Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do work-place initiated measures reduce sickness absence? Preventive measures and sickness absence among older workers in Norway

Aims: The article examines whether preventive measures and work adjustments at the establishment level affects sickness absence among workers aged 50 years and older. Methods: We combine survey data from a representative sample of 713 Norwegian companies, mapping the prevalence of preventive health measures in the work place in 2005, with register data on sickness absence and demographic variables for workers aged 50 years or older in 2001 and 2007. By means of a difference-in-differences approach, we compare changes and differences in the likelihood of sickness absence among the sample group, with and without the various measures/ instruments in 2005 respectively. Results: In general, work-place preventive measures at the establishment level have not contributed to reducing the probability for sickness absence among workers aged 50 years and older. However, analyses comparing differences between industries find that the work-place measures have had a positive effect on public administration employees. Conclusions: Whether work-place preventive initiatives influence levels of sickness absence seems to be contingent on sector and industry. Therefore, work-place measures may be more effective in the public administration sector where most employees have office jobs compared to sectors such as manufacturing, construction and transportation, where many employees have manual work and more physical demanding jobs. Work-place initiatives thus seem to have less effect on preventing sickness absence in sectors dominated by manual labour.
Bending Characteristics of Delaminated Composite Cylindrical Shells — A Finite Element Approach

The bending behavior of delaminated composite shallow cylindrical shells subjected to uniformly distributed load with corner-point supported, simply supported, and clamped boundary conditions is analyzed by the finite element method using an eight-noded isoparametric shell element. To ensure compatibility of deformation and equilibrium of forces and moments at the delamination crack front, a multipoint constraint algorithm is incorporated, which leads to an unsymmetrical stiffness matrix. Lamination, curvature and extent of delamination area are varied to compare the performances of delaminated cylindrical shells with those with no damage. The results are carefully observed and a set of conclusions is presented at the end of the article.
Dynamic MR imaging of liver metastases with Gd-EOB-DTPA.

PURPOSE To assess liver and lesion enhancements by dynamic MR imaging after bolus injection of the hepatobiliary contrast agent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) in patients with liver metastases and to compare the effect of different doses. MATERIAL AND METHODS A randomized double-blinded trial with doses of 12.5, 25 and 50 micromol/kg Gd-EOB-DTPA was performed in 35 patients with liver metastases. Liver enhancement, tumor enhancement and liver lesion contrast-to-noise (C/N) ratios were calculated from breath-hold gradient echo images (100/5/80 degrees) recorded precontrast and at different times up to 10 min postcontrast. RESULTS Normal liver showed a characteristic enhancement pattern, with a rapid enhancement in the first 45 s postcontrast and a slight but significant further increase up to 600 s. The initial enhancement in the lesions was also pronounced, but the enhancement was slightly decreased after 240 s postcontrast. At dose levels of 12.5 and 25 micromol/kg Gd-EOB-DTPA, C/N ratios significantly increased compared to baseline from 90 to 600 s. Postcontrast C/N-values obtained using 50 micromol/kg Gd-EOB-DTPA were not significantly increased, except for the examinations 480 s postcontrast. CONCLUSION In liver metastases, C/N ratios obtained with doses of 12.5 and 25 micromol/kg Gd-EOB-DTPA were slightly superior to 50 micromol/kg Gd-EOB-DTPA. This finding is probably due to a more pronounced extracellular effect of the contrast medium at higher doses.
Androgen Receptor Expression in Breast Carcinoma of Egyptian Patients.

INTRODUCTION Breast carcinoma (BC) is a heterogeneous disease, with distinctive molecular sub-types, influencing BC patients prognosis and therapeutic options. Androgen Receptor (AR) is a steroid nuclear receptor involved in complex signaling pathways, that are thought to play a role in cell proliferation. AR expression in relation to different molecular sub-types of BC is not clearly understood. AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of AR in BC from Egyptian patients and correlate it with the standard clinico-pathologic variables, molecular sub-type of BC and the Overall Survival (OS). MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study was conducted on 81 cases of BC from egyptian patients, stained immunohistochemically with AR. Chi-Square and Kaplan-Meier tests were applied to study the correlation between AR expression and clinicopathologic variables and the OS of BC patients respectively. RESULTS Among studied BC cases, 37.04% were immunoreactive to AR. AR immunoreactivity was significantly corrrelated with older age (p=0.03), post-menopausal status (p=0.001), lower grade (p=0.003), the presence of in-situ component (p= 0.014), early stage of presentation (p=0.03) and good-moderate NPI (0.009). It was also correlated with Positive ER, negative HER-2/neu, low Ki-67 proliferation index and luminal A subtype. AR expression didn't correlate with the OS in the studied cases. CONCLUSION AR was found to be related to favourable prognostic factors in BC but not to OS. It was particularly expressed in luminal A group and in significant proportion in Triple Negative Breast Carcinoma (TNBC), providing an opportunity for AR targeted therapy.
Hybrid Particle SWARM Optimization for Solving Machine Time Scheduling Problem

