Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of Gardasil Given Concomitantly With Menactra and Adacel

OBJECTIVES: Multinational phase III trials of a human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, have shown the vaccine to be generally well-tolerated, efficacious, and immunogenic. We evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of Gardasil administered concomitantly with Menactra and Adacel. METHODS: In this open-label study, boys (n = 394) and girls (n = 648) aged 10 to 17 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio as follows: group A (concomitant administration) received a 0.5-mL dose of Gardasil at day 1, month 2, and month 6 and a 0.5-mL dose of Menactra and Adacel on day 1; group B (nonconcomitant administration) received Gardasil at day 1, month 2, and month 6 and Menactra and Adacel at month 1. Antibody levels for all vaccine components were measured. Systemic, injection-site, and serious adverse experiences (AEs) were monitored. RESULTS: Immune responses after concomitant administration of the 3 vaccines were noninferior to nonconcomitant administration. Seroconversion for Gardasil was ≥99% in both groups A and B. For Menactra and Adacel, concomitant administration of the vaccines was demonstrated to be noninferior to nonconcomitant administration. Concomitant administration was generally well-tolerated. No participants withdrew because of an AE. One serious AE of transient muscular weakness of <24 hours' duration after the third Gardasil injection was reported in group B and was deemed possibly vaccine-related by the investigator. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, concomitant administration was generally well-tolerated and did not interfere with the immune response to the respective vaccines. Concomitant administration should minimize the number of visits required to deliver each vaccine individually, leading to increased compliance and more effective disease prevention.
Influence of the placement rate on the fresh concrete lateral pressure in the design of formworks

Abstract The fresh concrete lateral pressure generates a load that has great influence in the design of the formworks of columns, walls and lateral faces of the beams.Its prediction must be performed in such a way in order to approach precisely well over the rate values supported by the formworks, avoiding, therefore, the oversizing or undersizing of these temporary structures which represent up to 12% of the total cost of the construction. The calculation of the lateral pressure that fresh concrete exerts on the formworks involves several variables; one of them is the placement rate. The main objective of this work was to study the influence of the placement rate, in situ, on the lateral pressure of fresh concrete calculated from theoretical models presented by norms and international references. For this purpose, measurements of the placement rate were conducted on columns of five building work places at Goiânia city, Goias, Brazil and it was calculated the maximum pressure supported by their respective formworks from the dimensions and spans between the supports of the components that constituted them. The obtained results indicate that the placement rate in the field observations reach 249 m/h, exceeding the values limited by the theoretical methods of calculation, and that the lateral pressure estimation produced from the placement rate measured in situ exceed the maximum values supported by the formworks up to 604 times. Thus, it was concluded that it is necessary to adjust equations to estimate the lateral pressure of fresh concrete at high rate of concrete placement, according to the current practices in the construction market.
Quadratic programming formulations for classificationand regression

We reformulate the support vector machine approach to classification and regression problems using a different methodology than the classical ‘largest margin’ paradigm. From this, we are able to derive extremely simple quadratic programming problems that allow for general symbolic solutions to the classical problems of geometric classification and regression. We obtain a new class of learning machines that are also robust to the presence of small perturbations and/or corrupted or missing data in the training sets (provided that information about the amplitude of the perturbations is known approximately). A high performance framework for very large-scale classification and regression problems based on a Voronoi tessellation of the input space is also introduced in this work. Our approach has been tested on seven benchmark databases with noticeable gain in computational time in comparison with standard decomposition techniques such as SVM light .
Aging, Eye Movements, and Object-Location Memory

This study investigated whether “intentional” instructions could improve older adults' object memory and object-location memory about a scene by promoting object-oriented viewing. Eye movements of younger and older adults were recorded while they viewed a photograph depicting 12 household objects in a cubicle with or without the knowledge that memory about these objects and their locations would be tested (intentional vs. incidental encoding). After viewing, participants completed recognition and relocation tasks. Both instructions and age affected viewing behaviors and memory. Relative to incidental instructions, intentional instructions resulted in more accurate memory about object identity and object-location binding, but did not affect memory accuracy about overall positional configuration. More importantly, older adults exhibited more object-oriented viewing in the intentional than incidental condition, supporting the environmental support hypothesis.
Biaxial transverse compression testing for a fibre reinforced polymer material

Unidirectional laminates have been tested under uniaxial transverse compression and under biaxial transverse compression. Failure occurred by shear in an inclined failure plane parallel to the fibres. The transverse shear response of the material on the failure plane was evaluated from the tests. In the biaxial tests, the failure load was considerably higher than in the uniaxial tests. For a given transverse shear strain the transverse shear stress was also higher in the case of biaxial compression. It is also shown that using waisted specimens instead of prismatic specimens does not seem to bring noticeable benefits for through-thickness uniaxial compression tests. The experimental results presented here are important input to the development and the validation of damage models of fibre reinforced polymer materials accounting for the matrix nonlinear response in shear and compression.
Densification without Growth Management? Evidence from Local Land Development and Housing Trends in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

