Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated With Improved Quality of Life Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to elucidate factors affecting the likelihood of achieving minimum clinically important difference (MCID) to patient-reported outcomes defined by the Scoliosis Research Society-22r (SRS-22r) among patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) who underwent extensive corrective fusion surgery from the thoracic spine to the pelvis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Achieving MCID for SRS-22r parameters was a measure of surgical efficacy. Patient characteristics and surgical and radiographic factors that affect the likelihood of achieving MCID for SRS-22r parameters are unknown. METHODS Data from patients with ASD who underwent extensive corrective fusion surgery from the thoracic spine to the pelvis during 2010 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Data from a total of 167 patients with ≥2 years of follow-up were included. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate factors associated with the likelihood of achieving MCID for each of the SRS-22r domains (Function, Pain, Subtotal) 2 years after surgery. The following MCID values were used: 0.90 for Function, 0.85 for Pain, and 1.05 for the Subtotal. RESULTS MCID achievement rate was 36.5% for Function, 46.1% for Pain, and 44.3% for the Subtotal domain. In multivariate analysis, preoperative SRS-22r Function (odds ratio [OR] = 0.204, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.105-0.396) increased the likelihood of achieving MCID for SRS-22r Function. Preoperative SRS-22r Subtotal (OR = 0.211, 95% CI, 0.107-0.413), preoperative pelvic tilt (OR = 1.072, 95% CI, 1.012-1.136), preoperative pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis (OR = 0.965, 95% CI, 0.934-0.997), and postoperative sagittal vertical axis (OR = 0.985, 95% CI, 0.974-0.995) affected the likelihood of achieving MCID for the SRS-22r Subtotal. CONCLUSION Patients with poor preoperative health-related quality of life were more likely to achieve improvement in SRS-22r parameters after extensive corrective fusion surgery for ASD. Achieving postoperative sagittal alignment increased the likelihood of achieving MCID for the SRS-22r Subtotal domain.Level of Evidence: 3.
Thermodynamic Studies of β-Ga2O3 Nanomembrane Field-Effect Transistors on a Sapphire Substrate

The self-heating effect is a severe issue for high-power semiconductor devices, which degrades the electron mobility and saturation velocity, and also affects the device reliability. On applying an ultrafast and high-resolution thermoreflectance imaging technique, the direct self-heating effect and surface temperature increase phenomenon are observed on novel top-gate β-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistors. Here, we demonstrate that by utilizing a higher thermal conductivity sapphire substrate rather than a SiO2/Si substrate, the temperature rise above room temperature of β-Ga2O3 on the insulator field-effect transistor can be reduced by a factor of 3 and thereby the self-heating effect is significantly reduced. Both thermoreflectance characterization and simulation verify that the thermal resistance on the sapphire substrate is less than 1/3 of that on the SiO2/Si substrate. Therefore, maximum drain current density of 535 mA/mm is achieved on the sapphire substrate, which is 70% higher than that on the SiO2/Si substrate due to reduced self-heating. Integration of β-Ga2O3 channel on a higher thermal conductivity substrate opens a new route to address the low thermal conductivity issue of β-Ga2O3 for power electronics applications.
Consequences for Social Competence and Self-Concept Unity

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adolescents’ online identity experiments on their social competence and self-concept unity. An online survey was conducted among 1,158 Dutch adolescents between 10 and 17 years of age. Using structural equation modeling, the authors investigated the validity of four opposing effects hypotheses in an integrative antecedents-and-effects model. Adolescents who more often experimented with their identity on the Internet more often communicated online with people of different ages and cultural backgrounds. This communication, in turn, had a positive effect on adolescents’ social competence but did not affect their self-concept unity. In particular, lonely adolescents used the Internet to experiment with their identity. The social competence of lonely adolescents benefited significantly from these online identity experiments.
Dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.) Supplementation-Enhanced Rumen Fermentation through the Interaction between Ruminal Microbiome and Metabolome

