Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Legal Implications of Report Back in Household Exposure Studies

Background: Scientists conducting research into household air or dust pollution must decide whether, when, and how to disclose to study participants their individual results. A variety of considerations factor into this decision, but one factor that has not received attention until now is the possibility that study participants’ receipt of their results might create legal duties under environmental, property, landlord–tenant, or other laws. Objectives: This article examines relevant laws and regulations and explores the scope of participants’ legal duties and the resulting legal and ethical consequences for researchers. Participants could be required in some situations to disclose the presence of certain chemicals when selling or renting their homes or to frequent visitors. The article discusses hypothetical case studies involving the reporting back of results regarding lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, and phthalates. Discussion: The potential legal duties of study participants have both ethical and legal implications for researchers. Issues include whether the legal consequences for participants should affect the decision whether to report back individual results, how researchers should disclose the legal risks to participants during the informed consent process, and whether researchers would be liable to study participants for legal or economic harm arising from reporting study results to them. The review provides recommendations for language that researchers could use in the informed consent process to disclose the legal risks. Conclusions: Researchers should still report back to participants who want to see their results, but they should disclose the risks of obtaining the information as part of the informed consent process. Citation: Goho SA. 2016. The legal implications of report back in household exposure studies. Environ Health Perspect 124:1662–1670; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/EHP187
Process-dependent thin-film thermal conductivities for thermal CMOS MEMS

The thermal conductivities /spl kappa/ of the dielectric and conducting thin films of three commercial CMOS processes were determined in the temperature range from 120 to 400 K. The measurements were performed using micromachined heatable test structures containing the layers to be characterized. The /spl kappa/ values of thermally grown silicon oxides are reduced from bulk fused silica by roughly 20%. The /spl kappa/ of phosphosilicate and borophosphosilicate glasses are 0.94/spl plusmn/0.08 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ and 1.18/spl plusmn/0.06 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/, respectively, at 300 K. A plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposition silicon-nitride layer has a thermal conductivity of 2.23/spl plusmn/0.12 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ at 300 K. This value is between published data for atmospheric-pressure CVD and low-pressure CVD nitrides. For the metal layers, we found thermal conductivities between 167 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ and 206 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/, respectively, at 300 K, to be compared with 238 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ of bulk aluminum. The temperature-dependent product /spl kappa//spl rho/ of /spl kappa/ with the electrical resistivity /spl rho/ agrees better than 8.2% between 180-400 K with that of pure bulk aluminum. The /spl kappa/ values of the polysilicon layers are between 22.4 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ and 37.3 W m/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ at 300 K. They are reduced from similarly doped bulk silicon by factors of between 2.0-1.3. The observed discrepancies between thin film and bulk data demonstrate the importance of determining the process-dependent thermal conductivities of CMOS thin films.
Effectiveness of Zinc Gluconate Glycine Lozenges (Cold-Eeze) Against the Common Cold in School-Aged Subjects: A Retrospective Chart Review

Of the 62 million common colds requiring medical attention in the United States each year, more than 80% affect school-aged children. Controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges (Cold-Eeze) in reducing cold duration. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges in reducing the duration and severity of colds in school-aged subjects and to identify the benefits of prophylactic administration of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges in reducing the occurrence of colds. The medical charts of subjects enrolled at Utah's Heritage Center before and after the introduction of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges (between January 1998 and August 2001) were reviewed to identify those who experienced cold signs or symptoms. Two or more prespecified signs or symptoms on the same day identified a cold and, along with patient or medical staff reports and use of cold medications, were used to determine cold start and resolution dates. Results from subjects who did or did not take study treatment were compared statistically to determine the prophylactic effects of lozenge use. Effects of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges on the need for antibiotic therapy were also analyzed. The review encompassed 496 records. Treatment with zinc gluconate glycine lozenges significantly decreased cold duration (7.5 versus 9.0 days for nonuse;P < 0.0001). Prophylaxis also significantly reduced the median number of colds per year (0.0 versus 1.3;P < 0.001) and concomitant antibiotic use to manage colds (4.1% versus 36.2%;P < 0.0001). Therapy with zinc gluconate glycine lozenges significantly reduced cold duration and antibiotic use in school-aged subjects. Prophylactic administration also significantly decreased cold frequency.
Portopulmonary hypertension as an indication for combined heart, lung, and liver or lung and liver transplantation: Literature review and case presentation

