Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation of a ‘care bundle’ improves the management of patients admitted to hospital with decompensated cirrhosis

Since 1970, there has been a 400% increase in liver‐related deaths due to the increasing prevalence of chronic liver disease in the United Kingdom (UK). The 2013 UK National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death report found that only 47% of patients who died from alcohol‐related liver disease received ‘good care’ during their hospital stay.
Ten cases of palliation of cancer pain with morphine.

OBJECTIVE With the discovery of novel opioids in recent years, it has become feasible to alleviate various forms of cancer pain. If the characteristics of individual opioids are exploited depending on pain-related factors in cancer patients may yield satisfactory pain relief with a low incidence of adverse reactions. METHODS This study involved 10 patients (5 male and 5 female) with cancerous abdominal pain, for whom the original opioid regimen was switched to morphine alone or continued in combination with morphine. The primary disease was gastric cancer in 5 patients, and uterine cervix, ovary cancer, leukemia, malignant pleuroperitoneal mesothelioma, and colon cancer in 1 patient each. Pain assessment was carried out using the Numerical Rating Scale. RESULTS In all the 10 cases, the opioid administered first was fentanyl; the pain relief was inadequate. Satisfactory pain relief was achieved in all patients by switchover to morphine alone or by concomitant administration of morphine with fentanyl. CONCLUSION Enhanced gastrointestinal motility accounts, at least in part, for cancerous abdominal pain. Further, this kind of pain can be relieved by suppression of gastrointestinal motility with morphine.
Sensing and power control in cognitive radio with location information

In a cognitive radio network, the secondary user (SU) will cause the primary user (PU) to be in outage when the SU miss-detects the PU and transmits with a power that prevents the PU receiver from decoding its data. Hence, the outage of the PU caused by the SU depends on the SU's transmission power and its probability of detection. For a given outage probability, it is possible for the SU to lower its transmission power in exchange for a lower probability of detection. The SU may not even require spectrum sensing to protect the PU if the SU's transmission power is low enough or when it is very far from the PU. In this paper, we first determine the distance of the SU from the PU such that the SU could use the channels without spectrum sensing. Then, at locations where the SU requires spectrum sensing, we determine the sensing parameters and the transmission power that will maximize the SU's throughput subject to an outage constraint for the PU.
Illness and Injuries in Elite Football Players—A Prospective Cohort Study During the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009

Objective:The incidence of injury during elite-level football tournaments has been well documented, but the incidence of illness and medical conditions has not been well studied. The main objective was to analyze the incidence and nature of medical illnesses and injuries in football players. Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:2009 Fédération Internationale de Football Association Confederations Cup soccer tournament. Participants:One hundred eighty-four soccer players (8 teams of 23 players). Main Outcome Measures:Incidence (per 1000 player days) of illnesses and injuries. Each team physician was requested to complete a daily report of injury (match and training) and medical illness of their players during the tournament (2070 player days). A total of 63 daily reports were obtained (70% response rate). Results:A total of 56 injuries and 35 illness incidents were recorded, resulting in an overall rate of 16.9 illnesses per 1000 player days and 27.0 injuries (match and training) per 1000 player days. The overall injury rate was 64.4 per 1000 match hours or 2.1 per match. About 0.88 days were lost per injury, and 0.46 days were lost per illness. Thirteen (37%) illnesses were because of conditions of the ear, nose, and throat, and 7 (20%) illnesses were because of other respiratory tract symptoms. The lower limb was the most commonly injured body part, with thigh (20%) being the most frequent location, and contusion (44%) the most frequent type of injury. Conclusions:Illnesses are as common but less severe compared with match and training injuries during an international football tournament. Illnesses comprise an important component in the day-to-day medical care of a traveling football team. Medical illness therefore needs to be considered by the team physicians when planning for and managing the medical needs of elite football teams.
Mental Rotation with Egocentric and Object-Based Transformations

Two experiments were conducted to address methodological issues with past studies investigating the influence of egocentric and object-based transformations on performance and sex differences in mental rotation. In previous work, the egocentric and object-based mental rotation tasks confounded the stimulus type (embodied vs. non-embodied) and transformation task (egocentric vs. object-based). In both experiments presented here, the same stimuli were used regardless of the type of transformation but task instructions were modified to induce either egocentric (left–right judgment) or object-based (same–different judgment) processing. Experiment 1 used pairs of letters whereas Experiment 2 presented pairs of line-drawings of human hands. For both experiments, it was hypothesized that the mental rotation slope for response time would be steeper for object-based than for egocentric transformations. This hypothesis was verified in both experiments. Furthermore, Experiment 2 showed a reduced male advantage for egocentric compared to object-based rotations, whereas this pattern was reversed for Experiment 1. In conclusion, the present study showed that the influence of the type of transformation involved in mental rotation can be examined with the same set of stimuli simply by modifying task instructions.
A preclinical model for predicting drug response in soft-tissue sarcoma with targeted AAVP molecular imaging

