Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer screening among US women: trends from 2000 to 2005.

OBJECTIVES This study describes trends in the socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer screening among US women aged 40 or over, from 2000 to 2005. We assessed 1) the disparities in each socioeconomic dimension; 2) the changes in screening mammography rates over time according to income, education, and race; and 3) the sizes and trends of the disparities over time. METHODS Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2000 to 2005, we calculated the age-adjusted screening rate according to relative household income, education level, health insurance, and race. Odds ratios and the relative inequality index (RII) were also calculated, controlling for age. RESULTS Women in their 40s and those with lower relative incomes were less likely to undergo screening mammography. The disparity based on relative income was greater than that based on education or race (the RII among low-income women across the survey years was 3.00 to 3.48). The overall participation rate and absolute differences among socioeconomic groups changed little or decreased slightly across the survey years. However, the degree of each socioeconomic disparity and the relative inequality among socioeconomic positions remained quite consistent. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the trend of the disparity in breast cancer screening varied by socioeconomic dimension. Continued differences in breast cancer screening rates related to income level should be considered in future efforts to decrease the disparities in breast cancer among socioeconomic groups. More focused interventions, as well as the monitoring of trends in cancer screening participation by income and education, are needed in different social settings.
Isolation and genomic characterization of chicken infectious anemia virus in Jiangsu province of China during 2020–2022

As an immunosuppressive disease virus, chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) mainly infects chickens, causing aplastic anemia and systemic lymphoid tissue atrophy. In recent years, the prevalence of CIAV in the poultry industry globally has caused huge economic losses. In this study, a total of 223 clinical samples, including anal swabs, tissues, blood, and vaccines, were collected from 19 broiler farms or breeding companies in Jiangsu province, with symptoms of significant anemia and immunosuppression during 2020–2022. Among them, 75 samples (75/223, 33.6%) were positive for CIAV in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and 20 CIAV strains were successfully isolated. The phylogenetic trees of the 20 isolates and 42 CIAV strains deposited in GenBank formed four distinct groups (A-D). And the isolates mainly belonged to Group A but with high genetic diversity. Analysis for VP1 indicated that these isolates possess key characteristics of highly pathogenic strains. Meanwhile, VP2 and VP3 were much conserved with much fewer mutations compare to VP1. The above epidemiological study of CIAV provides novel insights into molecular characterization of CIAV and lays the foundation for developing efficient strategies for control of CIAV in China.
Leveraging 3D Technology for Improved Reliability

Aggressive technology scaling over the years has helped improve processor performance but has caused a reduction in processor reliability. Shrinking transistor sizes and lower supply voltages have increased the vulnerability of computer systems towards transient faults. An increase in within-die and die-to-die parameter variations has also led to a greater number of dynamic timing errors. A potential solution to mitigate the impact of such errors is redundancy via an in-order checker processor. Emerging 3D chip technology promises increased processor performance as well as reduced power consumption because of shorter on-chip wires. In this paper, we leverage the "snap-on" functionality provided by 3D integration and propose implementing the redundant checker processor on a second die. This allows manufacturers to easily create a family of "reliable processors" without significantly impacting the cost or performance for customers that care less about reliability. We comprehensively evaluate design choices for this second die, including the effects of L2 cache organization, deep pipelining, and frequency. An interesting feature made possible by 3D integration is the incorporation of heterogeneous process technologies within a single chip. We evaluate the possibility of providing redundancy with an older process technology, an unexplored and especially compelling application of die heterogeneity. We show that with the most pessimistic assumptions, the overhead of the second die can be as high as either a 7degC temperature increase or a 8% performance loss. However, with the use of an older process, this overhead can be reduced to a 3degC temperature increase or a 4% performance loss, while also providing higher error resilience.
Exogenous Proteases for Meat Tenderization

The use of exogenous proteases to improve meat tenderness has attracted much interest recently, with a view to consistent production of tender meat and added value to lower grade meat cuts. This review discusses the sources, characteristics, and use of exogenous proteases in meat tenderization to highlight the specificity of the proteases toward meat proteins and their impact on meat quality. Plant enzymes (such as papain, bromelain, and ficin) have been extensively investigated as meat tenderizers. New plant proteases (actinidin and zingibain) and microbial enzyme preparations have been of recent interest due to controlled meat tenderization and other advantages. Successful use of these enzymes in fresh meat requires their enzymatic kinetics and characteristics to be determined, together with an understanding of the impact of the surrounding environmental conditions of the meat (pH, temperature) on enzyme function. This enables the optimal conditions for tenderizing fresh meat to be established, and the elimination or reduction of any negative impacts on other quality attributes. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition for the following free supplemental files: Additional text, tables, and figures. ]
Multifaceted Effects of Selective Inhibitor of Phosphodiesterase III, Cilostazol, for Cerebral Vasospasm after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in a Dog Model