End‐stage liver disease with severe portopulmonary hypertension (PPHTN), which is refractory to vasodilator therapies, is a contraindication for isolated liver transplantation (LT) because of the high mortality rate. Combined heart, lung, and liver transplantation (CHLLT) and combined lung and liver transplantation (CLLT) can be lifesaving options for these patients; however, these procedures have rarely been performed. A 52‐year‐old man had end‐stage liver disease due to hepatitis C and PPHTN; the latter showed a suboptimal response to pulmonary vasodilator therapy with continuous intravenous treprostinil sodium and oral sildenafil citrate and was considered a contraindication to isolated LT. His preoperative left ventricular function was normal, and he had mild to moderate right ventricular dysfunction. He underwent CLLT, which consisted of sequential double‐lung transplantation under cardiopulmonary bypass followed by standard LT under venovenous bypass. Re‐exploration of the chest cavity was necessary because of bleeding, and respiratory failure developed; however, the patient recovered, was discharged home on day 26, and remained well 1 year after CLLT with the standard immunosuppressants (similar to those used for heart and lung transplantation). For PPHTN, combined thoracic organ and liver transplantation has been reported in only 10 patients. Six of these patients, including our case, underwent CLLT, whereas 4 patients underwent CHLLT. Notably, 2 of the 6 CLLT patients expired within 24 hours of transplantation because of acute right heart failure. CHLLT should be considered for patients with refractory PPHTN. The assessment of preoperative cardiac function is a vital part of the decision to include heart transplantation in CLLT. Liver Transpl 17:137–143, 2011. © 2011 AASLD
Single-molecule studies of group II intron ribozymes

Group II intron ribozymes fold into their native structure by a unique stepwise process that involves an initial slow compaction followed by fast formation of the native state in a Mg2+-dependent manner. Single-molecule fluorescence reveals three distinct on-pathway conformations in dynamic equilibrium connected by relatively small activation barriers. From a most stable near-native state, the unobserved catalytically active conformer is reached. This most compact conformer occurs only transiently above 20 mM Mg2+ and is stabilized by substrate binding, which together explain the slow cleavage of the ribozyme. Structural dynamics increase with increasing Mg2+ concentrations, enabling the enzyme to reach its active state.
The Steiner triple systems of order 19

Using an orderly algorithm, the Steiner triple systems of order 19 are classied; there are 11;084;874;829 pairwise nonisomorphic such designs. For each design, the order of its automorphism group and the number of Pasch congurations it contains are recorded; 2;591 of the designs are anti-Pasch. There are three main parts of the classication: constructing an initial set of blocks, the seeds; completing the seeds to triple systems with an algorithm for exact cover; and carrying out isomorph rejection of the nal triple systems. Isomorph rejection is based on the graph canonical labeling software nauty supplemented with a vertex invariant based on Pasch congurations. The possibility of using the (strongly regular) block graphs of these designs in the isomorphism tests is utilized. The aforementioned value is in fact a lower bound on the number of pairwise nonisomorphic strongly regular graphs with parameters (57; 24; 11; 9).
Factorization Method and Its Physical Justification in Frequency-Difference Electrical Impedance Tomography

Time-difference electrical impedance tomography (tdEIT) requires two data sets measured at two different times. The difference between them is utilized to produce images of time-dependent changes in a complex conductivity distribution inside the human body. Frequency-difference EIT (fdEIT) was proposed to image frequency-dependent changes of a complex conductivity distribution. It has potential applications in tumor and stroke imaging since it can visualize an anomaly without requiring any time-reference data obtained in the absence of an anomaly. In this paper, we provide a rigorous analysis for the detectability of an anomaly based on a constructive and quantitative physical correlation between a measured fdEIT data set and an anomaly. From this, we propose a new noniterative frequency-difference anomaly detection method called the factorization method (FM) and elaborate its physical justification. To demonstrate its practical applicability, we performed fdEIT phantom imaging experiments using a multifrequency EIT system. Applying the FM to measured frequency-difference boundary voltage data sets, we could quantitatively evaluate indicator functions inside the imaging domain, of which values at each position reveal presence or absence of an anomaly. We found that the FM successfully localizes anomalies inside an imaging domain with a frequency-dependent complex conductivity distribution. We propose the new FM as an anomaly detection algorithm in fdEIT for potential applications in tumor and stroke imaging.
LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE AFTER VITRECTOMY IN EYES WITHOUT PREEXISTING GLAUCOMA

