Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Cup-To-Disc Ratio with Slit-Lamp Funduscopy, Heidelberg Retina Tomography II, and Stereoscopic Photos

Purpose To compare optic disc measurements achieved by slit-lamp funduscopy, Heidelberg Retina Tomography II (HRT II), and stereoscopic optic nerve photos (SONP) in glaucomatous, ocular hypertensive, and normal eyes. Methods A total of 176 eyes (glaucomatous [n=87], ocular hypertensive [n=40], and normal eyes [n=49]) of 90 participants were studied. Each participant underwent a full ophthalmic examination, including automated perimetry, slit-lamp funduscopy, HRT II, and SONP. To compare the three different methods being investigated, the following measurements were used: vertical cup to disc ratio (VCDR), horizontal cup to disc ratio (HCDR), and cup to disc area ratio (CDR). Slit-lamp funduscopy was evaluated only with respect to VCDR. HRT II and SONP were evaluated with all three measurements (VCDR, HCDR, and CDR). Results CDR measurements in ocular hypertensive eyes did not differ significantly according to the measurement methods used (p=0.4). CDR in the other groups of participants, as well as VCDR and HCDR, all differed significantly within each group according to the method used (p<0.05 for all). Mean VCDR measured with funduscopy was smaller than mean VCDR measured with either HRT II or SONP in the glaucoma and ocular hypertension groups (p=0.0001). However, overall, the three methods showed a strong correlation in terms of VCDR, HCDR, and CDR measurements. Conclusions Despite the correlation among the three methods, the significant differences between their measurements of optic disc parameters may be too large for these methods to be used interchangeably in clinical situations.
An association between cartilaginous tumours and breast cancer in the national pathology registration in The Netherlands points towards a possible genetic trait

Breast cancer and cartilaginous tumours (enchondroma and chondrosaroma) were found to occur rather frequently in the same patient. In order to identify a possible association between occurrence of these tumour types, a population‐based study was performed. This was a nation‐wide case–control study, using the Dutch national pathology database. Between 1973 and 1998, the study identified 2295 cases of cartilaginous tumours in female patients and 132 636 females with breast cancer. Of these patients, 61 were diagnosed with both tumour types. To exclude a possible bias due to screening for occult bone metastases in breast cancer patients, a similar analysis was performed for lung cancer, since screening is performed similarly in lung cancer patients. Of 16 559 females diagnosed with lung cancer, only one case with a cartilaginous tumour was found. The odds ratio for a potential association of breast and cartilaginous tumours is 7.62, implicating a 7.62 increased risk for the same female patient having both breast cancer and a cartilaginous tumour. Furthermore, the mean age of onset in patients with breast cancer as the first tumour is nearly 10 years earlier than breast cancer in general, i.e. 51 years versus 60.9 years. The association of breast cancer and cartilaginous tumours and the early age of onset of breast cancer in these patients may suggest a genetic trait. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Poverty Assessment by Proxy-Means Tests: Are Indicator-Based Estimations Robust over Time? A Study from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

This study aims to test 1. whether two indicator-based tools for poverty assessment in rural Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, developed in 2005 are capable of predicting absolute poverty in 2007, and 2. whether the indicator composition of these poverty assessment tools remains robust over time. In 2005 and 2007 we surveyed 264 households in Central Sulawesi to obtain indicators of poverty and to derive their daily per capita consumption expenditures. Ordinary least squares and quantile regression models were fit to these data sets. Each of the models yielded a different set of 15 indicators for poverty prediction. Applying the 2005 indicators to the 2007 data set, the prediction power of the indicators from 2005 mainly was influenced by the error of over-predicting poverty in 2007. When re-estimating the regression models with the 2007 data set, the accuracy levels were found to be similar, but the indicator composition of the tools changed.
Genotyping of outbreak-related and sporadic isolates of Clostridium difficile belonging to serogroup C

