Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis by Aspartate Aminotransferase-to-Platelet Ratio Index in Children With Biliary Atresia

Background: In patients with biliary atresia (BA), liver fibrosis and cirrhosis commonly occur even after Kasai hepatoportoenterostomy. Although liver biopsy is the gold standard to evaluate liver fibrosis, it is invasive and may result in life-threatening complications. The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) is a safe and simple method to assess liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases. To use APRI as a postoperative follow-up tool, we validated the diagnostic power of APRI for the degree of liver fibrosis in postoperative patients with BA. Patients and Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed BA who underwent the Kasai procedure between March 2006 and May 2009 were analyzed. Several laboratory tests including APRI were performed. Liver wedge biopsy specimens were obtained during the surgical procedure, and histopathologic analyses were performed using the Metavir classification. Results: Thirty-five patients (12 boys, median age of 1.9 months) were enrolled. Metavir scores were F1 in 0, F2 in 11, F3 in 11, and F4 in 13 patients. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for F ≥ 3 and F = 4 were 0.92 and 0.91, respectively. Distinct optimal cutoff values of APRI for F ≥ 3 and F = 4 were obtained (1.01 and 1.41, respectively). Clinical outcomes of patients were significantly different between 2 groups (noncirrhosis vs cirrhosis) based on APRI before and 3 months after the Kasai procedure. Conclusion: APRI may be used as a simple and readily available tool for assessing liver fibrosis without additional risks in patients with BA during postoperative follow-up care.
catena-Poly[hexaaqua-1κO,2κO,3κ4 O-(μ4-3,5-dicarboxylatopyrazol-1-ido-3′:1:2:3κ6 O 5:N 1,O 5′:N 2,O 3:O 3′)(μ2-3,5-dicarboxylatopyrazol-1-ido-1:2κ4 N 2,O 3:N 1,O 5)-1,2-dicopper(II)-3-manganese(II)]

In the title compound, [Cu2Mn(C5HN2O4)2(H2O)6]n, the CuII ion is coordinated by two N atoms, two O atoms and one water O atom in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The MnII ion is coordinated by two O atoms and four water O atoms in a distorted octahedral geometry. Two pyrazolyl-3,5-dicarboxylate anions chelate to two copper ions, forming a dinuclear unit, which further connects the MnII ions into chains extending along [100]. Both independent coordinated water molecules on the MnII ion are disordered in a 50:50 fashion.
Upper limb motor training using a Saebo™ orthosis is feasible for increasing task-specific practice in hospital after stroke.

BACKGROUND/AIM Assistive technologies have the potential to increase the amount of movement practice provided during inpatient stroke rehabilitation. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using the Saebo-Flex™ device in a subacute stroke setting to increase task-specific practice for people with little or no active hand movement. The secondary aim was to collect preliminary data comparing hand/upper limb function between a control group that received usual rehabilitation and an intervention group that used, in addition, the Saebo-Flex™ device. METHODS Nine inpatients (mean three months (median six weeks) post-stroke) participated in this feasibility study conducted in an Australian rehabilitation setting, using a randomised pre-test and post-test design with concealed allocation and blinded outcome assessment. In addition to usual rehabilitation, the intervention group received eight weeks of daily motor training using the Saebo-Flex™ device. The control group received usual rehabilitation (task-specific motor training) only. Participants were assessed at baseline (pre-randomisation) and at the end of the eight-week study period. Feasibility was assessed with respect to ease of recruitment, application of the device, compliance with the treatment programme and safety. Secondary outcome measures included the Motor Assessment Scale (upper limb items), Box and Block Test, grip strength and the Stroke Impact Scale. RESULTS Recruitment to the study was very slow because of the low number of patients with little or no active hand movement. Otherwise, the study was feasible in terms of being able to apply the Saebo-Flex™ device and compliance with the treatment programme. There were no adverse events, and a greater amount of upper limb rehabilitation was provided to the intervention group. While there were trends in favour of the intervention group, particularly for dexterity, no between-group differences were seen for any of the secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This pilot feasibility study showed that the use of assistive technology, specifically the Saebo-Flex™ device, could be successfully used in a sample of stroke patients with little or no active hand movement. However, recruitment to the trial was very slow. The use of the Saebo-FlexTM device had variable results on outcomes, with some positive trends seen in hand function, particularly dexterity.
The Decision to Award Punitive Damages: An Empirical Study

