Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reoperations for Esophagitis Following Failed Antireflux Procedures

During the last 20 years, several procedures have been introduced that effectively control gastroesophageal reflux. Nevertheless, little has been written regarding surgical management of patients with recurrent esophagitis following a failed antireflux procedure. The purpose of this study was to review the results of all operations for recurrent esophagitis. Fifty-five patients had undergone a total of 61 previous operations for reflux (initial operation: Hill, nine; Nissen, 30; Allison, eight; Thal, patch three; Belsey, 10; other, one). Eleven patients underwent a Hill procedure (indications: intractable "gas-bloat" syndrome, 4 patients, esophagitis, 7 patients). Two developed recurrent esophagitis (18%). Seventy-eight per cent had satisfactory results (mean follow-up 24 months), and there were no deaths. Three individuals had a transabdominal fundoplication. One patient was lost to follow-up while the other two had satisfactory results (follow-up, 1 and 6 years). Twenty-nine patients were subjected to a transthoracic fundoplication, with two deaths (seven per cent). One patient (four per cent) was lost to follow-up at 9 months; mean follow-up was 44 months). Eighty-six per cent had satisfactory results. The sole poor result occurred in a scleroderma patient who ultimately required colon interposition. Twelve patients underwent a Thal-Nissen procedure. One patient was lost to follow-up (eight per cent), while another with scleroderma had an unsatisfactory result (eight per cent); 83% had satisfactory results. The mean follow-up was 70 months. There were no deaths. Overall, 80% of patients subjected to reoperation had satisfactory results. Mortality was four per cent. Reoperations for gastroesophageal reflux constitute an effective means of controlling recurrent esophagitis and compare favorably with primary operations in both mortality and success rate.
Effects of Electroporation on the Transmembrane Potential Distribution in a Two‐Dimensional Bidomain Model of Cardiac Tissue

Electroporation in a Two‐Dimensional Myocardium. Introduction: Defibrillation shocks, when delivered through internal electrodes, establish transmembrane potentials (Vm) large enough to electroporate the membrane of cardiac cells. The effects of such shocks on the transmembrane potential distribution are investigated in a two‐dimensional rectangular sheet of cardiac muscle modeled as a bidomain with unequal anisotropy ratios.
Graphene Nanoflakes Printed Flexible Meandered-Line Dipole Antenna on Paper Substrate for Low-Cost RFID and Sensing Applications

In this letter, a graphene nanoflakes printed antenna is presented. Graphene nanoflakes conductive ink has been screenprinted on paper substrate and compressed to achieve the conductivity of 0.43 × 105 S/m. Low-profile meandered-line dipole antenna has been fabricated as a proof of concept due to its electrically small size and simple structure. The maximum gain is measured to be -4 dBi, the -10-dB bandwidth ranges from 984 to 1052 MHz (6.67%), and the radiation pattern is verified as being typical radiation patterns of a dipole-type antenna. The radiation efficiency is 32%. The measurement results reveal that graphene nanoflakes printed antenna can provide practically acceptable return loss, gain, bandwidth, and radiation patterns for midand short-range RFID, and sensing applications. Furthermore, screenprinting technique employed in this work is of extremely low cost and capable of producing antennas in mass production.
Enhancing Patient Motivation to Reduce UV Risk Behaviors: Assessing the Interest and Willingness of Dermatologists to Try a Different Approach

