Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
eParticipation and transport management: a practical approach

eParticipation is considered to be one of the key tools to ensure effective state-to-citizen communication. We present an eParticipation project in the context of a transportation initiative in an Irish city. The solution combines SM and traditional digital media (such as e-mail), together with non-digital channels. The project has been realized through cooperation between the Mayor of Galway, academia, enterprise stakeholders, Galway Chamber of Commerce and the West Region of Engineers Ireland. The project has been established in order to identify key issues and possible short-term solutions that may alleviate traffic congestion in the Galway City area.
Drug patient information leaflets in anaesthesia: effect on anxiety and patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND Patient information leaflets are produced for all new drugs, including anaesthetic drugs that are licensed solely for physician administration. The effect of this information on patients' satisfaction and anxiety has not been investigated previously. METHODS Eighty-five patients were allocated randomly to receive a standard information leaflet about anaesthesia (Group 1) or the standard leaflet plus the manufacturers' patient information leaflets for propofol and remifentanil (Group 2). Anxiety was assessed using the state trait anxiety index (STAI) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for anxiety before and after this information had been read. Patients' attitudes to this information were assessed by a short questionnaire. RESULTS There was no significant difference in STAI or VAS scores for anxiety between the two groups before or after the information leaflets. Significantly more patients who received drug patient information leaflets felt that they had received too much information (0% Group 1 vs 18% Group 2, P=0.003). More than 64% of patients in both groups said that they would not wish to receive detailed anaesthetic drug information. There was a correlation between the STAI and the VAS scores for anxiety (R=0.8). CONCLUSIONS A minority of patients (up to 36%) wish to receive detailed anaesthetic drug information before anaesthesia. Manufacturers' drug patient information leaflets do not alter preoperative anxiety and may be safely issued to patients requesting such information.
Economic impact of medication non-adherence by disease groups: a systematic review

Objective To determine the economic impact of medication non-adherence across multiple disease groups. Design Systematic review. Evidence review A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus in September 2017. Studies quantifying the cost of medication non-adherence in relation to economic impact were included. Relevant information was extracted and quality assessed using the Drummond checklist. Results Seventy-nine individual studies assessing the cost of medication non-adherence across 14 disease groups were included. Wide-scoping cost variations were reported, with lower levels of adherence generally associated with higher total costs. The annual adjusted disease-specific economic cost of non-adherence per person ranged from $949 to $44 190 (in 2015 US$). Costs attributed to ‘all causes’ non-adherence ranged from $5271 to $52 341. Medication possession ratio was the metric most used to calculate patient adherence, with varying cut-off points defining non-adherence. The main indicators used to measure the cost of non-adherence were total cost or total healthcare cost (83% of studies), pharmacy costs (70%), inpatient costs (46%), outpatient costs (50%), emergency department visit costs (27%), medical costs (29%) and hospitalisation costs (18%). Drummond quality assessment yielded 10 studies of high quality with all studies performing partial economic evaluations to varying extents. Conclusion Medication non-adherence places a significant cost burden on healthcare systems. Current research assessing the economic impact of medication non-adherence is limited and of varying quality, failing to provide adaptable data to influence health policy. The correlation between increased non-adherence and higher disease prevalence should be used to inform policymakers to help circumvent avoidable costs to the healthcare system. Differences in methods make the comparison among studies challenging and an accurate estimation of true magnitude of the cost impossible. Standardisation of the metric measures used to estimate medication non-adherence and development of a streamlined approach to quantify costs is required. PROSPERO registration number CRD42015027338.
Business-to-consumer electronic commerce: a longitudinal study

The objective of the study is to investigate the factors affecting online shopping. A model explaining the impact of different factors on online shopping intentions and behavior is developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. The model is then tested empirically in a longitudinal study with two surveys. Data collected from 705 consumers indicate that subjective norms, attitude, and beliefs concerning the consequences of online shopping have significant effects on consumer intentions to buy online. Behavioral control and intentions significantly influenced online shopping behavior. The results also provide strong support for the positive effects of personal innovativeness on attitude and intentions to shop online. The implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.
Dislocation core field. I. Modeling in anisotropic linear elasticity theory

Aside from the Volterra field, dislocations create a core field, which can be modeled in linear anisotropic elasticity theory with force and dislocation dipoles. We derive an expression of the elastic energy of a dislocation taking full account of its core field and show that no cross term exists between the Volterra and the core fields. We also obtain the contribution of the core field to the dislocation interaction energy with an external stress, thus showing that dislocation can interact with a pressure. The additional force that derives from this core field contribution is proportional to the gradient of the applied stress. Such a supplementary force on dislocations may be important in high stress gradient regions, such as close to a crack tip or in a dislocation pile-up.
Objective and subjective stressors and the psychological adjustment of melanoma survivors

