Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contribution of speech and language difficulties to health-related quality-of-life in Australian children: A longitudinal analysis

Abstract Purpose: The trajectory of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) for children aged 4–9 years and its relationship with speech and language difficulties (SaLD) was examined using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Method: Generalized linear latent and mixed modelling was used to analyse data from three waves of the LSAC across four HRQoL domains (physical, emotional, social and school functioning). Four domains of HRQoL, measured using the Paediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory (PedsQL™), were examined to find the contribution of SaLD while accounting for child-specific factors (e.g. gender, ethnicity, temperament) and family characteristics (social ecological considerations and psychosocial stressors). Result: In multivariable analyses, one measure of SaLD, namely parent concern about receptive language, was negatively associated with all HRQoL domains. Covariates positively associated with all HRQoL domains included child’s general health, maternal mental health, parental warmth and primary caregiver’s engagement in the labour force. Conclusion: Findings suggest that SaLD are associated with reduced HRQoL. For most LSAC study children, having typical speech/language skills was a protective factor positively associated with HRQoL.
A Statistical Evaluation of the Chemical Composition of Heroin Samples with the View to Discriminating Between Their Possible Sources

The concentrations, in parts-per-billion, of 39 trace elements were measured for each of 139 heroin samples that were known to have come from either Chinese or non-Chinese sources. It was found that after dichotomizing the distribution of the concentration of each element, a statistical model based on a linear combination of only eight elements, each significant at the 20% level of significance, explained as much as 78% of the variation in the probability of a heroin sample being of a Chinese source. This model had a high ability to discriminate between heroin samples from Chinese and non-Chinese sources, with a positive predictive value of 95% and a false positive rate of 15%.
Single-Dose Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Daclatasvir in Subjects with Renal Function Impairment

Background Daclatasvir (DCV) is a pangenotypic inhibitor of the HCV NS5A replication complex approved in Japan and Europe for combination treatment of HCV. AI444-063 was an open-label, two-stage, adaptive study assessing DCV pharmacokinetics and safety in HCV-uninfected subjects with renal impairment. Methods Stage 1 included 12 subjects with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis and 12 healthy controls (creatinine clearance [CLcr]≥90 ml/min, Cockcroft-Gault) matched by sex, age and weight. All participants received a single DCV 60-mg dose on day 1. DCV plasma levels were measured through day 4. Prespecified criteria for study expansion (ESRD versus control area under the curve extrapolated to infinite time [AUC] geometric mean ratio [GMR] upper 90% CI>1.5) were met; therefore, 12 subjects with moderate or severe renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 30–59 and 15–29 ml/min/1.73m2, respectively) were included in stage 2. Results All 36 participants (30 male, mean age 54 years) completed the study. DCV AUC ∞ was higher in ESRD subjects versus controls (GMR 1.264, 90% CI 0.989, 1.616). Compared with normal CLcr (90 ml/min), GMR and 90% CI for unbound DCV AUC ∞ at CLcr 60, 30 and 15 ml/min were 1.18 (1.07, 1.30), 1.39 (1.14, 1.70) and 1.51 (1.18, 1.94), respectively. DCV was generally well tolerated in subjects with normal renal function, ESRD, or moderate or severe renal impairment. Conclusions Observed DCV exposure increases were within the normal range of variability and were not associated with an elevated risk of adverse events. DCV can be administered in subjects with renal impairment, including ESRD, without dose modification. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01830205.
Clinical and Molecular Characterization of a Combined 17p13.3 Microdeletion with Partial Monosomy 21q21.3 in a 26-Year-Old Man

We led a clinical and molecular characterization of a patient with mild mental delay and dysmorphic features initially referred for cytogenetic exploration of an azoospermia. We employed FISH and array CGH techniques for a better definition and refinement of a double chromosome aberration associating a 17p microdeletion with partial monosomy 21q due to 1:3 meiotic segregation of a maternal reciprocal translocation t(17;21)(p13.3;q21.2) revealed after banding analysis. Brain MRI depicted partial callosal and mild diffuse cerebral atrophies, but without expected signs of lissencephaly. The patient’s karyotype formula was: 45,XY,der(17)t(17;21)(p13.3;q21.2)mat,–21. FISH study confirmed these rearrangements and array CGH analysis estimated the loss sizes to at least 635 kb on chromosome 17 and to 15.6 Mb on chromosome 21. The absence of lissencephaly and major brain malformations often associated with 17p terminal deletions could be attributed to the retention of PAFAH1B1, YWHAE and CRK genes. Dysmorphic features, moderate mental impairment and minor brain malformations could result from the 21q monosomy and particularly the partial deletion of the APP-SOD1 region. Azoospermia should result from gamete apoptosis induced by a control mechanism triggered in response to chromosome imbalances. Our study provides an additional case for better understanding and delineating both 17p and 21q deletions.
Porous Acellular Porcine Dermal Collagen Implants to Repair Fascial Defects in a Rat Model: Biomechanical Evaluation up to 180 Days

