Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response-guided induction therapy in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with excellent remission rate.

PURPOSE To evaluate the early treatment response in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using a response-guided induction strategy that includes idarubicin in the first course. PATIENTS AND METHODS All Nordic children with AML younger than 15 years (n = 151) were treated on the Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (NOPHO) AML 2004 protocol. After the first course of idarubicin, cytarabine, etoposide, and 6-thioguanin, patients with good response were allowed hematologic recovery before the second course, whereas patients with a poor (≥ 15% blasts) or intermediate (5% to 14.9% blasts) were recommended to proceed immediately with therapy. Patients not in remission after the second course received fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Poor responders received allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT) as consolidation. RESULTS Seventy-four percent of patients had good response, 17% had intermediate response, and 7% had poor response after the first course. The overall remission frequency was 97.4%, with 92% in remission after the second course. The rate of induction death was 1.3%. Patients with an intermediate response had a lower event-free survival of 35% compared with good (61%) and poor responders (82%). CONCLUSION The NOPHO-AML 2004 induction strategy gives an excellent remission rate with low toxic mortality in an unselected population. Outcome is worse in patients with intermediate response but may be improved by intensifying consolidation in this group using SCT.
Using Massive Open Online Courses to raise awareness of safe internet usage in the last three-year cycle of primary school

In the paper we deal with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on safe Internet usage among primary school children. This topic is getting more important every day due to the current age of digital technology. We focus on MOOCs used by primary school students, since Internet safety is definitely a topic which they must get to know. The results show that, with suitable motivation and students' active participation, MOOCs are an appropriate and, to a certain degree, a more effective way of education, as alternative to traditional learning using printed materials that we are used to.
Head‐on collision of a large vortex ring with a free surface

The generation of free surface waves due to the head‐on collision of a vortex ring with the free surface is studied experimentally and numerically. The interaction process is investigated by looking at the free surface evolution with the aid of a shadowgraph image, by measurement of the free surface elevation, and by visualizing the vortex ring with hydrogen bubbles. Three different free surface patterns are observed, depending on the strength of the vortex ring: (1) A single circular depression of the free surface for weak vortex rings and at very early times for strong vortex rings, (2) axisymmetric radially propagating waves in the early stage of the interaction of strong vortex rings with the surface, and (3) fully three‐dimensional waves that depend on the local structure of the vortex core. Numerical simulations are used to address the observed axisymmetric phenomena.
Effect of dietary electrolyte balance on growth and acid-base status in swine.

The effect of dietary electrolyte balance on pigs fed lysine- or tryptophan-adequate or tryptophan-deficient diets was investigated in four experiments using 8- to 12-wk-old pigs. Electrolyte balance, expressed as Na+K-Cl in meq/kg of diet, was varied by altering dietary levels of Na and Cl while holding all other minerals constant. In two experiments in which the basal diet contained a balance of 135 meq/kg, simple lysine or tryptophan deficiences caused depressed growth, feed intake and efficiency of feed utilization, but none of these responses was altered by dietary supplementation with NaHCO3. In one experiment in which the electrolyte balance of the basal diet was 61 meq/kg and in which both lysine and tryptophan were limiting. NaHCO3 supplementation significantly increased growth and feed intake. This did not occur if the diet was also supplemented with tryptophan. A final experiment was conducted to determine the response of pigs to a range of electrolyte balance (-85 to 341 meq/kg) in a practical corn-soy diet containing adequate levels of all amino acids. Growth and feed intake appeared to be maximal for balances of 0 to 341 meq/kg Na+K-Cl, but were decreased at -85 meq/kg (P less than .05). Acid-base balance was adversely affected at 0 meq/kg. The results suggest that the response of lysine-deficient pigs to sodium bicarbonate is dependent upon the electrolyte balance of the diet, and also is influenced by other dietary amino acids.
The impact of iodinated contrast agent administered during preoperative computed tomography scan on body iodine pool in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer preparing for radioactive iodine treatment.