This study of 300 melanoma survivors examines the relative contributions of objective illness‐related factors (stage of illness at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, and change in physical condition) and of subjective factors (cognitive appraisal) to their psychological adjustment. The findings show that lower appraisal of their situation as a threat, higher appraisal of it as a challenge, and higher appraisal of their subjective ability to cope with it all increased their well‐being, while lower threat appraisal and higher appraisal of subjective ability to cope also reduced their distress. These findings, which are consistent with Lazarus and Folkman's stress coping theory, suggest that subjective factors may be more important than objective medical factors in predicting patients' adjustment. With this, more advanced stage at diagnosis contributed to reducing distress, while being married contributed both to higher well‐being and reduced distress. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outcome criteria such as massive transfusion are inadequate for matching and result in questionable conclusions.

by admission systolic blood pressure (SBP). In the subgroup of trauma patients presenting with SBP of 75 mm Hg or less, all-cause 28-day mortality was 30.6% (478 of 1,562) TXAversus 35.1% (562 of 1,599) placebo (RR, 0.87; 99% confidence interval 0.76Y0.99). The CRASH-2 mortality rate is significantly higher than the 30-day mortality rate (11.4%) in the analysis cohort of the Prospective, Observational, Multicenter, Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) trial, performed in 10 Level I trauma centers in the United States with all participating centers with massive transfusion protocols in place. The PROMMTT study also documented that earlier infusion of higher plasma and platelet ratios was associated with decreased mortality within 6 hours of admission, during which 81% of the hemorrhagic deaths had occurred. Since we do not have data regarding plasma and platelet transfusions in the CRASH-2 trial, it is not possible to determine if this was a confounding factor in the study. A recent publication from the CRASH-2 investigators used the trial data to examine the effect of TXA on death due to bleeding by geographic region. Although there was no evidence of heterogeneity in the effect of TXA by region, country-specific estimates documented that the largest numbers of death averted with TXAuse in traumawould be in India and China. We believe that our recommendation to use TXA ‘‘in adult trauma patients with known fibrinolysis by TEG or with known predictors of fibrinolysis or in severe hemorrhagic shock (SBP e 75 mm Hg) if TEG is not available’’ remains valid, based on the evidence to date.
Nontransfusional iron overload in thalassemia: association with hereditary hemochromatosis.

To the Editor : Hemochromatosis is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and is manifested by excessive absorption of dietary iron in homozygotes leading to complications of iron overload and premature death. [1][1] In 1996, a candidate gene for hemochromatosis, HLA-H, was isolated. [2][2] A
The antioxidant capacity of saliva.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Saliva, a heterogeneous fluid comprising proteins, glycoproteins, electrolytes, small organic molecules and compounds transported from the blood, constantly bathes the teeth and oral mucosa. It acts as a cleansing solution, an ion reservoir, a lubricant and a buffer. In addition to its other host-protective properties, saliva could constitute a first line of defence against free radical-mediated oxidative stress, since the process of mastication and digestion of ingested foods promotes a variety of reactions, including lipid peroxidation. Moreover, during gingival inflammation, gingival crevicular fluid flow increases the change of saliva composition with products from the inflammatory response; this, in turn, could have some rôle in controlling and/or modulating oxidative damages in the oral cavity. This is the reason why the antioxidant capacity of saliva has led to increasing interest, and the development of techniques suitable for saliva antioxidant evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we review the current peer-reviewed literature concerning the nature and characteristics of free radicals, reactive oxygen species, oxidants, pro-oxidants and antioxidants in saliva, especially pro-oxidant and antioxidant features, as well as current methods for assessing the antioxidant capacity of saliva. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In the last decade, several methods have been developed for assaying the antioxidant activity of saliva, indicating an increasing interest of researchers and clinicians. Unfortunately, systematic studies of saliva are still lacking, even in healthy populations.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 2 Regulates Hepatic Lipid Metabolism

