Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of 2 Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stents During Phacoemulsification for Mild to Advanced Primary Open-angle Glaucoma Controlled With Topical Hypotensive Medications

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse event profile of 2 trabecular micro-bypass stents implanted during standard phacoemulsification cataract surgery in patients with mild to advanced open-angle glaucoma whose intraocular pressure (IOP) was well controlled by topical medications. Patients and Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of patients with mild to advanced chronic open-angle glaucoma who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation of 2 stents. For all patients, preoperative and postoperative characteristics were evaluated, including number of medications and IOP. Postoperative visits were scheduled at 7 days and at months 1, 6, 12, and 24 after surgery. At each visit, IOP and the number of medications were noted. Results: In total, 63 eyes of 41 patients were included in the study. The vast majority of eyes (85.7%) were diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma. Preoperative mean IOP at baseline was 16.8±3.0 mm Hg (range, 10 to 24 mm Hg) with a mean of 2.3±0.9 medications. The mean IOP reduction represented a 13% decrease at 1 month (P<0.001), 13% at 6 months (P<0.001), 12% at 1 year (P<0.001), and 10% at 2 years (P<0.001), concomitant with a 23% reduction in the mean number of medications (P<0.001), 35% (P<0.001), 40% (P<0.001), and 40% (P<0.001), respectively, at each scheduled follow-up visit. At 24 months postoperatively, 19 of 23 (83%) patients experienced an IOP decrease compared with the preoperative visit. No severe device-related adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Patients with mild to advanced glaucoma can benefit from micro-bypass implantation even if their IOP is well controlled with topical hypotensive medications. Expectations for these reductions should be moderate.
Reply to comment by Paul A. Hwang on ``A study of the slope probability density function of the ocean waves from radar observations'' by D. Hauser et al.

In response to the comment of Hwang [2009], this paper presents an addendum to the study published by Hauser et al. [2008] on the mean square slopes (mss) derived from radar observations (at C-band and incidence angles between 7 and 21)
Democratic Deliberation in the Wild: The McGill Online Design Studio and the RegulationRoom Project

Although there is no single unified conception of deliberative democracy, the generally accepted core thesis is that democratic legitimacy comes from authentic deliberation on the part of those affected by a collective decision. This deliberation must occur under conditions of equality, broadmindedness, reasonableness, and inclusion. In exercises such as National Issue forums, citizen juries, and consensus conferences, deliberative practitioners have shown that careful attention to process design can enable ordinary citizens to engage in meaningful deliberation about difficult public policy issues. Typically, however, these are closed exercises — that is, they involve a limited number of participants, often selected to achieve a representative sample, who agree to take part in an extended, often multi-stage process.The question we begin to address here is whether the aspirations of democratic deliberation have any relevance to conventional public comment processes. These processes typically allow participation that is universal (anyone who shows up can participate) and highly variable (ranging from brief engagement and short expressions of outcome preferences to protracted attention and lengthy brief-like presentations). Although these characteristics preclude the kind of control over process and participants that can be achieved in a deliberation exercise, we argue that conscious attention to process design can make it more likely that more participants will engage in informed, thoughtful, civil, and inclusive discussion. We examine this question through the lens of two action-based research projects: the McGill Online Design Studio (MODS), which facilitates public participation in Canadian urban planning, and RegulationRoom, which supports public comment in U.S. federal rulemaking.
Corridor Work: How Liminal Space becomes a Resource for Handling Complexities of Multi-disciplinary Health Care