This study investigated the effects of dandelion on the ruminal metabolome and microbiome in lactating dairy cows. A total of 12 mid-lactation dairy cows were selected and randomly classified into two groups, supplementing dandelion with 0 (CON) and 200 g/d per cow (DAN) above basal diet, respectively. Rumen fluid samples were collected in the last week of the trial for microbiome and metabolome analysis. The results showed that supplementation of DAN increased the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, acetate, and butyrate significantly. The rumen bacterial community was significantly changed in the DAN group, with Bacterioidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria being the main ruminal bacterial phyla. The abundance of Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, UCG_005, and Christensenellaceae_R_7_group were relatively higher, whereas that of Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG_002 and Dialister were lower in the DAN than those in the CON. Metabolomics analysis showed that the content of d-glucose, serotonin, ribulose-5-phosphate, and d-glycerate were higher in the DAN group. These metabolites were enriched in the starch and sucrose metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, tryptophan metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism. The ribulose-5-phosphate and d-glycerate were correlated with Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, UCG_005, and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group positively. This study demonstrated that the supplementation of dandelion impacts the ruminal microorganisms and metabolites in a way that rumen fermentation was enhanced in lactating dairy cows.
POLYNOMIALS WITH TWO NONZERO COEFFICIENTS AND HIGH MULTIPLICITY AT 1

In this note, we prove that the multiplicity of a polynomial of degree N − 1 whose all coefficients belong to the set {a,−b}, where a, b ∈ N and gcd(a, b) = 1, at 1 is bounded above by (1 + ε)(logN)2/ log logN . On the other hand, we show that there exist such polynomials whose multiplicity at 1 is at least logN/ log(a+ b).
Occupation- and Activity-Based Interventions to Improve Performance of Activities of Daily Living, Play, and Leisure for Children and Youth Ages 5 to 21: A Systematic Review.

IMPORTANCE The findings support the use of occupation- and activity-based interventions to improve the occupational participation of children and youth with disabilities. OBJECTIVE To examine the effectiveness of occupation- and activity-based interventions to improve participation and performance in activities of daily living (ADLs), play, and leisure in children and youth. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, OTseeker, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; reference lists of retrieved articles; and tables of contents of selected journals were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2017. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA COLLECTION Studies addressing occupation- and activity-based interventions and outcomes for children ages 5 to 21 were selected and appraised using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines, evaluated for risk of bias, and synthesized to develop practice recommendations. FINDINGS Fifteen Level I (meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials), 5 Level II (two groups, nonrandomized), and 3 Level III (one group, pretest-posttest, retrospective) studies were examined and categorized by type of intervention and outcome. Each study used occupation- or activity-based interventions and reported ADL, play, or leisure outcomes. Intervention themes identified include supporting engagement in occupations, supporting participation with cognitive supports, and using technology to support occupational participation and performance. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Strong evidence indicates that engagement in occupations and activities, practice within and across environments, and coaching and feedback improve participation and performance in ADLs and functional mobility. Moderate evidence supports the use of collaborative goal setting, modeling, and guided participation in play and leisure. Moderate evidence also supports technological interventions for ADL, play, and leisure performance. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS Engaging children and youth in occupations and activities; providing guidance in goal direction, planning, and feedback to enhance their participation; coaching caregivers in effective carryover; and providing technology-based intervention can improve the occupational participation and performance of children and youth.
Blood Viscosity and Hematocrit as Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities ( ARIC ) Study

a 2008 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Vol. 168, No. 10 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwn243 Advance Access publication October 17, 2008
Beware of “reducing prejudice”: imagined contact may backfire if applied with a prevention focus

Imagined intergroup contact – the mental simulation of a (positive) interaction with a member of another group – is a recently developed, low-risk, prejudice-reducing intervention. However, regulatory focus can moderate of the effects of prejudice-reducing interventions: a prevention focus (as opposed to a promotion focus) can lead to more negative outcomes. In two experiments we found that a prevention focus altered imagined contact’s effects, causing the intervention to backfire. In Experiment 1, participants who reported a strong prevention-focus during imagined contact subsequently reported higher intergroup anxiety and (indirectly) less positive attitudes toward Asians. We found similar moderating effects in Experiment 2, using a different outgroup (gay men) and a subtle regulatory focus manipulation. Theoretical and practical implications for imagined contact are discussed.
Costello ’ s Legacy : Loss of Reinforcers or Reinforcer Effectiveness in Depression In a classic

Since Costello’s (1972) seminal Behavior Therapy article on loss of reinforcers or reinforcer effectiveness in depression, the role of reward sensitivity and processing in both depression and bipolar disorder has become a central area of investigation. In this article, we review the evidence for a model of reward sensitivity in mood disorders, with unipolar depression characterized by reward hyposensitivity and bipolar disorders by reward hypersensitivity. We address whether aberrant reward sensitivity and processing are correlates of, mood-independent traits of, vulnerabilities for, and/or predictors of the course of depression and bipolar spectrum disorders, covering evidence from selfreport, behavioral, neurophysiological, and neural levels of analysis. We conclude that substantial evidence documents that blunted reward sensitivity and processing are involved in unipolar depression and heightened reward sensitivity and processing are characteristic of hypomania/mania. We further conclude that aberrant reward sensitivity has a trait component, but more research is needed to clearly demonstrate that reward hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity are vulnerabilities for depression and bipolar disorder,
Metals and metalloids determination in bioethanol through ICP-OES

