Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breaking Bad News: A Review of the Literature

Objective. —To review the literature on breaking bad news while highlighting its limitations and describing a theoretical model from which the bad news process can be understood and studied. Data Sources. —Sources were obtained through the MEDLINE database, using "bad news" as the primary descriptor and limiting the sources to English-language articles published since 1985. Study Selection and Extraction. —All articles dealing specifically with bad news were examined. These works included letters, opinions, reviews, and empirical studies. Recommendations from these articles were examined, sorted into discrete categories, and summarized. Data Synthesis. —The 13 most consistently mentioned recommendations (eg, delivering the news at the patient's pace, conveying some hope, and giving the news with empathy) were examined. Conclusion. —Although much has been written on the topic of breaking bad news, the literature is in need of empirical work. Research should begin with the simple question of whether how the news is conveyed accounts for variance in adjustment before moving to more specific questions about which aspects of conveying bad news are most beneficial. It is suggested that the bad news process can be understood from the transactional approach to stress and coping.
Laissez-Faire Individualism

economist would then predict which environ­ ments raise the cost or lower the benefits of acquiring one good relative to another, and would predict in which environments differ­ ent mixes of goods would be found. The farm family acquires a larger proportion of children than the city family. Family sizes will be larger in societies in which children are the primary source of old age security to parents. When the cost of birth control is decreased, more of it will be practiced. However, the economist would tend to give much less at­ tention to the role of natural selection and much more attention to the role of purpose­ ful behavior. This is because the economist seldom pauses to ask why persons have the tastes they exhibit, why some things are "goods" and others are not. This is a short­ coming of economics. Perhaps our tastes re­ flect the dictates of natural selection. Those variants exhibiting tastes or capacities for propagating extensively insure that their de­ scendants will exist close to the margin of sustenance; any sudden alteration in environ­ ment, because of the lack of a reserve upon which to fall back, would deal a severe blow to marginally existing organisms. At the other extreme, variants exhibiting strong propensi­ ties not to propagate will fail to provide sig­ nificant numbers of offspring and will raise the cost to such offspring of mating, so that such variants are unlikely to occupy a large niche in nature. Somewhere between these extremes would seem to be the variants most likely to occupy a significant place in subse­ quent evolution. Species that do not absorb "all" their resources in propagation and, yet, that do not avoid propagation would seem to offer good capabilities of surviving alterations in the environment. In general, the economist would predict that individuals will purchase a mix of goods (the precise proportions re­ flecting relative costs and benefits), catering neither exclusively to propagation or to nonpropagation; but such a prediction leaves the taste for variety, the taste for acquisition, largely unexplained. The economist can be successful while neglecting this problem be­ cause basic taste patterns change very slowly. The economist is not concerned with traits that take millions of years to develop through natural selection. For the problems that he confronts these traits can be taken as relatively fixed. When economists come to the problem of explaining tastes, perhaps they can benefit from a closer look at what biologists have done with natural selection, just as biologists might benefit from what economists have done with individual maximizing behavior.
Can Cognitive Speed of Processing Training Improve Everyday Functioning Among Older Adults With Psychometrically Defined Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Objective: The aim of these secondary analyses was to examine cognitive speed of processing training (SPT) gains in cognitive and everyday functioning among older adults with psychometrically defined mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Method: A subgroup of participants from the Staying Keen in Later Life (SKILL) study with psychometrically defined MCI (N = 49) were randomized to either the SPT intervention or an active control group of cognitive stimulation. Outcome measures included the Useful Field of View (UFOV), Road Sign Test, and Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Test. A 2 × 2 repeated-measures MANOVA revealed an overall effect of training, indicated by a significant group (SPT vs. control) by time (baseline vs. posttest) interaction. Results: Effect sizes were large for improved UFOV, small for the Road Sign test, and medium for Timed IADL. Discussion: Results indicate that further investigation of cognitive intervention strategies to improve everyday functioning in patients with MCI is warranted.
Protein Folding and the IBM BlueGene Supercomputer