Empirical studies have consistently shown that punitive damages are rarely awarded, with rates of about three to five percent of plaintiff trial wins. Using the 2005 data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics Civil Justice Survey, this article shows that knowing in which cases plaintiffs sought punitive damages transforms the picture of punitive damages. Not accounting for whether punitive damages were sought obscures the meaningful punitive damages rate, the rate of awards in cases in which they were sought, by a factor of nearly 10, and obfuscates a more explicable pattern of awards than has been reported. Punitive damages were surprisingly infrequently sought, with requests found in about 10% of tried cases that plaintiffs won. Punitive damages were awarded in about 30% these trials. Awards were most frequent in cases of intentional tort, with a punitive award rate of over 60%. Greater harm corresponded to a greater probability of an award: the size of the compensatory award was significantly associated with whether punitive damages were awarded, with a rate of approximately 60% for cases with compensatory awards of $1 million or more. Regression models correctly classify about 70% or more of the punitive award request outcomes, Judge-jury differences in the rate of awards exist, with judges awarding punitive damages at a higher rate in personal injury cases and juries awarding them at a higher rate in nonpersonal injury cases. These puzzling adjudicator differences may be a consequence of the routing of different cases to judges and juries.
A Pharmacist-based Screening Program of Octogenarians Starting New Medications

OBJECTIVES: To measure the impact of clinical pharmacists in primary care practices who closely monitor patients older than 80 years after initiation of new medications. METHODS: The study was an uncontrolled pilot trial performed at a group-model health maintenance organization in the Pacific Northwest between August and December 1999. Forty-eight patients who were older than 80 years and were prescribed at least one new medication in their primary care clinic were called at home 3 to 6 days after starting a new medication and asked questions focusing on compliance and potential adverse drug events. RESULTS: More than 20% of patients (10 of 48) had a clinically important change made as a result of the pharmacist telephone monitoring; 42% of patients (20 of 48) either experienced an undesired medication effect (14 of 48) or an inadequate effect (6 of 48). Pharmacists spent an average 11.3 minutes at an estimated cost of $6.40 per patient. CONCLUSIONS: A simple, inexpensive pharmacist-based program to screen for medication problems after initiation of new medicines may improve the care to a population older than 80 years.
Factor Structure of PTSD in a Community Sample of Sexual Assault Survivors

ABSTRACT Recent factor analytic research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has questioned the 3-factor structure of the diagnosis as codified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM–IV), proposing that a 4-factor model may more accurately reflect the phenomenology of the disorder. Confirmatory factor analyses of the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (E. B. Foa, 1995) were used to conduct model tests of the structure of PTSD in a large sample (N = 967) of adult female sexual assault survivors. A model specifying 4 correlated factors of reexperiencing, effortful avoidance, dysphoria, and hyperarousal provided the best fit to the data, although no model fits were excellent (including that of the traditional DSM–IV 3-factor model). Tests of measurement invariance across race and education suggest that differences may exist in the underlying factor structure of PTSD.
The Cellular Response of the Weanling Rat Thymus Gland to Undernutrition and Rehabilitation

