Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Iodine Status in Children, Adults, Pregnant Women and Lactating Women in Iodine-Replete Areas of China

Background Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are widespread in China. Presently, IDD have been put under control by Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) in China; however, there is a lack of evidence on whether the iodine status in adults, pregnant women and lactating women is optimal. This study was therefore conducted to assess the iodine nutrition and thyroid function of children, adults, pregnant women and lactating women residing in areas where the USI program is fully established. Design Six areas were selected according to the geographical regions in China. In each of these areas, we selected 4 distinct groups of subjects (children, adults, pregnant women and lactating women) in regions where the coverage rate of iodised salt was more than 95% and the levels of iodine and fluoride in drinking water were less than or equal to 10 µg/L and 1 mg/L, respectively. We tested the iodine content of salt, urinary iodine (UI), free thyroxin (FT4), thyrotropin (TSH), thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroglobulin antibody (Tg-Ab) and antimicrosomal antibody (TM-Ab) in the 4 groups, and examined the thyroid volume in children. Results The median urinary iodine (MUI) concentrations were 271.4 μg/L, 260.2 μg/L, 205.9 μg/L and 193.9 μg/L in children, adults, pregnant women and lactating women, respectively; MUI in children and adults were more than adequate. The goitre prevalence (GP) in children was 6.70%. The odds ratios (OR) of subclinical hypothyroidism in the Tg-Ab- or TM-Ab-positive groups were 3.80, 7.65, 2.01 and 7.47 for children, adults, pregnant women and lactating women, respectively, compared with the negative groups. Conclusions The iodine status in children and adults is above the requirement, we should reduce their iodine intake. Subclinical hypothyroidism easily occurs in the Tg-Ab or TM-Ab positive groups.
Affects of Anxiety and Depression on Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with Benign Breast Lumps Diagnosed via Ultrasonography in China

There is a high incidence of benign breast lumps among women, and these lumps may lead to physical and psychological problems. This study aims to evaluate anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with benign breast lumps diagnosed via ultrasonography and investigate their impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shenyang, China, from January to November 2013. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires, including the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), together with demographic characteristics, from patients of the Department of Breast Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis (HMR) was performed to explore the effects of anxiety and depression on HRQOL. The overall prevalences of anxiety (SAS score ≥ 40) and depression (CES-D scores ≥ 16) were 40.2% and 62.0%, respectively, and 37.5% of the participants had both of these psychological symptoms. The means and standard deviations of PCS and MCS were 75.42 (15.22) and 68.70 (17.71), respectively. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly negatively associated with the HRQOL of patients with benign breast lumps diagnosed via ultrasonography. Women with benign breast lumps diagnosed via ultrasonography in China experienced relatively high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Anxiety and depressive symptoms had significant negative impacts on both the mental and physical quality of life (QOL) of women with benign breast lumps. Beyond the necessary clinical treatment procedures, psychological guidance and detailed explanations of the disease should be offered to alleviate the anxiety and depressive symptoms and enhance the HRQOL of patients with benign breast lumps.
Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging with Virtual Touch™ tissue quantification: mean shear wave velocity of malignant and benign breast masses

Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) with Virtual Touch™ tissue quantification (VTTQ) enables the determination of shear wave velocity (SWV) in meters per second (m/s). The aim of our study was to describe the mean SWV in normal breast tissue and various breast masses. We performed measurements of SWV with ARFI VTTQ in 145 breast masses (57 malignant, 88 benign) and in the adjacent breast parenchyma and adipose tissue. The mean SWV as well as the rate of successful measurements were analyzed. The difference between adipose tissue and parenchyma was statistically significant (3.05 versus 3.65 m/s) (P < 0.001). Focusing on breast masses, numerous measurements exceeded the upper limit of possible measurement (≥9.10 m/s, indicated as “X.XX m/s”). Nevertheless, the difference between the malignant and benign masses was statistically significant (8.38 ± 1.99 m/s versus 5.39 ± 2.95 m/s) (P < 0.001). The best diagnostic accuracy (75.9%) was achieved when the cutoff point for malignancy was set to 9.10 m/s in ARFI VTTQ. This implies that the SWV was regarded as suspicious when the upper limit of possible measurement was exceeded and the machine returned the value X.XX m/s. In conclusion, ARFI VTTQ is a feasible method for measurement of SWV in a region of interest. Furthermore, we propose the event of a highly elevated SWV as a significant criterion for malignancy. However, the method is technically not yet fully developed, and the problem of unsuccessful measurements must still be solved.
On the lifetime of metastable states in self-gravitating systems