Background: Selective inhibition of phosphodiesterase type III (PDE III) may be involved in the pathophysiology of vasospasm and a PDE III inhibitor, cilostazol, is thus expected to attenuate vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We tested the therapeutic effects of cilostazol on angiographic and morphological vasospasm. Method: Twenty-one mongrel dogs were divided into 4 groups: (1) control (n = 3); (2) SAH (n = 6); (3) SAH with low-dose treatment (n = 6), and (4) SAH with high-dose treatment (n = 6). We used the established double-hemorrhage model of SAH achieved by injecting autologous blood. Angiography was performed on day 0 and day 7. The animals were euthanized after a second angiogram, and Western blotting was performed to analyze phenotypic changes in smooth muscle cells of the basilar artery. The basilar artery was sectioned for immunohistochemistry of SM1, SM2 and SMemb to analyze phenotypic changes (SM1, SM2 for the contractile type of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain and SMemb for the synthetic type). Intact endothelial cells were counted under a microscope. Results: Severe vasospasm was obtained in the SAH group (42 ± 1%). Cilostazol attenuated angiographic vasospasm in both treatment groups (63 ± 2 and 74 ± 4%, respectively). Prevention of endothelial damage and phenotypic changes in smooth muscle cells were observed in both treatment groups (p < 0.05 vs. control, ANOVA). Conclusion: Cilostazol attenuates vasospasm following SAH in dogs by suppressing phenotypic changes in the basilar artery and preventing endothelial damage. Therefore, we anticipate that cilostazol may be useful in the management of vasospasm.
Extreme sea levels on the rise along Europe's coasts

Future extreme sea levels (ESLs) and flood risk along European coasts will be strongly impacted by global warming. Yet, comprehensive projections of ESL that include mean sea level (MSL), tides, waves, and storm surges do not exist. Here, we show changes in all components of ESLs until 2100 in view of climate change. We find that by the end of this century, the 100‐year ESL along Europe's coastlines is on average projected to increase by 57 cm for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)4.5 and 81 cm for RCP8.5. The North Sea region is projected to face the highest increase in ESLs, amounting to nearly 1 m under RCP8.5 by 2100, followed by the Baltic Sea and Atlantic coasts of the UK and Ireland. Relative sea level rise (RSLR) is shown to be the main driver of the projected rise in ESL, with increasing dominance toward the end of the century and for the high‐concentration pathway. Changes in storm surges and waves enhance the effects of RSLR along the majority of northern European coasts, locally with contributions up to 40%. In southern Europe, episodic extreme events tend to stay stable, except along the Portuguese coast and the Gulf of Cadiz where reductions in surge and wave extremes offset RSLR by 20–30%. By the end of this century, 5 million Europeans currently under threat of a 100‐year ESL could be annually at risk from coastal flooding under high‐end warming. The presented dataset is available through this link: http://data.jrc. ec.europa. eu/collection/LISCOAST.
Clathrin-dependent endocytosis of membrane-bound RANKL in differentiated osteoclasts

Bone is continuously repaired and remodelled through well-coordinated activity of osteoblasts that form new bone and osteoclasts, which resorb it. Osteoblasts synthesize and secrete two key molecules that are important for osteoclast differentiation, namely the ligand for the receptor of activator of nuclear factor κB (RANKL) and its decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG). Active membrane transport is a typical feature of the resorbing osteoclast during bone resorption. Normally, one resorption cycle takes several hours as observed by monitoring actin ring formation and consequent disappearance in vitro. During these cyclic changes, the cytoskeleton undergoes remarkable dynamic rearrangement. Active cells show a continuous process of exocytosis that plays an essential role in transport of membrane components, soluble molecules and receptor-mediated ligands thus allowing them to communicate with the environment. The processes that govern intracellular transport and trafficking in mature osteoclasts are poorly known. The principal methodological problem that have made these studies difficult is a physiological culture of osteoclasts that permit observing the vesicle apparatus in conditions similar to the in vivo conditions. In the present study we have used a number of morphological approaches to characterize the composition, formation and the endocytic and biosynthetic pathways that play roles in dynamics of differentiation of mature bone resorbing cells using a tri-dimensional system of physiologic coculture.
Helical antennas for multi-mode mobile phones

The use of helical antennas in handsets for multi-frequency operation has been studied. It is shown that it is possible to obtain very wideband operation or two separate frequency bands of operation by using two helical antennas attached on the top edges of the conducting case of a handset. The presence of the second antenna has relatively small effect on the operation. If one of the single helical antennas is replaced with two helical antennas one within the other three separate frequency bands of operation can be obtained.
Investigation of the Temporal Evolution of X-Ray Emission From a Copper Vacuum Spark Plasma