complete surveys with uniformly high marks. Given the high levels of patient satisfaction currently observed, one would hope that this would be unnecessary. Certainly this type of data manipulation would not be motivated by the ABD, whose DMOC program requires participation in quality assurance programs; however, the ABD does not review data from individual dermatologists. In addition, an important question currently not included in the DrScore survey is “How likely would you be to recommend this practice and/or physician to others? ” The addition of this question would likely make the tool even more useful to the subscriber. A multitude of factors affect patient perception of quality health care. Some dermatologists might find it difficult to accept criticism of errors made by office staff. Nonetheless, physicians are ultimately held accountable by patients for the actions of new and inexperienced office staff members. The physician is the “ship’s captain” and is ultimately responsible for the patient’s satisfaction with the entire office visit. In a recent study focusing on the relationship between patient wait times and patient satisfaction, Anderson et al reported that the time spent with the physician is of utmost importance to the patient and was the most powerful predictor of patient satisfaction, even greater than wait time. Satisfaction surveys providing insight into patient perceptions of time spent with the dermatologist would likely prove to be a valuable tool for any practicing dermatologist. The cost of such a system will certainly be of interest to those implementing a quality improvement assessment program. The DrScore service costs $149.00 for the first year of membership and includes 4 quarterly reports. The Internet-based patient satisfaction surveys are cost-effective, and there is no limit to the number of surveys that can be conducted per medical office. The American Academy of Dermatology might also develop quality assurance tools designed to assess patient satisfaction and meet DMOC requirements for peer performance review similar to the systems under development by other specialty boards.
Factores que influencian la motivación de escolares por las áreas tecnológicas e ingeniería

The low representation of women in engineering and technological areas leads to diversity and productivity reduction in the workforce. This study determines issues highly influencing schoolchildren motivation when deciding for engineering and technological careers. A model was proposed through Structural Equation Models with data collected by a survey applied to 1,697 schoolchildren in the city of Santiago. Results suggest that teacher support and self-concept are issues significantly affecting motivation. Girls perceive a lower self-concept in math skills than boys. Surprisingly, family support does not maintain a direct and significant effect over motivation.
Virtualization of the Wireless Medium: A Simulation-Based Study

This work considers virtualization of the wireless medium as a mean to share common network physical infrastructure by different Virtual Operators (VO) based on a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) virtualization technique. We have developed a Wireless Medium Virtualization Framework (WMVF) to analyze the performance of a variable number of VOs (with one or more types of traffic) accessing to the same wireless medium through the same wireless node in a coordinated way. Extensive simulations have been carried out to assess the impact of wireless medium virtualization based on relevant parameters such as the type of traffic, the number of VOs and the specific wireless technology. Delay, jitter and the utilization of the network are the metrics used in this paper to show the potential and limitations of wireless virtualization as a way to increase network usage. This work has been carried out partially inside the European Project 4WARD (FP7 Project reference: 216041).
Possibilistic reliability function analysis of multi-state systems

Possibilistic reliability theory is the study of reliability based on the principles of possibility theory. In this paper, the possibilistic reliability function of multi-state system is redefined and analyzed utilizing the possibility distribution of system lifetime. In order to express the internal relationship between system state and residual lifetime, state corresponding most possible residual lifetime (MPRL) is defined as the system's most possible remaining lifetime under the state. Thus, addressing the system reliable level as keeping a specified state at a specified moment, the system possibilistic reliability can be obtained through the functional relationship between system state and the corresponding MPRL. As a result, a numerical example is developed to illustrate the theory.
Ethics Review of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research: Where Should We Go From Here?

It is not unusual for researchers to complain about institutional review board (IRB) oversight, but social scientists have a unique set of objections to the work of ethics committees. In an effort to better understand the problems associated with ethics review of social, behavioral, and economic sciences (SBES) research, this article examines 3 different aspects of research ethics committees: (a) the composition of review boards; (b) the guidelines used by these boards to review SBES—and in particular, behavioral health—research; and (c) the actual deliberations of IRBs. The article concludes with recommendations for changes in the review process and with suggestions for filling the gaps in knowledge about the way IRBs work.
Cluster Analysis of Twitter Data: A Review of Algorithms

