Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality indicators to measure appropriate antibiotic use in hospitalized adults.

BACKGROUND An important requirement for an effective antibiotic stewardship program is the ability to measure appropriateness of antibiotic use. The aim of this study was to develop quality indicators (QIs) that can be used to measure appropriateness of antibiotic use in the treatment of all bacterial infections in hospitalized adult patients. METHODS A RAND-modified Delphi procedure was used to develop a set of QIs. Potential QIs were retrieved from the literature. In 2 questionnaire mailings with an in-between face-to-face consensus meeting, an international multidisciplinary expert panel of 17 experts appraised and prioritized these potential QIs. RESULTS The literature search resulted in a list of 24 potential QIs. Nine QIs describing recommended care at patient level were selected: (1) take 2 blood cultures, (2) take cultures from suspected sites of infection, (3) prescribe empirical antibiotic therapy according to local guideline, (4) change empirical to pathogen-directed therapy, (5) adapt antibiotic dosage to renal function, (6) switch from intravenous to oral, (7) document antibiotic plan, (8) perform therapeutic drug monitoring, and (9) discontinue antibiotic therapy if infection is not confirmed. Two QIs describing recommended care at the hospital level were also selected: (1) a local antibiotic guideline should be present, and (2) these local guidelines should correspond to the national antibiotic guidelines. CONCLUSIONS The selected QIs can be used in antibiotic stewardship programs to determine for which aspects of antibiotic use there is room for improvement. At this moment we are testing the clinimetric properties of these QIs in 1800 hospitalized patients, in 22 Dutch hospitals.
Thermal and Mechanical Loading Effects on the Reliability of COG-ACF with Thin Glass by FEA

The chip on glass (COG) technique has been developed for excellent resolution and high quality liquid crystal display (LCD) panels for several years. In telecommunication field, the glass of LCD with 0.3mm thickness is used in the real product soon. However, many serious manufacturability and reliability issues were observed in the previous studies. In those, warpage of LCD cell is one of the common concerns, for warpage of IC and glass would induce delamination between the interface of gold bump/anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and ACF/glass. The critical parameters of COG process must be closely investigated to achieve minimum warpage. In this paper, based on the finite element analysis (FEA) tool, ABAQUS, we established numerical model of LCD cell, which was verified by warpage measurement system, by taking the detailed interconnect structure into consideration and the equivalent particle method to simulate ACF bonding process and investigate IC warpage under thermal-mechanical loading. We studied heat transfer, critical stress inducing delamination and equivalent particle deformation in the global and local scale. We also explored the effects of bonding force, bonding head temperature and stage temperature on warpage. From the simulation results, warpage are primarily determined by the difference of bonding head temperature and stage temperature
Macroeconomía intermedia para América Latina

El analisis del sector externo es fundamental para el estudio del desempeno macroeconomico de nuestros paises, infl uenciado de manera decisiva por los cambios en las condiciones internacionales. Asimismo, no se puede ignorar que los bancos centrales y los ministerios de fi nanzas de nuestro continente tienen hoy nuevas maneras de hacer politica macroeconomica. Este libro, dirigido a estudiantes y profesores de macroeconomia de America Latina y el Caribe (ALC), expone los desarrollos de las ultimas decadas en la ejecucion de la politica monetaria y la politica fiscal en economias abiertas como las de ALC, en su gran mayoria exportadoras de materias primas y dependientes del financiamiento externo. En el campo de la politica fiscal, cada vez mas paises la aplican sobre la base de reglas que imponen limites al deficit fiscal o al endeudamiento publico. En cuanto al ambito de la politica monetaria, ya casi todos los bancos centrales de nuestra region operan con un esquema de metas de inflacion en el que el instrumento de politica es la tasa de interes de corto plazo.
Putative membrane components of signal transduction pathways for ambient pH regulation in Aspergillus and meiosis in Saccharomyces are homologous

