Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal Health Care Services Access Index and Infant Survival in Nigeria

Background Infant mortality rate in Nigeria is among the highest world-wide. Utilization of modern health care facilities during pregnancy and at delivery reduces infant mortality rate. We examined the relationship between Infant Mortality (IM) and Maternal Health Care Services Access Index (MHCI) in Nigeria. Methods This cross-sectional study utilized 2013 NDHS data and included women aged 15–49 years (n=12511). MHCI was obtained from information on antenatal visit, antenatal attendance, tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy, place of delivery and birth attendance. Cox-proportional hazard and Brass models were used for the analysis (α=0.05). Results Mean MHCI was higher among women with lower prevalence of IM. About 5.1% and 3.4% of the women with none and complete MHCI had experienced infant deaths respectively. The hazard of experienced infant deaths was 1.497(1.068–2.098) and 1.466(1.170–1.836) significantly higher among women with no and low MHCI respectively than those with complete MHCI. This pattern was observed when other factors were used as control. The refined IM probability (range=0.0482–0.1102) and IM rates (range=50–119) increased with reduction in the level of MHCI. The IM rate reduces from 119 per 1,000 live births among women whose MHCI score was zero to 50 per 1,000 live births among those with complete MHCI score. Conclusion Infant death was least experienced among women who had complete MHCI. If women optimize utilization of health facility during pregnancy and delivery, infant deaths will reduce in Nigeria.
Novel Mutations in ndh in Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosisIsolates

ABSTRACT Novel mutations in NADH dehydrogenase (ndh) were detected in 8 of 84 (9.5%) isoniazid (INH)-resistant isolates (T110A [n = 1], R268H [n = 7]), but not in 22 INH-susceptible isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Significantly, all eight isolates with mutations atndh did not have mutations at katG, kasA, or the promoter regions of inhA or ahpC, except for one isolate. Mutations in ndh appear to be an additional molecular mechanism for isoniazid resistance in M. tuberculosis.
Effects of Information Privacy Policies on Customers' Willingness to transact with Online Vendors

Organizations operating in the information age need to refine their understanding of the effects of organizational policies regarding personal information management on customers’ willingness to transact with online vendors. This research employed a 2x2x2 within-subjects experimental design to test the effects of three organizational information management strategy variables on customers’ willingness to transact with online vendors. The three strategy variables presented to customers through privacy policies are: (1) seeking customers’ informed consent, (2) giving customers the ability to limit data sharing, and (3) giving customers the ability to limit secondary use of data. Analyses of data collected from customers support the three hypothesized main effects which are all positive.
A novel type of deletion in the CDKN2A gene identified in a melanoma‐prone family

Linkage to the CDKN2A locus has been demonstrated in ∼50% of families with hereditary malignant melanoma but only a subgroup of these harbor identified mutations. We here report a Norwegian melanoma‐prone family with a novel large germline deletion removing 13707 bps of the CDKN2A gene, including exon 1α and approximately half of exon 2. Our finding is the first reported large CDKN2A germline deletion with a breakpoint located within an exon. This type of deletion is not detectable through the direct exon sequencing and may also escape identification by use of multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis. Here, the defect was identified through detection of a truncated p14(ARF) mRNA and loss of p16(INK4a) mRNA expression from the affected allele. Our finding suggests that atypical, large deletions in the CDKN2A gene may explain linkage to the 9p21 chromosome band without identified gene mutations among melanoma‐prone families. Thus, it illustrates the need to include p14(ARF)‐ and p16(INK4a) transcript analysis when searching for unknown mutations within the CDKN2A locus in melanoma‐prone families. Similar deletions with atypical breakpoints may affect other genes involved in cancer disposition, and the need to examine gene transcripts in high‐risk families with no mutation identified through conventional testing should be considered. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improved Neurodevelopmental Outcomes for Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants in 2000–2002

BACKGROUND. Neurodevelopmental impairment of extremely low birth weight infants increased in the 1990s. Modern therapeutic changes may have influenced more recent neonatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE. We sought to compare neonatal therapies and outcomes among all extremely low birth weight infants born in 2000–2002 (period III) to 2 previous periods: 1982–1989 (period I) and 1990–1999 (period II). METHODS. The population included 496 extremely low birth weight infants born at our perinatal center during period I, 749 during period II, and 233 during period III. Therapies, rates of death, and survival with and without impairment at 20 months' corrected age were compared. RESULTS. Between periods I and II, survival increased from 49% to 68% as did neonatal morbidity. This resulted in increased survival without impairment but also increased survival with impairment. Changes in therapy during period III included an increase in antenatal steroid use and a decrease in postnatal steroid use, although the rate of chronic lung disease did not change. Sepsis decreased, as did severe intraventricular hemorrhage. On follow-up, the rate of cerebral palsy decreased from 13% to 5%, resulting in a decrease in neurodevelopmental impairment from 35% to 23%. As a result, during period III versus II, survival without impairment increased, whereas survival with impairment decreased. CONCLUSION. Since 2000, neurodevelopmental impairment has decreased among extremely low birth weight infants. A variety of perinatal and neonatal factors were associated with the improved outcomes including increased antenatal steroid use and cesarean section delivery, as well as decreased sepsis, severe cranial ultrasound abnormalities, and postnatal steroid use despite no change in the rate of chronic lung disease.
PREVALENCE OF Salmonella SPECIES IN STRAY CATS IN MOSUL CITY, IRAQ