Serogroup C of Clostridium difficile is the serogroup most frequently related to outbreaks. Fifty-six toxigenic serogroup C isolates of C. difficile were genotyped by ribotyping PCR (ribo-PCR), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Thirty-five of the 56 isolates were recovered from four unrelated outbreaks (Belgium, 1987, 1992, and 1995; France, 1992 to 1993) 7 derived from a spatiotemporal cluster in Cotonou, Benin (1992), and 14 were sporadic isolates. The serogroup C reference strain, also isolated during an outbreak (Belgium, 1983), was genotyped too. Ribo-PCR, the RAPD assay, and PFGE generated 2, 5, and 11 major genotypes, respectively. Combination of the three methods finally yielded 13 general types, although ribo-PCR did not play any role in enhancing resolution. Three general types were recovered from all the isolates from the five outbreaks and the cluster, with two types being predominant. The 14 sporadic serogroup C isolates were divided into 11 overall genotypes. These results indicate that genotyping methods, and more particularly the combination of the RAPD assay and PFGE, can resolve genetic diversity within toxigenic, serogroup C C. difficile strains. Also, this study suggests that outbreak-related serogroup C strains are limited to a few genetically stable and apparently very widely (internationally and intercontinentally) distributed genotypes.
Effect of Combined Treatment with Methylprednisolone and Nogo-A Monoclonal Antibody after Rat Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combination therapy with methylprednisolone (MP) and Nogo-66 antagonistic peptide (NEP1-40) on morphological and functional recovery in adult rats subjected to thoracic compression spinal cord injury (SCI). Animals were randomized into four groups: a trauma control group, an MP group, an NEP1-40 group, and a combined treatment group. The inflammatory reaction, neuronal and oligodendrocyte survival, and ultrastructure were assessed at the injury site. Functional analysis was also performed using Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring. Rat behaviour was evaluated regularly up to week 4. NEP1-40 did not alter the beneficial effect of MP on haematogenous inflammatory cell infiltration, while combined treatment resulted in greater neuronal and oligodendrocyte survival compared with monotherapy or control. Combination therapy resulted in better locomotor scores. These results in a clinically-relevant SCI model showed that significant neuroprotection can be obtained by combining an initial acute IV injection of MP with continuously infused NEP1-40.
Feasibility and Diagnostic Accuracy of Early Mood Screening to Diagnose Persisting Clinical Depression/Anxiety Disorder after Stroke

Background: Depression/anxiety disorders are common after stroke and have a negative impact on outcomes. Guidelines recommend that all stroke survivors are screened for these problems. However, there is no consensus on timing or method of assessment. We investigated the feasibility and accuracy of a very early screening strategy and the diagnostic accuracy this has for depression/anxiety disorders at 1 month. Methods: Screening tools were Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Depression Intensity Scale Circles (DISCs); we also assessed cognition using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Screening was offered to sequential stroke admissions. At 1 month we assessed for clinical depression/anxiety disorder using Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and retested screening tools. We described test accuracy of acute depression/anxiety screening for clinical diagnosis of depression/anxiety disorder at 1 month and described temporal change in screening test scores. We assessed feasibility by describing proportions that were able, agreed to and completed the screening tests. Results: Over 4 months, 102/146 admissions were suitable for screening following initial medical assessment, 69 (68%) agreed to screening, of whom 33 (48%) required researcher assistance to complete the screening test battery. Median time to assessment was 2 days (IQR: 1-4). Early HADS suggested n = 9 (13%) with depression; DISCs n = 25 (37%). Median acute MoCA was 21/30. At 1 month, n = 61 (88%) provided data. Repeat scores showed improvement over time; HADS (anxiety) mean difference: 2.5 (95% CI: 1.2-3.7), HADS (depression) mean difference: 1.6 (95% CI: 0.3-2.9). MINI defined n = 12 (20%) with depression and n = 6 (10%) with anxiety disorder. Comparing baseline screening to 1-month clinical diagnosis, HADS sensitivity was 0.25 (95% CI: 0.09-0.53) and specificity 0.94 (95% CI: 0.84-0.98); DISCs sensitivity was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.65-0.99) and specificity 0.78 (95% CI: 0.64-0.87). Conclusions: Even amongst ‘medically stable' stroke patients, depression/anxiety screening at the acute stage may not be feasible or accurate. Half of participants required assistance from the researcher to complete assessments. The poor predictive accuracy of HADS for depression/anxiety disorder at 1 month may be due in part to the high prevalence of cognitive impairment in our sample. Screening in the first few days after stroke does not appear useful for detecting clinically important and sustained depression/anxiety problems.
[(2R,3S)-Butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol-κ3 O 1,O 2,O 3](ethanol-κO)tris(nitrato-κ2 O,O′)samarium(III)

