Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Negligible clearance of ultrafine particles retained in healthy and affected human lungs

Ambient particles are believed to be a specific health hazard, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. There are data in the literature indicating fast and substantial systemic uptake of particles from the lung. The present authors have developed an improved method to produce ultrafine particles with more stable radiolabelling and defined particle size range. Fifteen subjects inhaled technetium 99m (99mTc)-labelled carbonaceous particles of 100 nm in size. Radioactivity over the lung was followed for 70 h. The clearance of these ultrafine particles from the lungs and specifically translocation to the circulation was tested. Lung retention for all subjects at 46 h was mean±sd 99±4.6%. Cumulative leaching of 99mTc activity from the particles was 2.6±0.96% at 70 h. The 24-h activity leaching in urine was 1.0±0.55%. No evidence of a quantitatively important translocation of 100-nm particles to the systemic circulation from the lungs was found. More research is needed to establish if the ∼1% cleared activity originates from leached activity or insoluble translocated particles, and whether a few per cent of translocated particles is sufficient to cause harmful effects.
Anxious Traits, Anxious Attachment, and Anxious‐Cluster Personality Disorders

&NA; This paper proposes a predisposition‐stress model for the pathogenesis of anxious‐cluster personality disorders. In this model, genetically influenced anxious traits predispose individuals to such disorders, while psychological factors promoting anxious attachment, as well as social factors leading to discrepancies between traits and social expectations, constitute stressors. Three hypotheses are derived from this model: (1) anxious traits are necessary conditions for the anxious cluster, but disorders develop as a result of cumulative adversities; (2) gene‐environment interactions increase the likelihood of adversities associated with these disorders; and (3) social context has an important effect on the pathogenesis of this group of disorders. This theoretical model could have clinical implications for the management of a problematic group of patients.
Synthesis, characterization and controlled drug release from temperature-responsive poly(ether-urethane) particles based on PEG-diisocyanates and aliphatic diols

A series of linear amphiphilic poly(ether-urethane)s with alternative hydrophilic/hydrophobic segments based on PEG-diisocyanates and aliphatic diols is developed. The molecular structures of the copolymers were confirmed with nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectra and gel permeation chromatography. Nanoparticles prepared by self-assembly of the resulting copolymers show sharp temperature-responsive phase transition. The phase transition temperature could be easily modulated by the length of hydrophilic or hydrophobic segments of the polymer. The mechanism of the temperature-responsive behaviour is discussed. In the presence of these obtained poly(ether-urethane)s, doxorubicin (DOX) could be dispersed into aqueous solution. The ratio of DOX release from polymeric particles increased sharply above the phase transition temperature, while the release was suppressed below the phase transition temperature. A controlled drug release can be achieved by changing the environmental temperature. The easy-prepared polymeric nanoparticles, with features of biocompatibility, biodegradability and tail-made temperature responsiveness, are a kind of promising carriers for temperature-controllable drug release.
Effects of Health Factors and Personal Listening Behaviors on Hearing Acuity in College-Aged students who use Earbud style Headphones

Premature hearing loss in young adults is becoming more prevalent. Listening behaviors influence hearing levels and research has shown a protective effect of health-related fitness on hearing acuity in adults. The purpose of this study was to examine hearing acuity in college-aged students who use earbud style headphones, and to determine if cardiovascular (CV) health and fitness confer protection against noise-induced hearing. CV fitness, health biomarkers, music listening behavior, including volume and duration, were measured in 183 undergraduate students. Results showed that most students listened at safe intensity levels (<85dB SPL), but listening duration affected hearing acuity (p = 0.03). Factor analyses revealed that body composition significantly affected hearing acuity (p = 0.03). College-aged students who used earbud style headphones generally listened at safe levels and had normal hearing ranges, but shorter weekly earbud usage time (<7.5 hr/wk) and healthy body composition were significant factors that predicted hearing acuity.
A systematic review of economic evaluations of treatments for patients with epilepsy

