Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-national interrater reliability of dementia diagnosis in the elderly and factors associated with disagreement

Thirteen researchers from five centers in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States applied DSM-III-R and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) syndrome-level dementia criteria to written vignettes of 100 elderly people identified in clinics or community surveys. Subjects ranged in type from cognitively intact to severely demented and many were also frail, partially sighted, or deaf. This paper concerns reliability within and between centers, and the relationship between reliability and factors such as diagnostic criteria, dementia severity, and respondents' clinical characteristics. Within-center interrater reliability was high, more so for "yes-no" DSM-III-R diagnoses than the multi-level CDR. Between-center rates were lower but still moderate to good. Concordance was lower for intermediate dementia levels than for no dementia and severe dementia. Physical disability made an additional contribution to uncertainty but deafness, poor vision, anxiety, and depression had no discernible effects. Reliability levels are likely to be lower in representative aged populations than in carefully selected clinical groups. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 1194-1199
Quality of service routing algorithm in the torusbased network on chip

Network on chip (NoC) is an emerging area and recognized as the future methodology for chip design. Provision of QoS in network on chip is a challenging problem and receives much attention recently. A QoS routing scheme is proposed to support various traffic with different QoS requirements in the interconnection networks of NoC. Specifically, three distributed QoS routing algorithms are developed based on different blocking handling methods. The algorithms use local information and are proven to be deadlock free and livelock free. Various strategies to handle blocking are utilized to lower the call failure rate. Simulations are carried on 3D torus topology. The results show that the proposed algorithms increase the network capacity by 30–40% (compared with the dimension order algorithm) and by 20–30% (compared with Duato's algorithm). 1
U.S. Trends in Antiretroviral Therapy Use, HIV RNA Plasma Viral Loads, and CD4 T-Lymphocyte Cell Counts Among HIV-Infected Persons, 2000 to 2008

BACKGROUND The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy targets for 2015 include "increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for persons living with HIV in the United States" (PLWH-US). OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the utility of the NA-ACCORD (North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design) for monitoring trends in the HIV epidemic in the United States and to present trends in HIV treatment and related health outcomes. DESIGN Trends from annual cross-sectional analyses comparing patients from pooled, multicenter, prospective, clinical HIV cohort studies with PLWH-US, as reported to national surveillance systems in 40 states. SETTING U.S. HIV outpatient clinics. PATIENTS HIV-infected adults with 1 or more HIV RNA plasma viral load (HIV VL) or CD4 T-lymphocyte (CD4) cell count measured in any calendar year from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2008. MEASUREMENTS Annual rates of antiretroviral therapy use, HIV VL, and CD4 cell count at death. RESULTS 45 529 HIV-infected persons received care in an NA-ACCORD-participating U.S. clinical cohort from 2000 to 2008. In 2008, the 26 030 NA-ACCORD participants in care and the 655 966 PLWH-US had qualitatively similar demographic characteristics. From 2000 to 2008, the proportion of participants prescribed highly active antiretroviral therapy increased by 9 percentage points to 83% (P < 0.001), whereas the proportion with suppressed HIV VL (≤2.7 log10 copies/mL) increased by 26 percentage points to 72% (P < 0.001). Median CD4 cell count at death more than tripled to 0.209 × 109 cells/L (P < 0.001). LIMITATION The usual limitations of observational data apply. CONCLUSION The NA-ACCORD is the largest cohort of HIV-infected adults in clinical care in the United States that is demographically similar to PLWH-US in 2008. From 2000 to 2008, increases were observed in the percentage of prescribed HAART, the percentage who achieved a suppressed HIV VL, and the median CD4 cell count at death. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Canadian HIV Trials Network; and the government of British Columbia, Canada.
Supplier selection service-case study UTB

