Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implications of Lymph Node Staging on Selection of Adjuvant Therapy for Gastric Cancer in the United States: A Propensity Score-matched Analysis

Objective:To compare the efficacy of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and chemotherapy alone (CA) in gastric adenocarcinoma patients undergoing gastrectomy in the United States (US). Background:A majority of US gastric adenocarcinoma patients are inadequately staged (<15 nodes examined). Despite this, and limited data comparing adjuvant CRT with CA in US patients, national guidelines endorse CA in selected patients undergoing D2 lymphadenectomy. Methods:Resected stage IB-III gastric adenocarcinoma patients receiving adjuvant CRT or CA (n = 3008) were identified in the National Cancer Database (1998–2006). Cox regression identified covariates associated with overall survival (OS). CRT and CA cohorts were matched (3:1) by propensity scores based on the likelihood of receiving CA. OS was compared by Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results:Adjuvant CA was associated with an increased risk of death (HR 1.29, P < 0.001) relative to CRT. Inadequate lymph node staging (LNS) and nodal positivity were strong predictors of risk-adjusted mortality (P < 0.001). After propensity score-matching, CRT demonstrated superior median OS compared with CA (36.1 vs 28.9 m; P < 0.0001), regardless of stage. CRT was superior to CA in inadequately staged patients (33.1 m vs 24.5 m; P < 0.001); this benefit was less pronounced with increasing nodal examination. CRT improved OS in node-positive disease (29.8 vs 22.2 m; P < 0.001), regardless of LNS adequacy. In node-negative disease, OS did not differ significantly between CRT and CA cohorts; however, node-negative patients undergoing inadequate LNS benefited from CRT. Conclusions:CRT is associated with improved stage-stratified OS compared with CA. Lymph node status and adequacy of surgical staging should influence adjuvant therapy selection in the United States.
A wavelet-based technique for discrimination of inrush currents from faults in transformers coupled with finite element method

The phenomenon of magnetizing inrush is a transient condition, which occurs primarily when a transformer is energized. The magnitude of inrush current may be as high as ten times or more times of transformer rated current that causes malfunction of protection system. So, for safe running of a transformer, it is necessary to distinguish inrush current from fault currents. In this paper, a wavelet-based technique has been used to discriminate inrush current from faults. For this purpose, a wavelet transform (WT) concept is presented and a criterion based on different behaviors of the differential currents under fault and inrush conditions have been derived. For checking the validity of the wavelet-based technique in discriminating of inrush currents from faults a three-phase 20/63 kV transformer has been simulated in Maxwell software that is based on finite element method (FEM). Then, obtained data from different situations have been used in MATALB software for implementation of the WT technique.
Plaintext transmission over Session Initiation Protocol

This paper compares two telecommunication standards for plaintext transmission over Session Initiation Protocol (SIP): SIP extension for Text over Internet Protocol (ToIP) and SIP extension for Instant Messaging (IM). ToIP provides a real-time text service, while IM provides a near realtime text service. Originally, SIP is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call signaling protocol that uses Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) for handling audio/video media sessions. ToIP required an established RTP session for text payloads while IM does not. VoIP, ToIP and IM cooperate on IP networks in order to meet requirements for speech-capable or speech-impaired individuals in using communication facilities. There are several VoIP servers that implements SIP protocol stack. Asterisk is an open-source Internet Protocol - Private Branch eXchange (IP-PBX) that supports popular audio, video, text, and any other form of media protocols. Since SIP extension for ToIP requires an established RTP session, in this paper ToIP compares with SIP extension for IM that process text outside of RTP session. Built-in modules of Asterisk and SIPp performance tester are used to compare the performance of these standards.
Cerebrospinal fluid endotoxin levels in children with H. influenzae meningitis before and after administration of intravenous ceftriaxone.