BACKGROUND Iodine in iodinated contrast agents (ICAs) interferes with radioactive iodine treatment (RAIT) and diagnostic scans in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) because it can compete with ¹³¹I. Published guidelines recommend delaying RAIT for three to four months in patients who have been exposed to ICA. Spot urinary iodine concentration is a useful marker to reflect the body iodine pool. We investigated the impact of ICAs administered at preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan on the body iodine pool to determine the proper time interval between preoperative CT and RAIT in DTC patients. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of 1023 patients with DTC who underwent a preoperative CT scan with ICA, total thyroidectomy, and one week of low-iodine diet in preparation for RAIT. Urine iodine excretion (UIE) was measured in spot urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and reported both in simple concentration (μg/L) and divided by gram creatinine (μg/gCr). Patients were divided into five groups by time interval in days between preoperative CT scan and spot urine iodine measurement (A, 31-60 [n=29]; B, 61-90 [n=155]; C, 91-120 [n=546]; D, 121-150 [n=226]; E, 151-180 [n=67]). RESULTS The median (interquartile range) of UIE (μg/gCr) in each group was 44.4 (27.7-73.2) in group A, 33.3 (22.8-64.7) in group B, 32.7 (20.8-63.0) in group C, 32.0 (20.6-67.0) in group D, and 30.4 (19.6-70.8) in group E. There was no significant difference between group A and the remaining groups (p>0.05) Also, the proportion of patients who achieved the appropriate UIE for RAIT according to our hospital's cutoff (≤66.2 μg/gCr) was not different between groups (A, 72.4%; B, 76.1%; C, 77.5%; D, 74.8%; E, 74.6%) (p=0.78). CONCLUSION This study shows that a UIE of one month after preoperative CT scan with ICA was not higher than that of six months after CT scan in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for DTC. Thus, current guidelines that recommend delay of RAIT for three to four months after CT scan with ICA should be revisited and future studies to clarify the appropriate time interval between CT scan with ICA and RAIT are warranted.
Navigating the patent minefield through consortia

Technology consortia play an increasingly important role in the way new technology products are being developed and brought to market. High technology companies increasingly face situations in which developing new products often involves navigating around dozens or even hundreds of different patents owned by several companies. As a result, innovation is frequently prone to litigation. In addition to making it more costly, the looming threat of lawsuits increases strategic complexity and market uncertainty.
Associated Aneurysms in Pediatric Arteriovenous Malformations and the Implications for Treatment

BACKGROUND:Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) with associated aneurysms (AA) increase the risk of hemorrhage in adults. Associated aneurysms are thought to develop over time, and the incidence in children, therefore, has been thought to be minimal, although this has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE:To define the incidence and morbidity of AA in children and to assess the results of our treatment strategy. METHODS:Patients younger than 18 years of age with pial AVM seen from 2000 to 2009 were reviewed. Demographics, presentation, hemorrhage, AAs, treatment method, and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS:Of 144 patients with AVM, 30 were younger than 18 years of age. AA was identified in 5 of 30 children (16.7%) and 33 of 114 adults (28.9%; P = .25). Mean age at presentation in children was 11.67 years (range, 6 months to 17 years), and mean follow-up was 28.8 months (range, 1-75 months). Hemorrhage at presentation was seen in 80% of patients with AA and 72% with AVM alone. Emergent therapy was required in 60% of patients with AA and 40% with AVM alone (P = .63). Time to treatment was 4.3 days with AA and 27.3 days without (P = .42). There was no difference in outcome between patients with AA and those with AVM alone. CONCLUSION:The incidence of pediatric AA was higher in our series than projected in the current literature. Time to treatment was shorter in children with AA compared with those with AVM alone, although there was no difference in clinical outcome. Although hemorrhage rates were similar, emergent therapy was required more often in patients with AA. Our findings support the need for early diagnosis and treatment of associated aneurysms in children.
Cost-utility of treatment of bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE The costs of treating eating disorders are high. Our objective was to perform a cost-utility analysis of treatment of bulimia nervosa. METHOD 72 patients entering treatment of bulimia nervosa (ICD-10 diagnosis) completed the 15D health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) before and 6 months after the start of treatment. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained were calculated and cost-utility was assessed within the time horizon of 10 years. RESULTS Baseline HRQoL was severely impaired in the patients. As a consequence of treatment, mean HRQoL improved clinically and statistically significantly. The cost per QALY gained varied from €1,455 to €16,481 (from €4,428 to €19,663 discounted at 5%) depending on the assumptions used in the analysis. DISCUSSION HRQoL of bulimia nervosa patients is severely impaired, but treatment has a clear positive effect on HRQoL. The cost per QALY gained is comparable to many other treatments.
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in endometrial polyps during menopause