Human sarcomas are rare but diverse malignant tumors derived from mesenchymal tissue. Clinical response to therapy is currently determined by the modified World Health Organization (WHO) criteria or the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), but these standards correlate poorly with sarcoma patient outcome. We introduced ligand-directed particles with elements of AAV and phage (AAVP) to enable integration of tumor targeting to molecular imaging. We report drug-response monitoring and prediction in a nude rat model of human sarcoma by AAVP imaging. As a proof-of-concept, we imaged Herpes simplex thymidine kinase in a clinic-ready setting with PET to show that one can a priori predict tumor response to a systemic cytotoxic. Given the target expression in patient-derived sarcomas, this platform may be translated in clinical applications. Sarcoma-specific ligands and promoters may ultimately lead to an imaging transcriptome.
Comments on "Generalization of Shannon-Khinchin Axioms to Nonextensive Systems and the Uniqueness Theorem for the Nonextensive Entropy"

In this comment, we consider a generalization of the Shannon–Khinchin axioms (GSK axioms) and the uniqueness theorem for the entropy determined by GSK axioms proposed in [H. Suyari, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. 50, pp. 1783–1787, Aug. 2004]. It is shown that the class of entropy functions determined by the axioms from the mentioned paper is wider than the one proposed in this paper, and a counterexample is given. We also derive a new class of entropies by fixing the incorrectness which occurs in the mentioned paper.
Novel Modulators of the Growth Hormone - Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis: Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A2 and Stanniocalcin-2

Growth hormone (GH) and its mediator, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), play a critical role in human growth. In circulation, IGF-1 is found in a ternary complex with IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) and acid labile subunit (ALS) but little attention has been paid to the regulation of IGF-1 bioavailability. Recently, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) and stanniocalcin-2 (STC2) were identified as novel modulators of IGF-I bioavailability. PAPP-A2 is a protease which cleaves IGFBP-3 and -5, while STC2 inhibits PAPP-A and PAPP-A2 activity. In collaboration with a group in Madrid, we reported the first human cases carrying mutations in the PAPPA2 gene who presented with short stature, elevated total IGF-1, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-5 and ALS, but low free IGF-1. Additionally, the patients demonstrated insulin resistance and below average bone mineral density (BMD). The PAPP-A2 deficient patients were treated with recombinant human IGF-1, resulting in improvements in growth velocity, insulin resistance, and BMD. These findings suggested that the bioactive, free IGF-1 liberated from IGFBPs by PAPP-A2 is important for human growth. Mouse models of PAPP-A2 and STC2 provide further insights into their roles in growth physiology. This review will summarize new insights into PAPP-A2 and STC2 and their role in the GH-IGF axis, thereby highlighting the importance of the regulation of IGF-1 bioavailability in human health and disease.
Hardware and Signal Processing for a Novel Multi-Lap-Joint Measurement System for Automated Welding Applications

This paper presents a radar system for measuring the position of edges with good electrical conductivity in automated welding applications. The sensor consists of a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar system which operates in the W-band. To estimate the position of the edge, we focus on polarimetric scattering effects introduced by discontinuities in the shape of a conducting plate. In addition to hardware designs, we propose signal models for single- and multi-step scenarios. The signal models are calculated using a field simulation tool we developed. The proposed models were used to derive a novel position estimation algorithm that allows real-time operation. Further, the accuracy limits of our concept were investigated using an analytically derived Cramér-Rao lower bound and simulations for multi-step scenarios. The simulation results were verified by measurements. Electromagnetic influences of the welding arc on the system during operation were also investigated by measurements.
Reliability of the pediatric dysfunctional voiding symptom score in monitoring response to behavioral modification.

