Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preoperative serum CA125 levels do not predict suboptimal cytoreductive surgery in epithelial ovarian cancer

The objective is to assess the ability of preoperative serum CA125 levels to identify patients at high risk of suboptimal cytoreductive surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). One hundred and thirty-two women diagnosed with EOC between 1998 and 2004, who had serum CA125 levels measured preoperatively and received primary cytoreductive surgery, were retrospectively evaluated. The value of CA125 and patient and disease characteristics to predict suboptimal cytoreduction were determined, and a prognostic scoring system, based on statistically significant variables, was created. Optimal cytoreduction was achieved in 42.7% of the women with FIGO stage III/IV EOC. The optimal cutoff point of preoperative CA125 to predict surgical outcome in this group was 330 U/mL (sensitivity 80.0%; specificity 41.5%). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) for preoperative CA125 predicting suboptimal surgery in FIGO stage III/IV was 0.576 (P= 0.617). Preoperative radiologic amount of ascites and weight loss (ie, ≥10% in the last 6 months before diagnosis) were independent prognostic factors for suboptimal cytoreduction, showing an AUC of 0.76 (P< 0.001) in women with FIGO stage III/IV. A prognostic scoring system showed that the chance of suboptimal surgery was 84.6% in FIGO stage III/IV when both these factors are present preoperatively. The role of CA125 levels predicting suboptimal cytoreduction seems questionable. Instead, women with considerable weight loss and a gross amount of ascites have a higher risk of suboptimal cytoreduction. These patients may be candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Treatment and generalization effects of cognitive-behavioral and goal-setting interventions with aggressive boys.

76 9-12 yr old aggressive males were assigned to anger-coping, goal-setting, anger-coping plus goal-setting, or no-treatment groups. Anger-coping interventions were school-based secondary prevention efforts that utilized social problem-solving and cognitive-behavioral techniques. At 1-mo followup, Ss who received anger-coping treatment had reduced their aggressive behavior in the classroom and at home and displayed improved self-esteem. (5 ref) VioLit summary OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study by Lochman et al. was to observe the treatment and generalization effects of cognitive-behavioral and goal-setting interventions with aggressive boys. METHODOLOGY: An experimental design was used within a cognitive-behavioral framework, using a 2X2 factorial design to compare the separate and combined effects of a cognitive-behavioral condition, and a less intensive goal-setting condition. The 4 experimental cells were anger coping, goal setting, anger coping plus goal setting, and an untreated control cell. 76 boys, 9-12 years of age, from 8 elementary schools, were chosen via having the highest teacher ratings of aggression on the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist. These youth were assigned to cells on a rotating basis. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: Children in the anger-coping cells displayed significant improvement over time versus subjects not in the anger-coping cells. Anger-coping plus goal-setting subjects significantly reduced their scores in comparison to subjects in the untreated control cell. The goal setting procedure tended to augment the treatment effects in the classroom. Despite indications in intervention, significant changes were not evident to teachers and peers, which may have been a result of limited treatment effects and rigid perceptions of the boys' reputations. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - Late Childhood KW - Child Anger KW - Child Aggression KW - Child Male KW - Child Treatment KW - Male Anger KW - Male Aggression KW - Aggression Treatment KW - Aggression Intervention KW - Cognitive Behavioral Treatment KW - Cognitive Behavioral Intervention KW - Anger Management KW - Goal Setting KW - Treatment Effectiveness Language: en
K-Funktionen als Instrument zur Analyse räumlicher (De-)Konzentrationsprozesse

Zur Messung raumlicher Konzentration okonomischer Aktivitaten stehen verschiedene Verfahren zur Verfugung. Nachstehend wird mit den distanzbasierten uni- und bivariaten KFunktionen eine neue Methode vorgestellt, die Vorteile gegenuber den herkommlichen, auf regionaler Abgrenzung basierenden Verfahren aufweist. Mit Hilfe der univariaten KFunktionen wird die Clusterung innerhalb der Sektoren im Verarbeitenden Gewerbe in Deutschland untersucht. Mit bivariaten K-Funktionen werden gegenseitige Abhangigkeiten bei der Clusterung dieser Sektoren untersucht.
Relationship of ectopic placental alkaline phosphatase to ectopic chorionic gonadotropin and placental lactogen. Discordance of three “markers” for cancer

The relationship of the ectopic presence of three placental proteins in the sera of patients with non‐trophoblastic neoplasms was investigated. The proteins chorionic gonadotropin, placental lactogen, and placental alkaline phosphatase were measured using radioimmune and immunochemical assays which enabled specific and quantitative measurement of each peptide. The results indicate that the presence of each peptide was independent of the others, and that when more than one peptide was found, the concentration of each was independent of the others. These results suggest that the regulation of synthesis of these proteins is not under coordinate control analogous to a single operon in bacterial systems. These findings also indicate that each of these peptides may be used as an independent cancer marker.
Arterial anomalies of the middle ear associated with stapes ankylosis