Aim: To investigate the biomechanical properties of porous collagen matrices in a rat abdominal wall defect model. Study Design: 112 rats were implanted with non-cross-linked InteXèn LP, cross-linked Pelvicol, and two investigational acellular collagen matrices (ACMs) sterilized either with ethylene oxide (ACM ETO) or γ-irradiation (ACM GI). After 14, 30, 90 and 180 days, 7 animals per group were sacrificed to document adhesions, herniation, infection, stress resistance and histology. Results: The 2 sterilization methods did not cause measurable differences between ACMs. Pelvicol was more resistant than ACMs but showed degradation at 90 days without loss of strength. InteXèn LP became remodeled as a thin fibrous scar and was more resistant at all time points; however, some animals developed bulging. Conclusions: Non-cross-linked InteXèn LP became remodeled by 180 days with remarkable stress resistance. Despite cross-linking Pelvicol showed degradation. Comparable but investigational ACM explants were less resistant without morphologic differences to explain this.
Cost-Effectiveness of Follow-Up of Pulmonary Nodules Incidentally Detected on Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiography in Patients With Suspected Coronary Artery Disease

Background— Pulmonary nodules (PNs) are often detected incidentally during coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography, which is increasingly being used to evaluate patients with chest pain symptoms. However, the efficiency of following up on incidentally detected PN is unknown. Methods and Results— We determined demographic and clinical characteristics of stable symptomatic patients referred for coronary CT angiography in whom incidentally detected PNs warranted follow-up. A validated lung cancer simulation model was populated with data from these patients, and clinical and economic consequences of follow-up per Fleischner guidelines versus no follow-up were simulated. Of the 3665 patients referred for coronary CT angiography, 591 (16%) had PNs requiring follow-up. The mean age of patients with PNs was 59±10 years; 66% were male; 67% had ever smoked; and 21% had obstructive coronary artery disease. The projected overall lung cancer incidence was 5.8% in these patients, but the majority died of coronary artery disease (38%) and other causes (57%). Follow-up of PNs was associated with a 4.6% relative reduction in cumulative lung cancer mortality (absolute mortality: follow-up, 4.33% versus non–follow-up, 4.54%), more downstream testing (follow-up, 2.34 CTs per patient versus non–follow-up, 1.01 CTs per patient), and an average increase in quality-adjusted life of 7 days. Costs per quality-adjusted life-year gained were $154 700 to follow up the entire cohort and $129 800 per quality-adjusted life-year when only smokers were included. Conclusions— Follow-up of PNs incidentally detected in patients undergoing coronary CT angiography for chest pain evaluation is associated with a small reduction in lung cancer mortality. However, significant downstream testing contributes to limited efficiency, as demonstrated by a high cost per quality-adjusted life-year, especially in nonsmokers.
A reflectance model for computer graphics

This paper presents a new reflectance model for rendering computer synthesized images. The model accounts for the relative brightness of different materials and light sources in the same scene. It describes the directional distribution of the reflected light and a color shift that occurs as the reflectance changes with incidence angle. The paper presents a method for obtaining the spectral energy distribution of the light reflected from an object made of a specific real material and discusses a procedure for accurately reproducing the color associated with the spectral energy distribution. The model is applied to the simulation of a metal and a plastic.
A Discussion of the Principle of Cultural Responsiveness: From Research to Practice and From History to Today.

The Special Education 2000 initiative (Ministry of Education, 1998) led to the creation of the role of Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). The role was designed to support inclusion, provide consistent service, and bring about improved outcomes for students with learning and behaviour difficulties and their teachers in Years 0–10. Guiding the management and practice of RTLB is the RTLB Toolkit (Ministry of Education, 2011a). Within the Toolkit, seven principles designed to guide RTLB practice are specified. These are: inclusive teaching, culturally-responsive, ecological approach, collaborative and seamless model of practice, strengths-based, reflective, and evidence- based practice. This article focuses specifically on the principle of culturally-responsive practice. It considers current literature and key documents from the Ministry of Education and discusses a case study that draws on a kaupapa Maˉori framework in order to achieve better outcomes when working with Maori whanau.
Effective spatial clustering methods for optimal facility establishment