Supplier selection supported by methods based on computational tools are fundamental enterprise actions. This paper proposes the development of supplier selection model supported on a computational tool, using the purchasing department of Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar as a case study. The review of different decision making techniques, yielded AHP as the most appropiate technique because of its multi-variable and multi-criteria capabilities. The design of the tool is based on Service Oriented Computing, as it allows easier integration, a better and faster response to process change and the environment changing needs. In this work, the design of the selection model, the identification and implementation of the services for selection and evaluation of suppliers were carried out.
Correlation power analysis using bit-level biased activity plaintexts against AES cores with countermeasures

Advanced encryption standard (AES) cores suffer from information leakage through power supply currents, even with the wave dynamic differential logic (WDDL) known as one of the most tolerable countermeasure design styles against side channel attacks (SCA). The set of plaintexts having bit-level biased activities are produced with a known secret key and used for diagnosing the vulnerability of AES cores in their development phases. The CPA with biased plaintexts revealed 128-bit secret keys with less than 4,000 traces from the WDDL AES core both by the measurements and simulations of power supply currents. The core was physically structured by using a 65-nm CMOS standard cell library and assembled on a test vehicle of “SPACES explorer” having an on-board 1-ohm resistor for measuring power supply currents. The derived knowledge should be useful in driving the design of AES cores to be much less prone to information leakage through power supply current and electromagnetic measurements.
Effects of lymphotoxin beta receptor blockade on intestinal mucosal immunity.

BACKGROUND Mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) directs lymphocyte migration into gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) through Peyer's patches (PPs). Parenteral nutrition (PN) impairs mucosal immunity by reducing PPs MAdCAM-1 expression, T and B cells in GALT, and intestinal and respiratory immunoglobulin (Ig) A levels. We previously showed that PN reduces lymphotoxin beta receptor blockade (LTbetaR) in PPs and intestine, and that stimulation with LTbetaR agonist antibodies reverses these defects. To confirm that LTbetaR regulates transcription of MAdCAM-1 message and more fully understand the effects of LTbetaR on MAdCAM-1 function within the mucosal immune system, we studied the effect of LTbetaR blockade with a chimeric LTbetaR Ig-fusion protein on MAdCAM-1 mRNA levels, PP lymphocyte mass and IgA levels in the intestinal and respiratory tracts. METHODS Mice were cannulated and killed 3 days after receiving chow + control Ig, chow + LTbetaR-Ig fusion protein (100 microg IV), or PN + control Ig. The PPs of half of the animals were processed for lymphocyte count, and the other half were processed for complementary DNA and subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR). mRNA levels of MAdCAM-1 were determined by real-time PCR; intestinal and respiratory IgA levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS PN significantly reduced PP lymphocyte mass, MAdCAM-1 mRNA, and intestinal IgA. As anticipated, LTbetaR blockade significantly decreased PP cells and MAdCAM-1 mRNA, but not intestinal IgA because chow feeding was maintained. Both LTbetaR blockade and PN decreased nasal IgA, but not significantly. CONCLUSIONS LTbetaR blockade in chow animals significantly reduces transcription of MAdCAM-1 gene and PPs lymphocyte mass. These data implicate inadequate LTbetaR signaling as a major mechanism for decreased GALT cells with lack of enteral stimulation, and further establish the role of LTbetaR in the mucosal immune system.
A cooperative interaction between NF‐kappa B and Sp1 is required for HIV‐1 enhancer activation.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV‐1) long terminal repeat (LTR) contains two binding sites for NF‐kappa B in close proximity to three binding sites for the constitutive transcription factor, Sp1. Previously, stimulation of the HIV enhancer in response to mitogens has been attributed to the binding of NF‐kappa B to the viral enhancer. In this report, we show that the binding of NF‐kappa B is not by itself sufficient to induce HIV gene expression. Instead, a protein‐protein interaction must occur between NF‐kappa B and Sp1 bound to an adjacent site. Cooperativity both in DNA binding and in transcriptional activation of NF‐kappa B and Sp1 was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift gel analysis, DNase footprinting, chemical cross‐linking and transfection studies in vivo. With a heterologous promoter, we find that the interaction of NF‐kappa B with Sp1 is dependent on orientation and position, and is not observed with other elements, including GATA, CCAAT or octamer. An increase in the spacing between the kappa B and Sp1 elements virtually abolishes this functional interaction, which is not restored when these sites are brought back into the same helical position. Several other promoters regulated by NF‐kappa B also contain kappa B in proximity to Sp1 binding sites. These findings suggest that an interaction between NF‐kappa B and Sp1 is required for inducible HIV‐1 gene expression and may serve as a regulatory mechanism to activate specific viral and cellular genes.
Transient increase in basal insulin levels in severely diabetic rats submitted to physical training.

