Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peripheral neuropathy with necrotizing vasculitis in rheumatoid arthritis. A clinicopathologic and prognostic study of thirty-two patients.

OBJECTIVE To examine the clinicopathologic features of the noncompressive neuropathies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS We studied 32 patients with RA and peripheral neuropathy whose nerve and/or muscle biopsy specimens exhibited necrotizing vasculitis. Morphologic analysis of nerve specimens included light and electron microscopy studies and teased fiber preparation. Survival was evaluated, and the prognostic values of clinical, biologic, and pathologic features were assessed by Cox proportional hazards model. A prognostic assessment based on the significant variables was devised to estimate the probability of survival of any individual patient. RESULTS Epi- and/or perineurial vasculitis was observed with the same frequency in the 17 patients with sensory and motor deficit and the 15 patients with sensory neuropathies and was associated with axonal degeneration of an average of 77.7% of the nerve fibers. The mean followup was 7.2 years, and the overall survival rate at 5 years was 57%. A full prolonged remission of the vasculitis was observed in 53% of the patients; relapse occurred in 25%. The factors correlated with mortality, in decreasing order of significance, were clinical cutaneous vasculitis (P = 0.0003), neuropathy affecting 3 or 4 limbs (P = 0.03), and depressed level of C4 (P < 0.05). The prognostic assessment indicated a wide range of 5-year probabilities of survival, from < 1% to 93%. CONCLUSION Necrotizing vasculitis is responsible for the different patterns of noncompressive neuropathies in RA, including mononeuritis multiplex and distal symmetric sensory or sensorimotor neuropathy. Cutaneous vasculitis, multifocal neuropathy, and depressed C4 level were the 3 independent variables which best predicted mortality. We propose a prognostic assessment according to these variables, to stratify patients to receive more aggressive or less aggressive therapy.
Peculiarities of hearing impairment depending on interaction with acoustic stimuli

Aims: The functional state of the auditory analyzer of several operators groups was study. The objective of this study was to determine some characteristics of hearing impairment in relation with features of acoustic stimuli and informative significance of noise. Materials and Methods: 236 employees (middle age 35.4 ± 0.74 years) were divided into four groups according to features of noise perception at the workplaces. The levels of permanent shifts of acoustic thresholds were estimated using audiometric method. Statistical Analysis Used: Common statistical methods were used in research. Mean quantity and mean absolute errors were calculated. Statistical significance between operators' groups was calculated with 0.05 confidential intervals. Results: The peculiarities of hearing impairment in observed groups were different. Operators differentiating acoustic signals had peak of hearing impairment in the field of language frequencies, while the employees who work with noise background at the workplaces had maximal hearing threshold on the 4000 Hz frequency (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Hearing impairment depends both on energy and human interaction with acoustic irritant. The distinctions in hearing impairment may be related with the necessity of recognizing of acoustic signals and their frequency characteristics.
Defining and Building Excellence: A Model for Professional Development at Arete Charter School

In the U.S., there is increased awareness that what teachers know and are able to do play a significant role in the achievement of their students (Sanders & Rivers, 1996). Consequently, there is an unprecedented interest in improving instruction, a job that is normally assumed by the schools and school districts where teachers are employed. However, long-established professional development options provided by school districts usually fail to have any significant positive impact on teachers' instructional practices and often have the unintended consequence of making teachers feel more like workers on an assembly line than professionals doing emotionally complicated work (Borko & Putnam, Cohen & Hill, 1995; Darling-Hammond, 2009. Arete Charter School, a rapidly growing charter school franchise, does not currently have a clearly defined model of professional development that supports its unique instructional model. Results of the Standards Assessment Inventory 2 and higher than average teacher attrition due to both voluntary and involuntary leavers indicate that a change initiative is needed. With little time and limited resources available for professional development, it is of particular importance to develop an unambiguous model for teacher learning at Arete that leads to program choices with a high probability of increasing teacher capacity as well as improving student learning. The purpose of this dissertation in practice is to advance/promote a viable model for professional development at Arete Charter School that will "alter the professional practices, beliefs, and understanding of school persons toward an articulated end" (Griffin, 1983, p. 2). A model for professional development utilizing the Partnership Approach (Knight, 2007, 2011) and aligned to Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Development with the goal of humanizing the profession and offering a clearly articulated philosophy and set of actions is presented. Core elements of the model include the principal as a designer, instructional coaching, workshops that make an impact, intensive learning teams, and partnership communication that, when used together, results in humanizing professional learning that is both focused and leveraged to not only sustain school success but propel it forward. This model has implications for other schools struggling with teacher professional learning including how to maximize professional development to enhance teacher repertoires while simultaneously utilizing it to humanize the profession.
Wearable Mobility Monitoring Using a Multimedia Smartphone Platform

