Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consecutive 1127 therapeutic echocardiographically guided pericardiocenteses: clinical profile, practice patterns, and outcomes spanning 21 years.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate consecutive therapeutic echocardiographically (echo)-guided pericardiocenteses performed at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, from 1979 to 2000 and to determine whether patient profiles, practice patterns, and outcomes have changed over time. PATIENTS AND METHODS Consecutive echo-guided pericardiocenteses performed between February 1, 1979, and January 31, 2000, for treatment of clinically significant pericardial effusions were identified in the Mayo Clinic Echocardiographic-guided Pericardiocentesis Registry. The medical records of these patients were examined, and a follow-up survey was conducted. Clinical profiles, echocardiographic findings, procedural details, and outcomes were determined for 3 periods: February 1, 1979, through January 31, 1986; February 1, 1986, through January 31, 1993; and February 1, 1993, through January 31, 2000. RESULTS During the 21-year study period, 1127 therapeutic echo-guided pericardiocenteses were performed in 977 patients. The mean +/- SD age at pericardiocentesis increased from 49+/-14 years in period 1 to 57+/-14 years in period 3. In recent years, cardiothoracic surgery replaced malignancy as the leading cause of an effusion requiring pericardiocentesis and together with malignancy and perforation from catheter-based procedures accounted for nearly 70% of all pericardiocenteses performed. The procedural success rate was 97% overall, with a total complication rate of 4.7% (major, 1.2%; minor, 3.5%). These rates did not change significantly over time. The use of a pericardial catheter for extended drainage increased from 23% in period 1 to 75% in period 3 (P<.001), whereas rates of effusion recurrence and pericardial surgery decreased significantly (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS The profile of patients presenting with clinically significant pericardial effusion has changed over time. Increasing numbers of older patients and those who have undergone cardiothoracic surgery or catheter-based procedures develop effusions that can be rapidly, safely, and effectively managed with echo-guided pericardiocentesis. Extended drainage with use of a pericardial catheter has become standard practice, and concomitantly, recurrence rates and need for surgical management have decreased considerably.
Clinical significance of thymidine kinase in Egyptian children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy, representing one-third of pediatric cancers. Thymidine kinase-1 (TK-1) is expressed in proliferating cells so elevated TK-1 indicates active tumor growth. Objective: To study the clinical significance of TK-1 in children with ALL. Patients and Methods: This study was carried out on 40 children with newly diagnosed ALL who were admitted to Oncology Unit, Pediatric department, Tanta University (26 males and 14 females) with their ages ranged from 4 to 10 years and 30 healthy children of matched age and sex as a control group. For all patients the following were done: Complete blood picture, bone marrow examination, immunophenotyping and TK-1 serum levels. Results: Mean TK-1 level was significantly higher in patients at diagnosis than controls and significantly higher in patients with unfavorable outcome than patients with favorable outcome. Mean TK-1 level was significantly higher in patients in relapse than patients in remission and controls. No significant differences in mean TK-1 level between patients in remission and controls. There were statistically significant differences in disease free survival and overall survival between patients with favorable and unfavorable outcome. Conclusion: From this study we concluded that TK is a helpful marker in diagnosis and follow-up of patients with ALL. Recommendations: Thymidine kinase-1 should be routinely assessed at diagnosis and during follow-up in ALL patients for better diagnostic and prognostic assessment and should be taken in consideration in designing future therapeutic strategies based on patients-specific risk factors.
The intestinal absorption of amino‐acid enantiomorphs