Physical training improves glucose homeostasis in rats with experimental diabetes mellitus. The present study has been designed to ascertain if this beneficial effect is maintained or lost after a few days of inactivity. Male Wistar rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg) and those presenting one week later a blood glucose value between 250 and 400 mg/dl were retained in the protocol and randomly assigned to a sedentary (n = 18) or trained group (n = 23). An I.V. glucose tolerance test (0.5 g/kg) was performed in previously cannulated rats 64 h (trained rats; n = 15) or 12 days (detrained rats, n = 8) after the last bout of exercise. In comparison with results obtained in their sedentary counterparts (419 +/- 15 mg/dl), basal glucose levels were significantly lower in trained (362 +/- 20; p less than 0.05), but not in detrained rats (429 +/- 15; NS). Similar differences in plasma glucose levels were observed after glucose loading, even though the glucose disappearance rate constant was not significantly improved by training. Furthermore, basal insulin levels were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in trained than in sedentary rats (20 +/- 3 vs 12 +/- 2 microU/ml) but such a difference had disappeared in detrained rats (9 +/- 2 microU/ml). These results indicate that the training-induced improvement in glucose homeostasis of diabetic rats is a transient phenomenon which is associated with an increase in circulating insulin levels. This suggests that the beneficial effect of training is not due solely to enhanced insulin sensitivity.
Development and psychometric validation of a Health Literacy in Dentistry scale (HeLD).

BACKGROUND Oral health literacy is emerging as a new public health challenge and poor oral health literacy is increasingly seen as an important predictor of poor oral health outcomes. Within Indigenous populations, there may be benefits to research in using a culturally acceptable, internally consistent and valid instrument to assess oral health literacy. We translated a general health literacy measure, the Health Literacy Management (HeLM) scale to make a dentally relevant scale; Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD). OBJECTIVE This study describes the development and assessment of the reliability and validity of the HeLD in an Indigenous Australian population. DESIGN AND METHODS The 29 item HeLD scale assesses the components of oral health literacy. The reliability and validity of the seven HeLD subscales were evaluated in a convenience sample of 209 Indigenous Australians with mean age 35 years (range 17-81) and of which 139 were female. RESULTS The scale was supported by exploratory factor analysis and established seven distinct and internally consistent domains of oral health literacy: Communication, Access, Receptivity, Understanding, Utilisation, Support and Economic Barriers (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91). Discriminative ability was confirmed by HeLD associations with socio-demographic variables and self-reported health ratings in the expected direction. The convergent validity and predictive validity were confirmed by HeLD scores being significantly associated with toothbrush ownership, use of a toothbrush, time since last dental visit and knowledge of the effect of cordial on the teeth. CONCLUSIONS The HeLD appears to be an internally valid and reliable instrument and can be used for measuring oral health literacy among rural Indigenous Australian adults.
We are producers of patient value and financial value.