We discuss the physical basis of the statistical mechanics of self-gravitating systems. We show the correspondance between statistical mechanics methods based on the evaluation of the density of states and partition function and thermodynamical methods based on the optimization of a thermodynamical potential (entropy or free energy). We address the question of the thermodynamic limit of self-gravitating systems, the justification of the mean-field approximation, the validity of the saddle point approximation near the transition point, the lifetime of metastable states and the fluctuations in isothermal spheres. In particular, we emphasize the tremendously long lifetime of metastable states of self-gravitating systems which increases exponentially with the number of particles N except in the vicinity of the critical point. More specifically, using an adaptation of the Kramers formula justified by a kinetic theory, we show that the lifetime of a metastable state scales as ${\rm e}^{N\Delta s}$ in microcanonical ensemble and ${\rm e}^{N\Delta j}$ in canonical ensemble, where $\Delta s$ and $\Delta j$ are the barriers of entropy and free energy $j=s-\beta \epsilon$ per particle respectively. The physical caloric curve must take these metastable states (local entropy maxima) into account. As a result, it becomes multi-valued and leads to microcanonical phase transitions and “dinosaur's necks” (Chavanis [CITE], [arXiv:astroph/0205426]; Chavanis & Rieutord [CITE], A&A, 412, 1). The consideration of metastable states answers the critics raised by D.H. E. Gross [cond-mat/0307535/0403582].
Controlling Indoor Air Pollution from Moxibustion

Indoor air quality (IAQ) control of hospitals plays a critical role in protecting both hospital staffs and patients, particularly those who are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of indoor noxious hazards. However, moxibustion in outpatient departments (OPDs) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be a source of indoor air pollution in hospitals. Some studies have investigated indoor air pollution during moxibustion in Chinese medicine clinics (CMCs) and moxibustion rooms, demonstrating elevated air pollutants that pose a threat to the health of medical staff and patients. Our study investigated the indoor air pollutants of indoor carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), airborne particulate matter with a diameter of ≤10 µm (PM10) and ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) during moxibustion in an acupuncture and moxibustion room of the OPD in a hospital in Taipei. To evaluate the different control strategies for indoor air pollution from moxibution, a comparison of air pollutants during moxibution among the methods of using alternative old moxa wools, local exhaust ventilation and an air cleaner was conducted. In this study, burning alternative old moxa wools for moxibustion obviously reduced all gaseous pollutants except for aerosols comparing burning fresh moxa wools. Using local exhaust ventilation reduced most of the aerosols after burning moxa. We also found that using an air cleaner was inefficient for controlling indoor air pollutants, particularly gaseous pollutants. Therefore, combining replacing alternative old moxa wools and local exhaust ventilation could be a suitable design for controlling indoor air pollution during moxibustion therapy.
Modeling of Soft Fiber-Reinforced Bending Actuators

Soft fluidic actuators consisting of elastomeric matrices with embedded flexible materials are of particular interest to the robotics community because they are affordable and can be easily customized to a given application. However, the significant potential of such actuators is currently limited as their design has typically been based on intuition. In this paper, the principle of operation of these actuators is comprehensively analyzed and described through experimentally validated quasi-static analytical and finite-element method models for bending in free space and force generation when in contact with an object. This study provides a set of systematic design rules to help the robotics community create soft actuators by understanding how these vary their outputs as a function of input pressure for a number of geometrical parameters. Additionally, the proposed analytical model is implemented in a controller demonstrating its ability to convert pressure information to bending angle in real time. Such an understanding of soft multimaterial actuators will allow future design concepts to be rapidly iterated and their performance predicted, thus enabling new and innovative applications that produce more complex motions to be explored.
Aalborg Universitet Dynamic production monitoring in pig herds II

Good management in animal production systems is becoming of paramount importance. The aim of this paper was to develop a dynamic monitoring system for farrowing rate. A farrowing rate model was implemented using a dynamic generalized linear model (DGLM). Variance components were pre-estimated using an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm applied on a dataset containing data from 15 herds, each of them including insemination and farrowing observations over a period ranging from 150 to 800 weeks. The model included a set of parameters describing the parity-specific farrowing rate and the re-insemination effect. It also provided reliable forecasting on weekly basis. Statistical control tools were used to give warnings in case of impaired farrowing rate. For each herd, farrowing rate profile, analysis of model components over time and detection of alarms were computed. The model provided a good overview of the development of the parity specific farrowing rate over time and the control charts were able to detect impaired results. Suggestions for future improvements include addition of parity-specific control charts, calibration of the charts for use in practice and inclusion of a sow effect in the farrowing model. & 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Trophic apparatus in cyprinodontiform fishes: Functional specializations for picking and scraping behaviors

