Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-dose aspirin for Kawasaki disease: outdated myth or effective aid?

OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus high-dose aspirin (HDA) vs. IVIG plus low-dose aspirin (LDA) for the treatment of Kawasaki disease, with an emphasis on coronary artery outcomes. METHODS This study was a retrospective, medical record review of paediatric patients with Kawasaki disease comparing 6 centres that routinely used HAD for initial treatment and 2 that used LDA in 2004-2013. Treatment response and adverse events were compared. The primary outcome measure was the occurrence of coronary aneurysm at the subacute or convalescent stage. RESULTS The cohort included 358 patients, of whom 315 were initially treated with adjunctive HDA and 43 with LDA. There were no demographic differences between the groups. Coronary aneurysms occurred in 10% (20/196) of the HDA group and 4% (1/24) of the LDA group (p=0.34). Equivalence tests indicate it is unlikely that the risk of coronary aneurysm in LDA exceeds HDA by more than 3.5%. There were no significant between-group differences in the need for glucocorticoid pulse therapy or disease recurrence. Coronary ectasia rate and hospitalisation time were significantly greater in the HDA group. Adverse events were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS We found no significant clinical benefit in using IVIG+HDA in Kawasaki disease compared to IVIG+LDA. The use of adjunctive HDA in this setting should be reconsidered.
High-Performance and Low-Power CMOS Device Technologies Featuring Metal/High-k Gate Stacks with Uniaxial Strained Silicon Channels on (100) and (110) Substrates

CMOS technologies using metal/high-k damascene gate stacks with uniaxial strained silicon channels were developed. Gate electrodes of HfSix and TiN were applied to nFETs and pFETs, respectively. TiN/HfO2 damascene gate stacks and epitaxial SiGe source/drains were successfully integrated for the first time. As a result, drive currents of 1050 and 710 muA/mum at Vdd=l V, Ioff=100 nA/um and Tinv=1.6 nm were obtained for the nFETs and pFETs. The further integration of pFETs on (110) substrates contributed to a higher drive current of 830 muA/mum. These performances were realized under low gate leakage currents of 0.03 A/cm2 and below
Economic-Political Causes of Tax Evasion (Theoretical Background)

This paper has been written as a partial output of the APVV-16-0160 research project, Tax evasions and tax avoidance (motivation factors, formation and elimination), as well as the output of the VEGA 1/0375/15 research project, Tax evasion and tax frauds and possibilities of their prevention (by means of tax law, commercial law and criminal law).
THE EFFECT OF REMITTANCES UPON SKILLED EMIGRATION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

This paper empirically examines whether remittance inflows affect emigration. We consider a panel of 133 developing countries as migrant source countries and seven five-year windows between 1980 and 2010. Because inflows of remittances could be endogenous, we employ a dynamic GMM estimation methodology. We find that inflows of remittances are positively associated with subsequent stocks of highly educated migrants living in OECD countries. We find little association between remittance inflows and subsequent changes in stocks of less educated migrants. Although many see the level of migration as influencing remittance flows, our results suggest that causality goes in the other direction as well, implying that the inflow of remittances could be a push-factor for emigration, at least for those with more education.
Policy Brief—Leaving an Emissions Trading Scheme: Implications for the United Kingdom and the European Union

The United Kingdom (UK) may opt to leave the European Union (EU) emissions trading system (ETS) for greenhouse gases. This policy brief examines the implications. The UK is a large importer of emission permits. Thus, meeting its climate policy targets would be much more difficult without the EU ETS, costing an additional 0.2 to 0.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In addition to the increased compliance costs, the UK will face transition costs for leaving the EU ETS because a central plank of UK climate policy (i.e., permit trade) will need to be replaced on short notice. Furthermore, there may be a loss of business as the carbon trade leaves London. Moreover, as UK greenhouse gas regulation diverges from the EU, distortions at the border will also increase. The impact of a UK departure from the EU ETS on the EU would be limited if the EU accepts a weaker emissions cap. Non-EU countries such as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein participate in the EU ETS, and this would appear to be the best option for the UK if it leaves the EU.
Nitric oxide synthase expression and apoptotic cell death in brains of AIDS and AIDS dementia patients.

