Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and Self-Reported Behavior of Patients, Doctors, and Pharmacists in New Zealand and Belgium Toward Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of Medication

Patients', doctors', and pharmacists' attitudes toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for medication and their perceptions of its impact on patient self-reported behavior in terms of request for, and consumption of, advertised medication were investigated. Data were obtained in New Zealand, 1 of only 2 countries that allow mass-media DTCA for prescription medication, and in Belgium, which does not. Attitudes were relatively negative in both countries, but significantly more positive in New Zealand than in Belgium. The impact of DTCA (both in a positive and a negative sense) on self-reported patient behavior and patient interaction with doctors and pharmacists was limited in both countries. Although—as already established in previous work—the informativeness and reliability of DTCA can be much improved, and the attitude of medical professionals toward DTCA is negative in both countries, from the point of view of medical professionals and patients, DTCA does not harm the self-reported relationship between doctors, pharmacists, and patients.
The History of Photodetection and Photodynamic Therapy¶

Abstract Light has been employed in the treatment of disease since antiquity. Many ancient civilizations utilized phototherapy, but it was not until early last century that this form of therapy reappeared. Following the scientific discoveries by early pioneers such as Finsen, Raab and Von Tappeiner, the combination of light and drug administration led to the emergence of photochemotherapy as a therapeutic tool. The isolation of porphyrins and the subsequent discovery of their tumor-localizing properties and phototoxic effects on tumor tissue led to the development of modern photodetection (PD) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). This review traces the origins and development of PD and PDT from antiquity to the present day.
A homogeneous method for investigation of methylation-dependent protein–protein interactions in epigenetics

Methylation of lysine residues on the tails of histone proteins is a major determinant of the transcription state of associated DNA coding regions. The interplay among methylation states and other histone modifications to direct transcriptional outcome is referred to as the histone code. In addition to histone methyltransferases and demethylases which function to modify the methylation state of lysine sidechains, other proteins recognize specific histone methylation marks essentially serving as code readers. While these interactions are highly specific with respect to site and methylation state of particular lysine residues, they are generally weak and therefore difficult to monitor by traditional assay techniques. Herein, we present the design and implementation of a homogeneous, miniaturizable, and sensitive assay for histone methylation-dependent interactions. We use AlphaScreen, a chemiluminescence-based technique, to monitor the interactions of chromodomains (MPP8, HP1β and CHD1), tudor domains (JMJD2A) and plant homeodomains (RAG2) with their cognate trimethyllysine histone partners. The utility of the method was demonstrated by profiling the binding specificities of chromo- and tudor domains toward several histone marks. The simplicity of design and the sensitive and robust nature of this assay should make it applicable to a range of epigenetic studies, including the search for novel inhibitors of methylation-dependent interactions.
Simulation of a 0.2 THz second-harmonic multiplier with sheet electron beam

Design of a sub-THz traveling-wave tube multiplier with a sheet electron and half-period staggered beam slow-wave structure (SWS) is presented. The device consists of two SWS sections separated by drift section. The input one operates in W band and serves for modulation of the electron beam. The output one serves for second-harmonic power extraction in G band.
Optimal photosynthetic use of light by tropical tree crowns achieved by adjustment of individual leaf angles and nitrogen content.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Theory for optimal allocation of foliar nitrogen (ONA) predicts that both nitrogen concentration and photosynthetic capacity will scale linearly with gradients of insolation within plant canopies. ONA is expected to allow plants to efficiently use both light and nitrogen. However, empirical data generally do not exhibit perfect ONA, and light-use optimization per se is little explored. The aim was to examine to what degree partitioning of nitrogen or light is optimized in the crowns of three tropical canopy tree species. METHODS Instantaneous photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) incident on the adaxial surface of individual leaves was measured along vertical PPFD gradients in tree canopies at a frequency of 0.5 Hz over 9-17 d, and summed to obtain the average daily integral of PPFD for each leaf to characterize its insolation regime. Also measured were leaf N per area (N(area)), leaf mass per area (LMA), the cosine of leaf inclination and the parameters of the photosynthetic light response curve [photosynthetic capacity (A(max)), dark respiration (R(d)), apparent quantum yield (phi) and curvature (theta)]. The instantaneous PPFD measurements and light response curves were used to estimate leaf daily photosynthesis (A(daily)) for each leaf. KEY RESULTS Leaf N(area) and A(max) changed as a hyperbolic asymptotic function of the PPFD regime, not the linear relationship predicted by ONA. Despite this suboptimal nitrogen partitioning among leaves, A(daily) did increase linearly with PPFD regime through co-ordinated adjustments in both leaf angle and physiology along canopy gradients in insolation, exhibiting a strong convergence among the three species. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that canopy tree leaves in this tropical forest optimize photosynthetic use of PPFD rather than N per se. Tropical tree canopies then can be considered simple 'big-leaves' in which all constituent 'small leaves' use PPFD with the same photosynthetic efficiency.
An Exploratory Study of Bloggers' Information Sharing Behavior: The Role of Online Privacy Concerns

