Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care unit patients: Results from the first national point-prevalence survey.

OBJECTIVES Patients admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are at high risk of nosocomial infection. We conducted a national multicenter assessment of nosocomial infections in NICUs to determine the prevalence of infections, describe associated risk factors, and help focus prevention efforts. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a point prevalence survey of nosocomial infections in 29 Pediatric Prevention Network NICUs. Patients present on the survey date were included. Data were collected on underlying diagnoses, therapeutic interventions/treatments, infections, and outcomes. RESULTS Of the 827 patients surveyed, 94 (11.4%) had 116 NICU-acquired infections: bloodstream (52.6%), lower respiratory tract (12.9%), ear-nose-throat (8.6%), or urinary tract infections (8.6%). Infants with infections were of significantly lower birth weight (median 1006 g [range 441 to 4460 g] vs 1589 g [range 326 to 5480 g]; P <.001) and had longer median durations of stay than those without infections (88 days [range 8 to 279 days] vs 32 days [range 1 to 483 days]; P <.001). Most common pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci and enterococci. Patients with central intravascular catheters (relative risk = 3.81, CI 2.32-6.25; P <.001) or receiving total parenteral nutrition (relative risk = 5.72, CI 3.45-9.49; P <.001) were at greater risk of bloodstream infection. CONCLUSIONS This study documents the high prevalence of nosocomial infections in patients in NICUs and the urgent need for more effective prevention interventions.
Distance control of rocket-propelled miniature exploration robot

A rocket-propelled miniature robot is capable to explore sites that planetary rovers cannot reach with efficiency in locomotion distance per mass. The technical difficulty is the significant variance in its flight distance because of two factors: sensitivity of error in the center of gravity with respect to the thrust axis, and solid rocket engines deviance in thrusting force. To overcome the issue, our flight distance control strategy includes flight trajectory forming, and the flight trajectory prediction including the opposing shot. With our method, we experimentally showed the flight distance to the forward direction improved by a factor of four in variance reduction.
Impact of operating conditions on nitrogen removal using cyclic activated sludge technology (CAST)

In this study, the nitrogen removal performance of a municipal wastewater treatment plant that employs cyclic activated sludge technology (CAST) was evaluated. The impact of key operational conditions such as temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and operating modes were examined in parallel. During summer, when the operating temperature ranged from 27–30°C, the NH4 +-N and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies were 51 ± 7% and 42 ± 7%, respectively, and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) was considered to be the major nitrogen removal mechanism. In contrast, at a low operating temperature of 10–15°C, the DO concentration increased from 0.7 to 3.0 mg/L; however, the NH4 +-N and TN removals were both inefficient due to poor biomass activities, which was demonstrated by a lower specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) of 1.2 mg O2/g SS· h (15°C). Moreover, a 3h-mode for the CAST process was preferable during winter because the effluent wastewater quality was similar to that obtained when the 4h-mode was used. The extremely low organic loading was the primary reason for the poor bioactivity of the sludge in the CAST system, and this eventually led to deterioration of the nitrogen removal efficiencies.
A 2.5 mW/ch, 50 Mcps, 10-Analog Channel, Adaptively Biased Read-Out Front-End IC With Low Intrinsic Timing Resolution for Single-Photon Time-of-Flight PET Applications With Time-Dependent Noise Analysis in 90 nm CMOS

This paper presents a 10-channel time-of-flight application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for positron emission tomography in a 90 nm standard CMOS process. To overcome variations in channel-to-channel timing resolution caused by mismatch and process variations, adaptive biases and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) are utilized. The main contributions of this work are as follows. First, multistage architectures reduce the total power consumption, and detection bandwidths of analog preamplifiers and comparators are increased to 1 and 1.5 GHz, respectively, relative to those in previous studies. Second, a total intrinsic electronic timing resolution of 9.71 ps root-mean-square (RMS) is achieved (13.88 ps peak and 11.8 ps average of the 10 channels in 5 ASICs). Third, the proposed architecture reduces variations in channel-to-channel timing resolution to 2.6 bits (equivalent to 4.17 ps RMS) by calibrating analog comparator threshold levels. A 181.5 ps full-width-at-half-maximum timing resolution is measured with an avalanche photo diode and a laser setup. The power consumption is 2.5 mW using 0.5 and 1.2 V power supplies. The proposed ASIC is implemented in a 90 nm TSMC CMOS process with a total area of 3.3 mm $\times$ 2.7 mm.
Determinants of Foreign Investment in the Brazilian Stock Market

The purpose of this paper is to identify determinants for foreign portfolio investment in the Brazilian stock market. From the viewpoint of the investors who have already allocated their resources in Brazilian Market, it was found that periods of greater local liquidity and lower correlation with developed markets promoted their activities (buys and sales); the Brazilian country risk (EMBI Br), domestic and external interest rates and recent past performance of the domestic market also showed as significant determinants for additional buys. For net inflows into the local stock market, as robust determinants were found the performance of developed markets and the domestic prime interest rate; the development of BM&F-Bovespa Stock Exchange, crisis environments, the recent Brazilian investment grade and the local diversification (in relation to a developed market) would be particularly relevant to the dynamics of foreign portfolio inflows in Brazil.
DES story: review and report.

