Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health technology assessment in clinical biochemistry. Methylmalonic acid: a Danish showcase

In 1992 plasma methylmalonic acid (MMA) was introduced in Denmark for diagnosing vitamin B‐12 deficiency. Now, 10 years later, we report on a health technology assessment (HTA) suggesting that the clinical usefulness of MMA is uncertain. MMA is an obvious component for measurement in the diagnosis of vitamin B‐12 deficiency because MMA accumulates when there is a lack of vitamin B‐12, and technologically the analysis is of high quality. The diagnostic sensitivity of MMA is high, whereas the diagnostic specificity is debatable, and our results suggest it to be relatively low. The organizational aspect implies that both MMA and P‐cobalamins have been increasingly employed, though no consensus on the use of the analyses has emerged. The benefit to the patient is not obvious. An increased level of MMA does not predict further increases over time, and vitamin B‐12 treatment shows limited clinical benefit in individuals with a moderately increased MMA. The economic consequences of introducing MMA were an increase in the costs of MMA and P‐cobalamins of 12% per year during 1992–2000 and an increase in the turnover of vitamin B‐12 preparations of 9% per year. In conclusion, MMA was introduced on sound grounds for both pathophysiological considerations and analytical quality. Our HTA shows that the resources employed to diagnose and to treat vitamin B‐12 deficiency have increased considerably, but yet we have no evidence to suggest the clinical benefit.
The Effects of Oil Supply and Demand Shocks on U.S. Consumer Sentiment

This paper investigates how the University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) – a survey measure of U.S. households’ expectations about current and future economic conditions – responds to structural oil supply and demand shocks. We find that the response to an observed increase in the real price of crude oil depends on the underlying reason. While oil supply shocks have little effect on the ICS, other oil demand shocks such as a precautionary demand shock, for example, have a statistically significant negative impact over a two-year horizon. The effect of aggregate demand shocks associated with the global business cycle is positive in the first few months and negative thereafter. Considering the responses of ICS sub-indices and more specific survey questions, we find that expectations about higher future inflation and the associated reduction of real household income as well as a deterioration of perceived vehicle and house buying conditions are the main transmission channels of aggregate demand and other oil demand shocks. Oil shocks also affect consumers’ satisfaction with U.S. economic policy.
Designing a Customer Retention Framework for Telecommunication Sector

Abstract: Telecommunication sector has grown over last decade while transforming behavioral intentions. New entrants are exploring these behavioral intentions to attract more customers. The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of customer satisfaction in telecom industry on service quality, brand image and customer retention relationship. Furthermore, it identifies the key determinants of customer retention related to telecom service providers. A fully structured questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from 310 mobile users. Non-probability sampling technique was adopted for data collection. Regression analysis and Sobel test technique were practiced to analyze the data. The result showed that customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between service quality, brand image and customer retention. Moreover, this study found that service quality, brand image and customer satisfaction are the strongest predictors of customer retention in telecom industry of Pakistan. Therefore, to gain customer loyalty, organizations should focus current-users and target-users by providing sterling service quality
Fluid restriction prior to cycle exercise: effects on plasma volume and plasma proteins.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that changes in exercise intensity dominate the PV response to cycle exercise in the heat independent of the initial plasma volume (PV) and total circulating protein (TCP) content. The two experimental treatments (counterbalanced design) were performed by nine trained male cyclists (age = 23 +/- 1 yr, VO2peak = 63 +/- 4 ml.kg-1.min-1) in both a euhydrated (EU) and hypohydrated (HP, 24-h fluid restriction) state. Blood volume was measured (carbon monoxide dilution) 30 min prior to each test and subsequent changes in PV were calculated from serial venous blood samples using hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration. Following 20 min of seated rest in a warm environment (Tdb = 30 degrees C, 50-60% RH), each subject cycled in a semi-reclining posture for 60 min at three successive intensities (60, 120, and 180 W for 20 min each, representing approximately 22, 37, and 53% VO2peak). Fluid restriction reduced (P < 0.05) body weight by 1.4 +/- 0.3 kg (1.8 +/- 0.4%), PV by 353 +/- 73 ml (8 +/- 2%), TCP by 20 +/- 7 g (7 +/- 2%), and elevated serum osmolality by 6 +/- 2 mOsm.kg-1 (2 +/- 1%). After 20 min of passive heat exposure (prior to exercise), TCP content remained lower (P < 0.05) in HP (17 +/- 5 g) compared with EU as PV increased (P < 0.05) in EU (222 +/- 27 ml) but not (P > 0.05) in HP (122 +/- 35 ml). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comparative Study of Graham Harvey Measure of Portfolio Performance over Sharpe Ratio