The increasing number of treatment options and the high costs associated with epilepsy have fostered the development of economic evaluations in epilepsy. It is important to examine the availability and quality of these economic evaluations and to identify potential research gaps. As well as looking at both pharmacologic (antiepileptic drugs [AEDs]) and nonpharmacologic (e.g., epilepsy surgery, ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation) therapies, this review examines the methodologic quality of the full economic evaluations included. Literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), Econlit, Web of Science, and CEA Registry. In addition, Cochrane Reviews, Cochrane DARE and Cochrane Health Technology Assessment Databases were used. To identify relevant studies, predefined clinical search strategies were combined with a search filter designed to identify health economic studies. Specific search strategies were devised for the following topics: (1) AEDs, (2) patients with cognitive deficits, (3) elderly patients, (4) epilepsy surgery, (5) ketogenic diet, (6) vagus nerve stimulation, and (7) treatment of (non)convulsive status epilepticus. A total of 40 publications were included in this review, 29 (73%) of which were articles about pharmacologic interventions. Mean quality score of all articles on the Consensus Health Economic Criteria (CHEC)‐extended was 81.8%, the lowest quality score being 21.05%, whereas five studies had a score of 100%. Looking at the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS), the average quality score was 77.0%, the lowest being 22.7%, and four studies rated as 100%. There was a substantial difference in methodology in all included articles, which hampered the attempt to combine information meaningfully. Overall, the methodologic quality was acceptable; however, some studies performed significantly worse than others. The heterogeneity between the studies stresses the need to define a reference case (e.g., how should an economic evaluation within epilepsy be performed) and to derive consensus on what constitutes “standard optimal care. ”
Effects of preganglionic denervation and postganglionic axotomy on acetylcholine receptors in the chick ciliary ganglion

The regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in chick ciliary ganglia was examined by using a radiolabeled anti-AChR mAb to quantitate the amount of receptor in ganglion detergent extracts after preganglionic denervation or postganglionic axotomy. Surgical transection of the preganglionic input to the ciliary ganglion in newly hatched chicks caused a threefold reduction in the total number of AChRs within 10 d compared with that present in unoperated contralateral control ganglia. Surgical transection of both the choroid and ciliary nerves emerging from the ciliary ganglion in newly hatched chicks to establish postganglionic axotomy led to a nearly 10-fold reduction in AChRs within 5 d compared with unoperated contralateral ganglia. The declines were specific since they could not be accounted for by changes in ganglionic protein or by decreases in neuronal survival or size. Light microscopy revealed no gross morphological differences between neurons in operated and control ganglia. A second membrane component of cholinergic relevance on chick ciliary ganglion neurons is the alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-Bgt)-binding component. The alpha-Bgt-binding component also declined in number after either postganglionic axotomy or preganglionic denervation, but appeared to do so with a more rapid time course than did ganglionic AChRs. The results imply that cell-cell interactions in vivo specifically regulate both the number of AChRs and the number of alpha-Bgt-binding components in the ganglion. Regulation of these neuronal cholinergic membrane components clearly differs from that previously described for muscle AChRs.
Population Impact and Effectiveness of Monovalent Rotavirus Vaccination in Urban Malawian Children 3 Years After Vaccine Introduction: Ecological and Case-Control Analyses

Background. Rotavirus vaccines have been introduced in many low-income African countries including Malawi in 2012. Despite early evidence of vaccine impact, determining persistence of protection beyond infancy, the utility of the vaccine against specific rotavirus genotypes, and effectiveness in vulnerable subgroups is important. Methods. We compared rotavirus prevalence in diarrheal stool and hospitalization incidence before and following rotavirus vaccine introduction in Malawi. Using case-control analysis, we derived vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the second year of life and for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–exposed and stunted children. Results. Rotavirus prevalence declined concurrent with increasing vaccine coverage, and in 2015 was 24% compared with prevaccine mean baseline in 1997–2011 of 32%. Since vaccine introduction, population rotavirus hospitalization incidence declined in infants by 54.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.8–68.8), but did not fall in older children. Comparing 241 rotavirus cases with 692 test-negative controls, VE was 70.6% (95% CI, 33.6%–87.0%) and 31.7% (95% CI, −140.6% to 80.6%) in the first and second year of life, respectively, whereas mean age of rotavirus cases increased from 9.3 to 11.8 months. Despite higher VE against G1P[8] than against other genotypes, no resurgence of nonvaccine genotypes has occurred. VE did not differ significantly by nutritional status (78.1% [95% CI, 5.6%–94.9%] in 257 well-nourished and 27.8% [95% CI, −99.5% to 73.9%] in 205 stunted children; P = .12), or by HIV exposure (60.5% [95% CI, 13.3%–82.0%] in 745 HIV-unexposed and 42.2% [95% CI, −106.9% to 83.8%] in 174 exposed children; P = .91). Conclusions. Rotavirus vaccination in Malawi has resulted in reductions in disease burden in infants <12 months, but not in older children. Despite differences in genotype-specific VE, no genotype has emerged to suggest vaccine escape. VE was not demonstrably affected by HIV exposure or stunting.
Collisional processes and size distribution in spatially extended debris discs