Understanding how proteins fold is an important step in uncovering the mysteries of protein function. To date, the computational resources needed to simulate even the shortest and simplest protein folds have been astronomical. Simulation of larger and more complex folds has been prohibitively expensive. In 1999, IBM announced the start of an eort to build a supercomputer, the BlueGene, to be applied to biomolecular problems such as protein folding. This paper provides an overview of the problem of protein folding, a description of IBM’s BlueGene project, and what we may hope to gain once the machine is fully operational.
Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory: Development of a Shortened Version for Critically Ill Patients

The length of Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) makes its use difficult for critically ill populations. To shorten it, exploratory factor analysis was used with data from 530 acute myocardial infarction patients. The resulting 6-item shortened version demonstrated good internal reliability consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of . 84. Construct validity of the shortened version was supported by strong correlations with the original SAI and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), another measure of state anxiety, and through support of known hypotheses. This study offered a short version of the SAI with excellent psychometric properties that can be used in critically ill patients.
Fish Oil Alters Tamoxifen-Modulated Expression of mRNAs That Encode Genes Related to Differentiation, Proliferation, Metastasis, and Immune Response in Rat Mammary Tumors

We have previously shown that a fish oil (FO)-rich diet increased the chemopreventive efficacy of tamoxifen (Tam) against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis. Herein, we provide evidence that Tam treatment modifies gene expression of mammary tumors depending upon the type of dietary fat fed to the animals. Rats initiated with MNU and treated with Tam were fed a diet rich in corn oil or FO. After 8 wk, cribriform tumors were collected and gene expression analysis was performed. Increased RNA expression of genes such as SerpinB10, Wisp2, and Apod in tumors from FO-treated rats is indicative of highly differentiated tumors. Decreased expression of H19 and Igf2 mRNA in Tam-treated groups, and Gamma Synuclein mRNA in the FO + Tam group may be related to tumor growth impairment and lower metastatic capacity. Change in the expression of genes associated with immunity in animals in the FO + Tam group may suggest a shift in the immune response. These data show that, although Tam modulates the expression of genes leading to tumor growth impairment, further modulations of genes are influenced by FO. FO modulation of Tam changes in gene expression accounts for its enhancing chemopreventive effect against MNU-induced mammary carcinogenesis. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Nutrition and Cancer to view the supplemental file.
Effects of Rosuvastatin on Fibrinolytic System of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells In Vitro

Background:Besides its lipid-lowering effect, rosuvastatin has an antithrombotic effect, the exact underlying mechanism of which is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rosuvastatin on the fibrinolytic system, including tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) with its receptor (u-PAR) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), in vascular endothelial cells exposed to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL). Methods:Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured and divided into 7 groups: control, rosuvastatin alone (10 nM), oxLDL alone (100 mg/L), oxLDL plus rosuvastatin (0.1, 1.0 and 10 nM, respectively) and oxLDL plus rosuvastatin (10 nM) with mevalonate (100 &mgr;M). The lactate dehydrogenase activity and concentrations of t-PA, u-PA, u-PAR and PAI-1 protein in culture medium were measured, whereas the expressions of t-PA, u-PA, u-PAR and PAI-1 mRNA in endothelial cells were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction at 24 hours after treatment. Results:Compared with the control group, oxLDL caused a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity. It could reduce the expression of t-PA mRNA and protein (P < 0.05) and increase the expression of PAI-1 mRNA and protein (P < 0.05). Rosuvastatin could protect the endothelial cells, improve t-PA production and reduce PAI-1 production (P < 0.05), whether in unstimulated HUVEC or in HUVEC exposed to oxLDL. The effects of rosuvastatin on the fibrinolytic system could be reversed by mevalonate. No significant differences in u-PA and u-PAR production were seen among different groups. Conclusions:Rosuvastatin has protective effects on oxLDL-induced damaged human vascular endothelial cells; its antithrombotic effects may be mediated by the regulation of the fibrinolytic system.
Bis(triethanolamine)bis(μ2-trimesato)dicobalt(II): a Co(II) dimer with an unreported two-dimensional supramolecular topology formed from triethanolamine and trimesic acid ligands.

