Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internet suicide in Japan: A qualitative content analysis of a suicide bulletin board

Netto shinju, or Internet group suicide, is a contemporary form of Japanese suicide where strangers connect on the Internet and make plans to commit suicide together. In the past decade, numerous incidents have occurred whereby young Japanese make contact on the Internet, exchange tips on suicide methods, and make plans to meet offline for group/individual suicide. A systematic qualitative content/thematic analysis of online communications posted on a popular Japanese suicide bulletin board yielded a textured, thematic understanding of this phenomenon. Themes identified reflected Shneidman’s theory of suicide but with an emphasis on interpersonal concerns that are embedded in Japanese culture.
Interferon Regulatory Factor 3-Independent Double-Stranded RNA-Induced Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus Replicons in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 Cells

ABSTRACT The treatment of human embryonic kidney 293 cells harboring a hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic replicon with the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mimic poly(I · C) inhibits HCV RNA replication through an undefined mechanism. Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF 3) has been widely postulated to mediate various antiviral responses, and its role in mediating the response to dsRNA in 293 cells was examined. Treating the cells with dsRNA did not induce IRF-3 activation, as measured by nuclear localization or the induction of reporter genes. Moreover, the expression of a dominant negative form of IRF-3 did not affect either colony formation upon transfection of subgenomic replicon RNA or the inhibition of the HCV replicon by dsRNA. Our results suggest that the inhibition of HCV RNA replication by poly(I · C) in 293 cells is independent of IRF-3 activation.
AUTOROTATION PATH PLANNING USING BACKWARDSREACHABLE SET AND OPTIMAL CONTROL

This paper presents a methodology to compute the backwards reachable set from safe on ground to a trimmed autorotation condition. This backwards reachable set represents the region of the trimmed autorotation state space from which safe paths to touchdown at a specified point are guaranteed to exist. The backwards reachable set is found by computing optimal trajectories from candidate initial states (distance and height above the touchdown point, horizontal speed, descent rate, rotor speed) to the designated touchdown point. In addition, the set of trimmed autorotation conditions which are likely to lead to safe trajectories to ground are computed. As an example, the safe landing set is computed for a generic utility helicopter.
Dynamic Phosphor Sedimentation Effect on the Optical Performance of White LEDs

In this letter, we investigated the dynamic phosphor sedimentation effect on the optical performance of phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pcLEDs) with dispensed phosphor layer. To analyze the phosphor sedimentation effect, we realized two packaging structures to sediment phosphor particles above/outside LED chip separately. The phosphor sedimentation effect on the luminous efficiency and correlated color temperature (CCT) were tested by experiments, followed by a quantitative exploration to the mechanism by evaluating the angular color uniformity and light intensity distribution-based Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations. Results show that phosphor sedimentation happened above LED chip will decrease CCT by 33.19%, and happened outside LED chip will increase CCT by 269%. For the conventional packaging structure, phosphor sedimentation will lead to the decreasing CCT at first and the increasing CCT soon afterwards, and the CCT variation is 39.62%.
Oral and Intraperitoneal Administration of Quercetin Decreased Lymphocyte DNA Damage and Plasma Lipid Peroxidation Induced by TSA In Vivo

Our previous study showed that quercetin enhances the anticancer effect of trichostatin A (TSA) in xenograft mice given quercetin intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg, 3 times/week). Herein, we investigate whether quercetin administered orally exerts such an effect and prevents the cytotoxic side effects of TSA. We found that quercetin given orally (20 and 100 mg/kg, 3 times/week) failed to enhance the antitumor effect of TSA although it increased the total quercetin concentration more than quercetin administered intraperitoneally in the plasma. The compound quercetin-3-glucuronide (Q3G) increased the most. However, quercetin administered intraperitoneally increased the total quercetin level in tumor tissues more than oral quercetin. Oral and intraperitoneal administration of quercetin similarly decreased lymphocyte DNA damage and plasma lipid peroxidation level induced by TSA. Furthermore, we found that the enhancing effect of Q3G on the antitumor effect of TSA and the incorporation of Q3G was less than that of quercetin in A549 cells. However, we found that A549 cells possessed the ability to convert Q3G to quercetin. In conclusion, different from quercetin administered intraperitoneally, quercetin administered orally failed to enhance the antitumor effect of TSA because of its metabolic conversion. However, it prevented TSA-induced DNA damage and lipid peroxidation.
Associations Between Dysfunctional Behaviors, Gender, and Burden in Spousal Caregivers of Cognitively Impaired Older Adults

