Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low Clinical Burden of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Infection during Pregnancy on the Island of La Réunion

Background Pregnant women have been identified as a group at risk, both for respiratory complications than for the admissions to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic (pdm). The purpose of this prospective register-based cohort-study was to characterize the clinical virulence of the pdm (H1N1/09)v during pregnancy in La Réunion. Methods/Principal Findings Over a twelve-week pdm wave (13 July to 3 October 2009), 294 pregnant women presented with an influenza-like illness (ILI) to one of the three maternity departments of the South Reunion area, Indian Ocean. Out of these, 278 were checked by RT-PCR for influenza viruses (157 positive and 121 negative, of whom, 141 with pdm flu and 132 with ILIs of non pdm origin, 5 untyped). The median body temperature was higher in women experiencing pdm flu than in those with non pdm ILI (38.9°C versus 38.3°C, P<0.0001), without evidence linked to circulating viremia. Oseltamivir was given for 86% of pdm flu cases in a median time inferior than 48 hrs (range 0–7 days). The hospitalization rate for pdm flu was of 60% and not associated with underlying conditions. Six viral pneumonia and fourteen asthma attacks were observed among 84 hospitalized pdm flu cases, of whom, only one led to the ICU for an acute lung injury. No maternal death occurred during the pdm wave. None adverse pregnancy outcome was associated with pdm flu. No congenital birth defect, nor early-onset neonatal influenza infection was attributable to pdm flu exposure. Conclusions/Significance This report mitigates substantially the presumed severity of pandemic H1N1/09 influenza infection during pregnancy. The reasons for which the clinical burden of H1N1/09 influenza virus may differ worldwide raise questions about a differential local viral-strain effect and public health preparedness, notably in timely access to special care and antiviral treatments.
Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of escalating dose of docetaxel administered with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support in adult advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE The purpose of our study was to assess the feasibility, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics of an escalating dose of docetaxel when administered with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support every 3 weeks. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Patients with advanced solid malignancies were treated with escalating doses of docetaxel as a 1-h infusion every 3 weeks, supported by s.c. administration of human recombinant glycosilated G-CSF Granocyte (lenograstim), 5 microg/kg/day (from day 4 until neutrophil count >0.5-10(g)/liter for two consecutive days). Plasma sampling was performed to characterize the pharmacokinetics of docetaxel at the new recommended high-dose level. RESULTS Forty-seven patients were treated with 116 courses of docetaxel at eight dose levels ranging from 100-185 mg/m(2). Dose-limiting toxicities were nonhematologic and included mucositis and dermatitis. Severe skin toxicity observed at 185 mg/m(2) led to discontinuing the study, and 175 mg/m(2) was selected as the recommended dose of docetaxel + G-CSF for future Phase II studies. Analysis of multiple courses revealed dermatitis, mucositis, arthralgia/myalgia, and neuropathy as the main dose-related toxic events. At 175 mg/m(2) mean +/- SD values for docetaxel plasmatic peak, area under the curve, clearance, volume of distribution, and terminal half-life were 6.7 +/- 1.7 microg/ml, 9.7 +/- 4 microg.h/ml, 34.2 +/- 12 liters/h, and 122.7 +/- 124 liters, respectively. Of the 16 patients treated at 175 mg/m(2), 8 patients responded (7 breast cancer and 1 lung cancer patients) including one complete response (1 breast cancer patient). CONCLUSIONS Using G-CSF support allows substantial dose escalation of docetaxel. Whether such a dose increase improves the response rate warrants further investigation. At the highest dose level studied, pharmacokinetic parameters seem to maintain a linear profile.
When Leaders Fail: A Typology of Failures and Framing Strategies

In an era characterized by the widespread availability and accessibility of information and growing concerns over ethical and “authentic” leadership, business leaders are increasingly required to answer to public concerns about their past and present failures. Failure in the existing scholarly literature is largely confined to quantifiable measures of poor performance of a leader’s direct actions.This article offers a more elaborate typology of leaders’ failures and the framing strategies regularly employed by leaders, based on a discourse analysis of media texts. The author presents a framework through which the ways in which leaders actively construct and negotiate images of leadership style, effectiveness, and authenticity can be systematically explored.
Physicochemical and biological properties of purified Escherichia coli Shiga-like toxin II variant

