Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-efficacy as a predictor of self-reported physical, cognitive, and social functioning in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate whether self-efficacy is associated with physical, cognitive, and social functioning in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) when controlling for disease-related characteristics and depressive symptomatology. METHOD Study subjects were 81 individuals between the ages of 29 and 67 with a diagnosis of clinically definite MS. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between self-efficacy and self-reported physical, cognitive, and social functioning. RESULTS Self-efficacy is a significant predictor of self-reported physical, cognitive, and social functioning in MS after controlling for variance due to disease-related factors and depressive symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS Self-efficacy plays a significant role in individual adjustment to MS across multiple areas of functional outcome beyond that which is accounted for by disease-related variables and symptoms of depression.
GENERAL AND JOB-RELATED ALCOHOL USE AND CORRELATES IN A MUNICIPAL WORKFORCE

We examined the prevalence and correlates of both general and workplace-related drinking measures using data from a telephone survey of 673 workers in a large municipal bureaucracy and tested the hypothesis that observed differences across job categories can be explained by compositional difference in terms of demographic variables known to be related to drinking behavior. Results suggest such factors account for much of the variation in general drinking measures (prior-28-day quantity, CAGE score, indicating risk for dependence), but that significant variation in a workplace-related drinking measure (times ever drank before, during, or just after work) remains even after such factors are controlled. Implications of these findings for existing theories of workplace effects on drinking are discussed, along with a consideration of appropriate levels of analysis for future studies.
Statin Use before By-Pass Surgery Decreases the Incidence and Shortens the Duration of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation

Backround: The aim of the present observational study is to search the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with or without preoperative statin treatment. Methods andResults: The population consisted of 362 consecutive patients (267 on and 95 not on statin). Diabetes mellitus was more frequent in statin group (p = 0.03). Other demographic and procedural variables were similar in the both groups (All p > 0.05). Postoperative AF was less frequent and its duration was shorter in statin group compared to non-statin group (p = 0.03 and 0.0001, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the protective effect of statins against the risk of developing AF (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Statin treatment before the by-pass surgery decreases the incidence and shortens the duration of postoperative AF.
Prevalence of endometriosis in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome

Endometriosis is associated with a number of immunologic alterations. It has been suggested that autoimmune disorders could be more frequent in patients with endometriosis. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether the prevalence of two well-known autoimmune diseases [systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome (SS)] is increased in women with endometriosis. The clinical charts of four different populations assisted at the same hospital were manually revised: (i) SLE population (n = 120), (ii) SS (n = 22), (iii) endometriosis (n = 342) and (iv) control population (n = 501 consecutive unselected asymptomatic women). Among SLE women, the prevalence of endometriosis was 1.67% (2/120), similar to the 4.39% prevalence of the control group (22/501), the OR being 0.37 [95%CI 0.09—1.59]. Among SS women, the prevalence of endometriosis was 9.09 (2/22), also similar to the control group OR 2.17 [95%CI 0.48—9.90]. In the same way, when comparing endometriosis cases with asymptomatic women, similar frequencies of SLE (0.58% and 0.2%) and SS were found (0% and 0%). Women with endometriosis do not have an increased prevalence of SLE or SS. Lupus (2007) 16, 736—740.
Standardisation of the FAERS database: a systematic approach to manually recoding drug name variants

The US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), one of the world's largest spontaneous reporting systems, is difficult to use because of report duplication and a lack of standardisation in the recording of drug names. Unresolved data quality issues may distort statistical analyses, rendering the results difficult to interpret when detecting and monitoring adverse effects of pharmaceutical products. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a data cleaning protocol to identify and resolve drug nomenclature issues. The key ‘data treatment’ plan involved standardising drug names held in the FAERS database.
Botnet detection within cloud service provider networks using flow protocols

Botnets continue to remain one of the most destructive threats to cyber security. This work aims to detect botnet traffic within an abstracted virtualised infrastructure, such as is found within cloud service providers. To achieve this an environment is created based on Xen hypervisor, using Open vSwitch to export NetFlow Version 9. This paper provides experimental evidence for how flow export can capture network traffic parameters for identifying the presence of a command and control botnet within a virtualised infrastructure. The conceptual framework described within this paper presents a non-intrusive detection element for a botnet protection system for cloud service providers. Such a system could protect the type of virtualised environments that will form the building blocks for the Internet of Things.
Large Employment Fluctuations with Product- and Labor-Market Equilibrium

