Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Household expenditures on pneumonia and diarrhoea treatment in Ethiopia: a facility-based study

Background Out-of-pocket (OOP) medical payments can lead to catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment. We quantified household OOP expenditure for treatment of childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea and its impact on poverty for different socioeconomic groups in Ethiopia. Methods This study employs a mix of retrospective and prospective primary household data collection for direct medical and non-medical costs (2013 US$). Data from 345 pneumonia and 341 diarrhoea cases (0–59 months of age) were collected retrospectively through exit interviews from 35 purposively sampled health facilities in Ethiopia. Prospective 2-week follow-up interviews were conducted at the household level using a structured questionnaire. Results The mean total medical expenditures per outpatient visit were US$8 for pneumonia and US$6 for diarrhoea, while the mean for inpatient visits was US$64 for severe pneumonia and US$79 for severe diarrhoea. The mean associated direct non-medical costs (mainly transport costs) were US$2, US$2, US$13 and US$20 respectively. 7% and 6% of the households with a case of severe pneumonia and severe diarrhoea, respectively, were pushed below the extreme poverty threshold of purchasing power parity (PPP) US$1.25 per day. Wealthier and urban households had higher OOP payments, but poorer and rural households were more likely to be impoverished due to medical payments. Conclusions Households in Ethiopia incur considerable costs for the treatment of childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia with catastrophic consequences and impoverishment. The present circumstances call for revisiting the existing health financing strategy for high-priority services that places a substantial burden of payment on households at the point of care.
The Influence of Corrected Visual Acuity on Visual Attention and Incidental Learning in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Visual disturbance is one of the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet clinical neuropsychologists rarely quantitatively assess visual acuity using standardized and norm-referenced measures. This is a significant oversight because disturbances in visual acuity can have an obvious and profound impact on neuropsychological tests which rely upon visual attention and/or scanning. This study investigated the relationship between corrected visual acuity and a widely used measure of visual attention and incidental learning in a group of 35 patients with MS. Regression analysis indicated that corrected visual acuity accounted for 21.3% of the variance in a Coding subtest. The results suggest neuropsychologists and other health care providers should exercise caution in interpreting visually based tests for patients with MS and should assess visual acuity with standardized and norm-referenced measures.
Effects of region on the establishment of public higher education prices in the US: Indications of possible suboptimal equilibria?

ABSTRACT Using well-defined notions of region, panel data, and an econometric approach suited to estimating parameter coefficients on time-invariant regressors, this study finds that region is a highly influential factor for state-level public higher education prices even after controlling for other well-known drivers. Additionally, prices track the historical development of higher education in the US. Based on the history of higher education and regional norms, these estimates may be evidence of suboptimal tuition and fee equilibria resulting from implicit gaming. Substantively, a greater awareness of these historical and competitive forces and their effects on the cost of public higher education can be a substantial resource for policy-makers, institutional decision-makers, and researchers alike.
Air versus gas tamponade in retinal detachment surgery

Objective To compare the outcome of air tamponade with gas tamponade in primary vitrectomy for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods We examined the records of 524 cases of 523 patients that underwent primary vitrectomy for RRD with air or sulphur hexafluoride 20% gas tamponade and a follow-up of at least 3 months, excluding cases with inferior retinal breaks. Results 318 cases were treated with gas and 128 cases with air. Overall, vitrectomy led to an attached retina after a single operation in 85.1% of cases. Eyes treated with air had an 81.0% chance of primary success and those treated with gas had an 86.9% success rate (p=0.083, NS, χ2 test). Involvement of lower retinal quadrants in the retinal detachment was revealed as a significant confounding factor. After correction for this confounder using a multivariate logistic regression model, air versus gas tamponade became a statistically significant determinant for success rate (OR 1.97; p=0.012). In a sub-analysis, eyes with a retinal detachment that involved the inferior quadrants had significantly lower primary success rates when using air tamponade (69.6%), compared to gas tamponade (84.7%; p=0.009, χ2 test). Conclusions Gas tamponade is superior to air tamponade in retinal detachment cases with involvement of the lower quadrants. These results suggest that air tamponade should only be used in retinal detachments that are restricted to the superior quadrants. Further prospective study is needed to confirm these findings, and to address functional outcome.
Involvement of Lipoprotein NlpI in the Virulence of Adherent Invasive Escherichia coli Strain LF82 Isolated from a Patient with Crohn's Disease

