Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Failure: A Multivariate Analysis of Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective. To assess the relative importance of independent risk factors for peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) failure. Methods. Secondary data analysis from a randomized controlled trial of PIVC dwell time. The Prentice, Williams, and Peterson statistical model was used to identify and compare risk factors for phlebitis, occlusion, and accidental removal. Setting. Three acute care hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Participants. The trial included 3,283 adult medical and surgical patients (5,907 catheters) with a PIVC with greater than 4 days of expected use. Results. Modifiable risk factors for occlusion included hand, antecubital fossa, or upper arm insertion compared with forearm (hazard ratio [HR], 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.28–1.68], 1.27 [95% CI, 1.08–1.49], and 1.25 [95% CI, 1.04–1.50], respectively); and for phlebitis, larger diameter PIVC (HR, 1.48 [95% CI, 1.08–2.03]). PIVCs inserted by the operating and radiology suite staff had lower occlusion risk than ward insertions (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.67–0.94]). Modifiable risks for accidental removal included hand or antecubital fossa insertion compared with forearm (HR, 2.45 [95% CI, 1.93–3.10] and 1.65 [95% CI, 1.23–2.22], respectively), clinical staff insertion compared with intravenous service (HR, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.30–2.20]); and smaller PIVC diameter (HR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.02–1.61]). Female sex was a nonmodifiable factor associated with an increased risk of both phlebitis (HR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.28–2.09]) and occlusion (HR, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.30–1.61]). Conclusions. PIVC survival is improved by preferential forearm insertion, selection of appropriate PIVC diameter, and insertion by intravenous teams and other specialists. Trial Registration. The original randomized controlled trial on which this secondary analysis is based is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (http://www.anzctr.org.au; ACTRN12608000445370).
Designing a Web-based Testing Tool for Multi-Criteria Recommender Systems

A plethora of real-life applications of recommender systems in the Web exists. These systems help users to deal with information overload, by providing personalized recommendations regarding online content and services. Due to the dynamic and changing parameters of the various application contexts, careful testing and parameterization has to be carried out before a recommender system is finally deployed in a real setting. This paper proposes a Web-based tool that allows for simulated testing of a special class of multi-criteria recommender systems, namely multi-attribute collaborative filtering systems. More specifically, it introduces a number of collaborative filtering algorithms that are based on Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), and presents the design and implementation of a Web-based tool termed as the Collaborative Filtering Simulator (CollaFiS), which may be used for their simulated testing. The specification of CollaFiS is described using the Unified Modelling Language (UML). In addition, a characteristic scenario of the
The Strategy and Transaction Cost Nexus Past Debates, Central Questions, and Future Research Possibilities

The role of transaction cost economics in developing research in strategy has been a hotly debated topic over the last decade. This paper presents the radical argument that transaction cost insights are more than merely useful complements to existing approaches to strategy. Rather, they are necessary for adequately understanding the nature of strategizing. This is because transaction costs are essential aspects of processes of creating, capturing and protecting value. If transaction costs are zero, these processes do not pose any strategic problems; strategizing is trivialized in such a world. When transaction costs are positive, on the other hand, opportunities for value creation through the reduction of inefficiencies caused by transaction costs exist, and protecting and appropriating value are costly activities that dissipate value. Also, contracting and expectations enter as central aspects of strategizing. Arguments are provided for why economizing (with transaction costs) is more fundamental than strategizing (in the sense of exploiting market power). Thus, the paper argues that models in which the fullest possible account of transaction costs is made be used as the proper foundations and benchmarks for economics-based strategy research, rather than the patched-up competitive equilibrium models that are now used, more or less implicitly, as the benchmark in important parts of strategy research, most notably in the resource-based view.
Effective diffusion rate through a polymer network: Influence of nonspecific binding and intersegment transfer

The effective diffusion rate of a tracer molecule through a polymer network can be influenced by nonspecific binding. If such binding occurs, the local density fluctuations (segmental diffusion) of the network molecules will contribute to the net displacements of tracer molecules. If the network is strongly interconnected by entanglement or cross‐linking, these local motions will only carry the tracer molecules over a small region, and effective transport would require dissociation and reassociation of the tracer molecule to another part of the network. Alternatively, tracer molecules could be transferred directly (intersegment transfer) between different parts of the network whenever they are brought sufficiently close by the density fluctuations. A wormlike‐chain model for the segmental diffusion of a polymer is used to describe the network motions and to derive the effective diffusion rate for a tracer molecule as a function of network density and binding constant with or without intersegment transfer contributing. It is found that the density dependence for the effective diffusion of ethidium bromide through dense DNA solutions studied by photobleaching recovery [R. D. Icenogle and E. L. Elson (1983) Biopolymers 22, 1949–1966] agrees with an intersegment‐transfer mechanism limited by the segmental DNA motions. The calculations are also applied to a model for the intracellular diffusion of molecules loosely bound to the cytomatrix. If intersegment transfer dominates it can account for the observed size independence for the intracellular diffusion rates of various injected macromolecules.
Position Paper : Differential Privacy with Information Flow Control

