Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PENTOXIFYLLINE DECREASES THE INCIDENCE OF MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE IN PATIENTS AFTER MAJOR CARDIO‐THORACIC SURGERY

We assessed the safety and efficacy of intravenous pentoxifylline [3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-xanthine] in patients at risk for developing multiple organ failure after major cardio-thoracic surgery in a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Of 816 consecutive patients who underwent major cardio-thoracic surgery, 40 who had Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score values ≥19 at the first postoperative day after the surgery were included. Patients were randomized to receive either placebo (control; n = 25) or intravenous pentoxifylline treatment (pentoxifylline; n = 15) at a dosage of 1.5 mg/kg/h as an adjunct to standard supportive therapy. Main outcome measurements were duration of required ventilator support, intensive care unit stay, and incidence of renal failure. Thirty-seven patients were eligible for evaluation. No significant adverse events related to pentoxifylline treatment were observed. The duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly greater for control patients (8.3 ± 3.1 days) compared with pentoxifylline-treated patients (3.1 ± .9 days; p < .05). Patients treated with pentoxifylline experienced fewer days on hemofiltration (1.2 ± .8 vs. 6.8 ± 3.3; p < .05) and a shorter intensive care unit stay (5.2 ± 1.1 vs 11.4 ± 3.1 days). There were no intergroup differences in mortality. Mortality was 33% in the pentoxifylline group and 36% among control group patients. In conclusion, supplemental pentoxifylline treatment may decrease the incidence of multiple organ failure in patients at risk of systemic inflammatory response syndrome after cardiac surgery. Additional studies are required to determine the validity of the observed effects.
Text line extraction in free style document

This paper addresses to text line extraction in free style document, such as business card, envelope, poster, etc. In free style document, global property such as character size, line direction can hardly be concluded, which reveals a grave limitation in traditional layout analysis. 'Line' is the most prominent and the highest structure in our bottom-up method. First, we apply a novel intensity function found on gradient information to locate text areas where gradient within a window have large magnitude and various directions, and split such areas into text pieces. We build a probability model of lines consist of text pieces via statistics on training data. For an input image, we group text pieces to lines using a simulated annealing algorithm with cost function based on the probability model.
Facing up to the Twin Deficits

A year ago, in appearing before the House Banking Committee to discuss the Federal Reserve's monetary policy for the year ahead, I emphasized that, after too many years of pain and instability, we had an enormous opportunity to sustain growth for years to come in an environment of much greater price stability. Today, after a year of strong recovery, that sense of the opportunities before us has only been reinforced. The simple fact is that the economy moved ahead faster, and unemployment dropped more sharply, than we or most others thought at all probable. At the same time, the inflation rate dropped further, to the point that producer prices were almost unchanged over the year as a whole and consumer prices rose by less than at any time over the past decade. The fact that we were able to combine strong growth with good price performance is what is so encouraging. It is the key to lasting
and job destruction: A sectoral model*

Summary. Three key features of the employment process in the U.S. economy are that job creation is procyclical, job destruction is countercyclical, and job creation is less volatile than job destruction. These features are also found at the sectoral (goods and services) level. The paper develops, calibrates and simulates a two-sector general equilibrium model that includes both aggregate and sectoral shocks. The behavior of the model economy mimics the job creation and destruction facts. A non negligible amount of unemployment arises due to the presence of aggregate and sectoral shocks.
A Secure Virtual Machine Deployment Strategy to Reduce Co-residency in Cloud

Due to sharing physical resource, the co-residency of virtual machine (VM) in cloud is inevitable, which brings many security threats, such as side channel attacks and covert channel threats. Most of previous work focused on detecting and resisting a bewildering variety of co-resident attacks. Generally, improving the VM deployment strategy can also mitigate the security threats of co-resident attacks effectively by reducing the probability of VM co-residency. In this paper, we propose a co-residency-resistant VM deployment strategy and define four thresholds to adjust the strategy for security and load balancing. Moreover, two metrics(VM co-residency probability and user co-residency coverage probability) are introduced to evaluate the deployment strategy. Finally, we implement the strategy and run experiments on both OpenStack and CloudSim. The results show that our strategy can reduce VM co-residency by 50% to 66.7% and user co-residency by 50% to 66% compared with the existing strategies.
Multiple epithelioid Spitz nevi or tumors with loss of BAP1 expression: a clue to a hereditary tumor syndrome.