The current slump has repeated on an unusual scale the large movements of quantities and tiny movements of wages and prices that often characterize the business cycle. The only price that moved signicantly was the interest rate, which plunged to zero in nominal terms and into negative territory in real terms. I build a model that describes these outcomes as a full equilibrium without limitations on the immediate movements of prices or wages. Even when the nominal interest rate is pinned at zero and unemployment is high, the model is in full equilibrium, a property absent from earlier models of the zero lower bound. A key feature of the model is that unemployment is a fast-moving variable that takes over the role of clearing product markets that the interest rate normally plays, once the rate hits zero. I describe the conditions that allow the unemployment rate in the Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides framework to match the rate as elevated by the binding zero lower bound. I argue that the conditions are plausible. Monetary policy plays a key role in the model|because of the zero lower bound, real activity is not invariant to monetary policy despite the full equilibrium character of the model.
What is the Limiting Factor for Organ Procurement in Belgium: Donation or Detection ? What Can Be Done to Improve Organ Procurement Rates ?

Abstract In trying to overcome the growing gap between demand and offer of organs for transplantation, solutions are usually searched for by comparing successful and unsuccessful models in different countries. In particular, one element in the more successful countries such as for instance presumed consent, or one element in the less successful countries such as for instance refusal by relatives, are seen as possible reasons for these differences. This article tackles the problem of organ donor shortage through a new multi-level approach. Organ donation can indeed be analyzed on three different levels: the macro-level, the meso-level and the micro-level. The macro-level refers to the governmental structure where legislation, policies and funding are three essential elements necessary to make donation possible. The meso-level refers to the health care organization and the professionals who surround the process of organ donation and transplantation. Facilitating this process through standardized protocols and improving detection of organ donors are the two major elements. The micro-level refers to the individual believes and personal attitudes towards organ donation. This new multi-level approach gives a thorough and complete analysis of problems and allows to propose potential solutions to try to overcome the chronic organ shortage.
Personal health data - privacy policy harmonization and global enforcement

This workshop is jointly organized by EFMI Working Groups Security, Safety and Ethics and Personal Portable Devices in cooperation with IMIA Working Group "Security in Health Information Systems". In contemporary healthcare and personal health management the collection and use of personal health information takes place in different contexts and jurisdictions. Global use of health data is also expanding. The approach taken by different experts, health service providers, data subjects and secondary users in understanding privacy and the privacy expectations others may have is strongly context dependent. To make eHealth, global healthcare, mHealth and personal health management successful and to enable fair secondary use of personal health data, it is necessary to find a practical and functional balance between privacy expectations of stakeholder groups. The workshop will highlight these privacy concerns by presenting different cases and approaches. Workshop participants will analyse stakeholder privacy expectations that take place in different real-life contexts such as portable health devices and personal health records, and develop a mechanism to balance them in such a way that global protection of health data and its meaningful use is realized simultaneously. Based on the results of the workshop, initial requirements for a global healthcare information certification framework will be developed.
Periprosthetic tibial bone mineral density changes after total knee arthroplastyOne-year follow-up study of 69 patients

Background The critical structure supporting the prosthetic components in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is tibial trabecular bone. The quality of tibial bone can be evaluated by bone mineral density (BMD) measurements.Patients and methods We prospectively measured changes in BMD in the proximal tibia after cemented TKA in osteoarthrotic knees. 69 patients were scanned by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) within a week after surgery, and after 3, 6 and 12 months.Results At baseline, the medial region of interest (ROI) BMD was higher in the varus knees than in the valgus aligned knees (p=0.02). The medial metaphyseal ROI showed a decrease in BMD during the follow-up in preoperatively varus knee joints (p<0.001). In preoperatively valgus knees, there was a slight increase in medial compartment BMD which was not significant (p=0.2). Alignment correction in both groups showed bone remodeling giving similar medial and lateral BMD values, suggesting that the bone became equally strong in both compartments of the metaphysis. There was no association between increasing American Knee Society (AKS) scores and bone remodeling.Interpretation We suggest that this remodeling is caused by postoperative changes in tibial loading. Our results support the clinical importance of recreating proper valgus alignment of the knee joint in the TKA operation, thus possibly providing better conditions for longevity of the tibial component.
Active stiffness and strength in people with unilateral anterior shoulder instability: a bilateral comparison.