The zinc finger regions of the Aspergillus nidulans PacC transcription factor, mediating regulation of gene expression by ambient pH, and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rim1p transcription factor, mediating control of meiosis and invasiveness, are homologous and both transcription factors undergo proteolytic processing of the C‐terminus for conversion to the functional form. In both cases, functioning of a signal transduction pathway involving several gene products is a necessary prerequisite for processing. We now show that the Aspergillus PalI pH signal transduction component is homologous to the Saccharomyces Rim9p meiotic signal transduction component throughout a region containing four hydrophobic, putative membrane‐spanning segments. This suggests that PalI might be a membrane sensor for ambient pH. Deletion of the palI gene established that the less extreme phenotype of palI mutations compared with mutations in the other five genes of the pH signalling pathway is a general feature of palI mutations.
Élites "évoluées" et populations "indigènes" en Côte-d'Ivoire pendant la colonisation (1946-1960) : les valeurs paradoxales d'une mobilisation politique

Cette these etudie le paradoxe des elites colonisees africaines dites "evoluees" qui celebrent la colonisation francaise et se mobilisent, a travers la creation de partis politiques et la prise en charge de l'ideologie coloniale - qui leur a ete enseignee dans les ecoles coloniales pour la domestication des populations "indigenes" qui supportent impatiemment le joug colonial et sont tentees par la rebellion. Des lors, la mobilisation politique de la societe colonisee par l’elite "evoluee" devient une gageure en raison de la nature paradoxale des valeurs politiques mises en œuvre. Ces valeurs, qui fonctionnent ici comme un puissant determinisme ideologique et politique, sont analyses a partir du vocabulaire politique de l'epoque. Tout d'abord, la formation de cette elite "evoluee" dans les ecoles coloniales francaises, ses aspirations a l'assimilation politique et culturelle par le colonisateur qui est pose en modele, son refus de toute independance politique pour la colonie sont exposes. En Cote d'Ivoire, la figure d'Houphouet-Boigny, le leader charismatique, domine. Ensuite, l'analyse porte sur les populations "indigenes" asservies et tente de cerner leurs aspirations politiques et leurs revendications exprimees ou cachees. Dans un troisieme temps, il est souligne l'impossibilite d'une interaction mobilisatrice entre elites "evoluees" et populations "indigenes" en raison de l'incompatibilite de leurs aspirations politiques et du profond mepris de l’elite colonisee pour les "indigenes". Mais, en definitive, l’elite "evoluee" de Cote d'Ivoire sera contrainte d'assumer l'independance politique par une puissance coloniale francaise confrontee a de nombreuses rebellions des colonises en Asie et en Afrique du Nord et qui ne peut plus assumer son vieux reve imperial. Tout au long de cette these, l'histoire officielle qui represente desormais Houphouet et son parti comme des "anti-colonialistes" heroiques est remise en cause a partir des archives.
Zero-Error Density Maximization based learning algorithm for a neuro-fuzzy inference system

This paper proposes a novel sequential learning algorithm based on zero-density maximization and extended Kalman filter, together referred to as ZDM-EKF, for a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy inference system. The sequential learning begins with zero rules, and rules are added/ pruned or updated based on the knowledge contained in the network and prediction error of the current sample. As each sample is presented to the network, the network monitors the spherical potential and mean-squared error and either adds a new rule or updates the parameters of the nearest rules employing an extended Kalman filtering scheme. The Kalman filter estimates the optimal network parameter based on maximizing the error density at origin. This results in a simple and efficient cost function with better ability to learn higher-order statistical behavior in comparison to error based cost function. The performance of the proposed ZDM-EKF based learning algorithm is evaluated on a set of four synthetic function approximation as well as time-series prediction problems. The performance analysis indicates superior performance of the proposed algorithm.
Value of Test Cases in Software Testing

