Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implantable port thrombosis in cancer patients: a monocentric experience

Objective: Implantable port thrombosis (IPT) in cancer patients is a relatively rare but severe complication. Several factors are reportedly associated with the occurrence of thrombosis. We aimed to describe the prevalence and the anatomoclinical features of IPT observed in cancer patients who were treated in a medical oncology department in Tunisia. Methods: A total of 600 cancer patients who had port implantation from January 2013 to December 2015 were retrospectively identified. Cases with symptomatic/incidental IPT (radiologically confirmed) were further identified. Epidemiological and anatomoclinical features were collected from patient records and the department database. Results: We observed that 33 of the 600 patients had IPT; thus, the prevalence was 5.5%. The median age was 57 years, and the gender ratio was 0.43. Overweight or obesity was observed in 73% of the patients. IPT occurred mainly in patients with breast (36.4%) and colorectal (33.3%) cancers, which were mostly nonmetastatic (79%). At least one identified classical thromboembolic risk factor was found in 13 patients (smoking in 9, tamoxifen in 2). IPT was symptomatic in 93% of the cases, occurring within an average time of 56 days. Implantable ports were removed because of infection in 2 cases and nonfunctionality in 3 cases. IPT treatment was based on low-molecular-weight heparins (94%) and antivitamin K (6%) for an average of 130 days. Four patients had post-therapy complications: one thrombosis recurrence and three infections. Conclusions: IPT cases in the 600 patients were observed to occur in obese nonmetastatic cancer patients within the first 3 months after IP implantation.
Executive retention and acquisition outcomes: A test of opposing views on the influence of organizational tenure

This study considers the influence of retained acquired company top executives on the eventual outcome of corporate acquisitions. We test opposing views on how the organizational tenure of those executives could lead to the retention and divestiture of acquired companies. The Resource-based View (RBV) suggests that keeping acquired company top executives with longer organizational tenure will lead to more successful acquisition outcomes, as those executives have organization-specific knowledge that would facilitate effective implementation of the acquisition. By contrast, the Upper Echelons Perspective (UEP) suggests that retained top executives having short organizational tenure will lead to more successful outcomes, as they would have the adaptability to manage most effectively during the uncertainty and difficulty of the acquisition. Results of logistic regression analyses of 104 acquisitions followed over 5 years supported the RBV. Apparently, the benefits of long organizational tenure, such as more intimate understanding of the acquired company, lead to more successful outcomes than the benefits of short organizational tenure. The findings do not support the argument that drawbacks of long organizational tenure, such as commitment to the strategic status quo and rigidity, are detrimental after uncertainty and disruption. The results further suggest that one reason for the high frequency of acquisition failure might be because of the retention—and departures—of the wrong acquired company top executives.
Repetition in Music: Theoretical and Metatheoretical Perspectives

Good ideas are often simple. When we meet one, we ask: why was this never proposed before? So it is with Ockelford’s zygonic theory of music, presented in Repetition in Music: Theoretical and Metatheoretical Perspectives.1 Its vivid diagrams and lucid writing cast new glows and shadows on familiar music and theory. Reading the book, one is struck by the clarity of Ockelford’s vision and the directness with which he pursues its goals. The theory goes like this: music is judged aesthetically pleasing to the extent it is perceived as orderly. It is perceived as orderly to the extent it seems to imitate itself; this impression of orderliness intensifies to the extent the imitation coordinates between several perceptual attributes simultaneously or occurs at multiple levels of structure. Analysis finds and depicts the orderliness.2 Once familiar with Ockelford’s theory, one notices that the unflagging, inevitable terms ‘repetition’, ‘equivalence’, ‘imitation’, ‘parallelism’, and in some sense even ‘development’, ‘similarity’ and ‘coherence’ – though each has its own set of contexts where its use is traditionally deemed appropriate – can all be grouped under one rubric: zygonicity, which means perceived orderliness arising from the perception of matched pairs. A zygon is a matched pair: twins. Zygonicity varies in degree by categories (imperfect and perfect) or on a quantitative continuum. Ockelford’s theory applies so broadly that one initially wonders whether it leaves room for any other theories. Yet, alas, its schematic nature makes it as much a metatheory as a theory – hence ‘metatheoretical’ in the book’s title. It builds on other theories because theories tend to model a specific perceptual attribute (pitch, contour, harmony, timbre, etc.), which may itself be a source of zygonicity. With this schematic model the analyst works at the pan-theoretic level; the coherence of the music and the way the coherence arises are factored into separate roles in analysis.3 To visualize this, Ockelford develops a simple but
Primordial Non-Gaussianity and Dark Energy Constraints from Cluster Surveys