Selecting optimal locations for new facilities is a critical decision in organizations that provide field-based services such as delivery, maintenance and emergency services. The total logistics cost and facility establishment cost are the main objectives of the location selection procedure. With the increasing size of this problem in today's applications, the aspects of efficiency and scalability have developed into major challenges. In this paper, we study the use of spatial clustering methods to solve this problem and propose two new algorithms. The new algorithms determine the optimal locations of the new facilities plus their optimal total count during the search process. We have conducted many experiments for empirical comparative study on the application of several spatial clustering algorithms for optimal facility establishment. The benchmarks are conducted with both real world and synthetic data sets. The results reveal advantages of the proposed algorithms and confirm that these algorithms have better performance in terms of efficiency and objectives in the field-based services. Hence, the higher scalability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms make them suitable solutions for the problem of optimal facility establishment with large databases.
Gender Differences in Progression to AIDS and Death After HIV Diagnosis

Results: Among the 1721 enrolled subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 1456 (84.6%) were male and 265 (15.4%) were female. Among all transmission routes, injecting drug use (IDU) was the most frequent for men (1262 = 86.7%) and sexual transmission was the most frequent for women (226 = 85.3%). The mean (SE) time of HIV to AIDS was 35.98 ± 0.95 months; 38.04 ± 1.09 for men and 27.85 ± 1.80 for women (P < 0.001, log rank test). Mean (SE) time of HIV to death was 31.74 ± 1.36 months; 31.83 ± 1.41 for men and 31.15 ± 4.47 for women (P = 0.773, log rank test). Conclusions: This study showed that HIV-infected women, as compared with men, had faster progression to AIDS. This result may indicate that women refer to health centers late, so they are diagnosed during the developed stages of the infection. Uninvited and multivariate tests were used and no difference was found between survival time of men and women.
Self Medication Practice among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in Selected Hospitals in Jos

A considerable proportion of pregnant women are exposed to drugs that have potential harm to their fetus. The aim of this study was to evaluate self-medication among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Jos. A convenience sampling was used to draw 120 participants from three selected hospital. Results reveal a high prevalence of self medication (85%) among the study group. Reasons for self medication were that, doctors are scarce and expensive to see, prior experience about the drug and illness is minor. The most frequently used category of drugs in this study was analgesic followed by antimalarials, vitamins, antacid, antibiotics and herbal remedies. It was concluded that dangers of using drugs in pregnancy should be emphasized during antenatal classes and women should not be allowed to have access to prescriptions.
Anal Function after Surgery for Low-Lying Rectal Cancer: Comparison of Mechanical and Hand-Sewn Coloanal Anastomosis

Background/Aims: Mechanical coloanal anastomosis (MCAA) or hand-sewn coloanal anastomosis (HCAA) are used in anus-preserving surgery for low-lying rectal cancer. Either method can be used if the lower edge of the tumor is 4-6 cm from the anal verge. The goal of this study was to evaluate differences in the anal function after MCAA or HCAA. Methods: The subjects were 305 consecutive patients with primary rectal cancer tumors situated 4-6 cm from the anal verge who underwent curative anus-preserving surgery between 2004 and 2013. Functional assessment was performed using a questionnaire at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after stoma closure. Results: Of the 305 patients, 145 underwent MCAA and 160 underwent HCAA. The median distance of the tumor from the anal verge was 6.0 cm (range 4.0-6.0) in the MCAA group and 4.5 cm (range 4.0-6.0) in the HCAA group (p < 0.001). A total of 192 patients (73%) responded to the 1-year questionnaire. The median Wexner score was 6 (range 0-17) in the MCAA group and 11 (range 0-20) in the HCAA group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Retention of anal function is feasible after both MCAA and HCAA. MCAA may contribute to better postoperative anal function compared to HCAA.
Effects of the duration of interval training rest periods on selected heart rates

Interval training has been widely advocated as an effective training stimulus (Counsilman, 1968). Interspersing the exercise bouts with rest periods can increase the quantity and intensity of exercise than can be sustained within a given time period (Astrand et al., 1960; Christensen et al., 1960), presumably since the rest periods prevent an excess accumulation of lactic acid (Christensen et al., 1960). In this regard, frequent short rest periods are more effective than infrequent but longer rest periods (Muller, 1953).
Tipifarnib Inhibits HRAS-Driven Dedifferentiated Thyroid Cancers.