Purified Escherichia coli Shiga-like toxin II variant (SLT-IIv) was characterized with regard to selected physical, chemical, and biological properties. N-terminal amino acid sequencing confirmed the identities of 33,000-, 27,500-, and 7,500-molecular-weight (MW) bands seen on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of purified SLT-IIv as the A subunit, A1 fragment, and B subunit, respectively. The arginine-serine bond between amino acids 247 and 248 in the A subunit was determined to be the site for proteolytic cleavage into A1 and A2 fragments. As with other SLTs, gel filtration chromatography of SLT-IIv gave estimates of the MW of holotoxin that were variable and less than predicted for a 1-A-subunit-5-B-subunit configuration. The MWs were estimated to be 40,000 and 43,000 by Sephacryl S-100 and Sephadex G-100 and less than 2,000 by Bio-Sil Sec-250 gel filtration chromatography. The isoelectric point of SLT-IIv holotoxin was 9.0. Cytotoxicity of SLT-IIv was destroyed by heating at 65 degrees C for 30 min and by incubation with 2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol, but it increased 30-fold by incubation with trypsin, chymotrypsin, or pepsin and 2-fold by incubation with thermolysin. SLT-IIv cytotoxic activity was stable at neutral and alkaline pH values but was lost at pHs 3, 4, and 5. SLT-IIv was stable in fluid from the anterior and posterior small intestines of pigs but was not enterotoxic in pig intestinal loops. The smallest doses of SLT-IIv that inhibited protein synthesis in porcine endothelial cells and Vero cells were 0.1 ng and 0.1 fg, respectively.
The Effects of Monitoring on Cooperative Learning

AbstractThe present study explored the effects of the presence and monitoring activity of a third person on dyadic co-operative learning. Eighty-nine participants were recruited from introductory psychology classes and were assigned to one of four groups receiving learning strategy interactions: an individual study group, a dyadic cooperative group without monitors, a triadic group with active monitors, or a triadic group with passive monitors. The monitors in the passive group observed cooperating dyads while the monitors in the active group provided feedback on how well dyads used the cooperative strategy. One descriptive text passage was studied according to the experimental condition and another passage was subsequently studied alone. The results indicated that the dyads without monitors significantly outperformed the individuals on total score on the second passage. Although no other significant differences between groups were found, the mean between groups were suggestive. Implications for the devel.
Overweight among Four-Year-Old Children in Relation to Early Growth Characteristics and Socioeconomic Factors

Objectives. To assess early growth characteristics and socioeconomic factors of children in relation to body mass index (BMI) and presence of overweight among four-year-old children. Methods. Two Child Health Centres (CHC) participated in the study. They were selected to obtain two populations of children featuring divergent socio-economic characteristics. Growth data registered at the CHCs from birth to the 4-year check-up were recovered. Overweight was defined by the BMI cut-offs established by IOTF. BMI values expressed as BMI standard deviation score (BMISDS) were used for analysis. Results. At the 4-year check-up, the BMISDS and the proportion of children with overweight (including the obese) were significantly higher in the district with lower socio-economic status. High BMI at birth and low socio-economic status of the population in the CHC-district were shown to be independent determinants for overweight and BMISDS at four years of age. Conclusions. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms and how intervention programs should be designed in order to prevent the development of overweight and obesity in children.
Ecological Disaster as Contextual Transformation

The biophysical context and contextual change have significant economic, cultural, social, and psychological consequences for individuals and communities. Although acknowledging the importance of the biophysical context for theoretical and conceptual issues, social science research typically is conducted as if context does not matter. The authors discuss the relevance of context and outline research that examines the effects of context through assumed contextual variation, subjective contextual variables, objective contextual variables, and temporal contextual variation. The authors hypothesize that an ecological disaster occurring in a community where people are connected to the biophysical environment and ecological processes will result in the adoption of a more ecological worldview. This hypothesis is tested by analyzing data collected in the renewable resource communities of Cordova and Petersburg, Alaska, in the aftermath of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The authors find support for this hypothesis and provide suggestions for future research.
Commonwealth of uncertainty: How British and American professional models of library practice have shaped LIS Education in selected former British Colonies and Dominions

Worldwide the library and information profession has been the focus of competing social and political agendas that have contributed to the shape of the profession. From the late 19th century to the present in countries aligned to the former British Dominions and Colonies (today part of the Commonwealth of Nations) these external influences were predominantly from two cultural arenas, that of the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The result in many Commonwealth countries been two competing and at times contradictory models for LIS pedagogy which have been labelled the British and American ‘models or patterns’ of education. The convergence of these two influences has had a role in shaping LIS education and has left a complex legacy. This paper will examine how the legacy of this convergence continues to shape the aspirational agenda of local professional communities and will discuss how this has influenced the delivery and the educational model for librarianship. This paper will examine as a series of case studies how the legacy of this convergence has shaped the aspirations of the LIS profession and influenced the delivery and the educational model of librarianship in a number of Commonwealth countries.
The persuasive impact of reported group opinions on individuals low vs. high in need for cognition: Rationalization vs. biased elaboration?

