Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Which one is more effective, filgrastim or lenograstim, during febrile neutropenia attack in hospitalized patients with solid tumors?

BACKGROUND Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) with solid tumors causes mortality and morbidity at a significant rate. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of filgastrim and lenograstim started with the first dose of antibiotics in hospitalized patients diagnosed with FN. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between February 2009 and May 2012, 151 patients diagnosed with FN were evaluated, retrospectively. In those considered appropriate for hospitalization, convenient antibiotic therapy with granulocyte colony stimulating factors was started within first 30 minutes by completing necessary examinations in accordance with FEN guide recommendations. RESULTS In this study, 175 febrile neutropenia attacks in 151 patients were examined. Seventy three of the patients were male and 78 were female. The average age was 53.6 and 53.6, respectively. The most common solid tumor was breast carcinoma in 38 (25%) . One hundred and five FN patients (58%) were those who received granulocyte colony stimulating factors as primary prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS While studies comparing both drugs generally involve treatments started for prophylaxis, this study compared the treatment given during the febrile neutropenia attack. Compared to lenograstim, filgastrim shortens the duration of hospitalization during febrile neutropenia attack by facilitating faster recovery with solid tumors.
Patient perspectives on benefits and risks of implantable interfaces for upper limb prostheses: a national survey

ABSTRACT Objective: Patient perspectives on benefits and risks of implantable interfaces for prostheses are needed. Methods: A telephone survey was administered to 808 Veterans. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with willingness to consider surgery to restore touch and better movement control. Risk and benefit ratings were compared. Results: 41.8% of unilateral and 40.6% of bilateral amputees were willing to consider surgery for touch; 49.0% were willing to consider surgery for control. Persons 65–75 years and >75 were 0.42 (p= 0.0009) and 0.19 (p< 0.0001) as likely as those 18–45 to consider surgery for touch, those with better mental health (MH) were 0.47 (p= 0.0005) as likely as those with worse, and those with infection etiology were 1.7 (p= 0.03) as likely as those without. Persons 65–75 and >75 were 0.28 and 0.12 as likely as those 18–45 to consider surgery for control (p’s<0.0001). Myoelectric users were 2.16 (p= 0.006) as likely as body-powered users and persons with better MH were 0.61 (p= 0.03) as likely as those with worse to consider surgery for control. Long-term risks were most unacceptable. Durability, comfort, and improved functional abilities were most important. Conclusions: There is substantial interest in prosthetic interfaces to gain a sense of touch and greater movement control.
Molecular Variability of the Adhesin-Encoding GenepvpA among Mycoplasma gallisepticumStrains and Its Application in Diagnosis

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma gallisepticum is an important pathogen of chickens and turkeys that causes considerable economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. The reemergence of M. gallisepticum outbreaks among poultry, the increased use of live M. gallisepticum vaccines, and the detection ofM. gallisepticum in game and free-flying song birds has strengthened the need for molecular diagnostic and strain differentiation tests. Molecular techniques, including restriction fragment length polymorphism of genomic DNA (RFLP) and PCR-based random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), have already been utilized as powerful tools to detect intraspecies variation. However, certain intrinsic drawbacks constrain the application of these methods. The main goal of this study was to determine the feasibility of using anM.gallisepticum-specific gene encoding a phase-variable putative adhesin protein (PvpA) as the target for molecular typing. This was accomplished using a pvpAPCR-RFLP assay. Size variations among PCR products and nucleotide divergence of the C-terminus-encoding region of the pvpAgene were the basis for strain differentiation. This method can be used for rapid differentiation of vaccine strains from field isolates by amplification directly from clinical samples without the need for isolation by culture. Moreover, molecular epidemiology of M. gallisepticum outbreaks can be performed using RFLP and/or sequence analysis of the pvpA gene.
Pediatric regional anesthesia: A review of the relevance of surface anatomy and landmarks used for peripheral nerve blockades in infants and children

In regional anesthesia, accurate knowledge of surface anatomy and landmarks are essential for successful nerve blockades with least possible complications. The long‐established anatomical landmarks used for peripheral nerve blockades in adult patients have also gained a place in pediatric anesthesia. Despite the continuing benefits and need for more effective peripheral techniques in pediatrics, there is a paucity of data on pediatric landmarks, and hence the absence of more appropriate techniques for the different age groups of children. Recent advancement in imaging has shown that there is a greater awareness for the different surface projections at various stages of postnatal development, as compared with that of adults. Thus, if adult landmarks are not appropriately adapted for use in children, complication rates may rise due to injuries to anatomical structures. This review evaluated the existing evidence of the pediatric nerve block landmarks in the reported literature, in order to highlight the limitations in our current understanding of pediatric surface anatomy and landmarks. A literature search was done using five databases to obtain 141 references. Only a few of these studies provided detailed reports of the relations of relevant nerves to anatomical landmarks. A few clinical imaging studies have provided new anatomical landmarks in children with reference to their age‐related growth and anatomy. Most landmarks need to be standardized in children of various ages, and furthermore, inconsistencies in the current descriptions of the surface landmarks need to be validated and standardized for use in pediatric clinical practice. Clin. Anat. 32:803–823, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Impact of the Built Environment on Bicycle Commuting: Evidence from Beijing

