Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementing exertional heat illness prevention strategies in US high school football.

PURPOSE Approximately 6500 high school football athletes are treated annually for exertional heat illness (EHI). In 2009, the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA)-led Inter-Association Task Force (NATA-IATF) released preseason heat acclimatization guidelines to help athletes become accustomed to environmental factors contributing to EHI. This study examines compliance with NATA-IATF guidelines and related EHI prevention strategies. METHODS The study used a cross-sectional survey completed by 1142 certified athletic trainers (AT), which captured compliance with 17 NATA-IATF guidelines and EHI prevention strategies in high school football during the 2011 preseason. RESULTS On average, AT reported football programs complying with 10.4 NATA-IATF guidelines (SD = 3.2); 29 AT (2.5%) reported compliance with all 17. Guidelines with the lowest compliance were as follows: "Single-practice days consisted of practice no more than three hours in length" (39.7%); and "During days 3-5 of acclimatization, only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn" (39.0%). An average of 7.6 EHI prevention strategies (SD = 2.5) were used. Common EHI prevention strategies were as follows: having ice bags/cooler available (98.5%) and having a policy with written instructions for initiating emergency medical service response (87.8%). Programs in states with mandated guidelines had higher levels of compliance with guidelines and greater prevalence of EHI prevention strategies. CONCLUSION A low proportion of surveyed high school football programs fully complied with all 17 NATA-IATF guidelines. However, many EHI prevention strategies were voluntarily implemented. State-level mandated EHI prevention guidelines may increase compliance with recognized best practices recommendations. Ongoing longitudinal monitoring of compliance is also recommended.
Acid-suppressive medications and risk of fracture: an updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Acid-suppressive medications are widely used for the management of acid-related disorders. It has been reported that acid-suppressive medication users were at increased risk of fracture, but such an association was inconsistent among observational studies. The purpose of our analysis was to assess the relationship between use of antacid drugs and fracture risk. METHODS We systematically searched electronic database and manually examined the reference lists of previous reviews for potentially eligible studies. Given the heterogeneity across studies, random effects models were used to calculate summary estimates. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted to explore the potential heterogeneity. RESULTS 18 studies met our inclusion criteria. PPI and H2RA were associated with increased risk of hip fracture, with substantial heterogeneity (PPI: 1.216, 1.134-1.304, I(2)=71.3%; H2RA: 1.128, 1.022-1.245, I(2)=72.1%). High risk of spine fracture was observed in PPI users (1.216, 95% CI: 1.134-1.304) but not H2RA users. When considering 5 studies conducted among postmenopausal women, the RR was 1.376, (95% CI: 1.043-1.816) with modest heterogeneity (I(2)=57.7%). Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis found consistent association between hip fracture risk and PPI use but not H2RA use. Positive association for H2RA use lost its significance when considering case-control studies and European studies. CONCLUSION Results of this updated meta-analysis provided evidence to support that acid-suppressive medications were associated with increased risk of fracture, especially hip fracture.
Workplace Risk, Establishment Size and Union Density

The health and safety risk faced by individual employees can be treated as an unobservable latent variable which manifests itself at workplace level through reported counts of work-related injuries and illnesses over a given interval. This paper presents results from count data regressions using data from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey. The findings strongly support the view that employees in larger establishments have a lower probability of being injured or falling ill. In addition, establishments with a higher proportion of unionized employees, and with health and safety committees, were associated with higher numbers of reported injuries and illnesses.
Pursuing maritime education: an empirical study of students’ profiles, motivations and expectations

This study reveals the profiles, motivations, and expectations of students pursuing undergraduate maritime programmes. Although a number of tertiary institutions offer maritime programmes, the characteristics and structures of the demands for such programmes remain under-researched. This paper illustrates and discusses the results of a survey completed by students pursuing undergraduate programmes in maritime business and management at three universities in Asia and Europe, and compares them with the findings of a database examining similar issues towards postgraduate students within the same institutions. Research highlights include the tendency of undergraduate students to combine studies and work, considering real-world experiences as a vital contributor to career prospects. Shipping (notably tankers, dry bulks and containers) stands out as the ideal professional paths within the maritime industries. Another key finding is that the current marketing strategies of the institutions are rather irrelevant. This paper provides a solid foundation for understanding the profile students pursuing maritime programmes and contributes to the effective planning and management of maritime programmes, thus to the overall professional quality of the maritime industries.
A general method of computing the cut-off point in adverse selection models

