Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of pre- and postdischarge interventions on breastfeeding outcomes and weight gain among premature infants.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of pre- and postdischarge interventions on breastfeeding outcomes and weight gain among preterm infants. DATA SOURCES PubMed and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database were searched for study selection using MeSH terms infant/premature, breastfeeding, weight gain, patient discharge, postnatal care, and counseling. STUDY SELECTION Inclusion criteria included studies that involved preterm infants who were born less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation, randomized controlled trials that were in English, conducted in developed countries, and had breastfeeding and weight gain outcomes. A total of 8 articles met inclusion criteria. DATA EXTRACTION All data related to breastfeeding outcomes including duration, exclusivity, maternal satisfaction, and weight gain were extracted from the randomized controlled trials for the purpose of data synthesis. DATA SYNTHESIS A total of 310 studies were reviewed. Eight randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Gestational age of the infants in the studies ranged from 26 to 37 weeks. The results revealed that kangaroo care, peer counseling, in-home breast milk intake measurement, and postdischarge lactation support improved breastfeeding outcomes among preterm infants, and that maternal satisfaction improved with postdischarge interventions. No significant evidence of pre- and postdischarge interventions on weight gain was found. CONCLUSIONS Pre- and postdischarge interventions were effective in promoting breastfeeding exclusivity, duration, and maternal satisfaction among mothers of preterm infants. These findings have important clinical implications that support the need for evidence-based breastfeeding interventions for preterm infants before discharge and vigilant postdischarge support. Research to determine more effective interventions to promote exclusive and long-term breastfeeding among preterm infants is required.
Characterization of the LlaCI methyltransferase from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris W15 provides new insights into the biology of type II restriction-modification systems.

The gene encoding the LlaCI methyltransferase (M.LlaCI) from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris W15 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity using three consecutive steps of chromatography on phosphocellulose, blue-agarose and Superose 12HR, yielding a protein of M(r) 31 300+/-1000 under denaturing conditions. The exact position of the start codon AUG was determined by protein microsequencing. This enzyme recognizes the specific palindromic sequence 5'-AAGCTT-3'. Purified M.LlaCI was characterized. Unlike many other methyltransferases, M.LlaCI exists in solution predominantly as a dimer. It modifies the first adenine residue at the 5' end of the specific sequence to N(6)-methyladenine and thus is functionally identical to the corresponding methyltransferases of the HindIII (Haemophilus influenzae Rd) and EcoVIII (Escherichia coli E1585-68) restriction-modification systems. This is reflected in the identity of M.LlaCI with M.HindIII and M.EcoVIII noted at the amino acid sequence level (50 % and 62 %, respectively) and in the presence of nine sequence motifs conserved among N(6)-adenine beta-class methyltransferases. However, polyclonal antibodies raised against M.EcoVIII cross-reacted with M.LlaCI but not with M.HindIII. Restriction endonucleases require Mg(2+) for phosphodiester bond cleavage. Mg(2+) was shown to be a strong inhibitor of the M.LlaCI enzyme and its isospecific homologues. This observation suggests that sensitivity of the M.LlaCI to Mg(2+) may strengthen the restriction activity of the cognate endonuclease in the bacterial cell. Other biological implications of this finding are also discussed.
Multiple criteria optimization in analysis of conflict associated with Al-Tharthar reservoir operation

Al-Tharthar reservoir together with much smaller Al-Habbaniya reservoir play vital role in securing water supply to agricultural users in a downstream basin of joint Euphrates-Tigris river basin. High dependency of farmers on water provided from the reservoirs causes permanent conflict of interests between short-term objective of the farmers to maximize their agricultural production and long-term goal of the reservoir operator to secure water supply in the future. Operation policy of the reservoir serves on one side as the mechanism to balance these two conflicting objectives, and as a tool to make decisions about water distribution among users. To improve efficiency of the reservoir operation, the research focused on various modifications of the existing operation policy has been undertaken. Since the results of the reservoir operation can be evaluated using 34 criteria, a Multiple Criteria Analysis of Discrete Alternatives tool has been applied to evaluate results of the operation policy modifications. The paper will present details of the research approach and conclusions reached in a course of the study.
Prospective comparative trial of ceftriaxone vs. conventional therapy for treatment of bacterial meningitis in children