Social networking websites have become very popular with Internet users as one of the latest forms of online communication tools. Blogs, recurrently updated web pages with a series of archived postings in social network websites have been discussed as a useful information sharing platform for knowledge management in a collaborative work environment. However, blogs generate growing concerns regarding information privacy issues. This study, based on social capital theory, presents exploratory results about bloggers’ information sharing behavior. The survey results indicate that trust which has four second order factors: economy based trust, trust in reciprocity, trust in other bloggers and trust in social interaction positively affects bloggers’ information sharing behavior. However, online information privacy concerns have a negative impact on the relationship between trust and bloggers’ information sharing behavior.
Runtime Monitoring of Web Service Conversations

For a system of distributed processes, correctness can be ensured by (statically) checking whether their composition satisfies properties of interest. However, Web services are distributed processes that dynamically discover properties of other Web services. Since the overall system may not be available statically and since each business process is supposed to be relatively simple, we propose to use runtime monitoring of conversations between partners as a means of checking behavioral correctness of the entire Web service system. Specifically, we identify a subset of UML 2.0 sequence diagrams as a property specification language and show that it is sufficiently expressive for capturing safety and liveness properties. By transforming these diagrams to automata, we enable conformance checking of finite execution traces against the specification. We show how our language can be used to specify the specification property system (SPS). We describe an implementation of our approach as part of an industrial system. Finally, we discuss our experience of specifying and monitoring a number of properties from three existing applications.
Effect of Security Investment on Evolutionary Games

In this paper, we propose an evolutionary game model to analyze the investment decision making process in the cyber offender-defender interaction and provide a quantified approach for defender to calculate the safety threshold to avoid the occurrence of offender- leading game. Then we use simulation as a workbench to discuss the adjustment of each parameter to the security investment threshold. Our evolutionary game model shows that the cyber offender-defender game can possibly reach one realistic stable point after a long-term evolution, which implicates a tied offender-defender game. We found that an offender-leading game can be avoided by maintaining the security investment above a safety threshold level determined by the system vulnerability among other environmental parameters such as residual risk and potential loss. Hence with an optimal level of security investment, the defender can lead the game effectively to discourage attacking attempts. Both linear and nonlinear simulations share similar trends and our evolutionary game theoretic analysis remains valid in either case.
Umbilical cord care in premature infants: the effect of two different cord-care regimens (salicylic sugar powder vs chlorhexidine) on cord separation time and other outcomes.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of 2 cord-care regimens (salicylic sugar powder vs chlorhexidine as a 4% detergent water solution) on cord separation time and other outcomes in preterm infants. METHODS A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 244 preterm newborns with a gestational age of <34 weeks and a birth weight of <2500 g. All preterm newborns were enrolled, regardless of their health condition. We excluded from the study infants whose conditions during the first hours of life required the catheterization of umbilical vessels. We also excluded from the general statistical analysis all newborns who had their programmed cord-care regimen changed because of the presence or the suspicion of omphalitis. On arrival at our neonatal intensive care unit or neonatal special care unit, infants were bathed thoroughly with a soap solution (Saugella, Guieu, Italy), and the umbilical cord (UC) was treated with 1 of the 2 antiseptic products chosen for the study. The stump was then folded and covered with common sterile, dry gauze and kept in place by an elastic net. Until cord detachment and at every diaper change, the cord stump was cleaned with sterile water and treated with the same product initially used for first-time cord care. On the third day of life, we obtained an umbilical swab either from the base of the cord or from the umbilicus if the cord was already sloughed. Six weeks after birth, during hospitalization or during a follow-up visit if already discharged, all infants had a medical examination to check the umbilicus area. Cord separation time, changing of the programmed cord-care regimen, death, omphalitis, sepsis, cord bleeding, nurses' opinion on treatments efficacy, and UC colonization were measured. RESULTS The cord separation time was significantly lower in infants who were treated with salicylic sugar powder (6 +/- 2 days) than in infants who were treated with chlorhexidine (9 +/- 2 days). The programmed cord-care regimen was changed in a significantly higher number of newborns in the chlorhexidine group (17) than in the salicylic sugar group (3). None of the newborns died, and we found only sporadic cases of sepsis (1 patient in each group) and omphalitis (1 patient in the chlorhexidine group). A significantly higher percentage of nurses were satisfied with the salicylic sugar powder treatment (98%) than with the chlorhexidine treatment (67%), notwithstanding a more frequent occurrence of slight cord scar bleeding in the salicylic sugar group (7.8%) than in the chlorhexidine group (4%). The rate of negative umbilical swabs was significantly higher in infants treated with salicylic sugar powder (73.1%) than with chlorhexidine (53%). CONCLUSIONS In neonatal intensive care units and neonatal special care units of developed countries, salicylic sugar powder can be used effectively and safely for UC care of preterm infants.
Chemotherapy of sarcomas with a combination of adriamycin and dimethyl triazeno imidazole carboxamide