Reductions in healthcare spending and current demographic trends will result in increasing demands to care for aging relatives, especially those with cognitive impairment (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). Taking care of older individuals with cognitive impairment can be very challenging and burdensome. Caregiver burden is associated with negative outcomes such as caregiver depression and increased likelihood of patient institutionalization. One hundred eleven patients and their spousal caregivers were studied using a pre-post design. All subjects received a comprehensive medical intervention that included medical management of patients' problems and education of caregivers. We examined changes in patients' function and caregiver burden. At follow-up, patients' cognition and independence in activities of daily living had continued to deteriorate whereas their mood was improved. Regression analyses showed that changes in caregiver burden were positively associated with changes in the frequency of dysfunctional behaviors but not with changes in cognition. Gender was also related to changes in caregiver burden; male caregivers were more likely than female caregivers to report reductions in burden at follow-up. These data suggest medical interventions may provide some relief to caregivers of cognitively impaired older patients, but more research is required to identify the causal agents of this effect.
Prognostic Value of Serum Von Willebrand Factor, but Not Soluble ICAM and VCAM, for Mortality and Cardiovascular Events is Independent of Residual Renal Function in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

♦ Objective: We explored associations between markers of endothelial dysfunction and outcome events, and whether those associations were independent of residual renal function (RRF) in patients on peritoneal dialysis. ♦ Methods: The study enrolled 261 incident patients and 68 healthy control subjects who were followed till death, censoring, or study end. Demographics, biochemistry, markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein) and endothelial dysfunction [soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM), soluble vascular adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM), and von Willebrand factor (vWf)] were examined at baseline. Outcome events included all-cause death and fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular (CV) events. ♦ Results: Mean levels of vWf, sICAM, and sVCAM were significantly higher in patients than in healthy control subjects. Levels of sICAM and sVCAM, but not vWf, were significantly correlated with RRF. Levels of sICAM and vWf both predicted all-cause mortality and fatal and nonfatal CV events after adjustment for recognizable CV risk factors. The association between sICAM and outcome events disappeared after further adjustment for RRF. However, RRF did not change the predictive role of vWf for outcome events. Compared with the lowest vWf quartile (6.6% - 73.9%), the highest vWf quartile (240.9% - 1161%) predicted the highest risk for fatal and nonfatal CV events (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.15 to 3.64; p = 0.014). We observed no associations between sVCAM and RRF, or sVCAM and any outcome event. ♦ Conclusions: The prognostic value of vWf, but not sICAM, is independent of RRF in predicting mortality and CV events.
Adapting the Abbreviated Impactor Measurement (AIM) concept to make appropriate inhaler aerosol measurements to compare with clinical data: a scoping study with the "Alberta" idealized throat (AIT) inlet.