Extract: Weanling male black-hooded rats were maintained at practically constant body weight between 24 and 52 days of age by giving them reduced amounts of their normal diet. Ten animals were then killed at 0, 3, 7, 10, and 16 days of rehabilitation on an ad libitum diet. At each age of rehabilitation, 10 control animals of the same age, and a similar number of the same body weight, were also killed. The thymuses of the animals were assayed for DNA (a measure of cell number), RNA, and protein, and the protein/DNA ratio was calculated (a measure of cell size). The thymus glands were also examined histologically.The thymus lost 81% of its initial weight during undernutrition, but on rehabilitation returned to a normal weight relative to body weight within 10 days, and to a normal weight for age within 16 days. Thereafter it remained of normal weight. The absolute amounts of DNA and RNA responded in a way similar to weight. The absolute amount of protein also decreased during undernutrition, but on rehabilitation showed a poor response during the first 3 days, then increased rapidly to return to normal within 10 days. The protein/DNA ratio showed a sevenfold increase during undernutrition, but returned to normal within 7 days. Thus, atrophy of the thymus during undernutrition was due to a great loss of small cells, which left a population of large cells in the remnant; this was confirmed in histologic sections. However, the thymus had a remarkable capacity for recovery, and the body weight was more important than age as an influence on the rate of recovery.Speculation: The loss of cells from the thymus during undernutrition may be one of the causes of increased susceptibility to infection in malnourished children and animals, but it is necessary to ascertain whether those cells which are lost from the thymus are immunologically active, and also to investigate whether the return to a normal cell population on rehabilitation is accompanied by a return to normal immunologic function. This work is in hand.
Health Related Quality of Life of Pregnant Women and Associated Factors: An Integrative Review

Objective: The objectives were to characterize the scientific production on Health-Related Quality of Life of pregnant women, identify the areas that are most affected during pregnancy and puerperal period and identify the instruments used to assess quality of life related to health in pregnant women. Methods: For the integrative review, 11 articles published from 2006 to 2013 in the PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS and SCIELO were selected. Result: Data showed scarce publication from nursing professionals, prevalence of non-experimental studies conducted mainly in Brazil. The most commonly instruments used were the WHOQOL-BREF and SF-12. The presence of pain, nausea and vomiting, depression, low education, younger age and absence of partner negatively affect the quality of life of pregnant women. Practicing physical activity and being socially supported during pregnancy favour a better quality of life. In the domain of social relations, sexuality was the only affected facet. Conclusion: Gaps in the level of evidence considered weak were identified. We suggest bigger role of nurses in research on the subject so that there will be the development of effective interventions to support nursing practice and ensure quality care and consequently improve the quality of life of women in pregnancy and childbirth.
Further Characterization of H Vectorial Functions

Vectorial Boolean bent functions, which possess the maximal nonlinearity and the minimum diﬀerential uniformity, contribute to optimum resistance against linear cryptanalysis and diﬀerential cryptanalysis. H vectorial functions is an inﬁnite class of vectorial Boolean bent functions presented by S. Mesnager. This paper is devoted to further characterization of the H vectorial functions. It is shown that the EA-equivalent relationships among vectorial Boolean functions may be characterized by their component functions. As a result, the EA-equivalent relationships among H vectorial functions induced by many projectively equivalent o-polynomials of a given o-polynomial are obtained
Working Paper Series

This paper deals with the effects of the transfer of additional funds on the real economy of recipient countries, in particular the European Member States. The intended and unintended effects of additional funds on national public finances and, ultimately, economic performance are discussed. Understanding the real effects of additional public funds and the possible complementarity or substitutability with national public finance is important for shaping the policies for the allocation of Structural Funds. Verification of additionality plays a role in ensuring that additional funds are used to effectively complement national expenditure programmes. In the case of the European Union, it is widely recognised that the current verification mechanism is affected by weaknesses, that prevent it from providing reliable and useful data to effectively assess additionality. For this reason, the paper suggests the European Commission to move away from the current verification approach and to adopt a new one that could more effectively assess to what extent the Structural Funds complement national investments. JEL codes: H5, H6, H7, O4
Receding-Horizon Adaptive Control of Laser Beam Jitter

This paper uses a new method for receding-horizon adaptive control to reduce laser beam jitter. The control scheme generates a control command derived from a receding-horizon performance index that involves predicted future values of an output disturbance. A recursive least-squares adaptive lattice filter performs the required prediction based on real-time measurements. In a laser beam steering experiment, the adaptive controller drives a micro mirror to cancel broadband disturbance and maintain the laser spot on an optical position sensor. Experimental results demonstrate the capability of the receding-horizon adaptive controller to incorporate frequency weighting to reduce sensitivity to plant modeling error at high frequencies.
Topical pharyngeal anesthesia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