Fifty children with bacterial meningitis were prospectively evaluated in a randomized comparative trial of twice daily ceftriaxone with conventional ampicillin and chloramphenicol therapy. The groups were comparable in age, sex, days of illness before admission, severity of illness at admission, etiology and admission cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters and bacterial colony counts. The pathogens were Haemophilus influenzae type b (34 beta-Iactamasenegative, 8 beta-lactamase-positive); Streptococcus pneumoniae (4); Neisseria meningitidis (3); and Streptococcus agalactiae (1). Initial CSF colony counts ranged from 2.5 x 102 to 1 x 1010 colony-forming units/ml. In 44 children a lumbar puncture was repeated 10.5 to 18 hours after starting treatment; 16 to 21 (67%) ceftriaxone patients and 12 of 20 (60%) conventional therapy patients had sterile cultures. The reduction in the CSF bacterial colony counts (6.3 log10 colony-forming units/ml) was similar in both groups. Ceftriaxone CSF levels ranged from 1.0 to 8.0 $mU/ml, representing a mean CSF penetration of 11.3% (range, 3.0 to 24.5%) of the simultaneous serum concentration. The median ceftriaxone bactericidal titer in CSF was 1:1024 compared with 1:4 achieved with conventional therapy. There were no significant differences in clinical responses or in frequency of complications, except for diarrhea which occurred in 59% of the ceftriaxone group and in 22% of the other (P < 0.01). Despite one H. influenzae type b relapse occurring in the ceftriaxone group, ceftriaxone appears to be safe and as effective as conventional therapy for bacterial meningitis in children older than 2 months of age.
Interventions for women who have a caesarean birth to increase uptake and duration of breastfeeding: A systematic review.

Rates of breastfeeding uptake are lower after a caesarean birth than vaginal birth, despite caesarean rates increasing globally over the past 30 years, and many high-income countries reporting overall caesarean rates of above 25%. A number of factors are likely to be associated with women's infant feeding decisions following a caesarean birth such as limited postoperative mobility, postoperative pain, and ongoing management of medical complications that may have triggered the need for a caesarean birth. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence of interventions on the initiation and duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding among women who had a planned or unplanned caesarean birth. Seven studies, presenting quantitative and qualitative evidence, published in the English language from January 1994 to February 2016 were included. A limited number of interventions were identified relevant to women who had had a caesarean birth. These included immediate or early skin-to-skin contact, parent education, the provision of sidecar bassinets when rooming-in, and use of breast pumps. Only one study, an intervention that included parent education and targeted breastfeeding support, increased initiation and continuation of breastfeeding, but due to methodological limitations, findings should be considered with caution. There is a need to better understand the impact of caesarean birth on maternal physiological, psychological, and physical recovery, the physiology of lactation and breastfeeding and infant feeding behaviors if effective interventions are to be implemented.
Exercise persistence in the face of varying exercise challenges: A test of self-efficacy theory in working mothers

Self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) should influence persistence towards goals. Mothers attempting to exercise while managing work and young children (N = 49, Mage = 35.69, Mchildren = 1.88) were stratified into high or low concurrent SRE groups, then randomized to read a hypothetical scenario detailing numerous or minimal exercise barrier conditions. Consistent with self-efficacy theory, when exercise barriers were numerous, mothers with higher concurrent SRE demonstrated greater persistence towards exercise goals, and perceived concurrent management of exercise with their other valued goals as more positively challenging, than mothers with lower concurrent SRE.
Gender Gap in Start-up Activities

This study examines the gender gap in start-up activities to determine whether household status or employment status is responsible for creating the observed gender gap. We consider entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship as two different forms of start-up activities: while intrapreneurship is conducted within an existing organization, entrepreneurship is solely an independent activity. This study focuses on this fundamental distinction to help us identify parameters of our double selection model. Using representative U.S. data, augmented by other sources, we find that the counterfactual rate of entrepreneurial activities by women who have the same (in the distributional sense) characteristics as men is lower than the actual rate for men. A similar result is obtained for intrapreneurial activities. More importantly, our Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition results suggest that for both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, women’s employment status is more significant than their household status in explaining the gender gap in start-up activities. This is more apparent in the group of whites, college graduates, and those who work for a large firm. JEL classification: J15; J16; L26; M13. ∗We are grateful to Taehyun Ahn, Andrew Ching, Yuji Honjo, Hiroaki Ino, Masa Kato, Mizuki Komura, Eiji Mangyo, Hikaru Ogawa, Atsushi Ohyama, Hiroyuki Okamuro, Lars Osberg, Koji Shirai, Taiki Susa, Hidenori Takahashi, Masa Tsubuku, Shintaro Yamaguchi, Weina Zhou, and seminar and conference participants at Chuo, Dalhousie, Hitotsubashi, Kwansei Gakuin, Sogang, the 42nd Annual Conference of the Eupean Association for Research in Industrial Economics, and the Kansai Research Group for Econometrics for helpful comments on earlier versions of the paper. Special thanks are also due to Rebecca McBee for helping us to construct our data. Adachi acknowledges Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (23243049) and (C) (15K03425) from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture. Any remaining errors are our own. †School of Economics, Nagoya University, 1 Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. Email: adachi.t@soec.nagoya-u.ac. jp ‡Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University, 1-7 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 5600043, Japan. E-mail: pge023ht@student.econ.osaka-u.ac. jp
A model of real-virtual object interactions in stereoscopic augmented reality environments

