Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts of HIV infection and long-term use of antiretroviral therapy on the prevalence of oral human papilloma virus type 16.

BACKGROUND The objectives of this study were to determine (i) the prevalence and the copy numbers of oral human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV-16) in HIV-infected patients compared with non-HIV controls, and (ii) the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and its duration on the virus. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out in HIV-infected patients with and without ART and in non-HIV controls. Saliva samples were collected, and the DNA extracted from those samples was used as a template to detect HPV-16 E6 and E7 by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Student's t-test and ANOVA test were performed to determine the prevalence rates among groups. RESULTS Forty-nine HIV-infected patients: 37 on ART (age range, 23-54 years; mean, 37 years), 12 not on ART (age range, 20-40 years; mean, 31 years), and 20 non-HIV controls (age range, 19-53 years; mean, 31 years) were enrolled. The prevalence of oral HPV-16 infection and the copy numbers of the virus were significantly higher in HIV-infected patients than in non-HIV controls when using E6 assay (geometric mean = 10696 vs. 563 copies/10(5) cells, P < 0.001), but not E7 assay. No significant difference was observed between those who were and were not on ART. Long-term use of ART did not significantly change the prevalence of oral HPV-16 infection and the copy numbers of the virus (P = 0.567). CONCLUSION We conclude that the prevalence of oral HPV-16 infection and the copy numbers of the virus are increased by HIV infection. Neither the use of ART nor its duration significantly affected the virus.
Menstruation, Sanitary Products, and School Attendance: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation

Policy-makers have cited menstruation and lack of sanitary products as barriers to girls' schooling. We evaluate these claims using a randomized evaluation of sanitary products provision to girls in Nepal. We report two findings. First, menstruation has a very small impact on school attendance. We estimate that girls miss a total of 0.4 days in a 180 day school year. Second, improved sanitary technology has no effect on reducing this (small) gap. Girls who randomly received sanitary products were no less likely to miss school during their period. We can reject (at the 1 percent level) the claim that better menstruation products close the attendance gap. (JEL I21, J13, J16, O12)
Invasive Aspergillosis Treated With Adjunctive Hyperbaric Oxygenation: A Retrospective Clinical Series at a Single Institution

Background. Invasive aspergillosis is the leading cause of early death in many transplant centers and has a major impact on the management of hematologic malignancies. The mortality rate with current therapy (amphotericin B and surgery) has remained unacceptably high. In vitro data along with a few case reports have suggested a potential benefit of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Methods. We retrospectively studied all patients referred to our service when histologic specimens suggested invasive aspergillosis. Our main assessment of outcome was survival 3 months after initiation of HBO. Results. Ten patients were included. All received adjunctive HBO along with the standard of care. Rhinosinusinal infection was the primary presentation. The most common underlying conditions were hematologic malignancies. Six patients were free of signs of infection 3 months after the first HBO treatment. Conclusions. Adjunctive HBO appears to be a valuable tool in this devastating condition. Further studies are warranted to clarify its role.
Consequence of cenosphere loading on hygrothermal, thermal, and mechanical properties of epoxy syntactic foams

Epoxy syntactic foams with different compositions of cenosphere were fabricated and characterised. The effect of loading cenosphere in epoxy syntactic foams was analysed. Good thermal stability of cenosphere–epoxy syntactic foams was established from the thermogravimetric analysis results. The completion of cure reaction at ambient temperature conditions was ascertained from differential scanning calorimetry results. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed 114°C as the glass transition temperatures (Tg) for neat epoxy sample, which increased to 132°C with 50% loading of cenosphere. Cenosphere-filled epoxy syntactic foams had low density and low water absorption values when compared to the neat epoxy sample. Homogeneous distribution of the cenosphere particles was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. The compression studies confirmed brittle failure of the syntactic foams. This was also supported by the scanning electron microscopic images. The incorporation of hollow cenosphere particles led to a decrease in the flexural strength. Syntactic foams with 30% loading of cenosphere exhibited best specific modulus and specific strength. The specific strength increased by 24% for T30 sample and specific modulus increased by 36% for T30 samples when compared to the neat epoxy sample. As the need for strong but lightweight thermally stable products is continually increasing, there is a great possibility for the utilisation of these cenosphere–epoxy syntactic foams as lightweight core for sandwich composites.
Getting the Balance Right in Intercultural Groups: A Dynamic Social Network Perspective