In urban America, land development and residential real estate have passed through a number of different phases during the post-WWII era. In contemporary discourse on urban sustainability, attention is often expressed in terms of intensity of land development, lot sizes, and square-footage of housing units. In this paper, we reconstruct the land development trajectory of a rapidly growing southern city in the United States and assess whether this trajectory has experienced any reversal in the face of socio-economic transformations that have occurred over the past decade or so. Starting with current land and real estate property records, we reconstitute the urban map of Charlotte using World War II as a starting point. Results highlight a decline in the average single family lot size over the past decade, while the average home size has consistently grown, suggesting that the city of Charlotte and its county have witnessed a densification trend along a path towards greater land development. This analysis both helps situate Charlotte with respect to other U.S. urban regions, and provides support for potential land-use policies, especially densification, when a balance between urban development, environment preservation, energy savings, and the achievement of quality of life for current and future generations are concerned.
Quintessence and black holes

We present new static spherically symmetric exact solutions of the Einstein equations for quintessential matter surrounding a black hole, charged or uncharged, as well as for the case without a black hole. A condition of additivity and linearity in the energy–momentum tensor is introduced which allows one to obtain correct limits to known solutions for the electromagnetic static field, implying the relativistic relation between the energy density and pressure, as well as for the extraordinary case of the cosmological constant, i.e. de Sitter space. We classify the horizons, which evidently reveal themselves in static coordinates, and derive the Gibbons–Hawking temperatures. An example of quintessence with state parameter w = −2/3 is discussed in detail.
Effect of Chemical Treatment on the Tensile Properties of Single Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fibre

As one of the largest palm oil producer, Malaysia also generates a large amount of oil palm biomass. Abdullah & Sulaiman [1] stated that there is abundance of raw materials available from the palm tree consisting of around 90%, by weight, of non-fruit biomass. Oil palm biomass can be derived from three sources, that is, oil palm frond, fruit bunch and oil palm trunk, as depicted in Figure 1. Abstract
In Situ Investigations into CaCO3 Nucleation

Author(s): Nielsen, Michael Harold | Advisor(s): Minor, Andrew M; De Yoreo, James J | Abstract: Classical theories of nucleation were developed over a hundred years ago starting with Gibbs. However, much remains unknown about the process of phase transition in aqueous electrolyte solutions due to the lack of experimental tools able to probe dynamic processes at the time and length scales of the phase transformation. In the calcium carbonate system, recent discovery of an amorphous phase, as well as the suggested existence of potential precursor states such as so-called 'pre-nucleation clusters' or dense liquid droplets, has called into question the utility of the classical framework in making accurate predictions of nucleation.Added to these questions are those regarding the effects that chemical templates have on nucleating calcium carbonate. Many organisms use complex organic matrices to form architecturally complex functional structures out of sea water at ambient temperatures. By contrast, laboratory methods to materials synthesis often require extreme conditions yet maintain at best a low level of control over the development of the resulting material. With the goal of tightly controlling formation of functional materials, scientists have looked to such biomineral systems for inspiration. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of functionalized alkanethiols have been found to act as idealized chemical templates for calcium carbonate nucleation, controlling the nucleating plane of the calcite phase for many surface functionalities. Yet there remain many open questions as to the fundamental mechanisms by which these templates achieve this control. In this dissertation many investigations of calcium carbonate nucleation are discussed, which examine the nucleation pathways of calcium carbonate and mechanisms of control by which alkanethiol surfaces direct the oriented formation of calcite. Traditional in situ microscopy techniques are used to make nucleation rate measurements of templated calcite nucleation on alkanethiol SAMs to test the applicability of the predictions of classical nucleation theory to this system. Low resolution microscopy techniques are further used to provide indirect evidence for the formation pathways of calcite on SAMs exhibiting different surface chemistries. The development of a platform for liquid phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) utilizing a sealed liquid cell is described, and its utility in making novel observations of materials formation processes is demonstrated. Liquid phase TEM is further employed, using an open cell system which allows for mixing reagents, to directly observe formation pathways in the CaCO3 system.
Physical health 25 years later: the predictive ability of neuroticism.