OBJECTIVES To determine the occurrence and cellular localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NOS activity and its association with cell death in brains of AIDS and AIDS dementia complex (ADC) patients. DESIGN AND METHODS Post-mortem cerebral cortex tissue of eight AIDS patients, eight ADC patients and eight control subjects was processed for iNOS immunocytochemistry, NADPH-diaphorase activity staining as an index of NOS activity, and in situ end-labelling to detect cell death. RESULTS iNOS-positive cells were present in the white matter of 14 out of 16 AIDS and ADC patients, whereas two out of eight control subjects showed iNOS-positive cells. iNOS immunoreactivity was exclusively localized in activated macrophages and microglial cells that both showed NADPH-diaphorase activity. In addition, NADPH-diaphorase activity, not related to iNOS immunoreactivity, was observed in astrocytes in both white and grey matter of AIDS and ADC patients. All AIDS and ADC patients, and only one control subject showed characteristic features of apoptotic cell death. CONCLUSIONS Different forms of NOS are present in microglial cells and astrocytes of AIDS and ADC patients but are largely absent in control subjects. Although more NOS-expressing cells occur in ADC than in AIDS patients, apoptotic cell death was found in both patient groups to the same extent. We postulate that NO production in brains of AIDS patients results in cumulative cortical cell loss, which becomes neurologically evident at later stages of disease and is expressed as ADC.
Sovereign Debt Restructurings in Grenada: Causes, Processes, Outcomes, and Lessons Learned

This paper documents the two debt restructurings that Grenada undertook in 2004–06 and 2013–15.Both restructurings emerged as a consequence of weak fiscal and debt situations, whichbecame unsustainable soon after external shocks hit the island economy. The two restructurings provided liquidity relief, with the second one involving a principal haircut. However, the first restructuring was not able to secure long-term debt sustainability. Grenada’s restructuring experience shows the importance of (1) establishing appropriate debt restructuring objectives; (2) committing to policy reforms and maintaining ownership of the restructuring goals; and (3) engaging closely and having clear communications with creditors.
Dimensions of Economic Mobility in Kerala’s Migrant Households

This paper analyses economic mobility as an evaluating criteria in gauging the nature and extent of improvement in economic position of households having migrants in terms of remittances and extent of economic mobility. Using panel data from Kerala Migration Surveys, we estimate the quantum of improvement in standards of living of migrant households in Kerala through transition matrices and statistical and econometric techniques.
Overexpression, Purification, and Characterization of the Catalase-peroxidase KatG from Mycobacterium tuberculosis*

Wild-type catalase-peroxidase KatG from Mycobacterium tuberculosis as well as a specific mutant (R463L) frequently found in isoniazid-resistant strains have been overexpressed in Escherichia coli, allowing purification of sufficient quantities of enzyme for physical and kinetic characterization. Optical absorption and EPR spectroscopies indicate that KatG is similar to a growing class of bacterial catalase-peroxidases. Optical and EPR spectra of KatG in the presence of either a strong field or weak field ligand suggest that, like horseradish peroxidase and metmyoglobin, KatG is likely to have a histidine as a proximal ligand. The wild-type enzyme functions as a highly active catalase as well as a broad specificity peroxidase. Wild-type KatG and the R463L mutant of KatG exhibit identical spectroscopic and kinetic properties. Furthermore, both enzymes are equally capable of metabolizing the important antituberculosis drug isoniazid.
Detection of monoclonal T populations in patients with KIR-restricted chronic lymphoproliferative disorder of NK cells