CONTEXT Active muscle stiffness might protect the unstable shoulder from recurrent dislocation. OBJECTIVE To compare strength and active stiffness in participants with unilateral anterior shoulder instability and to examine the relationship between active stiffness and functional ability. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING University research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Participants included 16 males (age range, 16-40 years; height = 179.4 ± 6.1 cm; mass = 79.1 ± 6.8 kg) with 2 or more episodes of unilateral traumatic anterior shoulder instability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Active stiffness and maximal voluntary strength were measured bilaterally in participants. In addition, quality of life, function, and perceived instability were measured using the Western Ontario Stability Index, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form, and Single Alpha Numeric Evaluation, respectively. RESULTS We found less horizontal adduction strength (t(15) = -4.092, P = . 001) and less stiffness at 30% (t(14) = -3.796, P = . 002) and 50% (t(12) = -2.341, P = . 04) maximal voluntary strength in the unstable than stable shoulder. Active stiffness was not correlated with quality of life, function, or perceived instability (r range, 0.0-0.25; P > .05). CONCLUSIONS The observed reduction in stiffness in the unstable shoulder warrants inclusion of exercises in the rehabilitation program to protect the joint from perturbations that might lead to dislocation. The lack of association between active stiffness and quality of life, function, or perceived instability might indicate that stiffness plays a less direct role in shoulder stability.
On the use and misuse of ratios in strategic management research

Management and especially strategy research rely heavily on the use of ratios to measure a variety of firm, industry, and societal characteristics. Most often, these ratios are created simply to control for size effects (i.e., scaling) emanating from differences in the size of firms, industries, populations, or national economies on the variables of interest. In addition, ratios may also hold theoretical meaning apart from that of their components. Despite the popularity of ratios and regardless of their purpose, the use of ratios is not without controversy. In particular, several studies have demonstrated that the use of ratio measures in correlations and multiple regressions can exaggerate relations of interest leading to biased and unstable results. In this chapter, I review the debate surrounding the use of ratio measures, discuss the problems for estimation and inference that are likely to arise when ratios are used in statistical estimation, and provide alternatives to the use of ratio variables that still satisfy the purpose for which ratio measures are often created.
Clonality of multiple uterine leiomyomas.

OBJECTIVE To study the clonality of uterine leiomyomas, especially the relationship between different nodules in multinodular cases. METHODS Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh tissue samples and digested through incubation with Hpa II and amplified through nested polymerase chain reaction for phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) gene. The products were treated with Bst XI and resolved on agarose gels. RESULTS Among the 103 cases examined, 32 (31%) carried the polymorphic Bst XI site at the PGK locus. Eighty-nine tumors from the 29 cases were subjected to the cloning assay. Loss of polymorphism at the PGK locus was found in all tumor nodules, indicating the monoclonality of the tumor. The relationship between multiple tumors was also assessed by comparing their inactivated alleles. Seven nodules from a leiomyosarcoma were found to have originated from a single cell. However, the relationship was found to be more complicated, as demonstrated in 15 cases of multiple leiomyomas. The same inactivated allele was found in all nodules of 8 cases and in most nodules in 2 cases, while totally different inactivation patterns were observed in 5 cases. The difference was not associated with cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Clonality analysis can be applied to define the clonality of focal or nodular lesions. Uterine leiomyomas are of clonal origin. Multiple uterine leiomyomas may be subtyped into fully independent and aggressive types as well as a mixed type of both.
Joint decision model of product variety and inventory control for an assortment under demand with substitution

The problem of jointly determining the product variety decision with inventory control decision for different type items under demand with substitution is studied in this paper.We assume that consumers for a certain item could be partly satisfied by its substitutable items with similar attributes and such partial substitution scenario just consider the general twice substitution attemps.Based on defining assortmentbased substitution rates and stockout-based substitution rates,basic,core and effective demand are all addressed.Then a nonlinear integer programming model is formulated to obtain right assortment planning policy and inventory control policy,whose objective function is to maximize the retailer total profit,whose constraints include given stocking space,budgetary and service level.Also a heuristics algorithm for solving this model is proposed that eliminates one item per iteration according to the item's return on investment. A numerical example is given to illustrate the solving process of this model and sensitive analysis results of this model on the partial substitution coefficient are proposed,which reveal that the feasibility and robustness of this joint decision model are both well and the profit increases 17.6 percent compared to original policy.The heuristics is also feasible when the effect of substitution is over that of gross profit or the variance of partial substitution rate is relatively larger.
Key Concepts in the Management of Difficult Hemorrhagic Cases

Goals of hemorrhage management involve promoting coagulation and reducing fibrinolysis to enhance clot formation and stability, and minimizing hemorrhagic expansion to reduce the likelihood of adverse outcomes. The optimal hemostatic regimen to obtain these goals will differ according to the clinical scenario. Two hypothetical cases of patients with hemorrhage are presented that are typical of those encountered by clinical pharmacists who practice in centers that treat trauma or surgical patients or patients in need of emergency or critical care because of serious bleeding. To maximize therapy, the clinician must be aware of how best to clinically apply hemostatic agents, their comparative benefits and disadvantages, and the optimal methods for monitoring their effectiveness and toxicities.
Clinical Safety and Parameters of Maximum Oxygen Uptake (VO₂Max) Testing in Pakistani Patients With Heart Failure.