Of the three RAS oncoproteins, only HRAS is delocalized and inactivated by farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTI), an approach yet to be exploited clinically. In this study, we treat mice bearing Hras-driven poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers (Tpo-Cre/HrasG12V/p53flox/flox ) with the FTI tipifarnib. Treatment caused sustained tumor regression and increased survival; however, early and late resistance was observed. Adaptive reactivation of RAS-MAPK signaling was abrogated in vitro by selective RTK (i.e., EGFR, FGFR) inhibitors, but responses were ineffective in vivo, whereas combination of tipifarnib with the MEK inhibitor AZD6244 improved outcomes. A subset of tumor-bearing mice treated with tipifarnib developed acquired resistance. Whole-exome sequencing of resistant tumors identified a Nf1 nonsense mutation and an activating mutation in Gnas at high allelic frequency, supporting the on-target effects of the drug. Cell lines modified with these genetic lesions recapitulated tipifarnib resistance in vivo This study demonstrates the feasibility of targeting Ras membrane association in cancers in vivo and predicts combination therapies that confer additional benefit.Significance: Tipifarnib effectively inhibits oncogenic HRAS-driven tumorigenesis and abrogating adaptive signaling improves responses. NF1 and GNAS mutations drive acquired resistance to Hras inhibition, supporting the on-target effects of the drug. Cancer Res; 78(16); 4642-57. ©2018 AACR.
Reports of Violence and Relationship Addiction: Triggers to Alcohol and Other Drug Relapse

&NA; Relapse is the most common outcome of programs treating addictive behaviors (James, 1993) with rates as high as 50%‐90% (Brownell et al., 1986). Women who cycle back into treatment for alcohol and other drug dependence after short periods of abstinence create a dilemma for addictions nurses and counselors. Often the addict encounters opposition by friends and family when entering treatment and delayed or misdirected treatment by professionals who fail to recognize symptoms and promote action in clinical practice (Finkelstein, 1994; Beckman and Amaro, 1986).
Replication of genetic loci implicated in diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE Recent genome-wide association studies for diabetic retinopathy (DR) have identified novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with this potentially blinding disease. These markers could prove useful in risk profiling, if the association are validated by replication. To date, these associations have not been well assessed in independent cohorts. The objective of this study was to ascertain any association of these polymorphisms with advanced stages of DR. METHODS A total of 463 patients who had either type 1 (n = 46) or 2 (n = 417) diabetes were genotyped for 24 SNPs previously implicated in DR. Cases (n = 163) were defined as people with severe nonproliferative DR or proliferative DR. Control participants (n = 300) with a confirmed duration of diabetes of at least 5 years had either no evidence of DR or only mild DR. RESULTS Two SNPs (rs1073203 and rs4838605) were found to be significantly associated with DR in patients with diabetes after adjusting for covariants; rs1073203-G (P = 0.012, odds ratio [OR] = 0.317, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.129-0.778), rs1073203 in a dominant model (P = 0.005, OR = 0.251, 95% CI: 0.096-0.655), rs4838605 in an additive model (P = 0.047, OR = 1.650, 95% CI: 1.007-2.703), In a dominant model rs1073203 (P = 0.027, OR = 1.400, 95% CI: 0.101-0.857), was significantly associated with DR in type 2 diabetes after adjustment for covariants. This study was sufficiently powered to replicate previous findings. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that two variants (rs1073203 and rs4838605) are associated with advanced stages of DR in our cohort. The underlying genes in these candidate regions provide interesting future gene association targets for understanding the pathogenesis of DR.
Circulating tumor cells and cholangiocarcinoma

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are shed from a primary tumor and can lead to metastasis. Modern techniques to detect these cells in the peripheral blood of patients have been developed over the past two decades, with early reports showing increased numbers of CTCs in cancer patients compared to controls and higher CTC numbers associated with more progressive disease [e.g., (1)]. Since then, studies have reported that higher peripheral CTCs associate with reduced survival in cancers of the breast, colon, bladder, prostate, ovary, and lung, and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (2-7). CTC enumeration has therefore been suggested as a possible cancer-screening tool, or as an instrument of prognostication.
Evolution of disparity between the regular and variant phloem in Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The phloem is a plant tissue with a critical role in plant nutrition and signaling. However, little is still known about the evolution of this tissue. In lianas of the Bignoniaceae, two distinct types of phloem coexist: a regular and a variant phloem. The cells associated with these two phloem types are known to be anatomically different; however, it is still unclear what steps were involved in the evolution of such differences. METHODS Here we studied the anatomical development of the regular and variant phloem in representatives of all 21 genera of Bignonieae and used a phylogenetic framework to investigate the timing of changes associated with the evolution of each phloem type. KEY RESULTS We found that the variant phloem always appears in a determinate location, between the leaf orthostichies. Furthermore, the variant phloem was mostly occupied by very wide sieve tubes and generally included a higher concentration of fibers, indicating an increase in conduction and mechanical support. On the other hand, the regular phloem included much more parenchyma, more and wider rays, and tiny sieve tubes that resembled terminal sieve tubes from plants with seasonal formation of vascular tissues; these findings suggest reduced conduction and higher storage capacity in the regular phloem. CONCLUSIONS Overall, differences between the regular and variant phloem increased over time, leading to further specialization in conduction in the variant phloem and an increase in storage specialization in the regular phloem.