This paper aims to contribute to existing literature on the effects of the built environment on bicycle commuting, examining the case of Beijing. A group of city-wide random samples is analysed. The analysis shows that bicycle commuting is significantly associated with some features of the built environment when many demographic and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. Higher destination accessibility, a higher number of exclusive bicycle lanes, a mixed environment and greater connectivity between local streets tend to increase the use of the bicycle. These effects differ across gender, age and income groups. However, residential density has no significant effects on the use of a bicycle for commuting, while higher levels of public transit services tends to decrease rather than increase bicycle commuting. The results imply that the drastic changes in the built environment are a major reason for the demise of ‘the kingdom of bicycles’ in China.
Income Thresholds and Aid Responses

The aid allocation literature has devoted surprisingly little attention to strategic interaction among donors. This study investigates the effects of the World Bank's income threshold for IDA eligibility, and of actual IDA allocations, on the allocations of bilateral donors. Other donors might interpret the World Bank's policies and allocations across recipients as informative signals of where their own aid might be used most effectively. Alternatively, other donors might compensate for reduced IDA allocations by increasing their own aid, particularly where declines in IDA were triggered by crossing an arbitrary income threshold. We show in this paper that the former effect dominates the latter, but we also find some heterogeneity among donors. Using panel data with country fixed effects, we find that aid from the DAC bilateral donor countries - and total aid from all donors reporting to the DAC - is significantly reduced after countries cross the IDA income cutoff, controlling for other determinants of aid including various nonlinear functions of (continuous) per capita income. Allocations by other donors are not sensitive to actual IDA disbursements, only to the IDA income threshold. Because crossing the income cutoff for IDA eligibility significantly reduces aid levels from other donors as well as from the World Bank, government officials in recipient countries may have an incentive to manipulate their national accounts data to understate per capita income when it is near the IDA threshold. Accordingly, we test for "bunching" of observations just below the income threshold, and find no evidence to support data manipulation concerns.
A 3-D Electromagnetic-Model-Based Algorithm for Absolute Attitude Measurement Using Wideband Radar

In this letter, a novel algorithm for attitude measurement based on a 3-D electromagnetic model (3-D em-model) is proposed. The 3-D em-model is established offline based on the geometric structure of the target, and it can be used to predict the scattering features at different target attitudes. In order to measure the attitude of the air target, we design a bistatic step frequency radar system. The directions of the two radars' lines of sight (LOSs) relative to the target are acquired by matching the high-resolution range profiles (HRRPs) from the target echoes to the HRRPs generated from the 3-D em-model. Since the directions of two radars' LOSs relative to the Earth are already known, the absolute attitude of the target can be acquired. The innovative contributions of this letter are as follows: 1) A comprehensive theoretical analysis of air target attitude measurement based on its own 3-D em-model is proposed; 2) the method can be applied to different kinds of air targets such as aircraft, satellite, missile, etc.; 3) the proposed attitude measurement method does not require target motion model in advance; and 4) the proposed algorithm can be applied to any kind of step frequency waveforms. Experiments using both data predicted by a high-frequency electromagnetic code and data measured in the chamber verify the validity of the method.
The performance of amateur traders on a public internet site: a case of a stock-exchange contest

We analyze a very thorough data base, including all of the bid/ask orders and daily portfolio values of more than 600 on-line amateur traders from February 2007 to June 2009. These traders were taking part in a stock-exchange contest proposed by the French Internet stock-exchange site Zonebourse. More than 80% of traders lose relative to the market. Their relative average annual performance varies from -38% to -60%, depending on the method used. In absolute, more than 99% of traders lose and face drastic losses: on average, portfolio values fall from an initial value of 100 to a terminal value of 7 in the 29 months covered here. When we include the rewards offered by the contest, average performance becomes -13% a year. However, only two deciles continue to beat the market. From an initial value of 100 the final value is 28 including rewards, but 95% of traders still lose in absolute. There is no clear performance persistence for traders. Are the best traders just lucky then? Focusing on contest winners, the long-term transition analysis suggests a long-term probability of staying in the best decile which is greater than chance. We thus cannot reject a “star effect” of staying in the best decile. However, the great majority of amateurs do seem to be e-pigeons. Online trading may just be costly entertainment, like casino gambling.
Heterogeneity of human peripheral blood monocyte subsets