The authors herein, all top people in their fields, have written superior reviews on critically relevant subjects to practicing ophthalmologists. In each instance, the patient value gains (comparative effectiveness) associated with ophthalmic interventions, whether therapeutic or diagnostic, are addressed. Although improving patient value (quality-of-life and/or length-of-life) is the most important thing we do, it is by no means all we do. Many lament that United States direct medical costs are sunk costs, those that have been incurred and cannot be recovered, especially when they are projected to approach 17.8% of the Gross Domestic Product in 2013 [1]. George Beauchamp, a prominent paediatric ophthalmologist, has long been an advocate of the concept that our medical interventions yield not only patient value but also economic (financial) value [2]. In essence, many of our interventions yield a positive financial return-on-investment to society over and above the direct medical costs expended. Thus, these interventions produce an increase in the net wealth of the USA, as is also the case for medical interventions in other countries. William Nordhaus, the noted Yale economist, estimates that 50% of the wealth created in the USA during the 20th century occurred as a result of healthcare advances [3]. The 30-year increase in average life expectancy alone, from 47 years in 1900 to 77 years in 2000 [4], yielded another 20 years of economic productivity, as many work till age 65 and beyond. And, the diminution in disability made possible by medical interventions improved economic productivity without reservation. We, as physicians, have always suspected that our treatments allow patients to lead more economically productive lives. But relatively little information has been written on the subject. Nonetheless, studies on healthcare costs are giving us objective information upon which to base suppositions that medical interventions create financial gain [5–7].
Clinical and endorectal ultrasound staging of circumferential rectal cancers

Circumferential rectal cancers present at a more advanced stage than those located in a single quadrant. Although accurate staging is an important aspect of the preoperative management of the patient with a rectal cancer, the clinical and radiological staging of this subgroup of rectal cancer patients has been poorly studied. All patients with a rectal cancer were assessed clinically (by digital rectal examination and rigid sigmoidoscopy) before the radiological assessment by endorectal ultrasound (ERUS). Data collected included tumour height (distance from anal verge in centimetre) and tumour type (circumferential or non‐circumferential). Radiological tumour staging was with the TNM system. Fifty‐nine subjects (33 men, 26 women; median age 65 years (range 38–86 years)) were identified with a circumferential rectal cancer. Mean height of the cancer was 8 ± 0.4 cm (standard error of the mean; range 2–13 cm). Forty‐two cancers were palpable, and 17 cancers were impalpable. All cancers assessed clinically as circumferential were confirmed as circumferential on ERUS scanning. Tumour stage as assessed by ERUS was either T3 (n = 57) or T4 (n = 2). Nodal status was N0 (n = 29) and N1 (n = 30). All rectal cancers assessed as circumferential on clinical examination have an ERUS stage of T3 or greater.
Neuromuscular fatigue profile in endurance-trained and power-trained athletes.

PURPOSE This study examined the effects of training background on the relationship between the neuromuscular fatigue profile and maximal voluntary torque production in isometric, concentric, and eccentric contraction modes. METHODS Before and after three sets of 31 isokinetic concentric knee extensions at 60 degrees . s(-1), voluntary and electrically induced contractions were recorded in 14 endurance-trained (ENDU) men (seven cyclists: age 25 +/- 2 yr, mass 70 +/- 8 kg, height 175 +/- 5 cm; and seven triathletes: age 27 +/- 4 yr, mass 71 +/- 5 kg, height 179 +/- 6 cm) and seven explosive power-trained men (EXPLO: age 24 +/- 1 yr, mass 73 +/- 5 kg, height 179 +/- 4 cm). Maximal knee-extension torque, activation level (twitch interpolation technique), electromyographic activity of agonist and antagonist muscles, and twitch contractile properties were assessed. RESULTS At preexercise, the maximal voluntary isometric and concentric torques of EXPLO were greater than those of ENDU (P < 0.05). After the fatiguing exercise, significant isometric (18%; P < 0.01) and concentric (25%; P < 0.05) torque decreases in EXPLO were associated with, respectively, twitch torque (Pt) and maximal rate of twitch development (+dPt/dt) reductions (P < 0.01) and with an increase in the antagonist coactivation level (P < 0.01). No modification was observed for ENDU. Interestingly, the coactivation level was also increased (P < 0.01) in eccentric contraction for EXPLO, although the maximal eccentric torque decrease (P < 0.01) could not be specifically attributed to any group. CONCLUSION The fatiguing exercise induced central and peripheral adaptations, but the mechanisms differed regarding the contraction mode. At pre- and postfatiguing exercise, it seems that the neuromuscular profile depends on the subject's training background and the contraction modes used to assess fatigue.
An analysis of the information behaviors, goals, and intentions of frequent Internet users: Findings from online activity diaries