Galaxy cluster surveys will be a powerful probe of dark energy. At the same time, cluster abundance is sensitive to any non-Gaussianity of the primordial density field. It is therefore possible that non-Gaussian initial conditions might be misinterpreted as a sign of dark energy or at least degrade the expected constraints on dark energy parameters. To address this issue, we perform a likelihood analysis of an ideal cluster survey similar in size and depth to the upcoming South Pole Telescope survey and Dark Energy Survey. We analyze a model in which the strength of the non-Gaussianity is parameterized by the constant fNL; this model has been used extensively to derive cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy constraints on non-Gaussianity, allowing us to make contact with those works. We find that the constraining power of the cluster survey on dark energy observables is not significantly diminished by non-Gaussianity, provided that cluster redshift information is included in the analysis. We also find that even an ideal cluster survey is unlikely to significantly improve current and future CMB constraints on non-Gaussianity. However, when all systematics are under control, such surveys could constitute a valuable cross-check on CMB observations.
[Helixor--mistletoe preparation for cancer therapy. Documentation No. 19].

Helixor is an aqueous cold extract from fresh mistletoe, obtained from fir, pine and apple trees. A number of components with different possible effects were isolated: lectins, viscotoxins, alkaloids, etc. "Oncological therapy" and "stimulation of the bone marrow" are given as the main fields of indication. Pregnancy, hyperthyroidism and intolerances are given as contraindications. Depending on the type and the stage of the tumour, treatment based on a specific rhythmic schedule should be carried out for a period ranging from five years to a lifetime. A 7-ampoule pack costs 37 to 44 DM. Local inflammatory reactions occur as side effects. Fever is desirable. Helixor was developed by the Section for Leukemia and Cancer Therapy of the Gemein-schaft Fischermühle e. V. in Rosenfeld, FRG, and has been used since about 1968. It is produced and distributed by Helixor Heilmittel GmbH & Co. The origin of anticancer treatment with Helixor, a mistletoe preparation, is the anthroposophical medicine. In addition, Helixor supposedly bridges the dramatic gap between conventional and natural treatment of cancer in that it exerts both a selective cancerostatic and an immunostimulatory effect. Hardly any research has been done on the pharmacodynamics, the pharmacokinetics and the toxicity of the total extract Helixor. In vitro studies reveal a cytostatic effect on individual cell lines; animal experiments with freshly pressed juice are contradictory. Specific effects of Helixor on the immune system and its actual bearing on the tumour process have so far not been unequivocally elucidated. The three clinical-historical comparative studies contain methodological errors. They do not provide evidence of the clinical efficacy against tumours. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A multicentre observational study of presentation and early assessment of acute stroke

