Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis: ultrasound findings in the early stage of the disease.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of bone erosions detectable by US in patients with early RA (ERA) in comparison with long-standing RA (LSRA), other erosive diseases and healthy controls. METHODS Thirty patients with ERA and 80 patients with LSRA were consecutively recruited. Thirty patients with PsA, 15 with primary OA, 10 with gout and 20 healthy subjects were included as controls. Bone erosions were investigated at the following anatomical sites: the second and fifth metacarpal heads, the ulnar head and the first and fifth metatarsal heads, bilaterally. Dorsal, volar and lateral aspects were explored on longitudinal and transverse views. RESULTS At least one US bone erosion was found in 20 (66.7%) of 30 patients with ERA and in 10 (33%) of them it was found on the fifth metatarsal head. Bone erosions were most frequently found on the lateral quadrants of all scanned anatomical sites. If the second and fifth metacarpal heads and the fifth metatarsal head were scanned, an erosive disease could be found in 60% of ERA patients. The first metatarsal head was most frequently involved in the disease control group. CONCLUSION This study found a high percentage of ERA patients with US bone erosions, with the fifth metatarsal head and the lateral aspects the most frequently involved site and quadrants. US scanning for bone erosions on a few target joints was found feasible and provided information not obtainable with clinical examination.
FINDING SIMPLIFIED FUZZY IF-THEN RULES FOR FUNCTION APPROXIMATION PROBLEMS USING A FUZZY DATA MINING APPROACH

ABSTRACT A fuzzy if-then rule whose consequent part is a real number is referred to as a simplified fuzzy rule. Since no defuzzification is required for this rule type, it has been widely used in function approximation problems. Furthermore, data mining can be used to discover useful information by exploring and analyzing data. Therefore, this paper proposes a fuzzy data mining approach to discover simplified fuzzy if-then rules from numerical data in order to approximate an unknown mapping from input to output. Since several pre-specified parameters for deriving fuzzy rules are not easily specified, they are automatically determined by the genetic algorithm with binary chromosomes. To evaluate performance of the proposed method, computer simulations are performed on various numerical data sets, showing that the fitting ability and the generalization ability of the proposed method are comparable to the known fuzzy rule-based methods.
Hemodynamic and catecholamine stress responses to insertion of the Combitube, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal intubation.

UNLABELLED In a prospective, randomized, and controlled trial, we compared the stress responses after insertion of the Combitube (CT; Kendall-Sheridan Catheter Corp., Argyle, NY), the laryngeal mask airway (LMA), or endotracheal intubation (ET). Seventy-five patients scheduled for routine urological or gynecological surgery were randomly allocated to one of three groups and were ventilated via either an ET, a LMA, or a CT. All three devices could be inserted easily and rapidly, providing adequate ventilation and oxygenation. Insertion of the CT was associated with a significant increase in mean maximal systolic arterial pressure (160+/-32 mm Hg) and diastolic arterial pressure (91+/-17 mm Hg) compared with ET (140+/-24, 78+/-11 mm Hg; P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively) or insertion of the LMA (115+/-33,63+/-22 mm Hg, both P < 0.001). The mean maximal epinephrine and norepinephrine plasma concentrations after insertion of the CT (37.3+/-31.1 and 279+/-139 pg/mL, respectively) were significantly higher than those after ET (35.8+/-89.8 and 195+/-58 pg/mL, respectively) or insertion of a LMA (17.3+/-13.3 and 158+/-67 pg/mL, respectively). This might be attributed to the pressure of the pharyngeal cuff of the CT on the anterior pharyngeal wall. We conclude that insertion of the CT causes a pronounced stress response and that precautions should be taken when used in patients at risk of hypertensive bleeding. IMPLICATIONS In this study, we showed that the hemodynamic and catecholamine stress responses after insertion of the Combitube (Kendall-Sheridan Catheter Corp., Argyle, NY) were significantly higher compared with laryngeal mask airway or endotracheal intubation. We conclude that the increased stress response to insertion of a Combitube may represent a serious hazard to patients with cardiovascular disease.
Concurrent Actions and Changes in the Situation Calculus Jos

In this paper we investigate concurrent actions and changes. We extend the standard situation calculus with concurrent actions and show that the extended situation calculus has the same expressive power as the original one. In the extended situation calculus we identify and focus on the composition problem which relates eeects of concurrent actions to those of their component actions. A defeasible solution to the composition problem is proposed. The believability of some choices of default rules for the composition problem and atomicity of actions are discussed. We also provide some simple examples to illustrate the usefulness of our defeat rules. The result of this paper has been used in an abductive planner based on extended logic programs with explicit negation.
Public attitudes to compulsory health programmes: generating questions from a focus group to support a willingness to pay study