A new method to carry out the elemental determination of metals in bioethanol through ICP-OES has been developed. The procedure is based on the use of a heated Torch Integrated Sample Introduction System (hTISIS) to directly introduce the vaporized sample into the plasma. Two injection modes (continuous liquid aspiration and air-segmented flow injection analysis) have been evaluated. In a first step, the matrix effects caused by several ethanol-water mixtures were removed by operating the hTISIS at 400oC in segmented injection. Meanwhile, the results also proved that the system could be operated in continuous mode at 200oC with the complete interferences removal. Finally, twenty-eight real samples with bioethanol contents between 55% and 100% were analyzed with the methods previously developed. Regarding validation, recoveries from 80% to 120% were obtained for 18 analytes and the concentrations found with the proposed method were in agreement with those encountered with a preconcentration method, taken as a reference procedure. Limits of detection went from 3 ng mL for manganese to about 500 ng mL for calcium. This allowed to quantify Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn in segmented flow injection and Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn in continuous sample aspiration mode in bioethanol samples. AC C EP TE D M AN U SC R IP T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Bourdieu in the network : The influence of high and popular culture on network formation in secondary school

In this paper we test the notion fundamental to Bourdieu’s theories on distinction that people use cultural preferences to identify similar others to establish social ties with, and to avoid people with dissimilar tastes. We study social network formation among adolescents using a set of data on 1409 secondary school students (age 14-17) in the Netherlands (Ganzeboom et al. 20052006). In this data set students named their best friends in their classroom and were also asked to report on their cultural preferences, highbrow and popular, both their own and those of their parents. The results indicate that students are more likely to choose each other as friends when they have similar tastes in culture. Both highbrow and popular culture turn out to affect the formation of ties among adolescents and the two are about equally important. The effect of similarity in cultural taste is partly due to similarity in parents’ education and parents’ cultural participation, but adolescents’ own similarity in highbrow and popular culture lead to friendship formation as well. A remarkable finding is that on top of adolescents’ own cultural tastes, similarity in parents’ education and culture increase the likelihood of social ties among adolescents.
Response to Trastuzumab Treatment and Number of Cycles ın Her2-Positive Metastatic Gastric Cancer Survival.

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effects of trastuzumab on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Oncology Training and Research Hospital, from January 2012 to December 2019. METHODOLOGY Medical records of 33 HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer patients who had received trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy at least 6 cycles and/or followed by maintenance as the first-line treatment were examined. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Log-Rank test was used to compare survival times. The prognostic factors were determined by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS The median OS was 15.97 months, and the median PFS was 11.11 months. The median OS and PFS were significantly higher in those who demonstrated partial or complete response to trastuzumab combination treatment, and those who received more than 10 cycles of trastuzumab. A Cox regression analysis revealed that the risk of death was 3.18 times higher in patients with stable disease and 0.44 times lower in patients who received more than 10 cycles of trastuzumab as maintenance. CONCLUSION The OS time was prolonged when the partial and complete response was obtained with chemotherapy combined with trastuzumab, as well as OS and PFS times were improved with the increasing number of trastuzumab cycles. Thus, it is concluded that the response better than stable disease of trastuzumab treatment and an increased number of cycles predicts improved survival efficiently in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer. Key Words: Metastatic gastric cancer, Trastuzumab, Prognosis, Response, Efficiency.
Inside out: knowledge brokering by short-term policy placements

The evidence-policy interface is important for delivery of sustainable development policy. We examine one specific form of knowledge brokering, the temporary placement of academic research scientists in UK policy arenas. We argue that successful knowledge brokerage depends on establishing social processes critical to effective knowledge exchange. Merely facilitating proximity of academic and policy actors is insufficient. Cultural understandings are key conditions for knowledge brokerage in this context. Academics who are outsiders to the policy process need to become credible insiders in order to be effective in bringing an outsiders perspective into play.
Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Abdominal ultrasound and Color Doppler Techniques.