IMPORTANCE Recently, a group of melanocytic tumors with loss of BAP1 expression has been described. The lesions may occur sporadically or as part of a familial cancer syndrome. They have distinct histopathologic features characterized by a nevus like silhouette and cytologic composition of large epithelioid melanocytes with oval vesicular nuclei, distinct nucleoli, and abundant cytoplasm. The large melanocytes are immunohistochemically characterized by loss of nuclear labeling for BAP1. OBSERVATIONS We describe a 21-year-old patient with multiple combined melanocytic proliferations composed of both a nevus component with strong BAP1 expression and a large epithelioid melanocyte population with loss of BAP1 expression. The occurrence of multiple BAP1 loss melanocytic lesions raised concerns about a possible germline mutation. Sequence analysis of DNA from lesional and nonlesional skin confirmed a BAP1 germline mutation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The presence of multiple clinically banal-appearing melanocytic lesions with childhood onset suggests that the combined lesions with BAP1 loss large epithelioid melanocytes described herein are probably combined nevi. Our findings also illustrate how the detection of a histopathologically distinct melanocytic lesion, coupled with knowledge of its possible association with a hereditary tumor syndrome, can lead to the suspicion and confirmation of a germline mutation.
Capital structure of social purpose companies – a panel data analysis

This paper examines the determinants of borrowing decisions of social enterprises. Following the streams of research dealing with for-profit firms and non-profit organisations, we apply a panel data analysis of 2228 Belgian social purpose companies over the period of 2004–2013. We find that, in their capital structures, Belgian social purpose companies show a high dependence on financial determinants such as profitability, nature of assets, growth opportunities, size, the probability of agency problem and the previous year's leverage. They also demonstrate a high susceptibility to activity domain, legal form, region and evolution over time. Our results are in line with the mainstream literature on both for-profit organisations and non-profit organisations. We conclude that the capital structure of social enterprises mixes features of both research streams.
Expediency of dengue illness classification: the Sri Lankan perspective Highly infectious tick-borne viral diseases: Kyasanur forest disease and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in India

Ticks are distributed worldwide and can harbourand transmit a range of pathogenic microorganisms that affect livestock and humans. Most tick-borne diseases are caused by tick-borne viruses. Two major tick-borne virus zoonotic diseases, Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), are notifiable in India and are associated with highmortality rates. KFD virus was first identified in 1957 in Karnataka state; the tick Haemaphysalis spinigera is the main vector. During 2012–2013, cases were reported from previouslyunaffected areas in Karnataka, and newer areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. These reports may be the result of improved active surveillance or may reflect altered virus transmission because of environmental change. CCHF is distributed in Asia, Africa and some part of Europe; Hyalomma spp. ticks are the main vectors. The existence of CCHF in India was first confirmed in 2011 in Gujaratstate. In 2013, a non-nosocomial CCHF outbreak in Amreli district, as well as positive tick, animal and human samples in various areas of Gujarat state, suggested that the virus is widespread in Gujarat state, India. The emergence of KFDand CCHF in various Indian states emphasizes the need for nationwide surveillance among animals and humans. There is a need for improved diagnostic facilities, more containment laboratories, better public awareness, and implementation ofthorough tick control in affected areas during epidemics.
The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network controversy: lessons and legacy

