duration of Disease-free Survival

OBJECTIVE To study disease-free survival at 10 years in relation to obesity at the time of diagnosis. DESIGN A prospective study of consecutively treated patients with primary breast cancer. SETTING Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. PATIENTS Nine hundred twenty-three women treated by mastectomy and axillary dissection. MAIN RESULTS Women who were obese (25% or more over optimal weight for height) at the time of primary breast cancer treatment were at significantly greater risk for recurrence (42%) compared with nonobese patients (32%) 10 years after diagnosis (P less than 0.01). In multivariate analyses, obesity remained a statistically significant prognostic factor after controlling for measured tumor size, number of positive axillary lymph nodes, age at diagnosis, and adjuvant chemotherapy with a hazard ratio of 1.29 (95% CI, 1.0 to 1.67). When analyses were restricted to the 557 patients free of lymph node metastases, the hazard ratio of recurrence associated with obesity was 1.59 (CI, 1.06 to 2.39); 32% of obese patients developed recurrent disease compared with 19% of nonobese women. CONCLUSIONS Obesity at the time of diagnosis is a significant prognostic factor that may limit the reduction in breast cancer mortality attainable through detection at an early stage of disease. Because obesity and the risk for breast cancer increase with age, interventions that encourage weight control may influence breast cancer survival rates.
Reading for a test: the effect of high-stakes exams on reading strategies

espanolEste articulo presenta un estudio sobre las estrategias de lectura de los estudiantes eslovenos de ILE cuyo contexto del aula esta influido por el examen nacional de alto impacto, anadido al curriculo. Los resultados muestran que hay solo diferencias minimas entre los estudiantes competentes y los incompetentes en el uso de las estrategias de lectura. Los resultados se discuten a la luz del efecto rebote y el desarrollo de la habilidad/las estrategias de lectura en clase. La discusion propone que los educadores deberian ser conscientes de las limitaciones de los examenes de alto impacto e introducir tareas de lectura indirectamente relacionadas con tales examenes para minimizar su potencial efecto negativo. EnglishThis paper presents a study which investigates the reading strategies employed by Slovenian EFL students whose classroom context is influenced by a high-stakes, curriculum-aligned national examination. The findings show that there are only minor differences between strong and weak students in their use of reading strategies. The results are discussed in light of the washback effect and the development of the reading skill/strategies in the classroom. The discussion suggests that educators should be aware of the limitations of high-stakes examinations, and introduce reading tasks not directly linked to such examinations, in order to minimise their potential negative effect in the classroom.
Development of a Population-Based Screening Questionnaire for COPD

COPD is commonly under-diagnosed, in part because people at risk are unaware of the relevant risk factors and do not recognize related symptoms. Providing this information might permit earlier disease identification but the questions chosen should identify those with spirometrically defined airflow obstruction. Using a population-based data set, we have determined which questions identify persons most likely to have airflow obstruction. Potential questions were selected by review of COPD risk factors and clinical features. Validation was by retrospective analysis of the NHANES III data set, a population-based U.S. household survey that included spirometry. We examined the predictive ability of individual questions in a multi-variate framework to correctly discriminate between persons with and without spirometric airway obstruction (defined as FEV1/FVC < 0.70). We then tested the discriminatory ability of the questions in combination. The following items showed significant predictive ability: increased age, smoking status, pack-years, cough, wheeze, and prior diagnosis of asthma or COPD. The best performing combination was age, smoking status, pack-years smoked, wheeze, phlegm, body mass index, and prior diagnosis of obstructive lung disease. Using this combination in a population of current and former smokers aged 40 and over, we achieved a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 45%, with a positive predictive value of 38% and a negative predictive value of 88%. Performance of this tool is comparable to other screening methods designed for use in a general population. Symptom-based questionnaires can be a viable method to identify persons likely to have COPD in the general population. Dissemination of such tools should raise awareness among at-risk persons and help identify COPD patients in the primary care setting.
Favorable Trends for a Decade: Increasing Pass Rates on The American Board of Anesthesiology Examinations.

