Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Patient-Clinician Collaboration in Asthma Management: The Patient Experience

Objective. To describe what adult patients with asthma report about their experiences with their own self-management behavior and working with their clinicians to control asthma. Methods. The study sample consisted of 104 patients with persistent asthma participating in a clinical trial on asthma monitoring. All subjects were seen by primary care clinicians of a large, academic medical center. This qualitative post hoc analysis examined the views of adults with asthma about their asthma-related health care. Patients attended monthly visits as part of their study participation, during which data were derived from semistructured interviews. All patients included in this analysis participated in the study for 1 year. At the end of study participation, patients were asked to complete an evaluation of their clinician's communication behavior. All study clinicians were also asked to complete a self-evaluation of their own communication behavior. Results. Five major themes of barriers to successful self-management were identified, including personal constraints, social constraints, communication failures, medication issues, and health care system barriers to collaboration with their clinicians. Patients most frequently reported lack of communication surrounding issues relating to day-to-day management of asthma (31%) and home management of asthma (24%). Clinicians generally rated themselves well for consistency in showing nonverbal attentiveness (89%) and maintaining interactive conversations (93%). However, only 30% of clinicians reported consistency in helping patients make decisions about asthma management and only 33% of clinicians reported consistency in tailoring medication schedules to the patient's routines. Conclusion. These findings emphasize the difficulties of establishing and maintaining a therapeutic partnership between patients and clinicians. The results underscore the need for system-wide interventions that promote the success of a therapeutic patient-clinician relationship in order to achieve long-term success in chronic disease management.
Rescue of Recombinant Thogoto Virus from Cloned cDNA

ABSTRACT Thogoto virus (THOV) is a tick-transmitted orthomyxovirus with a genome consisting of six negative-stranded RNA segments. To rescue a recombinant THOV, the viral structural proteins were produced from expression plasmids by means of a vaccinia virus expressing the T7 RNA polymerase. Genomic virus RNAs (vRNAs) were generated from plasmids under the control of the RNA polymerase I promoter. Using this system, we could efficiently recover recombinant THOV following transfection of 12 plasmids into 293T cells. To verify the recombinant nature of the rescued virus, specific genetic tags were introduced into two vRNA segments. The availability of this efficient reverse genetics system will allow us to address hitherto-unanswered questions regarding the biology of THOV by manipulating viral genes in the context of infectious virus.
Comparison Between Two Different Isolated Craniosynostosis Techniques: Does It Affect Cranial Bone Growth?

Introduction:Craniosynostosis is a premature closure of a cranial suture. Cranioplasty is indicated to correct skull deformity, relieve increased intracranial pressure, and promote homogenous cranial growth. Different techniques have been adopted to achieve optimal outcomes. Although surgical benefits are widely accepted, this intervention might also affect cranial skeletal growth. Methods:The authors conducted a retrospective case-control study including patients operated for isolated metopic or sagittal synostosis. These patients had undergone a computed tomography (CT) scan before surgery and/or at 3 years of age postoperatively. These were operated between 2002 and 2012. Intracranial volume was measured using a MATLAB application. The control group was age and sex-matched individuals who had CT scans for trauma or neurological indications. All results with P value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 185 patients were included in the study with a preoperative CT scan (143 sagittal synostosis and 42 metopic synostosis). Postoperatively 160 patients were identified including 103 sagittal synostosis and 57 metopic synostosis. These patients were compared to 414 controls. There was a statistically significant reduction in intracranial volume (ICV) in patients operated for metopic synostosis with both techniques. It also demonstrated a statistically significant difference in ICV in patients with sagittal synostosis operated with Pi-plasty and a nonsignificant difference in ICV in patients operated with strip craniotomy and springs. Conclusion:In conclusion, these measurements of ICV have revealed that extensive cranioplasties for premature craniosynostosis can lead to minor but significant growth restriction and reduced ICV at long-term follow-up.
Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae blood culture isolates from adults in Franklin County, Ohio

Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in cultures of blood from 258 adults seen in 10 Franklin County, Ohio, hospitals from 1991 and 1992 were serotyped. Most strains (230 [89.2%]) belonged to serotypes that are included in the current pneumococcal vaccine. An additional 16 isolates (6.2%) were immunologically related to strains with serotypes that are included in the vaccine. Only 12 isolates (4.6%) were not covered by the vaccine. The rate of mortality from pneumococcal bacteremia in adults remains high (20%). While recent studies have documented the efficacy of the pneumococcal vaccine for preventing pneumococcal bacteremia (56 to 70%), use of the pneumococcal vaccine in susceptible patients by physicians remains low (19% in Franklin County). Additional efforts need to be expended to increase the use of the pneumococcal vaccine.
Abdominal Injuries after High Falls: High Incidence and Increased Mortality

