Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Texas Children's Medication Algorithm Project: revision of the algorithm for pharmacotherapy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE In 1998, the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation developed algorithms for medication treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Advances in the psychopharmacology of ADHD and results of a feasibility study of algorithm use in community mental health centers caused the algorithm to be modified and updated. METHOD We convened a consensus conference of academic clinicians and researchers, practicing clinicians, administrators, consumers, and families to revise the algorithms for the pharmacotherapy of ADHD itself as well as ADHD with specific comorbid disorders. New research was reviewed by national experts, and rationales were provided for proposed changes and additions to the algorithms. The changes to the algorithms were discussed and approved both by the national experts and experienced clinicians from the Texas public mental health system. RESULTS The panel developed consensually agreed-upon algorithms for ADHD with and without comorbid disorders. The major changes included elimination of pemoline as a treatment option, adding atomoxetine to the algorithm, and refining guidelines for treating ADHD with comorbid depression, aggressive behaviors, and tic disorders. CONCLUSIONS Medication algorithms for ADHD can be modified to keep abreast of developments in the field. Although these evidence- and consensus-based treatment recommendations may be a useful approach to guide the treatment of ADHD in children, additional research is needed to determine how these algorithms can be used to maximally benefit child outcomes.
An Asian Option Approach to the Valuation of Insurance Futures Contracts

The insurance futures contracts introduced in December 1992 by the Chicago Board of Trade offer insurers an alternative to reinsurance as a hedging device for underwriting risk. These instruments have the usual features of liquidity, anonymity and low transactions costs that characterize futures contracts. This paper addresses the issue of pricing insurance futures contracts in an arbitrage-free framework as the expectation under the risk-neutral probability measure of the terminal cash flow provided, for instance, by a long position in a futures contract. Since by definition of the contract the terminal cash flow is related to the aggregate claims incurred during a calendar quarter, the valuation problem is of the same type as the one that arises in the pricing of zero-exercise price Asian options. We propose a solution to this problem using the exact approach developed by Geman and Yor (1992, 1993).
Medical Thoracoscopy Performed Using a Flexible Bronchoscope Inserted through a Chest Tube under Local Anesthesia

Background and Objectives. Many cases of pleural effusion can remain undiagnosed following thoracentesis. We evaluated our own technique for performing thoracoscopy under local anesthesia using a 32 Fr chest tube and a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope without a rigid thoracoscope for the diagnosis, inspection, and management of patients with pleurisy. Methods. Seven patients with pleural effusion who underwent thoracoscopy under local anesthesia using a 32 Fr chest tube and a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope were retrospectively studied. Results. Thoracoscopy was safely performed in the diagnosis and management of pleural effusion in all cases. The visualization of the pleura, diaphragm, and lung using this instrumentation was excellent in comparison to that normally obtained during surgical thoracoscopy. A forceps biopsy of the pleura or diaphragm could therefore be easily and effectively performed. Conclusion. This technique is considered to have clinical utility as a diagnostic tool for pleurisy; furthermore, this method is safe, effective and inexpensive, not only for surgeons but also for physicians.
Law, credit risk management and bank lending to SMEs in Nigeria

This article emphasises that a variety of constraints – chief of which is inaccessibility to funds – substantially prevent what should be the profound contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to the economic growth and development of nations, including Nigeria. It further identifies the high credit risk involved in lending to SMEs by Nigerian banks as the main rationale for the banks’ unwillingness to grant credit to SMEs, and observes that this aversion on the part of Nigerian banks is notwithstanding the enormous mechanisms provided by Nigerian law to minimise credit risks for banks. The article concludes with a counsel to Nigerian banks to avail themselves of the credit risk-minimising strategies of Nigerian law, which should then motivate them to improve on their record regarding advances to SMEs.
Omentin-A Novel Adipokine in Respiratory Diseases

Adipokines, secreted by the adipose tissue, are extensively involved in the regulation and maintenance of various physiological and pathological processes, including insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammatory activity, neuroendocrine activity, immunity, cancer, homeostasis, angiogenesis, cardiovascular function, breeding and bone metabolism, and all functions of the endocrine-reproductive system axis. Omentin is a recently identified adipokine, which has become a research hotspot due to its pleiotropic effects on various diseases. However, the specific receptor for omentin has not been identified so far. In this study, we report that omentin levels fluctuate in various diseases. In addition, we have focused on the pleiotropic roles of omentin in pulmonary diseases, as it may act as a biomarker for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and is related to disease severity. Omentin may play significant roles in other pulmonary diseases, such as asthma, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This review summarizes the advances in current knowledge and future trends, which may provide a concise and general view on omentin and its effects on pulmonary biology.
Torque Teno Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infection in Iranian Pediatric Thalassemia Patients