In this paper, we have calculated Graham Harvey measures for top 10-equity linked saving scheme (ELSS) funds in India according to their asset under management. ELSS funds are selected as they have more than 95% composition of equity component and lock-in a period of 5 years. Graham and Harvey in their research paper discuss the methodology to predict market timing to alter their investments for portfolio managers. They introduced two new performance measures for a portfolio. Both measures provide different relative performance valuation, with respect to market index's return-risk. Sharpe ratio, although a useful metric, suffers lack of benchmarking information. Sharpe ratio is absolute measure of performance. As the Graham-Harvey research is based on long-term prospect of the portfolio investment, ELSS funds are taken for research. The performance of ELSS funds has been evaluated with the help of Graham and Harvey measure and Sharpe ratio. Our finding suggests that Graham and Harvey measures are superior to Sharpe ratio for performance grading. Because of paucity of time and resources, the paper research is limited to evaluating performance of ELSS funds for period of April 2007 to December 2012 using Graham Harvey measure.
Some observations on the faecal carriage of mesophilic Aeromonas species in cows and pigs

SUMMARY Replicate faecal samples from healthy individual pigs and cows were examined for the presence of Aeromonas sp. over a 12-month period. Aeromonads were found to be minor components of the faecal flora, only 8·8 % of 520 samples from pigs and 4·6% of 481 samples from cows proving positive. Isolation rates in both groups of animals were seasonal. A. hydrophila (62% of the isolates) was the predominant species in cows, followed by A. caviae (32%) and A. sobria (15%). This pattern was also recorded in the natural waters that the animals drank from during the period when the faecal carriage rate was at its highest. In pigs, A. caviae (59%) was more common than A. hydrophila (41%). A. sobria was not found in any of the pig-associated samples. It seems that cattle acquire their faecal aeromonads from drinking water. The source of the organisms in pigs is less clear.
Magnitude of Serum and Intestinal Antibody Responses Induced by Sequential Replicating and Nonreplicating Rotavirus Vaccines in Gnotobiotic Pigs and Correlation with Protection

ABSTRACT A sequential mucosal prime-boost vaccine regimen of oral attenuated (Att) human rotavirus (HRV) priming followed by intranasal (i.n.) boosting with rotavirus protein VP2 and VP6 rotavirus-like particles (2/6-VLPs) has previously been shown to be effective for induction of intestinal antibody-secreting cell (ASC) responses and protection in gnotobiotic pigs. Because serum or fecal antibody titers, but not intestinal ASC responses, can be used as potential markers of protective immunity in clinical vaccine trials, we determined the serum and intestinal antibody responses to this prime-boost rotavirus vaccine regimen and the correlations with protection. Gnotobiotic pigs were vaccinated with one of the two sequential vaccines: AttHRV orally preceding 2/6-VLP (VLP2x) vaccination (AttHRV/VLP2x) or following VLP2x vaccination (VLP2x/AttHRV) given i.n. with a mutant Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin (mLT) as adjuvant. These vaccines were also compared with three i.n. doses of VLP+mLT (VLP3x) and one and three oral doses of AttHRV (AttHRV1x and AttHRV3x, respectively). Before challenge all pigs in the AttHRV/VLP2x group seroconverted to positivity for serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies. The pigs in this group also had significantly higher (P < 0.05) intestinal IgA antibody titers pre- and postchallenge and IgG antibody titers postchallenge compared to those in the other groups. Statistical analyses of the correlations between serum IgM, IgA, IgG, and virus-neutralizing antibody titers and protection demonstrated that each of these was an indicator of protective immunity induced by the AttHRV3x and the AttHRV/VLP2x regimens. However, only IgA and not IgM or IgG antibody titers in serum were highly correlated (R2 = 0.89; P < 0.001) with the corresponding isotype antibody (IgA) titers in the intestines among all the vaccinated groups, indicating that the IgA antibody titer is probably the most reliable indicator of protection.
Perbandingan Zakat Produktif dan Zakat Konsumtif dalam Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Mustahik