Abstract Background : Falls from height are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Injuries to the extremities and head are common. However, little has been reported on abdominal injuries or their treatment. This study aims to assess the abdominal injuries, treatment, and mortality after falls from height. Methods : We searched our hospital’s Trauma registry from January 2004 through December 2007 and identified all patients who fell from five meters or higher. Additional data was extracted from medical records, radiology reports, and operation reports. Results : One hundred and thirty-nine patients (median age 31 years) were included. There were 106 men and 33 women. Forty-one patients had abdominal injuries. Thirteen patients had a retroperitoneal hematoma, eleven had a liver laceration, nine had a kidney laceration, and eight had a spleen laceration. Eleven patients required emergency laparotomy and/or endovascular stenting or coiling to stop the bleeding. Patients with abdominal injuries had a tenfold higher mortality than those without abdominal injuries (19.5% versus 2.0%). Conclusion : Abdominal injuries were common and associated with a tenfold increase in mortality.
Genetics of Residual Feed Intake in Cattle and Pigs: A Review

The feed resource for animals is a major cost determinant for profitability in livestock production enterprises, and thus any effort at improving the efficiency of feed use will help to reduce feed cost. Feed conversion ratio, expressed as feed inputs per unit output, is a traditional measure of efficiency that has significant phenotypic and genetic correlations with feed intake and growth traits. The use of ratio traits for genetic selection may cause problems associated with prediction of change in the component traits in future generations. Residual feed intake, a linear index, is a trait derived from the difference between actual feed intake and that predicted on the basis of the requirements for maintenance of body weight and production. Considerable genetic variation exists in residual feed intake for cattle and pigs, which should respond to selection. Phenotypic independence of phenotypic residual feed intake with body weight and weight gain can be obligatory. Genetic residual feed intake is genetically independent of its component traits (body weight and weight gain). Genetic correlations of residual feed intake with daily feed intake and feed conversion efficiency have been strong and positive in both cattle and pigs. Residual feed intake is favorably genetically correlated with eye muscle area and carcass weight in cattle and with eye muscle area and backfat in pigs. Selection to reduce residual feed intake (excessive intake of feed) will improve the efficiency of feed and most of the economically important carcass traits in cattle and pigs. Therefore, residual feed intake can be used to replace traditional feed conversion ratio as a selection criterion of feed efficiency in breeding programs. However, further studies are required on the variation of residual feed intake during different developmental stage of production.
Compressed bloom filters

A Bloom filter is a simple space-efficient randomized data structure for representing a set in order to support membership queries. Although Bloom filters allow false positives, for many applications the space savings outweigh this drawback when the probability of an error is sufficiently low. We introduce compressed Bloom filters, which improve performance when the Bloom filter is passed as a message, and its transmission size is a limiting factor. For example, Bloom filters have been suggested as a means for sharing Web cache information. In this setting, proxies do not share the exact contents of their caches, but instead periodically broadcast Bloom filters representing their caches. By using compressed Bloom filters, proxies can reduce the number of bits broadcast, the false positive probability, and/or the amount of computation per lookup. The cost is the processing time for compression and decompression, which can use simple arithmetic coding, and more memory use at the proxies, which utilize the larger uncompressed form of the Bloom filter.
Characteristic of PMASynRM with ferrite magnets for EV/HEV applications

Although motors that use rare-earth permanent magnets typically exhibit high performance, high costs and concerns about the stability of raw material supplies can cause decreased production. This paper proposes a permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance motor (PMASynRM) with a ferrite magnet that does not use rare earth materials. The performance of the proposed PMASynRM is evaluated based on the 2-D finite element method and an experiment using a prototype machine. The analysis results reveal that the proposed PMASynRM has the same power density and equivalent efficiency as conventional rare-earth permanent magnet synchronous motors for HEV driving. As a result, the proposed structure is found to achieve high-power and high-efficiency performance.
Anomalous visual experiences, negative symptoms, perceptual organization and the magnocellular pathway in schizophrenia: a shared construct?

