Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Manifestations and Longterm Outcome for Patients with Takayasu Arteritis in China

Objective. To describe a large cohort of patients with Takayasu arteritis in China. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 566 patients hospitalized in Fuwai Hospital between 2002 and 2013. Data collected were clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, angiographic features, treatment, and longterm outcome. Results. The female to male ratio was 3.8 to 1, and the mean age of onset was 28.9 ± 12.0 years. The most common inflammatory symptom, initial symptom, and coexisting disease were fever (52, 9.2%), dizziness (214, 37.8%), and hypertension (HTN; 392, 69.3%), respectively. Pulmonary artery, coronary artery involvement, and aortic regurgitation were found in 83 (14.7%), 66 (11.7%), and 181 (36.7%) patients, respectively. Elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was observed in 131 patients (23.1%). Treatment included drugs, interventional therapy, autologous blood vessel transplant, artificial blood vessel transplant, and aortic valve replacement. During a mean followup of 5.0 ± 0.2 years, 32 patients died, including 1 patient who died suddenly during coronary angiography. HTN, major complications, and a progressive disease course were significant prognostic markers. Conclusion. HTN, rather than fever, is the leading reason for patients with Takayasu arteritis to see a doctor in China. HTN, major complications, and a progressive disease course are statistically significant predictors of survival. Because of cardiovascular events associated with the disease, early diagnosis and treatment are urgent to improve prognosis.
The cross-linguistic transfer of early literacy skills: the role of initial L1 and L2 skills and language of instruction.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of initial first and second language proficiencies as well as the language of instruction that a student receives on the relationship between native language ability of students who are English language learners (ELLs) and their development of early literacy skills and the second language. METHOD This study investigated the development of early language and literacy skills among Spanish-speaking students in 2 large urban school districts, 1 middle-size urban district, and 1 border district. A total of 1,016 ELLs in kindergarten participated in the study. Students were administered a comprehensive battery of tests in English and Spanish, and classroom observations provided information regarding the Spanish or English language use of the teacher. RESULTS Findings from this study suggest that Spanish-speaking students with high Spanish letter name and sound knowledge tend to show high levels of English letter name and sound knowledge. ELLs with low Spanish and English letter name and sound knowledge tend to show high levels of English letter name and sound knowledge when they are instructed in English. Letter name and sound identification skills are fairly highly positively correlated across languages in the beginning of the kindergarten year. In addition, phonological awareness skills appear to be the area with the most significant and direct transfer of knowledge, and language skills do not appear to be a factor in the development of phonological awareness. Finally, the relationship between oral language skills across languages was low, suggesting little relationship between oral language skills across languages at the beginning of the kindergarten year. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Results from this study suggest that pedagogical decisions for ELLs should not only consider effective instructional literacy strategies but also acknowledge that the language of instruction for Spanish-speaking ELLs may produce varying results for different students.
Santé et qualité de l'environnement intérieur dans les bâtiments

Un bâtiment construit doit etre avant tout confortable et sain. C'est en fait sa raison d'etre. Il doit proteger les occupants de l'environnement exterieur, assurer un climat agreable a l'interieur et fournir des services tels que communications et transports. L'objectif principal de cet ouvrage est de faciliter l'expression et la creation artistiques de bâtiments de haute qualite environnementale. L'auteur demontre qu'au moyen d'une planification intelligente et multidisciplinaire, il est parfaitement possible d'assurer a la fois une bonne qualite architecturale, un excellent environnement interieur et une tres faible consommation d'energie. A l'aide de modeles provenant de la physique et de la technique du bâtiment, il developpe des methodes permettant de garantir un bon confort thermique, une bonne qualite de l'air, une protection efficace contre les effets de l'humidite, notamment les moisissures, un eclairage optimal et en environnement acoustique agreable.
The relationship between spatial extent and duration of severe droughts in China over the last 50 years