Objective. To determine whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is expressed in endometrial polyps during menopause and how previous hormone use may affect this expression. Patients and methods. Fifty-two postmenopausal patients with endometrial polyps were enrolled for this study. Eighteen patients had no history of previous hormone use, while the remaining patients had used vaginal conjugated estrogens for short periods of time (n = 25) or were long-term users of tibolone (n = 5) or tamoxifen (n = 4). The endometrial polyps were removed by hysteroscopy, and COX-2 and Ki-67 expression were measured in tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. Results. Endometrial polyps expressed COX-2 in the glandular epithelium and this expression was not significantly greater in patients who had previously used tibolone, tamoxifen or vaginal estrogens. However, Ki-67 expression was greater in the group using vaginal estrogens compared with the group of non-users; while in the other two treatment groups Ki-67 expression was less than in hormone never-users. Conclusion. COX-2 expression is present in endometrial polyps during menopause and may play a role in their growth regulation.
A Critique of the Logic of the Agency Costs Theory for Dividends in the Finance Literature

This paper argues that the logic of the agency costs theory for dividends is internally inconsistent in the finance literature. Under the core assumption of the theory, that managers pursue their interests when they can, managers will not payout dividends to cut down the free cash flows that they can use for their benefits. In addition, we argue that shareholders have little direct or indirect power to force managers to payout dividends. Finance literature reports some mechanisms, mainly market forces, to make managers consider shareholders interests. However, we argue that if these mechanisms work, agency problems become insignificant and the shareholders do not need to rely on the costly dividends to reduce the free cash problems. If these mechanisms do not work perfectly, agency costs problems still exist although to a lesser extent, then managers will not pay out dividends under the core assumption of the theory.
Deciduous tooth crown size and asymmetry in strabismic children.

OBJECTIVES To explore deciduous tooth crown dimensions in strabismic children and the relationship between the type of strabismus and tooth crown mesio-distal (M-D) and labio-lingual (L-L) size asymmetries. MATERIAL Dental casts at mixed dentition of 2159 Collaborative Perinatal Study black and white children were measured, 123 of them strabismic at 1 year of age, age ranging from 6 to 12 years. METHODS Directional and fluctuating asymmetries in antimeric teeth were explored in various types of strabismus having unilateral, bilateral or alternating expression. ANOVA and T-square test were used for size comparisons and calculated asymmetries were explored by comparing the variances and Pearson correlations. RESULTS Strabismus was associated with significant M-D size increase of deciduous maxillary canines in black boys and white girls, black girls had size reduction in their mandibular canine, but white boys were unaffected. Right side size dominance was found in the strabismic children in the lower second deciduous molar M-D dimensions and in the children with alternating strabismus in their upper deciduous canine M-D dimensions. Children with unilateral strabismus had random fluctuating dental asymmetry in their upper deciduous second molar L-L dimensions when compared with healthy normals. Higher left-right correlations were found in lower second deciduous molar dimensions in strabismic girls when compared with that in controls and in strabismic boys, suggesting better developmental canalization in female. CONCLUSIONS Asymmetries in the head area, such as promoted here in strabismic children, may have associations with asymmetries in the dentition, focusing the embryonal origins and timing of developmental processes.
Use of Regression Equation of Peripheral Pulse Timing Characteristics to Predict Hypertension in Children