Based on the model set-up in Laffont and Tirole (1986)’s seminal paper ‘Using Cost Observation to Regulate Firms’, we provide a general method of computing the cut-off point above which inefficient firms should be shut down under asymmetric information. With the help of the transversality conditions in optimal control, this method of computing the cut-off point is directly applicable to other adverse selection models under asymmetric information provided the optimization problem in these models could be written as an optimal control problem.
Developing the service template process: From measurement to agendas for improvement

Traditional survey-based measures of service quality are argued to be problematic when reflecting individual services and turning measurement into action. This paper reviews developments to an alternative measurement approach, the Service Template Process, and offers an extension to it. The extended process appears able to measure service users' and deliverers' perceptions of service quality independently. It also enables participants to jointly agree an agenda for quality improvement. The extended process is evaluated in four service situations. The paper concludes with an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the process in comparison with more traditional approaches to measuring service quality. Both authors contributed equally to this paper.
Amino Acids Attenuate Insulin Action on Gluconeogenesis and Promote Fatty Acid Biosynthesis via mTORC1 Signaling Pathway in trout Hepatocytes

Background/Aims: Carnivores exhibit poor utilization of dietary carbohydrates and glucose intolerant phenotypes, yet it remains unclear what are the causal factors and underlying mechanisms. We aimed to evaluate excessive amino acids (AAs)-induced effects on insulin signaling, fatty acid biosynthesis and glucose metabolism in rainbow trout and determine the potential involvement of mTORC1 and p38 MAPK pathway. Methods: We stimulated trout primary hepatocytes with different AA levels and employed acute administration of rapamycin to inhibit mTORC1 activation. Results: Increased AA levels enhanced the phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K1), S6, and insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) on Ser302 but suppressed Akt and p38 phosphorylation; up-regulated the expression of genes related to gluconeogenesis and fatty acid biosynthesis. mTORC1 inhibition not only inhibited the phosphorylation of mTORC1 downstream targets, but also blunted IRS-1 Ser302 phosphorylation and restored excessive AAs-suppressed Akt phosphorylation. Rapamycin also inhibited fatty acid biosynthetic and gluconeogenic gene expression. Conclusion: High levels of AAs up-regulate hepatic fatty acid biosynthetic gene expression through an mTORC1-dependent manner, while attenuate insulin-mediated repression of gluconeogenesis through elevating IRS-1 Ser302 phosphorylation, which in turn impairs Akt activation and thereby weakening insulin action. We propose that p38 MAPK probably also involves in these AAs-induced metabolic changes.
From circadian rhythms to cancer chronotherapeutics

Mammalian circadian rhythms result from a complex organization involving molecular clocks within nearly all “normal” cells and a dedicated neuroanatomical system, which coordinates the so-called “peripheral oscillators. ” The core of the central clock system is constituted by the suprachiasmatic nuclei that are located on the floor of the hypothalamus. Our understanding of the mechanisms of circadian rhythm generation and coordination processes has grown rapidly over the past few years. In parallel, we have learnt how to use the predictable changes in cellular metabolism or proliferation along the 24h time scale in order to improve treatment outcome for a variety of diseases, including cancer. The chronotherapeutics of malignant diseases has emerged as a result of a consistent development ranging from experimental, clinical, and technological prerequisites to multicenter clinical trials of chronomodulated delivery schedules. Indeed large dosing-time dependencies characterize the tolerability of anticancer agents in mice or rats, a better efficacy usually results from treatment administration near the least toxic circadian time in rodent tumor models. Programmable in time multichannel pumps have allowed to test the chronotherapy concepts in cancer patients and to implement chronomodulated delivery schedules in current practice. Clinical phase I and II trials have established the feasibility, the safety, and the activity of the chronotherapy schedules, so that this treatment method has undergone further evaluation in international multicenter phase III trials. Overall, more than 2000 patients with metastatic disease have been registered in chronotherapy trials. Improved tolerability and/or better antitumor activity have been demonstrated in randomized multicenter studies involving large patient cohorts. The relation between circadian rhythmicity and quality of life and even survival has also been a puzzling finding over the recent years. An essential step toward further developments of circadian-timed therapy has been the recent constitution of a Chronotherapy cooperative group within the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. This group now involves over 40 institutions in 12 countries. It is conducting currently six trials and preparing four new studies. The 19 contributions in this special issue reflect the current status and perspectives of the several components of cancer chronotherapeutics.
Effect of Bhramari pranayama and OM chanting on pulmonary function in healthy individuals: A prospective randomized control trial