Background &Aims: The utility of ultrasound and color Doppler in diagnosis and assessment of the activity of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is not studied enough. So, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the value of conventional abdominal ultrasound and color Doppler in the diagnosis of IBD and assessing disease activity. METHODS The study was conducted in National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research institute (NHTMRI) in the period between July, 2018 and January, 2019; where 150 patients suffering from diarrhea, dysentery, tenesmus or bleeding per rectum were evaluated by colonoscopy, high resolution ultrasonography and color Doppler scanning. RESULTS The present study was conducted on 150 patients, where 84 (56%) had Ulcerative colitis (UC) disease, 16 (10.7%) were Crohn's disease (CD) and 50 (33.3%) had normal colonosopic findings with their mean age was (37.2±9.059). The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) was significantly higher in both UC and CD than the control group; however, pulsatility index (PI) was significantly higher in the control group than both UC and CD however there was no significant difference between UC and CD. The inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) PSV and EDV was significantly higher in both UC and CD than the control group. CONCLUSIONS Doppler sonographic findings of SMA and IMA correlate with the incidence of IBD and their site of affection and their activity.
Kinetics of the Bainite Transformation in Austempered Ductile Iron ADI

Abstract The aim of the present research is to check an analytical model of the kinetics of bainite transformation that will enable the producers of ADI to optimise the microstructure and mechanical properties and minimise the expensive and extensive experimental trials. A combination of thermodynamics and kinetic theory was used successfully to estimate the evolution of bainite as a function of temperature, time, chemical composition and austenite grain size and predict the processing window in austempered ductile iron using a bainite transformation model developed previously for high silicon steels. The results of the present research show that the bainitic model developed for high silicon steels is applicable for calculations of the processing window for ADI.
Discarded Wharton ’ s Jelly of the Human Umbilical Cord : A Viable Source for Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that have the capability of differentiating into adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and neural cells. With these multiple capabilities, MSCs have been highly regarded as effective transplantable cell source for regenerative medicine. A large bank of these cells can be found in several regions of the human umbilical cord (hUC) including the umbilical cord lining, the subendothelial layer, the perivascular zone, and most importantly in Wharton’s jelly (WJ). These cells, all umbilical cord-derived MSCs, are very durable, have large loading capacities, and are considered ethical to harvest because the umbilical cord is often considered a waste. These logistical advantages make WJ as appealing source of stem cells for transplant therapy. In particular, WJ is a predominantly good source of cells because MSCs in WJ (WJ-MSC) are maintained in a very early embryological phase and therefore have retained some of the primitive stemness properties. WJ-MSCs can easily differentiate into a plethora of cell types leading to a variety of applications. In addition, WJ-MSCs are slightly easier to harvest compared to other MSCs (such as bone marrow-derived MSCs). The fascinating stemness properties and therapeutic potential of WJ-MSCs provide great promise in many aspects of regenerative medicine and should be considered for further investigations as safe and effective donor cells for transplantation therapy in many debilitating disorders, which are discussed here. We previously reviewed WJ-MSCs therapeutic potential [1] and now provide an update on their recent preclinical and clinical applications.
Social Diffusion of Religious Values within Families

Family members create for each other the social context in which family behavior and personality development take place. The importance of social influence in families is evidenced empirically by family members’ great similarity on a wide variety of characteristics. Focusing on intrafamily convergence on religiosity, the study discuses empirical methods of dyadic analysis and illustrates their use with an analysis of horizontal intracouple alignment and vertical intergenerational transmission. In addition to the finding that experiences during religious socialization in the parental home have a stronger impact than partner influences in adulthood, the analyses show that social context effects are stronger when the interaction dyad is more cohesive, as measured by, for example, relationship quality.
AMP-activated protein kinase can induce apoptosis of insulin-producing MIN 6 cells through stimulation of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase

We have recently shown that conditions known to activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in primary β-cells can trigger their apoptosis. The present study demonstrates that this is also the case in the MIN6 β-cell line, which was used to investigate the underlying mechanism. Sustained activation of AMPK was induced by culture with the adenosine analogue AICA-riboside or at low glucose concentrations. Both conditions induced a sequential activation of AMPK, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase-3. The effects of AMPK on JNK activation and apoptosis were demonstrated by adenoviral expression of constitutively active AMPK, a condition which reproduced the earlier-described AMPK-dependent effects on pyruvate kinase and acetyl-coA-carboxylase. The effects of JNK activation on apoptosis were demonstrated by the observations that (i) its inhibition by dicumarol prevented caspase-3 activation and apoptosis, (ii) adenoviral expression of the JNK-interacting scaffold protein JIP-1/IB-1 increased AICA-riboside-induced JNK activation and apoptosis. In primary β-cells, AMPK activation was also found to activate JNK, involving primarily the JNK 2 (p54) isoform. It is concluded that prolonged stimulation of AMPK can induce apoptosis of insulin-producing cells through an activation pathway that involves JNK, and subsequently, caspase-3. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology (2003) 30, 151–161