Background The willingness to pay approach to valuing goods has been heavily criticised due to perceived biases in their resultant valuations. Recently, attempts have been made to use data relating to respondent attitudes to produce better informed preferences and remove "warm glow". This paper reports a study that uses rigorous methods by which salient attitudes can be identified and measured for use in a subsequent willingness to pay study. The topic area is that of compulsory health programmes (CHPs). Methods Six focus groups were undertaken among members of the public using a questioning route designed to highlight different attitudes between CHPs. Framework analysis was used, including thematic and contrast charting, to identify themes that described the issues raised by participants. The resultant coding framework was translated into a set of scales which were then used in a survey of 831 members of the general population. Factor analysis was applied to identify latent themes. Results Analysis of the focus group transcripts highlighted seven themes relating to the effects of policy, alternatives, the role of government, uncertainties, coherence of policy, rights and responsibilities, and other issues. These themes were translated into 48 statements that were used as attitude scales. The factor analysis of the general population survey identified 4 latent factors: "common sense", "government", "warm glow" and "rights and responsibilities". Conclusions The focus group work described in this paper shows that across individuals, coherent themes relating to public health and compulsion can be identified. It also demonstrates sophisticated thinking by participants about public health issues. This study shows that the work of Nunes (2002) and Pouta (2004) is potentially generalisable to other topic areas and that their methods can be improved upon. This work has been used in a subsequent analysis of WTP responses by using the attitudinal scales in an attempt to elicit better informed preferences and explain responses in terms of underlying attitudes and "warm glow".
On the stationary states in gradient echo imaging

A formalism is presented that concisely describes the magnetization of a sample subjected to a periodic series of RF pulses. In this formalism, the steady state of the magnetization is shown to be a sum of magnetic substates, each with unique contrast characteristics. When more than one substate contributes to a given image, the substates interfere with each other, producing ghosts and other artifacts. Properly designed gradient protocols can image single substates, producing ghost‐free images. The contrast of the image depends largely on the choice of the imaged substate. Analytic solutions for unspoiled, RF spoiled, and gradient spoiled magnetizations are presented.
Morphine administration during low ovarian hormone stage results in transient over expression of fear memories in females

Acute exposure to morphine after a traumatic event reduces trauma related symptoms in humans and conditioned fear expression in male rats. We aimed to determine whether acute administration of morphine alters consolidation of fear learning and extinction. Male and female rats in proestrus and metaestrus (high and low ovarian hormones respectively) underwent fear conditioning and received saline or morphine (2.5 mg/kg s.c.). The next day they underwent extinction. Results showed increased freezing during extinction only in the morphine metaestrus group while morphine did not affect males or proestrus females. Recall of extinction was similar on all groups. On a second experiment, a subset of rats conditioned during metaestrus was administered morphine prior to extinction producing no effects. We then measured mu opioid receptor (MOR) expression in the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG) at the end of extinction (day 2). In males and proestrus females, morphine caused an increase in MOR in the amygdala but no in the PAG. In metaestrus females, morphine did not change MOR expression in either structure. These data suggests that ovarian hormones may interact with MORs in the amygdala to transiently alter memory consolidation. Morphine given after trauma to females with low ovarian hormones might increase the recall of fear responses, making recovery harder.
"Whiplash Associated Disorders: Redefining Whiplash and Its Management" by the Quebec Task Force: A Critical Evaluation

Study Design. The two publications of the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash‐Associated Disorders were evaluated by the authors of this report for methodologic error and bias. Objectives. To determine whether the conclusions and recommendations of the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash‐Associated Disorders regarding the natural history and epidemiology of whiplash injuries are valid. Summary of the Background Data. In 1995, the Quebec Task Force authored a text (published by the Societe de I'Assurance Automobile du Quebec) and a pull‐out supplement in Spine entitled "Whiplash‐Associated Disorders: Redefining Whiplash and its Management. " The Quebec Task Force concluded that whiplash injuries result in "temporary discomfort," are "usually self‐limited," and have a "favorable prognosis," and that the "pain [resulting from whiplash injuries] is not harmful. " Methods. The authors of the current report reviewed the text and the supplement for methodologic flaws that may have threatened the validity of the conclusions and recommendations of the Quebec Task Force. Results. Five distinct and significant categories of methodologic error were found. They were: selection bias, information bias, confusing and unconventional use of terminology, unsupported conclusions and recommendations, and inappropriate generalizations from the Quebec Cohort Study. Conclusion. The validity of the conclusions and recommendations of the Quebec Task Force regarding the natural course and epidemiology of whiplash injuries is questionable. This lack of validity stems from the presence of bias, the use of unconventional terminology, and conclusions that are not concurrent with the literature the Task Force accepted for review. Although the Task Force set out to redefine whiplash and its management, striving for the desirable goal of clarification of the numerous contentious issues surrounding the injury, its publications instead have confused the subject further.
Loneliness, Resilience, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Old Age: A Structural Equation Model