The clinicopathologic findings in 217 patients believed to have been exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol (DES) were examined. Patient histories and physical findings, reports of gross and colposcopic examinations, and cytologic and pathologic diagnoses were recorded. The pathology slides were reviewed by a gynecologist and a pathologist, and an attempt was make to determine the incidence of cervicovaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. Of 182 patients with a history of in utero drug exposure, DES was believed to have been the agent in 180 cases. Maternal drug intake was suspected but not documented in 35 instances. The majority of the patients were between the ages of 20 and 29. No gross abnormality was noted in 27 cases, and the only abnormal finding in an additional 64 patients was cervical erythroplakia (clinical erosion). Class 1 Papanicolaou smear findings were reported in 172 patients, class 2 in 42 patients, and class 3 in 3 patients. The presence of vaginal adenosis with or without squamous metaplasia was histologically confirmed in 30 cases (14%). 7 patients had hysterosalpingograms, and 3 were reported as having a hypoplastic (infantile) uterus. In sum, the analysis reaffirms the contention that typical and atypical squamous metaplasia in DES-exposed daughters could be mistaken for dysplasia.
Leadership for learning: a literature study of leadership for learning in clinical practice.

AIM To report a literature study of leadership for learning in clinical practice in the United Kingdom. Background Previous research in the United Kingdom showed that the ward sister was central to creating a positive learning environment for student nurses. Since the 1990s, the ward mentor has emerged as the key to student nurses' learning in the United Kingdom. METHODS A literature study of new leadership roles and their influence on student nurse learning (restricted to the United Kingdom) which includes an analysis of ten qualitative interviews with stakeholders in higher education in the United Kingdom undertaken as part of the literature study. RESULTS Learning in clinical placements is led by practice teaching roles such as mentors, clinical practice facilitators and practice educators rather than new leadership roles. However, workforce changes in clinical placements has restricted the opportunities for trained nurses to role model caring activities for student nurses and university based lecturers are increasingly distant from clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Leadership for learning in clinical practice poses three unresolved questions for nurse managers, practitioners and educators - what is nursing, what should student nurses learn and from whom? IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Leadership for student nurse learning has passed to new learning and teaching roles with Trusts and away from nursing managers. This has implications for workforce planning and role modelling within the profession.
REPLICATING THE MULTINATIONALITY-PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP : IS THERE AN S-CURVE ?

Research summary: We revisit the empirical relationship between multinationality and performance by attempting to replicate the widely cited S-shape relationship reported in Lu and Beamish (2004). Using a longitudinal and comprehensive database on the population of U.S. MNCs from 1989 to 2007, we find no evidence of an S-shaped relationship; nor do we see a moderating effect of intangible assets. Although our results do show a marginally significant U-shaped association between multinationality and performance for a subsample of manufacturing firms, this relationship disappears once we account for the endogeneity of multinationality. Our study contributes to empirical research on the multinationality-performance relationship, highlighting the need for caution in generalizing results across countries and the importance of controlling for the endogeneity of multinationality when assessing its effect on performance.
Cellular-resolution in vivo imaging of the feline retina using adaptive optics: preliminary results.

PURPOSE To perform cellular-level in vivo imaging of the feline retina using an adaptive optics flood illumination fundus camera (AO FIFC) designed for the human eye. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cellular-level images were obtained from three eyes of two normal sedated cats. Ocular aberrations were corrected using an AO system based on a 52-acuator electromagnetic deformable mirror and a 1024 lenslet Hartmann-Shack sensor (both Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). A square 3°×3° area of the ocular fundus was flood-illuminated by a pulsed LED emitting at 850 nm and imaged onto a low-noise, high-resolution CCD camera. The animal's pupils were dilated and the effective pupil size was set to 7.5 mm. Conjunctival atraumatic clips were used to avoid eyeball movements and eyelid closure. The cornea was artificially hydrated throughout the experiments. Each acquisition consisted of 20 consecutive images, out of which 10 were numerically averaged to produce an enhanced final image. RESULTS The total amount of ocular aberrations was greatly reduced by the AO correction, from 2.4 to 0.21 microns root mean square on average. The resulting images presented white dots distributed at a density similar to that of cone photoreceptors and they allowed us to visualize small blood vessels and nerve fiber bundles at a higher resolution than classically obtained with conventional fundus photography. CONCLUSION Retinal imaging with cellular resolution was feasible in cats under sedation using an AO FIFC designed for human eyes without any optical modification. The AO FIFC technology could find new applications in clinical, pharmacological, and toxicological investigations.
Causes and Consequences of Change in the Mature Size of the Domestic Pig