Supramolecular networks are an important subset in the field of coordination polymer (CP) frameworks and are widely encountered in crystal engineering research. The search for novel topologies continues to be a significant goal in CP chemistry. The dimeric compound bis(μ-5-carboxybenzene-1,3-dicarboxylato-κ(2)O(1):O(3))bis[(triethanolamine-κ(4)N,O,O',O'')cobalt(II)], [Co2(C9H4O6)2(C6H15NO3)2], formed from the coligands 5-carboxybenzene-1,3-dicarboxylate (tmaH(2-)) and triethanolamine (teaH3), namely [Co(μ2-tmaH)(teaH3)]2, was synthesized and characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and magnetic measurements. The crystal structure features a zero-dimensional molecular structure consisting of centrosymmetric macrocyclic dinuclear complexes. Four classical hydrogen bonds between carboxylate groups and hydroxyethyl arms stabilize and extend the molecules into a two-dimensional supramolecular network. The topological analysis indicates that an unreported (3,5)-binodal supramolecular topology with a short Schläfli symbol of (4.5.6)(4.5(5). 6(3). 7) can be achieved by means of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure accounts for the potential to obtain unique topological types from two excellent hydrogen-bonding candidates, i.e. tmaH3 and teaH3. A variable-temperature magnetic study shows the existence of antiferromagnetic behaviour in the complex.
Update on retinal detachment surgery

Purpose of review Update on controversies in the surgical management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Recent findings There are multiple new reports regarding the development and management of retinal detachment. Current use of oral fluoroquinolones may be associated with onset of retinal detachment, although the clinical relevance of this correlation is uncertain at this time and the finding has not been replicated in subsequent studies. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) continues to demonstrate efficacy as a primary treatment for retinal detachment, especially in pseudophakic patients. In many patients with macula-on retinal detachment, scheduling surgery after a short time delay is not necessarily deleterious and may actually be beneficial. Novel surgical tools, including bioerodible scleral buckling materials and artificial vitreous substitutes, are being investigated. Summary Retinal detachment remains an important cause of visual loss. Although current surgical techniques demonstrate high rates of anatomic and visual success, further advances will probably benefit patients with retinal detachment.
Acoustic Emotion Recognition Using Linear and Nonlinear Cepstral Coefficients

Recognizing human emotions through vocal channel has gained increased attention recently. In this paper, we study how used features, and classifiers impact recognition accuracy of emotions present in speech. Four emotional states are considered for classification of emotions from speech in this work. For this aim, features are extracted from audio characteristics of emotional speech using Linear Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (LFCC) and Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC). Further, these features are classified using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM).
Theory and applications of pulse dosing: a summary of the symposium.

Since the dawn of the antibiotic era, questions have existed about proper dosing of these drugs, including the amount needed, the proper interval between doses, and the duration of therapy. The goals of this symposium were to explore the effect of one of these factors, the interval between doses, on the efficacy of antimicrobial agents and to examine the relative merits of intermittent (pulse) and continous adminstration from both the theoretical and practical standpoints. This symposium provided an opportunity for experts from around the world to gather and discuss data relative to this important subject. To a large extent many of the early questions about dosing remain unanswered. Since most early antibiotics were of limited spectrum and of relatively low toxicity, some of the important conse
A comparison of feedback based and fair queuing mechanisms for handling unresponsive traffic