In recent years the number of reports describing phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets of human blood leukocytes, and in particular of subtypes of antigen‐presenting cells has continuously increased. A great diversity was described not only for dendritic cells (DC), but also for human blood monocytes (Mo) and macrophages (Mac). Similar to DC, the different types of Mo subsets could be defined by distinct phenotypes and immunoregulatory functions. The characterization of blood Mo subpopulations revealed that some of them exhibit common features with myeloid or lymphoid DC and tissue Mac, but also demonstrate the existence of novel unique cell populations. The generation of lymphoid and myeloid DC and their heterogeneity has been the subject of recent reviews. Here we focus on Mo from human peripheral blood and summarize the data (including our own) dealing with their phenotypic and functional, in particular immunoregulatory properties.
Human Resource Planning: Where are we now?

H uman Resource Planning is now seen by many as an important aspect of Human Resource Management. It holds out the promise of integrating the various HRM functions and of involving HRM practitioners more closely in the development and implementation of corporate level strategy and plans.This paper traces the development of the concept of Human Resource Planning and examines its use in North America, Britain and the Asia Pacific area.Based upon this review, situations in which complete, fully-integrated Human Resource Planning is likely to be feasible and practical are outlined For situations where this sophisticated approach is either inappropriate or is not supported within the organisation, simpler HRP strategies are proposed
Design and Development of MOOCs for the platform Federica: the experience of the University of Pavia

There has been a massive growth in online social networking in recent years. The increasing number of learners and Massive Open Online Courses [6], which were produced in 2012, is the most striking phenomenon. Since MOOCs are massive, a large number of different types of people can participate at the same time. They are open, so no specific requirements are needed to register and attend and the teaching materials provided have no copyright and can be freely shared. The novelty of MOOCs is that this kind of didactics provides an easy access to advancing technologies. Lectures are available online on virtual platforms on the network and not in physical classrooms. The motivations that have brought universities towards the implementation of MOOCs, are to be found in a growing awareness towards the need to reach an increasing number of users, entering models of lifelong learning activities and the opportunity to promote engagement in the knowledge society together with the increase of their institutional visibility.
Institutions for Fiscal Stability

This paper reviews the controversy over Europe's Stability and Growth Pact and offers a proposal for its reform. It argues that Europe would be best served by focusing on the fundamental causes of unsustainable debts — public enterprises that are too big to fail, unfunded public pension schemes that are too big to ignore, inefficient and costly labor market and social welfare problems, and budget making institutions that create common pool and free-rider problems — rather than on arbitrary numerical indicators like whether the budget deficit is above or below 3 percent of GDP. It proposes defining an index of institutional reform with, say, a point each for reform of budget making arrangements, reform of public pension schemes, and reform of labor markets and unemployment insurance. Countries receiving three points would be exempt from the Pact's numerical guidelines, since there is no reason to think that they will be prone to chronic deficits. The others, whose weak institutions render them susceptible to chronic deficits, would in contrast still be subject to its warnings, sanctions and fines. (JEL E0, F4)
Mitigating Error Propagation in Two-Way Relay Channels with Network Coding

In relay networks, error propagation at the relay nodes degrades the performance of the system. To combat that effect, it has been suggested to implement a reliability threshold at the relay to control error propagation. Specifically, the relay calculates log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values for the bits sent from the source. These values are subjected to a threshold to selectively forward bits that are most reliable and discard bits that are less so, resulting in less errors propagating to the destination. We investigate the application of this technique to a network-coded two-way relay channel where the relay is assisting two sources simultaneously. We first consider network-coded systems without channel coding, and then consider network-channel coded systems. We examine two modes of thresholding, one based on the individual bits, and the other based on the combined bits. We provide the full analysis for the bit-error rate (BER) performance of both thresholding modes and optimize the thresholds accordingly. We demonstrate that the optimum thresholds based on both modes give similar performances and are far better than the case of no thresholding. We also consider the performance of the proposed thresholding techniques for network-channel coded systems. We present several numerical examples that illustrate the efficacy of employing thresholding at the relay nodes (for networks with and without channel coding).
Haptic virtual environment performance over IP networks: a case study