TO THE EDITOR: The article by Drs. Davis, Jones and Kubik in one of your recent issues (1) concluded that topical pharyngeal anesthesia (TPA) does not improve patient tolerance or procedure performance in patients receiving conscious sedation. The authors summarized the controlled trials of TPA in routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a table. The table had seven studies, five with intravenous sedation, one with intramuscular sedation, and another with no sedation. Four of the seven studies demonstrated no benefit for TPA, whereas three studies found it to be useful. The only study with no sedation reported a benefit with TPA using 80–120 mg lidocaine (2). I would like to bring to the attention of readers another randomized, controlled trial of TPA (3), using 80 mg of 4% lidocaine spray. I was the senior author of this study involving 153 consecutive consenting patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. In this placebo-controlled study, it was found that there was no difference in the difficulty of intubation between the two groups, as assessed separately by the patients and the physician using a linear analog scale. The patient and the physician assessments correlated well. This study is relevant because it is probably the only controlled trial without sedation reporting no benefit with TPA. Also, I wonder about the physicians’ assessment as to whether or not the patient received TPA, in the article under discussion. They judged it by the appearance of residual spray in the stomach, and it would be difficult to distinguish the spray from the normal fundic secretions.
Effect of inflow of fresh blood on vascular‐space‐occupancy (VASO) contrast

In vascular‐space‐occupancy (VASO)‐MRI, cerebral blood volume (CBV)‐weighted contrast is generated by applying a nonselective inversion pulse followed by imaging when blood water magnetization is zero. An uncertainty in VASO relates to the completeness of blood water nulling. Specifically, radio frequency (RF) coils produce a finite inversion volume, rendering the possibility of fresh, non‐nulled blood. Here, VASO‐functional MRI (fMRI) was performed for varying inversion volume and TR using body coil RF transmission. For thin inversion volume thickness (δtot < 10 mm), VASO signal changes were positive (ΔS/S = 2.1–2.6%). Signal changes were negative and varied in magnitude for intermediate inversion volumes (δtot = 100–300 mm), yet did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) for δtot > 300 mm. These data suggest that blood water is in steady state for δtot > 300 mm. In this appropriate range, long‐TR VASO data converged to a less negative value (ΔS/S = –1.4% ± 0.2%) than short‐TR data (ΔS/S = –2.2% ± 0.2%), implying that cerebral blood flow or transit‐state effects may influence VASO contrast at short TR. Magn Reson Med 61:473–480, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relationship Between Performance on Lumbar Dynamometry and Waddell Score in a Population with Low-Back Pain

A prospective, blinded cohort study was performed to investigate the relationship between biomechanical variables measured during lumbar dynamometry and several psychological tests and measures of nonorganic pain behavior. Eighty-five men, aged 18-60 years, who had had low-back pain for longer than 5 weeks participated in the study. Nonorganic pain behavior was measured with the Waddell score, and lumbar function was measured with the Isostation B-200 Lumbar Dynamometer. Two brief psychological tests, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and an analog self-rating of wellness, were also administered. Relationships between biomechanical variables and psychological tests were calculated with the t-test, the Pearson r correlation, analysis of variance, and multiple step-wise logistic regression. Patients who exhibited excessive illness behavior (Waddell Scores 3-5) performed significantly worse (P < .01) on almost all biomechanical variables. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Score and “feelings” score had a slightly weaker but still significant correlation with motor performance. The results suggest that poor performance on biomechanical testing in this population may be a form of abnormal illness behavior and thus may not accurately reflect organic alterations of neuromusculoskeletal function.
Can agrobiont spiders (Araneae) avoid a surface with pesticide residues?