Background/Aim: Yoga is an ancient Indian science as well as the way of life. Pranayama is a part of yoga, which improves pulmonary function in combination of many pranayama, but the aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of only Bhramari pranayama and OM chanting on pulmonary function in healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: A total of 82 subjects were randomized into the study group (SG) (n = 41) and control group (CG) (n = 41). Baseline assessment was performed before intervention for both groups. SG practiced Bhramari pranayama and OM chanting for the duration of 10 min (5 min for each practice)/day for the period of 6 days/week for 2 weeks and CG did not practice so. After intervention post-assessment was performed for SG (n = 40) and CG (n = 39). Statistical analysis was performed by Independent samples t-test and Student's paired t-test with the use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 (2007, USA). Results: The result showed a significant improvement in peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow (FEF)25% and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) along with a significant reduction in weight in SG compared with CG in independent samples t-test. Significant improvement in slow vital capacity (SVC), forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) along with PEF, FEF25% and MVV; Significant reduction in weight and body mass index were observed in SG unlike in CG in Student's paired t-test. No significant changes were found in forced vital capacity, FEV1 /SVC and FEF50% , between and within the group analysis of SG and CG. Conclusion: Bhramari pranayama and OM chanting are effective in improving pulmonary function in healthy individuals.
Factors influencing nurses' attitudes towards the use of computerized health information systems in Kuwaiti hospitals.

AIM This paper reports a survey of nurses' attitudes towards computerized health information systems, the characteristics that influence these attitudes and the level of nurses' skills in computer use. BACKGROUND The use of such systems in developed countries and in some developing countries has already become a reality. However, nurses as a group of care providers have been found to resist computerization, seeing computerized health information systems as dehumanizing, confusing and uncaring. Nurses with more computer experience tend to have more positive views; education and training positively influence attitudes; and younger and less experienced nurses may have more positive attitudes. METHODS A structured questionnaire was used to measure the attitudes of nurses working in Kuwait towards computerization. A random sample of 574 nurses working in Ministry of Health hospitals were sent a questionnaire, and 530 replies were received (response rate 92.3%). The data were collected from November 2002 to January 2003. FINDINGS Respondents generally had positive attitudes toward computerized health information systems. Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences in attitudes in relation to nationality, level of education, previous experience in computer use, and computer skills (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that gender, nationality, education levels, and duration of computer use were statistically significant predictors of attitudes toward computerized health information systems (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION With adequate computerized health information system training, the implementation of computerized health information systems could be effective for nurses in providing quality health care, as found in other studies.
Rural resilience through continued learning and innovation

The article investigates how rural businesses demonstrate resilience when faced with adversities and the processes they utilise to survive. The work explores rural resilience through the use of learning and innovation in small rural enterprises. Drawing on case study work from rural England the results indicate that individual businesses find ways to overcome adversities and, through learning how to cope with them, create a resilient culture. Individuals businesses use various resources, and in some cases innovate, in order to continue business operations during difficult times. Continual learning becomes an important aspect of incremental innovations which are required merely for the business to survive. The work is timely as many small enterprises face difficulties in the wake of instability in the economic world.
Self-Reported Anxiety of Adults Who Do and Do Not Stutter

This is a preliminary investigation of the differences in self-reported anxiety of people who do and do not stutter. Participants and experimental procedures were the same as those used by Gabel, Colcord, and Petrosino in 2001. 10 people who stuttered, all of whom had experience with stuttering therapy, were matched with 10 participants who did not stutter. Each participant in both groups was engaged in a session to evaluate speech in a format similar to a professional diagnostic session for stuttering. Each participant was stopped and asked to rate his anxiety during specific moments during the session. This procedure is similar to in vivo cognitive assessment used in cognitive-behavioral treatments and research. The participants' reports were taken during a baseline period, during a period in which they were thinking about their speech, and during three different speaking tasks. The anxiety reported by the group of people who stuttered was compared to the anxiety reported by the group of individuals who did not stutter. Statistical analyses indicated a significant main effect for the group who stuttered as they reported more anxiety during the entire session. There was no main effect for condition. The interaction of group by condition fell short of significance. Possible explanations and suggestions for research were discussed.
How should we respond to asset price bubbles?: a speech at the Wharton Financial Institutions Center and Oliver Wyman Institute's Annual Financial Risk Roundtable, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 15, 2008

This paper examines how economic policy should respond to possible asset price bubbles. Three questions are considered: • Are some asset price bubbles more problematic than others? • How should monetary policy respond to asset price bubbles? • What other types of policy responses are appropriate? I conclude that asset price bubbles associated with credit booms present particular challenges because their bursting can lead to episodes of financial instability that have damaging effects on the economy. Monetary policy should not react to asset price bubbles per se, but rather to changes in the outlook for inflation and aggregate demand resulting from asset price movements. However, regulatory policies and supervisory practices should respond to possible asset price bubbles and help prevent feedback loops between asset price bubbles and credit provision, thereby minimising the damaging effects of bubbles on the economy.
Pituitary Abscess in Young Calves Associated with the use of a Controlled Suckling Device