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of productive and consumptive zakat distribution in poverty alleviation. This study uses a CIBEST (Center of Islamic Business and Economics Studies) model which measures not only the material aspect of the poverty, but also the spiritual aspect of the respondents. The results proves that both zakat distribution types can increase welfare as well as reduce poverty of mustahik. Productive zakat can alleviate poverty more than consumtive zakat. Keywords: mustahik, productive and consumptive zakat, welfare
Childhood circumstances, adolescent adjustment, and suicide attempts in a New Zealand birth cohort.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of attempted suicide during adolescence in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 16 years and to examine the relationships among adolescent problems of adjustment, psychopathology, childhood circumstances, and risks of adolescent suicide attempts. METHOD Attempted suicide, adolescent problems of adjustment, psychopathology, and childhood circumstances were assessed as part of a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 954 New Zealand children studied at annual intervals to the age of 16 years. RESULTS By 16 years, 3.0% of the sample (4.2% of girls and 1.9% of boys) reported having made a suicide attempt. There were strong associations between attempted suicide and rates of adolescent problem behaviors or psychopathology; teenagers having problems of adjustment or psychiatric disorders were up to 22 times more likely to attempt suicide. Risks of attempted suicide were also higher among children from disadvantaged or dysfunctional family backgrounds. A loglinear model fitted to the measures of attempted suicide, adolescent psychopathology, problems of adjustment, and childhood circumstances suggested the presence of a causal chain process in which childhood problems were significantly (p < .005) related to increased risks of later psychopathology and problems of personal adjustment which were, in turn, related to significantly (p < .05) increased rates of attempted suicide. CONCLUSIONS A common pathway that leads to increased vulnerability to suicidal behavior involves early disadvantageous childhood and family circumstances, which lead to increased risks of adolescent psychopathology and problems of adjustment, which lead to increased risks and vulnerability to adolescent suicidal behaviors.
Redefining the relevance of established cancer cell lines to the study of mechanisms of clinical anti-cancer drug resistance

Although in vitro models have been a cornerstone of anti-cancer drug development, their direct applicability to clinical cancer research has been uncertain. Using a state-of-the-art Taqman-based quantitative RT-PCR assay, we investigated the multidrug resistance (MDR) transcriptome of six cancer types, in established cancer cell lines (grown in monolayer, 3D scaffold, or in xenograft) and clinical samples, either containing >75% tumor cells or microdissected. The MDR transcriptome was determined a priori based on an extensive curation of the literature published during the last three decades, which led to the enumeration of 380 genes. No correlation was found between clinical samples and established cancer cell lines. As expected, we found up-regulation of genes that would facilitate survival across all cultured cancer cell lines evaluated. More troubling, however, were data showing that all of the cell lines, grown either in vitro or in vivo, bear more resemblance to each other, regardless of the tissue of origin, than to the clinical samples they are supposed to model. Although cultured cells can be used to study many aspects of cancer biology and response of cells to drugs, this study emphasizes the necessity for new in vitro cancer models and the use of primary tumor models in which gene expression can be manipulated and small molecules tested in a setting that more closely mimics the in vivo cancer microenvironment so as to avoid radical changes in gene expression profiles brought on by extended periods of cell culture.
Outpatient Chemotherapy Administration: Decreasing Wait Times for Patients and Families

