Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost-Effective Analysis of Screening for Biliary Atresia With the Stool Color Card

Background: Biliary atresia (BA) is the leading cause of pediatric end-stage liver disease and liver transplantation in the United States. Early diagnosis leads to improved outcomes, but diagnosis is often delayed, leading to increased rates of transplantation and mortality. Methods: A Markov model was developed to simulate the natural history and transplant-related outcomes of patients with BA in a US cohort studied for 20 years. Data regarding proportions of individuals in different health states, including transplant and death, were obtained from published literature. Costs were derived from the literature and the Johns Hopkins database of charges using the cost-to-charge ratio. Strategy A represented the status quo and assumed no screening. Strategy B used nationwide screening with the stool color card developed by the Taiwan Health Bureau. The cost associated with both strategies was compared with the number of life-years gained, deaths, and the number of transplants for a 20-year interval. A dominant strategy was one that was associated with lower cost alongside improved outcomes, including increases in life-years gained, reductions in number of deaths, and reductions in number of transplants. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: In strategy A, the 20-year cost was $142,479,725 with 3702 life-years, 74 deaths and 158 liver transplants. For strategy B, the cost was $133,893,563 with 3731.7 life-years, 71 deaths and 147 liver transplants. There was a >97% probability that screening with the stool color card would be cost saving and associated with an increase in life-years gained. Among all parameters, only stool color card specificity was associated with the potential for screening to no longer be cost saving. Conclusions: Compared with no screening, screening with the stool color card is a dominant strategy associated with lower costs and better outcomes. These findings suggest that screening with the stool color card could be an important, economically feasible strategy for improving outcomes in BA in the United States.
The persistent influence of social networks and alcoholics anonymous on abstinence.

OBJECTIVE The role of changes in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involvement and social networks in relation to abstinence following substance abuse treatment is studied. Specifically, the role of AA and network support for abstinence are examined in relation to their effect on changes in abstinence states between follow-ups. METHOD Study sites were 10 representative public and private alcohol treatment programs in a northern California county. A recruitment of 367 men and 288 women seeking treatment were interviewed at intake and re-interviewed 1 and 3 years later to collect information about alcohol consumption, dependence symptoms, social support for reducing drinking, number of heavy drinkers in the social network and AA involvement. RESULTS Significant predictors of 90-day abstinence at both the 1- and 3-year follow-up interviews included AA involvement in the last year, percentage of heavy or problem drinkers in the social network, percentage encouraging alcohol reduction and AA-based support for reducing drinking. Panel models estimated an increase in AA participation between 12 and 36 months posttreatment increased the odds of abstinence at 3 years by 35% above those at 12 months. The only significant mediator of AA's effect on abstinence was the number of AA-based contacts supporting reduced drinking, which reduced the magnitude of the relationship by 16%. CONCLUSIONS AA involvement and the type of support received from AA members were consistent contributors to abstinence 3 years following a treatment episode. The enduring effects observed from supportive networks demonstrate the importance of ongoing mechanisms of action that contribute to an abstinent lifestyle.
Histomorphometric Comparison of Bone Regeneration in Critical-Sized Bone Defects Using Demineralized Bone Matrix, Platelet-Rich Fibrin, and Hyaluronic Acid as Bone Substitutes

Aim: To compare bone regeneration in the critical-sized bone defects grafted with demineralized bone matrix, platelet-rich fibrin, and hyaluronic acid in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty Wistar Albino rats allocated into 4 experimental groups: platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) group, noncross-linked hyaluronic acid gel (HA) group, demineralized bone matrix in putty form (DBM) group, and control group. A critical-sized defect of 8 mm was formed involving the sagittal suture for each rat under anesthetic induction. All animals were sacrificed at 21st day after surgery and histomorphometric parameters of total horizontal length (THL) and total vertical length (TVL) of newly produced bone and longest bone trabecula (LBT) were measured in the histologic slides. The difference between experimental groups for these parameters was analyzed. Results: There was statistically significant difference in THL and LBT but not in TVL. Total horizontal length was significantly increased in DBM group compared with control and HA groups (P < 0.05). There was also statistically significant increase in THL in PRF group compared with control group (P < 0.05). Longest bone trabecula significantly increased in DBM group compared with HA group (P < 0.05). There was also statistically significant increase in HA group compared with control group (P < 0.05) and LBT significantly increased in PRF group compared with HA group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The sole usage of HA does not effectively increase bone regeneration when compared with DBM and PRF. The DBM and PRF do not have superiority to each other in the bone regeneration while they are superior to HA.
Gendered use of experts in the media: Analysis of the gender gap in Finnish news journalism

Several studies conducted in Western democracies have indicated that men continue to be overrepresented and women underrepresented as experts in the media. This article explores the situation in Finland, a progressive and ‘female-friendly’ Nordic country with highly educated women who are widely present in the job market. The analysis is based on three sets of research data featuring a wide set of media data, a survey and interviews. This study reveals that public expertise continues to be male dominated in Finland: less than 30% of the experts interviewed in the news media are women. While the distribution of work and power in the labour market may explain some of the observed gender gap, journalistic practices and a masculine tradition of public expertise are likely to play a role as well.
Health care-associated Clostridium difficile infection in adults admitted to acute care hospitals in Canada: a Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program Study.

