Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Vioxx debacle

This paper discusses the issue on the market withdrawal of a popular pain relief drug - Vioxx. The popularity of this drug stems from its manufacturer's (Merck) claim that the drug has no gastrointestinal side effects making it superior to other pain relievers available in the market. However, a number of external clinical trials showed that Vioxx increased cardiovascular risk. Investigations showed that even before the drug was introduced in 1999, there was an awareness at Merck that Vioxx might carry significant cardiovascular risk but Merck's advertising did not include any mention of the risk of the heart problems that further studies revealed. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then required Merck to send letters to physicians to correct "false or misleading impressions and information". In the end the withdrawal of this money-making drug from the market ensued. This caused Merck's stock price to fall by 40% and a loss of US$40 billion in market capitalization. The scandal has also put the FDA in the hot seat as calls for an independent drug safety board to monitor the safety of drugs that have been approved and are on the market. This episode shows that what Merck did was unethical. Drug companies must keep in mind that drugs and medical devices have risks but it is important that the risks be proportional to the benefits.
The Slandail Monitor: Real-Time Processing and Visualisation of Social Media Data for Emergency Management

The use of social media platforms has grown dramatically in recent times. Combined with the rise of mobile computing, users are now more connected and spend more of their time online. Social media has been used during emergency events where the public and authorities have used it as a form of communication and to receive information. Due to this, emergency managers and first responders can use this information to increase their awareness about an on-going crisis and aid decision making. The challenge here lies in processing this deluge of information and filtering it for insights that are useful for this purpose. This paper presents the Slandail Monitor, a system for harvesting and filtering a social media stream for emergency related social media data. Spatial and temporal data attached to each message are used with the analysed content of each message to summarise on-going emergency events as reported on social media. This information is combined with a visualisation component to allow a user to quickly assess an event by location, time, and by topic. Issues about ethical data harvesting and privacy are also addressed by the system in a computational way by logging potentially sensitive information in the intrusion index.
INFECTION OF AFRICAN BUFFALO (SYNCERUS CAFFER) BY ORYX BACILLUS, A RARE MEMBER OF THE ANTELOPE CLADE OF THE MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS COMPLEX

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex species cause tuberculosis disease in animals and humans. Although they share 99.9% similarity at the nucleotide level, several host-adapted ecotypes of the tubercule bacilli have been identified. In the wildlife setting, probably the most well-known member of this complex is Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis. The recently described oryx bacillus is an extremely rare slow-growing member of the antelope clade of the M. tuberculosis complex and is closely related to the dassie bacillus, Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium microti. The antelope clade is a group of strains apparently host adapted to antelopes, as most described infections were associated with deer and antelope, most specifically the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx). In this study, oryx bacillus was isolated from a free-ranging adult female African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), in good physical condition, which tested strongly positive on three consecutive comparative intradermal tuberculin tests. Upon necropsy, a single pulmonary granuloma and an active retropharyngeal lymph node was found. Comprehensive molecular genetic assays were performed, which confirmed that the causative microorganism was not M. bovis but oryx bacillus. Oryx bacillus has never been reported in Southern Africa and has never been found to infect African buffalo. The identification of this microorganism in buffalo is an important observation in view of the large and ever-increasing epidemic of the closely related M. tuberculosis complex species M. bovis in some African buffalo populations in South Africa.
An analytical approach to synthesis of diplexers with an optimal lumped-element junction model

This paper presents an analytical approach to synthesis of a diplexer with a lumped-element junction model. The approach is based on the synthesis theory for a bandpass filter with a general complex load. Both non-resonant node type and the resonator type of junctions are considered in a uniform way. Different from existing diplexer synthesis methods, the junction model is synthesized rather than fixed at the beginning, to optimally satisfy the required overall diplexer specifications. The new scheme is suitable for designing coaxial combline type of diplexer. For each type of junction, a synthesis example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Summarizing video datasets in the spatiotemporal domain

We address the problem of analyzing and managing complex dynamic scenes captured in video. We present an approach to summarize video datasets by analyzing the trajectories of objects within them. Our work is based on the identification of nodes in these trajectories as critical points that describe the behavior of an object over a video segment. The time instances that correspond to these nodes are used to select critical frames for a video summary that describes adequately and concisely an object's behavior within a video segment. The analysis of relative positions of objects of interest within the video feed may dictate the selection of additional critical frames, to ensure the separability of converging trajectories. The paper presents a framework for video summarization using this approach, and addresses the use of self-organizing maps to identify trajectory nodes.
ANALYZING PRE-SERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS' PEDAGOGICAL BELIEFS