Objectives: In the scientific literature on aging, a recent core issue has been the role of individuals' internal and external resources, which are considered intrinsically connected, in contributing synergistically to physical and psychological quality of life (QoL). The current study investigates the way in which psychological factors—such as, loneliness, resilience, and mental states, in terms of depression and anxiety symptoms—affect the perceived QoL among elderly individuals. Method: Data from 290 elderly Italian participants were used to study the mediation effects of both mental health and resilience to elucidate the relationship between loneliness and psychophysical QoL. Results: The best model we obtained supports the mediation effect of both resilience and mental health between loneliness and mental and physical QoL. These results highlight that loneliness influences mental and physical QoL via two pathways, with the impact of loneliness mediated by mental health and resilience dimensions. Conclusions: The findings suggest the importance of the support that elderly people receive from social relationships. In terms of clinical interventions, the reduction of loneliness could be an important factor in primary prevention or the recovery process. A way to reduce levels of mental distress could be represented by the increasing of resilience and self-efficacy and reduction of loneliness dissatisfaction. A high degree of resiliency contributes to increasing perceived life quality at the physical and psychological levels, and at the same time, reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Growing Up in the Forest Ethnographic Study on Mbya Childrearing Values and Practices

Although some cultural analyses still use simplistic dualisms such as collectivism vs individualism or interdependence vs autonomy, a balance between individual and collective goals and values is noticeable in many Indigenous communities. Mbya Guarani perspectives on children’s growth and development, emphasizes the balance between interdependence and autonomy as complementary values. This article examines the ideas of reciprocity, respect, autonomy, and interdependence of lives and the impact of these on children’s development and health. Using an ecological perspective that recognizes humans’ relationship with other living beings that inhabit the forest, this article is based on ethnographic research conducted in two Mbya Guarani communities (Argentina). Respect and reciprocity are key for children to develop as part of the community and the forest and they are related to children ́s wellbeing and health. I describe Mbya perspectives on children’s growth and development, providing examples of environmentally relevant skills to grow up in the forest. These skills are associated with particular ways of inhabiting the forest, including learning how to walk in it and developing entendimiento (understanding). These make possible children’s integration in community life through their participation and collaboration in daily activities.
Research Paper: Who Uses the Patient Internet Portal? The PatientSite Experience

OBJECTIVE Although the patient Internet portal is a potentially transformative technology, there is little scientific information about the demographic and clinical characteristics of portal enrollees and the features that they access. DESIGN We describe two pilot studies of a comprehensive Internet portal called PatientSite. These pilots include a prospective one-year cohort study of all patients who enrolled in April 2003 and a case-control study in 2004 of enrollees and nonenrollees at two hospital-based primary care practices. MEASUREMENTS The cohort study tracked patient enrollment and features in PatientSite that enrollees accessed, such as laboratory and radiology results, prescription renewals, appointment requests, managed care referrals, and clinical messaging. The case-control study used medical record review to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of 100 randomly selected PatientSite enrollees and 100 nonenrollees. RESULTS PatientSite use grew steadily after its introduction. New enrollees logged in most frequently in the first month, but 26% to 77% of the cohort continued to access the portal at least monthly. They most often examined laboratory and radiology results and sent clinical messages to their providers. PatientSite enrollees were younger and more affluent and had fewer medical problems than nonenrollees. CONCLUSION Expanding the use of patient portals will require an understanding of obstacles that prevent access for those who might benefit most from this technology.
TRANSIENT ATTENTIONAL ENHANCEMENT DURING THE ATTENTIONAL BLINK: EEG CORRELATES OF THE ST 2 MODEL