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli strain LF82 recovered from a chronic lesion of a patient with Crohn's disease (CD) is able to adhere to and invade cultured intestinal epithelial cells and to replicate within macrophages. One mutant selected for its impaired ability to invade epithelial cells had an insertion of a Tn phoA transposon within the nlpI gene encoding the lipoprotein NlpI. A NlpI-negative isogenic mutant showed a 35-fold decrease in its ability to adhere to and a 45-fold decrease in its ability to invade Intestine-407 cells, but its ability to survive and to replicate within macrophages was similar to that of wild-type strain LF82. In addition, this mutant did not express flagella and synthesized very small amounts of type 1 pili. Downregulation of type 1 pili in the NlpI-negative mutant resulted from a preferential switch toward the OFF position of the invertible DNA element located upstream of the fim operon. The FimB and FimE recombinases act in concert to control the switch, and a large decrease in fimB and fimE mRNA levels was observed. The absence of flagellar structures correlated with a drastic 19-fold decrease in the fliC mRNA level, regardless of the FlhD2C2 transcriptional regulator and of the σ28 transcription factor. The key role of NlpI in virulence is independent of type 1 pili and motility, since induced type 1 pilus expression and/or forced contact between bacteria and intestinal epithelial cells did not restore the ability of the NlpI mutant to adhere to and to invade intestinal epithelial cells.
Selective Amobarbital Test for the Determination of Language Function in Patients with Epilepsy with Frontal and Posterior Temporal Brain Lesions

Summary: Purpose: Selective amobarbital tests with selective temporary inactivation of the left frontal operculum and/or the left parietotemporal cortex were performed in 5 patients with left‐hemispheric epileptogenic lesions in or adjacent to classical Broca's and/or Wemicke's aréa. The aim was to assess language functions in these brain regions before surgery, to tailor the surgery according to the individual functional importance of these brain regions, and to predict postoperative outcome.
Impaired Immune Response to Vaccination against Infection with Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus at Advanced Age

ABSTRACT Elderly humans are prone to severe infection with human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). The aging of today's human population warrants the development of protective vaccination strategies aimed specifically at the elderly. This may require special approaches due to deteriorating immune function. To design and test vaccination strategies tailored to the elderly population, we need to understand the host response to HRSV vaccination and infection at old age. Moreover, the preclinical need for testing of candidate vaccines requires translational models resembling susceptibility to the (unadapted) human pathogen. Here, we explored the effects of aging on immunity and protection induced by a model HRSV vaccine candidate in a translational aging model in cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and examined possibilities to optimize vaccination concepts for the elderly. We immunized young and aged cotton rats with a live-attenuated recombinant HRSV vaccine candidate and analyzed the induced immune response to and protection against challenge with HRSV. In old cotton rats, HRSV infection persisted longer, and vaccination induced less protection against infection. Aged animals developed lower levels of vaccine-induced IgG, virus-neutralizing serum antibodies, and IgA in lungs. Moreover, booster responses to HRSV challenge were impaired in animals vaccinated at an older age. However, increased dose and reduced attenuation of vaccine improved protection even in old animals. This study shows that cotton rats provide a model for studying the effects of aging on the immune response to the human respiratory pathogen HRSV and possibilities to optimize vaccine concepts for the elderly. IMPORTANCE HRSV infection poses a risk for severe disease in the elderly. The aging of the population warrants increased efforts to prevent disease at old age, whereas HRSV vaccines are only in the developmental phase. The preclinical need for testing of candidate human vaccines requires translational models resembling susceptibility to the natural human virus. Moreover, we need to gain insight into waning immunity at old age, as this is a special concern in vaccine development. In this study, we explored the effect of age on protection and immunity against an experimental HRSV vaccine in aged cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), a rodent species that provides a model representing natural susceptibility to human viruses. Older animals generate fewer antibodies upon vaccination and require a higher vaccine dose for protection. Notably, during the early secondary immune response to subsequent HRSV infection, older animals showed less protection and a slower increase of the virus-neutralizing antibody titer.
Resource Awareness FPGA Design Practices for Reconfigurable Computing: Principles and Examples

Computation ability of an FPGA device is determined by three factors: clock frequency, number of logic elements available and efficiency of resource usage, i.e., amount of useful computing works done by unit number of logic elements per clock cycle. The increase of resource is primarily the result of technology progress while the efficient use of the resources is the responsibility of the users. In this document, a variety of examples of the FPGA application in the high-energy physics and accelerator instrumentation will be discussed with emphasis on resource awareness issues. For the FPGA/reconfigurable computing, rich experiences can be transplanted from micro-processor counterpart. While on the other hand FPGA specific issues should be dealt with differently. Several principles in both aspects will be summarized. Topics of this document include: (1) Recognizing FPGA and microcomputer resources, similarities and differences. (2) Flatten designs vs. sequential designs. (3) Principle of loop reduction. (4) Inexplicit computing and hidden resources.
Knowledge Sharing Among Tourists via Social Media: A Comparison Between Facebook and TripAdvisor