Context. New generations of instruments provide, or are about to provide, pan-chromatic images of debris discs and photometric measurements, that require new generations of models, in particular to account for their collisional activity. Aims. We present a new multi-annulus code for the study of collisionally evolving extended debris discs. We first aim to confirm and extend our preliminary result obtained for a single-annulus system, namely that the size distribution in realistic debris discs always departs from the theoretical collisional “equilibrium” $\mathrm dN \propto R^{-3.5} \mathrm dR$ power law, especially in the crucial size range of observable particles ($R\la 1\,$cm), where it displays a characteristic wavy pattern. We also study how debris discs density distributions, scattered light luminosity profiles, and Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) are affected by the coupled effect of collisions and radial mixing due to radiation pressure affected small grains. Methods. The size distribution evolution is modeled over 10 orders of magnitude, going from μ m-sized grains to 50 km-sized bodies. The model takes into account the crucial influence of radiation pressure-affected small grains. We consider the collisional evolution of a fiducial, idealized $a = 120$ AU radius disc with an initial surface density $\Sigma(a) \propto a^{\alpha}$. Several key parameters are explored: surface density profile, system's dynamical excitation, total dust mass, collision outcome prescriptions. Results. We show that the system's radial extension plays a crucial role and that the waviness of the size distribution is amplified by inter-annuli interactions: in most regions the collisional and size evolution of the dust is imposed by small particles on eccentric or unbound orbits produced further inside the disc. Moreover, the spatial distribution of all grains $\la$1 cm departs significantly from the initial profile in $\Sigma(a) \propto a^{\alpha}$, while the bigger objects, containing most of the system's mass, still follow the initial distribution. This has consequences on the scattered-light radial profiles which get significantly flatter. We propose an empirical law to trace back the distribution of large unseen parent bodies from the observed profiles. We also show that the the waviness of the size distribution has a clear observable signature in the far-infrared and at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths. This suggests a test of our collision model, which requires observations with future facilities such as Herschel, SOFIA, SCUBA-2 and ALMA. Finally, we provide empirical formulae for the collisional size distribution and collision timescale which can be used for future debris disc modeling.
Comprehensive screening for a complete set of Japanese‐population‐specific filaggrin gene mutations

Mutations in FLG coding profilaggrin cause ichthyosis vulgaris and are an important predisposing factor for atopic dermatitis. Until now, most case–control studies and population‐based screenings have been performed only for prevalent mutations. In this study, we established a high‐throughput FLG mutation detection system by real‐time PCR with a set of two double‐dye probes and conducted comprehensive screening for almost all of the Japanese‐population‐specific FLG mutations (ten FLG mutations). The present comprehensive screening for all ten FLG mutations provided a more precise prevalence rate for FLG mutations (11.1%, n = 820), which seemed high compared with data of previous reports based on screening for limited numbers of FLG mutations. Our comprehensive screening suggested that population‐specific FLG mutations may be a significant predisposing factor for hay fever (odds ratio = 2.01 [95% CI: 1.027–3.936, P < 0.05]), although the sample sizes of this study were too small for reliable subphenotype analysis on the association between FLG mutations and hay fever in the eczema patients and the noneczema individuals, and it is not clear whether the association between FLG mutations and hay fever is due to the close association between FLG mutations and hay fever patients with eczema.
Docetaxel is effective in heavily pretreated patients with disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of single-agent docetaxel (Taxotere) as therapy in patients with disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic or recurrent NPC who have failed at least one line of palliative chemotherapy regimen but no prior docetaxel were eligible. Patients received weekly docetaxel every 28 days (docetaxel 30 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8 and 15) and were evaluated every two cycles of treatment of response assessment. Quality-of-life (QoL) assessments during the treatment period were done using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL questionnaire QLQ-C30; version 3.0. RESULTS Thirty patients were assessable for toxicity and response. The median age of the patients was 47 years (range 25-68 years) and the majority of patients had good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0-1). Grade 3 or 4 toxicity included fatigue (13%), anemia (10%) and diarrhea (3%) of patients. Eleven (37%) and four (13.3%) patients achieved partial response and stable disease, respectively. The median progression-free survival was 5.3 months and median overall survival of 12.8 months. The partial responders had a mean duration of response of 4.1 months. Docetaxel caused a significant decline in QoL scores during treatment of patients responding or progressing with the treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that weekly docetaxel is well tolerated and is an active agent in patients with disseminated NPC who were previously exposed and largely refractory to platinum-based chemotherapy but can cause a significant decline in QoL during treatment.
THE INFORMATION AUDIT AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS EFFECTIVE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SPECIAL LIBRARIAN *