The etiology of chronic large granular lymphocyte proliferations is largely unknown. Although these disorders are characterized by the expansion of different cell types (T and natural killer) with specific genetic features and abnormalities, several lines of evidence suggest a common pathogenetic mechanism. According to this interpretation, we speculated that in patients with natural killer-type chronic lymphoproliferative disorder, together with natural killer cells, also T lymphocytes undergo a persistent antigenic pressure, possibly resulting in an ultimate clonal T-cell selection. To strengthen this hypothesis, we evaluated whether clonal T-cell populations were detectable in 48 patients with killer immunoglobulin-like receptor-restricted natural killer-type chronic lymphoproliferative disorder. At diagnosis, in half of the patients studied, we found a clearly defined clonal T-cell population, despite the fact that all cases presented with a well-characterized natural killer disorder. Follow-up analysis confirmed that the TCR gamma rearrangements were stable over the time period evaluated; furthermore, in 7 patients we demonstrated the appearance of a clonal T subset that progressively matures, leading to a switch between killer immunoglobulin-like receptor-restricted natural killer-type disorder to a monoclonal T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia. Our results support the hypothesis that a common mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Educational Expansion, Family Interactions, and the Open Society

Against the backdrop of controversial debates on economic modernization, political developments, and Cold War-era social reforms, Swiss society has (like other Western societies) experienced a remarkable expansion in its educational system since the 1960s. This expansion has included increasing educational participation and educational opportunities, and a growing demand for general education, vocational training and academic skills (Breen et al. 2009, 2010; Hadjar and Becker 2009). Although educational expansion had a lower impact and was less dynamic in Switzerland than in some other countries (Buchmann et al. 2007; Buchmann and Charles 1993), longitudinal studies based on a cohort design demonstrate that Switzerland did catch up during the last decades with respect to educational enrollment, the acquisition of higher education, and the attainment of credentials (Zangger and Becker 2016; Hadjar and Berger 2010; Pfeffer 2008). Educational expansion over the generations led to an unprecedented upgrading of qualifications in the Swiss Population (Becker and Zangger 2013). Consequently, this process led to changes in the inequality of educational opportunities with respect to social origin, ethnic background, and gender (Becker and Zangger 2013; Jann and Combet 2012; Hadjar and Berger 2010; Pfeffer 2008; Buchmann et al. 2007). In contrast with other countries, however, theoretical and empirical research on the extent to which these structural changes can be causally attributed to educational expansion in Switzerland is not very well developed. There are striking gaps in the research regarding the educational expansion’s consequences for familial and demographic processes over time. Educational expansion is often asserted to lead to changes in various fields of society such that society moves towards a more open social contract, in which individual achievement (rather than social reproduction) is deemed vital for the good of future generations. One field of particular relevance in
Baroreceptor influence on the relationships between discharges of different sympathetic nerves of the cat.

1. The sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) of three different nerves and the arterial blood pressure (BP) were recorded simultaneously in baroreceptor‐intact cats. The linear correlation between different nerve pairs was characterized by the coherence spectrum and its baroreceptor‐related component was estimated by partialization of the coherence on the basis of the blood pressure signal. 2. The SND‐SND coherence values were higher than those found earlier in baroreceptor‐denervated cats. As shown by partial coherence analysis, in about 50% of the experiments with high SND‐BP coherence (25 nerve pair recordings), this could be explained by superposition of the effects of common central sources of activity and of the additional common rhythmic input from the baroreceptors. Partialization was ineffective in 50% of the experiments with high SND‐BP coherence (22 nerve pairs) and also when the SND‐BP coherence was relatively low (17 nerve pairs). On the group average, after elimination of the components explained by baroreceptor influence, the peak SND‐SND coherence no longer correlated with the SND‐BP coherence and both the numerical values and the relative pattern of coherences between different nerves became similar to those characteristic for baroreceptor‐denervated cats. 3. It is suggested that the method used in this study represents a ‘theoretical barodenervation’ and may be of great value in experiments, when surgical or chemical denervation of the baroreceptors does not represent a real option, e.g. in human subjects.
Design and Simulation of a Robot Balancing on a Sphere with Reduced Height