Abstract An aberrant internal carotid artery in a young woman complaining of pulsatile tinnitus and conductive hearing loss was diagnosed pre-operatively by CT scan and angiographic findings. An exploratory tympanotomy was performed in order to evaluate the cause of the severe conductive hearing loss. It was possible to detect a large persistent stapedial artery associated with a stapedial fixation of unknown cause. Despite these vascular anomalies a stapedotomy was performed successfully.
Period and Phase Adjustments of Human Circadian Rhythms in the Real World

Entrainment of the circadian rhythm has 2 aspects, period and phase adjustments, which are established simultaneously in most nonhuman circadian systems. The human circadian system is unique in its functional structure in which 2 different subsystems are involved; one is the circadian pacemaker analogous to that located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and the other is the oscillatory system of unknown nature that drives the rest-activity cycle. The human circadian system shows the endogenous period very close to 24 h under entrainment and less sensitive to photic stimuli than under free running, which may explain stable entrainment in the real word where natural sun lights are unpredictable in terms of the intensity and time of appearance. On the other hand, nonphotic entrainment seems to play a significant role in phase adjustment of the human circadian system. Nonphotic zeitgebers initially directed to the rest-activity cycle may affect the circadian pacemaker through feedback and/or associated LD cycles.
Beyond Access: Psychosocial Barriers to Computer Literacy Special Issue: ICTs and Community Networking

Research consistently indicates that Latinos and African-Americans are less likely to own and use computers than either Caucasians or Asians. While conventional wisdom holds that high computer costs and lack of access are the primary reasons for this discrepancy, my ethnographic research with 100 low-income adults reveals three non-cost-related psychosocial obstacles that significantly undermine motivation for acquiring computer skills: “relevance,” “fear,” and “self-concept. ” My research thus suggests that a more complex relationship exists between ethnicity, identity, and attitudes associated with computers than previously examined; this relationship may better explain why some people are choosing not to use computers at this time. My research also indicates that while community technology centers (CTCs) play an important role in helping adults overcome their resistances and achieve computer literacy, they are presently an underutilized resource—less than 5% of San Diegans use them to meet their computing needs. Hence, my research also questions why more residents do not avail themselves of these community resources. I conclude that efforts to increase computer literacy in underserved communities must go beyond physical access and connectivity and consider the role of cultural factors.
Quantum mechanics inspired Particle Swarm Optimisation for global optimisation

This paper presents a novel variant of quantum mechanics inspired Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm named constrained/unconstrained Quantum Particle Swarm Optimisation (CQPSO). The proposed algorithm has the properties of quantum mechanics embedded in the structure of the PSO along with the presence of a quadratic interpolation recombination operator. The performance of CQPSO is validated on three standard non linear, unconstrained functions, eight constrained benchmark problems and two constrained, real life, electrical design problems. The experimental results show that the presence of quadratic interpolation recombination operator enhances the performance of quantum mechanics inspired PSO.
Quality-of-life aspects in idiopathic epilepsy in dogs

Quality of life (QoL) plays a significant role in the treatment of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE), yet is so far understudied. This study describes the outcome evaluation of an online questionnaire based on the carer's perception focusing on 62 QoL questions in 159 dogs with IE. Results showed that seizure frequency, but not seizure severity or presence of cluster seizures, was significantly associated with carer-perceived dog's QoL. Dogs receiving third-line antiepileptic drugs had a significantly lower perceived QoL than those that did not. Generalised linear mixed model analysis demonstrated that severity of the side effects sleeping more and ataxia were significantly associated with carer-perceived dog's QoL, with higher severities predicting lower QoL scores. The degree of carer acceptability of seizure frequency and severity was significantly associated with the dog's reported seizure frequency and severity. Moreover, there was a significant association between IE-related QoL changes of the dog and the carer, with reductions in perceived canine QoL scores associated with reductions in carer QoL, and vice versa. In conclusion, aspects of canine IE can affect both the carer and their dog's QoL. This has implications for the management and requires consideration when treatment options and outcomes are discussed.
A System for Structural Information Visualization Based on Attributed Hierarchical Graphs

Information visualization is an inherent part of the processing of complex information about the structure of objects, systems and processes in many applications in science and technology, and the graph models are the best formalism for visual presentation of information of complex and intricate nature. This paper presents the Visual Graph system for structural information visualization based on attributed hierarchical graphs, its application area, as well as the main problems encountered during the system design and their solutions.
Stress and Type 2 Diabetes : A Review of How Stress Contributes to the Development of Type 2 Diabetes