Correlation between spatial extent and duration of severe droughts process and its statistical law is analyzed using Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) through a newly developed system of drought process monitoring. Results indicate that during the period from late 1990s to early 2000s, the percentage of severe drought (PDSI<−3.0) in China is unprecedented since 1960 under the background of global warming and the variation of the distributions of droughts coverage areas in different seasons is uneven. The distribution of spatial extent and durations of severe droughts follows a power-law, e.g. the spatial-temporal characteristics of severe droughts is independent to their scaling, namely, being scale free. In general the area of severe droughts is correlated closely with its duration, while the deviations of the linear fit from its correlation is also high.
An educational programme for peer review groups to improve treatment of chronic heart failure and diabetes mellitus type 2 in general practice.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Peer review groups are considered helpful for quality improvement in primary care. An interactive educational programme for small peer groups was developed, focusing on the implementation of newly developed treatment guidelines. The aim is to evaluate the effect of the programme on adherence to treatment guidelines in general practice. METHODS A cluster randomized trial using a balanced incomplete block design was used; one arm received a programme on treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF), the other on hypertension treatment in diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). A random sample of 10 CHF and 10 T2DM patients per GP was drawn, for whom data were extracted from electronic patient records 1 years before and 6 months after the intervention. The outcomes were prescribing of ACE inhibitors, and antihypertensive treatment in T2DM. The effect was analysed separately for both programmes using multilevel regression models. RESULTS All 27 peer review groups in one region in the Netherlands were randomized, of which 16 participated. No significant effects were observed in the CHF group or in the T2DM group. The opportunity for change was limited, as only 53% of the CHF patients and 60% of the T2DM patients had a contact with their GP between the intervention and follow-up measurement. CONCLUSION The peer review programme was not successful for changing the treatment of chronic patients, although the programme focused on dealing with barriers perceived by the participants. Not all problems perceived can be solved in a peer group discussion.
Cranberry proanthocyanidins improve the gut mucous layer morphology and function in mice receiving elemental enteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND Lamina propria Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, stimulate goblet cell (GC) proliferation and MUC2 production, which protect the intestinal mucosa. Elemental enteral nutrition (EEN) reduces tissue IL-4 and impairs barrier function. Proanthocyanidins (PACs) stimulate oral mucin levels. We hypothesized that adding PAC to EEN would maintain Th2-without stimulating Th1-cytokines and preserve luminal MUC2 vs EEN alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy mice were randomized to 5 diet groups-standard chow, intragastric EEN, or EEN with lowPAC, midPAC (50 mg), or highPAC (100 mg PAC/kg BW)-for 5 days, starting 2 days after gastric cannulation. Ileal tissue was analyzed for histomorphology and the cytokines IL-4, IL-13, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MUC2 was measured in intestinal washes. RESULTS EEN lowered IL-13 (P < .05) compared with standard chow, whereas IL-4 was not significant (P < .07). LowPAC and midPAC increased IL-13 (P < .05), whereas highPAC increased both IL-4 and IL-13 (P < .05) compared with EEN. All EEN diets reduced (P < .05) crypt depth compared with the chow group. Compared with standard chow, GC numbers and luminal MUC2 were reduced with EEN (P < .05). These effects were attenuated (P < .05) with midPAC and highPAC. No changes were observed in tissue Th1 cytokines. CONCLUSIONS Adding PACs to EEN reverses impaired intestinal barrier function following EEN by improving the gut mucous layer and function through increased GC size and number as well as levels of MUC2 and ileal IL-4 and IL-13.
Priming Effects in Amnesia: Evidence for a Dissociable Memory Function

Amnesic patients are impaired on tests of recall and recognition memory, yet they exhibit intact priming effects. That is, their performance can be facilitated or biased by recently encountered information. This paper reviews the phenomenon of preserved priming effects in amnesia, describes relationships between priming and other memory functions, and comments on what this spared memory function tells us about the organization of memory.
Foraging by Polybia (Trichothorax) ignobilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) on flies at animal carcasses

Foraging by Polybia (Trichothorax) ignobilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) on flies at animal carcasses. Proteins for brood nutrition of social wasps are obtained from many prey, including insects (even bees and other wasps), spiders and bits of decaying meat. After being captured and killed, prey are reduced to a shapeless mass and distributed to the brood. Little is known about the foraging activity, especially on this group. Herein we describe the sequence of foraging behaviours of the social wasp Polybia (Trichothorax) ignobilis for hunting flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae and Muscidae) over pig carcasses. To our knowledge, there are few scientific descriptions of prey foraging behaviour on this species.
Parental Preference for Rehydration Method for Children in the Emergency Department

Objective: To determine which rehydration method, oral or intravenous, parents would choose for their child when given the opportunity to make an informed decision and to determine factors influencing preference. Methods: Parents of children, aged 6 months to 5 years, who presented to a pediatric emergency department with a chief complaint of vomiting and/or diarrhea were eligible. After triage evaluation and before physician assessment, research assistants presented educational materials regarding the method, risks, and benefits of both oral and intravenous rehydration. Parents were then asked to complete a survey asking them their preference, reasons for their preference, questions about their child's current illness, and demographic information. Results: Two hundred sixty parents completed the study. Ninety eight (38%) preferred oral rehydration, and 162 (62%) preferred intravenous rehydration. Time of day, presence of siblings in the ED requiring parental attention, presence of another adult to provide support, parental age, educational attainment, and employment status were not statistically associated with the stated preference. Of those parents who selected intravenous rehydration, 53% stated that they would choose oral rehydration if there was an oral medication available that would significantly decrease vomiting. Of those parents who selected oral rehydration, 32% stated that they would choose intravenous rehydration if there was a topical medication available that would significantly decrease the pain of intravenous catheter placement. Conclusions: When given the opportunity to make an informed decision, more parents chose intravenous rehydration. However, the prospect of an effective oral antiemetic medication might lead more parents to choose oral rehydration.
How to augment the learning impact of computer simulations? The designs and effects of interactivity and scaffolding