Cyprinodontiforms are a diverse and speciose order that includes topminnows, pupfishes, swordtails, mosquitofishes, guppies, and mollies. Sister group to the Beloniformes and Atheriniformes, Cyprinodontiformes contains approximately twice the number of species of these other two orders combined. Recent studies suggest that this group is well suited to capturing prey by “picking” small items from the water surface, water column, and the substrate. Because picking places unusual performance demands on the feeding apparatus, this mode of prey capture may rely upon novel morphological modifications not found in more widespread ram‐ or suction‐based feeding mechanisms. To assess this evolutionary hypothesis, we describe the trophic anatomy of 16 cyprinodontiform species, selected to broadly represent the order as well as capture intrageneric variation. The group appears to have undergone gradual morphological changes to become increasingly specialized for picking and scraping behaviors. We also identify a suite of functional characters related to the acquisition of a novel and previously undescribed mechanism of premaxillary protrusion and retraction, including: modification of the “premaxillomandibular” ligament (which connects each side of the premaxilla to the ipsilateral mandible, or lower jaw), a novel architecture of the ligaments and bony elements that unite the premaxillae, maxillae and palatine bones, and novel insertions of the adductor muscles onto the jaws. These morphological changes to both the upper and lower jaws suggest an evolutionary trend within this group toward increased reliance on picking individual prey from the water column/substrate or for scraping encrusting material from the substrate. We propose that the suite of morphological characters described here enable a functional innovation, “picking,” which leads to novel trophic habits. J. Morphol. , 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Far-infrared/millimetre emission in 3C sources - Dust in radio galaxies and quasars

We present far-infrared and millimetric observations of a sample of 3C objects. Millimetre data were taken at 1.25 mm with the IRAM 30 m antenna feeding the MPIfR bolometer array. Mid-infrared (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR) photometry were carried out with the ISOCAM and ISOPHOT cameras on the ISO Satellite. Additional FIR IRAS observations are also included. We present the entire Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) from the UV to radio and discuss the emitting mechanisms. Two composite spectra, one for the radio galaxies and one for the radio quasars, are built in the object rest frame. While the SEDs of the two classes differ, they are indistinguishable in the MIR and FIR range where they probably arise as thermal emission from a dusty torus and a larger-scale (cooler) dust distribution in the host galaxy.
Executive pastors' perception of leadership and management competencies needed for local church administration

EXECUTIVE PASTORS’ PERCEPTION OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES NEEDED FOR LOCAL CHURCH ADMINISTRATION Timothy Rowland Woodruff, Ed.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2004 Chairperson: Dr. Brad Waggoner This dissertation examines leadership and management competencies of Southern Baptist mega-church executive pastors. The study discusses the issue of limited research on the position of the executive pastor. Resources related to this position are cited. Possible reasons for the emergence of this position are examined including the minister’s dilemma of being both shepherd and administrator and the issue of leadership training as preparation for the pastorate. Also provided is a theological and philosophical foundation for the leadership and management practices. Servant leadership as the biblical foundation for leadership and secular leadership models appropriate for church administration are reviewed. Research findings on ministerial effectiveness and the minister as manager are included. The available research on the role of the executive pastor is analyzed to reveal the practices posited in current literature. The methodological design is based on the 1988 research of Stephen Boersma. This study identifies and analyzes the self evaluated importance of leadership and management competencies. Demographic data and professional experience are studied to identify relationships between the executive pastors' response and his background. The analysis of findings presents the raw data, displays and statistical analysis. A
Changing Wage Structure and Black-White Differentials Among Men and Women: A Longitudinal Analysis

Despite several decades of research there is still widespread disagreement over the interpretation of the wage differences between black and white workers. Do the differences reflect productivity differences, discrimination, or both? If lower black earnings reflect a productivity difference, then an economy-wide increase in the relative wages of more highly-skilled workers should lead to a parallel increase in the black-white earnings gap. We evaluate this hypothesis using longitudinal data for men and women from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Our findings suggest that returns to observed and unobserved skills of male workers rose by 5-10 percent between 1979 and 1985. For female workers, the return to observed skills was relatively constant while the return to unobserved skills increased by 15 percent. The evidence that black-white wage differentials rise with the return to skill is mixed. Among female workers the black-white wage gap widened in the early 1980s -- consistent with the premise that racial wage differences reflect a productivity difference. For men in our sample the black-white wage gap declined between 1979 and 1985 -- a change that is inconsistent with the rise in the return for skills.
Domestic Fractions of Emissions in Linked Economies