Abstract Objective:To investigate delays in the presentation to hospital and evaluation of patients with suspected stroke. Design: Multicentre prospective observational study. Setting: 22 hospitals in the United Kingdom and Dublin. Participants: 739 patients with suspected stroke presenting to hospital. Main outcome measures: Time from onset of stroke symptoms to arrival at hospital, and time from arrival to evaluation by a senior doctor. Results: The median age of patients was 75 years, and 400 were women. The median delay between onset of symptoms and arrival at hospital was 6 hours (interquartile range 1 hour 48minutes to 19 hours 12 minutes). 37% of patients arrived within 3 hours, 50% within 6 hours. The median delay for patients using the emergency service was 2 hours 3 minutes (47 minutes to 7 hours 12 minutes) compared with 7 hours 12 minutes (2 hours 5 minutes to 20 hours 37 minutes) for referrals from general practitioners (P<0.0001). Use of emergency services reduced delays to hospital (odds ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 0.61). The median time to evaluation by a senior doctor was 1 hour 9 minutes (interquartile range 33 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes) but was undertaken in only 477 (65%) patients within 3 hours of arrival. This was not influenced by age, sex, time of presentation, mode of referral, hospital type, or the presence of a stroke unit. Computed tomography was requested within 3 hours of arrival in 166 (22%) patients but undertaken in only 60 (8%). Conclusion: Delays in patients arriving at hospital with suspected stroke can be reduced by the increased use of emergency services. Over a third of patients arrive at hospital within three hours of stroke; their management can be improved by expediting medical evaluation and performing computed tomography early.
On the nature of lithium-rich giant stars. Constraints from beryllium abundances

We have derived beryllium abundances for 7 Li-rich giant (A(Li) > 1.5) stars and 10 other Li-normal giants with the aim of investigating the origin of the lithium in the Li-rich giants. In particular, we test the predictions of the engulfment scenario proposed by Siess & Livio (1999, MNRAS, 308, 1133), where the engulfment of a brown dwarf or one or more giant planets would lead to simultaneous enrichment of 7 Li and 9 Be. We show that regardless of their nature, none of the stars studied in this paper were found to have detectable beryllium. Using simple dilution arguments we show that engulfment of an external object as the sole source of Li enrichment is ruled out by the Li and Be abundance data. The present results favor the idea that Li has been produced in the interior of the stars by a Cameron-Fowler process and brought up to the surface by an extra mixing mechanism.
User-interface design for medical informatics: a case study of Kaiser Permanente

User interfaces (Uis) for client-server and Web based products and services must enable users around the world to access complex data and functions. Solutions to successful user interface design, including information visualization consist of partially universal and partially local solutions to the design of metaphors, mental models, navigation, appearance, and interaction. By managing the user's experience of familiar structures and processes, the user interface designer can achieve compelling forms that enable the user interface to be more usable and acceptable to a wider range of users. The user will be more productive and satisfied with the product in many different locations globally. The article presents some guidelines for UI design and reviews the design of prototypes for Kaiser Permanente's clinical information system, with an emphasis on navigation and appearance improvements.
Fungal Genome Initiative A White Paper for Fungal Comparative Genomics October 10 , 2003

Our June 2003 Fungal Genome Initiative (FGI) white paper named 44 organisms that were chosen to address a wide range of biological questions. GRASPP's review of that proposal was justifiably critical of our failure to identify specific questions in human health and biology that would be served by sequencing these genomes. In response to these comments we now submit a list of seven fungi whose genome sequence will enable substantial advances in two research areas central to the mission of the NHGRI: 1. Comparative analysis of pathogenesis. We have selected five fungi that will leverage existing sequence data to provide highly informative comparisons between aggressive human pathogens and nonpathogenic or less aggressive but phylogenetically closely related organisms. These fungi will directly contribute to our understanding of the pathogenicity of Candida, Coccidioides, Histoplasma and Cryptococcus. 2. Annotation of functional sequence elements in a model filamentous fungus. A high-quality annotation for a reference filamentous fungus is sorely lacking. Neurospora crassa is the most well-understood and most widely studied filamentous fungus and the best choice as this reference. The ease of manipulation of Neurospora makes it especially valuable to those studying similar genes and pathways in other fungi, especially highly infectious BL3 organisms such as Coccidioides immitis and Histoplasma capsulatum. In addition, Neurospora physiology shares many processes with human cells that are lacking in yeast. We have identified two " helper " genomes that are at the appropriate evolutionary distance for identification of conserved functional elements in the sequence of Neurospora. The sequence of these seven genomes, totaling 180 Mb, will stimulate the study of fungal pathogens and the use of filamentous fungi to study many basic aspects of human biology.
A Pattern Language for Controlling Chaotic Activity