Figure 2. Affected calf with exophthalmos, palpebral paralysis, and ulcerative keratitis. Pituitary abscesses were observed in cattle in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. On 1 farm, 3 (1.2%) of 250 3month-old crossbred Devon calves were affected. On a second farm, 7 (1.5%) of 470 crossbred Aberdeen Angus 3 Nelore calves were affected. Sucking by all animals was controlled by use of a plastic nose device (Fig. 1) for 7 days. When the nose device was removed, some animals had extensive ulcerative lesions in the nostrils. Six to 7 days after removal of the device, the affected calves had nervous system signs characterized by dysphagia, ataxia, depression, dropped jaw, inability to close the mouth, drooling, and partial mandibular paralysis with difficulty in chewing and swallowing. There was unilateral prolapse of the ocular globe with palpebral paralysis and corneal opacity or hemorrhagic and ulcerative traumatic keratitis and conjunctivitis (Fig. 2). Ptosis of the tongue was also noted. Two animals from the first farm were euthanized 19 and 26 days, respectively, after the onset of clinical signs. The third animal recovered after treatment with a penicillin–streptomycin combination. On the second farm, 5 calves died and 2 survived after similar treatment with the same antibiotics. The surviving animals had moderate neck extension and paralysis. Two calves from the first farm and 1 calf from the second farm were necropsied. The brains were removed and fixed in buffered formalin. In all calves, the dura mater covering the pituitary area was thickened and yellowish and protruded into the cranial cavity, causing compression of cranial nerves. A solitary, well-encapsulated focal abscess above the basisphenoid bone occupied the sella turcica area in all calves. The abscesses were approximately 3 cm in diameter and were filled with a viscous yellow to green liquid or a caseous material and surrounded by a 1–3-mm-wide whitegray capsule. No lesions were observed in the cribriform plate or in the basilar pore of the frontal lobes. In 1 calf, abscesses 1–3 cm in diameter were found in the ventral and medial nasal sinuses. No lesions or signs of sepsis were seen in any other organs. Histologic examination of the grossly affected areas revealed pyogranulomatous inflammation and abscessation. Arcanobacterium pyogenes was isolated by aerobic culture on blood-agar medium. In these calves, mandibular paralysis suggested involvement of the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for facial sensibility and chewing. Signs of ocular prolapse suggested involvement of the abducent nerve.9 Arcanobacterium pyogenes is the most common isolate in chronic suppurative lesions of the brain, but other bacteria,
Kaposi's sarcoma‐associated herpesvirus serology in Europe and Uuganda: Multicentre study with multiple and novel assays

A multicentre study was undertaken to define novel assays with increased inter‐assay concordance, sensitivity, specificity and predictive value for serological diagnosis of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV‐8) infection. A total of 562 sera from European and Ugandan human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected or uninfected individuals with or without Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and blood donors were examined under code by 18 different assays in seven European laboratories. Sera from KS patients and all non‐KS sera found positive by at least 70%, 80%, or 90% of the assays were considered “true positive. ” The validity of the assays was then evaluated by univariate logistic regression analysis. Two immunofluorescence assays (IFA) for detection of antibodies against HHV‐8 lytic (Rlyt) or latent (LLANA) antigens and two enzyme‐linked‐immunosorbent assays (ELISA) (M2, EK8.1) for detection of antibodies against HHV‐8 structural proteins were found to be highly concordant, specific, and sensitive, with odds ratios that indicated a high predictive value. When used together, the two IFA (Rlyt‐LLANA) showed the best combination of sensitivity (89.1%) and specificity (94.9%). The performance of these assays indicate that they may be used for the clinical management of individuals at risk of developing HHV‐8 associated tumours such as allograft recipients. J. Med. Virol. 65:123–132, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mapping Social Change: A Visualization Method Used in the Monongahela National Forest

ABSTRACT Many communities in and around national forests are experiencing social change. It is important for public land managers to keep abreast of this change to provide appropriate forest uses while considering resource impacts, conflict management, and potential partnerships with local communities. The social assessment is one tool used to follow sociodemographic trends, but it can be difficult to wade through the volumes of tables and visual displays to make informed management decisions. To improve decision making, literature suggests presenting information in a usable manner, such as the weather (color isopleth) map. By creating an index of overall social change and presenting the results in the form of an isopleth, social assessments can be made more usable by reducing multiple variables into one composite map. A method is described to compute an overall index and map of social change, followed by a discussion of management implications, limitations, and avenues of future research.