Integrated pest management includes the use of various pesticides that can have a detrimental effect on spiders. A pesticide can express its activity directly or via residues. Most of the attention paid to the impact of pesticides on spiders has investigated the effects of direct exposure. Our aim in this study was to investigate the residual activity (repellency and toxicity) of selected pesticides on six principal species of spider occurring in an apple orchard. Four of these species (Clubiona spp., Pardosa spp., Philodromus spp., Xysticus spp.) are hunting spiders, and two species (Dictyna spp., Theridion spp.) are web-building. We were interested to see whether these spiders could avoid a surface with residues and to examine their susceptibilities to fresh and 1-day-old residues. For this purpose we conducted laboratory experiments using three types of pesticide, an organophosphate, phosalone (Zolone), a pyrethroid, permethrin (Ambush) and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt; Novodor), which were applied to paper discs or branches. Spiders could choose to stay on any treated paper/branch within a dish. Except for Theridion spp. , all species were repelled by fresh residues but not by 1-day-old residues. Clubiona spp. , Dictyna spp. , Pardosa spp. and Xysticus spp were repelled by phosalone and permethrin residues only, whereas Philodromus spp. specimens were repelled also by Bt residues. Theridion spp. avoided contact with residues by making a web on any available branch. Regarding toxicity, neither fresh nor 1-day-old residues of phosalone or Bt caused significant mortality to any spider species. In contrast, both fresh and 1-day-old residues of permethrin caused significant mortality to all species except for Theridion spp. In conclusion, spiders can recognise and avoid only fresh residues, although older residues might still be toxic to them.
Maturation of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells reveals an atypical Ca2+ channel current that is inhibited by ω‐agatoxin IVA and the dihydropyridine (−)‐(S)‐Bay K8644

To determine if the properties of Ca2+ channels in cerebellar Purkinje cells change during postnatal development, we recorded Ca2+ channel currents from Purkinje cells in cerebellar slices of mature (postnatal days (P) 40–50) and immature (P13–20) rats. We found that at P40–50, the somatic Ca2+ channel current was inhibited by ω‐agatoxin IVA at concentrations selective for P‐type Ca2+ channels (∼85%; IC50, <1 nm) and by the dihydropyridine (–)‐(S)‐Bay K8644 (∼70%; IC50, ∼40 nm). (−)‐(S)‐Bay K8644 is known to activate L‐type Ca2+ channels, but the decrease in current was not secondary to the activation of L‐type channels because inhibition by (−)‐(S)‐Bay K8644 persisted in the presence of the L‐type channel blocker (R,S)‐nimodipine. By contrast, at P13–20, the current was inhibited by ω‐agatoxin IVA (∼86%; IC50, ∼1 nm) and a minor component was inhibited by (R,S)‐nimodipine (∼8%). The dihydropyridine (−)‐(S)‐Bay K8644 had no clear effect when applied alone, but in the presence of (R,S)‐nimodipine it reduced the current (∼40%), suggesting that activation of L‐type channels by (−)‐(S)‐Bay K8644 masks its inhibition of non‐L‐type channels. Our findings indicate that Purkinje neurons express a previously unrecognized type of Ca2+ channel that is inhibited by ω‐agatoxin IVA, like prototypical P‐type channels, and by (−)‐(S)‐Bay K8644, unlike classical P‐type or L‐type channels. During maturation, there is a decrease in the size of the L‐type current and an increase in the size of the atypical Ca2+ channel current. These changes may contribute to the maturation of the electrical properties of Purkinje cells.
Designing arm length of a screw drive in-pipe robot for climbing vertically positioned bent pipes

SUMMARY This paper presents a method for designing the arm lengths of a screw drive in-pipe robot with a pathway selection mechanism to pass through bent pipes. The robot comprises a front-rotating unit (rotator), middle-steering unit, and rear-supporting unit (stator). Each unit has elastic arms, which can be elongated by springs and can be pushed against the inner wall of the pipe. The robot can travel and steer not only in straight pipes but also in bent pipes and T-branches. When the robot passes through such pipes, its mobility depends on whether the arms can touch the inner wall because the robot will lose the driving force if one of the arms cannot reach the inner wall. This is especially important in vertically positioned pipes, where the robot will fall down if it is unable to reach. In this paper, we focus on the cross-section of the bent pipes, arm length, spring stiffness, and mass of the robot to clarify the mobility of the robot in these types of pipes. A method for determining the initial arm length on the basis of simple quasi-statics is proposed and experimental verification is conducted.