— A hybrid particle swarm optimization (PSO) for multi-machine time scheduling problem (MTSP) with multi-cycles is proposed in this paper to choose the best starting time for each machine in each cycle under pre-described time window and a set of precedence machines for each machine; to minimize the total penalty cost. We developed hybrid algorithm by using a combination between PSO and Genetic Algorithms (GA), precisely the GA operators’ crossover and mutation. Based on experimental results for the developed hybrid algorithms, we can conclude that, the algorithm that combines PSO with mutation gives best solution for MTSP.
MAPKs and Signal Transduction in the Control of Gastrointestinal Epithelial Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are activated by several stimuli and transduce the signal inside cells, generating diverse responses including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. Each MAPK cascade comprises a series of molecules, and regulation takes place at different levels. They communicate with each other and with additional pathways, creating a signaling network that is important for cell fate determination. In this review, we focus on ERK, JNK, p38 and ERK5, the major MAPKs, and their interactions with PI3K-Akt, TGFβ/Smad and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. More importantly, we describe how MAPKs regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in the rapidly renewing epithelia that lines the gastrointestinal tract and, finally, we highlight the recent findings on nutritional aspects that affect MAPK transduction cascades.
Max residual classifier

We introduce a novel classifier, called max residual classifier (MRC), for learning a sparse representation jointly with a discriminative decision function. MRC seeks to maximize the differences between the residual errors of the wrong classes and the right one. This effectively leads to a more discriminative sparse representation and better classification accuracy. The optimization procedure is simple and efficient. Its objective function is closely related to the decision function of the residual classification strategy. Unlike existing methods for learning discriminative sparse representation that are restricted to a linear model, our approach is able to work with a non-linear model via the use of Mercer kernel. Experimental results show that MRC is able to capture meaningful and compact structures of data. Its performances compare favourably with the current state of the art on challenging benchmarks including rotated MNIST, Caltech-101, Caltech-256, and SHREC'11 non-rigid 3D shapes.
Use of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during pregnancy and the risk of spontaneous abortion

Background: The association between the use of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy and the risk of spontaneous abortion remains unclear because of inconsistent research results and the lack of evidence for an effect due to specific types or dosages of nonaspirin NSAIDs. We aimed to quantify the association between having a spontaneous abortion and types and dosages of nonaspirin NSAIDs in a cohort of pregnant women. Methods: Using a nested case–control design, we obtained data from the Quebec Pregnancy Registry for 4705 women who had a spontaneous abortion. For each instance, we randomly selected 10 controls from the remaining women in the registry who were matched by index date (date of the spontaneous abortion) and gestational age. Use of nonaspirin NSAIDs (identified by filled prescriptions) and nonuse were compared. We also looked for associations between different types and dosages of nonaspirin NSAIDs and having a spontaneous abortion. Analyses of associations and adjustment for confounding were done using conditional logistic regression. Results: We identified 4705 cases of spontaneous abortion (352 exposed [7.5%]); 47 050 controls (1213 exposed [2.6%]). Adjusting for potential confounders, the use of nonaspirin NSAIDs during pregnancy was significantly associated with the risk of spontaneous abortion (odds ratio [OR] 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–2.79). Specifically, use of diclofenac (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.96–4.87), naproxen (OR 2.64, 95% CI 2.13–3.28), celecoxib (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.42–3.45), ibuprofen (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.61–2.96) and rofecoxib (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.24–2.70) alone, and combinations thereof (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.59–4.39), were all associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortion. No dose–response effect was seen. Interpretation: Gestational exposure to any type or dosage of nonaspirin NSAIDs may increase the risk of spontaneous abortion. These drugs should be used with caution during pregnancy
Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Activity Is Dispensable for MDA-MB-231 Breast Carcinoma Cell Survival