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most frequent cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea in industrialized countries. The only previous report describing the incidence of health care-associated CDI (HA CDI) in Canada was conducted in 1997 by the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. We re-examined the incidence of HA CDI with an emphasis on patient outcomes. METHODS A prospective surveillance was conducted from 1 November 2004 through 30 April 2005. Basic demographic data were collected, including age, sex, type of patient ward where the patient was hospitalized on the day HA CDI was identified, and patient comorbidities. Data regarding severe outcome were collected 30 days after the diagnosis of HA CDI; severe outcome was defined as an admission to the intensive care unit because of complications of CDI, colectomy due to CDI, and/or death attributable to CDI. RESULTS A total of 1430 adults with HA CDI were identified in 29 hospitals during the 6-month surveillance period. The overall incidence rate of HA CDI for adult patients admitted to these hospitals was 4.6 cases per 1000 patient admissions and 65 per 100,000 patient-days. At 30 days after onset of HA CDI, 233 patients (16.3%) had died from all causes; 31 deaths (2.2%) were a direct result of CDI, and 51 deaths (3.6%) were indirectly related to CDI, for a total attributable mortality rate of 5.7%. CONCLUSIONS The rates are remarkably similar to those found in our previous study; although we found wide variations in HA CDI among the participating hospitals. However, the attributable mortality increased almost 4-fold (5.7% vs. 1.5%; P<.001).
Phylogeography of Bufo marinus from its natural and introduced ranges

The marine toad, Bufo marinus, has a broad natural distribution extending from the south–west of the USA to southern Peru and the central Amazon. It was introduced to several localities in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans to control sugar cane pests. We sequenced 468 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) containing the ND3 gene, and flanking tRNA genes from toads spanning the broad natural and introduced ranges. Consistent with the known history of introductions and expected effects of serial bottlenecks, mtDNA within introduced populations in Hawaii and Australia was uniform and most closely related to samples from eastern Venezuela and French Guiana. However, mtDNA nucleotide diversity in the geographic region spanning the source areas is also relatively low (0.18 to 0.46%) and the absence of variation in the introduced populations precludes quantitative assessment of the reduction in genetic diversity. Unexpectedly, there was a large phylogeographic break (5.4% sequence divergence) within the natural range separating populations east and west of the Venezuelan Andes. We hypothesize that the two major lineages of B. marinus were isolated by the uplift of the eastern Andean cordillera which was completed approximately 2.7 Ma. Another species of the marinus group, B. paracnemis, had mtDNA paraphyletic, with marinus, being nested within the eastern lineage. Thus, at least one speciation event within the marinus group postdates the split within marinus. These findings suggest that the taxonomy of B. marinus should be re–evaluated and that the search for pathogens to control Australian populations should be conducted in populations from both lineages in the natural range.
Age at menarche in competitive figure skaters: variation by competency and discipline

We estimated age at menarche in a cross-sectional sample of 159 competitive figure skaters aged 11-22 years. The sample represented three standards (test stream, pre-elite, elite) and three disciplines (free skaters, pair skaters, dancers). The status quo (yes/no) and retrospective methods were used. Estimated age at menarche based on probit analysis of the status quo data was 14.2 - 0.5 years, with 95% confidence intervals of 13.2 to 15.2 years. Mean recalled age at menarche for 67 skaters aged 16 years or over was 13.6 - 1.2 years. Comparisons of skaters by standard and discipline were limited to skaters S 16 years. Menarche was, on average, significantly later ( P ≪ 0.01) in elite ( n = 36; 14.0 - 1.4 years) than in test stream ( n = 15; 12.9 - 0.8 years) skaters. Age at menarche in pre-elite skaters ( n = 16; 13.5 - 0.9 years) did not differ significantly from the other two groups. By discipline, menarche was, on average, significantly later ( P ≪ 0.01) in pair skaters ( n = 12; 14.5 - 1.3 years) than in both free skaters ( n = 38; 13.4 - 1.0 years) and dancers ( n = 17; 13.4 - 1.4 years). Early maturing girls (menarche ≪ 12.0 years; n = 2) were not represented in this sample of competitive figure skaters. Mean recalled age at menarche of mothers of skaters ( n = 84) was 13.7 - 1.3 years and the mother-daughter correlation ( n = 56 pairs) was 0.45 ( P ≪ 0.01). Later maturation was thus characteristic of competitive figure skaters, particularly in elite and more specialized pair skaters, and there was a significant familial resemblance.
Dynamics of DNA‐demethylation in early mouse and rat embryos developed in vivo and in vitro