The major aim of the study was to reveal prospective elementary teachers‟ pedagogical beliefs. The following research questions were addressed in the study: “What are prospective elementary teachers teaching beliefs? ” and “Do their teaching beliefs differ based on their gender”. Data were gathered by using the adopted version of Teacher Beliefs Survey developed by Benjamin (2003). The instrument assessed traditional and constructivist view of teaching with a number of 18 items. It was distributed to 234 fourth-grade Prospective Elementary Classroom Teachers. The participants were categorized by using cluster analyze based on their pedagogical beliefs. The analysis results showed that majority of the participants hold constructivist teaching belief where as remaining presented traditional and pragmatic views. Non parametric statistic test was conducted whether the participants‟ teaching beliefs differed based on gender. Chi square analysis showed significant difference between gender and teaching beliefs of the participants.
A new wavelet-Laplacian method for arbitrarily-oriented character segmentation in video text lines

Character segmentation is an important topic to improve the overall performance of text recognition methods due to low resolution, complex background and lots of visual variations in video. This paper presents a novel idea for segmenting characters from arbitrarily-oriented text lines based on wavelet and Laplacian combination. Firstly, we explore wavelet which decomposes a given input image into sub-levels like a pyramid structure for segmenting words based on the fact that as decomposition level increases, the gap between characters decreases due to the reduction in the size of the input image, which results in a single component for each word. Secondly, for each segmented word, we propose Laplacian wavelet combination in a new way to extract text candidates. Thirdly, we propose horizontal and vertical sampling for character segmentation from words. The proposed method is tested on curved, non-horizontal and horizontal text lines of video and the ICDAR 2005 natural scene dataset to evaluate its performance. A comparative study with an existing method shows that the proposed method outperforms it in terms of precision and f-measure.
Association between HIV‐1 infection and miscarriage: a retrospective study

Objective: To determine the role of HIV‐1 infection on miscarriage, we compared the obstetric histories of a cohort of HIV‐1‐infected and uninfected Italian women. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: The study participants were women (with at least one reproductive event) with HIV‐1 infection or HIV‐1‐negative sharing the same exposure modalities; all women were attending a network of 16 infectious disease units in 12 Italian cities. Trained interviewers used a standard questionnaire to collect information on obstetric history [i.e., number of pregnancies, pregnancy outcome (live birth, spontaneous or induced abortion) and time of occurrence of these events (i.e., year of birth)]. The association between spontaneous abortion and HIV‐1 status at the time of pregnancy was evaluated. Results: The analysis included 272 women and accounted for 480 pregnancies (217 in HIV‐infected women, 132 in uninfected women and 131 in women with undefined HIV status) and 60 miscarriages (23 in HIV‐infected women, 22 in uninfected women and 15 in women with undefined HIV status). We estimated an adjusted odds ratio of 1.67 between spontaneous abortion and HIV‐1 infection. Conclusions: We observed a 67% increase in risk of spontaneous abortion among HIV‐1‐infected women compared with HIV‐1‐negative women. This result should be considered in the counselling and management of women with HIV‐1 infection who are of reproductive age.
DNA mismatch repair status and colon cancer recurrence and survival in clinical trials of 5-fluorouracil-based adjuvant therapy.

BACKGROUND Approximately 15% of colorectal cancers develop because of defective function of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system. We determined the association of MMR status with colon cancer recurrence and examined the impact of 5-fluorouracil (FU)-based adjuvant therapy on recurrence variables. METHODS We included stage II and III colon carcinoma patients (n = 2141) who were treated in randomized trials of 5-FU-based adjuvant therapy. Tumors were analyzed for microsatellite instability by polymerase chain reaction and/or for MMR protein expression by immunohistochemistry to determine deficient MMR (dMMR) or proficient MMR (pMMR) status. Associations of MMR status and/or 5-FU-based treatment with clinicopathologic and recurrence covariates were determined using χ(2) or Fisher Exact or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Time to recurrence (TTR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using univariate and multivariable Cox models, with the latter adjusted for covariates. Tumors showing dMMR were categorized by presumed germline vs sporadic origin and were assessed for their prognostic and predictive impact. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS In this study population, dMMR was detected in 344 of 2141 (16.1%) tumors. Compared with pMMR tumors, dMMR was associated with reduced 5-year recurrence rates (33% vs 22%; P < .001), delayed TTR (P < .001), and fewer distant recurrences (22% vs 12%; P < .001). In multivariable models, dMMR was independently associated with delayed TTR (hazard ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval = 0.56 to 0.91, P = .005) and improved DFS (P = .035) and OS (P = .031). In stage III cancers, 5-FU-based treatment vs surgery alone or no 5-FU was associated with reduced distant recurrence for dMMR tumors (11% vs 29%; P = .011) and reduced recurrence to all sites for pMMR tumors (P < .001). The dMMR tumors with suspected germline mutations were associated with improved DFS after 5-FU-based treatment compared with sporadic tumors where no benefit was observed (P = .006). CONCLUSIONS Patients with dMMR colon cancers have reduced rates of tumor recurrence, delayed TTR, and improved survival rates, compared with pMMR colon cancers. Distant recurrences were reduced by 5-FU-based adjuvant treatment in dMMR stage III tumors, and a subset analysis suggested that any treatment benefit was restricted to suspected germline vs sporadic tumors.
Epinephrine application via an endotracheal airway and via the Combitube in esophageal position