A laboratory experiment examined the extent to which the reported opinions of others influence persuasion in individuals low vs. high in need for cognition (NFC). Reported opinions influenced the attitudes of high- and low-NFC respondents in the direction of the majority position. However, for high-NFC respondents, the effect was entirely mediated by the evaluation of topic-relevant arguments (i.e., biased elaboration). On the other hand, the influence of reported opinions on the attitudes of low-NFC respondents was not mediated by the argument ratings. Instead, their evaluations of the topic-relevant arguments were actually mediated by their attitudes toward the proposal (i.e., rationalization). These results are discussed in terms of the multiple-roles postulate of the elaboration-likelihood model (ELM) and the "consensus implies correctness" inference of the heuristic–systematic model (HSM).
Biodegradation of the High Explosive Hexanitrohexaazaiso-wurtzitane (CL-20)

The aerobic biodegradability of the high explosive CL-20 by activated sludge and the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been investigated. Although activated sludge is not effective in degrading CL-20 directly, it can mineralize the alkaline hydrolysis products. Phanerochaete chrysosporium degrades CL-20 in the presence of supplementary carbon and nitrogen sources. Biodegradation studies were conducted using various nutrient media under diverse conditions. Variables included the CL-20 concentration; levels of carbon (as glycerol) and ammonium sulfate and yeast extract as sources of nitrogen. Cultures that received CL-20 at the time of inoculation transformed CL-20 completely under all nutrient conditions studied. When CL-20 was added to pre-grown cultures, degradation was limited. The extent of mineralization was monitored by the 14CO2 time evolution; up to 51% mineralization was achieved when the fungus was incubated with [14C]-CL-20. The kinetics of CL-20 biodegradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium follows the logistic kinetic growth model.
An Evaluation of Foreign Fieldwork in Promoting Deep Learning: A preliminary investigation

This article defines and evaluates the role of foreign fieldwork in promoting deep learning by university undergraduates of geography and environmental management. Empirical results show that students generally rose to the challenge of predictive-analytical learning to produce grades congruent with their Level 2 results. While some students began to question the acquisition of knowledge and came to realise its provisional nature, others met with considerable difficulty in achieving deeper understanding through problem-solving activity. Understanding was ultimately individually constructed and often assessment-driven. The academic integrity of fieldwork must be clarified in order to substantiate its continued place in higher education.
Recombinant Human TSH–Assisted Radioactive Iodine Remnant Ablation Achieves Short-Term Clinical Recurrence Rates Similar to Those of Traditional Thyroid Hormone Withdrawal

Recent studies have confirmed that radioactive iodine therapy after recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) stimulation effectively ablates the normal thyroid remnant. However, no published study has determined the effectiveness of rhTSH preparations on the important endpoint of disease recurrence. Methods: Disease recurrence was retrospectively assessed a median of 2.5 y after radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) in 394 consecutive thyroid cancer patients (93% papillary, 71% female, 47 ± 15 y old [mean ± SD], median 131I dose of 3,996 MBq [108 mCi]). Results: Similar rates of clinically evident disease recurrence (4% rhTSH vs. 7% thyroid hormone withdrawal [THW], P = not statistically significant) and residual thyroid bed uptake without other evidence of persistent disease (4% rhTSH vs. 7% THW, P = not statistically significant) were seen in the 320 patients undergoing rhTSH-assisted RRA and the 74 patients prepared for RRA by THW. When the definition of no clinical evidence of disease included a suppressed thyroglobulin level of less than 1 ng/mL and a stimulated thyroglobulin level of less than 2 ng/mL, rhTSH-assisted RRA was associated with significantly higher rates of no clinical evidence of disease (74% rhTSH vs. 55% THW, P = 0.02) and significantly lower rates of persistent disease (19% rhTSH vs. 32% THW, P = 0.02) than was RRA after THW. Patients selected for rhTSH-assisted RRA were older (48 ± 15 vs. 44 ± 15 y, P = 0.03) and received a slightly higher administered activity of 131I (median, 4,033 MBq [109 mCi] vs. 3,811 MBq [103 mCi], P = 0.01) but did not differ with respect to sex, histology, disease stage, or mean time to recurrence (19 ± 9 mo for rhTSH vs. 20 ± 16 mo for THW). Conclusion: rhTSH-assisted RRA is associated with rates of clinically evident disease recurrence and persistent uptake in the thyroid bed that are similar to those for traditional THW.
Algebraic analysis of aggregation‐based multigrid

A convergence analysis of two‐grid methods based on coarsening by (unsmoothed) aggregation is presented. For diagonally dominant symmetric (M‐)matrices, it is shown that the analysis can be conducted locally; that is, the convergence factor can be bounded above by computing separately for each aggregate a parameter, which in some sense measures its quality. The procedure is purely algebraic and can be used to control a posteriori the quality of automatic coarsening algorithms. Assuming the aggregation pattern is sufficiently regular, it is further shown that the resulting bound is asymptotically sharp for a large class of elliptic boundary value problems, including problems with variable and discontinuous coefficients. In particular, the analysis of typical examples shows that the convergence rate is insensitive to discontinuities under some reasonable assumptions on the aggregation scheme. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self-Mutilating Behavior of Sexually Abused Female Adults in Turkey