This paper presents an analysis of video-ethnographic data of a corridor in an Australian metropolitan teaching hospital. As the video data will illustrate, the corridor connects spaces (wards, consulting rooms) and practices (clinicians consulting each other about shared patients and co-organizing their work). The paper describes how the complexities of multi-disciplinary practice and disease trajectory; the dynamic circulation of bodies and materials, and the material-phenomenological intentionalities embedded in space converge in the corridor, and how this helps transmute 'marginal' space into a site of intense productivity. It is here that the interstices among clinical knowledges, processes, problems and purposes are dynamically negotiated and worked out. The corridor, perceived as liminal space, becomes the place par excellence for the negotiation and resolution of an array of complexities inherent in how multi-disciplinary care intersects with the uncertain trajectories of disease and access to hospital resources. In our conceptualization, the corridor is a space whose perceived liminality becomes a crucial resource: this is a unique site where final decisions can be held in abeyance and where uncertainties and provisional decisions can co-exist; a space where the fixities of hierarchy and specialization can be attenuated if not suspended, and a space where people can agree to work around rules and regulations; in short, a space where tasks and positionings become sufficiently provisional, flexible and negotiable to enable clinicians to weave the complexity of emerging facets of clinical practice into a workable and productive unfolding.
X-ray spectra produced by a hot plasma containing cold clouds

We compute the hard X-ray spectra from a hot plasma pervaded by small cold dense clouds. The main cooling mechanism of the plasma is Compton cooling by the soft thermal emission from the clouds. We compute numerically the equilibrium temperature of the plasma together with the escaping spectrum. The spectrum depends mainly on the amount of cold clouds filling the hot phase. The clouds covering factor is constrained to be low in order to produce spectra similar to those observed in Seyfert galaxies and X-ray binaries, implying that an external reflector is required in order to reproduce the full range of observed reflection amplitudes. We also derive analytical estimates for the X-ray spectral slope and reflection amplitude using an escape probability formalism.
A rabidopsis thaliana

We have characterized a novel mutation of Arabidopsis fhaliana at a locus designated pho2. pho2 mutants accumulated up to 3-fold more total P in leaves, mostly as inorganic phosphate (Pi), than wild-type seedlings. In addition, we isolated a mutant (locus designated phol-2, an allelle of phol-1 described by Y. Poirier, S. Thoma, C. Somerville, 1. Schiefelbein [1991] Plant Physiol97: 10871093) with low Pi concentrations in leaves. When grown under high transpiration conditions, leaves of pho2 seedlings became severely P intoxicated, whereas shoots of phol-2 mutants were P deficient and wild-type seedlings were normal. A phol/pho2 double mutant resulting from a cross between the single mutants was identified in the F, generation and shown to have a phol phenotype. Prior to the development of P toxicity symptoms, P was the only mineral nutrient whose concentration was greater in pho2 mutants than wildtype seedlings. Compared to wild-type, $102 mutants had greater Pi concentrations in stems, diques, and seeds, but roots of pho2 mutants had similar or lower Pi concentrations than either phol mutants or wild-type seedlings. We suggest that the pho2 mutation affects a function normally involved in regulating the concentration of Pi in shoots of Arabidopsis.
Megalochelys: gigantic tortoise from the Neogene of Myanmar

Background. The genus Megalochelys is the largest known testudinid (family Testudnidae) found from the upper Miocene to lower Pleistocene of India to Indonesian Islands. The maximum length of the shell in this genus has been estimated as up to about 2 m long based on a specimen from the lower Pleistocene of Java Island, Indonesia. Recently, joint paleontological expeditions of Japan and Myanmar led by M. Takai have unearthed abundant fossils of this genus from the Neogene since 2003. These materials shed new light on this unique gigantic tortoise.
The role of prehealth student volunteers at a student-run free clinic in New York, United States

Purpose: The medical student-run Einstein Community Health Outreach Clinic provides free healthcare to the uninsured adult population of New York, the United States. During the summer, prehealth student volunteers are recruited to assist with clinic operations. Methods: We designed a survey study to identify the baseline characteristics of the volunteers between June and August of 2013 and 2014 in order to evaluate the influence of working in a medical student-run free clinic on their education, impressions, and career goals. Results: A total of 38 volunteers (response rate, 83%) participated in the study. The volunteers were demographically diverse and interested in primary care specialties and community service. Conclusion: After the Einstein Community Health Outreach program, the volunteers showed an improved understanding of the healthcare process and issues relevant to uninsured patients. They also developed favorable attitudes towards primary care medicine and an increased level of interest in pursuing careers in primary care.
UC Irvine UC Irvine Previously Published Works Title Genetics of coronary artery calcification among African Americans , a meta-analysis