OBJECTIVE Neuroticism, a personality trait related to distress and emotional stability, is often correlated with physical symptoms and disease presence. Theorists have posited that chronic emotional instability creates physiological changes detrimental to health, yet most findings are based on cross-sectional analyses. The objective of the current study was to examine neuroticism assessed in 1973 and the likelihood of reporting physical conditions 25 years later. DESIGN Participants included 21676 adult twins (n = 8143 intact twin pairs) ranging from 15 to 47 years old in 1973 who were assessed again between 1998 and 2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Thirteen physical conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, ulcers, and coronary heart disease, were selected based on their prior theoretical and empirical links to personality traits. RESULTS Results indicate that the likelihood of having a physical condition is related to higher levels of prior neuroticism, with some associations attenuated when controlling for familial similarity. CONCLUSION Familial influences are most pronounced for conditions most related to systemic pain, suggesting genetic pathways between neuroticism and these pain experiences.
Production of bacterial cellulose fibers in the presence of effective microorganism

ABSTRACT In this study, effective microorganism (EM) was added into fermentation medium in static culture to enhance bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Acetobacter xylinum 23769 strain. According to SEM micrographs, BC pellicles from BC-Baikal EM1 show a smaller diameter and a relatively narrow diameter distribution compared to BC pellicles from Hestrin–Schramm (HS) medium. The BC-HS absorbed 90.5 times its dry weight of water. The water holding capacity increased to 132.5 for BC-Baikal EM1 medium compared to BC-HS. From the FT-IR spectra, BC samples exhibited a similar pattern. The crystalline indices of Baikal EM1-altered BC (66%) were lower than Baikal EM1-free BC (71%).
Calcium and Phosphate Control by Dialysis Treatments

Calcium and phosphate changes, besides their involvement in bone disease, have been claimed to also be involved in the increased vascular morbidity and mortality of dialysis patients. Even after the recent advances of therapeutic options, their control still remains a challenging problem. Dialysis treatment is a basic approach to the control of these two electrolytes. Calcium control by dialysis is mainly dependent on its mass balance, which is variably influenced by the calcium concentration difference between blood and dialysis solutions (either dialysate or infusion fluids) and by the duration of the treatment. There is no full agreement on the ideal calcium concentration in dialysis fluids, since this choice is also mostly influenced by the concomitant medical therapy. However, there is some consensus in suggesting a lower calcium concentration in standard hemodialysis (HD) treatment (1.25–1.50 mmol/l) than in dialysis treatments characterized by high convective transport. In peritoneal dialysis, calcium balance is affected by its blood dialysate concentration difference and dialysate glucose concentration, with ideal calcium concentration probably being >1.25 and <1.75 (which are the most commonly used concentrations). Phosphate dialysis balance is also a critical and challenging problem, since the possibility to reach an always desired null or possibly negative balance relies on this. Even though some increased phosphate removal can be obtained with the highest efficiency techniques, such as hemodiafiltration as compared with traditional HD, the most impacting factor still remains the duration of dialysis treatment. However, some experimental attempts at increasing phosphate removal independently of increasing dialysis duration are mentioned.
A national survey of the use of pachymeters by optometrists in Scotland: experience, views and barriers to use

Thin central corneal thickness (CCT) is a risk factor for glaucoma. In 2016 all optometry practices in Scotland were provided with pachymeters aiming to improve risk assessment and accuracy of referrals to secondary care. We examined optometrists’ experience and views of pachymetry, including perceived barriers to pachymetry in primary care.
Clinical pharmacology of cyclophosphamide.

Summary The human pharmacology of cyclophosphamide was investigated in 26 patients who received cyclophosphamide 14 C in doses of 6 to 80 mg/kg i.v. Levels of the intact drug in plasma and urine and excretion of 14 C label in breath and stools were determined by liquid scintillation counting. Plasma and urine alkylating activity was measured by reaction with 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine. Protein binding of cyclophosphamide and plasma alkylating metabolites were determined by plasma ultrafiltration. Injected cyclophosphamide distributed rapidly into 64% of body weight, and plasma cyclophosphamide half-life in patients without prior drug exposure was 6.5 hr. Not more than 20% of injected cyclophosphamide was excreted intact in urine at any dose level. Plasma alkylating metabolites were 56% bound to plasma proteins. After a 40-mg/kg dose, peak unbound alkylating activity averaged 13.3 mµmoles/ml, and in most patients at this dose alkylating activity in the plasma was measurable for 24 hr. Sixty-eight % of injected 14 C label was excreted in urine. Breath and fecal excretion were negligible. In a regimen of five consecutive daily cyclophosphamide administrations, cyclophosphamide half-life was shorter and peak alkylating levels were constantly higher on the 5th day than on the 1st day. Prior patient treatment with allopurinol resulted in significantly longer cyclophosphamide half-life, but concomitant prednisolone treatment had no effect. The effect of hepatic metastases on cyclophosphamide metabolism was unclear. Moderate renal failure in one patient resulted in prolonged retention of alkylating materials in plasma and severe toxicity. Although patients with and without prior exposure to microsomal enzyme-inducing drugs demonstrated marked variation in plasma cyclophosphamide half-life and peak alkylating levels, the total concentration × time product remained relatively constant for a given cyclophosphamide dose, suggesting that alterations in the rate of cyclophosphamide metabolism by drugs or liver metastases in the absence of renal failure will not change toxicity or therapeutic effect.
Skeletal muscle mitochondria in the elderly: effects of physical fitness and exercise training.