Problem: A common assumption is that students prefer to select their friends for group-work. The prime goal of this study was to understand the impact of two group selection methods on how students from diverse cultural backgrounds build learning and work relations. Method: Social Network Analysis in a pre-post test manner in a quasi-experimental design of 81 vs. 70 third-year students. Solution: In this study, we “disrupted” this group selection process after Day 1 by balancing students from different parts of the social network together. In one condition the students were “balanced” into groups by staff to encourage structural hole formation, and in the other condition students were allowed to self-select their group members to encourage network closure. Results: Students in the self-selected condition primarily selected their friends from a similar cultural background. In both conditions the learning networks after 11 weeks were primarily predicted by the group allocation and initial friendships. However, students in the balanced condition developed more cross-cultural learning links. These results indicate that teachers can actively intervene in the cross-cultural dynamics in- and outside the classroom.
Gradenigo’s Syndrome in a Patient with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media, Petrous Apicitis, and Meningitis

Patient: Male, 58 Final Diagnosis: Bacterial meningitis Symptoms: Altered mental status • headache • neck stiffness • vomiting Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Infectious Diseases Objective: Rare disease Background: Gradenigo’s syndrome includes the triad of suppurative otitis media, ipsilateral sixth (abducens) cranial nerve palsy and facial pain in the distribution of the fifth (trigeminal) cranial nerve. Gradenigo’s syndrome is rare, and the diagnosis is easily overlooked. This case is the first to report Gradenigo’s syndrome presenting with meningitis on a background of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and petrous apicitis (apical petrositis). Case Report: A 58-year-old male African American presented with headaches and confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head showed petrous apicitis with mastoiditis and abscess formation in the cerebellomedullary cistern (cisterna magna). The case was complicated by the development of palsy of the fourth (trochlear) cranial nerve, fifth (trigeminal) cranial nerve, and sixth (abducens) cranial nerve, with radiological changes indicating infection involving the seventh (facial) cranial nerve, and eighth (vestibulocochlear) cranial nerve. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture results were positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae, sensitive to ceftriaxone. The patient improved with surgery that included a left mastoidectomy and debridement of the petrous apex, followed by a ten-week course of antibiotics. Follow-up MRI showed resolution of the infection. Conclusions: This report is of an atypical case of Gradenigo’s syndrome. It is important to recognize that the classical triad of Gradenigo’s syndrome, suppurative otitis media, ipsilateral sixth (abducens) cranial nerve palsy and facial pain in the distribution of the fifth (trigeminal) cranial nerve, may also involve chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), which may lead to involvement of other cranial nerves, petrous apicitis (apical petrositis), and bacterial meningitis.
Inverted files versus signature files for text indexing

Two well-known indexing methods are inverted files and signature files. We have undertaken a detailed comparison of these two approaches in the context of text indexing, paying particular attention to query evaluation speed and space requirements. We have examined their relative performance using both experimentation and a refined approach to modeling of signature files, and demonstrate that inverted files are distinctly superior to signature files. Not only can inverted files be used to evaluate typical queries in less time than can signature files, but inverted files require less space and provide greater functionality. Our results also show that a synthetic text database can provide a realistic indication of the behavior of an actual text database. The tools used to generate the synthetic database have been made publicly available
Coronal global EIT waves as tools for multiple diagnostics

Abstract Observations in EUV lines of the solar corona revealed large scale propagating waves generated by eruptive events able to travel across the solar disk for large distances. In the low corona, CMEs are known to generate, e.g. EIT waves which can be used to sample the coronal local and global magnetic field. This contribution presents theoretical models for finding values of magnetic field in the quiet Sun and coronal loops based on the interaction of global waves and local coronal loops as well as results on the generation and propagation of EIT waves. The physical connection between local and global solar coronal events (e.g. flares, EIT waves and coronal loop oscillations) will also be explored.
Integrating insecticide‐treated bednets into a measles vaccination campaign achieves high, rapid and equitable coverage with direct and voucher‐based methods

Population coverage of insecticide‐treated nets (ITNs) in Africa falls well below the Abuja target of 60% while coverage levels achieved during vaccination campaigns in the same populations typically exceed 90%. Household (HH) cost of ITNs is an important barrier to their uptake. We investigated the coverage, equity and cost of linking distribution of free ITNs to a measles vaccination campaign. During a national measles vaccination campaign in Zambia, children in four rural districts were given a free ITN when they received their measles vaccination. In one urban district, children were given a voucher, which could be redeemed for a net at a commercial distribution site. About 1700 HHs were asked whether they received vaccination and an ITN during a measles campaign, as well as questions on assets (e.g. type roofing material or bicycle ownership) to assess HH wealth. Net ownership was calculated for children in each wealth quintile. In the rural areas, ITN coverage among children rose from 16.7% to 81.1% and the equity ratio from 0.32 to 0.88 and in the urban area from 50.7% to 76.2% (equity ratio: 0.66–1.19). The operational cost per ITN delivered was $0.35 in the rural area with direct distribution and $1.89 in the urban areas with voucher distribution. Mass distribution of ITNs through vaccination campaigns achieves rapid, high and equitable coverage at low cost.
Do TOEFL iBT® Scores Reflect Improvement in English‐Language Proficiency? Extending the TOEFL iBT Validity Argument