Calcium uptake through the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) is thought to be essential in regulating cellular signaling events, energy status, and survival. Functional dissection of the uniporter is now possible through the recent identification of the genes encoding for MCU protein complex subunits. Cancer cells exhibit many aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction associated with altered mitochondrial Ca2+ levels including resistance to apoptosis, increased reactive oxygen species production and decreased oxidative metabolism. We used a publically available database to determine that breast cancer patient outcomes negatively correlated with increased MCU Ca2+ conducting pore subunit expression and decreased MICU1 regulatory subunit expression. We hypothesized breast cancer cells may therefore be sensitive to MCU channel manipulation. We used the widely studied MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line to investigate whether disruption or increased activation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake with specific siRNAs and adenoviral overexpression constructs would sensitize these cells to therapy-related stress. MDA-MB-231 cells were found to contain functional MCU channels that readily respond to cellular stimulation and elicit robust AMPK phosphorylation responses to nutrient withdrawal. Surprisingly, knockdown of MCU or MICU1 did not affect reactive oxygen species production or cause significant effects on clonogenic cell survival of MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to irradiation, chemotherapeutic agents, or nutrient deprivation. Overexpression of wild type or a dominant negative mutant MCU did not affect basal cloning efficiency or ceramide-induced cell killing. In contrast, non-cancerous breast epithelial HMEC cells showed reduced survival after MCU or MICU1 knockdown. These results support the conclusion that MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells do not rely on MCU or MICU1 activity for survival in contrast to previous findings in cells derived from cervical, colon, and prostate cancers and suggest that not all carcinomas will be sensitive to therapies targeting mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake mechanisms.
An evaluation of sodium loss and gill metal binding properties in rainbow trout and yellow perch to explain species differences in copper tolerance

The main objective of the study was use a species comparison approach in order understand sensitivity and tolerance differences to copper. We hypothesized that species differences in toxicity would be reflected by differences in copper binding to high‐affinity sites on the gill. Specifically, the strength of copper binding (affinity, logK) and maximum number of binding sites (saturation, Bmax) for copper at the gill surface would vary among different species of fish. Two species that are different in their copper sensitivity are the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). We explicitly compared acute toxicity (median lethal concentrations via 96‐h LC50s) and whole‐body Na+ loss in both organisms in two distinct water chemistries (i.e., hard and soft water). For both species, the copper binding sites at the gill surface were characterized for their affinity and saturability. The binding properties of the gill were quite similar between the two species in each water chemistry. Based on estimations of the free cupric ion concentration, the affinity, or logK, was 8.4 for both species in soft water, whereas in hard water, the affinity was higher (˜9.7). The Bmax value in soft water was 1.88 nmol/g for rainbow trout and yellow perch, while in hard water, saturation occurred at 3.63 nmol/g for rainbow trout and 9.01 nmol/g for yellow perch. More importantly, the amount of copper bound to the gills at 50% mortality (i.e., lethal accumulation; the LA50) was different between the two species (yellow perch LA50s were nine times higher than those of rainbow trout in soft water and hard water), indicating that the copper binding to the yellow perch gill must not have been ‘biologically reactive. ’ According to 96‐h LC50s, yellow perch were less sensitive to copper than were rainbow trout; however, the difference between the two species was similar in hard water (1.05 vs 4.16 μM) and soft water (˜0.10 vs 0.44 μM). Perch were more tolerant because they lost less sodium upon exposure to copper; yet this mechanism of tolerance was not reflected by the amount of copper at the gill surface. The influence of water chemistry on the binding properties of the gill demonstrates the dynamic nature of the gill in maintaining ionoregulatory homeostasis, a key issue in the future development of the chronic biotic ligand model.
Familial aggregation of delusional proneness in schizophrenia and bipolar pedigrees.

OBJECTIVE Clinical, familial, and, more recently, genetic linkage studies suggest that overlapping genetic susceptibility might contribute to both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. To identify a potential psychotic dimension common to families of both bipolar and schizophrenia probands, the authors tested if delusional proneness was observed among first-degree relatives of bipolar and schizophrenia probands. METHOD The authors included 32 schizophrenia probands and 61 bipolar probands and their respective first-degree relatives (N=63 and N=59). They were all interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies, and delusional proneness was assessed with a self-report questionnaire, the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory. Schizophrenia and bipolar probands were subdivided into subgroups according to the intensity of delusional symptoms assessed by Peters et al. Delusions Inventory scores, and the authors compared delusional proneness in their respective first-degree relatives. RESULTS Familial aggregation of delusional proneness was demonstrated, since Peters et al. Delusions Inventory scores were higher among nonschizophrenic first-degree relatives of schizophrenia probands with productive symptoms and among first-degree relatives of bipolar probands with psychotic features during their affective episodes. The authors also found an intrafamilial correlation of delusional proneness scores in nonaffected siblings of schizophrenia and bipolar probands. CONCLUSIONS Delusional proneness appears to be an inherited predisposition common to both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In the future, this dimension might be valuable when used as a quantitative phenotype in linkage and association studies.
Physical and Mental Problems Attributed to Dental Amalgam Fillings: A Descriptive Study of 99 Self-Referred Patients Compared with 272 Controls