We investigate the integration of two approaches to information security: information flow analysis, in which the dependence between secret inputs and public outputs is tracked through a program, and differential privacy, in which a weak dependence between input and output is permitted but provided only through a relatively small set of known differentially private primitives. We find that information flow for differentially private observations is no harder than dependency tracking. Differential privacy’s strong guarantees allow for efficient and accurate dynamic tracking of information flow, allowing the use of existing technology to extend and improve the state of the art for the analysis of differentially private computations.
Different applications of two-dimensional potential fields for volume modeling

Current methods for building models using implicit volume techniques present problems defining accurate and controllable blend shapes between implicit primitives. We present new methods to extend the freedom and controllability of implicit volume modeling. The main idea is to use a free-form curve to define the profile of the blend region between implicit primitives. The use of a free-form implicit curve, controlled point-by-point in the Euclidean user space, allows us to group boolean composition operators with sharp transitions or smooth free-form transitions in a single modeling metaphor. This idea is generalized for the creation, sculpting and manipulation of volume objects, while providing the user with simplicity, controllability and freedom in volume modeling. Bounded volume objects, known as “Soft objects” or “Metaballs”, have specific properties. We also present binary Boolean composition operators that gives more control on the form of the transition when these objects are blended. To finish, we show how our free-form implicit curves can be used to build implicit sweep objects.
Control of NO level in rhizobium-legume root nodules

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous signaling molecule which plays both regulatory and defense roles in animals and plants. In the symbiosis between legumes and rhizobia, NO has been shown to be involved in bacterial infection and nodule development steps as well as in mature nodule functioning. We recently showed that an increase in NO level inside Medicago truncatula root nodules also could trigger premature nodule senescence. Here we discuss the importance of the bacterial Sinorhizobium meliloti flavohemoglobin to finely tune the NO level inside nodules and further, we demonstrate that S. meliloti possesses at least two non redundant ways to control NO and that both systems are necessary to maintain efficient nitrogen fixing activity.
Drying of open animal joints in vivo subsequently causes cartilage degeneration

Objectives During open orthopaedic surgery, joints may be exposed to air, potentially leading to cartilage drying and chondrocyte death, however, the long-term effects of joint drying in vivo are poorly understood. We used an animal model to investigate the subsequent effects of joint drying on cartilage and chondrocytes. Methods The patellar groove of anaesthetised rats was exposed (sham-operated), or exposed and then subjected to laminar airflow (0.25m/s; 60 minutes) before wounds were sutured and animals recovered. Animals were monitored for up to eight weeks and then sacrificed. Cartilage and chondrocyte properties were studied by histology and confocal microscopy, respectively. Results Joint drying caused extensive chondrocyte death within the superficial regions of cartilage. Histology of dried cartilage demonstrated a loss of surface integrity at four weeks, fibrillations at eight weeks, and an increased modified Mankin score (p < 0.001). Cartilage thickness increased (p < 0.001), whereas chondrocyte density decreased at four weeks (p < 0.001), but then increased towards sham-operated levels (p < 0.01) at eight weeks. By week eight, chondrocyte pairing/clustering and cell volume increased (p < 0.05; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions These in vivo results demonstrated for the first time that as a result of laminar airflow, cartilage degeneration occurred which has characteristics similar to those seen in early osteoarthritis. Maintenance of adequate cartilage hydration during open orthopaedic surgery is therefore of paramount importance. Cite this article: Dr A. Hall. Drying of open animal joints in vivo subsequently causes cartilage degeneration. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:137–144. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.54. 2000594.
Predicting Soccer Match Results in the English Premier League

In this report, we predict the results of soccer matches in the English Premier League (EPL) using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. From historical data we created a feature set that includes gameday data and current team performance (form). Using our feature data we created five different classifiers: Linear from stochastic gradient descent, Naive Bayes, Hidden Markov Model, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest. Our prediction is in one of three classes for each game: win, draw, or loss. Our best error rates were with our Linear classifier (.48), Random Forest (.50), and SVM (.50). Our error analysis focused on improving hyperparameters and class imbalance, which we approached using grid searches and ROC curve analysis respectively.
Event Timing in Associative Learning: From Biochemical Reaction Dynamics to Behavioural Observations