In the place of traditional principle of project management a strategic management philosophy is emerging fast in which writing better test cases also receive the widespread attention of all those interested in software project management and software testing. In the current scenario managing software is an important task in an IT industry. Not only managing IT project, but also it is need to develop quality software product for the customer. It includes the number of tasks and phases of the software project development. Testing is one of the phases, which is most important in project management. In software testing writing test cases is very important. So it is necessary to study how to write better test cases. This paper describes how to avoid loses that is inevitable with poor test cases. It gives practical advice on how to improve productivity, usability, scheduling reliability and asset management. Once you understand what's and why's of the test cases, you can use a checklist of the standard to identify areas of the risk and improve your current and future test cases. Case study tries to gives an insight about how to use test cases to improve testability and productivity, how to solve common challenges to test case quality and how to protect test case assets, which can be in practice in the software industry
Oral immunoglobulin induces mononuclear cell apoptosis in patients suffering from idiopathic chronic pain syndrome: results from a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this clinical pilot study was to examine the induction of apoptosis in mononuclear cells on treatment of patients with chronic pain syndrome with oral immunoglobulin produced from bovine colostrum (BCC). DESIGN The 4 patients suffering from chronic idiopathic pain (idiopathic facial pain, CRPS or fibromyalgia) who were enrolled in the study had previously successfully been treated with BCC (varying individual doses). Mononuclear cells from peripheral blood were analyzed for representative cytokines in the serum as well as by TUNEL-assay to detect apoptotic cellular events 14 days after the last treatment with BCC and 14 days after restarting the treatment protocol with BCC. The clinical response (pain and quality of life parameters using a visual analogue scale (VAS)) were determined regularly in each patient. RESULTS The findings showed a disturbed apoptosis homeostasis in 3 of the 4 patients. These results were accompanied by a relief of the pain symptoms. The 4th patient was found not to need any further analgetic treatment since she demonstrated only nonsignificant changes in her laboratory screening and immunological parameters and by the end of the study she was also completely free of pain (long-term treatment with BCC). CONCLUSIONS In spite of the low patient number, the results were obtained with a sufficiently high degree of control because of the study design. The agreement of the clinical data with our laboratory measurements suggests that the induction of apoptotic events in mononuclear cells is the result of the dominant immunological effects of BCC treatment.
Changes of Achilles Midportion Tendon Microcirculation after Repetitive Simultaneous Cryotherapy and Compression Using a Cryo/Cuff

Background Cryotherapy and compression have been shown to decrease pain and improve function. The dosage and timing of these options remain unclear. Purpose To examine the effects of a standardized compression and cryotherapy device (Cryo/Cuff) on midportion Achilles tendon microcirculation during intermittent administration. Study Design Descriptive laboratory study. Methods Twenty-six subjects were included (13 men and 13 women; age, 32.3 ± 12 years; body mass index, 25.4 ± 5 kg/m2). Each underwent three 10-minute applications of the device, followed by a 10-minute recovery period. A continuous real-time assessment of parameters of Achilles tendon midportion microcirculation was performed with a laser Doppler spectrophotometry system. Results Superficial tendon oxygen saturation dropped significantly from 35.9 ± 21 arbitrary units (AU) to 13.5 ± 15, 15.9 ± 16, and 11.1 ± 11 AU (P =. 0001) during each period of cryo-compression, respectively. There was significant increase during the recovery period (55.4 ± 29, 65.2 ± 26, and 65.7 ± 27 AU; P =. 003), up to +83% of the baseline level. At 8-mm tendon depth, cryo-compression preserved local oxygen with -4% (P =. 001) of the baseline level and small but significant increased oxygen saturation of up to +13% (P =. 0001). Relative postcapillary venous tendon filling pressures were favorably reduced both superficially (57% ± 34%, 67% ± 27%, and 64% ± 38%, respectively; P =. 0004) and deep (76% ± 13%, 79% ± 11%, and 78% ± 18%, respectively; P =. 0002). Superficial capillary blood flow was reduced from 48.4 ± 48 to 5 ± 7, 4 ± 5, and 3 ± 4 AU at each period, respectively (–94%, P =. 0003), with increased flow during recovery periods of up to 58 ± 64, 58 ± 79, and 47 ± 71 AU, respectively (+20%, P =. 265). Deep flow was reduced from 197 ± 147 to 66.7 ± 64, 55 ± 46, and 43 ± 39 AU, respectively (–78%, P =. 0002) without increase during recovery periods. Conclusion Cryo/Cuff exerts beneficial effects on the microcirculatory level of the midportion Achilles tendon with decreased capillary blood flow, preserved deep tendon oxygen saturation, and facilitated venous capillary outflow.
Impact of Age at Kasai Operation on Its Results in Late Childhood and Adolescence: A Rational Basis for Biliary Atresia Screening