The US food system functions within a complex nexus of social, political, economic, cultural, and ecological factors. Among them are many dynamic pressures such as population growth, urbanization, socioeconomic inequities, climate disruption, and the increasing demand for resourceintensive foods that place immense strains on public health and the environment. This review focuses on the role that policy plays in defining the food system, particularly with regard to agriculture. It further examines the challenges of making the food supply safe, nutritious, and sustainable, while respecting the rights of all people to have access to adequate food and to attain the highest standard of health. We conclude that the present US food system is largely unhealthy, inequitable, environmentally damaging, and insufficiently resilient to endure the impacts of climate change, resource depletion, and population increases, and is therefore unsustainable. Thus, it is imperative that the US embraces policy reforms to transform the food system into one that supports public health and reflects the principles of human rights and agroecology for the benefit of current and future generations. 151 A nn u. R ev . P ub lic H ea lth 2 01 5. 36 :1 51 -1 73 . D ow nl oa de d fr om w w w . a nn ua lre vi ew s.o rg A cc es s p ro vi de d by Jo hn s H op ki ns U ni ve rs ity o n 03 /1 9/ 15 . F or p er so na l u se o nl y. PU36CH10-Lawrence ARI 25 February 2015 13:3 Food system: the inputs, activities, people, outputs, and outcomes associated with getting food from seed to plate Agroecology: holistic, systems-based approach aimed at integrating qualities of natural ecosystems into agricultural ecosystems in ways that promote sustainable production US Farm Bill: omnibus bill, usually reauthorized every 5 years, covering agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and other areas related to food and agriculture There is no connection between food and health. People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are healed by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.
Towards a Complete North American Anabaptist Genealogy II: Analysis of Inbreeding

We describe a large genealogy data base, which can be searched by computer, of 295,095 Amish and Mennonite individuals. The data base was constructed by merging our existing Anabaptist Genealogy Database 2.0 containing approximately 85,000 individuals with a genealogy file containing approximately 242,000 individuals, kindly provided by Mr. James Hostetler. The merging process corrected thousands of inconsistencies and eliminated hundreds of duplicate individuals. Geneticists have long been interested in Anabaptist populations because they are closed and have detailed written genealogies. The creation of an enlarged and unified data base affords the opportunity to examine inbreeding trends and correlates in these populations. We show the following results. The frequency of consanguineous marriages shows steady increase over time and reached approximately 85% for individuals born in 1940-1959. Among consanguineous marriages, the median kinship coefficient stayed stable in the 19th century, but rose from 0.0115 to 0.0151 in the 20th century. There are statistically significant associations (p < 0.0001) between inbreeding and family size and interbirth intervals in the 20th century. There is an association (p < 0.0005) between inbreeding and early death for individuals born in 1920-1959. However, this association reverses dramatically (p < 0.0005 in the opposite direction) for individuals born in 1960-1979. We tested for an association between inbreeding and being the mother of twins, but found none.
The Research Statement of Linyuan Lu

Dr. Lu made major contributions to the theory of large sparse random graphs — a new direction in graph theory for modeling many real-world graphs. Together with Chung (and other collaborators), Lu introduced and studied several random graph models, including models using preferential attachment scheme, partial duplication models, random graphs with expected degree sequence, and hybrid models. They derived many graph properties, such as the giant connected component, the average distance, the diameter, and spectra.
Tivozanib reverses multidrug resistance mediated by ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) and ABCG2 (BCRP).

AIM This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of reversal of multidrug resistance mediated by ABC transporters with tivozanib (AV-951 and KRN-951). Tivozanib is a potent inhibitor of VEGF-1, -2 and -3 receptors. MATERIALS & METHODS ABCB1- and ABCG2-overexpressing cell lines were treated with respective substrate antineoplastic agents in the presence or absence of tivozanib. RESULTS The results indicate that tivozanib can significantly reverse ABCB1-mediated resistance to paclitaxel, vinblastine and colchicine, as well as ABCG2-mediated resistance to mitoxantrone, SN-38 and doxorubicin. Drug efflux assays showed that tivozanib increased the intracellular accumulation of substrates by inhibiting the ABCB1 and ABCG2 efflux activity. Furthermore, at a higher concentration, tivozanib inhibited the ATPase activity of both ABCB1 and ABCG2 and inhibited the photolabeling of ABCB1 or ABCG2. CONCLUSION We conclude that tivozanib at noncytotoxic concentrations has the previously unknown activity of reversing multidrug resistance mediated by ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters.
Epidemiology of parainfluenza virus types 1, 2 and 3 infections based on virus isolation between 2002 and 2011 in Yamagata, Japan

To clarify the epidemiology of viral acute respiratory infections (ARIs), 305 human parainfluenza virus types 1 (HPIV1), 154 HPIV2 and 574 HPIV3 strains were isolated from 16,962 nasopharyngeal swabs obtained between 2002 and 2011 at pediatric clinics in Yamagata, Japan. The total isolation frequency for HPIV1–3 was 6.1%. Unlike HPIV1 infections, HPIV3 showed clear seasonality with yearly outbreaks in the spring–summer season. HPIV2 tended to appear biannually in autumn–winter. Although no reliable techniques for the laboratory diagnosis of these infections have been established, the present results suggest that HPIV1–3 are an important causative agent of ARIs in children.
A peer-led mock OSCE improves subsequent performance: What about objectivity?