This paper reports on the quality of service (QoS) requirements and the performance of virtual environment (VE) applications deployed in IP networks. We are interested specifically in systems that support communication with end-user through force feedback devices known as haptic interfaces. Little is known about networked haptic interfaces in VE. Our goal is to understand such application QoS requirements as well as the effect of other traffic when they co-exist in the same network. In this paper, we compare the peer-to-peer model with the client-server model. Our motivation is to deploy distributed haptic VE applications (DHVE) over a network connecting two departments of Queen's University of Belfast. This deployment will be used for educational purposes and for implementing further research in this area, and will be evaluated by end-users; hence, the essential realization of network-based DHVE under realistic network conditions. A set of experiments was conducted to achieve this aim and their results are presented in this paper.
Indigenous Water Management Systems: Interpreting Symbolic Dimensions in Common Property Resource Regimes

ABSTRACT Water is a natural resource subject to management in many small-scale societies as common property. A dominant approach to understanding the sustainability of such common property resource (CPR) management regimes is the rational action model, which assumes that their successful governance is achieved through collective action based on a rationally constructed set of working rules. By presenting a holistic study of indigenous water management system in small-scale community setting in India, this article argues that the relationship between water resources and society extends beyond a materialistic mundane relationship, to incorporate a “symbolic” orientation. It concludes that rooted in the cosmology of the society, the indigenous water management system represents a mechanism to reinforce the symbolic constructions and also to fulfill water-related needs that cut across material and nonmaterial realms. The outcomes of the article enhance the understanding of management of CPRs, adding an alternate perspective concerning beliefs and values associated with such resources.
ARF GTPases and their GEFs and GAPs: concepts and challenges

Detailed structural, biochemical, cell biological, and genetic studies of any gene/protein are required to develop models of its actions in cells. Studying a protein family in the aggregate yields additional information, as one can include analyses of their coevolution, acquisition or loss of functionalities, structural pliability, and the emergence of shared or variations in molecular mechanisms. An even richer understanding of cell biology can be achieved through evaluating functionally linked protein families. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of three protein families: the ARF GTPases, the guanine nucleotide exchange factors (ARF GEFs) that activate them, and the GTPase-activating proteins (ARF GAPs) that have the ability to both propagate and terminate signaling. However, despite decades of scrutiny, our understanding of how these essential proteins function in cells remains fragmentary. We believe that the inherent complexity of ARF signaling and its regulation by GEFs and GAPs will require the concerted effort of many laboratories working together, ideally within a consortium to optimally pool information and resources. The collaborative study of these three functionally connected families (≥70 mammalian genes) will yield transformative insights into regulation of cell signaling.
Modelling the Mechanical Parameters of Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a major eye disease characterized by a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Biomechanical forces as a result of hydrostatic pressure and strain play a role in this disease. Decreasing intra-ocular pressure is the only available therapy so far, but is not always effective and does not prevent blindness in many cases. There is a need for drugs that protect RGCs from dying in glaucoma; to develop these we need valid glaucoma and drug screening models. Since in vivo models are unsuitable for screening purposes, we focus on in vitro and ex vivo models in this review. Many groups have studied pressure and strain model systems to mimic glaucoma, in order to investigate the molecular and cellular events leading to mechanically-induced RGC death. Therefore, the focus of this review is on the different mechanical model systems used to mimic the biomechanical forces in glaucoma. Most models use either cell or tissue strain, or fluid or gas-controlled hydrostatic pressure application and apply it to the relevant cell types such as trabecular meshwork cells, optic nerve head astrocytes, and retinal ganglion cells but also to entire eyes. New model systems are warranted in order to study concepts and test experimental compounds for the development of new drugs to protect vision in glaucoma patients.
A Dual Centre? Executive Politics under the Second Grand Coalition in Germany

This article analyses executive politics under the second Grand Coalition in Germany with a particular emphasis on the role of the Chancellor and her Office. It applies a principal–agent framework to examine how the two parties in government affected the power relations within the executive. Next to external features such as the coinciding G8 and EU presidency as well as the global financial and economic crisis, particular institutional features structuring these delegation relationships, i.e. the partisan composition of the government and the rules for cabinet decision-making, account for the dynamics in executive politics during the second Grand Coalition. Initially, the traditional prerogatives of a German Chancellor were restricted and two hubs for executive coordination emerged for directing cabinet members from both government parties. The G8 and EU presidency in 2007 weakened the parties' influence and enabled the Chancellor and her Office to centralise executive politics. When the global financial and economic crises hit Germany in 2008, executive politics shifted towards a concentration of power at the Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance, also balancing the interests of both catch-all parties in government to engage in crisis management.