Twitter, a microblogging online social network (OSN), has quickly gained prominence as it provides people with the opportunity to communicate and share posts and topics. Tremendous value lies in automated analysing and reasoning about such data in order to derive meaningful insights, which carries potential opportunities for businesses, users, and consumers. However, the sheer volume, noise, and dynamism of Twitter, imposes challenges that hinder the efficacy of observing clusters with high intra-cluster (i.e. minimum variance) and low inter-cluster similarities. This review focuses on research that has used various clustering algorithms to analyse Twitter data streams and identify hidden patterns in tweets where text is highly unstructured. This paper performs a comparative analysis on approaches of unsupervised learning in order to determine whether empirical findings support the enhancement of decision support and pattern recognition applications. A review of the literature identified 13 studies that implemented different clustering methods. A comparison including clustering methods, algorithms, number of clusters, dataset(s) size, distance measure, clustering features, evaluation methods, and results was conducted. The conclusion reports that the use of unsupervised learning in mining social media data has several weaknesses. Success criteria and future directions for research and practice to the research community are discussed.
The systemic vascular resistance response: a cardiovascular response modulating blood viscosity with implications for primary hypertension and certain anemias

Without an active regulatory feedback loop, increased blood viscosity could lead to a vicious cycle of ischemia, increased erythropoiesis, further increases of blood viscosity, decreased tissue perfusion with worsened ischemia, further increases in red cell mass, etc. We suggest that an increase in blood viscosity is detected by mechanoreceptors in the left ventricle which upregulate expression of cardiac natriuretic peptides and soluble erythropoietin receptor. This response normalizes systemic vascular resistance and blood viscosity at the cost of producing ‘anemia of chronic disease or inflammation’ or ‘hemolytic anemia’ both of which are better described as states of compensated hyperviscosity. Besides its role in disease, this response is also active in the physiologic adaptation to chronic exercise. Malfunction of this response may cause primary hypertension.
Efficient algorithm for proportional fairness scheduling in multicast OFDM systems

In multicast orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, the difference in link conditions of users complicates adaptive modulation because modulation should be adjusted to serve the user who experiences the worst channel condition. If we assume that the multicast data are separated into layers and any combination of the layers can he decoded at the receiver, the network throughput can be increased by performing subcarrier/bit allocation [C. Suh et al., 2004]. In addition, if we consider the concept of proportional fairness (PF), the fairness factor can be increased while minimizing total throughput degradation. In this paper, we formulate the optimization problem for PF scheduling and show that this problem is NP-hard one requiring large complexity. To reduce the complexity, we propose a simple heuristic algorithm for PF scheduling by separating subcarrier allocation and bit loading. Numerical results show that the performance difference between the optimum and proposed algorithms is within about 5%, and that PF scheduling may be the best solution for multicast scheduling if we consider both total throughput and fairness.
Increased Mortality in Turkeys Selected for Increased Body Weight Following Vaccination with a Live Newcastle Disease Virus Vaccine

SUMMARY. Candidate male and female breeders from nine genetic lines of turkeys that were reared intermingled, with the sexes housed in different buildings on the same farm, were vaccinated with a live Newcastle disease virus vaccine (B1 type, LaSota) just prior to the commencement of egg production. In 1999, an average mortality for all lines of 5.8% occurred during the 10 days immediately following vaccination and the level of mortality varied among lines. Mortality was, in general, greater in large-bodied lines than in small-bodied lines. Affected birds exhibited gross multiple areas of focal necrosis in the liver and spleen and congestion of the heart and lungs. The percentage mortality occurring following similar vaccination in 2000 averaged 2.6 for the 10 days following vaccination and mortality was greater (P ≤ 0.05) in one line (F line) than the other genetic groups and higher in females than in males. Mortality in the F line, selected for increased body weight and known to be susceptible to various diseases, averaged 15.1% for both years. Attempts failed in both years to isolate Pasteurella multocida or other bacteria. There was a positive correlation between increased body weight and increased mortality following vaccination with the live LaSota vaccine.
Testosterone regulation of proopiomelanocortin messenger ribonucleic acid in the arcuate nucleus of the male rat.