Chaotic dynamical systems characteristically exhibit erratic, seemingly random, behavior. They are highly sensitive to initial conditions. Any alteration to the state of a chaotic system will eventually lead to very large differences in behavior. Until recently, the preferred approach to chaotic dynamical systems has been to avoid them. A method developed by Ott, Grebogi, and Yorke (OGY) takes advantage of this sensitivity to initial conditions, and other characteristics of chaotic systems, to produce periodic behavior from chaotic behavior. The pattern language provided in this paper describes the component steps to implementing the OGY method for controlling chaotic dynamical systems. It establishes an architecture for chaos control software that allows for experimentation with algorithms and data structures at each step in order to improve the performance of the overall system.
Dietary patterns associated with fat and bone mass in young children.

BACKGROUND Obesity and osteoporosis have origins in childhood, and both are affected by dietary intake and physical activity. However, there is little information on what constitutes a diet that simultaneously promotes low fat mass and high bone mass accrual early in life. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to identify dietary patterns related to fat and bone mass in children during the age period of 3.8-7.8 y. DESIGN A total of 325 children contributed data from 13 visits over 4 separate study years (age ranges: 3.8-4.8, >4.8-5.8, >5.8-6.8, and >6.8-7.8 y). We performed reduced-rank regression to identify dietary patterns related to fat mass and bone mass measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for each study year. Covariables included race, sex, height, weight, energy intake, calcium intake, physical activity measured by accelerometry, and time spent viewing television and playing outdoors. RESULTS A dietary pattern characterized by a high intake of dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables was related to low fat mass and high bone mass; high processed-meat intake was related to high bone mass; and high fried-food intake was related to high fat mass. Dietary pattern scores remained related to fat mass and bone mass after all covariables were controlled for (P < 0.001-0.03). CONCLUSION Beginning at preschool age, diets rich in dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables and low in fried foods may lead to healthy fat and bone mass accrual in young children.
Synthesising axioms by games

A short account of (some of) the history of the axiomatisation problem in algebraic logic together with a general method of axiomatising PC Delta classes. This covers probably all the axiomatisations given in the papers above. Uses games to obtain explicit axioms. This is a discursive essay not intended as a technical paper, consequently there are no formal proofs.
Concomitant Use of Antiplatelet Therapy with Dabigatran or Warfarin in the Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) Trial

Background— The Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) trial showed that dabigatran etexilate 150 mg BID was superior and dabigatran etexilate 110 mg BID was noninferior to warfarin in preventing stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. In this subgroup analysis, we assess the efficacy and safety of dabigatran in patients who did and did not receive concomitant antiplatelets. Methods and Results— All comparisons used a Cox proportional hazards model with adjustments made for risk factors for bleeding. A time-dependent analysis was performed when comparing patients with concomitant antiplatelets with those without. Of 18 113 patients, 6952 (38.4%) received concomitant aspirin or clopidogrel at some time during the study. Dabigatran etexilate 110 mg BID was noninferior to warfarin in reducing stroke and systemic embolism, whether patients received antiplatelets (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.70–1.25) or not (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.66–1.15; interaction P=0.738). There were fewer major bleeds than warfarin in both subgroups (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67–1.00 for patients who used antiplatelets; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64–0.96 for patients who did not; interaction P=0.794). Dabigatran etexilate 150 mg BID reduced the primary outcome of stroke and systemic embolism in comparison with warfarin. This effect seemed attenuated among patients who used antiplatelets (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.59–1.08) in comparison with those who did not (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.38–0.72; P for interaction=0.058). Major bleeding was similar to warfarin regardless of antiplatelet use (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.76–1.12 for patients who used antiplatelets; HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.78–1.15 for patients who did not; P for interaction=0.875). In the time-dependent analysis, concomitant use of a single antiplatelet seemed to increase the risk of major bleeding (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.42–1.82). Dual antiplatelet seemed to increased this even more (HR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.79–2.98). The absolute risks were lowest on dabigatran etexilate 110 mg BID in comparison with dabigatran etexilate 150 mg BID or warfarin. Conclusions— Concomitant antiplatelet drugs appeared to increase the risk for major bleeding in RE-LY without affecting the advantages of dabigatran over warfarin. Choosing between dabigatran etexilate 110 mg BID and dabigatran etexilate 150 mg BID requires a careful assessment of characteristics that influence the balance between benefit and harm. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00262600.
Enhancing the L1 Data Cache Design to Mitigate HCI