During the initial therapeutic evaluations of adriamycin and DIC, efficacy was noted with each in the treatment of advanced sarcomas. Preclinical studies suggested possible synergism without additive toxicity. This lead to our evaluating the two agents in combination in metastatic sarcomas. Adriamycin at 60 mg/m2 was given I.V. on day 1 and DIC 250 mg/m2 I.V. on days 1 to 5, with the entire regimen repeated every 21 days. The dosage of both drugs was reduced 25% in patients with extensive prior therapy. Of 120 patients entered, 100 were evaluable for therapeutic efficacy. Five complete and 36 partial remissions (> 50%) were observed for a response rate of 41% including the following diagnoses: synovial cell sarcoma 2/2; rhabdomyosarcoma 3/5; undifferentiated sarcoma 6/13; fibrosarcoma 5/11; osteogenic sarcoma 8/18; liposarcoma 3/7; mesothelioma 3/7; neurofibrosarcoma 4/10; leiomyosarcoma 6/16; angiosarcoma 1/5; chondrosarcoma 0/4, and miscellaneous sarcomas 0/2. The median duration for complete remission was 5+ months (range—3+ to 7+ months) and for partial remission was 31/2+ months (1–10+ months) with 29/41 still in remission. Toxicity was limited predominantly to vomiting, alopecia, and myelosuppression. Leukocyte depression was maximum by median day 15, with prompt recovery permitting retreatment at a 3‐week interval in all but 8% of courses. Combination therapy with adriamycin and DIC appears to be an effective and promising regimen in the treatment of metastatic sarcomas.
Outcomes for patients with dementia from the Cleveland Alzheimer's Managed Care Demonstration

This investigation evaluates effects of care consultation delivered within a partnership between a managed health care system and Alzheimer's Association chapter. Care consultation is a multi-component telephone intervention in which Association staff work with patients and caregivers to identify personal strengths and resources within the family, health plan, and community. The primary hypothesis is that care consultation will decrease utilization of managed care services and improve psychosocial outcomes. A secondary modifying-effects hypothesis posits benefits will be greater for patients with more severe memory impairment. The sample is composed of managed care patients whose medical records indicate a diagnosis of dementia or memory loss. Patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group, which was offered care consultation in addition to usual managed care services, or to a control group, which was offered only usual managed care services. Data come from two in-person interviews with patients, and medical and administrative records. Results supporting the primary hypothesis show intervention group patients feel less embarrassed and isolated because of their memory problems and report less difficulty coping. Findings consistent with the modifying-effects hypothesis show intervention group patients with more severe impairment have fewer physician visits, are less likely to have an emergency department visit or hospital admission, are more satisfied with managed care services, and have decreased depression and strain.
Association between vomiting in the first trimester and preterm birth: a retrospective birth cohort study in Wuhan, China

Objective Although vomiting in the first trimester has been reported to be associated with preterm birth (PTB), findings supporting this association remain inconsistent. Our aim was to assess the association between vomiting and PTB, as well as evaluate if the association is modified by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting Wuhan, a central city of China. Participants A total of 317 463 pregnant women who had a live, singleton newborn from 1 January 2010 to 23 May 2016 were enrolled in our study. Main outcome measure PTB was defined as gestational age <37 gestational weeks. Gestational age was calculated using reports from mothers based on the first day of their last menstrual period. An ultrasound was routinely used to determine gestational age before 12 gestational weeks. Results Of the 317 463 pregnant women, 29.88% (94 857) experienced vomiting in the first trimester and 5.00% (15 889) experienced a PTB. Vomiting in the first trimester increased the risk for PTB and the multivariable adjusted OR was 1.05 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.09). In the stratified analyses, the association of vomiting in the first trimester was significant among underweight women (adjusted OR=1.08, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.17) and normal pre-pregnancy BMI women (adjusted OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.11), but not in overweight women (adjusted OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.14) and obese women (adjusted OR=0.93, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.19). Conclusions Our study indicates that vomiting in the first trimester was associated with PTB. Additionally, women with underweight and normal pre-pregnancy BMI who experienced vomiting are more likely to have a PTB.
Small-scale spatio-temporal dynamics of snowmelt and its influence on runoff generation in a high Alpine catchment