CONTEXT Sarcopenia is thought to be associated with mitochondrial (Mito) loss. It is unclear whether the decrease in Mito content is consequent to aging per se or to decreased physical activity. OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to examine the influence of fitness on Mito content and function and to assess whether exercise could improve Mito function in older adults. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS Three distinct studies were conducted: 1) a cross-sectional observation comparing Mito content and fitness in a large heterogeneous cohort of older adults; 2) a case-control study comparing chronically endurance-trained older adults and sedentary (S) subjects matched for age and gender; and 3) a 4-month exercise intervention in S. SETTING The study was conducted at a university-based clinical research center. OUTCOMES Mito volume density (MitoVd) was assessed by electron microscopy from vastus lateralis biopsies, electron transport chain proteins by Western blotting, mRNAs for transcription factors involved in M biogenesis by quantitative RT-PCR, and in vivo oxidative capacity (ATPmax) by (31)P-magnetice resonance spectroscopy. Peak oxygen uptake was measured by graded exercise test. RESULTS Peak oxygen uptake was strongly correlated with MitoVd in 80 60- to 80-year-old adults. Comparison of chronically endurance-trained older adults vs S revealed differences in MitoVd, ATPmax, and some electron transport chain protein complexes. Finally, exercise intervention confirmed that S subjects are able to recover MitoVd, ATPmax, and specific transcription factors. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest the following: 1) aging per se is not the primary culprit leading to Mito dysfunction; 2) an aerobic exercise program, even at an older age, can ameliorate the loss in skeletal muscle Mito content and may prevent aging muscle comorbidities; and 3) the improvement of Mito function is all about content.
Comparing implementation intention interventions in relation to young adults’ intake of fruit and vegetables

This study tests whether the effectiveness of implementation intention-based interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake in a young adult population can be enhanced using additional pre-intervention instructions and alternative formats; namely, an ‘if-then’ implementation intention versus a more general, ‘global’ plan that does not explicitly link a situational cue with a goal-directed response. Participants (N = 557) completed pre-test measures of planning, motivation and behaviour with respect to increasing their fruit and vegetable intake before being randomised to a 3 (intervention format: control vs. ‘if-then’ vs. ‘global’ implementation intentions) × 2 (pre-intervention instruction vs. no pre-intervention instruction) between-participants design. Results revealed a significant intervention format by time interaction, such that intake significantly increased by 0.50 portions in the if-then format condition compared with 0.31 in the global format and 0.01 in the control condition. These results suggest that ‘if-then’ manipulations are superior in promoting behaviour change in an applied setting. The use of pre-intervention instructions had no additional effect on behaviour, providing evidence for the efficacy of implementation intentions even when experimenter demand is reduced. Evidence is also presented to suggest that reported increases in intake are not related to demand characteristics.
Prevalence and perpetrators of workplace violence by nursing unit and the relationship between violence and the perceived work environment.

AIMS To identify the prevalence and perpetrators of workplace violence against nurses and to examine the relationship of work demands and trust and justice in the workplace with the occurrence of violence. DESIGN This study employed cross-sectional data from a 2013 nurse survey conducted at a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea. The study sample included 970 female nurses from 47 nursing units, including general, oncology, intensive care units (ICUs), operating rooms, and outpatient departments. METHODS The second version of the medium-sized Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II) was used to measure work demands (i.e., quantitative demands, work pace, and emotional demands), trust and justice, and violence. Relationships among those variables were examined by conducting multiple logistic regression analyses with multilevel modeling. FINDINGS The 12-month prevalence of verbal abuse (63.8%) was highest, followed by threats of violence (41.6%), physical violence (22.3%), and sexual harassment (19.7%), but bullying had the lowest prevalence (9.7%). Physical violence, threats of violence, and verbal abuse occurred most frequently in ICUs, whereas sexual harassment and bullying were highest in operating rooms. The main perpetrators were patients, followed by physicians and patients' families. Nurses perceiving greater work demands and less trust and justice were more likely to have been exposed to violence. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence and perpetrators of violence varied considerably among nursing units. Greater work demands and less trust and justice were associated with nurses' experiences of violence. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Adequate work demands and a trusted and just work environment may reduce violence against nurses. In return, reduction of violence will contribute to creating a better nursing work environment.