Associative learning relies on event timing. Fruit flies for example, once trained with an odour that precedes electric shock, subsequently avoid this odour (punishment learning); if, on the other hand the odour follows the shock during training, it is approached later on (relief learning). During training, an odour-induced Ca++ signal and a shock-induced dopaminergic signal converge in the Kenyon cells, synergistically activating a Ca++-calmodulin-sensitive adenylate cyclase, which likely leads to the synaptic plasticity underlying the conditioned avoidance of the odour. In Aplysia, the effect of serotonin on the corresponding adenylate cyclase is bi-directionally modulated by Ca++, depending on the relative timing of the two inputs. Using a computational approach, we quantitatively explore this biochemical property of the adenylate cyclase and show that it can generate the effect of event timing on associative learning. We overcome the shortage of behavioural data in Aplysia and biochemical data in Drosophila by combining findings from both systems.
Comparing complex trees stored in database

In this paper we consider the problem of comparing complex trees stored in a database. We propose a two-step algorithm which compares two arbitrary trees and returns the difference. We employ the hash value for node comparison since the entities may not have the same properties, and the properties themselves may not be primitive (integer, boolean, etc.). We give a comparison in performance using recursive high-level implementation which uses OR-mapper, and our implementation.
Job Insecurity as Structural Violence: Implications for Destructive Intergroup Conflict

Structural violence, in the forms of unemployment and other negative employment statuses and of debilitating economic insecurity, is a global phenomenon. The psychological and economic consequences of structural violence often result in deteriorated mental health functioning and family disruption. They also lead to both competition for the fewer available opportunities and organized efforts to modify the violence-breeding structures. The thesis of this article is that structural violence, especially the actions taken by those in power to safeguard the economic and political status quo, leads to destructive intergroup conflict. The article highlights the economic and psychological factors that appear to be driving nations in this direction, and proposes policy changes and actions to prevent intergroup job wars.
Lumpectomy compared with lumpectomy and radiation therapy for the treatment of intraductal breast cancer.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS Women with ductal carcinoma in situ have been treated both by lumpectomy and by lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy, but the benefit of combined therapy is uncertain. A group of 818 women with ductal carcinoma in situ were randomly assigned to undergo lumpectomy or lumpectomy followed by breast irradiation (50 Gy). Sufficient tissue was removed that the margins of the resected specimens were histologically tumor-free. The mean duration of follow-up was 43 months (range, 11 to 86). The principal end point of the study was event-free survival, as defined by the presence of no new ipsilateral or contralateral breast cancers, regional or distant metastases, or other cancers and by no deaths from causes other than cancer. RESULTS Five-year event-free survival was better in the women who received breast irradiation (84.4 percent, vs. 73.8 percent for the women treated by lumpectomy alone; P = 0.001). The improvement was due to a reduction in the occurrence of second ipsilateral breast cancers; the incidence of each of the other events was similar in the two groups. Of 391 women treated by lumpectomy alone, ipsilateral breast cancer developed in 64 (16.4 percent); it was noninvasive in 32 and invasive in the remaining 32. Of 399 women treated with lumpectomy and breast irradiation, ipsilateral breast cancer developed in 28 (7.0 percent) (noninvasive in 20 and invasive in 8). The five-year cumulative incidence of second cancers in the ipsilateral breast was reduced by irradiation from 10.4 percent to 7.5 percent for noninvasive cancers and from 10.5 percent to 2.9 percent for invasive cancers (P = 0.055 and P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Breast irradiation after lumpectomy is more appropriate than lumpectomy alone for women with localized ductal carcinoma in situ.
Measuring BSW Student Learning in Field Instruction

This study investigates whether undergraduate social work students deepen their professional foundation knowledge as a result of completing the field practicum and two additional social work foundation courses. The Area Concentration Achievement Test in Social Work (ACAT), which tests knowledge of the social work professional foundation, was administered to 70 students in the BSW program at the University of Texas-Pan American; 32 had nearly completed field instruction, and 38 were approved for field instruction but had not yet begun it. No differences were found between these groups related to performance on the overall ACAT or in four individual content areas. This counterintuitive finding challenges the assumption that knowledge deepens as students proceed through the curriculum and field instruction. Other variables that could affect performance on the ACAT are also explored.
Narrow passage sampling for probabilistic roadmap planning