Gibson & Wiseman (1951) showed that when amino-acids were injected into the lumen of the intestine of the rat, the L-enantiomorph disappeared at a faster rate than the D-enantiomorph, and they postulated a stereochemically specific mechanism for the absorption of L-amino-acids. In support of this, Clarke, Gibson, Smyth & Wiseman (1951) showed that L-amino-acids also disappeared faster than D-amino-acids from the Thiry-Vella loop in the dog, and Wiseman (1953) showed with an in vitro technique that L-amino-acids could be transferred by the intestine against a concentration gradient, whereas D-amino-acids could not. While these experiments furnish strong evidence for the existence of a stereochemicaily specific mechanism for absorption of amino-acids from the intestine, they fail to supply any information about the concentration of the Dand L-amino-acids in the blood stream during absorption, and the present work was undertaken to investigate this aspect of the problem. Preliminary accounts of the results have been given by Matthews & Smyth (1952, 1953).
graft-versus-host disease Altered B-cell homeostasis and excess BAFF in human chronic

doi:10.1182/blood-2008-09-177840 Prepublished online Jan 23, 2009;2009 113: 3865-3874€€€€Joseph H. Antin and Jerome Ritz Michael Schowalter, Vincent T. Ho, Edwin P. Alyea, John Koreth, Bruce R. Blazar, Robert J. Soiffer, Stefanie Sarantopoulos, Kristen E. Stevenson, Haesook T. Kim, Corey S. Cutler, Nazmim S. Bhuiya,€
System Reliability Theory: Models, Statistical Methods, and Applications

The first edition of this book, minus the third author, appeared in 1984. It was a book that I purchased for myself. I wrote reports for both the second edition and the third edition (3E) (see the latter report in Ziegel 1997). For the past 20 years, whenever I had an occasion to review a multivariate method, such as when I developed our internal training based on Statistica, this was the book that I grabbed first. These books kept the mathematical content to the minimally necessary material and used a wealth of nice examples. They included discussions about using computer software. The report of the 3E noted that personal computer software, including Statistica, had been added to the set of software packages (SAS, SPSS, BMDP) that had been discussed in the two previous editions. Despite the addition of a new author and the elapse of 8 years since the 3E, this new edition shows only a modest increase in size. The five introductory chapters, “Preparation for Analysis” and four subsequent chapters on applied regression analysis—a unique feature compared to most books on multivariate analysis—are unchanged in structure and length. One feature of the update is a modernizing of the coverage of software packages. The group now consists of S–PLUS, SAS, SPSS, Statistica, and STATA, which generally seem to be the winners in the marketplace for the comprehensive software packages category. There are only a few scattered additions to the content of the text, such as LOWESS, multiple imputations, and CART. Each of the seven chapters in the Multivariate Analysis section has been enhanced by a page or so at the beginning, the “chapter outline,” a nice feature for a book that intends that each of the chapters can be read independently. The most changes are in Chapter 12, “Logistic Regression,” which has additions for nominal and ordinal data, interpretation of interactions, missing-value applications, and diagnostics. Chapter 13, “Survival Analysis,” now also covers Kaplan–Meyer estimates. This is not a major revision, so a personal library update for owners of the 3E would not appear to be necessary. This is as much a book on applied statistical modeling as it is a book on Multivariate analysis. One of its attractions is that it is a practical text that works well with nonstatisticians who have had a decent statistics course. It also continues to be an excellent book for the statistician’s bookshelf. As for more comprehensive books on multivariate analysis, several good candidates have appeared recently, most notably the text by Rencher (2002) (see the report in Ziegel 2003).
A Multilayer Data Copy Scheme for Low Cost Test with Controlled Scan-In Power for Multiple Scan Chain Designs

The random-like filling strategy pursuing high compression for scan test introduces large test power. To pursue high compression in conjunction with reducing test power for multiple scan chain designs is even harder and very few works were dedicated to solve this problem. This paper proposes and demonstrates a multilayer data copy (MDC) scheme for test compression as well as test power reduction for multiple scan designs. The scheme utilizes a buffer, which supports fast load using previous loaded data, to achieve test data compression and test power reduction at the same time. The scheme can be applied ATPG-independently or to be incorporated in an ATPG to generate highly compressible and power efficient test sets. Experiment results on benchmarks show that test sets generated by the scheme had large compression and power saving with little area design overhead
A reliability analysis of failsoft FDDI networks