Understanding mobility is important for effective clinical decision making in the area of physical rehabilitation. Ideally, a person's mobility profile in a nonclinical setting, such as the home or community, could be obtained. This profile would include the environment and context in which the mobility takes place. This paper introduces a novel wearable mobility monitoring system (WMMS) for an objective ubiquitous measurement of mobility. This prototype WMMS was created using a smartphone-based approach that allowed for an all-in-one WMMS. The wearable system is freely worn on a person's belt, such as a normal phone. The WMMS was designed to monitor a user's mobility state and to take a photograph when a change of state was detected. These photographs were used to identify the context of mobility events (i.e., using an elevator, walking up/down stairs, and type of walking surface). Validation of the proposed WMMS was performed with five able-bodied subjects performing a structured sequence of mobility tasks. System performance was evaluated by its ability to detect changes of state and the ability to identify context from the photographs. The WMMS demonstrated good potential for community mobility monitoring.
Does Low Birth Weight Predict Hypertension and Obesity in Schoolchildren?

Background: Birth weight appears to play a role in determining high blood pressure (BP) and obesity during childhood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between birth weight and later obesity and hypertension among 10- to 13-year-old schoolchildren. Methods: A total of 1,184 primary school students were selected from 20 randomized schools between 2011 and 2012 in Iran. Height, weight, waist circumference and BP were measured using standard instruments. Data were analyzed using stepwise regression and logistic regression models. Results: 13.5% of children had a history of low birth weight. First-degree family history of obesity, excessive gestational weight gain and birth weight were significantly correlated with overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity (p = 0.001), whereas only birth weight was associated with high BP (p = 0.001). An inverse correlation was found between waist circumference and systolic/diastolic BP. The duration of breastfeeding in children with low birth weight was inversely correlated with obesity/overweight, abdominal obesity and hypertension. Conclusion: The results suggests that birth weight is inversely associated with BP and more so with obesity and abdominal obesity. The duration of having been breastfed could have an influence on later hypertension, obesity and abdominal obesity. Further results are needed to test these correlations as well as diagnosing early life factors to prevent young adult overweight/obesity or hypertension.
Anxiety and quality of recovery in day surgery: A questionnaire study using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Quality of Recovery Score.

The aims of this study were (i) to examine the association between preoperative and postoperative anxiety, and (ii) to examine the association between preoperative anxiety and postoperative recovery, following day surgery under general anaesthesia. Day surgery has become more commonplace owing to advances in pharmacology, anaesthetic and surgical techniques, as it has recognized benefits, such as lower costs and reduced incidence of infection. Recent years have seen increased complexity of day surgery undertaken on a broader range of patients, but with reduced pre-surgery contact with the hospital environment. These recent service changes might have had an effect on the preparation of patients for day surgery, and this in turn might have affected their postoperative recovery. This pilot study used survey methods to examine potential associations between preoperative and postoperative anxiety, and between preoperative anxiety and postoperative recovery. Data were collected in 2008 from a convenience sample of 54 day surgery patients. The instruments used were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Quality of Recovery Score (QoR-40). There was a statistically significant relationship between preoperative and postoperative anxiety (χ(2) =11.899, d.f. =1, P=0.001). The T-test showed a statistically significant difference in the mean scores for QoR-40 score for gender, and for the postoperative anxiety and QoR-40. A relationship between preoperative anxiety and postoperative recovery was not shown. Although challenging to implement in view of restricted timescales, appraisal and revision of pre-assessment processes to incorporate an anxiety measurement tool, such as the HADS, should be considered.
Are All Private Benefits of Control Ineffective? Principal–Principal Benefits, External Governance Quality, and Firm Performance

Private benefits of control (PBC) are benefits that controlling shareholders consume, but that are not shared with minority shareholders. Research focusing on the value protection role of corporate governance typically frames PBC as principal–principal (PP) agency costs, and interprets them as a form of minority shareholder expropriation that decreases firm performance. Taking a value creation perspective of corporate governance, however, we propose a more nuanced role for PBC. Specifically, we see them also as PP agency benefits that compensate controlling shareholders for their monitoring and advisory services, which can increase firm performance. Since both PP costs and benefits affect firm performance, we theorize that PBC enhance firm performance at a diminishing rate. Furthermore, we show that the effect of PBC on firm performance is more positive when country-level external governance mechanisms are strong.
Lupus vulgaris developing at the site of misdiagnosed scrofuloderma