Increasingly, there is a trend to deliver chemotherapy, where possible, in the outpatient ambulatory setting. In the few studies that have explored the setting of cancer care, long wait times are frequently linked to dissatisfaction. Several factors contribute to lengthy waiting times for patients and their families: long registration processes, lag times associated with obtaining laboratory results, time required for patient assessments and preparation of chemotherapeutic agents, adequacy of nursing resources, and physical space constraints in relation to patient volumes. With the goal of improving care delivery in the outpatient clinic, a fast-tracking system was established. Program planning included establishing patient eligibility criteria, protocol and treatment appropriateness, interdepartmental collaboration, development of a communication plan for families and staff, negotiation of physical space, and allocation of human resources. This was instituted by reallocating existing resources and establishing an autonomous nurse-managed chemotherapy clinic. This fast-tracking program has enabled us to use our existing resources with greater efficiency and improve patient care from safety and quality-of-life perspectives for those included in the program.
Low‐level resistance and clonal diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa among chronically colonized cystic fibrosis patients

A prospective study was conducted in Brazil to evaluate antimicrobial resistance patterns and molecular epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with chronic lung infection. All isolates were obtained between May 2009 and June 2010 from 75 patients seen in four reference centers in Brazil: HCPA (20 patients) and HEOM (15 patients), located in southern and northeastern Brazil, respectively; IFF (20 patients) and HUPE (20 patients), both in southwestern Brazil. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR for detection of carpapenemases, and pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed in 274 isolates. A total of 224 PFGE types were identified and no clones were found circulating among the centers or within the same center. Despite the chronic infection, most patients were colonized by intermittent clones. Only three patients (4%) maintained the same clone during the study. The resistance rates were lower than 30% for the majority of antimicrobials tested in all centers and only 17% of isolates were multiresistant. Isolates (n = 54) with reduced susceptibility to imipenem and/or meropenem presented negative results for blaSPM‐1, blaIMP−1, blaVIM, and blaKPCgenes. Our results indicate an unexpected low level of antimicrobial resistance and a high genotypic diversity among P. aeruginosa from Brazilian chronic CF patients.
Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been suggested to offer therapeutic benefit in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We conducted two analyses to explore the association between SSRI use and PAH outcomes using the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL Registry). METHODS First, new users (SSRI-naive patients who initiated treatment after enrollment, incident use analysis, n = 220) were matched (1:2) with non-SSRI users (nonusers, n = 440) by enrollment center, sex, date of most recent visit, age, and 6-min walk distance. Second, a cross-sectional design was used to compare nonusers (n = 2,463), high-affinity SSRI users (n = 430), and non-high-affinity SSRI users (n = 125) at enrollment. Mortality and a composite end point defined by events indicative of clinical worsening were evaluated. RESULTS New users had a higher risk of death (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.74; 95% CI, 1.19-2.54; P = .004) and were less likely to be free from the composite end point 2 years after enrollment vs nonusers (25.7% vs 43.2%, respectively; P < .001). Similarly, among prevalent SSRI users (patients with a history of SSRI use at enrollment), high-affinity SSRI users were less likely to be free from the composite end point vs nonusers (unadjusted HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.36; P = .003). In both analyses, differences in outcome were maintained after adjustment for clinical variables previously associated with PAH outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In a large population of patients with PAH, incident SSRI use was associated with increased mortality and a greater risk of clinical worsening, although we could not adjust for all potential confounders.
The spherophakia-brachymorphia syndrome.