The Attentional Blink (AB) is a well studied temporal attention phenomenon, and is particularly suitable for investigating the nature and limits of conscious perception. The AB employs Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP), in which a sequence of items is presented at the same spatial location at a rate of around 10 items per second, with each item rapidly replacing the previous one. At such speeds, the items presented, some of which are targets to be detected and others are irrelevant distractors, yield only fleeting mental representations, resulting in targets often being missed. In the AB, detection of a second target (T2) following a correctly identified first target (T1) is significantly impaired if T2 follows T1 within 200-600 ms. There has been considerable recent interest in the identification of neural correlates of the AB, and the development of neurally explicit explanations of it, a prominent one being the Simultaneous Type Serial Token (ST 2 ) [1] neural model. In addition to incorporating computationally explicit accounts of visual processing, item identification, attentional selection and working memory encoding, the model proposes the episodic distinctiveness hypothesis, i.e., that the AB reflects a system attempting to allocate unique episodic contexts to targets. Importantly, it suggests that when the visual system detects an item that may be task relevant, a spatially specific Transient Attentional Enhancement (TAE), called the ‘blaster’ is triggered. For a fleeting stimulus such as that arising in RSVP, the contribution of this enhancement is critical in enabling the stimulus to be encoded into working memory. This paper reports on our investigations into EEG activity during the AB, and a hypothesized correlation between the blaster and the N2pc ERP component [2]. The N2pc describes a negative deflection of the ERP at around 190-300 ms after the presentation of a laterally offset target, and is most strongly visible at posterior electrodes contralateral to the position of the target. Previous research has associated the N2pc with the selection of a target in the presence of competing distractors. We discuss findings that, in the context of the AB, suggest a correspondence between blaster activity and manifestation of the N2pc. Specifically, we demonstrate that the temporal firing pattern of the blaster in the model matches the N2pc component in human ERP recordings, for T1s and T2s that are seen and missed during the AB. Such a correlation between a computational account of the AB and ERP data provides useful insights into the processes underlying selectivity in temporal attention.
Hand and Mouth: Cortical Correlates of Lexical Processing in British Sign Language and Speechreading English

Spoken languages use one set of articulatorsthe vocal tract, whereas signed languages use multiple articulators, including both manual and facial actions. How sensitive are the cortical circuits for language processing to the particular articulators that are observed? This question can only be addressed with participants who use both speech and a signed language. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare the processing of speechreading and sign processing in deaf native signers of British Sign Language (BSL) who were also proficient speechreaders. The following questions were addressed: To what extent do these different language types rely on a common brain network? To what extent do the patterns of activation differ? How are these networks affected by the articulators that languages use? Common peri-sylvian regions were activated both for speechreading English words and for BSL signs. Distinctive activation was also observed reflecting the language form. Speechreading elicited greater activation in the left mid-superior temporal cortex than BSL, whereas BSL processing generated greater activation at the temporo-parieto-occipital junction in both hemispheres. We probed this distinction further within BSL, where manual signs can be accompanied by different types of mouth action. BSL signs with speech-like mouth actions showed greater superior temporal activation, whereas signs made with non-speech-like mouth actions showed more activation in posterior and inferior temporal regions. Distinct regions within the temporal cortex are not only differentially sensitive to perception of the distinctive articulators for speech and for sign but also show sensitivity to the different articulators within the (signed) language.
Nonsupersymmetric brane vacua in stabilized compactifications

We derive the equations for the nonsupersymmetric vacua of D3-branes in the presence of nonperturbative moduli stabilization in type IIB flux compactifications, and solve and analyze them in the case of two particular 7-brane embeddings at the bottom of the warped deformed conifold. In the limit of large volume and long throat, we obtain vacua by imposing a constraint on the 7-brane embedding. These vacua fill out continuous spaces of higher dimension than the corresponding supersymmetric vacua, and have negative effective cosmological constant. Perturbative stability of these vacua is possible but not generic. Finally, we argue that -branes at the tip of the conifold share the same vacua as D3-branes.
Connecting Knowledge and Performance in Public Services: Notes on contributors

List of figures List of tables List of boxes Foreword Chris Hood 1. Introduction: knowledge and performance - theory and practice Kieran Walshe, Gill Harvey and Pauline Jas 2. Knowledge from inspection: external oversight and information to improve performance Steve Martin 3. How is information used to improve public performance? Exploring the dynamics of performance information Steven Van de Walle and Wouter Van Dooren 4. Citizens, users or consumers: the voice of the public and its influence on improving performance Ian Greener 5. Competition and contestability: the place of markets in connecting information and performance improvement Carol Propper and Deborah Wilson 6. The role of corporate governance and boards in organizational performance Chris Cornforth and Naomi Chambers 7. Change at the top: connecting political and managerial transition with performance George Boyne, Oliver James, Peter John and Nicolai Petrovsky 8. The role of leadership in knowledge creation and transfer for organizational learning and improvement Jean Hartley and Lyndsay Rashman 9. Process improvement and lean thinking: using knowledge and information to improve performance Zoe Radnor 10. Using evidence: how social research could be better used to improve public service performance Huw Davies, Sandra Nutley and Isabel Walter 11. Absorptive capacity: how organizations assimilate and apply knowledge to improve performance Gill Harvey, Pauline Jas, Kieran Walshe and Chris Skelcher 12. Knowing through doing: unleashing latent dynamic capabilities in the public sector Ann Casebeer, Trish Reay, James Dewald and Amy Pablo 13. Conclusions: a puzzle, three pieces, many theories and a problem Colin Talbot Index.