The authors' study included 42 female adult patients. All the patients had been sexually abused by family members. The participants were grouped into two groups: those with self-mutilating behavior (SMB) and those without such behavior. They were evaluated for history of physical and sexual trauma, suicide attempts, eating habits, and SMB. The ratio of SMB in the sample was 33.3%. Our findings support that SMB and sexual abuse are closely related to eating disorders, particularly anorexia. The relationship between SMB and suicide attempts was found statistically significant. Childhood abuse, especially sexual abuse, is a largely ignored psychosocial problem in Turkey. SMB and sexual abuse are highly correlated, and therefore SMB might be considered as an important signal for the presence of sexual abuse.
EFL Learners’ Perspectives on ELT Materials Evaluation Relative to Learning Styles

This paper presents the relationship between Korean EFL learners’ self-reporting learning style preferences and their perspectives on ELT materials evaluation. Quantitative data was acquired from 521 subjects’ responses to a learning style survey and a questionnaire of materials evaluation checklist. The findings show that Korean EFL learners’ major (salient) learning styles were likely to affect their views of materials evaluation. That is, learners with multiple major learning styles and with tactile or kinesthetic learning styles tended to have higher levels of expectation concerning materials evaluation. Also, they tended to be significantly concerned with the criteria relevant to their major learning styles. This suggests that learning style can be a referential indicator for the selection of learner-appropriate ELT materials. Teachers can utilize information about their students’ perspectives on materials evaluation relative to learning styles to facilitate materials selection or adaptation, and to develop teaching methods with consideration of individual learners’ preferences. The implications of the study will be discussed.
Scientific Processes in PISA Tests Observed for Science Teachers

A research study, mainly based on the notion of ‘scientific literacy’ from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 assessment framework, was carried out obtaining data from the administration of an open written questionnaire with items covering three central scientific processes—describing, explaining and predicting scientific phenomena; understanding scientific investigation; and interpreting scientific evidence and conclusions—to 30 experienced in‐service secondary school science teachers. The purpose was to analyse their views regarding the competences on the mentioned scientific processes assessed by Science PISA tests: which of the competences assessed were the most frequently identified by teachers, which of the competences they considered presenting difficulties for their students, and, finally, which activities they used in their classes to promote similar competences. Our results indicated that teachers had different perceptions of one or other scientific processes considered relevant for scientific literacy in the PISA framework. Their awareness of the expected students’ difficulties did not necessarily match the competences intended to be assessed by either PISA or what they thought to be assessed. Moreover, their views differed depending not only on the type of scientific process but also on the underlying subject. Concern about the students’ need of reading fluently with understanding and of paying special attention during the test time was also observed.
Noncespaces: Using Randomization to Enforce Information Flow Tracking and Thwart Cross-Site Scripting Attacks

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities are among the most common and serious web application vulnerabilities. Eliminating XSS is challenging because it is difficult for web applications to sanitize all user inputs appropriately. We present Noncespaces, a technique that enables web clients to distinguish between trusted and untrusted content to prevent exploitation of XSS vulnerabilities. Using Noncespaces, a web application randomizes the XML namespace prefixes of tags in each document before delivering it to the client. As long as the attacker is unable to predict the randomized prefixes, the client can distinguish between trusted content created by the web application and untrusted content provided by an attacker. To implement Noncespaces with minimal changes to web applications, we leverage a popular web application architecture to automatically apply Noncespaces to static content processed through a popular PHP template engine. We show that with simple policies Noncespaces thwarts popular XSS attack vectors.
THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SELF-EFFICACY TOWARDS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND LEVEL OF USE TOWARDS INSTRUCTIONAL COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IN OMAN

This study attempts to determine if attitudes towards instructional computer technology significantly predict the level of use towards instructional computer technology among Oman social studies teachers. The other purpose of this study is to determine if self-efficacy significantly mediate the relationship between attitudes and level of use towards instructional computer technology. The study utilized a survey methodology. Sample of the study consisted of 450 social studies teachers from two regions in Oman. The results of hierarchical multiple regression showed that the attitudes is a significant predictor towards the level of use on using instructional computer technology, after controlling for the influence of teacher’s gender and teaching experiences. Further data analysis using mediating analysis technique revealed that self-efficacy fully mediate the relationship between attitudes and the level of use on using instructional computer technology. It is suggested that self-efficacy be given consideration to promote social studies teachers in Oman to use instructional computer technology through intensive and systematic trainings.