OBJECTIVE To determine the parameters of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) in a Pakistani systolic heart failure cohort and its safety in a clinical setting. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, from June 2011 to January 2013. METHODOLOGY Maximum oxygen uptake test was performed in patients with severe heart failure, who could perform the VO2max treadmill test. Age, Body Mass Index (BMI) ejection fraction, VO2max and respiratory exchange ratios and their correlations were determined. RESULTS Out of 135 patients, 77% (n=104) were males, with a mean age of 45.9 ±15.7 years. Weight of patients ranged from 30 kg to 107 kg (mean 63.29 ±13.6 kg); mean BMI was 23.16 ±4.56 kg/m2. All patients presented with either NYHA class of III (50.3%; n=68) or IV (49.7%; n=67); mean ejection fraction was 22.54 ±5.7% (10 - 35%, IQ:20 - 25). The VO2 max of the patients ranged from 3 to 32 ml/kg/minute (mean 12.85 ±4.49 ml/kg/minute). Respiratory exchange ratio was over 1 for all patients (1.12 - 1.96, mean = 1.36 ±0.187). There was a negative correlation with age (r = -0.204; p = 0.028) whereas a positive correlation was found with exercise time (r = 0.684; p = 0.000), hemoglobin (r = 0.190; p = 0.047) and ejection fraction (r = 0.187 ; p = 0.044). CONCLUSION Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in a high-risk heart failure cohort is safe and provides information beyond the routine clinical evaluation of heart failure patients.
State Pre-K Funding: 2014-15 Fiscal Year.

For the second year in a row, even in the midst of continuing state budget constraints, policymakers are making significant investments in state-funded pre-K programs. An analysis of 2013-14 appropriations by the 50 states and the District of Columbia shows: National overview  Nationwide, state funding for pre-K increased by $363.6 million to a total of $5.6 billion. This is a 6.9% increase in state investment in pre-K programs over fiscal year 2012-13.  Some state investments are replacing losses incurred during the recession, but most states have surpassed 2008-09 levels. Total investment is $400 million greater than pre-recession. State-by-state  Of the 40 states funding pre-K programs serving primarily 4-year-olds, 30 states and the District of Columbia increased funding for these programs. Ten states increased funding by more than 20%.  Three states decreased funding by no more than 7.3%. Funding in seven states was flat. State examples  Mississippi made a $3 million first-time investment in pre-K. This leaves 10 states without a state funding stream for pre-K programs.  South Carolina increased its investments in its two major pre-K programs by more than 80% from the previous year and significantly expanded access to students in more districts. The 2013-14 increase builds on a 3.6% funding increase from the prior year. Compared to projections that overall state funding levels will increase by 4% in 2013-14 with large portions aimed at rising healthcare costs, Medicaid expansion, K-12 and higher education, and corrections, a nearly 7% increase in state pre-K funding is even more significant. Map showing states increasing, decreasing pre-K funding in 2013-14 …………………. ………………………… p. 2 Table showing which states had largest increases in pre-K funding .
Etiology and Risk Factors for Esophageal Carcinoma

Trends toward increasing incidence rates were observed for esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma in Western countries and were associated with trends toward stabilizing or declining incidence rates for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting that these tumors might be associated with distinct risk factors. Overweight and obesity have been consistently related to esophageal adenocarcinoma, but not to squamous cell carcinoma. Body mass index seems to be inversely related to the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The influence of obesity on esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma may be related to higher incidence of gastroesophageal reflux in obese persons since the risk of gastroesophageal reflux is strongly related to the risk for Barrett’s esophagus. Tobacco smoking is a strong risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but is only a weak risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Alcohol consumption is a strong risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but is not consistently related to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Selenium, dietary fiber, fruits, vegetables and antioxidants are seen as protective factors. Male gender seems to be a risk factor for both types of tumors in the region, while infection with human papillomavirus does not seem to play a major part in the development of esophageal cancers. Infection with Helicobacter pylori is, however, an interesting factor to this region of tumors as discussed in many reports. It has been suggested that infection with H. pylori is protective to adenocarcinoma, but might be a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma, although the role of H. pylori in the etiology of these cancers remains somewhat unclear.