We find a practical solution to improve remote 3D measurement accuracy by investigating surface effects on a real-virtual object alignment task in a stereoscopic augmented reality environment. A psychophysical method of adjustment was used for aligning a computer-generated graphic virtual pointer with the designated targets on the image of a real hemisphere surface. The known conflict between binocular fusion and object occlusion cues was confirmed to play a major role as an extra depth cue. Surface texture density had significant impact on real-virtual object alignment task. A model was proposed for the process of detecting the interactions of real-virtual objects and guidelines were also given for augmented reality interface design accordingly.
Simulation tools enabling research on Information-centric Networks

Future Internet and more specifically Information-Centric Networks (ICNs), based on the Publish-Subscribe paradigm, is an area that has attracted a big interest lately. Especially topology management issues and network path calculations, whether inter or intra domain, are a major issue. In this paper, a simulation environment developed in OMNET++ is presented, that can be used to provide insight on how Future Internet architectures will cope with congestion and high demand. This environment follows the publish-subscribe approach introduced by PSIRP, but is mainly focused on the topology manager design and intends to enable the development of new improved network path calculation techniques.
Demethylation of Veratrole by Cytochrome P-450 in Streptomyces setonii

The actinomycete Streptomyces setonii 75Vi2 demethylates vanillic acid and guaiacol to protocatechuic acid and catechol, respectively, and then metabolizes the products by the β-ketoadipate pathway. UV spectroscopy showed that this strain could also metabolize veratrole (1,2-dimethoxybenzene). When grown in veratrole-containing media supplemented with 2,2′-dipyridyl to inhibit cleavage of the aromatic ring, S. setonii accumulated catechol, which was detected by both liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. Reduced cell extracts from veratrole-grown cultures, but not sodium succinate-grown cultures, produced a carbon monoxide difference spectrum with a peak at 450 nm that indicated the presence of soluble cytochrome P-450. Addition of veratrole or guaiacol to oxidized cell extracts from veratrole-grown cultures produced difference spectra that indicated that these compounds were substrates for cytochrome P-450. My results suggest that S. setonii produces a cytochrome P-450 that is involved in the demethylation of veratrole and guaiacol to catechol, which is then catabolized by the β-ketoadipate pathway.
Worldwide variability in growth and its association with health: Incorporating body composition, developmental plasticity, and intergenerational effects

In their seminal book “Worldwide variation in human growth,” published in 1976, Eveleth and Tanner highlighted substantial variability within and between populations in the magnitude and schedule of human growth. In the four decades since then, research has clarified why growth variability is so closely associated with human health. First, growth patterns are strongly associated with body composition, both in the short‐ and long‐term. Poor growth in early life constrains the acquisition of lean tissue, while compensatory “catch‐up” growth may elevate body fatness. Second, these data are examples of the fundamental link between growth and developmental plasticity. Growth is highly sensitive to ecological stresses and stimuli during early “critical windows,” but loses much of this sensitivity as it undergoes canalization during early childhood. Crucially, the primary source of stimuli during early “critical windows” is not the external environment itself, but rather maternal phenotype, which transduces the impact of ecological conditions. Maternal phenotype, representing many dimensions of “capital,” thus generates a powerful impact on the developmental trajectory of the offspring. There is increasing evidence that low levels of maternal capital impact the offspring's size at birth, schedule of maturation, and body composition and physiological function in adulthood. While evidence has accrued of substantial heritability in adult height, it is clear that the pathway through which it is attained has major implications for metabolic phenotype. Integrating these perspectives is important for understanding how developmental plasticity may on the one hand contribute to adaptation, while on the other shape susceptibility to non‐communicable disease.
An outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia on Martha's Vineyard.