Dans le troisième chapitre, nous mettons la modélisation de côté et investiguons expérimentalement la variabilité spatio-temporelle de la neige et de sa fonte. A l’aide d’un scanner terrestre longue distance, l’évolution de la couche de neige est mesurée à très haute résolution spatiale sur différentes pentes du bassin de la Dischma pendant la saison de fonte au printemps 2015. L’analyse des données révèle que la dynamique d’ablation à l’échelle de la pente suit une distribution bi-modale qui diverge au cours de la saison. L’origine de cette bi-modalité est expliquée par les facteurs limitants de la fonte de neige : l’énergie disponible et la masse de neige encore présente. Pour conclure, nous nous éloignons du monde de la cryosphère mais continuons à étudier les échanges entre la surface terrestre et l’atmosphère. Dans le cadre d’un Observatoire Citoyen, nous avons développé un capteur bon marché de flux de chaleur sensible. L’instrument a été validé avec une référence de l’état de l’art. Le capteur montre des résultats prometteurs en donnant une bonne estimation du flux sensible sur plusieurs types de sol (herbe, gravier). Les limites du capteur actuel ainsi que ses potentielles améliorations sont discutées en détail. Grâce à son coût modéré, l’instrument a un grand potentiel : il pourrait être utilisé pour mesurer la variabilité spatiale du flux de chaleur sensible ou intégré dans un réseau de capteurs sans fil. Mots clefs : fonte de neige, bassin versant alpin, terrain complexe, génération des débits, variabilité spatio-temporelle, distribution de la neige, scanner laser terrestre, modèle à base phyisque.
Measurements of Geomagnetic Declination (1685–1910) Using Land Surveys, LiDAR, and Stone Walls

Nearly 1,200 km of boundaries surveyed in 1685–1910, upon which stone walls were subsequently built, were measured using high‐resolution Light Detection and Ranging in the northeastern United States (New Hampshire and New York). The geomagnetic declinations at the time of the original land surveys of those stone wall‐defined boundaries have been determined and compared with (i) current geophysical models (i.e., gufm1, IGRF12; United States Historical Declinations) and (ii) measured declinations (Bauer, 1902). With the exception of lower declinations (i.e., 1.5° eastward) in 1775–1810, the results of this study are in good agreement with gufm1 and IGRF12 geomagnetic declinations. This study yielded systematically higher declinations (i.e., up to 2.0° westerly) than the United States Historical Declination values during 1750–1780. These results demonstrate that geomagnetic declination can be determined when durable, human‐engineered structures on land (e.g., stone walls, roads) are accompanied by detailed historical documentation and accurate land surveys. An example of using old streets (1699) in Colonial Williamsburg, VA, is also discussed. Precisions of the bearings along boundaries in the seventeenth‐ to nineteenth‐century land surveys used this study were typically better than ±0.30°.
Non-coding Y RNAs as tethers and gates

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) called Y RNAs are abundant components of both animal cells and a variety of bacteria. In all species examined, these ~100 nt RNAs are bound to the Ro 60 kDa (Ro60) autoantigen, a ring-shaped protein that also binds misfolded ncRNAs in some vertebrate nuclei. Although the function of Ro60 RNPs has been mysterious, we recently reported that a bacterial Y RNA tethers Ro60 to the 3′ to 5′ exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) to form RYPER (Ro60/Y RNA/PNPase Exoribonuclease RNP), a new RNA degradation machine. PNPase is a homotrimeric ring that degrades single-stranded RNA, and Y RNA-mediated tethering of Ro60 increases the effectiveness of PNPase in degrading structured RNAs. Single particle electron microscopy of RYPER suggests that RNA threads through the Ro60 ring into the PNPase cavity. Further studies indicate that Y RNAs may also act as gates to regulate entry of RNA substrates into the Ro60 channel. These findings reveal novel functions for Y RNAs and raise questions about how the bacterial findings relate to the roles of these ncRNAs in animal cells. Here we review the literature on Y RNAs, highlighting their close relationship with Ro60 proteins and the hypothesis that these ncRNAs function generally to tether Ro60 rings to diverse RNA-binding proteins.
Channel-Based Authentication Game in MIMO Systems

In this paper, we investigate the PHY-layer authentication that exploits radio channel information to detect spoofing attacks in multiple- input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. We formulate the interactions between a receiver and a spoofing node in the spoofing detection as a zero-sum game. In this game, the receiver chooses the test threshold of the hypothesis test in the PHY-layer authentication to maximize its utility based on the Bayesian risk in the spoofing detection, while the adversary chooses its attack frequency, i.e., how often a spoofing packet is sent over multiple antennas. The unique Nash equilibrium of the static MIMO authentication game is derived and the condition for its existence is discussed. We investigate the impact of the number of antennas on the performance of the dynamic authentication game. We propose a PHY-layer spoofing detection based on Q-learning for MIMO systems to achieve the optimal test threshold in the spoofing detection via trials, and implement it over universal software radio peripherals. The performance of the spoofing detection algorithm is evaluated via experiments in indoor environments.