ABSTRACT In mammals, the liver integrates nutrient uptake and delivery of carbohydrates and lipids to peripheral tissues to control overall energy balance. Hepatocytes maintain metabolic homeostasis by coordinating gene expression programs in response to dietary and systemic signals. Hepatic tissue oxygenation is an important systemic signal that contributes to normal hepatocyte function as well as disease. Hypoxia-inducible factors 1 and 2 (HIF-1 and HIF-2, respectively) are oxygen-sensitive heterodimeric transcription factors, which act as key mediators of cellular adaptation to low oxygen. Previously, we have shown that HIF-2 plays an important role in both physiologic and pathophysiologic processes in the liver. HIF-2 is essential for normal fetal EPO production and erythropoiesis, while constitutive HIF-2 activity in the adult results in polycythemia and vascular tumorigenesis. Here we report a novel role for HIF-2 in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism. We found that constitutive activation of HIF-2 in the adult results in the development of severe hepatic steatosis associated with impaired fatty acid β-oxidation, decreased lipogenic gene expression, and increased lipid storage capacity. These findings demonstrate that HIF-2 functions as an important regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and identify HIF-2 as a potential target for the treatment of fatty liver disease.
Frequency-tunable second-harmonic submillimeter-wave gyrotron oscillators

This thesis reports the design and experimental demonstration of frequency-tunable submillimeter-wave gyrotrons operating in continuous wave (CW) at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency. An unprecedented continuous frequency tuning range of more than 1 GHz has been achieved in both a 330and a 460-GHz gyrotron via magnetic field tuning or voltage tuning. The 330-GHz gyrotron has generated 19 W of power in a cylindrical TE−4,3,q mode from a 13-kV 190-mA electron beam. The minimum start current was measured to be 21 mA, where good agreement was verified between the measured start current values and the calculation from linear theory for the first six axial modes, q = 1 through 6. A continuous tuning range of 1.2 GHz with a minimum output power of 1 W has been achieved experimentally via magnetic or beam voltage tuning. The output stability of the gyrotron running under a computerized control system was assessed to be ±0.4% in power and ±3 ppm in frequency during a 110-hour uninterrupted CW test. Evaluation of the gyrotron microwave output beam using a pyroelectric camera indicated a Gaussian-like mode content of 91%. Measurements were also carried out in microsecond pulse operation at a higher beam current (610 mA), yielding a minimum output power of 20 W over a tuning range of 1.2 GHz obtained by means of cyclotron frequency tuning and thermal tuning. The 330-GHz gyrotron will be used as a source for 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments with sensitivity enhanced by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). In addition to the 330-GHz gyrotron, the design and CW operation of a tunable second-harmonic 460-GHz gyrotron are described. The 460-GHz gyrotron operates in the whispering gallery mode TE11,2 and has generated 16 W of output power with a 13-kV 100-mA electron beam. The start oscillation current measured over a range of magnetic field values is in good agreement with theoretical start currents obtained from linear theory for successive high order axial modes TE11,2,q. The minimum start current is 27 mA. Power and frequency tuning measurements as a function of the electron cyclotron frequency have also been carried out. A smooth frequency tuning range of 1 GHz with a minimum output power of 2 W has been obtained for the
Magnesium, hemostasis, and outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that admission serum magnesium levels are associated with hematoma volume, hematoma growth, and functional outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: Patients presenting with spontaneous ICH were enrolled in an observational cohort study that prospectively collected demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiographic, and outcome data. We performed univariate and adjusted multivariate analyses to assess for associations between serum magnesium levels and initial hematoma volume, final hematoma volume, and in-hospital hematoma growth as radiographic measures of hemostasis, and functional outcome measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months. Results: We included 290 patients for analysis. Admission serum magnesium was 2.0 ± 0.3 mg/dL. Lower admission magnesium levels were associated with larger initial hematoma volumes on univariate (p = 0.02), parsimoniously adjusted (p = 0.002), and fully adjusted models (p = 0.006), as well as greater hematoma growth (p = 0.004, p = 0.005, and p = 0.008, respectively) and larger final hematoma volumes (p = 0.02, p = 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). Lower admission magnesium level was associated with worse functional outcomes at 3 months (i.e., higher mRS; odds ratio 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.64, p = 0.011) after adjustment for age, admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, initial hematoma volume, time from symptom onset to initial CT, and hematoma growth, with evidence that the effect of magnesium is mediated through hematoma growth. Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that magnesium exerts a clinically meaningful influence on hemostasis in patients with ICH.
Molecular-dynamics simulations of urea nucleation from aqueous solution