BACKGROUND. Increased age at surgery has a negative impact on results of the Kasai operation for biliary atresia in infancy and early childhood. It remained unclear if an age threshold exists and if this effect persists with extended follow-up. In this study we examined the relationship between increased age at surgery and its results in adolescence. METHODS. All patients with biliary atresia who were living in France and born between 1986 and 2002 were included. Median follow-up in survivors was 7 years. RESULTS. Included in the study were 743 patients with biliary atresia, 695 of whom underwent a Kasai operation; 2-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates with native liver were 57.1%, 37.9%, 32.4%, and 28.5%, respectively. Median age at Kasai operation was 60 days and was stable over the study period. Whatever the follow-up (2, 5, 10, or 15 years), survival rates with native liver decreased when age at surgery increased (≤30, 31–45, 46–60, 61–75, and 76–90 days). Accordingly, we estimated that if every patient with biliary atresia underwent the Kasai operation before 46 days of age, 5.7% of all liver transplantations performed annually in France in patients younger than 16 years could be spared. CONCLUSIONS. Increased age at surgery had a progressive and sustained deleterious effect on the results of the Kasai operation until adolescence. These findings indicate a rational basis for biliary atresia screening to reduce the need for liver transplantations in infancy and childhood.
Handbuch Brueckenbau: Entwurf, Konstruktion, Berechnung, Bewertung und Ertuechtigung

Das Buch soll Brueckenbauingenieuren, aber auch anderen, am Brueckenbau interessierten Lesern, einen Ueberblick ueber das erforderliche Fachwissen fuer das Entwerfen, Konstruieren, Berechnen, Bauen und Erhalten von Bruecken geben. Daher wird zu Beginn eine ausfuehrliche Uebersicht ueber die Entwicklung des Brueckenbaus vom Altertum bis in die Neuzeit unter Beruecksichtigung der in den jeweiligen Zeitabschnitten bevorzugten Baustoffe gegeben. Ausfuehrlich werden dann die Ingenieuraufgaben im modernen Brueckenbau beschrieben. Ueber den Entwurf mit ausgesuchten Beispielen besonders gelungener Bruecken bis hin zum Entwurf des Lagerungssystems und der Unterbauten werden saemtliche Konstruktionsdetails abgedeckt. Die Eurocodes fuer den Brueckenbau in Deutschland wurden 2013 verbindlich eingefuehrt. Die sogenannten DIN-Handbuecher Brueckenbau fassen die normativen Regelungen der fuer den Brueckenbau relevanten Eurocode-Teile und zugehoerigen Nationalen Anhaenge, jeweils fuer die Bauarten Beton, Stahl und Stahlverbund sowie die Einwirkungen, zusammen. Darueber hinausgehende Hilfsmittel werden weder von der Bundesanstalt fuer Strassenwesen (BASt) noch vom Bundesministerium fuer Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur (BMVI) herausgegeben. Die frueher bei Ernst & Sohn publizierten "Leitfaeden Brueckenbau" wird es nicht mehr geben. Das neue Handbuch von Karsten Geissler schliesst diese Luecke und bietet zahlreiche Erlaeuterungen, Hintergrundwissen und Berechnungsbeispiele zur Konstruktion und Bemessung von Massiv-, Stahl- sowie Verbundbruecken. Alle erforderlichen Nachweise werden bei Anwendung der Eurocodes ausfuehrlich dargestellt. Angesichts der Verkehrsprognose fuer den Bundesverkehrswegeplan wird zukuenftig ein wesentliches Aufgabengebiet die Bewertung und Ertuechtigung des Brueckenbestands sein. Insbesondere die Strassenbruecken der 1960er- bis 1980er-Jahre beduerfen der Untersuchung, ob sie dem wachsenden Verkehrsaufkommen und steigenden Achslasten standhalten und wie sie ertuechtigt werden koennen. In einem eigenen Kapitel werden die Vorgehensweise bei der Zustandserfassung und -bewertung sowie Ertuechtigungsmassnahmen behandelt. Typische Tragsysteme, Materialkennwerte, die Entwicklung der Verkehrslasten und der Nachweiskonzepte werden erlaeutert. (A)
Remission and resurgence of anxiety-like behavior across protracted withdrawal stages in ethanol-dependent rats.