Over the lifetime of a microprocessor, the Hot Carrier Injection (HCI) phenomenon degrades the threshold voltage, which causes slower transistor switching and eventually results in timing violations and faulty operation. This effect appears when the memory cell contents flip from logic `0' to `1' and vice versa. In caches, the majority of cell flips are concentrated into only a few of the total memory cells that make up each data word. In addition, other researchers have noted that zero is the most commonly-stored data value in a cache, and have taken advantage of this behavior to propose data compression and power reduction techniques. Contrary to these works, we use this information to extend the lifetime of the caches by introducing two microarchitectural techniques that spread and reduce the number of flips across the first-level (L1) data cache cells. Experimental results show that, compared to the conventional approach, the proposed mechanisms reduce the highest cell flip peak up to 65.8 percent, whereas the threshold voltage degradation savings range from 32.0 to 79.9 percent depending on the application.
A 23 nW CMOS ultra-low power temperature sensor operational from 0.2 V

A proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) current element along with a current controlled oscillator (CCO) operational down to 0.2 V supply enables an ultra-low-power (ULP) temperature sensor. A bit-weighted current mirror (BWCM) architecture resists process-induced variation in the PTAT current. The power consumption is 23nW and the maximum inaccuracy is +1.5/-1.7°C from 0°C to 100°C with a 2-point calibration.
Transient femoral nerve palsy following ilio-inguinal nerve blockade for day case inguinal hernia repair.

BACKGROUND Transient femoral nerve palsy (TFNP) has been reported in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair involving the use of ilio-inguinal nerve block. Ilio-inguinal nerve blocks can be administered under vision by the surgeon or by the anaesthetist using a standard blind technique. There has been no study that has specifically examined the incidence of this complication and whether its development is related to the type of method used to administer the block. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data on patients undergoing surgery in the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh Day Case Unit are collected prospectively. All patients who undergo inguinal hernia repair are given ilio-inguinal field blocks, either pre-operatively by anaesthetists (blind technique) or peri-operatively under direct vision by surgeons. Several cases of TFNP were initially identified during the process of surgical audit and this led to a retrospective analysis over a period of one year. RESULTS During a 12-month period, 194 patients underwent 200 open inguinal hernia repairs (188 unilateral and 6 bilateral), under general anaesthesia. Ten patients (5%) developed TFNP resulting in overnight admission. Surgeons administered 101 blocks under direct vision of which 4 (4%) resulted in TFNP, whereas 6 out of 99 (6%) blind blocks resulted in TFNP (p=0.49, df=1, Chi2 test). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION TFNP is a recognised complication following ilioinguinal nerve blockade for inguinal hernia surgery. Our series shows that ilio-inguinal block given under direct vision does not appear to reduce the chance of this complication occurring. This may result from the fact that this complication could be due to local infiltration into the operative field rather than direct infiltration around the femoral nerve. As inguinal hernia repair undertaken as a day case procedure increases, the awareness of this complication is important to avoid morbidity