Objective: Torque teno virus (TTV) infects patients at risk for parenteral exposure and chronic blood transfusion, such as those with β-thalassemic. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of TTV infection and co-infection of TTV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in pediatric thalassemia patients receiving chronic blood transfusion. Material and Methods: The study included 90 pediatric thalassemia patients receiving chronic blood transfusion that presented to the Mofid Children’s Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The control group included 90 healthy volunteer children. Serum TTV DNA detection via semi-nested PCR and HCV Ab were performed in all the participants. Demographic characteristics and clinical data were collected from each participant for statistical analysis. Results: In all, 64.4% of the patients had TTV infection, versus 24.4% of the controls (P < 0.01). The thalassemia patients had a greater probability of having TTV and HCV infections than the controls, with a common OR of 5.60 (95% CI: 2.94-10.69) and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.83-2.50), respectively. In total, 17.2% (10/58) of the patients that were TTV positive were also HCV positive, whereas 6.3% (2/32) of the TTV-negative patients were anti-HCV antibody (Ab) positive (P = 0.14). Conclusion: The prevalence of TTV and HCV infection was higher in the Iranian thalassemia patients on chronic transfusion therapy than in the controls. The high prevalence of TTV in pediatric thalassemia patients on chromic transfusion therapy may indicate the superiority of the parenteral route compared to other routs of TTV transmission.
Development of Handwriting Speed and Legibility in Grades 1–9

Abstract The development of handwriting speed and legibility in 900 children in Grades 1–9 was examined. Each student completed 3 writing tasks: copying a paragraph, writing a narrative, and writing an essay. The children's speed of handwriting on the copying task typically increased from one grade to the next, but the pace of development was uneven during the intermediate grades and leveled off in Grade 9 as speed began to approximate adult speeds. In contrast, improvement in handwriting legibility on the 3 writing tasks was primarily limited to the intermediate grades. Girls' handwriting was more legible than boys' handwriting, and the girls wrote faster in Grades 1, 6, and 7. Right-handers were also faster than left-handers, but there was no difference in the legibility of their written products. Finally, handwriting speed contributed significantly to the prediction of legibility on the narrative and expository writing tasks, but the contribution was small, accounting for only 1 % of the variance.
Sketch Based Construction and Rendering of Implicit Models

We present an implicit modeling system as a tool for creating a wide range of aesthetic models. Because of their ability to form blends and produce both organic shapes as well as man-made objects, implicit surfaces are a good medium for artists seeking new ways to experiment with 3D modeling. Implicit models can be created using our sketch-based modeling tool Shapeshop and also by using a procedural interface. Further, we exploit the differential properties of implicit surfaces to explore new techniques for rendering hierarchical, skeletal implicit models in several pen and ink styles. Our method extracts and stylizes silhouette strokes, lines following local shape features, such as those caused by CSG junctions and abrupt blends, and short interior marks to reveal basic form. In this approach we use a particle system as a basis for the stroke extraction method.
Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of sentinel lymph node mapping in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast carcinoma prior to lumpectomy or mastectomy and sentinel lymph node mapping followed by complete axillary dissection. A retrospective analysis of 14 patients from February 1998 to July 2000 with stage I to stage IIIB breast cancer diagnosed by core biopsy underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide) prior to definitive surgery, including lumpectomy or mastectomy and sentinel lymph node mapping, followed by full axillary dissection. Thirteen of 14 patients had successful sentinel lymph node identification (93%), and all 14 underwent full axillary dissection. An average of 2.2 sentinel nodes and a median of 16 axillary lymph nodes (including sentinel nodes) were found per patient. Of the 13 patients in whom a sentinel lymph node was identified, 10 were positive for metastases (77%). Only 4 of the 10 had further axillary metastases (40%). Three patients had negative sentinel lymph nodes shown by hematoxylin and eosin and cytokeratin stainings and had no axillary metastases (0% false negative). The single patient in whom a sentinel lymph node could not be identified had stage IIIA disease with extensive lymphatic tumor emboli. Sentinel lymph node mapping is feasible in neoadjuvant chemotherapy breast cancer patients and can spare a significant number of patients the morbidity of full axillary dissection. Further study to evaluate sentinel lymph node mapping in this patient population is warranted.
Calibration for IR measurements of OH in apatite