The temporal evolution of the X-ray pulses generated by the vacuum spark device was investigated by using five channels of p-i-n diodes, which were mounted at the end-on position along the axis of the electrode system. A time-integrated X-ray spectrometer was used to record the spectral distribution of the X-ray emission. Two types of X-ray emission mechanisms can be identified from our experiments. The first mechanism is due to an electron beam accelerated to bombard at the anode tip, which produces a Cu-Kα-dominated spectrum. The second mechanism of X-ray emission is due to the formation of hot plasma during the vacuum spark discharge. There can be two possible sources of energetic electron beams. One is the transient hollow cathode electron beam that is used to trigger the main discharge of the vacuum spark, and the second one is due to plasma instability. The plasma emission during the vacuum spark discharge may be contaminated by electron beam-target emission toward the end of the pinching action. From discharges with clear evidence of the formation of hot plasma and insignificant Cu-Kα contamination, electron temperatures in the range of 4-8 keV for the copper plasma had been deduced.
Epidemiology of Leptospira Transmitted by Rodents in Southeast Asia

Background Leptospirosis is the most common bacterial zoonoses and has been identified as an important emerging global public health problem in Southeast Asia. Rodents are important reservoirs for human leptospirosis, but epidemiological data is lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings We sampled rodents living in different habitats from seven localities distributed across Southeast Asia (Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia), between 2009 to 2010. Human isolates were also obtained from localities close to where rodents were sampled. The prevalence of Leptospira infection was assessed by real-time PCR using DNA extracted from rodent kidneys, targeting the lipL32 gene. Sequencing rrs and secY genes, and Multi Locus Variable-number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) analyses were performed on DNA extracted from rat kidneys for Leptospira isolates molecular typing. Four species were detected in rodents, L. borgpetersenii (56% of positive samples), L. interrogans (36%), L. kirschneri (3%) and L. weilli (2%), which were identical to human isolates. Mean prevalence in rodents was approximately 7%, and largely varied across localities and habitats, but not between rodent species. The two most abundant Leptospira species displayed different habitat requirements: L. interrogans was linked to humid habitats (rice fields and forests) while L. borgpetersenii was abundant in both humid and dry habitats (non-floodable lands). Conclusion/Significance L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii species are widely distributed amongst rodent populations, and strain typing confirmed rodents as reservoirs for human leptospirosis. Differences in habitat requirements for L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii supported differential transmission modes. In Southeast Asia, human infection risk is not only restricted to activities taking place in wetlands and rice fields as is commonly accepted, but should also include tasks such as forestry work, as well as the hunting and preparation of rodents for consumption, which deserve more attention in future epidemiological studies.
Multi-Value-Functions: Efficient Automatic Action Hierarchies for Multiple Goal MDPs

If you have planned to achieve one particular goal in a stochastic delayed rewards problem and then someone asks about a different goal what should you do? What if you need to be ready to quickly supply an answer for any possible goal? This paper shows that by using a new kind of automata caily generated abstract action hierarchy that with N states, preparing for all of N possible goals can be much much cheaper than N times the work of preparing for one goal. In goal-based Markov Decision Problems, it is usual to generate a policy π(x) mapping states to actions, and a value function J(x) mapping states to an estimate of minimum expected cost-to-goal, starting at x. In this paper we will use the terminology that a multipolicy π*(x, y) (for all state-pairs (x, y)) maps a state x to the first action it should take in order to reach y with expected minimum cost and a multi-valuefunction J*(x, y) is a definition of this minimum cost. Building these objects quickly and with little memory is the main purpose of this paper, but a secondary result is a natural, automatic, way to create a set of parsimonious yet powerful abstractactions for MDPs. The paper concludes with a set of empirical results on increasingly large MDPs.
Reduplicative Identity in Chaha Michael Kenstowicz

In this paper we discuss the process of continuant dissimilation in Chaha (a Western Gurage language of Ethiopia) which derives [k] from /x/. We argue that the notion of correspondence is crucial to an adequate account of the process. In particular, two different correspondence relations are at play: Base-Reduplicant correspondence (McCarthy & Prince 1995) and Output-Output correspondence (Benua 1995, Burzio 1996, Ito & Mester 1997, Kenstowicz 1996, Steriade 1997, among others). Chaha reduplication is of more than passing interest because it provides a clear example of "back copy" in which the output of reduplication triggers a change in its correspondent (a phenomenon first identified by Wilbur 1973). McCarthy & Prince (1995) observe that back copy is expected under a constraint-based approach to reduplication but is problematic for the traditional serial derivational model. While a number of cases of back copy have been reported in the literature, they derive largely from secondary sources and have proven difficult to confirm (e.g. Malay nasal harmony discussed in McCarthy & Prince 1995 based on Onn 1976; see Kenstowicz 1980 for discussion). It is therefore important to document additional cases of this phenomenon--our purpose in this paper. In (1) we give the inventory of consonants in Chaha.
Adtranz: a mobile computing system for maintenance and collaboration