Using a method that combines the Experience Sampling Method (Kubey, et al. , 1996) and the diary survey method, we surveyed frequent Internet users about their online activities, along with their interest, confidence, and satisfaction in regard to these activities. A link to an online survey was sent to respondents five times a day for three consecutive days. The results reported here are based on 2,656 diary forms submitted by 417 respondents. Through inductive analysis of respondents’ open–ended accounts of their activities, we identified four information activity dimensions — information object, information behavior, goal, and intention. The results reveal that younger respondents were more likely than older respondents to mention that they engage in online activities with the intention of sharing or evaluating information, while older respondents more frequently mentioned the intentions of gathering data and keeping up to date. Respondents reported spending more time on traditional types of online activities (such as reading) and were more confident in their ability to conduct these types of activities. However, they also reported spending considerable amounts of time on more participatory types of activities, such as creating content and commenting on content. Furthermore, they often rated their interest and satisfaction levels higher when their goals and intentions for their activities were more social in nature and thus more characteristic of Web 2.0 activities, such as connecting with people, self–expression, and sharing. Respondents’ goals and intentions for their activities, as well as their interest, confidence, and satisfaction with various types of online activities, along with the relative amount of time they spent on various types of online activities and the locations from which they conducted these activities, all proved to be important factors to consider when attempting to reach a better understanding of people’s online activities. The contribution of this study lies in the unique data collection and analysis methods that we used in order to reach a better understanding of their online activities across multiple information activity dimensions.
Duration of effects of dietary fish oil supplementation on serum eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid concentrations in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine how long serum concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids remain elevated after cessation of dietary fish oil supplementation. ANIMALS 12 healthy Beagles. PROCEDURE Baseline serum concentrations of linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were measured. Dogs were then fed a diet supplemented with soybean oil or fish oil for 8 weeks, and serum fatty acid concentrations were measured while dogs were fed the experimental diets and for 18 weeks after they were switched to a maintenance diet. RESULTS For dogs fed the fish oil diet, serum EPA and DHA concentrations were significantly increased by week 1 and remained increased for 7 (DHA concentration) or 3 (EPA concentration) weeks after dietary fish oil supplementation was discontinued. CONCLUSIONS In dogs, supplementation of the diet with fish oil may have effects for several weeks after dietary supplementation is discontinued. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Studies of the effects of fish oil supplementation that use a crossover design should allow for an appropriate washout period.
Visual evoked potentials in successfully treated strabismic amblyopes and normal subjects.

PURPOSE To assess electrophysiological recovery in successfully treated strabismic amblyopes. METHODS Pattern reversal visual evoked potentials were recorded from 11 successfully treated strabismic amblyopes 7 to 11 years of age and 10 age-matched normal children using 12.5' and 50' checks. RESULTS Nine amblyopic eyes had recovered to a Snellen acuity of 6/6 or better, and the remaining 2 were 6/9 after patching. Comparison between the amblyopic and the fellow eyes showed significantly lower P100 amplitude for the amblyopic eyes with small checks (difference -16.7%; P <.02) and significantly longer latency with larger checks difference (+5.0%; P <.02). The P100 latencies to stimulation of both the amblyopic and fellow eyes by 12.5' checks were markedly longer than in normal subjects (amblyopic eye, +11.7%, P <.0001; fellow eye, +7.7% P <.002). CONCLUSIONS Successfully treated amblyopic eyes showed significantly longer latency than did normal eyes with small check stimulation. However, the nonamblyopic fellow eyes also showed significantly longer latency than did normal eyes, suggesting altered central processing.