BACKGROUND In the summer of 2000, an outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia occurred on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The only previously reported outbreak of pneumonic tularemia in the United States also occurred on the island in 1978. METHODS We conducted a case-control study of adults with pneumonic tularemia and investigated the environment to identify risk factors for primary pneumonic tularemia. Patients with confirmed cases were residents of or visitors to Martha's Vineyard who had symptoms suggestive of primary pneumonic tularemia, were ill between May 15 and October 31, 2000, and had a positive laboratory test for tularemia. Controls were adults who had spent at least 15 days on Martha's Vineyard between May 15 and September 28, 2000. RESULTS We identified 15 patients with tularemia; 11 of these cases were primary pneumonic tularemia. Francisella tularensis type A was isolated from blood and lung tissue of the one man who died. Patients were more likely than controls to have used a lawn mower or brush cutter in the two weeks before the illness or before an interview, for controls (odds ratio, 9.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.6 to 68.0) and during the summer (odds ratio, undefined; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.8 to infinity). Lawn mowing and brush cutting remained significant risk factors after adjustment for other potentially confounding variables. Only one patient reported being exposed to a rabbit while cutting brush. Of 40 trapped animals, 1 striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and 1 Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) were seropositive for antibodies against F. tularensis. CONCLUSIONS Study of this outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia implicates lawn mowing and brush cutting as risk factors for this infection.
Effects of electroacupuncture versus manual acupuncture on the human brain as measured by fMRI

The goal of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to compare the central effects of electroacupuncture at different frequencies with traditional Chinese manual acupuncture. Although not as time‐tested as manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture does have the advantage of setting stimulation frequency and intensity objectively and quantifiably. Manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture at 2 Hz and 100 Hz, and tactile control stimulation were carried out at acupoint ST‐36. Overall, electroacupuncture (particularly at low frequency) produced more widespread fMRI signal increase than manual acupuncture did, and all acupuncture stimulations produced more widespread responses than did our placebo‐like tactile control stimulation. Acupuncture produced hemodynamic signal increase in the anterior insula, and decrease in limbic and paralimbic structures including the amygdala, anterior hippocampus, and the cortices of the subgenual and retrosplenial cingulate, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, frontal, and temporal poles, results not seen for tactile control stimulation. Only electroacupuncture produced significant signal increase in the anterior middle cingulate cortex, whereas 2‐Hz electroacupuncture produced signal increase in the pontine raphe area. All forms of stimulation (acupuncture and control) produced signal increase in SII. These findings support a hypothesis that the limbic system is central to acupuncture effect regardless of specific acupuncture modality, although some differences do exist in the underlying neurobiologic mechanisms for these modalities, and may aid in optimizing their future usage in clinical applications. Hum. Brain Mapping 24:193–205, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Long-term risk of dementia following acute kidney injury: A population-based study

Objective: Adverse neurological effects may be common following acute kidney injury (AKI). The purpose of our study was to investigate the long-term risk of dementia following AKI and temporary dialysis during hospitalization. Materials and Methods: The study was based on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Patients 18-year-old and older who were withdrawn from temporary dialysis because of AKI and survived for at least 90 days following discharge were included in our acute-dialysis-recovery group. Patients without AKI and dialysis were the control group. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model was applied to determine the risk of dementia. Results: Of 2905 acute-dialysis patients, 689 (23.7%) survived for at least 90 days following recovery from acute dialysis. The Cox proportional-hazards regression model showed that the acute-dialysis-recovery group had an increased long-term risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.01; P = 0.01) compared with the control group. The conditional effects plot showed that the risk of dementia was amplified in patients who were older than 58 years. The development of dementia following recovery from acute dialysis was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality (HR, 2.38; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with acute dialysis have a greater risk for the subsequent development of dementia after recovery than patients without AKI and dialysis, and patients who develop dementia after recovery from temporary dialysis are at increased risk for mortality.
Description of Local Singularities for Image Registration

Recently, it has been shown that gradient-based methods are the most powerful approaches for describing the local content of digital images in the neighborhood of salient points. In practice, salient points are always located on image singularities whatever the detector used. In this paper, we show that a more efficient mathematical notion can be used to describe singularities: the Holder exponent. We propose here to conjointly use the Holder exponents and the direction of minimal regularity of the bidimensional signal singularities to compute a signature describing precisely a region of interest centered on an interest point. Holder exponents are estimated thanks to the foveal wavelets theory and the resulting descriptor is shown to be more efficient than classical SIFT and PCA-SIFT descriptors in the case of an image registration application