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the major cause of death in the United States. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores are independent predictors of CHD. African Americans (AA) have higher rates of CHD but are less well-studied in genomic studies. We assembled the largest AA data resource currently available with measured CAC to identify associated genetic variants. Methods: We analyzed log transformed CAC quantity (ln(CAC + 1)), for association with ~2.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and performed an inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis on results for 5,823 AA from 8 studies. Heritability was calculated using family studies. The most significant SNPs among AAs were evaluated in European Ancestry (EA) CAC data; conversely, the significance of published SNPs for CAC/CHD in EA was queried within our AA meta-analysis. Results: Heritability of CAC was lower in AA (~30%) than previously reported for EA (~50%). No SNP reached genome wide significance (p < 5E-08). Of 67 SNPs with p < 1E-05 in AA there was no evidence of association in EA CAC data. Four SNPs in regions previously implicated in CAC/CHD (at 9p21 and PHACTR1) in EA reached nominal significance for CAC in AA, with concordant direction. Among AA, rs16905644 (p = 4.08E-05) had the strongest association in the 9p21 region. Conclusions: While we observed substantial heritability for CAC in AA, we failed to identify loci for CAC at genome-wide significant levels despite having adequate power to detect alleles with moderate to large effects. Although suggestive signals in AA were apparent at 9p21 and additional CAC and CAD EA loci, overall the data suggest that even larger samples and an ethnic specific focus will be required for GWAS discoveries for CAC in AA populations.
The Dynamics of Educational Attainment for Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites

This paper estimates a dynamic model of schooling attainment to investigate the sources of discrepancy by race and ethnicity in college attendance. When the returns to college education rose, college enrollment of whites responded much more quickly than that of minorities. Parental income is a strong predictor of this response. However, using NLSY data, we find that it is the long-run factors associated with parental background and income and not short-term credit constraints facing college students that account for the differential response by race and ethnicity to the new labor market for skilled labor. Policies aimed at improving these long-term factors are far more likely to be successful in eliminating college attendance differentials than are short-term tuition reduction policies.
ovel antigens for detection of cell mediated immune responses to ycobacterium avium subsp . paratuberculosis infection in cattle

Paratuberculosis is a chronic infection of the intestine of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Early stage MAP infection can be detected by measuring specific cell mediated immune responses, using the whole blood interferon(IFN) assay. Available IFNassays use purified protein derivative of MAP (PPDj) which are complex antigen mixtures with low specificity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate immunogenicity and specificity of 14 novel recombinant antigens for use in the IFNassay and to assess the consistency of IFNresponses. The study included blood samples from 26 heifers from a MAP infected herd, collected three times with four to fiveweek intervals, and blood samples from 60 heifers of a non-infected herd collected once. Heifers of the non-infected herd were used to establish cut-off values for each antigen. The case definition was an animal with ≥2 positive tests for ≥4 antigens, resulting in 13 cases and 13 non-cases. IFNlevels of cases were higher compared to IFNlevels of non-cases (P < 0.05). The results of the IFNassay using PPDj did not correlate well with the results using the novel antigens. PPDj produced elevated IFNresponses of samples from both the non-infected and the MAP infected herd, indicating unspecific IFNresponses and showed low consistency. Three latency proteins, LATP-1, LATP-2 and LATP-3 gave positive IFNtests that correlated very well with the case definition suggesting high immunogenicity. Three tested antigens, LATP-2, MAP-1 and MAP-2 have no homologue in the M. avium subsp. avium or M. bovis genome and could be promising diagnostic antigens, especially LATP-2 correlated highly with the case definition.
Algorithm 3: Solution of polynomial equation by Bairstow-Hitchcock method