Size at maturity is relatively easily manipulated by genetic selection, and selection for increased growth rate, efficiency and leanness in pigs appears to have resulted in an increase of some 30% in mature size over 20 years. A relatively weak association between size maturity and age maturity has meant that selection for rapid protein growth has resulted in the creation of bigger animals. The Gompertz function is chosen as the preferred descriptor for animal growth, and its use allows demonstration of the link between growth rate and size at maturity. Increased mature size is associated with greater costs of maintenance for breeding populations, but also greater productivity and appetite in growing pigs and an improved (leaner) meat at the point of slaughter. Increasing mature size has consequences for, amongst other things, building design, optimum slaughter weight, determination of nutrient requirement, and the efficient production management of breeding sows which must now grow and breed simultaneously.
Robust backstepping control of induction motors using neural networks

In this paper, we present a new robust control technique for induction motors using neural networks (NNs). The method is systematic and robust to parameter variations. Motivated by the well-known backstepping design technique, we first treat certain signals in the system as fictitious control inputs to a simpler subsystem. A two-layer NN is used in this stage to design the fictitious controller. Then we apply a second two-layer NN to robustly realize the fictitious NN signals designed in the previous step. A new tuning scheme is proposed which can guarantee the boundedness of tracking error and weight updates. A main advantage of our method is that we do not require regression matrices, so that no preliminary dynamical analysis is needed. Another salient feature of our NN approach is that the off-line learning phase is not needed. Full state feedback is needed for implementation. Load torque and rotor resistance can be unknown but bounded.
Performance parameters for screening and diagnostic mammography: specialist and general radiologists.

PURPOSE To evaluate performance parameters for radiologists in a practice of breast imaging specialists and general diagnostic radiologists who interpret a large series of consecutive screening and diagnostic mammographic studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data (ie, patient age; family history of breast cancer; availability of previous mammograms for comparison; and abnormal interpretation, cancer detection, and stage 0-I cancer detection rates) were derived from review of mammographic studies obtained from January 1997 through August 2001. The breast imaging specialists have substantially more initial training in mammography and at least six times more continuing education in mammography, and they interpret 10 times more mammographic studies per year than the general radiologists. Differences between specialist and general radiologist performances at both screening and diagnostic examinations were assessed for significance by using Student t and chi(2) tests. RESULTS The study involved 47,798 screening and 13,286 diagnostic mammographic examinations. Abnormal interpretation rates for screening mammography (ie, recall rate) were 4.9% for specialists and 7.1% for generalists (P <.001); and for diagnostic mammography (ie, recommended biopsy rate), 15.8% and 9.9%, respectively (P <.001). Cancer detection rates at screening mammography were 6.0 cancer cases per 1,000 examinations for specialists and 3.4 per 1,000 for generalists (P =.007); and at diagnostic mammography, 59.0 per 1,000 and 36.6 per 1,000, respectively (P <.001). Stage 0-I cancer detection rates at screening mammography were 5.3 cancer cases per 1,000 examinations for specialists and 3.0 per 1,000 for generalists (P =.012); and at diagnostic mammography, 43.9 per 1,000 and 27.0 per 1,000, respectively (P <.001). CONCLUSION Specialist radiologists detect more cancers and more early-stage cancers, recommend more biopsies, and have lower recall rates than general radiologists.
Interleukin (IL)-4-independent Maintenance of Histone Modification of the IL-4 Gene Loci in Memory Th2 Cells*

Interleukin (IL)-4-induced STAT6 activation and the subsequent up-regulation of GATA3 are crucial for the induction of chromatin remodeling of the Th2 cytokine gene loci as Th2 cells undergo development. This study probes the role of these molecules in the maintenance of memory Th2 cells. IL-4 was not required to maintain the capability for Th2 cytokine production in in vivo generated antigen-specific memory Th2 cells. Histone H3-K9/14 hyperacetylation and intergenic transcripts associated with the IL-4 gene locus were preserved in the absence of IL-4, but those associated with the IL-13 gene were partially IL-4-dependent. Histone H3-K4 methylation of the IL-13 and IL-4 gene loci was fully preserved in memory Th2 cells and accompanied by memory cell-specific accumulation of Pol II complex to highly restricted sites. Thus, memory Th2 cells maintain a unique Th2-specific remodeled chromatin in the IL-4 and IL-13 gene loci by active molecular events that are IL-4-independent.
Costs and benefits of defences induced by predators differing in dangerousness