Cutaneous tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis primarily occurring in developing countries. The recent increase in the incidence of tuberculosis, especially due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, has led to a resurgence of extrapulmonary forms of this disease. We describe a case of lupus vulgaris in a 33‐year‐old woman who had a 5‐year history of a slowly growing plaque on her neck. The lesion was located at the site of surgery repairing the scar resulting from the incision of a subcutaneous abscess during childhood. This lesion was misdiagnosed as bacterial abscess. Histopathologic examination of the plaque revealed non‐caseating tuberculoid granulomas consisting of lymphocytes, epithelioid and giant cells. Staining for acid‐fast bacilli and culture from biopsied tissue was negative. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA, performed on a skin biopsy specimen, was positive. A diagnosis of lupus vulgaris developing at the site of a previous misdiagnosed scrofuloderma was made. Conventional antitubercular therapy with rifampicin, isoniazid and ethambutol was administered for 6 months, resulting in resolution of the lesion.
Nostalgia film tourism and its potential for destination development

ABSTRACT Cinematic nostalgia can influence visitors in choosing destinations where particular films have been made or shot. Focusing on the case of Hong Kong this study investigated the incidence of nostalgia amongst Taiwanese filmgoers, and whether this generates feelings of familiarity that induce subsequent travel intentions. As an input to potentially wide-ranging destination experiences, it is found that nostalgia film tourism provides tourists with psychological benefits and constitutes a destination experience that is responsive to the ambient surroundings. The researchers identified five film nostalgia domains, namely: memories of backdrops, stories and movie stars, mimicking, envy, and culture and history. Memories of backdrops and mimicking were found to be the best predictors of perceived familiarity with the films’ origin territory and of future travel intentions. Given the continuing preference for “blockbusters” amongst contemporary filmgoers and the faddishness of audience preferences, there is some risk that fading memories may cause film destinations to lose their appeal. Film nostalgia nevertheless provides a potential medium to maintain the profile of destinations which have served as film locations.
Reply to comment on "Auditory-nerve first-spike latency and auditory absolute threshold: a computer model".

Krisha [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. , in press (2006)] has commented that an explanation based on presynaptic calcium accumulation at the inner hair cell is an incorrect explanation for the success of a model of the auditory periphery [Meddis, R. , J. Acoustic. Soc. Am. 119, 406-417 (2006)] in explaining data on first-spike auditory nerve latency. This reply accepts the criticism and accepts the strength of an alternative explanation based on expected latencies in random sequences of low-probability events. This reply also goes on briefly to explore the application of this argument to other phenomena, including the dependence of absolute auditory threshold on the duration of the stimulus. This has wide-ranging implications for the concept of "temporal integration" in psychophysics.
Mutations in leaf starch metabolism modulate the diurnal root growth profiles of Arabidopsis thaliana

Roots of Arabidopsis thaliana exhibit stable diurnal growth profiles that are controlled by the circadian clock. Here we describe the effects of mutations in leaf starch metabolism on the diurnal root growth characteristics of Arabidopsis thaliana. High temporal and spatial resolution video imaging was performed to quantify the growth kinetics of Arabidopsis wild type as well as pgm, sex1, mex1, dpe1 and dpe2 starch metabolism mutants grown in three different photoperiods. As a result, root growth patterns of all genotypes displayed characteristic modifications in their diurnal kinetics that were also affected by the photoperiod. To further investigate the role of starch derived substrate deficiency on root growth, the effect of 0.05% extracellular sucrose was studied in 12 h -12 h light-dark cycles.
Dynamic pricing decisions by potential tourists under uncertainty: The effects of tourism advertising

The aim of this study is to examine the advertising information learning processes of potential tourists and observe how potential tourists sequentially adjust their perceived reference prices and purchase intentions with different risk preferences and choices with respect to gains (the current price is lower than the consumer’s reference price) or losses (the current price is higher than the reference price). In this study, a Bayesian experiment was conducted to elicit reference prices in the presence of tourism advertising with uncertain information. The findings show that with respect to gains, risk avoiders do not reduce their reference prices as significantly as do risk seekers when exposed to price-informative advertising. Exposure to image advertising changes potential tourists’ risk preferences, and the reference price drops more significantly for risk avoiders than for risk seekers. With respect to losses, informative and image advertising impact the reference price for participants with different risk preferences but not at a statistically significant level.
Impact of between-hospital volume and within-hospital volume on mortality and readmission rates for trauma patients in California*