Background. Schizophrenia is associated with impaired visual information processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anomalous perceptual experiences, positive and negative symptoms, perceptual organization, rapid categorization of natural images and magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) visual pathway functioning. Method. Thirty-five unmedicated patients with schizophrenia and 20 matched healthy control volunteers participated. Anomalous perceptual experiences were assessed with the Bonn Scale for the Assessment Basic Symptoms (BSABS). General intellectual functions were evaluated with the revised version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The 1–9 version of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) was used to investigate sustained attention. The following psychophysical tests were used: detection of Gabor patches with collinear and orthogonal flankers (perceptual organization), categorization of briefly presented natural scenes (rapid visual processing), low-contrast and frequency-doubling vernier threshold (M pathway functioning), isoluminant colour vernier threshold and high spatial frequency discrimination (P pathway functioning). Results. The patients with schizophrenia were impaired on test of perceptual organization, rapid visual processing and M pathway functioning. There was a significant correlation between BSABS scores, negative symptoms, perceptual organization, rapid visual processing and M pathway functioning. Positive symptoms, IQ, CPT and P pathway measures did not correlate with these parameters. The best predictor of the BSABS score was the perceptual organization deficit. Conclusions. These results raise the possibility that multiple facets of visual information processing deficits can be explained by M pathway dysfunctions in schizophrenia, resulting in impaired attentional modulation of perceptual organization and of natural image categorization.
Structural Differencing Estimation with Nonlinear Budget Sets

I develop a reform evaluation method for evaluating labor supply in nonlinear budget sets which is both structural and quasi-experimental. The model only requires preferences to be convex on the budget frontier and results in a simple three-dimensional labor supply function. The estimation exploits only the between-individual variation provided by tax reforms. I apply the method to evaluate earned income effects of the Swedish earned income tax credit introduced between 2007 and 2010. I find a positive extensive margin effect for married individuals but also negative intensive margin effects due to the absence of a phaseout region.
Influence of Zooplankton Grazing on Free Dissolved Enzymes in the Sea

In the Northern Adriatic Sea, extracellular enzymatic activity was measured during a Lagrangian study following a drifting buoy for 40 h. Dissolved free enzymatic activity represented 20 to 70% of total activity depending on the type of enzyme. aand P-glucosidases exhibited a significantly higher free activity than proteolytic enzymes. In subsequent laboratory experiments we investigated the effect of zooplankton on the free enzyme pool. The 4-step approach included: ( l ) determinatlon of the enzymatic activities in copepods (mainly Acartia clausi); (2 ) enzymat~c activity in fecal pellets; (3) shortand long-term grazing experiments; and (4) degradab~lity of free glucosidase in seawater. aand P-glucosidases, leu-aminopeptidase, lipase and chitinase were examined. Experiments in which zooplankton were selectively enriched revealed a significant increase in both particle-bound (due to the increase of bacterial density) and dissolved free enzymatic activity. Incubating water enriched in free enzymes released by zooplankton with natural bacterial consortia, we found that 70% of the original aand P-glucosidase activity remained after 22 h. The presence of microorganisms did not enhance the degradation of these enzymes as compared to autoclaved controls. We found that a considerable amount of free dissolved enzymes is lost by 0.2 pm filtration using Nuclepore filters, thereby leading to an underestimation of dissolved enzymes by -30% in our experiments. Based on our results we conclude that mesozooplankton contribute to the free enzymatic activity in natural waters especially during periods of high grazing activity.
Fractures by Firearms in Conflict Town

For nearly two decades, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been plagued by war and abnormal movement of firearms is commonplace. The consequence of this is the increasing number of victim patients from gunshot wound at the hospitals. The aim of this study is to make an assessment of fractures caused by firearms and their management in a post conflict town. This is a retrospective, descriptive, multicenter study involving 123 cases with 128 fractures by firearms recorded during a period of 24 months from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2012. Patients were recruited from 3 major hospitals in Bukavu town having a unit of fractures management. One hundred and six (86.9%) patients were males with the modal age in the ranks from 20 to 40 years old (mean 29.9 years). Seventy-one (57.7%) were civilians and 52 (42.3%) patients were soldiers; 86 (78.2%) came from countryside. The reprisal was implicated in 77 (62.6%) cases. In 62.5% of cases, fractures were localized in the lower limbs and were treated orthopedically in 50% of cases. The gunshot fractures in eastern DRC were mainly concerning the civilian young people living in the countryside and necessarily affected the bones of low limb. A study on fracture by firearms should be carried in the area where people have been wounded. Reducing the flow of gunshot could reduce the rate of fractures by firearms.
Identification of Antiangiogenic and Antiinflammatory Proteins in Human Amniotic Membrane