BACKGROUND There have been some apparent increasing pass rates on the American Board of Anesthesiology Part 1 (written) and Part 2 (oral) examinations in the setting of a transition in examination format. The aim of the study is to evaluate the nature of these trends, hypothesizing that these increasing pass rate trends are significant. METHODS In this retrospective study from 2003-2012, the first-attempt examinee pass rates on the Part 1 and Part 2 examinations were obtained from the American Board of Anesthesiology website. To evaluate the cohort of examinees, the mean United States Medical Licensing Examination scores of residents matched to anesthesia programs were also obtained. To evaluate trends over time, simple linear regression was performed with the academic year as the independent variable and examination outcome as the dependent variable, using an α = 0.05. RESULTS The median annual pass rate on the Part 1 examination was 85.5% (Interquartile range [82.75% - 87.75%]). Regression analysis showed that the slope of the least-squares regression line was greater than zero (p = 0.008). The median annual pass rate on the Part 2 examination was 81.5% (Interquartile range [77.25% - 84.75]). Regression analysis showed that the slope of the least-squares regression line was greater than zero (p < 0.001). Regression analysis also showed increasing United States Medical Licensing Examination scores for the incoming anesthesia residents (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS There have been significant increasing trends on the American Board of Anesthesiology Part 1 and Part 2 examinations over the last ten years.
Prevalence and predictors of child rape among female high school students in Lagos

Child rape is a threat to the development of any country. It is associated with a wide range of negative consequences which include psychological, physical and reproductive health outcomes. The study sought to examine the prevalence and predictors of girl child rape among female high school students in Lagos, Nigeria with particular focus on age, living arrangement, family income, and work involvement. The study employed a cross-sectional survey of two high schools in Lagos among female students. Data were generated from four hundred female students. The mean age is 15. Result showed that about 26% of the respondents had experienced rape. While 17.8% of the girls were physically forced into a sexual intercourse, 8.6% of them were pressured into it. The binary logistic regression model revealed that age and work involvement are statistically significant on the experience of rape (Cox and Snell’s R2 = 0.053 and a Nagelkerke’s R2 = 0.077). The findings of this study reveals that there is a significant prevalence of child rape among female high school students. The study recommends intensive empowerment programs to alleviate sufferings of people and sensitisation programs targeted at parents and children.
Correlation Between Cell Size and CD38 Expression in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Both CD38 expression and increased cell size are features of B-lymphocyte activation and have been implicated as adverse prognostic factors in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We therefore examined the relationship between these two variables by FACS analysis in 140 consecutive CLL patients. Using the mean forward-angle light scatter (FSC) as a measure of cell size, circulating B lymphocytes were found to be significantly larger in "CD38-positive" cases (those in which the antigen was expressed in at least 20% of the malignant cells) as compared with "CD38-negative" patients (p =0.029). Furthermore, within individual cases B lymphocytes expressing CD38 were, on average, significantly larger than cells that did not express the antigen (p <0.0001). Finally, when B lymphocytes of individual "CD38-positive" cases were arbitrarily divided into large and small sub-populations using their mean FSC as a cut-off, CD38 was found to be more frequently expressed on the larger cells (p <0.0001). This strong positive correlation between CD38 expression and cell size implicates cell activation as a possible underlying determinant of both tumour-cell phenotype and clinical outcome in CLL.
Improving DNN Bluetooth Narrowband Acoustic Models by Cross-Bandwidth and Cross-Lingual Initialization

The success of deep neural network (DNN) acoustic models is partly owed to large amounts of training data available for different applications. This work investigates ways to improve DNN acoustic models for Bluetooth narrowband mobile applications when relatively small amounts of in-domain training data are available. To address the challenge of limited indomain data, we use cross-bandwidth and cross-lingual transfer learning methods to leverage knowledge from other domains with more training data (different bandwidth and/or languages). Specifically, narrowband DNNs in a target language are initialized using the weights of DNNs trained on bandlimited wideband data in the same language or those trained on a different (resource-rich) language. We investigate multiple recipes involving such methods with different data resources. For all languages in our experiments, these recipes achieve up to 45% relative WER reduction, compared to training solely on the Bluetooth narrowband data in the target language. Furthermore, these recipes are very beneficial even when over two hundred hours of manually transcribed in-domain data is available, and we can achieve better accuracy than the baselines with as little as 20 hours of in-domain data.