In 1939 Marchesani 1 described a syndrome consisting of brachydactyly, spherophakia, and glaucoma in four patients. Since then 27 additional patients have been described by various authors. Since no instances of this syndrome have been recorded in the United States, the following study of five patients showing the complete syndrome is reported, with a summary of the genetic findings in the two involved families. The spherophakia-brachymorphia syndrome, sometimes referred to as Marchesani's syndrome, is characterized by short stature (Fig. 1); short, stubby fingers (Fig. 2), and mental retardation, in conjunction with spherophakia, microphakia, ectopia lentis, index myopia, and glaucoma. In addition, in this study a large atd angle (Fig. 3) was found in the fully developed cases, as well as in heterozygous carriers. The syndrome is hereditary, showing essentially a recessive tendency. REPORT OF CASES The following patients with the fully developed syndrome were observed in two families. The numbers
Comparative Advantage and Cost Efficiency of Rice-Producing Farms in Bangladesh: A Policy Analysis: ―政策分析―

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Bangladesh economy, while rice is considered to be the most important food crop. More than three-fourths of the country’s total cropped land is devoted to rice production, which contributes more than 97 percent to the total cereal food supply. Official available statistics show that food grain demand in Bangladesh in 2006/07 FY was estimated at 25.69 million tons while net domestic cereal supply was 25.25 million tons, implying a shortage. With further improvement in domestic production, the net food grain supply in 2014/15 increased to 31.73 million tons while corresponding demand was 29.32 million tons, indicating that domestic net supply is higher than total food grain demand in Bangladesh (FPMU, 2015). Presently, domestic production of rice is deemed sufficient to meet existing demand due to policies to achieve self-sufficiency for food security. These policies, however, include fertilizer subsidies and price support programs. Implementation of these policies has increased the budget deficit problem and has been criticized by foreign donors and international aid agencies (Ahmed et al., 2009), because such policies are ineffective for achieving the target of sustainable food security. Bangladesh agriculture is now transforming from a traditional to a modern system. However, in this transformation process, the rice sector has the most
A finite element model of the Ilizarov fixator system

Mechanical characteristics of orthopaedic fixators, such as stiffness and stability, directly influence the mechanobiological environment in which the bone is healed. A comprehensive understanding of the sensitivity of the Ilizarov Apparatus (IA) to configuration parameters is the key to its biomechanical analysis. In this study, detailed 3D Finite Element (FE) models of two-ring and four-ring configurations of the IA are developed and studied with respect to axial stiffness. A parametric analysis is carried out on the four-ring configuration and the effects of the ring diameter, the wire diameter, and pretension level on the frame stiffness are studied. Both configurations are found to exhibit a non-linear stiffness behavior under axial compression. It is found that the addition of levels of fixations, i.e., rings and wires, augments fixator's stability. The analysis shows that decreasing the rings size and increasing the wires diameter and pretension levels provides greater frame stiffness. The results are in good agreement with the findings reported in literature.
Studying school improvement teams to analyze multiple stakeholder engagement in decision-making in public education

Since the Industrial Revolution, when schools became larger and the missions broader, there has been an attempt by a wide range of stakeholders to have a voice in public education. More recently, through No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, the federal government began to increase requirements for multiple stakeholder engagement in decision-making for schools requesting Title I funds. As the need for a more educated workforce has grown, businesses have also sought to have a voice in improving education. Additionally, experts in the field of parent, school and community engagement, have called for the inclusion of parents, diverse faculty, staff, and community voice. An outgrowth of the federal, business, and family, school, community partnership historical landscapes, has been the development of school improvement teams, which have become increasingly common, typically with a goal of bringing together multiple stakeholders to provide input into decision-making for school improvement. However, there has been little research on the make-up of these teams, the issues they address, how stakeholders on the team are engaged, and whether the teams are connected to any other efforts in the school focused on engagement. This case study analysis richly describes the school improvement team processes of two schools in the Northeast region. The results of this study indicate that the goal of engaging stakeholders beyond administrative staff in consensus-driven, decisionmaking teams is yet to be realized, even among schools that highly value the input of teachers, parents, youth and community partners and have rich engagement opportunities for these groups in other areas of the school. This study also offers insights into how schools might improve in these areas in the future.