This paper examines tourists' knowledge sharing behavior in social media. Based on social capital theory, we aim to examine the effects of three dimensions of social capital—structural (social interaction ties), cognitive (shared vision) and relational (trust)—for two different types of social media: Facebook and TripAdvisor. We propose a structural model that connects an antecedent (homophily) and a consequence (knowledge sharing through posting) of these main dimensions of social capital. An online survey is conducted with 1200 Spanish consumers. Based on the full sample, our structural equation modeling supports most of the hypothesized paths, while trust does not affect either social interaction ties or knowledge sharing. Examining the difference between Facebook and TripAdvisor, our multigroup analysis finds that neither trust nor shared vision drives knowledge sharing on TripAdvisor, while shared vision affects knowledge sharing in Facebook. In both media, social interaction ties play an important role in motivating users to post comments. The effects of homophily on social interaction ties and on shared vision were statistically greater in TripAdvisor than in Facebook. Homophily did not affect trust in either media. In closing, both theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, important limitations are recognized and future research directions are suggested. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Models of engagement between the state and the faith sector in sub-Saharan Africa – a systematic review

ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa many individuals rely on non-state health providers, and engagement between state and non-state providers is increasingly common. Little analytic work has been done on the varied models of engagement, resulting in a lack of clarity about the promises and challenges of public–private engagement (PPE) for health. Despite their prevalence, PPEs often fail. Faith-based health providers (FBHPs) form a significant proportion of the non-state health sector in sub-Saharan Africa, and the number of partnerships with FBHPs is increasing. Building on a prior systematic review project that developed a typology of organisational models for PPE for health, this article reports on a secondary analysis, highlighting PPE initiatives with FBHPs.
Polyvalent Cationic Metals Induce the Rate of Transferrin-independent Iron Acquisition by HL-60 Cells*

The trivalent metals iron, aluminum, and gallium greatly increase the rate of iron acquisition from low molecular weight chelates by human myeloid cells. The present study explores the mechanism responsible. Gallium-induced iron acquisition was shown to lead to stable cellular association of iron, the magnitude of which varied with the chelate to which the iron was bound. The majority of this iron initially associated with the plasma membrane. Cellular depletion of ATP did not affect the response to gallium nor did it require the continued presence of extracellular gallium. However, continued cell association of gallium was needed as subsequent cellular exposure to metal chelators resulted in a rapid loss of the “induced” phenotype. Other trivalent metals (lanthanum and gadolinium) and tetravalent metals (tin and zirconium) but not divalent metals also induced iron acquisition. Neither enhanced iron reduction nor protein kinase C or tyrosine kinases appeared involved in gallium-mediated induction of iron acquisition. Exposure of HL-60 cells to polyvalent cationic metals results in a dramatic and sustained increase in the rate of iron acquisition from low molecular weight chelating agents. This could be important for the rapid clearance of iron by phagocytes from the extracellular environment at sites of local tissue damage.
Did Quantitative Easing Only Inflate Stock Prices? Macroeconomic Evidence from the US and UK

This paper considers the impact of US and UK Quantitative Easing (QE) on their respectiveeconomies with a particular focus on the stock market, production and price levels. We conduct anempirical quantitative exercise based on a novel six-variable VAR model, which combines macroeconomic and forward-looking financial variables and uses a 'pure' measure of QE. The results suggest a positive response of equity prices, and a 'V' shaped reaction of volatility and the bid-ask spread to the monetary stimulus. Output and inflation, in contrast with some previous studies, show an insignificant impact providing evidence of the limitations of the central bank's programmes. We attribute the variation to this difference in our modelling approach, which includes stock market variables, and we conclude that its presence is of critical importance in the assessment of unconventional monetary policy. Economically, we argue that the reason for the negligible economic stimulus of QE is that the money injected funded financial asset price growth more than real projects.
SoundTrak

The small size of wearable devices limits the efficiency and scope of possible user interactions, as inputs are typically constrained to two dimensions: the touchscreen surface. We present SoundTrak, an active acoustic sensing technique that enables a user to interact with wearable devices in the surrounding 3D space by continuously tracking the finger position with high resolution. The user wears a ring with an embedded miniature speaker sending an acoustic signal at a specific frequency (e.g., 11 kHz), which is captured by an array of miniature, inexpensive microphones on the target wearable device. A novel algorithm is designed to localize the finger’s position in 3D space by extracting phase information from the received acoustic signals. We evaluated SoundTrak in a volume of space (20cm × 16cm × 11cm) around a smartwatch, and show an average accuracy of 1.3 cm. We report on results from a Fitts’ Law experiment with 10 participants as the evaluation of the real-time prototype. We also present a set of applications which are supported by this 3D input technique, and show the practical challenges that need to be addressed before widespread use.
Diagnostic Testing or Empirical Therapy for Patients Hospitalized with Suspected Influenza: What to Do?