Significance Nucleation from solution is a ubiquitous process that plays important roles in physics, chemistry, engineering, and material science. Despite its importance, nucleation is far from being completely understood. In this work, we combine advanced molecular-dynamics simulation techniques and theory to provide a description of urea nucleation from aqueous solution. In particular, our analysis shows that a two-step nucleation mechanism is favorable and that two polymorphs are seen to compete in the early stages of the nucleation process. In our analysis, we have derived and validated a theoretical correction to finite-size effects to compute free-energy profiles in the limit of a macroscopic system at constant supersaturation. Despite its ubiquitous character and relevance in many branches of science and engineering, nucleation from solution remains elusive. In this framework, molecular simulations represent a powerful tool to provide insight into nucleation at the molecular scale. In this work, we combine theory and molecular simulations to describe urea nucleation from aqueous solution. Taking advantage of well-tempered metadynamics, we compute the free-energy change associated to the phase transition. We find that such a free-energy profile is characterized by significant finite-size effects that can, however, be accounted for. The description of the nucleation process emerging from our analysis differs from classical nucleation theory. Nucleation of crystal-like clusters is in fact preceded by large concentration fluctuations, indicating a predominant two-step process, whereby embryonic crystal nuclei emerge from dense, disordered urea clusters. Furthermore, in the early stages of nucleation, two different polymorphs are seen to compete.
The prosody of Focus and Givenness in Hindi and Indian English

This paper reports the results of two identical experiments, one in Hindi and one in Indian English, that elicited semi-spontaneous sentences containing a focused agent or a focused patient. The primary aim of the experiments was to investigate the prosodic correlates of information structure in the two languages and to explain these correlates with a phonological model. The resulting phonological model proposes that focus is realized with enhanced correlates of phrasing and not with prominence, at least not of the same kind as languages using pitch accents. Secondary aims were to verify the ecological validity of similar data elicited with scripted speech (Patil et al. 2008) and to reflect on the place of Hindi and Indian English in a typology of intonation.
Association of APOE and other genetic polymorphisms with prospective concussion risk in a prospective cohort study of college athletes

The management of sports concussion and an understanding of its risk factors are major foci in the literature on athletic injury. Although there is known influence of some genetic polymorphisms (GPs), such as APOE and the APOE promoter, on traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcome in non-athletic populations, very little work has focused on the role these GPs may play in sports concussion. We completed a large (n=3274) multi-center prospective cohort study of college athletes to study possible associations between various GPs and prospectively occurring sports concussion. We found no significant relationship between the APOE e4 allele, the APOE G-219T promoter, the tau exon 6 Ser53pro or the tau His47Tyr GPs on prospective concussion. Additional study of other GPs and haplotype combinations is a next logical step in the search for genetic predisposition to sports-related concussion.
Is clinical recognition of respiratory syncytial virus infection in hospitalized elderly and high-risk adults possible?

BACKGROUND The clinical and radiographic features of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in elderly hospitalized persons have not been described in detail, to our knowledge, despite its relative frequent occurrence. METHODS Clinical characteristics of 132 RSV infections were compared with 144 influenza A virus infections and with all non-RSV infections in elderly and high-risk persons admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory illness. Radiographic findings were categorized for RSV-infected persons. RESULTS RSV was more commonly associated with nasal congestion (68% vs. 55%; P=.03), wheezing by history (73% vs. 53%; P=.002) and on examination (82% vs. 68%; P=.02), and lower temperature (P=.004) than influenza A virus. Compared with all non-RSV-infected subjects, nasal congestion (odds ratio [OR], 2.0 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.3-2.9]), wheezing on examination (OR, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.2-2.8]), and temperature >37.9 degrees C (OR, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.1-2.4]) were independent predictors of RSV infection, although their sensitivity and specificity were poor. New radiographic infiltrates were seen in approximately half of RSV-infected persons, and pneumonic opacities were typically small and unilateral. CONCLUSIONS Although RSV causes a different clinical syndrome than influenza A virus, it is not readily differentiated on clinical grounds from influenza A nor from all non-RSV illnesses in elderly patients.
Autosomal Recessive Hypercholesterolemia in Three Sisters with Phenotypic Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures

Abstract: Familial hypercholesterolemia is an autosomal‐dominant inherited disorder caused by mutations in the low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. The homozygous form is characterized by high‐serum LDL cholesterol concentrations, xanthoma formation and premature atherosclerosis. Recently, another molecular defect that also results in severely elevated LDL cholesterol levels was identified: autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia. This inherited disorder is caused by a mutation in a putative LDL receptor adaptor protein. In our lipid clinic, three sisters with phenotypic homozygous hypercholesterolemia were recently diagnosed as having autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia. They presented in 1990 with massive tuberous xanthomas at the knees, thighs, elbows and buttocks. LDL receptor and apolipoprotein B gene defects were excluded through mutation analysis. From 1992 onward they underwent LDL‐apheresis on a weekly basis. To date the clinical outcome is very satisfying with no evidence of coronary heart disease or aortic valve lesions and almost complete regression of xanthomatosis.