GnRH regulates the secretion of LH and FSH, which stimulate the secretion of testicular hormones. Acting in a reciprocal fashion, these hormones, including testosterone and inhibin, exert a negative feedback effect on GnRH and gonadotropin secretion. Endogenous opioid peptides (EOPs) have been implicated to play a role in steroid-mediated regulation of gonadotropin secretion. In this context, certain steroid hormones (e.g. testosterone) increase EOP activity and ultimately inhibit GnRH secretion; however, the cellular mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. beta-Endorphin is one of these EOPs, and it is derived from a larger precursor molecule, POMC. We tested the hypothesis that testicular hormones and testosterone, in particular, stimulate POMC gene expression in the arcuate nucleus of the male rat brain. First, we compared POMC mRNA levels between intact and castrated male rats. Adult male rats were killed 4 days (n = 4) and 21 days (n = 5) after castration. Intact animals (sham-operated; n = 6) were used as controls. Using in situ hybridization and a computerized image analysis system, we measured the POMC mRNA content in individual cells of the arcuate nucleus. POMC mRNA signal was significantly lower (P less than 0.0003) in both 4-day (126 +/- 2 grains/cell) and 21-day (117 +/- 5 grains/cell) castrates than in controls (142 +/- 2 grains/cell). In a second experiment we tested whether testosterone would reverse the castration-induced loss of POMC message. Again, we castrated animals and immediately implanted them with either empty (sham; n = 6) or testosterone-containing Silastic implants (n = 5) of a size that would deliver physiological levels of testosterone (3.6 +/- 1.5 ng/ml). We observed that testosterone-treated animals had significantly higher levels of POMC mRNA signal (121.8 +/- 3.8 grains/cell) than sham-treated castrates (111.4 +/- 3.6 grains/cell; P less than 0.03) and that the testosterone-treated castrates had POMC mRNA signal levels indistinguishable from those of intact controls (122.0 +/- 1.1 grains/cell). These observations lend credence to the theory that one mechanism by which testosterone may regulate GnRH secretion is by increasing the synthesis of POMC in the arcuate nucleus.
Japanese encephalitis virus induces matrix metalloproteinase‐9 in rat brain astrocytes via NF‐κB signalling dependent on MAPKs and reactive oxygen species

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a member of the family Flaviviridae and JEV infection is a major cause of acute encephalopathy in children, which destroys cells in the CNS, including astrocytes and neurons. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the inflammatory action of JEV are largely unclear.
Diet‐Derived Advanced Glycation End Products Are Major Contributors to the Body's AGE Pool and Induce Inflammation in Healthy Subjects

Abstract: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a heterogeneous group of compounds that form continuously in the body. Their rate of endogenous formation is markedly increased in diabetes mellitus, a condition in which AGEs play a major pathological role. It is also known, however, that AGEs form during the cooking of foods, primarily as the result of the application of heat. This review focuses on the generation of AGEs during the cooking of food, the gastrointestinal absorption of these compounds, and their biological effects in vitro and in vivo. We also present preliminary evidence of a direct association between dietary AGE intake and markers of systemic inflammation such as C‐reactive protein in a large group of healthy subjects. Together with previous evidence from diabetics and renal failure patients, these data suggest that dietary AGEs may play an important role in the causation of chronic diseases associated with underlying inflammation.
A study of members' helping behaviors in online community

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to develop a theoretical model that enables us to examine the antecedents and consequences effects of members' helping behavior in online communities. It also aims to develop a complete model for empirical testing.Design/methodology/approach – The sample is 425 participants including nine online communities in Taiwan, including Yahoo! Kimo, CPB, Sony music, etc. who were contacted and asked to participate in the study. Data were collected between August and December 2007 via the web for Internet users using a standardized questionnaire. Excluding those surveys that were undeliverable and those who believed that it was inappropriate to respond, the overall effective response rate was 84 percent (355 of 425). Findings – The empirical results suggested that online communities members' helping behavior represents a large pool of product know‐how. They seem to be a promising source of innovation capabilities for new product development.Research limitations/implications – The .
Waitlist Mortality Decreases with Increased Use of Extended Criteria Donor Liver Grafts at Adult Liver Transplant Centers