Objccfivc ,\ ~l('w e(litori,~i dcpartme~at called *~Algoritbms" has l>{,e~ added t~) tim ('omm~n/c'ati~)ns. This departme~,~ was estabtisi~ed publish t g¢)rithms col~sisting of "proce-durvs" amt programs i~ {t~e ALGOL l:mguage. ContribuCed i~c~s may take one (ff chree possible forms: An Al,c,()t,l'r~fsl, C*'. 'lcrlFlc ~'rioN of a previously published algorithm , t{~;. ~A~< ~m a previously published algorithm. T h e seciio~ will always be headed by a disclaimer a~M a state-merci I)ermiitit~g reproductio>. i~ should be noted I hnt algorithms i~ ALGOl, may con-{irate (o appear in a<y other department of the ('ore-orith m , c(mtribul(d Mgori~hm should be in the followi~l,g A~Sq'~A~T: This is a brief d('scriptio~ of the algorithm, a~d lIt/tst be less than 20() words i~:l length. T h e pro'pose of the algorithm should be stated, givi~,g a~euracy, rauges, derivatitm or references, tabular space requirements, and any other hlforlltatioti that might help a user. The status and method of checkout migh¢ atso be givem This abstract should Mways be expressed as a c o m m e n t in ALGOL rlotatioit. AL(;oRvritM: The ALGOL language must be used (see Preiiminaw [{eport-lnterlmtiomd Algebraic Language Comm~micationa, ACM December, t958). The author shouM use the Publication form of ALGOL and is 'by Editor. requested to write the algorithms in a style patterned after the ID.OSt recent algorithms appearing in this section of the Communications. The successful use of a published algorithm, either by maehilm or hand compilation, enhances its value. Therefore , contributions in the fornl of "Certifications" "~re also solicited by this dep'mment, it is anticipated that periodically , perhaps once "t year, an index or catalog of algorithms along with references to all their certifications and remarks will be published. An algorithm in this "libratT" which includes several certifications assumes a certain stature. A contributed Certification should be in the following form : T h e word "CI~:~cru,'tCATIOX". CEnT[FICAT[OX: This should be a brief statement of how the algorilhm was used, the values of quantities used, and results obtained. Information such as the type of computer used and the compiler or compiling method used Inay also be helpful. A strong form of certification is a test, routine or test value generator which tests each possible branch of the a.lgorithm. This test, in ALGOL, [n'ty t)e included in the certification. R e m a r k s I t is anticipated that, a published algorit~hm may contain an error, may …
First attempted breeding of Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus Brünnich, 1764) on Santa Maria, Azores

The Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus (Brünnich, 1764) is a north Atlantic seabird which mainly breeds in Europe. In the Azores, its breeding colonies occur exclusively on the islands from the western group (Flores and Corvo). Here, we report the first breeding attempt observed on Vila islet, Santa Maria (the easternmost island of the archipelago, situated circa 600 km from Flores and Corvo). Our observation confirms that Manx Shearwaters can settle far from their usual breeding localities and enhances the importance of Vila islet for the Azorean marine avifauna.
Artificial increasing returns to scale and the problem of sampling from lognormals

We show how increasing returns to scale in urban scaling can artificially emerge, systematically and predictably, without any sorting or positive externalities. We employ a model where individual productivities are independent and identically distributed lognormal random variables across all cities. We use extreme value theory to demonstrate analytically the paradoxical emergence of increasing returns to scale when the variance of log-productivity is larger than twice the log-size of the population size of the smallest city in a cross-sectional regression. Our contributions are to derive an analytical prediction for the artificial scaling exponent arising from this mechanism and to develop a simple statistical test to try to tell whether a given estimate is real or an artifact. Our analytical results are validated analyzing simulations and real microdata of wages across municipalities in Colombia. We show how an artificial scaling exponent emerges in the Colombian data when the sizes of random samples of workers per municipality are 1% or less of their total size.
COMPASS Therapeutic Notes on the Primary Care Management of Acne in Primary Care