The title SmIII–erythritol complex, [Sm(NO3)3(C2H6O)(C4H10O4)], is isotypic with its Nd, Eu, Y, Gd, Tb and Ho analogues. The SmIII cation exhibits a coordination number of ten and is chelated by a tridentate erythritol ligand and three bidentate nitrate anions. It is additionally coordinated by an O atom of an ethanol molecule, completing an irregular coordination sphere. The Sm—O bond lengths range from 2.416 (2) to 2.611 (2) Å. In the crystal, extensive O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding involving all hydroxy groups and some of the nitrate O atoms links the molecules into a three-dimensional network.
Analysis of Financial Performance of Local Government Keerom Fiscal Year 2009 - 2013

This study is purposed to (1) determine the financial management performance of Keerom district, (2) effective and efficient in the financing the needs of the region. This research is a descriptive study describing and analyzing the data obtained. The object of this study is to measure the performance of financial management in Keerom district in terms of the ratio of financial independence area, Regional Financial Dependency Ratio, the ratio of fiscal decentralization, the effectiveness and efficiency ratios. Results of the analysis of the financial performance ratio in Keerom district in 2009-2013 shows that (1) the financial performance is not optimal yet in the implementation of regional autonomy, this is indicated by the indicator of financial performance, they are; Regional independence of Keerom district reached 3.22%, Regional Financial Dependence is very high towards the central government, it is reached 53.91%, and the Fiscal Decentralization is less, considering the financial dependence on the central government is very high at 16.44%. (2) effectiveness in managing local finance in Keerom district is Highly Effective since it reaches 95.11% and it needs to be maintained and improved, but the efficiency of financial management in this district shows the results of inefficient, it reaches 100.41%, then it needs special attention in order to avoid wastage in the use of finance to fund the development and the activity of other areas.
Establishment and characterization of EBV‐positive and EBV‐negative primary effusion lymphoma cell lines harbouring human herpesvirus type‐8

In this study we report on the establishment and characterization of two novel lymphoma cell lines (CRO‐AP/3 and CRO‐AP/5) which carry infection by human herpesvirus type‐8 (HHV‐8) and have derived from AIDS‐related primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). These two cell lines are representative of different virologic subtypes of PEL, i.e. HHV‐8+/EBV− PEL in the case of CRO‐AP/3 and HHV‐8+/EBV+ PEL in the case of CRO‐AP/5. Consistent with the diagnosis of PEL, both CRO‐AP/3 and CRO‐AP/5 expressed indeterminate (i.e. non‐B, non‐T) phenotypes although immunogenotypic studies documented their B‐cell origin. Both cell lines are devoid of genetic lesions of c‐MYC, BCL‐2 and p53 as well as gross rearrangements of BCL‐6. Detailed histogenetic characterization of these novel PEL cell lines suggests that PEL may derive from a post‐germinal centre B cell which has undergone pre‐terminal differentiation. The CRO‐AP/3 and CRO‐AP/5 cell lines may provide a valuable model for clarifying the pathogenesis of PEL. In particular, these cell lines may help understand the relative contribution of HHV‐8 and EBV to PEL growth and development and may facilitate the identification of recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities highlighting putative novel cancer related loci relevant to PEL.
Risk factors for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder following combat trauma: a semiprospective study.