Objective: To compare plasma concentrations and cardiovascular effects of epinephrine after application via a conventional endotracheal airway and via the esophageal lumen of a new emergency airway, the esophageal tracheal Combitube. Design: Prospective, randomized study. Setting: Center for Biomedical Research, University of Vienna. Subjects: Fourteen juvenile swine received either an endotracheal tube (Group A) or a Combitube in esophageal position (Group B). Interventions: In Part I of the study, epinephrine was administered during spontaneous beating of the heart; in Part II, epinephrine was administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, using a ten‐fold higher dosage in Group B, respectively. Measurements: Plasma epinephrine levels were measured 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 30 mins after application. Systolic arterial blood pressure and cardiac output in Part I, and end‐tidal CO2 and coronary perfusion pressure in Part II were recorded. Main Results: In Part I, increased levels of plasma epinephrine and systolic arterial pressure were maintained significantly longer in Group B when compared with Group A. In Part II, no significant differences between the groups were found with regard to plasma epinephrine levels and hemodynamic variables. Conclusion: Epinephrine applied via the esophageal lumen of the Combitube in a ten‐fold higher dosage has similar effects on plasma epinephrine levels and hemodynamic variables compared to endotracheal administration.
Pharyngeal Airway Changes after Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery--Preliminary Results.

INTRODUCTION Dentofacial deformity, a deviation from normal facial proportions and dental relationships, is corrected by jaw repositioning in all three spatial planes, which changes the position and tension of the surrounding tissues, bones and muscles. These changes may also affect the dimensions of the pharyngeal airways (PA). OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare three-dimensional PA changes in patients treated by a combination mandibular set-back/maxillary advancement versus patients that had bimaxillary advancement with genioplasty. METHODS The sample consisted of 7 patients treated by combined mandibular set-back/maxillary advancement and 7 patients treated with bimaxillary advancement surgery. Nasopharyngeal (NP) volume, oropharyngeal (OP) volume and the area of maximum constriction (AMC) in the OP were measured on CBCT scans (2 mA/120 kV/12" FOV) taken before (T1) and 3 months after surgery (T2). Paired samples t-test was used for analyzing statistical significance of changes (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS OP volume and AMC increase after bimaxillary advancement was statistically significant, while for the mandibular set-back group the increase was non-significant. NP volume was not reduced in any of the two groups. No significant differences in PA dimensions were found between groups at neither T1 nor T2 time points. CONCLUSION Results suggest that the combination of mandibular set-back/maxillary advancement did not reduce airway dimensions, while bimaxillary advancement surgery led to a statistically significant increase in the OP dimensions.
Use of hematological parameters in evaluation of treatment efficacy in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Objective: In the present study we investigated the role of hematological parameters, including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width in the evaluation of treatment efficacy in adult patients diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods: The study group included 45 adult patients diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis and treated as inpatients in the dermatology clinic between 2011 and 2014. A group of 45 healthy adults served as a control group. Results: Pre- and post-treatment white blood cell count, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were significantly reduced among the patient group relative to the control group. Platelet distribution width, red cell distribution width, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio were significantly elevated among the patients compared to the healthy subjects. Pre-treatment white blood cell, lymphocyte and platelet counts were significantly elevated compared to post-treatment counts among the patient cohort. Treatment was associated with reduced eosinophil count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio relative to pre-treatment status. Conclusion: Routine hematological testing results such as platelet/lymphocyte ratio, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, red cell distribution width, platelet distribution width, and mean platelet volume may be clinically significant markers of the inflammatory state useful in the evaluation of early treatment efficacy among patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2015;5(4): 167-172 Key words: Adult patient, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Neutrophil / Lymphocyte ratio, Platelets / lymphocyte ratio
Applying non-iterative phase errors compensation method to restore radar subsurface image