In this paper we examine the impact of router based congestion control mechanisms in the presence of uncooperative traffic. We consider two classes of control mechanisms: (1) fair queuing mechanisms (FRED, DRR, CSFQ) and (2) feedback based mechanisms (ERAF, NBP). Within the subclass of feedback based mechanisms we distinguish between binary feedback mechanisms (ERAF) and rate feedback mechanisms (NBP). The criteria we use for our comparison are: efficiency, fairness, convergence and scalability. Our results indicate that the feedback based mechanisms are able to shield responsive traffic competing with uncooperative traffic on a single link with the same efficiency as the fair queuing mechanisms. For more complex topologies, the feedback based mechanisms offer better bandwidth allocations than the fair queuing mechanisms alone.
Mechanism of cutting balloon angioplasty for in‐stent restenosis: An intravascular ultrasound study

We investigated by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) the mechanism of action of cutting balloon (CB) angioplasty in patients with in‐stent restenosis. Seventy‐one consecutive restenotic lesions of 66 patients were studied by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and IVUS before, immediately after, and, in 20 cases, at 24‐hr time interval after CB. CB was selected according to 1:1 CB‐to‐stent ratio and inflated at 8 atm for 60–90 sec. Both IVUS planar and volumetric (Simpson's rule, 25 patients) analysis were carried out. IVUS measurements included external elastic membrane area (EEMA), stent area (SA), minimal lumen area (MLA), and restenosis area (RA). Following CB, QCA analysis showed increase of minimal lumen diameter (1.17 ± 0.46 vs. 2.45 ± 0.51 mm; P < 0.0001) and decrease of diameter stenosis (64% ± 13% vs. 21% ± 9%; P < 0.0001). IVUS measurements showed a significant increase of MLA (2.18 ± 0.80 vs. 7.31 ± 1.8 mm2; P < 0.0001), SA (9.62 ± 2.6 vs. 10.7 ± 2.75 mm2; P < 0.0001), and EEMA (17.27 ± 5 vs. 18.1 ± 5 mm2; P < 0.0001) and a decrease of RA (7.43 ± 2.63 vs. 3.45 ± 1.39 mm2; P < 0.0001). No significant change was observed in the original plaque + media area (7.65 ± 3 vs. 7.38 ± 2.9 mm2; P = NS). Thus, of the total lumen enlargement (5.13 ± 1.85 mm2), 23% was the result of increase in mean SA, whereas 77% was the result of a decrease in mean RA. These changes were associated with a 5% increase in EEMA. IVUS volumetric changes paralleled planar variations. Angiographic and IVUS changes were well maintained at 24 hr. CB enlarges coronary lumen mainly by in‐stent tissue reduction associated with a moderate degree of additional stent expansion. Favorable QCA and IVUS acute results are maintained at 24 hr. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;56:166–173. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leczenie raka płuca u chorych w podeszłym wieku

Rak pluca jest najczestszym nowotworem zlośliwym na świecie i w Polsce. Ponad polowa przypadkow zarowno niedrobnokomorkowego, jak drobnokomorkowego raka pluca jest rozpoznawana u pacjentow powyzej 65. roku zycia. Mimo duzej liczby zachorowan w populacji ludzi starszych wciąz nie ma wypracowanych standardow leczenia w tej grupie wiekowej. W pracy omowiono leczenie lokoregionalne (chirurgia, radioterapia) i leczenie systemowe (chemioterapia, terapie celowane) u osob starszych chorych na niedrobnokomorkowego i drobnokomorkowego raka pluca.
China’s New-Age Small Farms and Their Vertical Integration: Agribusiness or Co-ops?

The future of Chinese agriculture lies not with large mechanized farms but with small capital-labor dual intensifying family farms for livestock-poultry-fish raising and vegetable-fruit cultivation. Chinese food consumption patterns have been changing from the old 8:1:1 pattern of 8 parts grain, 1 part meat, and 1 part vegetables to a 4:3:3 pattern, with a corresponding transformation in agricultural structure. Small family-farming is better suited for the new-age agriculture, including organic farming, than large-scale mechanized farming, because of the intensive, incremental, and variegated hand labor involved, not readily open to economies of scale, though compatible with economies of scope. It is also better suited to the realities of severe population pressure on land. But it requires vertical integration from cultivation to processing to marketing, albeit without horizontal integration for farming. It is against such a background that co-ops have arisen spontaneously for integrating small farms with processing and marketing. The Chinese government, however, has been supporting aggressively capitalistic agribusinesses as the preferred mode of vertical integration. At present, Chinese agriculture is poised at a crossroads, with the future organizational mode for vertical integration as yet uncertain.
Synthesis of a large-scale highly ordered porous carbon film by self-assembly of block copolymers.

