Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influenza A (H1N1) organising pneumonia

In November 2009, countries around the world reported confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1, including over 6000 deaths. No peak in activity has been seen. The most common causes of death are pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. We report a case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with organising pneumonia associated with influenza A (H1N1) infection confirmed by transbronchial lung biopsy. Organising pneumonia should also be considered as a possible complication of influenza A (H1N1) infection, given that these patients can benefit from early diagnosis and appropriate specific management.
Using Pulmozyme DNase treatment in lentiviral vector production.

In the production of lentiviral vector for clinical studies the purity of the final product is of vital importance. To remove plasmid and producer cell line DNA, investigators have incubated the vector product with Benzonase, a bacterially derived DNase. As an alternative we investigated the use of Pulmozyme, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved human DNase for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, by comparing the efficiency of DNA removal from lentiviral vector preparations. A green fluorescent protein-expressing lentiviral vector was prepared by transient calcium phosphate transfection of HEK 293T cells and DNA removal was compared when treating vector after harvest or immediately after transfection. The effectiveness of DNase treatment was measured by quantitative PCR using primers for vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein G viral envelope plasmid. When treating the final product, 1-hr incubations (37°C) with Pulmozyme at 20 U/ml reduced plasmid DNA to undetectable levels. Longer incubations (up to 4 hr) did not improve DNA removal at lower concentrations and the effectiveness was equivalent to or better than Benzonase at 50 U/ml. Attempting to use Pulmozyme immediately after transfection, but before final medium change, as a means to decrease Pulmozyme concentration in the final product provided a 2-log reduction in DNA but was inferior to treatment at the end of production. Pulmozyme, at concentrations up to 100 U/ml, had no measurable effect on infectious titer of the final vector product. The use of Pulmozyme is likely to increase the cost of DNase treatment when preparing vector product and should be considered when generating clinical-grade vector products.
Exploring Business Community Engagement With Educational Institutions Supporting Future Business Graduates

The evolution of technology enables educational institutions to provide innovative ways to support students' learning, and as a result, there is an increasing trend in adopting business innovations such as e-learning solutions and online learning platforms. An empirical study was conducted to explore the effect of using Moodle and Facebook on business students' motivation to learn. It hypothesized that students will be more motivated to use social media Facebook over Moodle as a learning tool in tertiary education. Participants were students enrolled on the first year of a business program. Participants were given access to both the Moodle online learning platform and Facebook to use throughout the first semester of 2017. Lecturers posted questions on Moodle and Facebook on a weekly basis to which participants were asked to provide responses. Findings from this study confirmed the validity of using social media in tertiary education. Implications for the business community engagement with educational institutions are discussed.
Painful peripheral neuropathy after treatment with high-dose ifosfamide.

BACKGROUND Ifosfamide is successfully employed in the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas in children and young adults. Used at high doses (HDI) the drug may cause severe multiorgan toxicity. Peripheral neuropathy is a less well-known side effect that may limit its use. We describe a 16-year-old girl with a Ewing sarcoma who was given post-operative treatment with HDI (15 mg/m(2) infused over 5 days). After the second course she experienced paresthesias in both feet. After the third course she developed signs of severe toxicity in the CNS, kidneys, heart, and severe pain in her feet. PROCEDURE Neurologic and neurophysiologic investigations, including neurographic studies of motor and sensory nerves, EMG, and thermotest, were performed in the acute phase and after 6 and 21 months, respectively. Renal and cardiac function was also assessed. RESULTS She developed generalized weakness of the arms and legs and an extremely painful hyperesthesia of the soles. The symptoms improved gradually during follow-up but remained to some extent even after more than 2 years. Serial neurophysiologic investigations indicated classical signs of axonal neuropathy, which tended to improve during follow-up. After 18 months the glomerular filtration rate and the effective renal plasma flow were 30 and 12% of normal, respectively, while other organ functions had returned to baseline. CONCLUSIONS Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy after HDI may herald severe multiorgan toxicity, if continued. Early administration of anesthetics through the intrathecal route should be considered in case of ifosfamide-induced painful peripheral neuropathy.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function Item Bank, Version 1.0: Physical Function Assessment for Athletic Patient Populations.