BACKGROUND The Abbreviated Impactor Measurement (AIM) concept simplifies determination of aerodynamic size metrics for inhaler quality control testing. A similar approach is needed to compare in vitro particle size distribution metrics with human respiratory tract (HRT) deposition. METHODS An abbreviated impactor based on the Andersen eight-stage cascade impactor (ACI) was developed having two size-fractionating stages with cut-points at 4.7 and 1.1 μm aerodynamic diameter at 28.3 L/min, to distinguish between coarse (CPM), fine (FPM), and extra-fine (EPM) mass fractions likely to deposit in the oropharynx, airways of the lungs, or be exhaled, respectively. In vitro data were determined for pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI)-delivered salbutamol (100 μg/actuation ex valve) with an "Alberta" idealized adult upper airway (throat) inlet (AIM-pHRT). Corresponding benchmark data for a full resolution Andersen eight-stage cascade impactor with "Alberta" idealized throat (ACI-AIT) and ACI-Ph.Eur. /USP inlet were obtained with the same product. RESULTS Mass recoveries (μg/actuation; mean ± SD) were equivalent at 100.5 ± 0.7; 97.2 ± 4.9 and 101.5 ± 9.5 for the AIM-pHRT, ACI-AIT, and ACI-Ph.Eur. /USP induction port, respectively [one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), p=0.64]. Corresponding values of CPM were 59.2 ± 4.2; 58.4 ± 2.4, and 65.6 ± 5.8; the AIT captured larger particles more efficiently than the Ph.Eur. /USP induction port, so that less large particle mass was apparent in the upper stages of the ACI-AIT (p ≤ 0.037). Equivalent values of FPM were similar regardless of inlet/abbreviation at 41.3 ± 4.2; 38.7 ± 3.0, and 35.9 ± 3.8 (p=0.054), and EPM measures (1.7 ± 0.3; 2.0 ± 0.5; 2.1 ± 0.3) were also comparable (p=0.32). CONCLUSIONS The AIT inlet significantly increased the capture of the coarse fraction compared with that collected by the Ph.Eur. /USP induction port. Measures obtained using the AIM-pHRT apparatus were comparable with those obtained with the ACI-AIT.
DNaseI Hypersensitivity and Ultraconservation Reveal Novel, Interdependent Long-Range Enhancers at the Complex Pax6 Cis-Regulatory Region

The PAX6 gene plays a crucial role in development of the eye, brain, olfactory system and endocrine pancreas. Consistent with its pleiotropic role the gene exhibits a complex developmental expression pattern which is subject to strict spatial, temporal and quantitative regulation. Control of expression depends on a large array of cis-elements residing in an extended genomic domain around the coding region of the gene. The minimal essential region required for proper regulation of this complex locus has been defined through analysis of human aniridia-associated breakpoints and YAC transgenic rescue studies of the mouse smalleye mutant. We have carried out a systematic DNase I hypersensitive site (HS) analysis across 200 kb of this critical region of mouse chromosome 2E3 to identify putative regulatory elements. Mapping the identified HSs onto a percent identity plot (PIP) shows many HSs correspond to recognisable genomic features such as evolutionarily conserved sequences, CpG islands and retrotransposon derived repeats. We then focussed on a region previously shown to contain essential long range cis-regulatory information, the Pax6 downstream regulatory region (DRR), allowing comparison of mouse HS data with previous human HS data for this region. Reporter transgenic mice for two of the HS sites, HS5 and HS6, show that they function as tissue specific regulatory elements. In addition we have characterised enhancer activity of an ultra-conserved cis-regulatory region located near Pax6, termed E60. All three cis-elements exhibit multiple spatio-temporal activities in the embryo that overlap between themselves and other elements in the locus. Using a deletion set of YAC reporter transgenic mice we demonstrate functional interdependence of the elements. Finally, we use the HS6 enhancer as a marker for the migration of precerebellar neuro-epithelium cells to the hindbrain precerebellar nuclei along the posterior and anterior extramural streams allowing visualisation of migratory defects in both pathways in Pax6Sey/Sey mice.
Secure multi-agent dynamic programming based on homomorphic encryption and its application to combinatorial auctions