The paper describes the mobile information and communication aspects of a next generation train maintenance and diagnosis system, discusses the working prototype features, and research results. Wearable/Mobile computers combined with the wireless technology improve efficiency and accuracy of the maintenance work. This technology enables maintenance personnel at the site to communicate with a remote helpdesk/expertise center through digital data, audio, and image.
Impact of insemination technique, semen quality and oocyte cryopreservation on pronuclear morphology of zygotes derived from sibling oocytes

Summary Pronuclear morphology seems to be an important predictive value of zygote development and integrity. In this study we want to evaluate the effect of insemination technique, male factor and oocyte cryopreservation on pronuclear morphology of zygotes derived from sibling oocytes in our Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy. Subjects (n = 190) were submitted to IVF cycles with non-frozen and frozen sibling oocytes. Morphological evaluations were assessed using zygote pronuclear morphology (pronuclei, nucleoli and axis) in four groups: Group 1: 144 zygotes from 85 conventional IVF cycles with non-frozen oocytes; Group 2: 164 zygotes from 85 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles with Group 1 patients' sibling frozen oocytes; Group 3: 221 zygotes from 123 ICSI cycles with non-frozen oocytes; Group 4: 197 zygotes from 123 ICSI cycles with Group 3 patients' sibling frozen oocytes. No differences between Group 1 and Group 2 were seen. Group 3 was statistically different from Group 4 in relation to the nucleolar morphology. Oocyte cryopreservation procedure modified the nucleolar morphology of zygotes only in the presence of poor semen quality.
100 Citation Classics in the Melanoma Literature: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND Modern immunologic therapies targeting genetic mutations have created a renewed interest in melanoma research, and this is reflected in the increasing number of published works. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify the top 100 most cited articles in melanoma and to examine the characteristics of each individual article. METHODS Using an electronic database through the Web of Science, we were able to determine the 22 journals that contributed to the 100 most cited articles in melanoma. RESULTS Each article was examined individually looking at characteristics such as subject matter, article type, country of origin, institution, authorship, and year of publication. The New England Journal of Medicine contributed the most articles to the top 100 with 20 articles, whereas the most cited article originated from the Archives of Surgery and has been cited 2,384 times. The United States produced 74% of the top 100 articles, and the most prolific institution was the National Cancer Institute in Maryland with 18 articles. CONCLUSION This study has identified the most significant contributions to melanoma research over the past 63 years and identifies many important scientific breakthroughs and landmarks that have occurred during this time.
Endovascular Treatment of Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease

Symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is responsible for approximately 10% of all ischemic strokes in the United States. The risk of recurrent stroke may be as high as 35% in patient with critical stenosis >70% in diameter narrowing. Recent advances in medical and endovascular therapy have placed ICAD at the forefront of clinical stroke research to optimize the best medical and endovascular approach to treat this important underlying stroke etiology. Analysis of symptomatic ICAD studies lead to the question that whether angioplasty and/or stenting is a safe, suitable, and efficacious therapeutic strategy in patients with critical stenoses that are deemed refractory to medical management. Most of the currently available data in support of angioplasty and/or stenting in high risk patients with severe symptomatic ICAD is in the form of case series and randomized trial results of endovascular therapy versus medical treatment are awaited. This is a comprehensive review of the state of the art in the endovascular approach with angioplasty and/or stenting of symptomatic ICAD.
Chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most important complication present in the female lower genital tract, causing major medical, social and economic problems. Although PID can be caused by multiple microorganisms, it results most frequently from the ascent of sexually transmitted Chlamydia.trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections from the cervix to the upper genital tract. The importance of cervical chlamydial infection in the pathogenesis of PID is well recognized. Recent data from many developed countries have shown a striking decrease in the incidence of gonococcal infections, while the rates of chlamydial infections remain high in most countries. Complications of PID are common and usually irreversible. Emerging evidence suggests that universal or selected screening of defined populations for cervical chlamydial infection leads to a dramatic reduction in the incidence of PID. Recent technological advances should further enhance efforts to prevent chlamydial infection and PID. Gene amplification-based diagnostic tests, screening by testing first-void urine, and single dose antimicrobial therapy greatly facilitate chlamydia control programmes. Thus, screening for chlamydia is the key approach in the secondary prevention of PID. The obvious challenge is to make screening for chlamydia the standard for health care for young, sexually active individuals. Since PID is the most important consequence of sexually transmitted bacterial infections, it is also imperative to develop better treatments to prevent the long-term sequelae of this disease. The development and implementation of new and effective intervention programmes for prevention and control of PID is one of the major challenges for the year 2000 and beyond.