The reliability of three fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) network topologies is examined. The three interconnection topologies considered are a tree, a double ring, and a ring of trees. The reliability measure is terminal-pair reliability in which the probability P(h(s,t)) that two arbitrarily positioned terminal stations (s and t) can communicate with each other is calculated. For the three FDDI network topologies considered, closed-form expressions are obtained for worst-case reliability as a function of the stations' positions. The expressions are used to optimize the number of ports in and the topological interconnections of the wiring concentrators in order to achieve highest reliability for a given number of stations. <<ETX>>
Predictors of interest in taking pre‐exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men who used a rapid HIV‐testing site in Montreal (Actuel sur Rue)

The effective use of pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an HIV prevention strategy depends on its uptake by individuals at high risk of infection. Few Canadian data are available on interest in PrEP among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aimed to identify predictors of interest in PrEP among MSM clients of a rapid HIV‐testing site in Montreal's gay village (Actuel sur Rue).
Transnational Business Governance Interactions: Conceptualization and Framework for Analysis

This special issue demonstrates the importance of interactions in transnational business governance. The number of schemes applying non-state authority to govern business conduct across borders has vastly expanded in numerous issue areas. As these initiatives proliferate, they increasingly interact with one another and with state-based regimes. The key challenge is to understand the implications of these interactions for regulatory capacity and performance, and ultimately for social and environmental impact. In this introduction, we propose an analytical framework for the study of transnational business governance interactions. The framework disaggregates the regulatory process to identify potential points of interaction, and suggests analytical questions that probe the key features of interactions at each point.
Trace Operators in Besov and Triebel–Lizorkin Spaces

In this article we investigate traces of Besov and Triebel-Lizorkin spaces of positive smoothness – sometimes briefly denoted as Band F-spaces in the sequel. Besov spaces have been studied for many decades already, resulting, for instance, from the study of partial differential equations, interpolation theory, approximation theory, harmonic analysis. Triebel-Lizorkin spaces were introduced independently by Triebel and Lizorkin in the early 1970s. For a detailed treatment together with historical remarks we refer to TRIEBEL [Tri83,Tri92]. If
Morphometric and biological characterization of biofilm in tunneled hemodialysis catheters.

BACKGROUND Bacterial biofilm formation on hemodialysis tunneled cuffed catheters is under-recognized. We studied biofilm characteristics in patients with and without catheter-related bloodstream infection, accounting for catheter locking solution (citrate 4% or heparin 1:1,000). STUDY DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS 30 HD patients for whom the tunneled cuffed catheter was removed for either noninfectious reasons (n = 19) or bacteremia (n = 11). PREDICTORS Bacteremia and catheter locking solution. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS Bacteria density in the biofilm, catheter luminal surface covered by biofilm, biofilm thickness, and exopolysaccharide content. RESULTS Biofilm was present in all catheters. Overall, bacteria density, catheter surface coverage, biofilm thickness, and exopolysaccharide content were significantly higher in catheters from patients with bacteremia (5.3 [95% CI, 3.4-7.2] colony-forming unit [CFU]/mL; 47% [95% CI, 34%-60%]; 41 [95% CI, 26-55] μm; and 29.4% [95% CI, 20.1%-38.6%], respectively) than from patients without bacteremia (3.7 [95% CI, 3.6-3.8] CFU/mL; 17% [95% CI, 16%-19%]; 8.6 [95% CI, 7.3-9.8] μm; and 5.3% [95% CI, 3.7%-6.8%], respectively). However, all biofilm parameters were lower in catheters from patients with bacteremia when citrate was used as locking agent. Furthermore, bacteria density (0.08 [95% CI, 0.02-0.13] CFU/mL/3 cm), biofilm thickness (1.4 [95% CI, 0.8-2.1] μm/3 cm), and surface coverage (2.2% [95% CI, 1.8%-2.7%]/3 cm) decreased across the length of the catheter from tip to hub. LIMITATIONS Observational study design, small numbers of patients, use of prevalent catheters. CONCLUSION Biofilms are present in all tunneled cuffed catheters. However, the extent of the biofilm varied by the presence of bacteremia and type of locking solution. This method could be used to explore preventative measures.
SubViral RNA: a database of the smallest known auto-replicable RNA species