Virtually all mammalian species including mouse, rat, pig, cow, and human, but not sheep and rabbit, undergo genome‐wide epigenetic reprogramming by demethylation of the male pronucleus in early preimplantation development. In this study, we have investigated and compared the dynamics of DNA demethylation in preimplantation mouse and rat embryos by immunofluorescence staining with an antibody against 5‐methylcytosine. We performed for the first time a detailed analysis of demethylation kinetics of early rat preimplantation embryos and have shown that active demethylation of the male pronucleus in rat zygotes proceeds with a slower kinetic than that in mouse embryos. Using dated mating we found that equally methylated male and female pronuclei were observed at 3 hr after copulation for mouse and 6 hr for rat embryos. However, a difference in methylation levels between male and female pronuclei could be observed already at 8 hr after copulation in mouse and 10 hr in rat. At 10 hr after copulation, mouse male pronuclei were completely demethylated, whereas rat zygotes at 16 hr after copulation still exhibited detectable methylation of the male pronucleus. In addition in both species, a higher DNA methylation level was found in embryos developed in vitro compared to in vivo, which may be one of the possible reasons for the described aberrations in embryonic gene expression after in vitro embryo manipulation and culture. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 1255–1261, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stage of exercise and health-related quality of life among overweight and obese adults.

AIM This paper reports a study whose main aim was to understand the correlation between stages of exercise and health-related qualities of life among overweight and obese adults in Taiwan. BACKGROUND Regular exercise has been shown to improve health-related quality of life in the general population and among patients with chronic diseases. Nevertheless, systematic investigations of the correlation between exercise stages and the health-related quality of life among overweight and obese adults are lacking in Taiwan. METHOD A cross-section of people from the weight loss clinics of a medical centre in Taipei was recruited to the study. The Chinese version of the Stages of Exercise and the Taiwanese version of Short Form 36 questionnaires were used to collect data from those whose body mass indexes were equal to or >24 kg/m2. The data were collected in 2003. RESULTS In total, 212 overweight and obese adults participated in the study. The majority were in the preparation (38.2%) or contemplation (31.6%) stages of exercise; relatively few were in the action (14.2%) or maintenance (11.3%) stages, and the smallest number (4.7%) were in the precontemplation stage. Although over 70% of respondents were not in the habit of taking regular exercise, their motivations were very high. For the Short Form 36 scales, the highest scores were for physical functioning (84.5 +/- 17.3), while the lowest were for general health (55.5 +/- 20.9), vitality (59.8 +/- 18.1), and mental health (MH) (66.0 +/- 17.9). Different stages of exercise showed statistically significant differences within the eight domains of Short Form 36 (Wilks = 0.733, P = 0.001); a statistically significant difference was also found for physical functioning (P < or = 0.001), general health (P = 0.003), and vitality (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION Since stages of exercise are correlated with health-related quality of life among overweight and obese adults, healthcare providers need to understand what stages people are at in order to educate them to achieve a better quality of life and to motivate those who are inactive to do more exercise on a regular basis.
Single-Mode Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers Array With Zn-Diffusion Aperture for High-Power, Single-Spot, and Narrow Divergence Angle Performance

A single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array at 850 nm with excellent performance in terms of high output power, single-lobe far-field, and narrow divergence angle has been demonstrated. By use of the Zn-diffusion process with proper sizes of oxide current-confined and Zn-diffusion optical apertures, each unit of VCSEL in the demonstrated array is highly single-mode (side-mode suppression ratio 30 dB) with a narrow far-field divergence angle (~5°) and an extremely high maximum single-mode output power (~7.1 mW). Due to the excellent single-mode performance of each VCSEL unit, the 10 × 10 array exhibits a single-lobe and nearly circular symmetric far-field pattern, very narrow divergence angle (~4°), and output power as high as around 187.4 mW. Furthermore, its bias-dependent output optical spectra measured in different positions of array shows very high similarity. This result indicates that the excellent uniformity of single-mode performance of each VCSEL unit in the array. The far-field pattern simulation results indicate that although the coherence in our array is low, its output beam quality is as high as that of a single-mode unit VCSEL, which exhibits a near diffraction limited M square factor (M2 ≈ 2).
A new Epstein-Barr virus transactivator, R, induces expression of a cytoplasmic early antigen