Purpose: To identify whether vitrectomy is associated with an increased risk of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and to report the incidence of open-angle glaucoma after vitrectomy. Methods: In this retrospective case series of 234 consecutive patients without a history of glaucoma or diabetes undergoing primary unilateral vitrectomy for an idiopathic epiretinal membrane or macular hole with a minimum of 2 years follow-up, mean IOP in operative and fellow eyes were compared at baseline and multiple postoperative times. Eyes were also assessed for the development of open-angle glaucoma. Results: The mean baseline IOP was 14.91 mmHg, and the mean final IOP was 14.6 (P = 0.278) in the operative eyes. Linear regression analysis of IOP in operative eyes from baseline to the final visit found an increase of 0.000047 mmHg per year compared with −0.00027 mmHg per year in the fellow eyes with no significant difference in the slope of the 2 regression lines (P = 0.27). Six vitrectomy eyes were diagnosed with new-onset open-angle glaucoma during a mean follow-up of 4.4 years; however, only one was not also diagnosed with glaucoma or ocular hypertension in the fellow unoperated eye. Conclusion: Vitrectomy does not seem to be correlated with increased risk of IOP elevation or glaucoma development in comparison with fellow control eyes.
Understanding Executive Job Search

We apply the exploitation/exploration dichotomy faced by organizations in business strategy to the decisions of individual executives as to whether to continue in their current organization and exploit career opportunities there or explore new ones through the avenue of job search. Specifically, we observe whether executives pursue offers from an executive search firm to be considered for positions at other organizations. Insights from the multi-armed bandit problem help explain who searches and who does not, focusing on the structural attributes of each individual's situation. Individuals are more likely to search where their current roles are less certain and where broader career experience makes search more useful because the array of possible opportunities is greater. The results also shed light on the operations of executive search firms, who are central actors in executive careers.
The massive star binary fraction in young open clusters – I. NGC 6231 revisited

We present the results of a long-term high-resolution spectroscopy campaign on the O-type stars in NGC 6231. We revise the spectral classification and multiplicity of these objects and we constrain the fundamental properties of the O-star population. Almost three quarters of the O-type stars in the cluster are members of a binary system. The minimum binary fraction is 0.63, with half the O-type binaries having an orbital period of the order of a few days. The eccentricities of all the short-period binaries are revised downward, and henceforth match a normal period‐eccentricity distribution. The mass ratio distribution shows a large preference for O + OB binaries, ruling out the possibility that, in NGC 6231, the companion of an O-type star is randomly drawn from a standard initial mass function. Obtained from a complete and homogeneous population of O-type stars, our conclusions provide interesting observational constraints to be confronted with the formation and early evolution theories of O-stars.
Accumulation of immunoglobulin across the ‘blood–nerve barrier’ in spinal roots in adoptive transfer experimental autoimmune neuritis

At the onset of Guillain–Barré syndrome, disruption of diffusion barriers, such as the blood–nerve barrier, probably increases the exposure of spinal roots and peripheral nerves to macromolecules, some of which might be pathogenic. As a measure of such disruption, we measured the accumulation in the endoneurium of spinal roots and sciatic nerve of systemically administered 125I‐labelled immunoglobulin in adoptive transfer experimental autoimmune neuritis (AT‐EAN) in the rat. AT‐EAN is a model of Guillain–Barré syndrome, induced by injection of activated T lymphocytes sensitized to myelin P2 protein. Immunoglobulin accumulation was expressed as counts/min/mg in fixative‐perfused roots as a percentage of that in serum, measured 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of 0.1 µCi 125I‐labelled immunoglobulin. Immunoglobulin accumulation in the roots of normal rats was 3 ± 1% (mean ± SE), but this first increased 3½ days after cell injection, peaked at 22 ± 2% on day 4½, and declined to normal by day 8. T lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes first appeared within the endoneurium at day 3½, and macrophages and a few erythrocytes at day 4. Neurological deficit appeared on day 4 and was maximal on day 6. Demyelination and axonal degeneration began at day 5. The first abnormality detected in AT‐EAN was a rapid increase in the passage of immunoglobulin into spinal roots, together with endoneurial infiltration of T lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Accumulation of immunoglobulin was maximal during the worsening of neurological deficit, and declined rapidly before the onset of neurological recovery.
All Together Now: Concurrent Learning of Multiple Structures in an Artificial Language

Natural languages contain many layers of sequential structure, from the distribution of phonemes within words to the distribution of phrases within utterances. However, most research modeling language acquisition using artificial languages has focused on only one type of distributional structure at a time. In two experiments, we investigated adult learning of an artificial language that contains dependencies between both adjacent and non-adjacent words. We found that learners rapidly acquired both types of regularities and that the strength of the adjacent statistics influenced learning of both adjacent and non-adjacent dependencies. Additionally, though accuracy was similar for both types of structure, participants' knowledge of the deterministic non-adjacent dependencies was more explicit than their knowledge of the probabilistic adjacent dependencies. The results are discussed in the context of current theories of statistical learning and language acquisition.
ED-B fibronectin as a target for antibody-based cancer treatments

Chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of solid cancers do not discriminate between malignant and normal tissue, but rather depend on the increased proliferation of tumour cells versus benign cells. To reach therapeutically active concentrations in the tumour, large doses of these rather unspecific compounds have to be given to the patient, often resulting in severe side effects. Therefore, the goal of modern cancer research is the development of highly selective compounds which are able to discriminate between tumour tissue and normal tissue. One promising approach in this direction is antibody-mediated targeted cancer therapy which may either block an important receptor–ligand interaction or deliver a therapeutically active molecule to an otherwise nonfunctional target. A prereq-uisite for such an approach is the tumour-selective expression of the respective target structure. This review discusses extra domain-B fibronectin as a promising target which is associated with tumour angiogenesis and tumour growth for the development of novel antibody-mediated thera-pies.
Juvenile Chronic Arthritis

Juvenile chronic arthritis is a heterogenous group of diseases in which the common denominator is a persistent arthritis in one or more joints commencing before the age of 16 and lasting three months or more. The care of these patients by a pediatrie rheumatologist, an orthopedic surgeon, and a full rehabilitation team must be combined to afford the best treatment. Medication, splintage, and physiotherapy are useful in helping to suppress and reduce the effects of the disease, but in some patients arthritis attacks in acute episodes, while in others arthritis chronically and relentlessly pursues its destructive course. Surgical treatment, particularly of the soft parts, has a considerable part to play in correcting deformity, maintaining movement, and relieving pain. Timely surgical treatment may also serve to prevent deformity and to maintain function as well as muscle strength so that by the time the child becomes an adult he can lead a normal life. The plan of treatment is thus long range.
Health-related quality of life in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).

BACKGROUND Health-related quality of life (HRQOL), a validated system of measuring patients' physical, mental, and social well-being, can be of particular use in populations with chronic conditions, such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) has used the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF) to measure ESRD patients' self-assessment of functioning and well-being, as measured by 3 component scores: physical component summary (PCS, 4 subscales), mental component summary (4 subscales), and kidney disease component summary (11 subscales). Several DOPPS studies examined HRQOL's associations with mortality and hospitalization by country, ethnicity (United States only), and in comparison with serum albumin levels; international variations in HRQOL of ESRD patients were also evaluated. RESULTS Lower scores for all 3 summary scores were strongly associated with higher risk of death and hospitalization; these measures, especially PCS, may better identify patients at risk for death and hospitalization than serum albumin level. Japanese patients reported a greater burden of kidney disease but higher physical functioning than patients in Europe or the United States; many other significant regional differences in HRQOL were found. In the United States, all summary scores were significantly associated with mortality risk, regardless of ethnicity. Compared with whites, blacks had higher scores for all 3 summary scores, Asians and Hispanics had higher PCS scores, and Native Americans had lower mental component summary scores. CONCLUSION Among ESRD patients, HRQOL displays an important predictive power for adverse events. Identifying effective interventions to improve the HRQOL of patients with ESRD should be viewed as a valued health care goal.
A Review of the Nonsurgical Treatment of Oral Leukoplakia

The aim of this paper was to assess the nonsurgical treatment of oral leukoplakia (OL). A medline search from 1983 to 2009 was conducted. The topical or systemic nonsurgical treatments or combination of both was reviewed. The primary outcomes of interest were clinical resolution, malignant transformation, follow-up, and recurrence of OL. Studies showed a rate higher than 50% of clinical resolution with photodynamic therapy, beta-carotene, lycopene, or vitamin A. Few studies reported rates of recurrence from 5 to 67% and of malignant transformation from 8 to 23%. There is a lack of randomized clinical trials that assess the effectiveness of nonsurgical treatment of OL. At this time, randomized controlled trials for nonsurgical treatment of OL demonstrate no evidence of effective treatment in preventing malignant transformation and recurrence. It reinforces that even after clinical resolution, OL should be regularly followed.
Notch1 signaling plays a role in regulating precursor differentiation during CNS remyelination

In the developing CNS, Notch1 and its ligand, Jagged1, regulate oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin formation, but their role in repair of demyelinating lesions in diseases such as multiple sclerosis remains unresolved. To address this question, we generated a mouse model in which we targeted Notch1 inactivation to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) using Olig1Cre and a floxed Notch1 allele, Notch112f. During CNS development, OPC differentiation was potentiated in Olig1Cre:Notch112f/12f mice. Importantly, in adults, remyelination of demyelinating lesions was also accelerated, at the expense of proliferation within the progenitor population. Experiments in vitro confirmed that Notch1 signaling was permissive for OPC expansion but inhibited differentiation and myelin formation. These studies also revealed that astrocytes exposed to TGF-β1 restricted OPC maturation via Jagged1-Notch1 signaling. These data suggest that Notch1 signaling is one of the mechanisms regulating OPC differentiation during CNS remyelination. Thus, Notch1 may represent a potential therapeutical avenue for lesion repair in demyelinating disease.