One fundamental way to determine the validity of standardized English-language test scores is to investigate the extent to which they reflect anticipated learning effects in different English-language programs. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the TOEFL iBT® practice test reflects the learning effects of students at intensive English programs in the United States and China, as well as extracurricular English-learning activities that may be associated with the expected learning effects. A total of 607 students at the high school level or beyond participated in the United States and China, including 111 students who took 2 forms of the practice test under a pretest and posttest design. The results showed moderate to substantial levels of improvement on each of the TOEFL iBT sections, with different score gain patterns for students in the United States and China. We concluded that students who study at English programs similar to those included in this study can improve their English-language proficiency levels at least moderately over 6 months or longer, as indicated by changes in their scores on the TOEFL iBT practice test. This improvement is consistent with an interpretation of TOEFL iBT scores as indicators of English-language proficiency.
Relative Contribution of Endogenous Neurotrophins in Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation

Recent evidence has shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Because the reagents used in acute experiments react not only with BDNF but also with neurotrophin-4/5 (NT4/5) and neurotrophin-3 (NT3), we examined the involvement of these neurotrophins in LTP using two highly specific, function-blocking monoclonal antibodies against BDNF and NT3, as well as a TrkB-IgG fusion protein. Our results show that NT3 antibodies did not have any effects on LTP. However, both TrkB-IgG fusion proteins and BDNF antibody similarly reduced LTP, suggesting that only BDNF but no other ligands of the TrkB-receptor are likely to be involved in LTP induction. The reduction in LTP depended on the inducing stimuli and was only observed with theta-burst stimulation (TBS) but not with tetanic stimulation. We further observed that LTP was only reduced if BDNF was blocked before and during TBS stimulation, and BDNF antibodies did not affect early or late stages of LTP if they were applied 10, 30, or 60 min after TBS stimulation. These results point toward a specific and unique role of endogenous BDNF but not of other neurotrophins in the process of TBS-induced hippocampal LTP. Additionally, they suggest that endogenous BDNF is required for a limited time period only shortly before or around LTP induction but not during the whole process of LTP.
Further Linguistic Markers of Personality: The Way We Say Things Matters

The present research addresses the following question: What is the likelihood that the usage of certain relationship-establishing speech-acts is more prevalent among those who differ by measures that we call personality? This study used a speech act taxonomy established in the literature. The Chinese-Personality -at-Work personality scale was used as measures of personal predispositions. In a dyadic design, 16 995 utterances in 29 pairs of students’ dialogue were video-recorded, transcribed, and then coded. The results indicate that different relational strategies are linked to a given personality trait such that it predisposes the person to relate to another in a certain way. The results expand the circumplex model to include verbal behavior in accounting for personality differences.
Fish Oil-Based Fat Emulsion Reduces Acute Kidney Injury and Inflammatory Response in Antibiotic-Treated Polymicrobial Septic Mice

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in sepsis. This study compared the effects of a fish oil-based with a mixed oil fat emulsion on remote renal injury in an antibiotic-treated septic murine model. Mice were randomly assigned to a normal control (NC) group and three septic groups. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The antibiotic was injected intraperitoneally (IP) after CLP and then daily till the time of sacrifice. Three hours after antibiotic treatment, one of the septic groups was injected IP with a fish oil-based emulsion (FO), while the other two groups were given either a mixed oil emulsion (MO) or saline (SC). The septic groups were further divided into two separate time groups, with blood and kidneys samples collected at 24 h or 72 h post-CLP. The results showed that sepsis leads to the activation of neutrophils, T helper (Th)1/Th-2/Th-17 and Treg cells (p < 0.05). Plasma NGAL and mRNA expressions of renal MyD88 and TLR4 were also enhanced (p < 0.05). Compared to the SC group, the group given the fish oil-based emulsion had decreased plasma NGAL by 22% and Treg by 33%. Furthermore, renal gene expressions of MyD88 and TLR4 reduced by 46% and 62%, respectively, whereas heat shock protein 70 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ increased by 158% and 69%, respectively (p < 0.05), at Day 3 after CLP. These results suggest that administration of a fish oil-based emulsion has favorable effects, maintaining blood T cell percentage, downregulating Treg expression, attenuating systemic and local inflammation and offering renal protection under conditions of antibiotic-treated polymicrobial sepsis.
Biodegradation of Industrial Oil-PollutedWastewater in Egypt by Bacterial ConsortiumImmobilized in Different Types of Carriers

Microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons is one of the major practices in the natural decontamination process. We tested the effectiveness of some carriers and immobilization methodology for four cultures of hydrocarbon-degrading strains isolated from oil-polluted wastewater of the American Petroleum Institute (API) separators (1, 2, and 4) of the Alexandria Petroleum Company (APC), Alexandria, Egypt. Adsorbing cells on a sponge gave optimal total petroleum hydrocarbon removal efficiency for the four cultures in comparison to free cells. Comparing a designed bacterial consortium with individual cultures revealed that the highest crude oil degradation percentage was recorded by mixed culture (81.70% removal efficiency) 1.083 times higher than that obtained from Bacillus brevis (75.42 %). The use of a fixedbed bioreactor for biodegradation of crude oil by bacterial cultures held on sponge cubes showed that the highest crude oil degradation percentage was recorded by mixed culture (87.53%), followed by individual cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa KH6 (82.97%), providing insight for biodegradation by immobilized bacterial consortia within bioreactors. Significant degradation in both aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, analyzed by GC/MS, was obtained from mixed culture adsorbed on sponge. Simulation strategy was applied for oily wastewater sample, recommending the combination of biostimulation and bioaugmentation techniques, which achieved 92.17% and 91.30% removal efficiencies in a bioreactor packed with sponge or polyethylene, respectively. Therefore, the tested strains could be utilized for industrial effluent treatment and decontamination of natural polluted areas and could be reported in future correspondence.
Removing Shadows From Images using Retinex

The Retinex Theory first introduced by Edwin Land forty years ago has been widely used for a range of applications. It was first introduced as a model of our own visual processing but has since been used to perform a range of image processing tasks including illuminant correction, dynamic range compression, and gamut mapping. In this paper we show how the theory can be extended to perform yet another image processing task: that of removing shadows from images. Our method is founded on a simple modification to the original, path based retinex computation such that we incorporate information about the location of shadow edges in an image. We demonstrate that when the location of shadow edges is known the algorithm is able to remove shadows effectively. We also set forth a method for the automatic location of shadow edges which makes use of a 1-d illumination invariant image. In this case the location of shadow edges is imperfect but we show that even so, the algorithm does a good job of removing the shadows.
Longitudinal changes in magnetic resonance imaging brain volumes in abstinent and relapsed alcoholics.

Chronic alcoholism is associated with smaller volumes of cortical gray matter and white matter and a complementary increase in brain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes, relative to age norms. This longitudinal study quantified the extent of brain volume changes associated with abstinence and drinking at three time points in chronic alcoholics. We obtained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 58 alcoholic men after an average of 12 days (MRI-1) and 32 days (MRI-2) of sobriety. In addition, 58 healthy control subjects were scanned at a comparable interval. At MRI-3, 11 controls and 39 alcoholics were rescanned, 2-12 months after MRI-2; 19 alcoholics had abstained, and 20 had resumed drinking. Axial MRI slices were segmented into cortical gray matter, white matter, and CSF and summed over seven slices; lateral and third ventricular volumes were also estimated. MRI volume changes were corrected using an estimate of interscan measurement error caused by head positioning differences, and then divided by the interval to yield rates of change (slopes). From MRI-1 to MRI-2, the alcoholic group showed declines in CSF volumes of the lateral ventricles and posterior cortical sulci, and a trend toward an increase in anterior cortical gray matter volume relative to the control group. From MRI-2 to MRI-3, third ventricular volumes decreased in the abstainers relative to the relapsers and controls; cortical white matter volume decreased in the relapsers. In the relapsers, lifetime consumption of alcohol (as of MRI-1) predicted later vulnerability to white matter volume decline and third ventricular enlargement with resumption of drinking. These data suggest that improvement in cortical gray matter, sulcal, and lateral ventricular volumes occur early in the course of abstinence, and that improvement in third ventricular volume appears later with continued abstinence. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 2010 AND 2011 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OF TENNIS PLAY AT THE GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENTS

The aim was to ascertain whether any differences in the performance indicators could be discerned when the indicators of the matches played in the year 2010 were compared with the matches played in 2011 at each of the three greatest Grand Slam tournaments ‒ Roland-Garros (R-G), Wimbledon and US Open. The sample of entities consisted of 1524 game statistics records of 127 men single matches played within the main draw of each of the three tournaments in each of the two observed years. The basic central and dispersive parameters were calculated, and independent samples t-test was used to establish differences between the explored years (significance level p<.05). The smallest number of differences were determined for the R-G tournament. Generally, at all the three tournaments speed deceleration of the 1 st and 2 nd serve was obvious in 2011, probably indicating the shift of players’ focus on serve features other than power used for the active entrance into points. The number of unforced errors increased at R-G in 2011, whereas on the fast, grass, courts of Wimbledon and hard courts of US Open it was decreased, as well as the number of winners. The findings suggest that tennis play styles on fast courts tend to a safer play with lower risks in the starting and middle phases of a point, whereas on slow courts play styles are characterized with a more aggressive play in the middle phase of a point.