Purpose of reviewSeveral of the Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome Network clinical trials embrace a clinical trial design that evaluates contrasting strategies, one or both of which represents only a segment of standard practices. Such a trial design has engendered ethical controversy regarding the value of such trials and their ability to protect human subjects. During the past year, commentators have continued to reflect on the significance of such trials. Recent findingsSeveral authors have reflected on the ethical significance of the standard of care in clinical trial design and have offered a framework for determining control group selection in critical care trials. Other authors have written on methodologic issues and approaches to determine whether control groups are reflective of standard practices. Surveys have been performed to determine the impact and hence the relevancy of the Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome Network tidal volume trial on clinical practice. SummaryThe controversy related to and the impact of the Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome Network clinical trial design on clinical practice offer an opportunity to explore the trade-offs between explanatory and pragmatic types of clinical trials. Such discussions will lead to a clearer understanding of the value of both types of clinical trials and the optimal ethical conduct of such trials.
Increased levels of diadenosine polyphosphates in dry eye.

PURPOSE To analyze the levels of the diadenosine polyphosphates Ap4A and Ap5A in tears, in a set of control subjects and in groups of symptomatic and nonsymptomatic persons with dry eye. METHODS Ninety-seven subjects participated in the study. The subjects were divided into five experimental groups: control subjects; symptomatic patients with normal tear secretion; symptomatic patients with low tear secretion; forced blink; and corneal mechanical stimulation provided by a gas esthesiometer. The Schirmer I test was used to measure and collect tear secretions from each subject. All samples were processed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their Ap4A and Ap5A levels determined. RESULTS The levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in tears were greater in all symptomatic patients than in control subjects, especially in symptomatic subjects with low tear secretion. Within the symptomatic subjects with normal tear secretion, significant differences in concentrations of Ap4A and Ap5A were found between men and women. In the forced blink experiments, concentrations of the Ap4A and Ap5A rose with increasing blink frequency. When the cornea was mechanically stimulated, the levels of Ap4A and Ap5A rose significantly during both moderate and high-flow rate tests. CONCLUSIONS The increased levels of Ap4A and Ap5A in tears of patients with dry eye allow these dinucleotides to be used as objective biomarkers in dry eye conditions.
The selection criteria of collective bricolage: the case of the Listed-Buildings Institution

The paper studies the role of collective bricolage and material artefacts in the maintenance of an institution. It investigates the selection criteria that guide actors in their collective choice of resources, which they combine through bricolage in order to shape or reshape a material instantiation of an institution. The present case study concerns the Institution of Listed-Buildings, i.e. buildings protected as national patrimony. Through a Grounded-Theory Methodology, I analyse how actors and different stakeholders of construction works maintain the legitimacy of a listed building while modernizing it without distorting its embodied cultural heritage. Based on six selected listed buildings – three in Denmark and three in France – I identify a key dynamic of collective bricolage, notably how actors select material resources they have at hand. The findings point to their use of 1) a meta-resource that captures the essence of an institution, and 2) six different criteria that enable the selection of material resources complying with this meta-resource: individual preference, collective and field alignment, technical features, economics, time and space. These selection criteria facilitate collective decision-making among actors who seek to instantiate an institution through a shared meta-resource. In my empirical case, the actors instantiated the Listed-Buildings Institution through the meta-resource of authenticity, whose leitmotiv is " keeping the heritage above all ". The notions of meta-resource and selection criteria help us comprehend how actors collectively maintain an institution by instantiating it.
Physical Activity Levels During Acute Inpatient Admission After Hip Fracture are Very Low.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hip fractures are very common in older adults and result in serious health consequences. Early mobilization post-surgical intervention for hip fractures is very important. The purpose of this study was to determine physical activity levels during an acute inpatient admission of patients after surgery for hip fracture. METHODS The observational study was completed on an orthopaedic ward in an acute general hospital. Twenty patients (18 women, mean age ± standard deviation, 79.1 ± 9.3 years) post-surgical intervention for a hip fracture were included. Physical activity levels were measured using an accelerometer to record the percentage of time spent in lying/sitting, standing and walking, number of steps taken and average energy expenditure. RESULTS Physical activity levels were extremely low, with participants spending an average of 99% of the day either lying or sitting and a little more than 1% of the day either standing or walking (16 min). Participants took an average of 35.7 ± 80.4 steps per day. Patients received more physiotherapy intervention on weekdays compared with weekends. There was no significant difference in activity levels between weekdays to weekends. No measures of physical activity were associated with length of stay. A mild to moderate association (r = 0.26-0.41) was observed between the measures of physical activity and the amount of physiotherapy received during the weekdays. DISCUSSION Physical activity levels during an acute inpatient admission surgery for hip fracture are very low. Patients may have difficulty completing basic activities of daily living post-discharge into the community. Physical activity should be optimized as early in the rehabilitation process as able.
Comparison of Image Segmentation and Registration Based Methods for Analysis of Misaligned Dynamic H152O Cardiac PET Images