Objective The physical and mental symptomatology of 99 self-referred patients complaining of multiple somatic and mental symptoms attributed to dental amalgam fillings were compared with patients with known chronic medical disorders seen in alternative (N = 93) and ordinary (N = 99) medical family practices and patients with dental amalgam fillings (N = 80) seen in an ordinary dental practice. Method The assessments included written self-reports, a 131-item somatic symptom checklist; Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Results The dental amalgam sample reported significantly more physical symptoms from all body regions. Self-reports suggested that 62% suffered from a chronic anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder or panic). Forty-seven percent suffered from a major depression compared with 14% in the two clinical-comparison samples and none in the dental control sample. Symptoms suggesting somatization disorder were found in 29% of the dental amalgam sample compared with only one subject in the 272 comparison subjects. One third of the dental amalgam patients reported symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome compared with none in the dental control sample and only 2 and 6%, respectively, in the two clinical comparison samples. The dental amalgam group reported higher mean neuroticism and lower lie scores than the comparison groups. Conclusion Self-referred patients with health complaints attributed to dental amalgam are a heterogeneous group of patients who suffer multiple symptoms and frequently have mental disorders. There is a striking similarity with the multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome.
Düppel: retrofitting commodity operating systems to mitigate cache side channels in the cloud

This paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a system called Düppel that enables a tenant virtual machine to defend itself from cache-based side-channel attacks in public clouds. Düppel includes defenses for time-shared caches such as per-core L1 and L2 caches. Experiments in the lab and on public clouds show that Düppel effectively obfuscates timing signals available to an attacker VM via these caches and incurs modest performance overheads (at most 7% and usually much less) in the common case of no side-channel attacks. Moreover, Düppel requires no changes to hypervisors or support from cloud operators.
Genomic Insights into a Sustained National Outbreak of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Abstract In 2014, a sustained outbreak of yersiniosis due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis occurred across all major cities in New Zealand (NZ), with a total of 220 laboratory-confirmed cases, representing one of the largest ever reported outbreaks of Y. pseudotuberculosis. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing of outbreak-associated isolates to produce the largest population analysis to date of Y. pseudotuberculosis, giving us unprecedented capacity to understand the emergence and evolution of the outbreak clone. Multivariate analysis incorporating our genomic and clinical epidemiological data strongly suggested a single point-source contamination of the food chain, with subsequent nationwide distribution of contaminated produce. We additionally uncovered significant diversity in key determinants of virulence, which we speculate may help explain the high morbidity linked to this outbreak.
Involvement of a Specific Metal Ion in the Transition of the Hammerhead Ribozyme to Its Catalytic Conformation*

Previous crystallographic and biochemical studies of the hammerhead ribozyme suggest that a metal ion is ligated by thepro-R p oxygen of phosphate 9 and by N7 of G10.1 and has a functional role in the cleavage reaction. We have tested this model by examining the cleavage properties of a hammerhead containing a unique phosphorothioate at position 9. The R p-, but notS p-, phosphorothioate reduces the cleavage rate by 103-fold, and the rate can be fully restored by addition of low concentrations of Cd2+, a thiophilic metal ion. These results strongly suggest that this bound metal ion is critical for catalysis, despite its location ∼20 Å from the cleavage site in the crystal structure. Analysis of the concentration dependence suggests that Cd2+ binds with a K d of 25 μm in the ground state and a K d of 2.5 nm in the transition state. The much stronger transition state binding suggests that the P9 metal ion adopts at least one additional ligand in the transition state and that this metal ion may participate in a large scale conformational change that precedes hammerhead cleavage.
Different Contributions of the Hippocampus and Perirhinal Cortex to Recognition Memory

Brain regions involved in visual recognition memory, including the hippocampus, have been investigated by measuring differential neuronal activation produced by novel and familiar pictures. Novel and familiar pictures were presented simultaneously, one to each eye, using a paired viewing procedure. Differential neuronal activation was determined using immunohistochemistry for the protein products of c-fos as an imaging technique. The results establish that the regions of the rat brain associated with discriminating the novelty or familiarity of an individual item (such as a single object) differ from those responding to a spatial array of items (such as a scene). Perirhinal cortex and area TE of the temporal lobe are activated significantly more by pictures of novel than of familiar individual objects, but the hippocampus is not differentially activated. In contrast, pictures of novel arrangements of familiar items produce significantly greater activation than familiar arrangements of these items in postrhinal cortex and subfield CA1 of the hippocampus but significantly less activation in the dentate gyrus and subiculum; perirhinal cortex and area TE are not differentially activated. Thus, the hippocampus is importantly involved in processing information essential to recognition memory concerning the relative familiarity of arrangements of items, as needed for episodic memory of scenes, whereas the perirhinal cortex processes such information for individual items.