PURPOSE We previously evaluated the performance of a newly devised dysfunctional voiding symptom score to quantify abnormal voiding behaviors in children. The symptom score ranges from 0 to 30 with higher scores indicating greater severity. In this study, we test the performance of the symptom score in monitoring effectiveness and compliance with a program of behavioral modification. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred four patients (age 3-10 years) were clinically diagnosed as having dysfunctional voiding (DV). At initial visit, after their baseline DV symptom scores were tabulated, they were introduced to a program of behavioral modification that included both verbal and written instructions. After an average follow up of 5 months, all families were mailed questionnaires to: a) assess whether the child was compliant with bladder retraining, and b) request the completion of a second DV symptom-scoring sheet. The change in symptom score was correlated with treatment compliance. Statistical analysis of the data was done using non-parametric method (Mann-Whitney U test). RESULTS Forty-eight out of 104 children (46%) completed the mailed questionnaires. Twenty-eight (Group A1) were compliant with the behavioral modification program, and the remaining 20 children (Group A2) were not compliant. Although the median score at initial evaluation was similar in both groups (15 versus 14.5 respectively), scores in last follow up were significantly lower in Group A1 than the initial scores (6 versus 14.5 respectively). The scores in last follow-up in Group A2 were not significantly different from their initial symptom scores (median 11 versus 14.5 respectively). CONCLUSION The DV symptom score reliably and quantitatively reflects improvement in voiding symptoms in patients compliant with behavioral modification. Patients non-compliant with a bladder retraining program may be identified by lack of decrease in their DV symptom score. Key Words: voiding dysfunction, pediatric, behavioral modification, symptom score
Two forms of inhibition of spinothalamic tract neurons produced by stimulation of the periaqueductal gray and the cerebral cortex.

1. Recordings were made from the lumbosacral spinal cord in anesthetized macaque monkeys. The inhibitory effects of electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the cerebral cortex or cerebral peduncle (CP) were tested and compared by recording 1) cord dorsum potentials evoked by stimulation of the sural nerve, 2) discharges recorded extracellularly, and 3) membrane potentials recorded intracellularly from spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons at rest (background activity) or in response to stimulation of the sural nerve. 2. Stimulation of the cortex or in the CP preferentially reduced the amplitude of the N1 and N2 waves of the cord dorsum potential evoked by stimulation of the sural nerve, without affecting the N3 wave. Stimulation of the PAG, on the other hand, reduced the amplitude of the N3 wave with little effect on the N1 and N2 waves. 3. The activity of 62 STT neurons was recorded extracellularly. Stimulation of the PAG or the cortex/CP inhibited nonpreferentially the responses of the neurons in the superficial laminae to all afferent inputs. On the other hand, stimulation of the PAG or the cortex/CP inhibited preferentially the responses of most STT neurons in deep layers of the dorsal horn to the small or large afferent input, respectively. 4. Thirty-five neurons were recorded intracellularly. The membrane potential of the neurons averaged -45.5 +/- 10.1 (SD) mV. All neurons were recorded in laminae III-VI; the neurons were of the wide-dynamic-range (WDR) type and had background activity. 5. The inhibitory effects of stimulation of the PAG were tested on all 35 neurons. In 32 of the neurons, stimulation of the PAG evoked a hyperpolarization. The background activity of the neurons was reduced (generally it completely ceased) by the hyperpolarization. In three neurons stimulation of the PAG did not evoke a hyperpolarization and the background activity of the neurons did not change. Nevertheless, the responses of these three neurons to afferent input were inhibited by stimulation in the PAG. 6. The inhibitory effects of stimulating the cortex and/or the CP were tested in 26 of the 35 neurons. Stimulation of the cortex and/or the CP evoked a hyperpolarization in all the neurons, although, in 10 of the 26 neurons, stimulation of the CP also evoked a depolarization. The hyperpolarization generally blocked the background activity of the neurons. 7. The effective stimuli in the PAG and the cortex/CP to evoke a hyperpolarization in STT neurons were short, high-frequency trains of pulses. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A theory of the task-based information retrieval process: a summary and generalisation of a longitudinal study

The aim of this article is threefold: (1) to give a summary of empirical results reported earlier on relations between students‘ problem stages in the course of writing their research proposals for a master’s thesis and the information sought, choice of search terms and tactics and relevance assessments of the information found for that task; (2) to show how the findings of the study refine Kuhlthau‘s model of the information search process in the field of information retrieval (IR); and (3) to construe a tentative theory of a task‐based IR process based on the supported hypotheses. The results of the empirical studies show that there is a close connection between the students’ problem stages (mental model) in the task performance and the information sought, the search tactics used and the assessment of the relevance and utility of the information found. The corroborated hypotheses expand the ideas in Kuhlthau‘s model in the domain of IR. A theory of task‐based information searching based on the empirical findings of the study is presented.
Relationship of clinical efficacy to postmortem-determined anatomic subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson syndrome.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND Patients with medically refractory Parkinson's disease (PD) obtain significant clinical benefit from subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation. The degree to which a successful outcome relates to the anatomic location of the stimulating electrode has not yet been clearly established. Many studies have attempted to correlate the clinical result with the electrode location using postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and there have been a few that used autopsy-determined locations. In this report, we describe long-term clinical follow-up in a patient with autopsy-determined electrode tip anatomic location. METHODS A 67-year-old patient with a 27-year history of idiopathic PD complicated by disabling motor fluctuations and dopaminergic dyskinesias underwent bilateral STN deep brain stimulation (DBS). He was prospectively followed in a long-term clinical protocol until his death 40 months after electrode placement. Postoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and postmortem studies of this patient's brain were performed to localize DBS tip locations. RESULTS STN stimulation produced improvement of the patient's motor fluctuations, dyskinesias and clinical motor performance, especially appendicular tremors, rigidity and bradykinesia. MRI showed the electrode tips to be within 2 mm of the intended target. Postmortem brain analysis identified the right DBS tip location at the dorsomedial edge of the STN, with the left electrode in the vicinity (but not within) the STN. Chronic DBS elicited minor reactive changes were confined to the immediate vicinity of the electrode tracks. The pathological analysis demonstrated numerous cortical Lewy bodies and degenerative encephalopathy, establishing the diagnosis of transitional type diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD) rather than simple PD. CONCLUSION This patient obtained clinical benefit from STN stimulation typical of that seen for most PD patients. Both the MR analysis and the autopsy demonstrated electrode placement at or outside the boundaries of the STN, suggesting that that clinical efficacy may not depend on electrode location within the central region of the STN.
On the performance and complexity of channel-optimized vector quantizers