This paper presents a secure dynamic programming protocol that utilizes homomorphic encryption. By using this method, multiple agents can solve a combinatorial optimization problem among them without leaking their private information. More specifically, in this method, multiple servers cooperatively perform dynamic programming procedures for solving a combinatorial optimization problem by using the private information sent from agents as inputs. Although the severs can compute the optimal solution correctly, the inputs are kept secret even from the servers.Such a secure protocol is important when a fully trusted agent is not available, e.g., an auctioneer cannot be fully trusted in a combinatorial auction. By utilizing the proposed protocol, multiple auction servers can solve the winner determination problem, while the information of bids that are not part of the optimal solution is kept secret even from the auction servers. We discuss the application of this protocol to various types of combinatorial auctions, i.e., multi-unit auctions, linear-good auctions, and general combinatorial auctions.
Retinoic Acid as a Vaccine Adjuvant Enhances CD8+ T Cell Response and Mucosal Protection from Viral Challenge

ABSTRACT Vaccine-induced memory T cells localized at mucosal sites can provide rapid protection from viral infection. All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) has been shown to act physiologically to induce the expression of gut-homing receptors on lymphocytes. We tested whether the administration of exogenous ATRA during a systemic vaccination of mice could enhance the generation of mucosal CD8+ T cell immunity, which might represent a strategy for establishing better protection from viral infection via mucosal routes. ATRA induced the expression of CCR9 and α4β7 on both mouse and human CD8+ T cells activated in vitro. The administration of ATRA to mice during in vivo priming with a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus vector expressing the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein (LCMVgp) (Ad5gp) increased numbers of both effector and memory T cells in intestinal mucosal tissues and showed higher frequencies of systemic central memory-like T cells that exhibited enhanced proliferation during boosting immunization with recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara expressing LCMVgp (MVAgp). Mice that received ATRA during Ad5gp vaccination were more resistant to intravaginal challenge by recombinant vaccinia virus expressing LCMVgp (VVgp), reflecting in part stronger T cell recall responses in situ. Thus, ATRA appears to be useful as an adjuvant during vaccination to increase memory T cell responses and protection from viral infection at mucosal sites and may facilitate the development of more effective vaccines against mucosally transmitted pathogens such as HIV.
Association of delay of urgent or emergency surgery with mortality and use of health care resources: a propensity score–matched observational cohort study

BACKGROUND: Delay of surgery for hip fracture is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality, but the effects of surgical delays on mortality and resource use in the context of other emergency surgeries is poorly described. Our objective was to measure the independent association between delay of emergency surgery and in-hospital mortality, length of stay and costs. METHODS: We identified all adult patients who underwent emergency noncardiac surgery between January 2012 and October 2014 at a single tertiary care centre. Delay of surgery was defined as the time from surgical booking to operating room entry exceeding institutionally defined acceptable wait times, based on a standardized 5-level priority system that accounted for surgery type and indication. Patients with delayed surgery were matched to those without delay using propensity scores derived from variables that accounted for details of admission and the hospital stay, patient characteristics, physiologic instability, and surgical urgency and risk. RESULTS: Of 15 160 patients, 2820 (18.6%) experienced a delay. The mortality rates were 4.9% (138/2820) for those with delay and 3.2% (391/12 340) for those without delay (odds ratio [OR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30–1.93). Within the propensity-matched cohort, delay was significantly associated with mortality (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.18–2.06), increased length of stay (incident rate ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.11) and higher total costs (incident rate ratio 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.11). INTERPRETATION: Delayed operating room access for emergency surgery was associated with increased risk of inhospital mortality, longer length of stay and higher costs. System issues appeared to underlie most delays and must be addressed to improve the outcomes of emergency surgery.
Experimental Characterization and Modeling of RF Jamming Attacks on VANETs

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of 802.11p-based vehicular communications in the presence of radio frequency (RF) jamming attacks. Specifically, we characterize the transmission success rate of a car-to-car link subject to constant, periodic, and reactive RF jamming. First, we conduct extensive measurements in an anechoic chamber, where we study the benefits of built-in techniques for interference mitigation. In addition, we identify that the periodic transmission of preamble-like jamming signals can hinder successful communication despite being up to five orders of magnitude weaker than the signal of interest. We further provide the rationale behind this remarkably high jamming effectiveness. Additionally, we quantify the impact of reaction delay and interference signal length on the effectiveness of the reactive jammer. Then, by means of outdoor measurements, we evaluate the suitability of using the indoor measurements as a model to characterize the performance of car-to-car communications in the presence of RF jamming. Finally, we conduct outdoor measurements emulating a vehicular platoon and study the threats that RF jamming poses to this vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) application. We observe that constant, periodic, but also reactive jamming can hinder communication over large propagation areas, which would threaten road safety.
Teaching on the run tips 10: giving feedback