The peer-led teaching of clinical skills is a popular research subject, with nine presentations specifically reporting on the topic at the recent AMEE Conference in Milan, 2014 (AMEE 2014). An increasingly common peer-led construct for improving students’ clinical skills is the mock-OSCE; a formative OSCE facilitated by near-peers that simulates the institution’s summative OSCE. There is some subjective evidence that a peerled mock-OSCE prepares candidates for summative OSCEs, but little objective evidence that it improves subsequent OSCE performance (Young et al. 2014). Our group, an undergraduate medical education society, designed a study that attempts to address this previously unanswered question. In 2013 we designed, wrote and co-ordinated the medical school’s first year 4 mock-OSCE, the subject of this study. We offered places on a first come, first serve basis 11 weeks before the summative OSCE in 2013. We provided each candidate with personalised written feedback as well as the marking schemes to use as reflection tools. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between change in percentile rank between year 3 and year 4 (n1⁄4 145) and mock-OSCE (yes n1⁄4 63, no n1⁄4 82, p50.009) but no significant relationship with gender (male n1⁄4 61, female n1⁄4 84, p1⁄4 0.27) or intercalated degree status (yes n1⁄4 75, no n1⁄4 70, p1⁄4 0.80). Not randomising the candidates is indeed a possible entry point for selection bias, however, analysis of previous OSCE performance demonstrated an insignificant difference (Wilcox rank sum test, p1⁄4 0.11). This work is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first attempt to objectively demonstrate improvement in OSCE-assessed clinical skill after a peer-led mock-OSCE. If demonstrated more robustly, it would advocate a peer-led mock OSCE as a viable educational avenue for teaching clinical skills that does not strain faculty resources. I would be very interested to read further articles objectively analysing the educational value of a peer-led mock-OSCE.
Examination of the Obesity Epidemic from a Behavioral Perspective.

Obesity prevalence has doubled among adults and overweight has tripled among children since 1980. This article discusses behavioral approaches to the obesity epidemic, focusing on recent environmental changes, the resulting behaviors, and possible solutions. Over the last 4 decades, time spent in sedentary activities, the consumption of fast food, the structural environment, and the percentage of women in the work force have changed dramatically. The cumulative effect of these changes on the eating and exercise habits adopted by Americans has been disastrous. In order to reverse the obesity trend, physical and social environments that support healthful habits must develop. Behavioral approaches to weight loss have proven to be the most effective at promoting individual health behavior changes; however, these changes will be much more likely to persist if supported by family, school, and work environments, organizations, policies, and communities.
The Thai Anesthesia Incident Monitoring study (Thai AIMS): perioperative arrhythmia.

BACKGROUND The Royal College of Anesthesiologists of Thailand organized the first national sentinel incident reports of anesthesia related adverse events in 2007 on an anonymous and voluntary basis. The aims of the present study were to analyze incidence, risk factors, clinical course and outcome of perioperative arrhythmia and indicate the contributing factors and suggested corrective strategies in the database of the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Monitoring Study (Thai AIMS). MATERIAL AND METHOD This study was a prospective descriptive multicentered study conducted between January 2007 and June 2007. Data was collected from 51 hospitals across Thailand. All cases whose arrhythmia was detected intra-operatively and within 24 hr postoperative period were analyzed by 3 independents anesthesiologists. Any disagreements were discussed to achieve a consensus. RESULTS Four hundred and eighty-nine cases were enrolled as relevant arrhythmia cases. Bradycardia was the most common type (434 cases; 88.8%). Most of all events occurred intra-operatively (94.7%) and electrocardiography was the most common firstly detected monitoring equipment (95.5%). Arrhythmia occurred frequently in patients with hypertension and pre-operative heart rate < 60 beat per min. Intravenous anesthetics, central neural blockage and vagal reflex were considered to be the 3 most common suspected causes of arrhythmia requiring treatment. Most common outcomes were minor physiologic change with complete recovery physiologic change with complete recovery while 7% of incidents developed fatal outcome. The most common contributing factor was human factor (72.4%) especially in experience. An experienced anesthetic team with high awareness could be the minimizing factors. CONCLUSION Arrhythmia accounted for 19.2% of 2,537 incidents of the Thai AIMS database. Bradycardia was the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia. Most arrhythmia was benign but might be fatal. Suggested corrective strategies such as guidelines practice, improvement of supervision and quality assurance activity.