As our economies become more open and interlinked the regulatory regimes and the implementation of environmental regulations is required to adapt. Going form national economies to linked international economies the regulation of domestic emissions and natural recourses no longer reflects a control over the environmental impact of domestic consumption. This study explores the domestic fraction of environmental impacts generated in a case where two identical economies trade with each other. First a brief introduction to basic input output algebra is given. Then a reformulation of the model for a mirrored economy is derived. Through this the domestic fraction of economic activity generated and the domestic fraction of environmental impacts generated by a unit purchase of a commodity can be found. The suggested framework is then applied to the Norwegian IO tables. The results are presented and discussed in the context of regulatory policy.
Assessing the physiological and pathological functions of mast cells by the use of novel mouse models

s of Publications 35 6. Abstracts of Publications For copyright reasons, full versions of the publications are not included in the online version of this thesis. Please follow the links below the abstracts to download the pdf files directly from the publisher’s website. Abstracts of Publicationss of Publications 36 Publication I 6.1. A20-Deficient Mast Cells Exacerbate Inflammatory Responses in Vivo. Heger K. *, Fierens K. *, Vahl J.C. , Aszodi A. , Peschke K. , Schenten D. , Hammad H. , Beyaert R. , Saur D. , van Loo G. , Roers A. , Lambrecht B.N. , Kool M. and SchmidtSupprian M. (2014) PLoS Biol 12: e1001762. *equal contribution Mast cells are implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, this notion based on studies in mast cell-deficient mice is controversial. We therefore established an in vivo model for hyperactive mast cells by specifically ablating the NF-κB negative feedback regulator A20. While A20 deficiency did not affect mast cell degranulation, it resulted in amplified proinflammatory responses downstream of IgE/FcεRI, TLRs, IL-1R and IL-33R. As a consequence house dust miteand IL-33-driven lung inflammation, late phase cutaneous anaphylaxis and collagen-induced arthritis were aggravated, in contrast to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and immediate anaphylaxis. Our results provide in vivo evidence that hyperactive mast cells can exacerbate inflammatory disorders and define diseases that might benefit from therapeutic intervention with mast cell function.
Are there hazardous auditory effects of high-frequency turbines and ultrasonic dental scalers on dental professionals?

The purpose of this pilot study was to survey dentists in the St. Louis area to assess their subjective opinion of commonly used dental handpieces as well as history of noise exposure and use of hearing protection. Selected handpieces were then chosen to measure their output levels and determine if emissions are hazardous to the auditory system.
Evaluation of the Visual Analog Score (VAS) to Assess Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) in a Hypobaric Chamber

Objective The visual analog score (VAS) is widely used in clinical medicine to evaluate the severity of subjective symptoms. There is substantial literature on the application of the VAS in medicine, especially in measuring pain, nausea, fatigue, and sleep quality. Hypobaric chambers are utilized to test and exercise the anaerobic endurance of athletes. To this end, we evaluated the degree of AMS using the visual analog scale (VAS) in a hypobaric chamber in which the equivalent altitude was increased from 300 to 3500 m. Methods We observed 32 healthy young men in the hypobaric chamber (Guizhou, China) and increased the altitude from 300 to 3500 m. During the five hours of testing, we measured the resting blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) and heart rate (HR). Using the VAS, we recorded the subjects' ratings of their AMS symptom intensity that occurred throughout the phase of increasing altitude at 300 m, 1500 m, 2000 m, 2500 m, 3000 m, and 3500 m. Results During the phase of increasing altitude in the hypobaric chamber, the patients' SaO2 was 96.8±0.8% at 300 m and 87.5±4.1% at 3500 m (P<0.05) and their HR was 79.0±8.0 beats/minute at 300 m and 79.3±11.3 beats/minute at 3500 m. The incidence of symptoms significantly increased from 21.9% at an altitude of 1000 m to 65.6% at an altitude of 3500 m (P<0.05). The composite VAS score, which rated the occurrence of four symptoms (headache, dizziness, fatigue, and gastrointestinal discomfort), was significantly correlated with elevation (P<0.01). Conclusion Based on the experimental data, the VAS can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic method of Lake Louise score to evaluate AMS and can show the changing severity of symptoms during the process of increased elevation in a hypobaric chamber; it also reflects a significant correlation with altitude.