In this study, we compared quantitatively image segmentation and registration based methods to find misalignment between two dynamic H2 15O cardiac PET images. Due to a low contrast between tissues in oxygen-15-labeled images, we first applied independent component analysis (ICA) to separate the different cardiac structures. The misalignment was then defined from the separated ICA component images using two different methods. We used deformable models based dual surface minimization (DM-DSM) and normalized mutual information based image registration algorithms in the comparison. The evaluation was done using realistic phantom data, generated using the MCAT phantom and the PET SORTEO Monte Carlo simulator. The simulated data consisted patient movement between the image sets and in addition, to produce more realistic data the movement within one time frame due the respiratory and cardiac movement. The quantitative results showed that the image registration based method was more accurate to find the misalignment between the image sets than the segmentation based method. One reason for this was that the segmentation algorithm was more dependent on the quality of the ICA separation result.
Intravitreal Injection of Proinsulin-Loaded Microspheres Delays Photoreceptor Cell Death and Vision Loss in the rd10 Mouse Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

PURPOSE The induction of proinsulin expression by transgenesis or intramuscular gene therapy has been shown previously to retard retinal degeneration in mouse and rat models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of inherited conditions that result in visual impairment. We investigated whether intraocular treatment with biodegradable poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid microspheres (PLGA-MS) loaded with proinsulin has cellular and functional neuroprotective effects in the retina. METHODS Experiments were performed using the Pde6brd10 mouse model of RP. Methionylated human recombinant proinsulin (hPI) was formulated in PLGA-MS, which were administered by intravitreal injection on postnatal days (P) 14 to 15. Retinal neuroprotection was assessed at P25 by electroretinography, and by evaluating outer nuclear layer (ONL) cellular preservation. The attenuation of photoreceptor cell death by hPI was determined by TUNEL assay in cultured P22 retinas, as well as Akt phosphorylation by immunoblotting. RESULTS We successfully formulated hPI PLGA-MS to deliver the active molecule for several weeks in vitro. The amplitude of b-cone and mixed b-waves in electroretinographic recording was significantly higher in eyes injected with hPI-PLGA-MS compared to control eyes. Treatment with hPI-PLGA-MS attenuated photoreceptor cell loss, as revealed by comparing ONL thickness and the number of cell rows in this layer in treated versus untreated retinas. Finally, hPI prevented photoreceptor cell death and increased AktThr308 phosphorylation in organotypic cultured retinas. CONCLUSIONS Retinal degeneration in the rd10 mouse was slowed by a single intravitreal injection of hPI-PLGA-MS. Human recombinant proinsulin elicited a rapid and effective neuroprotective effect when administered in biodegradable microspheres, which may constitute a future potentially feasible delivery method for proinsulin-based treatment of RP.
THE ROLE OF INCENTIVES IN RAISING CARE-GIVING PRODUCTIVITY IN BOTSWANA CARE PROGRAMMES AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE KANYE CARE PROGRAMME