OBJECTIVE When positioned in a combat situation, soldiers may be subjected to extreme stress. However, only a few combat-exposed soldiers develop long-term disturbance, namely, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to explore risk factors for developing PTSD in order to improve the psychiatric screening process of new recruits. METHOD In a semiprospective design, we compared 2,362 war veterans who developed PTSD (according to DSM-IV criteria) with an equal number of war veterans who did not develop PTSD. Controls were matched on the basis of sequential army identification numbers, that is, the soldier drafted immediately after the index PTSD veteran (usually on the same day). This method ensured similar demographic variables such as socioeconomic level and education. Data were collected from the Israeli Defense Force database and used in a comprehensive survey conducted between January 2000 and March 2001. Comparisons were made on predrafting personal factors (behavioral assessment, cognitive assessment, linguistic ability, and education) and pretrauma army characteristics (ie, rank and training). RESULTS Neither behavioral assessment nor training were found to predict PTSD. The predictive factors that were found were essentially nonspecific, such as cognitive functioning, education, rank, and position during the trauma, with little effect from training. CONCLUSIONS In an armed force that uses universal recruitment, carefully structured predrafting psychological assessment of social and individual qualifications (including motivation) failed to identify increased risk factors for PTSD. However, nonspecific factors were found to be associated with an increased risk for PTSD. This study suggests that the focus of future research on risk factors for PTSD should incorporate other domains rather than behavioral assessment alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00229359.
The Prevalence of Ethnicity-related Victimization in Urban Multiethnic Schools

Bullying remains a serious issue in our schools. The goals of this study were three-fold. Firstly, to obtain an estimate of ethnic-racial bullying victimization in urban schools, secondly, to examine protective factors for bullying victimization, and finally, to explore gender differences in bullying behaviour. A total of 319 students in grades 6 and 7 completed a measure of bullying victimization and safe school environment. The results revealed an overall bullying victimization rate of 53.9% with 17.8% of students reporting being bullied based on their ethnicity or race. Contrary to previous research (McKenney, Pepler, Craig, & Connolly, 2006), girls and boys were equally likely to engage in all types of bullying behaviours. Extracurricular activities were generally not a protective factor against bullying, while a large network of close friends was. Bullying intervention programs need to focus on ethnic/racial bullying, and teachers need to increase their awareness of this problem.
Characterization of CPAF Critical Residues and Secretion during Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

ABSTRACT CPAF (chlamydial protease-like activity factor), a Chlamydia serine protease, is activated via proximity-induced intermolecular dimerization that triggers processing and removal of an inhibitory peptide occupying the CPAF substrate-binding groove. An active CPAF is a homodimer of two identical intramolecular heterodimers, each consisting of 29-kDa N-terminal and 35-kDa C-terminal fragments. However, critical residues for CPAF intermolecular dimerization, catalytic activity, and processing were defined in cell-free systems. Complementation of a CPAF-deficient chlamydial organism with a plasmid-encoded CPAF has enabled us to characterize CPAF during infection. The transformants expressing CPAF mutated at intermolecular dimerization, catalytic, or cleavage residues still produced active CPAF, although at a lower efficiency, indicating that CPAF can tolerate more mutations inside Chlamydia-infected cells than in cell-free systems. Only by simultaneously mutating both intermolecular dimerization and catalytic residues was CPAF activation completely blocked during infection, both indicating the importance of the critical residues identified in the cell-free systems and exploring the limit of CPAF's tolerance for mutations in the intracellular environment. We further found that active CPAF was always detected in the host cell cytoplasm while nonactive CPAF was restricted to within the chlamydial inclusions, regardless of how the infected cell samples were treated. Thus, CPAF translocation into the host cell cytoplasm correlates with CPAF enzymatic activity and is not altered by sample treatment conditions. These observations have provided new evidence for CPAF activation and translocation, which should encourage continued investigation of CPAF in chlamydial pathogenesis.
Shape recognition by distributed recursive learning of multiscale trees