Most of the present robot balancing over a sphere is equipped with three omnidirectional wheels connected directly to stepping motors that drives the sphere. In this paper, special attention was given to reduce the height of the robot chassis for given sphere size, by proposing a chassis which holds most of the electronics and gear mechanism in which stepping motor shaft is connected to axis of the omnidirectional wheel in perpendicular to each other, without sacrificing the omnidirectional traverse and pivot around its vertical axis capabilities. A bevel gear mechanism is used to drive the wheels from the stepper motors. Due to reduced chassis height, the overall height of robot is reduced to 320mm for sphere size of 240mm diameter, and has increased stability of robot due to lower center of mass. The designed robot has been simulated using SimMechanics, physical modeling method and tested in sphere over robot experimental setup which has been fabricated. The feasibility of developing the mechanism, kinematics and highlights of fabricated robot are described in this paper.
The sensitive period for male‐to‐female sex reversal begins at the embryonic stage in the Nile tilapia and is associated with the sexual genotype

In this study, we sought to determine the mechanism of early sex reversal in a teleost by applying 4 hr feminization treatments to XY (17α‐ethynylestradiol 2000 μg L−1) and YY (6500 μg L−1) Nile tilapia embryos on the first day post‐fertilization (dpf). We then searched for changes in the expression profiles of some sex‐differentiating genes in the brain (cyp19a1b, foxl2, and amh) and in sex steroids (testosterone, 17β‐estradiol, and 11‐ketotestosterone) concentrations during embryogenesis and gonad differentiation. No sex reversal was observed in YY individuals, whereas sex‐reversal rates in XY progeny ranged from 0–60%. These results, together with the clearance profile of 17α‐ethynylestradiol, confirmed the existence of an early sensitive period for sex determination that encompasses embryonic and larval development and is active prior to any sign of gonad differentiation. Estrogen treatment induced elevated expression of cyp19a1b and higher testosterone and 17β‐estradiol concentrations at 4 dpf in both XY and YY individuals. foxl2 and amh were repressed at 4 dpf and their expression levels were not different between treated and control groups at 14 dpf, suggesting that foxl2 did not control cyp19a1b in the brains of tilapia embryos. Increased cyp19a1b expression in treated embryos could reflect early brain sexualization, although this difference alone cannot account for the observed sex reversal as the treatment was ineffective in YY individuals. The differential sensitivity of XY and YY genotypes to embryonic induced‐feminization suggests that a sex determinant on the sex chromosomes, such as a Y repressor or an X activator, may influence sex reversal during the first steps of tilapia embryogenesis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 81: 1146–1158, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reliability of automated perimetric tests.

To the Editor. —Nelson-Quigg et al 1 have suggested that technician involvement during automated perimetric testing is crucial to the reliability of test results. We agree with this sentiment entirely. They also suggest that one reason their patients had fewer false-positive and false-negative responses than ours 2 was the difference in technician involvement between the two studies. As with their study, ours is part of a careful, prospective investigation of visual loss in ocular hypertension and early glaucoma. The technician constantly monitored the patient responses. For those who had difficulty fixating or staying awake, the test was stopped and restarted after a rest period. The fact that fixation losses were quite similar in their patients and ours suggests that technician involvement is unlikely to explain why their group had fewer false-positive and false-negative responses than ours. It is possible that patients may "learn" over time with regard to reliability measures.
Poison or cure: meanings of medication in schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic medications provide tremendous relief to many individuals with schizophrenia, but can have significant costs, including adverse metabolic, neurological, and psychological effects. Prescribers and consumers of these medications often have different perceptions of the safety and utility of medications, ranging from "poison" to "cure. " While much of the literature on the meaning of medication in schizophrenia discusses patients' negative perceptions of medication, poor insight, and other risk factors for nonadherence, a variety of additional factors should be considered, including both doctors' and patients' perspectives. Historical, cultural, and scientific, as well as individual factors, influence both the prescribing and taking of antipsychotic medications. The relationship between doctors and patients, as informed by these factors, plays a central role in the creation of the meanings of medications. An understanding of this relationship can help to establish more collaborative treatment relationships, beyond the dichotomy of poison or cure.
Experimental and analytical investigation of the thermal necrosis in high-speed drilling of bone