Total, cell-free, and cell-bound endotoxin and bacterial density were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 22 children with Hemophilus influenzae meningitis. Also the effect of ceftriaxone on CSF endotoxin levels was investigated in eight patients by reexamining their CSF 2-6 h after the initial dose. Initial CSF bacterial density correlated with initial CSF endotoxin levels (P less than .001). Ceftriaxone induced a marked increase of free endotoxin in CSF, from an initial (mean +/- SE) 0.75 +/- 0.21 to 1.29 +/- 0.23 log10 ng/ml (P less than .01). This increase correlated positively with the number of bacteria killed in the CSF (P less than .01). The increase in free endotoxin was associated with an increase in mean CSF lactate levels from 8.5 to 9.7 units/l (P less than .05) and mean lactate dehydrogenase levels from 102 to 180 mmol/l (P less than .02) and a decrease in mean CSF glucose from 1.17 to 0.46 mmol/l (P less than .05). Initial CSF total endotoxin concentrations correlated both with the Herson-Todd clinical severity score (P less than .001) and with the number of febrile hospital days (P less than .001). These findings suggest that highly bactericidal agents initially lead to release of free endotoxin from gram-negative organisms into CSF, with associated enhanced inflammatory response by the host.
What's the Worst That Could Happen? Re-examining the 24–25 June 1967 Tornado Outbreak Over Western Europe

AbstractOn 24–25 June 1967 one of the most intense European tornado outbreaks produced extensive damage (approximately 960 houses damaged or destroyed) and resulted in 232 injuries and 15 fatalities in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The 24–25 June 1967 tornado outbreak shows that Europe is highly vulnerable to tornadoes. To better understand the impact of European tornadoes and how this impact changed over time, the question is raised, “What would happen if an outbreak similar to the 1967 one occurred 50 years later in 2017 over France, Belgium, and the Netherlands? ” Transposing the seven tornado tracks from the June 1967 outbreak over the modern landscape would potentially result in 24 990 buildings being impacted, 255–2 580 injuries, and 17–172 fatalities. To determine possible worst-case scenarios, the tornado tracks are moved in a systematic way around their observed positions and positioned over modern maps of buildings and population. The worst-case scenario estimates are 146 222 buildings im.
International survey of cochlear implant candidacy

Background: The goal of this work was to determine international differences in candidacy based on audiometric and speech perception measures, and to evaluate the information in light of the funding structure and access to implants within different countries. Method: An online questionnaire was circulated to professionals in 25 countries. There were 28 respondents, representing the candidacy practice in 17 countries. Results: Results showed differences in the funding model between countries. Unilateral implants for both adults and children and bilateral implants for children were covered by national funding in approximately 60% of countries (30% used medical insurance, and 10% self-funding). Fewer countries provided bilateral implants routinely for adults: national funding was available in only 22% (37% used medical insurance and 41% self-funding). Main evolving candidacy areas are asymmetric losses, auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders and electro-acoustic stimulation. For countries using speech-based adult candidacy assessments, the majority (40%) used word tests, 24% used sentence tests, and 36% used a mixture of both. For countries using audiometry for candidacy (70–80% of countries), the majority used levels of 75–85 dB HL at frequencies above 1 kHz. The United Kingdom and Belgium had the most conservative audiometric criteria, and countries such as Australia, Germany, and Italy were the most lenient. Countries with a purely self-funding model had greater flexibility in candidacy requirements.
What is Design for Meaning

Considering the importance of meaning it is perhaps surprising to note the frequent lack of clarity about the matter in the design literature and in design practice. Concepts such as value, ideology, meaning, function, ritual, myth and metaphor are often used interchangeably, with important consequences in terms of possible misunderstanding. A review of key concepts in the discussion of artefact meaning has been performed, and several considerations of relevance to commercially active designers have been identified. The reflections are summarised as a framework which provides a tool for identifying key questions which should be answered. As part of the process of defining the framework of design for meaning the concept of “meaningfication” was established. The potential usefulness of the proposed framework is noted in relation to recent developments in the areas of value creation, business and branding.
Foreign Aid and Economic Growth: Panel Cointegration Analysis for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam

Given the paradoxical results of impact studies of foreign aid on economic growth in aid-growth literature, the effectiveness of aid for growth still remains a subject of intense debate. Thus, applying panel cointegration tests, and panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and panel dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) estimators, this paper estimates the magnitude of long run relationship between aid and economic growth in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam using panel data from 1997 to 2014. The results of panel cointegration tests revealed that aid and economic growth cointegrate in a panel framework for the period of the study, indicating a robust long run relationship between the variables. Panel FMOLS and Panel DOLS estimation results revealed a positive impact of aid on economic growth. Thus, study concludes that foreign aid has a favorable effect on economic growth in the sample of four countries from ASEAN region.
Investigating the Congruence of Crowdsourced Information With Official Government Data: The Case of Pediatric Clinics