Several Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early promoters respond to a new EBV transactivator encoded by BRLF1, designated R. Transactivation was measured in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays on Raji, BHK, and Vero cells that were cotransfected with the transactivator and target promoters linked to the cat gene. The divergent promoter of BamHI-H was particularly responsive to R transactivation. This large promoter region consists of a leftward TATA box for the NotI repeat gene (BHLF1) and a probable rightward TATA box for the EA-R gene (BHRF1) separated by 940 base pairs of unusual sequence complexity. Sequences within this divergent promoter region appear to confer inducibility by EBV transactivators R and Z (BZLF1). The Z transactivator stimulated expression in both the leftward and rightward directions, and R stimulated expression primarily in the rightward direction, but the MS transactivator (BMLF1) had no activity in either direction. The adenovirus E3 promoter also responded to the R transactivator, but several other herpesvirus and human promoters were nonresponsive. When the divergent promoter was linked to the EA-R gene as it is in the EBV genome, the R and Z transactivators also induced the expression of EA-R in cotransfected cells. This cytoplasmic early antigen is encoded by BHRF1 and may be anchored in intracellular membranes by a carboxy-terminal transmembrane region.
Detection and molecular characterization of recombinant avian leukosis viruses in commercial egg-type chickens in China

Two natural recombinant avian leukosis viruses (ALVs) were isolated from Chinese commercial egg-type chickens in 2009, which suffered from haemangiomas and myelocytomas. Sequence analysis of the complete proviral genomes revealed several unique genetic characteristics of the present two isolates, demonstrating that the two viruses were derived from recombination between earlier Chinese ALV-J and endogenous virus sequences. The two recombinant viruses presented typical genetic organization of replication-competent genus Alpharetrovirus, and the gag and pol genes were well conserved with those of ALVs. The env genes of the two viruses were composed of the internal identical sequences (about 240 bp) of endogenous viruses, and the rest of the sequence belonged to subgroup J ALVs. The long terminal repeats of the two viruses were more closely related to HPRS-103 and earlier Chinese ALV-J than other subgroup ALVs, and multiple transcription regulatory elements of ALV-J were highly conserved. In addition, the two viruses shared an almost identical 3′-untranslated region (UTR) sequence with earlier Chinese ALV-J strains and the US strain 4817, containing a ~127 bp deletion in the E element region. However, further comparison with endogenous ALV indicated that the 3′-UTR sequences with ~127 bp deletion of ALV-J were most probably derived from endogenous viruses by recombination. These results suggested that the two isolates can be characterized as recombinant ALV-J with the internal env gene and 3′-UTR sequence of endogenous ALV.
Emergent Clipping without Prophylactic Decompressive Craniectomy in Patients with a Large Aneurysmal Intracerebral Hematoma.

OBJECTIVE Many vascular neurosurgeons tend to remove bone flap in patients with large aneurysmal intracerebral hematomas (ICH). However, relatively little work has been done regarding the effectiveness of prophylactic decompressive craniectomy in a patient with a large aneurysmal ICH. METHODS Large ICH was defined as hematoma when its volume exceeded 25 mL, ipsilateral to aneurysms. The patients were divided into two groups; aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) associated with large ICH, January, 1994 - December, 1999 (Group A, 41 patients), aneurysmal SAH associated with large ICH, January, 2000 - May, 2005 (Group B, 27 patients). Demographic and clinical variables including age, sex, hypertension, vasospasm, rebleeding, Hunt-Hess grade, aneurysm location, aneurysm size, and outcome were compared between two groups, and also compared between craniotomy and craniectomy patients in Group A. RESULTS In Group A, 21 of 41 patients underwent prophylactic decompressive craniectomy. In Group B, only two patients underwent craniectomy. Surgical outcome in Group A (good 23, poor 18) was statistically not different from Group B (good 15, poor 12). Surgical outcomes between craniectomy (good 12, poor 9) and craniotomy cases (good 11, poor 9) in Group A were also comparable. CONCLUSION We recommend that a craniotomy can be carried out safely without prophylactic craniectomy in patients with a large aneurysmal ICH if intracranial pressure is controllable with hematoma evacuation.
Bertrand-Edgeworth competition in experimental markets

The Bertrand-Edgeworth (BE) model describes competition among a group of price setting sellers, each of whom faces a production capacity constraint. We report on laboratory experiments that were designed so as to capture essential features of BE competition. These experiments permit us to evaluate different theories of BE competition: Competitive equilibrium (CE) pricing, Edgeworth cycles in prices, mixed strategy Nash equilibrium (NE) in prices, and tacit collusion. The experimental results indicate that while each of the theories helps to explain some aspects of the data, none of these theories are completely consistent with the data. In relative terms, the Edgeworth cycle theory provides better predictions than the other three theories. Most sellers adjusted their prices partially to their predicted Edgeworth price. The Edgeworth cycle theory is the only theory that predicts the kind of time dependence and cycling that was observed in most experiments.