CONTEXT The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks have been validated for general populations, but their application to high-functioning patient populations remains speculative. OBJECTIVE To examine the measurement properties of the PROMIS physical function item bank, version 1.0, when applied to individuals representing high levels of physical ability. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and III collegiate athletic training rooms and intramural events. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A heterogeneous sample of 215 adults from Division I or Division III collegiate or recreational sports volunteered for this study. Participants were divided into 4 groups depending on sport activity and injury status: healthy collegiate (HC; 33 men, 37 women; age = 19.7 ± 1.1 years), injured and currently active in sport (IP; 21 men, 29 women; age = 19.9 ± 1.2 years), injured and currently not active in sport (INP; 12 men, 18 women; age = 19.7 ± 1.3 years), and healthy recreational (HR; 47 men, 18 women; age = 20.1 ± 1.4 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Participants completed 2 assessments: (1) an injury-history questionnaire and (2) the PROMIS physical function item bank, version 1.0, in computer-adaptive form. Mean PROMIS physical function scores were determined for each group. RESULTS The PROMIS physical function score for the HC group (61.7 ± 6.0) was higher than for the IP (54.9 ± 7.5) and INP (44.1 ± 8.2) groups (P < .001). The IP group had a higher score than the INP group (P < .001). Mean PROMIS scores were not different between the HC and HR participants (mean difference = 1.9, P = .10). CONCLUSIONS The computer-adaptive PROMIS physical function item bank, version 1.0, accurately distinguished injury status in elite-level athletes on a physical function latent trait continuum. Although it was unable to distinguish HC athletes from HR athletes, exposing a possible ceiling effect, it offers potential for use as an outcome instrument for athletic trainers and other sports medicine clinicians.
“In pain waiting to die”: Everyday understandings of suffering

Abstract Objective: The notion of “suffering” is understood in very different ways in a variety of contexts. In palliative care, the relief and prevention of suffering is considered to be a fundamental goal (Pastrana et al., 2008). However, the avoidance of suffering has also been used as an argument by those campaigning for the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide (Finlay, 2009). In reflecting upon suffering in these two contexts, we were intrigued by Finlay's (2009) contention that to laypeople, the phrase “‘unbearable suffering’ conjures up images of patients on their deathbeds wracked with uncontrolled pain” (p. 1841). Method: This article explores how suffering is used and understood in an “everyday” discourse, by analyzing comments posted to a website debating assisted suicide in the context of the Canadian case of Sue Rodriguez. Results: Using a broad social approach to discourse analysis (Tonkiss, 2004), three themes emerged in our analysis: (1) when people suffer, (2) how people are understood to suffer, and (3) how suffering should be dealt with. We also examined what was not said in this discussion: there was little consideration of the more holistic goals of palliative care and how suffering might be understood and managed in ways other than within the frame of assisted suicide. Significance of results: Paying attention to the everyday discourse of suffering is important because, as members of society, we all play a role in negotiating the meaning of suffering. Such meaning has a significant impact upon patients and palliative care professionals alike.
Aclidinium bromide for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Introduction: Although there are some challenges with current therapies, the growing evidence that tiotropium bromide is important in the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has led to enthusiastic investigation in search of novel muscarinic antagonists which share some of the beneficial characteristics of tiotropium and perhaps improve upon less desirable ones. Areas covered: Aclidinium bromide is a new muscarinic antagonist that has been developed to relieve symptoms in patients with COPD. Preclinical data showed that it has an intriguing pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile. Aclidinium bromide was initially assessed as a once-daily bronchodilator. Subsequently, it has been evaluated as a twice-daily agent to increase the size of the clinical effect. Pivotal Phase III trials have documented that aclidinium bromide 400 μg twice-daily shows clinically meaningful effects in lung function and other important supportive outcomes, such as health-related quality of life, dyspnea and night-time/early morning symptoms, and is safe. Expert opinion: Aclidinium bromide can to be used as an alternative to tiotropium or a long-acting β2-agonist. It is likely that the device used to deliver aclidinium, Genuair inhaler, a novel, multidose and a breath-actuated dry powder inhaler (DPI), will be important for the possible success of this drug. However, additional Phase III trials to assess advantages over tiotropium bromide and long-acting β2-agonists are required to allow the place of aclidinium bromide to be fully elucidated.
A study on the estimation and prediction of volatility on financial assets

Volatility in financial markets due to changes in the internal and external financial market environment causes economic entities to increase uncertainty of economic activity, thus affecting the real economy. The volatility of stock index, interest rate, and exchange rate has a negative impact on the business performance of companies and financial institutions due to decline in the value of stocks, bonds, and derivatives held for short-term trading purposes. In this study, therefore, the KRW/USD exchange rate and the KOSDAQ index data from January 2005 to December 2017 were converted to log yield data for volatility estimation. Autocorrelation test of the error terms confirmed the partial autocorrelation function, and a Portmanteau Q-test was performed. Significant parameters were estimated by the stepwise autoregressive method. The Lagrange Multiplier test (L-M test) was used for the ARCH effect and the order of the model, and parameters were estimated by the Maximum Likelihood Method. Fit of the estimated model was found to follow the white noise according to the Portmanteau Q-test using standardized residuals. As the result, AR(1,2,3,13)-ARCH(1) model was selected as the volatility estimation model for KRW/USD exchange rate, and AR(1)-ARCH(1) model for KOSDAQ index.
Strength Training for Children