We describe here the establishment of an online database containing a large number of sequences and related data on viroids, viroid-like RNAs and human hepatitis delta virus (vHDV) in a customizable and user-friendly format. This database is available on the World Wide Web at http://penelope.med.usherb.ca/subviral.
Financial leverage and corporate taxation: evidence from German corporate tax return data

To estimate the impact of profit taxation on the financial leverage of corporations, this study uses a pseudopanel constructed from comprehensive corporate tax return microdata for the period 1998–2001, which saw the introduction of major corporate tax reform in Germany. Financial leverage refers to the ratio of long-term debt to total capital. The endogeneity of the firm-specific marginal after-financing corporate income tax rate is controlled for by an instrumental variable approach. The instrument for the observed marginal tax rate is the counterfactual tax rate that a corporation would have faced in a particular period had there been no endogenous change, triggered by the tax reform, of its financial leverage and tax base. This counterfactual tax rate is derived from a detailed microsimulation model of the corporate sector, based on tax return microdata. The marginal tax rate has a statistically significant and relatively large positive effect on corporate leverage; for firms reporting positive profits, an increase of the marginal tax rate of 1 % would increase the financial leverage by approximately 0.7 %, on average. The debt ratio is less responsive to tax incentives for small corporations and firms facing high economic risks.
The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change.

For many years I have been engaged in psy-chotherapy with individuals in distress. In recentyears I have found myself increasingly concernedwith the process of abstracting from that experi-ence the general principles which appear to beinvolved in it. I have endeavored to discover anyorderliness, any unity which seems to inhere inthe subtle, complex tissue of interpersonal rela-tionship in which I have so constantly been im-mersed in therapeutic work. One of the currentproducts of this concern is an attempt to state, informal terms, a theory of psychotherapy, of per-sonality, and of interpersonal relationships whichwill encompass and contain the phenomena ofmy experience.
Accuracy of mandibular rami measurements in prediction of sex

Background and Objective: Sex of an individual can be determined by means of skeletal indicators when soft tissues are not available for analysis. Furthermore, when entire skull is not available for analysis, mandible plays a vital role in the prediction of sex. As various studies have proven the accuracy of panoramic radiographs in providing anatomical measurements, the present study was conducted using digital orthopantomographs (OPGs) in the south Indian population for the same. The aim of the present study was to measure and compare various measurements of the ramus in mandible on digital OPGs and to assess the usefulness of such measurements in the prediction of sex in an individual. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out using 500 digital OPGs with five rami measurements taken for each radiograph in the south Indian population. The determination of sex was done by discriminant function analysis. Results: All the variables were found to be good predictors for prediction of sex in the study with condylar height/maximum ramus height; projective height of ramus; and coronoid height, being highly significant. Conclusion: This study on rami measurements showed that significant sex-related dimorphism is evident in rami of mandibles indicating its potential usage in mass disasters and otherwise in the prediction of sex in individuals with disputed identity.
Labeling of Sexual Assault and Its Relationship With Sexual Functioning