Studies have shown that an increase in arterial stiffening can indicate the presence of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension. Current gold standard in clinical practice is by measuring the blood pressure of patients using a mercury sphygmomanometer. However, the nature of this technique is not suitable for prolonged monitoring. It has been established that pulse wave velocity is a direct measure of arterial stiffening. However, its usefulness is hampered by the absence of techniques to estimate it non-invasively. Pulse transit time (PTT) is a simple and non-intrusive method derived from pulse wave velocity. It has shown its capability in childhood respiratory sleep studies. Recently, regression equations that can predict PTT values for healthy Caucasian children were formulated. However, its usefulness to identify hypertensive children based on mean PTT values has not been investigated. This was a continual study where 3 more Caucasian male children with known clinical hypertension were recruited. Results indicated that the PTT predictive equations are able to identify hypertensive children from their normal counterparts in a significant manner (p<0.05). Hence, PTT can be a useful diagnostic tool in identifying hypertension in children and shows potential to be a non-invasive continual monitor for arterial stiffening
Airway-Resident Memory CD8 T Cells Provide Antigen-Specific Protection against Respiratory Virus Challenge through Rapid IFN-γ Production

CD8 airway resident memory T (TRM) cells are a distinctive TRM population with a high turnover rate and a unique phenotype influenced by their localization within the airways. Their role in mediating protective immunity to respiratory pathogens, although suggested by many studies, has not been directly proven. This study provides definitive evidence that airway CD8 TRM cells are sufficient to mediate protection against respiratory virus challenge. Despite being poorly cytolytic in vivo and failing to expand after encountering Ag, airway CD8 TRM cells rapidly express effector cytokines, with IFN-γ being produced most robustly. Notably, established airway CD8 TRM cells possess the ability to produce IFN-γ faster than systemic effector memory CD8 T cells. Furthermore, naive mice receiving intratracheal transfer of airway CD8 TRM cells lacking the ability to produce IFN-γ were less effective at controlling pathogen load upon heterologous challenge. This direct evidence of airway CD8 TRM cell–mediated protection demonstrates the importance of these cells as a first line of defense for optimal immunity against respiratory pathogens and suggests they should be considered in the development of future cell-mediated vaccines.
Seismic Evidence for Hotspot-Induced Buoyant Flow Beneath the Reykjanes Ridge

Volcanic hotspots and mid-ocean ridge spreading centers are the surface expressions of upwelling in Earth's mantle convection system, and their interaction provides unique information on upwelling dynamics. I investigated the influence of the Iceland hotspot on the adjacent mid-Atlantic spreading center using phase-delay times of seismic surface waves, which show anomalous polarization anisotropy—a delay-time discrepancy between waves with different polarizations. This anisotropy implies that the hotspot induces buoyancy-driven upwelling in the mantle beneath the ridge.
Spatial — Temporal feature extraction based adaptive search range for effective frame rate up — Conversion

Frame rate up conversion (FRUC) has been playing an important role in the recent development of advanced television systems due to its benefits on both increasing the viewing quality experiences and reducing the cost of video transmission. However, with the increasing of video resolutions, notably from Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD), FRUC is now asked to provide not only better interpolated frames quality but also lower time processing. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel spatial - temporal feature extraction based adaptive search range for effective FRUC. In the proposed adaptive search range scheme, a set of temporal and spatial features are carefully defined and exploited to adaptively assign an appropriate search range value to each considered block; thus, directly reducing the FRUC time processing. Moreover, since the optimal search range can be employed; the quality of interpolated frames is significantly improved. Experimental results conducted for a rich set of video test sequences shown the advantages of the proposed FRUC scheme, notably in both subjective objective image quality improvement and time processing reduction.
Cationic-vacancy-induced room-temperature ferromagnetism in transparent, conducting anatase Ti1−xTaxO2 (x∼0.05) thin films