The indications for progressive resistive strength training for prepubescent children in sports training and rehabilitation have been a source of controversy. Eighteen prepubescent children, two at Tanner Stage II and the remainder at Tanner Stage I, were studied. Examination included anthropometric upper and lower extremity strength and flexibility measurements. The study group participated in progressive resistive strength training sessions on machines three times per week. The study group had a mean increase in strength of 42.9%, whereas strength in the control group increased 9.5% (p < 0.05). The study group had a mean increase in flexibility of 4.5% compared with 3.6% in the control group. The study group showed a mean decrease in body weight during the training period of 0.51% and then gained 3.48% over the subsequent 9 weeks. The control group's body weight increased an average of 6.66% during the 18 weeks. There were no injuries during the training period. It is concluded that prepubescent children can make significant gains in muscle strength in response to progressive resistive training.
The role of cyclo‐oxygenase‐1 in high‐salt diet‐induced microvascular dysfunction in humans

Recent studies have shown that some of the deleterious effects of a high‐salt (HS) diet are independent of elevated blood pressure and are associated with impaired endothelial function. Increased generation of cyclo‐oxygenase (COX‐1 and COX‐2)‐derived vasoconstrictor factors and endothelial activation may contribute to impaired vascular relaxation during HS loading. The present study aimed to assess the regulation of microvascular reactivity and to clarify the role of COX‐1 and COX‐2 in normotensive subjects on a short‐term HS diet. The present study demonstrates the important role of COX‐1 derived vasoconstrictor metabolites in regulation of microvascular blood flow during a HS diet. These results help to explain how even short‐term HS diets may impact upon microvascular reactivity without changes in blood pressure and suggest that a vasoconstrictor metabolite of COX‐1 could play a role in this impaired tissue blood flow.
Simvastatin attenuates the cerebral vascular endothelial inflammatory response in a rat traumatic brain injury.

AIM Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to important and deleterious inflammation, as evidenced by edema, cytokine production, induction of nitric oxide synthase, and leukocyte infiltration. After TBI, the activation of cerebral vascular endothelial cells plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inflammation. In this study, we hypothesized that the activation of cerebral vascular endothelial cells plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inflammation and outcome after TBI. It may represent a key cellular target for statin therapy. METHODS In our study, cortical contusions were induced, and the effect of continuous treatment of simvastatin on behavior and inflammation in adult rats following experimental TBI was evaluated. The treatment group received 15 mg/kg of simvastatin daily for 3 days. Neurological function was assessed with the grip test. RESULTS The results showed that the non-treatment control group had a significantly greater increase in ICAM-1 expression from pre-injury to the post-injury 72 h time point as compared to the expression in treatment group. The treatment group had better neurological function as evidenced in a grip test performed from baseline to 72 h. The analysis of a western blot test and pathology also demonstrated reduced ICAM-1 expression and a smaller area of damage and tissue loss. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that simvastatin could attenuate the activation of cerebral vascular endothelial inflammatory response and decrease the loss of neurological function and brain tissue.
Modeling and Testing of a Bidirectional Smart Charger for Distribution System EV Integration

This paper proposes a model of a single-phase bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charger with capability of operating in all four quadrants of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${P}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>–<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> plane. The steady-state and step responses of the proposed model are used to validate it based on the actual responses of a bidirectional charger prototype for different <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${P}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>–<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> requests. The model can be used efficiently in time-domain simulations that require models of a number of EV chargers, such as EV integration studies in low-voltage (LV) distribution networks. A practical case study is presented to demonstrate and test the proposed smart charger and model, investigating the provision of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) for active and reactive power in an LV residential distribution network. These results demonstrate the advantages of the presented charger model for developing V2G strategies in distribution networks.
Conditioning the heart to prevent myocardial reperfusion injury during PPCI