Background Health 2.0 is a benefit to society by helping patients acquire knowledge about health care by harnessing collective intelligence. However, any misleading information can directly affect patients’ choices of hospitals and drugs, and potentially exacerbate their health condition. Objective This study investigates the congruence between crowdsourced information and official government data in the health care domain and identifies the determinants of low congruence where it exists. In-line with infodemiology, we suggest measures to help the patients in the regions vulnerable to inaccurate health information. Methods We text-mined multiple online health communities in South Korea to construct the data for crowdsourced information on public health services (173,748 messages). Kendall tau and Spearman rank order correlation coefficients were used to compute the differences in 2 ranking systems of health care quality: actual government evaluations of 779 hospitals and mining results of geospecific online health communities. Then we estimated the effect of sociodemographic characteristics on the level of congruence by using an ordinary least squares regression. Results The regression results indicated that the standard deviation of married women’s education (P=.046), population density (P=.01), number of doctors per pediatric clinic (P=.048), and birthrate (P=.002) have a significant effect on the congruence of crowdsourced data (adjusted R 2=.33). Specifically, (1) the higher the birthrate in a given region, (2) the larger the variance in educational attainment, (3) the higher the population density, and (4) the greater the number of doctors per clinic, the more likely that crowdsourced information from online communities is congruent with official government data. Conclusions To investigate the cause of the spread of misleading health information in the online world, we adopted a unique approach by associating mining results on hospitals from geospecific online health communities with the sociodemographic characteristics of corresponding regions. We found that the congruence of crowdsourced information on health care services varied across regions and that these variations could be explained by geospecific demographic factors. This finding can be helpful to governments in reducing the potential risk of misleading online information and the accompanying safety issues.
Ototoxicity and cancer therapy

Ototoxicity is a well‐established toxicity associated with a subgroup of antineoplastic therapies that includes platinum chemotherapy, radiation or surgery involving the ear and auditory nerve, and supportive care agents such as aminoglycoside antibiotics and loop diuretics. The reported prevalence of ototoxicity in patients who have received potentially ototoxic therapy ranges from 4% to 90% depending on factors such as age of the patient population, agent(s) used, cumulative dose, and administration techniques. The impact of ototoxicity on subsequent health‐related and psychosocial outcomes in these patients can be substantial, and the burden of morbidity related to ototoxic agents is particularly high in very young children. Considerable interindividual variability in the prevalence and severity of ototoxicity has been observed among patients receiving similar treatment, suggesting genetic susceptibility as a risk factor. The development and testing of otoprotective agents is ongoing; however, to the author's knowledge, no US Food and Drug Administration‐approved otoprotectants are currently available. Prospective monitoring for ototoxicity allows for comparison of auditory outcomes across clinical trials, as well as for early detection, potential alterations in therapy, and auditory intervention and rehabilitation to ameliorate the adverse consequences of hearing loss. Cancer 2016;122:1647‐58. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Indications and efficacy of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy in Type 1 diabetes mellitus: a clinical audit in a specialist service

Aim To determine if current guidelines correctly identify patients who will benefit from continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy by comparing outcomes between Type 1 diabetic patients with recurrent severe hypoglycaemia (SH) indications with those without; and between patients without and with classic contraindications to CSII managed in a single multidisciplinary pump clinic.
The International Politics of Incomplete Sovereignty: How Hostile Neighbors Weaken the State

Abstract Why do some countries fail to govern their territory? Incomplete domestic sovereignty, defined as the absence of effective state authority over territory, has severe consequences in terms of security, order, economic growth, and human well-being. These negative consequences raise the question of why such spaces remain without effective authority. While the international relations literature suggests that state weakness persists because of an absence of war and the comparative politics literature treats political underdevelopment as the consequence of domestic factors that raise the costs of exercising authority, these views are incomplete. I argue that hostile neighbors weaken state authority over territory through a strategy of foreign interference. Foreign interference in domestic sovereignty is a powerful instrument of statecraft that can yield domestic and foreign policy benefits. I investigate the effects of hostile neighboring states through a cross-national, within-country statistical analysis utilizing a novel indicator of state authority, and pair this analysis with a qualitative case study of Malaysian subversion of the Philippines in the 1970s. Together, this evidence shows how this international factor is an underappreciated yet important contributor to weak state authority even after accounting for domestic factors. The study's conclusions challenge our understanding of the effects of international politics on internal political development.
A Novel Location-Service Protocol Based on $k$ -Hop Clustering for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