While theoretical studies predict that inducible defences should be fine‐tuned according to the qualities of the predator, very few studies have investigated how dangerousness of predators, i.e. the rate at which predators kill prey individuals, affects the strength of phenotypic responses and resulting benefits and costs of induced defences. We performed a comprehensive study on fitness consequences of predator‐induced responses by involving four predators (leech, water scorpion, dragonfly larva and newt), evaluating costs and benefits of responses, testing differences in dangerousness between predators and measuring responses in several life history traits of prey. We raised Rana dalmatina tadpoles in the presence of free‐ranging predators, in the presence of caged predators, and exposed naive and experienced tadpoles to free‐ranging predators. Tadpoles adjusted the intensities of their behavioural and morphological defences to predator dangerousness. Survival was lower in the nonlethal presence of the most dangerous predator, while we could not detect costs of induced defences at or after metamorphosis. When exposed to free‐ranging predators, small, but not large, tadpoles benefited from exhibiting an induced phenotype in terms of elevated survival when compared to naive tadpoles, but we did not observe higher survival either in tadpoles exhibiting more extreme phenotypes or in tadpoles exposed to the type of predator they were raised with. These results indicate that while predator‐induced defences can mirror dangerousness of predators, costs and benefits do not necessarily scale to the magnitude of plastic responses.
Graph theoretical analysis of human brain structural networks

Abstract There is a growing interest in exploring the connectivity patterns of the human brain. Specifically, the utility of noninvasive neuroimaging data and graph theoretical analysis have provided important insights into the anatomical connections and topological pattern of human brain structural networks in vivo. This review focuses on recent methodological and application studies, utilizing graph theoretical approaches, on brain structural networks with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion MRI. These studies showed many nonrandom properties of structural brain networks, such as small-worldness, modularity, and highly connected hubs. Importantly, topological organization of the networks shows changes during normal development, aging, and neuropsychiatric diseases. Network structures have also been found to correlate with behavioral or cognitive functions, which imply their associations with functional dynamics. These advances not only help us to understand how the healthy human brain is structurally organized, but also provide a novel insight into the biological mechanisms of brain disorders. Future studies will involve the combination of structural/diffusion MRI and functional MRI, to realize how the structural connectivity patterns of the brain underlie its functional states, and will explore whether graph theoretical analysis of structural brain networks could serve as potential imaging biomarkers for disease diagnosis and treatment.
Interdisciplinary management of a patient with a drug-induced gingival hyperplasia

Interdisciplinary treatment is becoming an ever-increasing part of modern-day orthodontic practice. This case report details the successful orthodontic-periodontal management of an epileptic patient with a significant drug-induced gingival hyperplasia. The problems that such patient's present are discussed before considering the specific orthodontic techniques employed. Recommendations are made for practitioners managing such cases.
Cybercrime: The Unintentional Effects of Oversharing Information on Facebook

Sharing information on social network sites could potentially expose users to becoming victims of a cyber-related crime. This exploratory study of 146 undergraduate and graduate students examines the oversharing of information on Facebook and the possible consequences associated with this action. Research has found that students are concerned about sharing information and show concern about the effects of sharing information on Facebook. The results of the study reveal that students are worried about criminal activity such as identity theft, unauthorized access to online banking accounts, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and child predators. Can information that is being shared on Facebook contribute to cybercrime? Should people think twice before posting personal information online?
Search for an association between the human CYP1A2 genotype and CYP1A2 metabolic phenotype

The genotype responsible for more than 60-fold interindividual differences in human hepatic CYP1A2 constitutive expression is not understood. Resequencing the human CYP1A1_CYP1A2 locus (39.6 kb) in five major geographically isolated subgroups recently led to the identification of 85 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 57 of which were double-hit SNPs. Here, we attempted to correlate the CYP1A2 genotype with a metabolic phenotype. We chose 16 SNPs (all having a minor allele frequency ≥0.05 in Caucasians) to genotype 32 DNA samples (26 Caucasians, six Ethiopians) in which CYP1A2 metabolism had previously been determined. From 280 subjects (five locations worldwide) that had been CYP1A2-phenotyped, we genotyped the 10 highest, 14 lowest and eight intermediate DNA samples. Although no SNP was significant (P<0.05), possibly due to the small sample size, we found a trend for several of the six SNPs across the CYP1A2 linkage disequilibrium block associated with the trait. Five CYP1A2 haplotypes were inferred, two of which had not previously been reported; haplotype 1A2H10 showed the greatest association with CYP1A2 activity. Regulatory sequences responsible for the large interindividual differences in hepatic CYP1A2 gene basal expression might reside, in part, with some of these CYP1A2 SNPS but, in large part, might be located either cis (in nearby sequences not yet haplotyped) or trans in that they are not linked to the gene. We conclude that no SNP or haplotype in the CYP1A2 gene has yet been identified that can unequivocally be used to predict the metabolic phenotype in any individual patient.