The synthesis of well-defined porous carbon films involves four steps: (1) monomer-block copolymer film casting, (2) structure refining through solvent annealing, (3) polymerization of the carbon precursor, and (4) carbonization. The resulting films, such as that depicted, have potential as separation membranes, chemical sensors, and catalysts.
A unified test and fault-tolerant multicast solution for network-on-chip designs

We present a unified test technique that targets all the components of a network-on-chip design. The proposed technique targets faults in links, routers, and cores. Link faults are first located using built-in self-test hardware inserted in the routers. Test packets for routers are delivered to the routers via the fault-free links and routers identified in the previous steps. A test packet can be corrupted by faulty links or routers, therefore, it is delivered across only previously identified fault-free routers/links. Test packet delivery for routers is implemented as a fault-tolerant unicast-based multicast scheme within the tested part of the network-on-chip. After all faulty routers are identified, a new fault-tolerant unicast-based multicast routing technique is proposed to deliver test packets for the cores. Identical cores share the same test set, and they are tested within the same test session. Simulation results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed method in reducing test time.
Tunneling Nanotubes: Intimate Communication between Myeloid Cells

Tunneling nanotubes (TNT) are dynamic connections between cells, which represent a novel route for cell-to-cell communication. A growing body of evidence points TNT towards a role for intercellular exchanges of signals, molecules, organelles, and pathogens, involving them in a diverse array of functions. TNT form among several cell types, including neuronal cells, epithelial cells, and almost all immune cells. In myeloid cells (e.g., macrophages, dendritic cells, and osteoclasts), intercellular communication via TNT contributes to their differentiation and immune functions. Importantly, TNT enable myeloid cells to communicate with a targeted neighboring or distant cell, as well as with other cell types, therefore creating a complex variety of cellular exchanges. TNT also contribute to pathogen spread as they serve as “corridors” from a cell to another. Herein, we addressed the complexity of the definition and in vitro characterization of TNT in innate immune cells, the different processes involved in their formation, and their relevance in vivo. We also assess our current understanding of how TNT participate in immune surveillance and the spread of pathogens, with a particular interest for HIV-1. Overall, despite recent progress in this growing research field, we highlight that further investigation is needed to better unveil the role of TNT in both physiological and pathological conditions.
Biotechnological innovations for table olives

Abstract The production of table olives is based on a relatively simple flow chart, including debittering and lactic fermentation. Producers' demand for innovation was the background to design and test some innovative and alternative approaches, i.e. the selection of suitable starter cultures (both lactic acid bacteria and yeasts), the production of functional olives inoculated with probiotic strains, the use of bioremediation (i.e. degradation of oleuropein by bacteria or yeasts), as well as the inoculation of functional starter cultures with a strong biopreservative effect. This article reports a brief description of the most important innovations, with a special focus on the role of traditional and innovative starter cultures.
MRF based joint registration and segmentation of dynamic renal MR images

Joint registration and segmentation (JRS) is an effective approach to combine the complementary information of segmentation labels with registration parameters. While most such integrated approaches have been tested on static images, in this work we focus on JRS of dynamic image sequences. For dynamic contrast enhanced images, previous works have focused on multi-stage approaches that interleave registration and segmentation. We propose a Markov random field (MRF) based solution which uses saliency, intensity, edge orientation and segmentation labels for JRS of renal perfusion images. An expectation-maximization (EM) framework is used where the entire image sequence is first registered followed by updating the segmentation labels. Experiments on real patient datasets exhibiting elastic deformations demonstrate the effectiveness of our MRF-based JRS approach.