This paper presents a novel k-hop cluster-based location service (KCLS) protocol in mobile ad hoc networks, which is able to well balance the tradeoff between the communication overheads and the accuracy of location information. Other advantages of the proposed KCLS protocol include excellent network scalability and tolerance of link breakage that can significantly reduce communication overheads and the latency caused by route path recovery. The numerical results obtained from both theoretical analysis and simulations have shown that the cost of location management using the KCLS protocol is less than 2% of the location-management cost using the link-state protocol. Especially for a large value of k, the proposed KCLS protocol is not only able to suppress the increasing rate of the total cost when the number of hosts in the network increases but also increases the hit probability of location service and reduces the passive effect of host mobility on control overhead as well. With good scalability and the capability of self-discovery, the proposed KCLS protocol is adaptable to accommodate most applications in ad hoc networks
HIV encephalitis despite suppressed viraemia: a case of compartmentalized viral escape

There is increasing concern that HIV treatment failure may result from inadequate central nervous system (CNS) penetration of antiretroviral drugs, allowing compartmentalized viral replication and development of resistance. We discuss a patient who maintained a suppressed plasma viral load for four years on antiretroviral therapy (ART) before developing HIV encephalitis with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV viral load of 861 copies/mL and newly detectable plasma viral load of 68 copies/mL. Identification of major resistance mutations to his combination therapy supported concerns that resistant HIV had developed within the CNS. His ART was changed to optimize CNS penetration, leading to maintained clinical improvement. Imaging presented demonstrates corresponding radiological improvement. The report illustrates the need to exclude CNS viral rebound or incomplete suppression in HIV patients with neurological symptoms, and suggests that the extent of this emerging problem is only beginning to be recognized as the implications of long-term peripheral HIV suppression unfold.
Link-layer-and-above diversity in multihop wireless networks

The instability of wireless channels was a haunting issue in communications until recent exploration in utilizing variation. The same transmission might present significantly, and usually independently, different reception quality when broadcast to receivers at different locations. In addition, the same stationary receiver might experience drastic fluctuation over time as well. The combination of link-quality variation with the broadcasting nature of the wireless channel itself disclosed a direction in the research of wireless networking, namely, the utilization of diversity. In this article, we summarize the causes of channel diversity in wireless communications, and how it is perceived in different layers of multihop wireless networks. To promote new research innovations in this area, we concentrate on link-layer diversity and speculate on the challenges and potential of diversity schemes at the network layer.
Design of an Internal DTV antenna for portable multimedia player

A novel low-profile metal-plate monopole antenna with system ground for DTV signal reception in the UHF band is proposed. The monopole antenna is easily constructed by a folded rectangular patch with two slits, and has a compact size of 65 times 25 times 5 mm3. The ground plane of this antenna is made of FR-4 substrate (thickness of 0.8 mm). The measured return loss for the operating frequencies over the DTV band (465-850 MHz) is better than -10 dB and maximum radiation gain is 4.5 dBi. The geometrical parameters and the experimental results of the proposed antenna are discussed.
Housing as a Social Determinant of Health in Singapore and Its Association with Readmission Risk and Increased Utilization of Hospital Services

Background Residence in public rental housing is an area-level measure of socioeconomic status, but its impact as a social determinant of health in Singapore has not been studied. We therefore aimed to examine the association of public rental housing with readmission risk and increased utilization of hospital services in Singapore. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using retrospective 2014 data from Singapore General Hospital’s electronic health records. Variables known to affect readmission risk and health-care utilization were identified a priori and include patient demographics, comorbidities, health-care utilization in the preceding 1 year and clinical variables from the index admission in 2014. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate public rental housing as an independent risk factor for admission risk, emergency department (ED), and specialist outpatient clinic attendances. Results A total of 14,457 unique patients were analyzed, and 2,163 patients (15.0%) were rental housing residents. Rental housing patients were significantly more likely to be male; required financial assistance; have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; usage of anti-depressant and anti-psychotic medications; longer length of hospital stay during the index admission; and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores. After adjusting for demographics and clinical variables, staying in public rental housing remained an independent risk factor for readmission within 15 and 30 days, frequent hospital admissions and ED attendances in Singapore. Conclusion Our study showed an association between public rental housing with readmission risk and increased utilization of hospital services in Singapore. A deeper understanding of the residents’ social circumstances and health seeking behavior would be insightful.