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Caregivers refers to either the primary caregivers who are the family and informal persons who take care of the sick person all the time; and community caregivers (called volunteers in Botswana) who are the Government recruited volunteer caregivers and move from one house to another to supervise and assist the primary caregivers in their care giving tasks. However, only the primary caregivers formed the research respondents.
Early Two-Stage Palatoplasty Using Modified Furlow's Veloplasty

Objective To achieve sufficient velopharyngeal function and maxillary growth for patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), the authors have designed a new treatment protocol for palate closure involving early two-stage palatoplasty with modified Furlow veloplasty. Details of the surgical protocol and the outcomes of the dental occlusion of patients at 4 years of age are presented. Design and Setting This was an institutional retrospective study. Patients Seventy-two UCLP patients were divided into two groups based on their treatment protocols: patients treated using the early two-stage palatoplasty protocol (ETS group; n = 30) and patients treated using Wardill-Kilner push-back palatoplasty performed at 1 year of age (PB group; n = 42). Interventions The features of the ETS protocol are as follows: The soft palate is repaired at 12 months of age using a modified Furlow technique. The residual cleft in the hard palate is closed at 18 months of age. Lip repair is carried out at 3 months of age with a modified Millard technique for all subjects. Results The ETS group showed a significantly better occlusal condition than the PB group. The incidence of normal occlusion at the noncleft side central incisor was 7.1% in the PB group; whereas, it was 66.7% in the ETS group. Conclusion The results indicate that the early two-stage protocol is advantageous for UCLP children in attaining better dental occlusion at 4 years of age.
Kinaesthesis: Its Measurement, Training and Relationship to Motor Control

This paper reviews studies which demonstrate the importance of kinaesthesis in the acquisition and performance of motor skills. A method of measuring kinaesthetic sensitivity in children and adults (recently developed) is briefly described. Developmental trends in kinaesthetic perception are discussed and large individual differences found within age groups. It was shown that kinaesthetically undeveloped children can be trained to perceive and memorize kinaesthetic information with greatly improved accuracy. Furthermore perceptual training facilitates the performance of a drawing skill. On the basis of these results an argument is made for the importance of kinaesthesis in skilled motor behaviour.
Risk stratification in the long-QT syndrome.

BACKGROUND Mutations in potassium-channel genes KCNQ1 (LQT1 locus) and KCNH2 (LQT2 locus) and the sodium-channel gene SCN5A (LQT3 locus) are the most common causes of the long-QT syndrome. We stratified risk according to the genotype, in conjunction with other clinical variables such as sex and the length of the QT interval. METHODS We evaluated 647 patients (386 with a mutation at the LQT1 locus, 206 with a mutation at the LQT2 locus, and 55 with a mutation at the LQT3 locus) from 193 consecutively genotyped families with the long-QT syndrome. The cumulative probability of a first cardiac event, defined as the occurrence of syncope, cardiac arrest, or sudden death before the age of 40 years and before the initiation of therapy, was determined according to genotype, sex, and the QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc). Within each genotype we also assessed risk in the four categories derived from the combination of sex and QTc (<500 msec or > or =500 msec). RESULTS The incidence of a first cardiac event before the age of 40 years and before the initiation of therapy was lower among patients with a mutation at the LQT1 locus (30 percent) than among those with a mutation at the LQT2 locus (46 percent) or those with a mutation at the LQT3 locus (42 percent) (P<0.001 by Fisher's exact test). Multivariate analysis showed that the genetic locus and the QTc, but not sex, were independent predictors of risk. The QTc was an independent predictor of risk among patients with a mutation at the LQT1 locus and those with a mutation at the LQT2 locus but not among those with a mutation at the LQT3 locus, whereas sex was an independent predictor of events only among those with a mutation at the LQT3 locus. CONCLUSIONS The locus of the causative mutation affects the clinical course of the long-QT syndrome and modulates the effects of the QTc and sex on clinical manifestations. We propose an approach to risk stratification based on these variables.