Abstract In this work, we have calibrated the infrared (IR) method for determining OH concentrations in apatite with absolute concentrations obtained through elastic recoil detection (ERD) analysis. IR spectra were collected on oriented, single-crystal apatite samples using polarized transmission infrared spectroscopy. The weight percent H2O is 0.001199 ± 0.000029 (the error is given at 1σ level hereafter) times A/d, where A is the linear absorbance peak height measured using polarized IR when the light vector E is parallel to the c-axis of the apatite crystal, and d is the sample thickness in centimeters. This corresponds to a linear molar absorptivity, ε = 470 ± 11 L/mol/cm-1. The calibration using linear absorbance can be applied when there is only one dominant peak at 3540 cm-1. If other peaks are significant, then the integrated molar absorptivity, ε = (2.31 ± 0.06) ×104 L/mol/cm2, should be used. The detection limit of H2O concentration in apatite by IR approaches parts per million level for wafers of 0.1 mm thickness. The accuracy based on our calibration is 5-10% relative.
Lymphatic Metastasis in the Absence of Functional Intratumor Lymphatics

Lymphatic metastasis contributes to mortality from solid tumors. Whether metastasizing cancer cells reach lymph nodes via intratumor lymphatic vessels is unknown. Here, we examine functional lymphatics associated with mouse tumors expressing normal or elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor–C (VEGF-C), a molecule that stimulates lymphangiogenesis. Although VEGF-C overexpression increased lymphatic surface area in the tumor margin and lymphatic metastasis, these tumors contained no functional lymphatics, as assessed by four independent functional assays and immunohistochemical staining. These findings suggest that the functional lymphatics in the tumor margin alone are sufficient for lymphatic metastasis and should be targeted therapeutically.
Is family a moral capital resource for female politicians? The case of ABC’s Commander in Chief

Being perceived as family-engaged is assumed to benefit politicians, augmenting moral capital they can trade for votes and power. Moral capital benefits of family engagement are particularly salient for male politicians, whose relationship to family generally invokes responsibility and strength. Is family engagement a moral capital resource for female politicians, whose stereotypical associations with family invoke dependency and support? This manuscript examines the fictional television series Commander in Chief, the first to seriously engage the issue of a female US president, juxtaposing her political life with her domestic life as a working wife and mother. Analysis of gender stereotypes deployed in the family narrative suggests that family engagement may not represent a moral capital resource for this fictional female politician, undermining the audience’s ability to see her as moral capital-worthy in the political sphere. Application is made to actual female politicians in the United States.
tRNA Isoacceptor Preference prior to Retrovirus Gag-Pol Junction Links Primer Selection and Viral Translation

ABSTRACT An essential step in the replication of all retroviruses is the capture of a cellular tRNA that is used as the primer for reverse transcription. The 3′-terminal 18 nucleotides of the tRNA are complementary to the primer binding site (PBS). Moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV) preferentially captures tRNAPro. To investigate the specificity of primer selection, the PBS of MuLV was altered to be complementary to different tRNAs. Analysis of the infectivity of the virus and stability of the PBS following in vitro replication revealed that MuLV prefers to select tRNAPro, tRNAGly, or tRNAArg. Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested that tRNA primer capture is coordinated with translation. Coincidentally, a cluster of proline, arginine, and glycine precedes the Gag-Pol junction of MuLV. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), which prefers \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{tRNA}_{3}^{\mathrm{Lys}}\) \end{document} as the primer, can be forced to utilize tRNAMet, \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{tRNA}_{1,2}^{\mathrm{Lys}}\) \end{document}, tRNAHis, or tRNAGlu, although these viruses replicate poorly. Codons for methionine, lysine, histidine, or glutamic acid are found prior to the Gag-Pol frameshift site. HIV-1 was mutated so that the 5 lysine codons prior to the Gag-Pol frameshift region were specific for \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{tRNA}_{1,2}^{\mathrm{Lys}}\) \end{document}. HIV-1 forced to use \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{tRNA}_{1,2}^{\mathrm{Lys}}\) \end{document} as the primer, with the mutation of codons specific for \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{tRNA}_{1,2}^{\mathrm{Lys}}\) \end{document} prior to the Gag-Pol junction, had enhanced infectivity and replicated similarly to the wild-type virus. The results demonstrate that codon preference prior to the Gag-Pol junction influences primer selection and suggest a coordination of Gag-Pol synthesis and acquisition of the tRNA primer required for retrovirus replication.
Prothrombotic disorders and abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with neonatal cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of prothrombotic disorders in a well-characterized cohort of infants with neonatal stroke and to document any association of prothrombotic disorders with the type of infarct seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical outcome. METHODS Twenty-four infants with perinatal cerebral infarction confirmed by neonatal MRI were enrolled in the study. All the infants and, when possible, both parents were tested to identify inherited and acquired prothrombotic disorders. RESULTS None of the infants had a significant bleeding diathesis, but 10 (42%) had at least 1 prothrombotic risk factor. Five children showed heterozygosity for factor V Leiden, and 6 had high factor VIIIc concentrations. There was a striking association between the occurrence of these abnormalities and both the presence of cerebral hemorrhage on MRI and poor neurologic outcome. Eight of the 11 patients (73%) with hemiplegia or global developmental delay had factor V Leiden and/or raised factor VIIIc, whereas only 1 of the 13 patients (8%) with normal outcome had any prothrombotic risk factors. In particular, all 5 infants with factor V Leiden had hemiplegia, compared with only 4 of the 19 infants without factor V Leiden (21%). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the presence of prothrombotic risk factors and, in particular, of the factor V Leiden mutation, is significantly associated with poor outcome after perinatal cerebral infarction.
Charismatic Communication Skill, Media Legitimacy, and Electoral Success