Objective:Previous research assessing the impact of between-hospital trauma volume (high volume centers vs. low volume centers) and outcomes has been inconsistent. Furthermore, previous research has not considered temporal variations in within-hospital volume (a center having higher than average volume vs. lower than average volume) as a covariate. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship of between-hospital and within-hospital trauma volume and two measures of hospital quality of care. Design:Multivariable, hierarchical, mixed effects, logistic regression analyses of a population-based nonconcurrent cohort from 1995 to 1999. Setting:Thirty-nine nonfederal California hospitals included in the California Patient Discharge Data Set designated by local Emergency Medical Services authorities as adult trauma centers. Patients:All nonelderly adult trauma patients, 16–64 yrs (n = 54,352), and elderly adult trauma patients, >65 yrs (n = 47,656), admitted with an Injury Severity Score >9. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Severity adjusted in-hospital mortality rate and 30-day trauma-related readmissions were analyzed. Among nonelderly adult patients, higher annual between-hospital trauma volume was not associated with mortality rate (odds ratio, 1.02 for each 100 admissions; 95% confidence interval, 0.99, 1.06) but was associated with higher risk of readmission (odds ratio, 1.19 for each 100 admissions; 95% confidence interval, 1.13, 1.26). Among elderly adult patients, higher annual between-hospital trauma volume was associated with lower mortality (odds ratio, 0.79 for each 100 admissions; 95% confidence interval, 0.71, 0.87) but was not associated with risk of readmission (odds ratio, 0.96 for each 100 admissions; 95% confidence interval, 0.90, 1.04). Higher than average monthly within-hospital trauma volume was associated with higher odds of readmission (odds ratio, 1.11 for a volume deviation of ten patients per month; 95% confidence interval, 1.01, 1.21) among elderly adult patients. Conclusions:The findings of this study in the context of previous research suggest that relationships between trauma volume and outcomes exist but depend on which patient populations are studied and how the data are analyzed. Furthermore, trauma centers may be subject to the detrimental effects of high temporal volume overextending existing services and capacity. Since this study found that both between-hospital volume and within-hospital volume measures are associated with outcomes, we recommend that both measures be included in future volume-outcome investigations.
Impact of the CYP2C19*17 polymorphism on the clinical outcome of clopidogrel therapy in Asian patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

The impact of the CYP2C19*17 polymorphism on the clinical outcome in Asians undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. We sought to assess the long-term impact of CYP2C19*17 on the risk for adverse clinical events in 2188 Korean patients taking clopidogrel after PCI. The prevalence of the CYP2C19*17 allele [*wt/*17: 2.4% (n=53), *17/*17: 0%] was very low. The 2-year cumulative event rates for bleeding [*wt/*17 vs. *wt/*wt: 2 vs. 2.3%; adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.23; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.16–9.45], stent thrombosis (2 vs. 1.1%; HR, 3.98; 95% CI, 0.49–31.6) or composite of any death, and myocardial infarction or stroke (5.4 vs. 7.1%; HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.32–5.73) did not differ on the basis of the presence of CYP2C19*17. In conclusion, in our study population of Asian patients, the CYP2C19*17 polymorphism was not associated with adverse clinical outcomes after PCI because of its low prevalence, the rarity of homozygotes, and the relatively low rate of adverse clinical events.
The asymmetric response of Yangtze river basin summer rainfall to El Niño/La Niña

The Yangtze river basin, in South East China, experiences anomalously high precipitation in summers following El Niño. This can lead to extensive flooding and loss of life. However, the response following La Niña has not been well documented. In this study, the response of Yangtze summer rainfall to El Niño/La Niña is found to be asymmetric, with no significant response following La Niña. The nature of this asymmetric response is found to be in good agreement with that simulated by the Met Office seasonal forecast system. Yangtze summer rainfall correlates positively with spring sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean and northwest Pacific. Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures are found to respond linearly to El Niño/La Niña, and to have a linear impact on Yangtze summer rainfall. However, northwest Pacific sea surface temperatures respond much more strongly following El Niño and, further, correlate more strongly with positive rainfall years. It is concluded that, whilst delayed Indian Ocean signals may influence summer Yangtze rainfall, it is likely that they do not lead to the asymmetric nature of the rainfall response to El Niño/La Niña.
Fungal Pathogen Species Richness: Why Do Some Plant Species Have More Pathogens than Others?

Variation among plant species in the number of associated herbivore and pathogen species is predicted to fit a species-area relationship in which the area or biomass embodied by a plant species is a function of individual size and geographic range size. This hypothesis is tested using published estimates of geographic range, individual size, and species richness of fungal pathogens for 490 plant species occurring in the United States and controlling for sampling intensity and phylogenetic effects. The number of pathogens found on a plant species increases with the metrics of area and/or habitat diversity of plant species, and their effects are similar between gymnosperm and angiosperm lineages. The strength of this pattern across a diverse set of plant lineages suggests that accumulation and persistence of pathogen species on plant species are governed by similar processes among temperate plants.
How Taxing is Tax Filing? Using Revealed Preferences to Estimate Compliance Costs

This paper uses a quasi-experimental design to estimate the cost of filing taxes. Using US tax returns, I observe how taxpayers choose between itemizing deductions and claiming the standard deduction. Taxpayers forgo large tax savings to avoid compliance costs, which provides a revealed preference estimate of such costs. I show that costs increase with income, consistent with an opportunity cost of time explanation. These estimates suggest substantial costs of filing federal income taxes, significantly larger than previously estimated using surveys. (JEL H24, H26, H31)