The performance and complexity of channel-optimized vector quantizers are studied for the Gauss-Markov source. Observations on the geometric structure of these quantizers are made, which have an important implication on the encoding complexity. For the squared-error distortion measure, it is shown that an operation equivalent to a Euclidean distance measurement with respect to an appropriately defined set of points (used to identify the encoding regions) can be used to perform the encoding. This implies that the encoding complexity is proportional to the number of encoding regions. It is then demonstrated that for very noisy channels and a heavily correlated source, when the codebook size is large, the number of encoding regions is considerably smaller than the codebook size-implying a reduction in encoding complexity. >
Functional analysis of molecular interactions in synthetic auxin response circuits

Significance Auxin-regulated transcription plays a role in almost every aspect of plant growth and development. Recent structural studies of domains from auxin-activated transcription factors and auxin-degraded repressors have raised fundamental questions about the protein complexes required for auxin response. Here, we leverage the power of a synthetic yeast system to identify and systematically characterize the simplest auxin response unit in the absence of the potentially confounding influence of other family members and interacting pathways. Auxin-regulated transcription pivots on the interaction between the AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) repressor proteins and the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) transcription factors. Recent structural analyses of ARFs and Aux/IAAs have raised questions about the functional complexes driving auxin transcriptional responses. To parse the nature and significance of ARF–DNA and ARF–Aux/IAA interactions, we analyzed structure-guided variants of synthetic auxin response circuits in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our analysis revealed that promoter architecture could specify ARF activity and that ARF19 required dimerization at two distinct domains for full transcriptional activation. In addition, monomeric Aux/IAAs were able to repress ARF activity in both yeast and plants. This systematic, quantitative structure-function analysis identified a minimal complex—comprising a single Aux/IAA repressing a pair of dimerized ARFs—sufficient for auxin-induced transcription.
Integrated video camera system for peripheral vision

The system presented in this paper has two main functions: one is the acquisition of multisource panoramic video in real time, and the other is the collection and storage of photos of the panoramic image. The fusion of the different sources of the video is performed via software, and the video components are obtained via four inexpensive webcams.
Drug Repositioning for Preeclampsia Therapeutics by In Vitro Screening

We screened a library of 528 approved drugs to identify candidate compounds with therapeutic potential as preeclampsia treatments via their proangiogenic properties. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we assessed whether the screened drugs induced placental growth factor (PIGF) and restored damaged endothelial cell function. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were carried out to measure levels of PlGF in conditioned media treated with each drug (100 µmol/L) in the drug library. Tube formation assays were performed using HUVECs to evaluate the angiogenic effects of drugs that induced PlGF. We also performed ELISA, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and tube formation assays after treatment with a range of concentrations of the candidate drug. Of the drugs that induced PlGF, vardenafil was the only compound that significantly facilitated tube formation in comparison with the control cells (P < .01). Treatment with vardenafil at concentrations of 50, 100, and 250 µmol/L increased expression of PlGF in a dose-dependent manner. Vardenafil (250 µmol/L) significantly improved tube formation which was inhibited in the presence of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (100 ng/mL) and/or soluble endoglin (100 ng/mL). Production of PlGF from HUVECs in the presence of sera derived from patients with preeclampsia was significantly elevated by administration of vardenafil (250 µmol/L). By assessing drug repositioning through screening a library of approved drugs, we identified vardenafil as a potential protective agent against preeclampsia. The therapeutic mechanism of vardenafil may involve inhibition of the systemic maternal antiangiogenic state that leads to preeclampsia, in addition to its vasodilating effect. As concentrations used are high and unlikely to be useful clinically, further work is needed before testing it in humans.