ABSTRACT There is growing interest in how much a political candidate's media and political skills, sometimes referred to as “charisma,” are critical to their electoral success and political survival. According to one hypothesis, the effects of media skills might be so strong that actors who do not possess media skills quickly vanish from the political arena. However, while many believe that media skills are an important aspect of being elected, few have actually tried to measure their effects. Part of the reluctance, no doubt, stems from methodological difficulties in measuring them. In this study, I look more directly at the media and political skills that are likely to play an important role in electoral competition and suggest a new methodology for measuring such skills. Findings are presented that show that media and political skills, as well as media coverage, can have an important impact on long-term electoral success of Israeli members of the Knesset.
The Influence of Friendship Groups on Intellectual Self-Confidence and Educational Aspirations in College

In this study, the author examines the influence of college friendship groups on students' intellectual self-confidence and educational aspirations. Findings indicate that at the interpersonal level, the competing effects of relative deprivation and environmental press are present among white students. Racial diversity in the friendship group was found to have positive effects, but only for students of color.
Face synthesis from near-infrared to visual light spectrum using quotient image and kernel-based multifactor analysis

This paper addresses the problem of synthesizing an artificial visual light (VIS) facial image from near-infrared (NIR) input. After extensively assessing photic characteristics of tissues at human skin surface, we propose a framework for this task. Firstly, we take the quotient images for training and reconstruction, so that information related to face structure can be preserved. Secondly, to handle heterogeneous blur resulted from multiple scattering within tissues, we introduce kernel-based strategy as a powerful nonlinear analyzing instrument. Finally, as in our application the image ensembles involve multiple factors, a tensor structure is employed to transform heterogeneous face data into uniform subspaces. Comparative results show that our synthesized images are both suited for human vision and discriminative for machine recognition.
Secure Multiparty Computation of a Social Network

The society today is better connected as a result of advancement in technology. The study of these social interactions and its resulting structure, is an integral component in the field of network science. However, the study of these social networks is limited to the availability of data. Privacy concerns restrict the access to network data with sensitive information. Networks that capture the relations such as trust, enmity, sexual contact, are a few examples of sensitive networks. A study of these sensitive networks is important in unraveling the behavioral aspects of the concerned individuals. The current paper proposes a multiparty computation algorithm that allows the construction of the unlabeled isomorphic version of the underlying network. The algorithm is information theoretic secure and works under the malicious adversarial model with the threshold of one third total corrupt parties.
Predicting Social Interactions for Visual Tracking

Human interaction dynamics are known to play an important role in the development of robust pedestrian trackers that are applicable to a variety of applications in video surveillance. Traditional approaches to pedestrian tracking assume that each pedestrian walks independently and the tracker predicts the location based on an underlying motion model, such as a constant velocity or autoregressive model. Recent approaches have begun to leverage interaction, especially by modeling the repulsion force, among pedestrians to improve motion predictions. However, human interaction is more complex and is influenced by both repulsion and attraction effects. This motivates the use of a more complex human interaction model for pedestrian tracking. In this paper, we propose a novel visual tracking method by leveraging complex social interactions. We present an algorithm that decomposes social interactions into multiple potential interaction modes. We integrate these multiple social interaction modes into an interactive Markov Chain Monte Carlo tracker. We demonstrate how the developed method translates into a more informed motion prediction, resulting in a robust tracking performance. We test our method on videos from unconstrained outdoor environments and compare it against popular multi-object trackers.