Little research has examined the relationship between women’s labeling of their sexual assault experiences and sexual functioning, as well as identification of variables that may mediate the labeling-trauma outcome relationship. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap in the literature, by examining the potential mediating role of coping strategies in response to sexual assault in the relationship between labeling and sexual functioning. The sample included 135 college women with a history of adolescent/early adulthood sexual assault. Labeling was not bivariately related to sexual functioning outcomes; however, anxious coping mediated the relationships between labeling and both sexual lubrication and sexual satisfaction. This suggests that correlational analyses between labeling and trauma outcomes may not capture the complexity of this relationship, as it may be more indirect. Furthermore, results suggest that labeling is part of the coping process in response to sexual assault; some women who consider their experience to be sexual assault may engage in anxious coping efforts, contributing to difficulties with sexual lubrication and sexual dissatisfaction. Victims actively working to integrate their sexual assault experience with prior beliefs and self-concept may benefit from treatment focused on decreasing anxious coping, especially as it relates to sexual functioning.
Novel Roles for Notch3 and Notch4 Receptors in Gene Expression and Susceptibility to Ozone-Induced Lung Inflammation in Mice

Background Ozone is a highly toxic air pollutant and global health concern. Mechanisms of genetic susceptibility to ozone-induced lung inflammation are not completely understood. We hypothesized that Notch3 and Notch4 are important determinants of susceptibility to ozone-induced lung inflammation. Methods Wild-type (WT), Notch3 (Notch3–/–), and Notch4 (Notch4–/–) knockout mice were exposed to ozone (0.3 ppm) or filtered air for 6–72 hr. Results Relative to air-exposed controls, ozone increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein, a marker of lung permeability, in all genotypes, but significantly greater concentrations were found in Notch4–/– compared with WT and Notch3–/– mice. Significantly greater mean numbers of BALF neutrophils were found in Notch3–/– and Notch4–/– mice compared with WT mice after ozone exposure. Expression of whole lung Tnf was significantly increased after ozone in Notch3–/– and Notch4–/– mice, and was significantly greater in Notch3–/– compared with WT mice. Statistical analyses of the transcriptome identified differentially expressed gene networks between WT and knockout mice basally and after ozone, and included Trim30, a member of the inflammasome pathway, and Traf6, an inflammatory signaling member. Conclusions These novel findings are consistent with Notch3 and Notch4 as susceptibility genes for ozone-induced lung injury, and suggest that Notch receptors protect against innate immune inflammation. Citation Verhein KC, McCaw Z, Gladwell W, Trivedi S, Bushel PR, Kleeberger SR. 2015. Novel roles for Notch3 and Notch4 receptors in gene expression and susceptibility to ozone-induced lung inflammation in mice. Environ Health Perspect 123:799–805; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1408852
Models of Caring, or Acting as if One Cared, About the Welfare of Others

This article surveys the theoretical literature in which people are modeled as taking other people’s payoffs into account either because this affects their utility directly or because they wish to impress others with their social-mindedness. Key experimental results that bear on the relevance of these theories are discussed as well. Five types of models are considered. In the first, an individual’s utility function is increasing in the payoffs of other people. The more standard version of these preferences supposes that only consumption leads to payoffs and has trouble explaining prosocial actions such as voting and charitable contributions by poor individuals. If one lets other variables determine happiness as well, this model can explain a much wider set of observations. The second type of model surveyed involves people trying to demonstrate to others that they have prosocial (or altruistic) preferences. In these models, altruistic acts need not have a direct effect on utility. The third class of models includes those of reciprocity in which people’s altruism depends on whether others act kindly or unkindly toward them. In the fourth type of model, inequality has a profound effect on altruism, with individuals being spiteful toward people whose resources exceed their own. Finally, I discuss the fifth type of model, in which specifications of altruism might have to be modified to take into account how people behave when they are able to transfer lotteries to others.
Interest-oriented versus relationship-oriented social network sites in China

This paper examines interest-oriented vs. relationship-oriented social network sites in China and their different implications for collective action. By utilizing a structural analysis of the design features and a survey of members of the social networks, this paper shows that the way a social network site is designed strongly suggests the formation and maintenance of different types of social ties. The social networks formed among strangers who share common interests imply different types of collective action, compared to the social networks that aim at the replication and strengthening of off-line relationships.