Abstract Accumulating evidence supports the use of specific diagnostic tests and antiviral therapies for seriously ill patients with influenza. Among available diagnostic tests, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is faster than culture and more sensitive than commercial antigen assays. Current neuraminidase inhibitors were approved on the basis of their efficacy in ambulatory patients, but seriously ill patients who receive these agents are less likely to die, even when treatment is initiated >48 h after symptom onset. For patients hospitalized with suspected influenza, it is unclear which circumstances warrant diagnostic testing and which warrant the use of empirical therapy. Rapid antigen assays may reduce the unnecessary use of other tests and medications but are relatively insensitive, thus eliminating many patients with influenza as candidates for treatment. Empirical antiviral therapy ensures that all patients receive treatment promptly, at a cost equivalent to that of diagnostic tests alone, but results in the receipt of treatment by many patients without influenza. For patients hospitalized with suspected influenza, clinicians need to combine these approaches in order to optimize patient care.
Ultra-early evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow in severely head-injured patients using xenon-enhanced computerized tomography.

The role of cerebral ischemia in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury is unclear. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements with 133Xe have thus far revealed ischemia in a substantial number of patients only when performed between 4 and 12 hours postinjury. But these studies cannot be performed sooner after injury, they cannot be done in patients with intracranial hematomas still in place, and they cannot detect focal ischemia. Therefore, the authors performed CBF measurements in 35 comatose head-injured patients using stable xenon-enhanced computerized tomography (CT), simultaneously with the initial CT scan (at a mean (+/- standard error of the mean) interval of 3.1 +/- 2.1 hours after injury). Seven patients with diffuse cerebral swelling had significantly lower flows in all brain regions measured as compared to patients without swelling or with focal contusions; in four of the seven, cerebral ischemia (CBF less than or equal to 18 ml/100 gm.min-1) was present. Acute intracranial hematomas were associated with decreased CBF and regional ischemia in the ipsilateral hemisphere, but did not disproportionately impair brain-stem blood flow. Overall, global or regional ischemia was found in 11 patients (31.4%). There was no correlation between the presence of hypoxia or hypertension before resuscitation and the occurrence of ischemia, neither could ischemia be attributed to low pCO2. Ischemia was significantly associated with early mortality (p less than 0.02), whereas normal or high CBF values were not predictive of favorable short-term outcome. These data support the hypothesis that ischemia is an important secondary injury mechanism after traumatic brain injury, and that trauma may share pathophysiological mechanisms with stroke in a large number of cases; this may have important implications for the use of hyperventilation and antihypertensive drugs in the acute management of severely head-injured patients, and may lead to testing of drugs that are effective or have shown promise in the treatment of ischemic stroke.
Substrate integrated waveguide antennas and arrays

At microwave and millimeter wave frequency, SIW technology is an emerging aspirant for the progress of antennas, circuits and components yielding a link between planar and non planar technology. Present study intends to provide an impression and exploitation of Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) based antenna design subject to different structures, feeding mechanisms as well as performances. The performance enhancement technique has been compared and characterized by bandwidth enhancement, size miniaturization, and reduction of side lobe level and enhancement of gain. This overall discussion intends to present an idea of the recent progress in the modeling; development and realization of SIW based antenna design.
Articular cartilage volume in the knee: semiautomated determination from three-dimensional reformations of MR images.

PURPOSE To determine the accuracy of semiautomated quantification of articular cartilage volume from three-dimensional (3D) reformations of magnetic resonance (MR) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sagittal, fat-suppressed, 3D, spoiled gradient-recalled-echo MR imaging of two bovine and two human cadaver knees was performed. Articular cartilage volume was calculated from 3D reformations of the MR images by using a semiautomated program written at the authors' institution. Calculated volumes were compared with directly measured volumes of the surgically removed articular cartilage. RESULTS The percentage of error of the MR imaging-determined volumes was 6.53% +/- 4.75 (mean +/- standard deviation). A strong correlation between the two sets of observations was shown (r=.997). Linear regression showed the calculated volumes to be highly accurate (slope=1.002, P>.25). Repeated reformations yielded volumes that were reproducible (mean absolute error, 0.013 mL +/- 0.019) and not significantly different from the measured volume (P>.10). CONCLUSION Semiautomated quantification of knee articular cartilage from MR images yields highly accurate cartilage volumes.