Un audit de l'information est un outil qui permet d'identifier non seulement les sources d'information d'importance strategique, mais aussi les tâches et les activites qui creent de la connaissance et celles qui dependent du transfert de connaissances provenant d'autres aires de l'entreprise. L'article decrit tout d'abord la relation entre le processus d'audit de l'information et la gestion des connaissances. Puis il introduit un modele d'audit de l'information en sept etapes, chaque etape etant examinee en fonction de sa contribution au processus. Il conclut en etudiant les benefices potentiels d'une utilisation de l'audit comme la premiere phase du developpment d'une strategie de gestion des connaissances.
Detecting meditation using a dry mono-electrode EEG sensor

A vast researches are concentrated towards the development of EEG based human computer interface to enhance the quality of life for medical applications. There is a recent attraction to wireless EEG devices as they are cheaper and easily available in the market. The devices use dry electrodes and send signals via wireless, thus are easier to use and more comfortable to wear. Such technology can be used in psychology, neuro therapy, and for real-time patients monitoring. One such off-the-shelf device is Neurosky MindWave headset. In this paper, it is utilized to measure electrical activity of user's forehead. The collected data in voltage is wirelessly transmitted to a computer for further processing. After processing the EEG data, signals were categorized to requisite frequency bands of brain waves for feature extraction. The collected signal can be used to differentiate between meditation and attention activities. Examples of attention activities are reading, problem solving, etc. Meditation level obtained directly from MindWave was not observed to be a good feature for classification of different brain activities. The two psycho-physiological states, attention and meditation are of interest to psychological therapies. This paper shows that meditation and other activities related to attention can be detected and differentiated better with frequency and frequency-time analysis of the EEG signal. The EEG signal recorded from MindWave can be effectively used to plot visual feedback of brain activity.
Parents' perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards child safety: a study in 14 European countries

Injury is the leading cause of death for children 0 – 19 years of age in Europe, accounting for 3.1 deaths per 10 000 children per year. The youngest children of the ages 0 – 4 years require the most protection in this age group, with 2.5 injury-related deaths per 10 000 children in Europe annually. As parents are the primary caregivers of children, it is necessary to learn more about parents' perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards child safety. This study presents the findings of a 14-country study in Europe on this theme. A quantitative survey of parents of children aged 5 years or under was performed in 14 EU member states in order to enable better targeting of prevention efforts aimed at educating parents. The total sample size was 2088. The results show that 95% of parents reported that they personally take measures to avoid accidental injury to their children. Their top concern with regard to safety of their children was children being hit by a car. The most common response, when asked why some parents find it difficult to protect their children from accidental injury, was not being able to watch their children constantly. Lack of awareness or knowledge about the causes of accidents was the second response. Two-thirds of parents would like to see more help from the government to prevent childhood injuries. Three-quarters of parents agreed that child injuries can be avoided. It was concluded that parents want to be better informed about the causes of child accidents and about actions they and society can take to reduce injury-related risks to children.
Lack of the Cell-Cycle Inhibitor p27Kip1 Results in Selective Increase of Transit-Amplifying Cells for Adult Neurogenesis

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the largest germinal layer in the adult mammalian brain and comprises stem cells, transit-amplifying progenitors, and committed neuroblasts. Although the SVZ contains the highest concentration of dividing cells in the adult brain, the intracellular mechanisms controlling their proliferation have not been elucidated. We show here that loss of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 has very specific effects on a population of CNS progenitors responsible for adult neurogenesis. Using bromodeoxyuridine and [3H]thymidine incorporation to label cells in S phase and cell-specific markers and electron microscopy to identify distinct cell types, we compared the SVZ structure and proliferation characteristics of wild-type and p27Kip1-null mice. Loss of p27Kip1 had no effect on the number of stem cells but selectively increased the number of the transit-amplifying progenitors concomitantly with a reduction in the number of neuroblasts. We conclude that cell-cycle regulation of SVZ adult progenitors is remarkably cell-type specific, with p27Kip1 being a key regulator of the cell division of the transit-amplifying progenitors.
Occupational Stress! A Comprehensive Analysis of Higher Education Universities of Khyber Paktunkhwa, Pakistan

Stress has been introduced as a creatively ambiguous term that brings detrimental consequences to both individuals as well as the organization. Stress, if left unchecked may result in burnout that is the stage where person develops feelings of exhaustion, lack of accomplishment and depression. This research study is an effort to identify the stressors causing stress in the faculty members of public and private sector universities of Khyber PaktunKhwa, Pakistan. Stressors identified were; Work Load, Reward, Student/faculty interaction, Collegial/Social interaction, Self Efficacy, Procedural Justice, Distributive Justice, Leadership Style and Organizational Politics. These stressors were pointed as the major causes of stress by faculty of 18 universities. Questionnaire instrument was designed and data was collected that resultantly showed that Student/Faculty interaction, Leadership Style, and Collegial/ Social Interaction were the most important occupational stressors identified by the faculty members of KP.