Purpose. To identify the potential antiangiogenic and antiinflammatory proteins expressed in human amniotic membrane tissue. Methods. Human amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells were isolated from human amniotic membranes by sequential trypsin and collagenase digestion. Total RNAs were harvested from freshly obtained human amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Antiangiogenic and antiinflammatory proteins were detected by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique and further confirmed by DNA sequencing of PCR-amplified transcripts. The distribution of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs) were studied further by immunohistochemistry performed on paraffin-embedded amniotic membrane tissue. Results. RT-PCR results showed that both human amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells express interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, all four TIMPs, collagen XVIII, and interleukin-10. Thrombospondin-1 was expressed in all of the epithelial cell specimens and in one out of five mesenchymal cell specimens. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry studies performed on freshly prepared amniotic membrane confirmed that all members of the TIMP family were present in epithelial and mesenchymal cells as well as in the compact layer of the amniotic stroma. In cryopreserved amniotic membranes, positive staining was seen in residual amniotic cells and stroma. Conclusions. Human amniotic membrane epithelial and mesenchymal cells express various antiangiogenic and antiinflammatory proteins. Some of those proteins also were found in amniotic membrane stroma. These findings may explain in part the antiangiogenic and antiinflammatory effects of amniotic membrane transplantation.
Selective activation of melatonin receptors with ramelteon improves liver function and hepatic perfusion after hemorrhagic shock in rat

Objective:Melatonin may attenuate organ damage via direct antioxidative properties, and was recently demonstrated to reduce cardiac and hepatic injury through receptor-dependent effects. However, the relevance of an isolated activation of melatonin receptors for organ protection, excluding direct antioxidant effects, has not been established yet. This study was designed to investigate whether therapy with melatonin receptor agonist and hypnotic substance ramelteon may improve liver function, hepatic perfusion, and hepatic integrity after hemorrhagic shock in rat. Design:Prospective, randomized, controlled study. Setting:University research laboratory. Subjects:Male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 10 per group). Interventions:Animals underwent hemorrhagic shock (mean arterial pressure 35 ± 5 mm Hg for 90 mins) and were resuscitated with shed blood and Ringer's lactate (2 hrs). At the end of shock, animals were treated with ramelteon (1.0 mg/kg intravenously), melatonin receptor antagonist luzindole plus ramelteon (each 1.0 mg/kg intravenously), or vehicle. Measurements and Main Results:In vitro, ramelteon displayed no relevant antioxidant capacity in an 2,2′-Azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay, compared with melatonin. In vivo, liver function was assessed by plasma disappearance rate of indocyanine green, and intravital microscopy was performed for evaluation of hepatic perfusion index, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate autofluorescence, and hepatic integrity. Compared with vehicle controls, ramelteon therapy significantly improved plasma disappearance rate of indocyanine green (7.89 ± 2.12% vs. 13.67 ± 2.51%; p = 0.006), hepatic perfusion index (352.04 ± 111.78 pl/sec/mm vs. 848.81 ± 181.38 pl/sec/mm; p = 0.002), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate autofluorescence and hepatocellular injury. Coadministration of luzindole abolished the protective effect of ramelteon with respect to liver function and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate autofluorescence. Conclusions:Ramelteon therapy improves liver function, hepatic perfusion, and hepatocellular integrity after hemorrhagic shock in rat. This demonstrates that an isolated activation of melatonin receptors may be sufficient for organ protection, independent from direct antioxidant effects. The hypnotic ramelteon could thus play an interesting role in future sedation concepts for critical care patients.
Extraction of lineaments from gravity anomaly maps using the gradient calculation: Application to Central Anatolia

Linear anomalies are important in the interpretation of gravity and magnetic data because they indicate some important structural features. In this study, a method is proposed to extract lineaments which may be difficult to recognize. It is based on the convolution between the templates obtained from the second horizontal derivative of the theoretical anomaly due to a truncated horizontal plate and the gravity anomaly. Local maxima of the gradient magnitude determine lineaments in a gravity anomaly map. The method is used in the edge detection of geological structures closer to the surface, which are masked by other structures with various depths and dimensions. A source code in Matlab format for the proposed algorithm is implemented. Firstly, it was tested on synthetic examples and satisfactory results were obtained. Secondly, it was tested on gravity-anomaly maps of the Tuzgölü (Salt Lake) basin in Central Anatolia, Turkey. Subsequently, the proposed algorithm and normalized standard deviation (NSTD), another edge-detection filter, were evaluated together to obtain the horizontal location of potential-field source boundaries. A visual evaluation of the outputs was carried out and the results compared with each other. These examples demonstrate that the proposed method can be used in the visual interpretation of gravity-anomaly maps in order to detect geological features such as major and minor faults.
The integration of historical and archaeological data concerning an historic wreck site: The ‘Kennemerland’

Abstract The Kennemerland, a well‐documented wreck of 1664, presents a good opportunity for the linking of historical and archaeological data at one site. A structure is suggested here within which both classes of information might be related to yield maximum results. The development of a wreck site, from the moment of wrecking through to modern excavation, is described in terms of a system within which all available data can be assembled, and from which more information can be extracted on matters for which the direct evidence is inadequate. The application of the suggested procedure is illustrated by use of data from the Kennemerland site.