Education Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA. Alistair W Vickery, MB BS, FRACGP, Senior Lecturer in General Practice; Fiona R Lake, MD, FRACP, Associate Professor in Medicine and Medical Education. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Correspondence: Associate Professor Fiona R Lake, Education Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Australia, First Floor N Block, QEII Medical Centre, Verdun Street, Nedlands, Perth, WA 6009. flake@cyllene.uwa. edu.au The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025729X 5 September 2005 183 5 267-268 ©The Medical Journal of Australia 2005 www.mja. com.au Teaching on the run Feedback may be formal or informal. Formal planned as part of appraisal and assessment and oc cally (eg, at the middl and end of a rotation). It may areas or outcomes as set down by the hospital or a cl Informal feedback should be given on a daily basis specific events (eg, managing a case or doing a proced daily feedback should be part of the culture of our ivi tim ing 1-4 G ng trainees feedback means letting them know, in a ely and ongoing way, how they are performing. Providfeedback is an essential part of training junior doctors. Most trainees welcome the opportunity to discuss their strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback should encourage self-reflection, raise self-awareness and help students plan for future learning and practice. Medical students and junior medical officers report that feedback doesn’t occur frequently enough and that it is not always conveyed effectively.5 In contrast, teachers feel they give more feedback than learners claim to receive. Perhaps we can do better. The Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils recommended in 2001 that effective feedback should be given to students and junior doctors as a strategy for preventing distress. feedback is curs episodicover specific inical college. in relation to ure). Indeed, hospitals and other sites of training. Ensuring good feedback requires: • Adequate time; • Clear goals and outcomes — so you know what you are appraising or assessing; • Direct observation of learners — so you know how well they are doing; and • Skills in giving positive and negative feedback — so you are an effective facilitator of junior doctors’ development.
Persistent Induction of Cytochrome P4501A1 in Human Hepatoma Cells by 3-Methylcholanthrene: Evidence for Sustained Transcriptional Activation of the CYP1A1 Promoter

Cytochrome P450 (P450)1A1 plays a critical role in the metabolic activation and detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), many of which are potent human carcinogens. In this investigation, we tested the hypothesis that MC elicits persistent induction of CYP1A1 expression in human hepatoma cells (HepG2) and that this phenomenon is mediated by sustained transcriptional activation of the CYP1A1 promoter. Treatment of HepG2 cells with MC resulted in marked induction (8–20-fold) of ethoxyresorufin O-de-ethylase activities, CYP1A1 apoprotein contents, and mRNA levels, which persisted for up to 96 h. MC also caused sustained transcriptional activation of the human CYP1A1 promoter for up to 96 h, as inferred from transient transfection experiments. Experiments with deletion constructs indicated that Ah response elements located at −886, −974, and −1047, but not −491, nucleotides from the start site, contributed to the sustained transcriptional activation of the CYP1A1 promoter. Electrophoretic mobility-shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays suggested that prolonged CYP1A1 induction was mediated by Ah receptor (AHR)-independent mechanisms. Experiments with [3H]MC and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry demonstrated rapid elimination of MC and its metabolites from the cells by 12 to 24 h, suggesting that these compounds did not elicit sustained CYP1A1 induction via the classical AHR-mediated pathway. In conclusion, the results of this study support the hypothesis that MC causes persistent induction of CYP1A1 in human hepatoma cells by mechanisms entailing sustained transcriptional activation of the CYP1A1 promoter via AHR-independent mechanisms. These observations have important implications for human carcinogenesis mediated by PAHs.