Probabilistic roadmap (PRM) planners have been successful in path planning of robots with many degrees of freedom, but sampling narrow passages in a robot's configuration space remains a challenge for PRM planners. This paper presents a hybrid sampling strategy in the PRM framework for finding paths through narrow passages. A key ingredient of the new strategy is the bridge test, which reduces sample density in many unimportant parts of a configuration space, resulting in increased sample density in narrow passages. The bridge test can be implemented efficiently in high-dimensional configuration spaces using only simple tests of local geometry. The strengths of the bridge test and uniform sampling complement each other naturally. The two sampling strategies are combined to construct the hybrid sampling strategy for our planner. We implemented the planner and tested it on rigid and articulated robots in 2-D and 3-D environments. Experiments show that the hybrid sampling strategy enables relatively small roadmaps to reliably capture the connectivity of configuration spaces with difficult narrow passages.
Sable Research Group Assessing the Impact of Optimization in Java Virtual Machines Sable

Many new Java runtime optimizations report relatively smal l, single-digit performance improvements. On modern virtual and actual hardware, however, the p erformance impact of an optimization can be influenced by a variety of factors in the underlying system . Using a case study of a new garbage collection optimization in two different Java virtual mach ines, we show the various issues that must be taken into consideration when claiming an improvement. We e xamine the specific and overall performance changes due to our optimization and show how unintende d si -effects can contribute to, and distort the final assessment. Our experience shows that VM an d h rdware concerns can generate variances of up to 9.5% in whole program execution time. Consider ation of these confounding effects is critical to a good understanding of Java performance and opt imization.
Efficacy and tolerability of extended release quetiapine fumarate monotherapy in the acute treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized, placebo controlled and active-controlled study

The main objective of this study was to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of once-daily extended release quetiapine fumarate (quetiapine XR) monotherapy in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This was a 8 week randomized, 2-week follow-up, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and active-controlled study. Patients were randomized to quetiapine XR 150 (n=219) or 300 mg/day (n=207); escitalopram, 10 mg/day (n=213); or placebo (n=215). The primary endpoint was the change from randomization at week 8 in Hamilton Anxiety Rating (HAM-A) total score. Week 8 mean HAM-A total score was significantly reduced from randomization with quetiapine XR 150 mg/day (−13.9, P<0.001), 300 mg/day (−12.3, P<0.05) and escitalopram (−12.3, P<0.05) versus placebo (−10.7); significant improvements with quetiapine XR (150 and 300 mg/day) versus placebo (P<0.001) were also shown at day 4. At week 8, significant improvements versus placebo were observed in HAM-A psychic [quetiapine XR (both doses) and escitalopram] and somatic (quetiapine XR 150 mg/day and escitalopram) cluster scores and HAM-A response and remission rates (quetiapine XR 150 mg/day). Most common adverse events were dry mouth, somnolence and sedation (quetiapine XR), headache, and nausea (escitalopram). In patients with GAD, quetiapine XR (150 and 300 mg/day) demonstrated significant efficacy at week 8 with symptom improvement as early as day 4. We concluded that quetiapine XR safety and tolerability results were consistent with the known profile of quetiapine.
[Effects of recombinant human erythropoietin on brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in different brain regions of aging rats].

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in different brain regions of aging rats. METHODS Forty male SD rats were randomized equally into negative control group, D-galactose group, EPO treatment group, and positive control group. Rat models of subacute aging were established by continuous subcutaneous injection of 5% D-galactose. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze the variation of BDNF expressions in different brain regions of the aging rats with different treatments. RESULTS Significant brain region-specific differences in BDNF expression were found among the rats in different groups. Compared with those in the negative control group, the numbers of BDNF-positive cells in the hippocampal CA1 region, CA3 region, dentate gyrus (DG) and frontal cortex were all decreased obviously in D-galactose group (P<0.05) but increased in both EPO group and the positive control group (P<0.05) without significant differences between the latter two groups. In the rats in the same group, the number of BDNF-positive cells varied markedly in different brain regions (P<0.05), and the expression level of BDNF was the highest in the frontal cortex followed by the hippocampal CA3 region and the dentate gyrus, and was the lowest in the hippocampal CA1 region. CONCLUSION Treatment with rhEPO enhances the expression of BDNF in rat neural cells, suggesting that rhEPO may protect the nervous system from aging by regulating the BDNF pathway.
The spaces between Us: A spatial analysis of informal segregation at a South African University

In many contemporary societies, the potential benefits of racial integration are undermined by de facto or informal segregation. The present research focuses on this phenomenon, and its role in (re)producing group boundaries, particularly those realized spatially. A multimethod approach was employed. Naturalistic observational techniques were used to examine the seating patterns of 26 undergraduate tutorial groups across a full academic year. Results from the longitudinal study show strong patterns of racial segregation. Focus group discussions were conducted in order to explore the social practices and processes that underlie informal segregation. We argue that an implicit system of unofficial rules governs intergroup relations and shapes contact opportunities among students. The perpetuation of racially homogenous spaces-intentionally or incidentally-is proposed as both a key outcome and as a key determinant.