Stray carnivores are often exposed to intestinal infection with Salmonella species and might remain carriers for long period, so they have great possibilities for shedding these organisms; particularly the stray cats in cities are more than others because of their size and habits; thus they might contribute actively in contamination of environment. The aim of this study was to detect Salmonella species in stray cats and to access their role in spreading of salmonella infection. Rectal swabs from 59 apparently healthy cats were cultured, tetrathionate broth and Salmonella-Shigella agar were used. Euthanization and post mortem examinations were done later. Bacterial isolation from internal organs was carried out also. Morphological properties and biochemical tests were dependent for detection of Salmonella organisms. They were serotyped in Central Health Laboratory in Baghdad. A high isolation rate of Salmonellae (10.16%) was recorded (by rectal swabs). Various Salmonella serovars were observed: S. anatum (3.38%), S. montevideo (3.38%), S. typhimurim (1.69%) and S. brenrderup (1.69%). The isolation rate from internal organs was lower (0.67%) than that from rectum, S. typhimurim (1.69%) and S. montevideo (1.69%) were isolated from small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes respectively. Stray cats have great chances to get intestinal infection in comparison with the house cats due to their living style. In conclusion asymptomatic (carriers) stray cats were considered a dangerous source of infection with Salmonellae, besides their significant role in contamination of environment; they will threat public and animal health particularly in cities.
A Dynamic Fuzzy Money Management Approach for Controlling the Intraday Risk-Adjusted Performance of AI Trading Algorithms

The majority of existing artificial intelligence AI studies in computational finance literature are devoted solely to predicting market movements. In this paper we shift the attention to how AI can be applied to control risk-based money management decisions. We propose an innovative fuzzy logic approach which identifies and categorizes technical rules performance across different regions in the trend and volatility space. The model dynamically prioritizes higher performing regions at an intraday level and adapts money management policies with the objective to maximize global risk-adjusted performance. By adopting a hybrid method in conjunction with a popular neural network NN trend prediction model, our results show significant performance improvements compared with both standard NN and buy-and-hold approaches. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of increased RES penetration on the system marginal price of the Greek electricity market

This paper analyzes the effect that increased RES penetration in the energy production mix of Greece has on the system marginal prices, the total CO2 emissions, the total payment of the consumers for the energy withdrawal and the RES uplift charge. The market clearing algorithm of the Greek day-ahead electricity market is used for the simulation of the Greek energy market under ten different scenarios for RES installed capacity. The units' emissions cost is appropriately incorporated in their total production cost function. Valuable conclusions are drawn from the application of the scenarios on four typical days of year 2009.
Design of a new CP-ABE with constant-size secret keys for lightweight devices using elliptic curve cryptography

The energy cost of public-key cryptography is a vital component of modern secure communications. It inhibits the widespread adoption within the ultra-low energy regimes for example, implantable medical devices and Radio Frequency Identification tags. In the ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption CP-ABE, an encryptor can decide the access policy that who can decrypt the data. Thus, data will be protected from the unauthorized users. However, most of the existing CP-ABE schemes require huge storage and computational overheads. Moreover, CP-ABE schemes based on bilinear map loose high efficiency over the elliptic curve cryptography because of the requirement of the security parameters of larger size. These drawbacks prevent the use of ultra-low energy devices in practice. In this paper, we aim to propose a novel expressive AND gate access structured CP-ABE scheme with constant-size secret keys CSSK with cost-efficient solutions for encryption and decryption using elliptic curve cryptography, called the CP-ABE-CSSK scheme. In the proposed CP-ABE-CSSK, the size of the secret key is as small as 320 bits. In addition, elliptic curve cryptography is efficient and more suitable for lightweight devices as compared with bilinear pairing-based cryptosystem. Thus, the proposed CP-ABE-CSSK scheme provides low computation and storage overheads with an expressive AND gate access structure as compared with related existing schemes. Consequently, our scheme becomes very practical for CP-ABE key storage and computation cost for ultra-low energy devices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biomarkers upon discontinuation of renal replacement therapy predict 60‐day survival and renal recovery in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury

Introduction: There is no consensus on the specific indications for weaning critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) off renal replacement therapy (RRT). This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of several biomarkers measured upon discontinuation of RRT for their value in predicting 60‐day survival and renal recovery in an effort to add knowledge to the decision‐making process regarding RRT withdrawal.
Poor Tolerance of Sirolimus in a Steroid Avoidance Regimen for Renal Transplantation

Vascular disease and chronic allograft nephropathy have prompted re-evaluation of steroids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) in renal transplantation. Sirolimus (SRL) can facilitate early CNI withdrawal. We report on the Early CNI and Steroid Elimination in Leeds (ECSEL) study, which was terminated early due to poor tolerability of SRL. Basiliximab/methylprednisolone induction was used, then 2 months of tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment. A total of 51 patients were randomized to continue TAC/MMF or switch to SRL/MMF. In ECSEL1, patients were switched at 2 months (n=10). In ECSEL2, SRL was introduced at months 4–6 and TAC was tapered (n=13). Median overall follow up was 701 days. All 10 ECSEL1 and 10 of 13 (77%) ECSEL2 patients discontinued SRL due to adverse events, including leucopenia, rash, mucosal ulceration, arthralgia, and possible pneumonitis. Mean end-of-study creatinine was comparable in all groups. Sirolimus should be used with caution in complete CNI and steroid withdrawal, due to the resultant intolerable adverse event profile.
Improving platelet supply chains through collaborations between blood centers and transfusion services

BACKGROUND: Blood centers and hospital transfusion services are challenged with maintaining an adequate platelet (PLT) inventory to minimize the number of outdated units without risking a major shortage. A novel approach to inventory management was established at our institution through a collaboration between the Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC) Transfusion Service, the Stanford Blood Center (SBC), and the Department of Management Science and Engineering.
Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Graph Coloring

The goal of this Random Walks project is to code and experiment the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for the problem of graph coloring. In this report, we present the plots of cost function \(\mathbf{H}\) by varying the parameters like \(\mathbf{q}\) (Number of colors that can be used in coloring) and \(\mathbf{c}\) (Average node degree). The results are obtained by using simulated annealing scheme, where the temperature (inverse of \(\mathbf{\beta}\)) parameter in the MCMC is lowered progressively.
Nature and Role of Change in Anxiety Sensitivity During NRT-Aided Cognitive-Behavioral Smoking Cessation Treatment

This study evaluated the associations between change in anxiety sensitivity (AS; fear of the negative consequences of anxiety and related sensations) and lapse and relapse during a 4-week group NRT-aided cognitive-behavioral Tobacco Intervention Program. Participants were 67 (44 women; M age = 46.2 years, SD = 10.4) adult daily smokers. Results indicated that participants who maintained high levels of AS from pretreatment to 1 month posttreatment, compared to those who demonstrated a significant reduction in AS levels during this time period, showed a significantly increased risk for lapse and relapse. Further inspection indicated that higher continuous levels of AS physical and psychological concerns, specifically among those participants who maintained elevated levels of AS from pre- to posttreatment, predicted significantly greater risk for relapse. Findings are discussed with respect to better understanding change in AS, grounded in an emergent taxonic-dimensional factor mixture model of the construct, with respect to lapse and relapse during smoking cessation.
A near-optimal non-myopic active learning method

Non-myopic active learning allows the learner to select multiple unlabeled samples at a time. It avoids tedious retraining with each selected sample, and is effective to utilize multiple labelers. But current non-myopic active learning methods are typically greedy by selecting top N unlabeled samples with maximum score. While efficient, such a greedy active learning approach cannot guarantee the learner's performance. In this paper, we introduce a near-optimal non-myopic active learning algorithm that is efficient and simultaneously has a performance guarantee. Our experimental results on UCI data sets and a real-world application show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the myopic active learning method and the existing non-myopic active learning methods in both efficiency and accuracy.
Increased risk of childhood asthma from antibiotic use in early life.