For patients presenting with a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), early myocardial reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) remains the most effective treatment strategy for limiting myocardial infarct size, preserving left ventricular systolic function, and preventing the onset of heart failure. Recent advances in PCI technology to improve myocardial reperfusion and the introduction of novel anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic agents to maintain the patency of the infarct-related coronary artery continue to optimize PPCI procedure. However, despite these improvements, STEMI patients still experience significant major adverse cardiovascular events. One major contributing factor has been the inability to protect the heart against the lethal myocardial reperfusion injury, which accompanies PPCI. Past attempts to translate cardioprotective strategies, discovered in experimental studies to prevent lethal myocardial reperfusion injury, into the clinical setting of PPCI have been disappointing. However, a number of recent proof-of-concept clinical studies suggest that the heart can be ‘conditioned’ to protect itself against lethal myocardial reperfusion injury, as evidenced by a reduction in myocardial infarct size. This can be achieved using either mechanical (such as ischaemic postconditioning, remote ischaemic preconditioning, therapeutic hypothermia, or hyperoxaemia) or pharmacological (such as cyclosporin-A, natriuretic peptide, exenatide) ‘conditioning’ strategies as adjuncts to PPCI. Furthermore, recent developments in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can provide a non-invasive imaging strategy for assessing the efficacy of these novel adjunctive therapies to PPCI in terms of key surrogate clinical endpoints such as myocardial infarct size, myocardial salvage, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the presence of microvascular obstruction or intramyocardial haemorrhage. In this article, we review the therapeutic potential of ‘conditioning’ to protect the heart against lethal myocardial reperfusion injury in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI.
The Influence of Transformational Leadership on Employees’ Affective Organizational Commitment in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Moderated Mediation Model

Transformational leadership has a great impact on employees’ psychological attachment to their organizations. This study examines how and under what condition transformational leadership translates into employees’ affective organizational commitment. Using a moderated mediation model, this research finds that the relationship between transformational leadership and affective commitment is transmitted through perceived work impact. More importantly, our findings suggest that the indirect effect of transformational leadership on affective commitment through perceived work impact is moderated by the level of centralization of an organization. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Operative Interventions for Failed Heller Myotomy: A Single Institution Experience

Recurrent dysphagia and/or gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are failures of treatment after Heller myotomy for achalasia. We present our single center experience with surgical interventions for these failures. We did a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. Based on preoperative symptoms and endoscopy, esophagogram, and manometry results, patients were divided into three groups to guide management. Telephone follow-up was done using a structured foregut questionnaire. Between December 2003 and June 2009, 16 patients underwent operative interventions for disabling symptoms after previous Heller myotomy. Eight patients presented primarily with recurrent dysphagia and underwent transabdominal Heller myotomy with partial fundoplication. Seven patients reported good to excellent symptom relief at mean follow-up of 42 months. One patient reported no relief and eventually required esophageal bypass with retrosternal gastric pull-up. Four patients presented with uncontrolled GER. Two patients who underwent redo partial fundoplication reported poor symptomatic outcome and one patient has since undergone short limb Roux-en-y gastric bypass (SLRNYGB) with excellent symptom relief. The other two patients underwent SLRNYGB with excellent relief at 10 months. Four patients had end stage achalasia and underwent esophageal resection with reconstruction. All reported excellent symptom relief at mean follow-up of 36 months. Transabdominal redo Heller myotomy for dysphagia has good outcomes. Redo fundoplication for GER after previous myotomy has poor results and SLRNYGB is an effective option in these patients. Esophageal resection remains an effective, albeit morbid, option for end-stage achalasia.
Comparison of bleomycin and radiation in the G2 assay of chromatid breaks

Purpose: To compare bleomycin with radiation in the G2 chromatid break assay. Controversy exists in the literature about whether G2 bleomycin chromatid‐break sensitivity links with cancer predisposition in the same way as the G2 chromatid radiosensitivity test (the so‐called ‘G2 assay’). Although bleomycin is referred to as a ‘radiomimetic’ agent, it differs from radiation in the way the damage is induced. Materials and methods: Epstein–Barr virus‐immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines from two head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients, two breast cancer patients, two ataxia‐telangiectasia patients and two normal control persons were used. Chromosomal damage was determined in cells exposed to 0.3‐Gy radiation or 5 mU ml−1 bleomycin. The numbers of chromatid breaks per cell and of aberrations per cell (i.e. breaks and gaps) were determined. Results: A strong positive correlation was found between the two different damage inducers (r=0.99; p<0.001). This correlation was similar for both the breaks per cell and the total aberrations per cell. Inclusion of gaps in the scoring of chromatid breaks was associated with a higher variability of the data, but this did not influence the outcome of this study. Conclusions: Both bleomycin and radiation give the same sensitivity phenotypes as determined by the G2 assay of chromatid breaks. Thus, when no radiation facility is present, bleomycin seems to be a good alternative to radiation for this type of assay.