In this paper we describe a non iterative approach to evaluate and compensate the phase errors of radar subsurface image, and implement the approach to the images based on the MARSIS (Mars Advance Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) data. The main idea of the approach is to build the relationship by phase error vector between the unknown perfect image and a given phase-corrupted image, use the no return area in the perfect image as the constraint condition or known condition to solve out the phase errors vector directly
High resolution analysis of follicular lymphoma genomes reveals somatic recurrent sites of copy‐neutral loss of heterozygosity and copy number alterations that target single genes

A multiplatform approach, including conventional cytogenetic techniques, BAC array comparative genomic hybridization, and Affymetrix 500K SNP arrays, was applied to the study of the tumor genomes of 25 follicular lymphoma biopsy samples with paired normal DNA samples to characterize balanced translocations, copy number imbalances, and copy‐neutral loss of heterozygosity (cnLOH). In addition to the t(14;18), eight unique balanced translocations were found. Commonly reported FL‐associated copy number regions were revealed including losses of 1p32‐36, 6q, and 10q, and gains of 1q, 6p, 7, 12, 18, and X. The most frequent regions affected by copy‐neutral loss of heterozygosity were 1p36.33 (28%), 6p21.3 (20%), 12q21.2‐q24.33 (16%), and 16p13.3 (24%). We also identified by SNP analysis, 45 aberrant regions that each affected one gene, including CDKN2A, CDKN2B, FHIT, KIT, PEX14, and PTPRD, which were associated with canonical pathways involved in tumor development. This study illustrates the power of using complementary high‐resolution platforms on paired tumor/normal specimens and computational analysis to provide potential insights into the significance of single‐gene somatic aberrations in FL tumorigenesis. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss,Inc.
Predictive role of galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 in cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy of bulky squamous cervical cancer

Although galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 confer chemoresistance to certain types of cancer, whether their expression predicts the response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in squamous cervical cancer remains unclear. Paired tumor samples (pre- and post-chemotherapy) were obtained from 35 bulky squamous cervical cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based NACT and radical hysterectomy at our hospital between January 2007 and August 2014. The expression of galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 in tumor cells and stromal cells was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between galectin-1/integrin α5β1 and apoptosis-associated markers was investigated by using the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA-sequencing data. Seventeen patients were identified as chemotherapy responders and 18 as non-responders. Galectin-1 and integrin α5β1-positive immunostaining was more frequently observed in stromal cells than its in tumor cells. The expression of galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 in stromal and tumor cells was significantly down-regulated in postchemotherapy cervical cancer tissues. High levels of galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 in stromal were associated with a negative chemotherapy response in squamous cervical cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based NACT. Additionally, the expression of galectin-1 and integrin α5 correlated negatively with caspase 3/caspase 8 by using the TCGA RNA-sequencing data. Galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 expression in stromal may serve as a prediction of the responses to cisplatin-based NACT for patients with bulky squamous cervical cancer. Galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 may be implicated in the development of chemoresistance in cervical cancer via suppressing apoptosis.
Purification of NSP1 reveals complex formation with ‘GLFG’ nucleoporins and a novel nuclear pore protein NIC96.

The essential C‐terminal domain of NSP1 mediates assembly into the nuclear pore complex (NPC). To identify components which interact physically with this yeast nucleoporin, the tagged C‐terminal domain of NSP1 (ProtA‐NSP1) was isolated by affinity chromatography under non‐denaturing conditions. The purified complex contains ProtA‐NSP1, two previously identified ‘GLFG’ nucleoporins, NUP49 (NSP49) and p54 and a novel protein designated NIC96 (for Nucleoporin‐Interacting Component of 96 kDa). Conversely, affinity purification of tagged NSP49 enriches for NSP1, the p54 and the NIC96 component. The NIC96 gene was cloned; it encodes a novel 839 amino acid protein essential for cell growth. By immunofluorescence, protein A‐tagged NIC96 exhibits a punctate nuclear membrane staining indicative of nuclear pore location. Therefore, affinity purification of tagged nucleoporins has allowed the definition of a subcomplex of the NPC and analysis of physical interactions between nuclear pore proteins.
Local Venues for Change: Legal Strategies for Healthy Environments

Mounting evidence documents the extraordinary toll on human health resulting from the consumption of unhealthy food products and physical inactivity. In response to America's growing obesity problem, local policymakers have been looking for legal strategies that can be adopted in their communities to encourage healthful behaviors. In order to provide practical tools to policymakers, this article examines four possible venues for local policy change to improve the health of a community: (1) the school environment (2) the built environment (3) community facilities and (4) the point of sale environment. Finally, the article examines the use of taxes or fees as a means of paying for nutrition policy work as well as potentially reducing the consumption of unhealthy products. This article illustrates that local laws and policies can be a valuable tool in changing a community's environment in order to improve nutritional options and increase opportunities for physical activity.