ABSTRACT Two investigations were conducted in this study. In the first experiment, the effects of two types of interactivity with a computer simulation were compared: experimentation versus observation interactivity. Experimentation interactivity allows students to use simulations to conduct virtual experiments, whereas observation interactivity allows students to observe segmented video clips of the simulation at their own pace and sequence. In the second experiment, the effects of two types of scaffolding for experimentation interactivity were compared: the driving question versus structured prompt scaffolding. A total of 128 eighth-grade students were involved. The learning outcomes examined include the students’ understanding of the concepts in the simulation, their learning time, total numbers of virtual experiments conducted or observed, and learning efficiency. All four designs resulted in comparable learning gains for the students. The driving question scaffolding resulted in better learning efficiency, whereas the structured prompt scaffolding supported students in conducting more virtual experiments.
Fulminant Aspergillosis: Early Cutaneous Manifestations and the Disease Process in the Immunocompromised Host

Fulminant aspergillosis of the nose and paranasal sinuses has appeared with increasing frequency in the immunocompromised host. The disease is characterized by a rapid progressive course of nasal and midfacial necrosis that in many cases disseminates to involve the lungs, liver, and spleen. Many patients eventually die of the disease. Spiking fevers that are not responsive to antibiotics and localized, predominantly nontender, cutaneous erythema and/or edema may be the earliest manifestations of the disease process. Characteristic intranasal lesions may not become obvious until later in the course of the disease. Early diagnosis, with the institution of appropriate medical and surgical therapy, has resulted in increased survival. Mycotic infections of the nose and paranasal sinuses are uncommon in the immunocompetent host and rare in the immunocompromised host. Candida is the most common fungal organism that infects man and aspergillosis is the most common fungal infection of the nose and paranasal sinuses. ‘ Aspergillus flavus is endemic in the Sudan, whereas Aspergillus fumigatus is the predominant causative organism in the United Aspergillosis occurs in three clinical forms: noninvasive, invasive, and fulminant. The noninvasive and invasive entities affect the immunocompetent host and have relatively low morbidity and mortality. The fulminant form occurs in the immunocompromised host and has a high morbidity and mortality. The literature reveals few (but increasing) reports of
Expression of chondroitin‐glucuronate C5‐epimerase and cellular immune responses in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Chondroitin‐glucuronate C5‐epimerase is an enzyme that converts D‐glucuronic acid to L‐iduronic acid residues in dermatan sulphate biosynthesis. It is also identified to be a tumour‐associated antigen recognized by cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) and its enhanced expression in many cancers has been reported. In the present study, we investigated the usefulness of this molecule as an immunotherapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Assessing the Impact of Twenty Underage Drinking Laws.

OBJECTIVE Over the last two decades, many states have adopted several of the 20 laws that aim to control youth access to and possession of alcohol and prevent underage drinking in the United States. However, many of these laws have not been evaluated since their adoption. The objective of this study was to determine which minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA-21) laws currently have an effect on underage drinking-and-driving fatal crashes. METHOD We updated the effective dates of the 20 MLDA-21 laws examined in this study and used scores of each law's strengths and weaknesses. Our structural equation model included the 20 MLDA-21 laws, impaired driving laws, seat belt safety laws, economic strength, driving exposure, beer consumption, and fatal crash ratios of drinking-to-nondrinking drivers under age 21. RESULTS Nine MLDA-21 laws were associated with significant decreases in fatal crash ratios of underage drinking drivers: possession of alcohol (-7.7%), purchase of alcohol (-4.2%), use alcohol and lose your license (-7.9%), zero tolerance . 02 blood alcohol concentration limit for underage drivers (-2.9%), age of bartender ≥21 (-4.1%), state responsible beverage service program (-3.8%), fake identification support provisions for retailers (-11.9%), dram shop liability (-2.5%), and social host civil liability (-1.7%). Two laws were associated with significant increases in the fatal crash ratios of underage drinking drivers: prohibition of furnishing alcohol to minors (+7.2%) and registration of beer kegs (+9.6%). CONCLUSIONS The nine effective MLDA-21 laws are estimated to be currently saving approximately 1,135 lives annually, yet only five states have enacted all nine laws. If all states adopted these nine effective MLDA-21 laws, it is estimated that an additional 210 lives could be saved every year.
25 Years of CIO and IT Leadership - Revisiting Managerial Roles in Information System Research