We present an efficient and fully parallel 2D object recognition method based on the use of a multiscale tree representation of the object boundary and recursive learning of trees. Specifically, the object is represented by means of a tree where each node, corresponding to a boundary segment at some level of resolution, is characterized by a real vector containing curvature, length, and symmetry of the boundary segment, while the nodes are connected by arcs when segments at successive levels are spatially related. The recognition procedure is formulated as a training procedure made by recursive neural networks followed by a testing procedure over unknown tree structured patterns.
Heart rate variability derived from exercise ECG in the detection of coronary artery disease

The diagnostic performance of heart rate variability (HRV) analysis from exercise ECG in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown. Bicycle exercise ECG recordings from The Finnish Cardiovascular Study (FINCAVAS) of angiography-proofed CAD patients (n = 112) and a patient group with a low likelihood of CAD (n = 114) were analyzed. HRV parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, Poincaré SD1 and SD2) were calculated from 1 min segments before exercise, during exercise and after exercise. All the parameters were in addition calculated from heart rate (HR)-corrected RR-interval segments. The ST-segment depressions in each stage were also determined. The diagnostic performance of the parameters was evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method. The uncorrected HRV parameters showed the best diagnostic performance in the recovery segments but the correlation with HR was also high (SDNN: 0.758/−0.64, RMSSD: 0.747/−0.60; area under the ROC/correlation coefficient). The HR correction decreased the correlation and the diagnostic performance in recovery segments (SDNN: 0.515/−0.12, RMSSD: 0.609/0.20). The diagnostic performance of ST-level at its best was higher than any of HRV parameters (ST-level: 0.795/0.36). According to the results, the HR correction decreased the diagnostic performance of the recovery phase. The HRV parameters calculated from 1 min segments of exercise test ECG were not as capable as traditional ST-segment analysis. In conclusion, the HRV analysis from exercise or recovery phase seems to be inadequate in the detection of CAD.
Violence in the Americas: a framework for action.

This paper discusses the prevalence and types of violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also identifies the principal factors that contribute to violence in the region and charts some of socioeconomic costs that result from it. Violence is classified as domestic violence which takes place within the confines of the household and social violence which usually happens in public places and is more visible. It is noted that identification of factors operating at the individual household and community/society levels is important in the discussion of contributing or inhibiting factors to violence. Moreover identification of the costs of domestic and social violence is important for analytical and illustrative purposes. Domestic and social costs are divided into four categories: direct costs nonmonetary effects economic multiplier effects and social multiplier effects. Concerns about costs have suggested the need for policy responses targeted at specific risk factors. In this respect implementation of prevention measures will help in the reduction of risk factors increase the protective factors and address the situational or social determinants of crime and violence.
Standards and Values: Crafting organizational values for a Dutch standardization institute

This research provides an exploratory study on social organizational factors that hinder successful exploitation of breakthrough innovations in a Dutch standardization institute (NEN). The organization can be classified as a technical consultancy organization that operates on a non-profit basis. Within NEN, members of the organization feel that ideas and knowledge are not fully exploited. As a result the innovation process and spin-offs that come from it are not fully embedded in organization. The assignment that was formulated from this problem context includes acquiring an overview of social organizational factors that are hindering the implementation of innovations, and designing suggestions that stimulate the exploitation of innovations. The research starts with a diagnosis stage analyzing which factors NEN staff members from different departments experience, that hinder successful implementation of innovations. From the analysis, it appeared the organizational culture worked as a suppressing factor in the ability of NEN to implement innovations successfully. The organizational culture was assessed using the Competing Values Framework, describing a Hierarchy dominant culture type for NEN. Based on these findings, a number of suggestions are provided in the design phase with respect to cultural change. The main suggestions are based on creating work behavior that diminishes structural boundaries that suppress risk taking, exploration, and out-of-thebox thinking. Using the approach of organizational values to foster a cultural change, two recommendations were developed. A recommendation for revision of the organizational values was developed that would better fit the strategic orientation of NEN towards innovation, and the valuecrafting intervention was introduced as a practical tool to improve the shared adoption of organizational values across the organization. The design includes a detailed pilot project plan for a Value-Crafting Intervention for NEN to use in the future. For confidentiality reasons, confidential information can be found in the appendices, which are not publicly available.