Bone loss due to thermo necrosis may weaken the purchase of surgically placed screws and pins, causing them to loosen postoperatively. The heat generated during the bone drilling is proportional to cutting speed and force and may be partially dissipated by the blood and tissue fluids, and somehow carried away by the chips formed. Increasing cutting speed will reduce cutting force and machining time. Therefore, it is of interest to study the effects of the increasing cutting speed on bone drilling characteristics. In this article, the effects of the increasing cutting speed ranging from 500 up to 18,000 r/min on the thrust force and the temperature rise are studied for bovine femur bone. The results of this study reveal that the high-speed drilling of 6000–7000 r/min may effectively reduce the two parameters of maximum cortical temperature and duration of exposure at temperatures above the allowable levels, which in turn reduce the probability of thermal necrosis in the drill site. This is due to the reduction of the cutting force and the increase in the chip disposal speed. However, more increases in the drill bit rotational speed result in an increase in the amount of temperature elevation, not because of sensible change in drilling force but a considerable increase in friction among the chips, drill bit and the hole walls.
A Lyapunov-Function-Based Control for a Three-Phase Shunt Hybrid Active Filter

In this paper, an energy-based Lyapunov function control technique is developed for a three-phase shunt hybrid active filter (SH-AF) to compensate harmonics generated by nonlinear loads and is applied for balanced operation. The method provides compensation for harmonic load current components. The strategy determines the control law that makes the derivative of the Lyapunov function always negative for all values of the states. The dc bus voltage of the SH-AF is maintained to 50 V, which is significantly lower than that of the conventional hybrid active filter. The rating of the active filter in the SH-AF system is much smaller than the one used in the conventional shunt active power filter because the passive filter takes care of the major burden of compensation. The SH-AF performances, during both nominal and severe operating conditions, are then evaluated using a dSPACE DS1104 controller board, supported by a Matlab/Simulink Real-Time Workshop environment. A significantly high correlation between the experimental results and the theoretical model, implemented with Simulink/Matlab, is obtained.
Indications for Red Cell Transfusion in the Intensive Care Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Objective To determine current red cell transfusion practices, transfusion indications and their relationship to patient outcome in intensive care unit (ICU) patients at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). Method An observational study was conducted over seven months in the two ICUs at the UHWI, on all patients over 16 years who had been admitted for more than 24 hours. Patient demographics, indication(s) for transfusion, haemoglobin level at the time of transfusion, details of ICU admission and patient outcome were recorded. Data analysis was done using Stata v12. Results Of the 203 patients included in the study, 79 were transfused (39%). A low haemoglobin level was the most common indication for transfusion, with a mean of 7.3 ± 1.5 g/dL. Patients who were transfused had higher phlebotomy volumes [61.9 versus 126.1 mL, p < 0.001], were more likely to require mechanical ventilation (p = 0.002) and inotropic support (p = 0.007). Most were surgical patients (p = 0.01) and were post-open heart/thoracic surgery (66% transfusion rate). Patient outcome was correlated with transfusion, as transfused patients had longer ICU stays (13.0 versus 6.7 days, p < 0.001) and increased mortality rates (32.9% compared to 20.2%, p = 0.04). Most transfusions occurred within the first week of admission (83.5%). Conclusion The mean haemoglobin for transfusion at the ICU, UHWI, is 7.3 g/dL, just above the recommended trigger of 7.0 g/dL in a restrictive transfusion practice. Transfusion policies are needed to better allocate a scarce commodity and minimize complications associated with blood transfusion.