Knowledge-intensive organizations are challenged by the digitization of business models and the need for IT knowledge throughout entire organizations. This changes the role of CIOs from a central IT leader towards a digitization ambassador for the whole organization. In this research, we develop and validate a multidimensional IT leadership roles construct, theoretically grounded on Mintzberg’s managerial roles. We empirically evolve the construct based on a quantitative survey among 228 CIOs in the U.S., where we assess the management roles of prior information systems research. Based on the empirical analysis, we add a new role definition. The result is an updated, comprehensive, and modernized IT leadership construct, taking the role of the CIO not only as IT leader, but as central agency for developing a digital mindset in the top management team but also throughout the whole organization. Thus, we contribute to 25 years of information systems research in that field.
[Acute effects of needle acupuncture on power performance during stretch-shortening cycle].

BACKGROUND Some studies have shown beneficial effects of needle acupuncture on physical performance. OBJECTIVE To evaluate immediate effects of a standardized acupuncture treatment on vertical jumping performance. SUBJECTS AND METHODS 12 healthy sport students participated in the study. A randomized crossover design was used to investigate specific effects of real acupuncture, sham acupuncture and a no-acupuncture waiting list condition on myoelectric activity and kinematic parameters (duration of ground contact, maximum jumping height) in one-legged drop jumps. RESULTS The results of the present study do not demonstrate significant treatment effects on myoelectric and kinematic parameters. However, real acupuncture tends to result in a relative decrease in the duration of ground contact accompanied by increased muscular innervation. CONCLUSION Acupuncture treatment had no significant impact on muscular performance of lower leg in stretch-shortening cycle under the present conditions. As to further research, the potential efficacy of acupuncture for improving reactive strength should be investigated in terms of controlled trials with stratified randomization according to physical performance capacity.
Investment Decisions in Distribution Networks Under Uncertainty With Distributed Generation—Part I: Model Formulation

Investment in distributed generation (DG) is an attractive distribution planning option for adding flexibility to an expansion plan, mainly by deferring network reinforcements. In this first part of a two-part paper, a risk-based optimization approach is proposed to model a multistage distribution expansion planning problem that takes DG into account as a flexible option to temporarily defer large network investments. Five features of the installation of DG related to location, size, type, operation and timing are all optimized. The evolutionary particle swarm optimization (EPSO) method is applied to solve this mixed integer nonlinear problem. A return-per-risk index is proposed to assess expansion investments. This index achieves an efficient synergy between the expected return and the risk of investments by performing Monte Carlo simulations. In turn, the flexibility of network investment deferral is assessed through a real option valuation. Finally, in order to quantify the investment deferral benefit, the expected return from a traditional expansion plan (without DG) is compared to the return obtained from a flexible expansion plan (with DG). In the companion paper, the proposed approach is tested on a typical Latin American distribution network; implementation aspects and analysis of numerical results are presented.
Effects of retrobulbar bupivacaine on post‐operative pain and nausea in retinal detachment surgery

Abstract. A prospective double‐masked clinical trial was conducted to determine whether retrobulbar bupivacaine block had an effect on post‐operative pain, nausea and intra‐ and post‐operative use af analgesics in retinal detachment surgery performed under general anaesthesia. Thirty‐two patients were randomized to have general anaesthesia with or without retrobulbar bupivacaine. Pain score was documented as 0–10 (0 = no pain. 10 = worst pain ever felt). Post‐operative pain score was significantly lower in the retrobulbar block group during the first post‐operative hours than in the control group. Men complained more about post‐operative pain than did women. The patients in the retrobulbar group complained less about nausea. Significantly fewer patients in the retrobulbar group required parenteral pain relief during operation and the first 48 h after.
Loss of epithelial blood group substance A in oral carcinomas.

Tissues from 12 oral squamous cell carcinomas were investigated for the presence of blood group antigen A. The antigen reactivity in the carcinomas was compared, by titration, to the reactivity of adjacent normal epithelium included in the same specimen. Normal epithelium always reacted positively. In 6 of 12 specimens the malignant cells gave a completely negative reaction. In 5 specimens there was a patchy distribution of positive reaction on cells within the carcinoma. However, these cells possessed less antigen than the normal epithelial cells at the edges of the surgical specimens. In one specimen the majority of cells in the carcinoma showed no decrease in reactivity. In three cases exhibiting slight epithelial atypia adjacent to the tumour, the reactivity of blood group substances in these areas was found to be higher than in the carcinomas but lower than in the normal mucosa.