BACKGROUND Alcohol dependence is a chronic disorder in which withdrawal symptoms often persist after detoxification. The purpose of the present experiment was to characterize susceptibility to stress and anxiogenic stimuli in rats over an extended time period following ethanol withdrawal. METHODS Male Wistar rats were made dependent via ethanol vapor exposure. The rats were then tested in the elevated plus-maze during acute ethanol withdrawal (ACW, approximately 8 hour), early "protracted" withdrawal (EPW, 2 weeks), or late "protracted" withdrawal (LPW, 6, 12 weeks) following brief restraint or no stress. Principal components analysis was used to identify constructs underlying plus-maze behavior. RESULTS Three factors characterized plus-maze performance: anxiety, locomotor activity, and risk assessment/decision making. Spontaneous anxiety-like behavior was increased during ACW, decreased to levels of ethanol-naïve controls during EPW, but markedly resurged during LPW. Withdrawal did not alter sensitivity to the anxiety-like effects of restraint stress. All ethanol-dependent rats showed locomotor hypoactivity that, in contrast to anxiety, remained stable throughout all withdrawal stages. Neither ethanol withdrawal nor restraint stress altered mean "risk assessment/decision making" scores, though ethanol withdrawal altered the emission of "risk assessment/decision making" behavior in relation to anxiety-like behavior and behavioral activation state. CONCLUSIONS The findings illustrate and model the spontaneous, severe, and long-lasting nature of behavioral abnormalities that accompany withdrawal from chronic, intermittent ethanol intoxication. The dynamic remission and resurgence in symptoms of negative affect (i.e., behavioral signs of anxiety) during "protracted" withdrawal may complicate recovery from alcoholism.
Pharmacogenetic and Germline Prognostic Markers of Lung Cancer

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related mortality. Interindividual variability in treatment response and cancer outcomes has focused attention on genetic polymorphisms as prognostic markers. We evaluated the overall contribution of candidate polymorphism association studies to our current understanding of the genetic predictors of lung cancer outcomes. Methods: We examined the results of 90 studies that evaluated associations between genetic polymorphisms and lung cancer outcomes published between January 1990 and May 2009. Results: A total of 170 genetic variations in 90 studies were identified. Overall survival was a primary outcome in 81% of the studies and toxicity in 19%. Candidate polymorphisms in the DNA repair/synthesis pathway were the most frequently studied. Strong evidence in large-scale confirmatory studies of any single polymorphism was lacking. Polymorphisms of EGFR, XRCC1, and ERCC1 were associated with pharmacogenetic outcomes, whereas polymorphisms of MDM2, p53, and GSTM1 were associated with prognostic outcomes. All remaining polymorphisms had results lacking or failing replication testing. Heterogeneity in study populations, incomplete reporting of important population or study characteristics, inadequate power, and inconsistencies in methodology were common. Conclusions: Although the quality of existing studies involving the candidate polymorphism approach is highly variable, a small set of candidate polymorphisms was identified as potential biomarkers of clinical or pharmacogenetic outcome and would benefit from further replication testing. Newer approaches including haplotype tagging, pathway, genome-wide association, and combination methods with validative approaches may facilitate a more accurate prediction of lung cancer outcomes by genetic variation.
N‐Acetylcysteine ameliorates skeletal muscle pathophysiology in mdx mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe degenerative muscle disease caused by a mutation in the gene encoding dystrophin, a protein linking the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. In this study we investigated whether the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) provided protection against dystrophic muscle damage in the mdx mouse, an animal model of DMD. In isolated mdx muscles, NAC prevented the increased membrane permeability and reduced the force deficit associated with stretch‐induced muscle damage. Three‐week‐old mdx mice were treated with NAC in the drinking water for 6 weeks. Dihydroethidium staining showed that NAC treatment reduced the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mdx muscles. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in centrally nucleated fibres in muscles from NAC‐treated mdx mice. Immunoblotting showed that NAC treatment decreased the nuclear protein expression of NF‐κB, a transcription factor involved in pro‐inflammatory cytokine expression. Finally, we show that NAC treatment reduced caveolin‐3 protein levels and increased the sarcolemmal expression of β‐dystroglycan and the dystrophin homologue, utrophin. Taken together, our findings suggest that ROS play an important role in the dystrophic pathogenesis, both in terms of activating damage pathways and in regulating the expression of some dystrophin‐associated membrane proteins. These results offer the prospect that antioxidants such as NAC could have therapeutic potential for DMD patients.