We report room-temperature ferromagnetism (FM) in highly conducting, transparent anatase Ti1−xTaxO2 (x∼0.05) thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO3 substrates. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffraction, proton-induced X-ray emission, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry indicated negligible magnetic contaminants in the films. The presence of FM with concomitant large carrier densities was determined by a combination of superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, electrical transport measurements, soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (SXMCD), XAS and optical magnetic circular dichroism, and was supported by first-principles calculations. SXMCD and XAS measurements revealed a 90 per cent contribution to FM from the Ti ions, and a 10 per cent contribution from the O ions. RBS/channelling measurements show complete Ta substitution in the Ti sites, though carrier activation was only 50 per cent at 5 per cent Ta concentration, implying compensation by cationic defects. The role of the Ti vacancy (VTi) and Ti3+ was studied via XAS and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, respectively. It was found that, in films with strong FM, the VTi signal was strong while the Ti3+ signal was absent. We propose (in the absence of any obvious exchange mechanisms) that the localized magnetic moments, VTi sites, are ferromagnetically ordered by itinerant carriers. Cationic-defect-induced magnetism is an alternative route to FM in wide-band-gap semiconducting oxides without any magnetic elements.
Correlates of Psychological Adjustment to Pediatric Physical Disorders: A Meta‐analytic Review and Comparison with Existing Models

Thirty-eight studies of correlates of children's adjustment to physical disorders were reviewed in a meta-analysis and compared with existing models. Results indicate (1) considered collectively, disease/ disability risk factors, parent/family risk factors, and child characteristics are significantly correlated with child adjustment although stressors (including socioeconomic status) are not; (2) disease/disability risk factors show significantly lower correlations than do parent/family or child characteristics; (3) child characteristics show the strongest correlation to adjustment, but these measures may be contaminated because items on some of these scales (e.g., self-concept, temperament) sometimes overlap with those on measures of total adjustment. With the exception of studies of disease severity, the number of studies meeting criteria for inclusion, with quantifiable correlates and measures of adjustment, was quite small. Inclusion of child, family/parent, social and medical risk/protective factors in future models is most appropriate, but greater emphasis needs to be placed on the child and family/parent characteristics. Greater attention also must be devoted to examining the interaction of risk/protective factors, including those that may be general and those that may be specific to a particular disability.
Regular and Occasional Smoking by College Students: Personality Attributions of Smokers and Nonsmokers

Recent reports show an increase in smoking among college students and suggest that occasional smoking is now initiated by previously nonsmoking students This study evaluated whether this apparent increase in smoking by students is associated with positive self-images associated with smoking. Regular and occasional smokers rated how smoking “changes the way you feel about yourself” on 18 self-attributes that may be associated with smoking, e.g., from cigarette advertisements. Nonsmokers also rated smokers on the same 18 attributes All three groups rated three attributes in the negative direction with at least a moderate effect size: that being a smoker was less healthy, that smokers were less desirable as a date and that smokers were less attractive while smoking. On only one other attribute regular smokers differed from neutral with at least a moderate effect size: that smoking made them feel less feminine. As hypothesized, the occasional smokers also rated some attributions positively with at least a moderate effect size: that smoking made them feel more daring and more adventurous and did not make them feel like an outcast. The non-smokers rated a number of additional attributes about smokers negatively with at least a moderate effect size: that smokers are less sexy, less feminine less sophisticated, less masculine, and less mature. Thus, the results suggest that smoking shows at best mixed associations with self-attributions of college students who smoke and is viewed negatively by those who do not smoke. Other results suggest that the recent increase in occasional smoking may be related to smoking with friends who smoke and smoking while drinking alcohol.