BACKGROUND To address the major methodological issues of reverse causation and selection bias in epidemiologic studies of antibiotic use in early life and the development of asthma, we undertook a cohort study of this association in a complete population of children. METHODS Using the health-care and prescription databases of Manitoba, Canada, this longitudinal study assessed the association between antibiotic prescription use during the first year of life and asthma at age 7 years in a 1995 birth cohort of 13,116 children. RESULTS Independent of well-known asthma risk factors, asthma was significantly more likely to develop in children who had received antibiotics in the first year of life at age 7 years. The association with asthma was observed for antibiotic use in non-respiratory tract infections (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 3.37). The risk of asthma was highest in children receiving more than four courses of antibiotics (adjusted OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.88), especially among rural children, and in the absence of maternal asthma or a dog in the birth year. Broad-spectrum (BS) cephalosporin use was more common in these subpopulations of children. CONCLUSIONS Antibiotic use in early life was associated with the development of childhood asthma, a risk that may be reduced by avoiding the use of BS cephalosporins.
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) induced irritant contact dermatitis: a correlation study between ceramides and in vivo parameters of irritation

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a surfactant frequently used in the induction of experimental irritant contact dermatitis in animals and in humans, characterstically induces a dose‐related increase in TEWL (transepidermal water loss). Ceramides are considered to be important in the regulation of the skin barrier. We therefore examined the relationship between initial ceramide content of stratum corneum and induced changes in skin color (erythema) and barrier function, after SLS application under occlusion (1% and 3% in water) to the forearm of 14 volunteers. Stratum corneum sheets were removed, stratum corneum lipids extracted, and ceramide composition determined from chromatograms (TLC) using densitometry. After determining baseline skin color and TEWL at each area. 2 samples of stratum corneum were obtained from each volunteer. Clinical and instrumental controls of the SLS‐induced irritation were performed at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Erythema was evaluated by colorimetry; barrier impairment by changes in TEWL. We found inverse correlations between baseline ceramide 61 (weight) and the 24 h erythema score for SLS: between ceramide I and 24 h TEWL, and between ceramide 611 and 72 h TEWL for SLS 3%. Our findings suggest that low levels of these ceramides may determine a proclivity to SLS‐induced irritant contact dermatitis.
Deinococcus radiodurans DR1088 is a novel RecF‐interacting protein that stimulates single‐stranded DNA annealing

RecF, together with the recombination mediators RecO and RecR, is required in the RecFOR homologous recombination repair pathway in bacteria. In this study, a recF‐dr1088 operon, which is highly conserved in the Deinococcus‐Thermus phylum, was identified in Deinococcus radiodurans. Interaction between DRRecF and DR1088 was confirmed by yeast two‐hybrid and pull‐down assays. DR1088 exhibited some RecO‐like biochemical properties including single/double‐stranded DNA binding activity, ssDNA binding protein (SSB) replacement ability and ssDNA (with or without SSB) annealing activity. However, unlike other recombination proteins, dr1088 is essential for cell viability. These results indicate that DR1088 might play a role in DNA replication and DNA repair processes.
Effectiveness of group medical visits for improving diabetes care: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Group medical visits, whereby health care professionals meet with groups of patients who have the same disease, have been introduced in primary care as a way to meet the increasing demand for health care delivery to patients with chronic diseases. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the effectiveness of such visits for patients with diabetes. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of all relevant studies published from 1947 to February 2012 identified in a search of electronic databases and grey literature. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies published in English that included patients aged 16–80 years with type 1 or 2 diabetes and that had group medical visits as the intervention. These studies were assessed for methodologic quality. We included data only from the RCTs in the meta-analysis. Results: Of the 94 studies identified, we selected 26 that met our inclusion criteria, 13 of which were RCTs. Group medical visits had a positive effect on clinical and patient-reported outcomes, with significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c reduction −0.46%, 95% confidence interval −0.80% to −0.31%). We were unable to assess the effect of group medical visits on processes of care because of an insufficient number of RCTs that reported on this outcome. Interpretation: Group medical visits for patients with diabetes were found to be effective in terms of reducing HbA1c. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that wider implementation of group medical visits for patients with diabetes will have a positive effect on patient outcomes.
On Some Novel Aspects of Consanguineous Marriages

Consanguineous marriages, often viewed as incestuous and objectionable, are more widespread than commonly perceived. They integrate multiple facets of human adaptation: economic, cultural and genetic. The widely touted explanation for the origin and persistence of consanguinity is that it provides many socioeconomic benefits; however, this view may be too simplistic. The bias against consanguinity may preclude an objective understanding of this sociobiological puzzle. Inbreeding increases the speed of selection of beneficial recessive and co-dominant alleles, e.g. those that protect against diseases. In populations endemic with malaria, the prevalence of consanguineous marriages and the frequency of alleles protective against malaria are both very high. Thus, consanguinity could theoretically increase the relative fitness of a population under specific ecological conditions; sometimes, the overall genetic benefits may exceed genetic costs of inbreeding. We discuss some recent evidence from studies on inbreeding along with the reasons responsible for the mating strategy found in some human populations. We contend that a better appreciation of our inherent biases and potential genetic benefits of inbreeding in specific ecological conditions would help us to appreciate the wider picture of consanguinity.