Extended criteria donor (ECD) liver allografts are often allocated to less severely ill liver transplant (LT) candidates who are at a relatively lower risk of pretransplant mortality, but it is not clear that the use of ECD allografts will decrease center waitlist mortality (WLM). Individual patient data from the UNOS OPTN database (2002–2005) were aggregated to obtain center‐specific data. Deceased donor allografts with any of the following characteristics were defined as ECDs: from a donor with any of the criteria described by the New York State Department of Health Workgroup; or 12+ h of cold ischemia. Multivariate regression was used to examine the relationship between WLM and ECD, non‐ECD and LDLT use after adjusting for candidate severity of illness. A total of 3555 ECD transplants, 11,660 standard criteria donor (SCD) transplants, and 717 LDLTs were performed at 100 centers during this period. The model demonstrated that SCD and ECD LTs were inversely correlated with a center's WLM (β=−0.242 and −0.221, respectively; p ≤ 0.003 for each). LDLTs did not significantly reduce WLM (β=−0.048, p = 0.55). In summary, increasing ECD liver allograft use significantly decreased WLM at US centers. Policies encouraging the increase used of ECDs would further reduce WLM.
The Development of the Ear-Bones in the Mouse.

THAT in the whole of vertebrate morphology there has hardly been a question more vexed than that of the homologies of the auditory ossicles of the mammalia is notorious. For not only has the dispute been prolonged, but in it almost every possible interpretation has found its advocate. ' The stapes has been regarded as a derivative of the auditory capsule, as the upper segment of the hyoid arch (hyo-mandibular) and as an independent element. The incus has been held to be the hyo-mandibular, by others a derivative of the mandibular arch. The malleus has usually been referred to the mandibular arch, though its hyoid origin has also been suggested. And all these various views have been differently combined by different morphologists. Thus-to take the more important-Huxley and Parker considered the stapes to be cut out of the auditory capsule, the incus to be the homologue of the hyo-mandibular, and the malleus the representative of the quadrate. The older Continental view homologised the stapes with the hyo-mandibular, the incus with the quadrate, the malleus with the articular of lower types, while Gadow has attributed all three to the hyoid arch. But protracted though the controversy had been, it might well have been thought that with the work of Broman the issue was finally decided. For in Broman's extremely thorough investigation of the development of these structures in the human embryo, use was made for the first time of reconstruction models: and in these models associated structures-notably the seventh nerve and chorda tympani-were inserted to aid in the accurate determination of the anatomical relations of the parts. Broman's work corroborates the views held by Gegenbaur and other German writers.
Significance of the point of expansion in interpretation of gradient moments and motion sensitivity

The relationship between magnetic field gradient waveform moments and the motion sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging was explored analytically and by computer simulation. The analysis and simulations revealed several key points. In general, waveform time moments define sensitivity to the time derivatives of position of moving material only at a single time point: the time about which the moments are computed. A Taylor series description of instantaneous position is expanded about this same time point to compute the phase acquired due to specific derivatives of position. A moment is proportional to phase sensitivity to a particular derivative of position throughout the waveform only when sensitivity to all lower‐order derivatives is zero. Under restricted conditions of waveform symmetry and motion characteristics, the phase due to motion may be expressed in terms of the average value of a derivative of position over the duration of the waveform. The choice of the moment center, or point of expansion, adds a degree of freedom that may be used advantageously in the design of motion‐compensating and motion phase‐encoding gradient waveforms. These results facilitate a more complete understanding of the effects of motion through a magnetic field gradient.