Successful completion of the assessment questions at the end of this issue will provide you with 3 hours towards your CPD/CME requirements. Further copies of this and any other edition in the COMPASS Therapeutic Notes series, including relevant CPD/CME assessment questions, can be found at: www.medicinesni. com or www.hscbusiness. hscni.net/services/2163.htm GPs can complete the multiple choice questions on-line and print off their CPD/CME certificate at www.medicinesni. com Pharmacists should enter their MCQ answers at www.nicpld. org
Renouvellement de l'economie manufacturiere au Canada: une comparaison regionale, 1973 a 1996

Dans ce document, on evalue le degre de renouvellement de l'emploi dans l'economie manufacturiere canadienne dans son ensemble et selon la province. L'etude s'inspire d'un fichier de microdonnees longitudinales couvrant la population d'etablissements manufacturiers du Canada de 1973 a 1996.
A REVIEW OF VIOLENT OR FATAL OTTER ATTACKS

In general, the public view of otters is often described as playful, curious and that they are not known for aggressive towards humans. As well, otter attacks seem to be under reported both in the anecdotal reports or scientific publications. In light of recent otter attacks in Florida, we reviewed all evidence of otter attacks on humans for any geographical and temporal relationships from the earliest (1875) to the most recent (Dec 2010). There was a total 39 anecdotal articles and 4 scientific publications found dealing with violent human-otter interaction (bites, attacks, deaths). The majority of attacks dealt with the North American otter (Lontra canadensis - 77%) and geographically occurred most often in Florida (38%). The greatest number of attacks occurred from 1990 to 2009 (51%). Within the 39 documented anecdotal reports of otter attacks, rabies was confirmed in 24 to 66% of the cases. Otters are known to be very territorial in nature and in North America, have had increases in population numbers. In certain areas where otters occur naturally (Florida), there has been a huge surge of human expansion, which has encroached upon the otter's natural habitat. This encroachment into the otter's habitat may be one reason for the recent increases of otter attacks upon humans.
ANTHROPOMETRICAL, MOTORICAL AND FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES OF FIRST-GRADE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Cilj je ovog istraživanja utvrditi moguće razlike u antropometrijskim karakteristikama, motoričkim i funkcionalnim sposobnostima među učenicima i učenicama prvih razreda srednjih škola različitih usmjerenja i sredina. Istraživanje je obavljeno na skupini od 452 učenika i učenica prvih razreda srednjih škola u Zagrebu, Virovitici i Pitomači. Izmjerene su im tjelesna visina, tjelesna težina, opseg podlaktice te je provedeno testiranje njihovih motoričkih i funkcionalnih sposobnosti standardnim testovima. Učenici imaju veće vrijednosti antropometrijskih mjera, bolje rezultate motoričkih testova i funkcionalnih sposobnosti u odnosu na učenice i češće su prekomjerne tjelesne mase i pretili. Ispitanici gimnazija i urbane sredine su viši i u većini boljih motoričkih i funkcionalnih sposobnosti. Zanimljiv je utjecaj indeksa tjelesne mase na rezultate motoričkih i funkcionalnih testova u odnosu na spol. Uredno uhranjeni učenici, ali i nedovoljno uhranjene učenice, imaju najbolje prosječne vrijednosti većine rezultata motoričkih i funkcionalnih testova. Pretili ispitanici ostvarili su najlošije rezultate mjerenja. Istraživanje je potvrdilo razlike u antropometrijskim karakteristikama, motoričkim i funkcionalnim sposobnostima ispitane skupine kao posljedice utjecaja spolnog dimorfizma, sredine i različitog programa nastave tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture.
Controlling for rater effects when comparing survey items with incomplete Likert data.

The rating scale model (Andrich, 1978) was applied to data from a survey that directed students to rate their satisfaction with college services on a five point Likert scale. Because students used different services, and students were directed to rate only the services they used, the items were differentially exposed to a person factor that we call "pleasability. " Differential exposure to pleasability makes items' average rating a biased measure of their performance. In contrast, item parameter estimates in the rating scale model corrected for differential exposure to pleasability. Compared to items' average ratings, item parameter estimates in the rating scale model did a better job of predicting which item received the higher rating when any two items were rated by the same rater.