Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A discrete event simulation model to estimate population level health and economic impacts of smoking cessation interventions

We design and develop a predictive model that estimates health and economic outcomes associated with smoking cessation interventions using discrete-event simulation (DES). Outcomes include estimates of sustained abstinence from smoking, quality of life years gained, cost of treatment, additional health-related morbidity due to long-term effects of smoking (e.g. lung cancer, stroke), and cost-effectiveness of the various smoking cessation options. Interventions assessed include nicotine replacement therapy (patch or gum,), oral medication (bupropion and varenicline), and abstinence without pharmacologic assistance. The DES approach allows us to account for heterogeneity of patients and dynamic changes in disease progression. Results show that even a single quit attempt can be cost-effective over the patients' lifetime. Furthermore, based on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, varenicline dominates other treatments at 10 years, 30 years, and over the lifetime. Understanding the comparative effectiveness and cost of alternative smoking cessation strategies can improve clinical and patient decision-making.
FPGA-Based Degradation and Reliability Monitor for Underground Cables

The online Remaining Useful Life (RUL) estimation of underground cables and their reliability analysis requires obtaining the cable failure time probability distribution. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of complex thermal heating and electro-thermal degradation models can be employed for this analysis, but uncertainties need to be considered in the simulations, to produce accurate RUL expectation values and confidence margins for the results. The process requires performing large simulation sets, based on past temperature or load measurements and future load predictions. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) permit accelerating simulations for live analysis, but the thermal models involved are complex to be directly implemented in hardware logic. A new standalone FPGA architecture has been proposed for the fast and on-site degradation and reliability analysis of underground cables, based on MC simulation, and the effect of load uncertainties on the predicted cable End Of Life (EOL) has been analyzed from the results.
Munc13-4 functions as a Ca2+ sensor for homotypic secretory granule fusion to generate endosomal exocytic vacuoles

Munc13-4, a Ca2+-dependent SNARE/phospholipid-binding protein on secretory granules (SGs), functions as a Ca2+ sensor for SG exocytosis and SG-SG fusion. SG-SG fusion plus fusion with recycling endosomes generates large (>2.4 μm) Munc13-4+/Rab7+/Rab11+ exocytic vacuoles. The results provide insights into multigranular compound exocytosis.
AAEM minimonograph #13: H reflexes and F waves: Physiology and clinical indications

Motoneurons can be activated both reflexly and antidromically following electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves. These H reflexes and F waves are clinically useful responses which interface at the level of the peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. Because these responses are commonly employed in the electrodiagnostic evaluation of patients, an understanding of their physiology and clinical applications is important. These are reviewed. Reasoning from the physiology, both the value and limitations of H‐reflex and F‐wave studies are considered for disorders of peripheral nerves, roots, and the central nervous system. Theoretical concepts about the physiology and pathophysiology of the nervous system based on H‐reflex and F‐wave data are also discussed. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Eocene Loranthaceae pollen pushes back divergence ages for major splits in the family

Background We revisit the palaeopalynological record of Loranthaceae, using pollen ornamentation to discriminate lineages and to test molecular dating estimates for the diversification of major lineages. Methods Fossil Loranthaceae pollen from the Eocene and Oligocene are analysed and documented using scanning-electron microscopy. These fossils were associated with molecular-defined clades and used as minimum age constraints for Bayesian node dating using different topological scenarios. Results The fossil Loranthaceae pollen document the presence of at least one extant root-parasitic lineage (Nuytsieae) and two currently aerial parasitic lineages (Psittacanthinae and Loranthinae) by the end of the Eocene in the Northern Hemisphere. Phases of increased lineage diversification (late Eocene, middle Miocene) coincide with global warm phases. Discussion With the generation of molecular data becoming easier and less expensive every day, neontological research should re-focus on conserved morphologies that can be traced through the fossil record. The pollen, representing the male gametophytic generation of plants and often a taxonomic indicator, can be such a tracer. Analogously, palaeontological research should put more effort into diagnosing Cenozoic fossils with the aim of including them into modern systematic frameworks.
Healthy but not RSV-infected lung epithelial cells profoundly inhibit T cell activation

Background: Respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), can cause asthma exacerbations and bronchiolitis. Both conditions are associated with enhanced cognate immune responses and inflammation and reduced immune regulation. Lung epithelial cells (LECs) can contribute to antiviral and allergic immune responses while gut epithelial cells can inhibit effector T cell responses. A study was performed to determine whether healthy LECs regulate antigen-specific T cell responses and if this regulation is lost during RSV infection. Methods: LA4 cells, a murine LEC line, infected with RSV or primary murine LECs were co-cultured with ovalbumin-specific T cell receptor transgenic CD4+ T cells from DO11.10 mice and ovalbumin-pulsed bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC) to assess T cell proliferation by flow cytometry and cytokine production. Results: The presence of LECs abrogated DC-induced T cell proliferation and significantly reduced T cell cytokine release. These effects of LECs were predominantly contact-dependent, primarily affected T cells directly and were partly mediated by transforming growth factor β. Soluble factors and DC-mediated effects also contributed to T cell inhibition. RSV infection of LECs reduced their inhibitory capacity in an infection dose-dependent manner. This was independent of proinflammatory cytokines released by infected LECs, but in part due to Toll-like receptor activation and to infection-induced cell death. Conclusion: Healthy LECs are potent inhibitors of T cell activation, but this regulatory function is lost after RSV infection. These findings suggest a central role for LECs in maintaining the tolerogenic environment of healthy lungs. Loss of this regulatory capacity after viral infection may allow development of excessive cognate immune responses and pulmonary inflammation.
The association between perceived fatigue and actual level of physical activity in multiple sclerosis

Background: Both fatigue and reduced physical activity are important consequences of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their mutual association is poorly understood. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the relation between perceived fatigue and home-based recording of motor activity in patients with MS. Methods: Found associations were checked for confounding by age, Expanded Disability Status Scales (EDSS), disease duration, sub-type of MS, anxiety, and depression. Forty-three ambulatory patients with MS were recruited. Ambulatory physical activity was recorded for 24 hours. Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS20R). Linear regression was applied after which potential confounding factors were introduced in a multivariate regression model. Results: No significant associations between physical activity and fatigue scores were found, except for the MFIS sub-scale ‘physical activity’ (ßphysical_activity [ßpa] = −0.044; SE = 0.020). The association between physical activity and the FSS score was distorted by age, MS-type, anxiety and depression and the association between physical activity and the MFIS score by age and depression. The inverse association between MFIS sub-scale ‘physical activity’ and physical activity was significantly strengthened by adjusting for age (ßpa = − 0.052; SE = 0.019), sub-type of MS (ßpa = − 0.048; SE = 0.020), anxiety (ßpa = − 0.070; SE = 0.023) and depression (ßpa = − 0.083; SE = 0.023). Conclusions: In MS, there is no, or at best a weak association between severity of perceived fatigue and physical activity. Depending on the fatigue questionnaire used, patient characteristics such as age, type of MS, depression and anxiety are factors that may affect this relationship.
Brain regions involved in human movement perception: A quantitative voxel‐based meta‐analysis

Face, hands, and body movements are powerful signals essential for social interactions. In the last 2 decades, a large number of brain imaging studies have explored the neural correlates of the perception of these signals. Formal synthesis is crucially needed, however, to extract the key circuits involved in human motion perception across the variety of paradigms and stimuli that have been used. Here, we used the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta‐analysis approach with random effect analysis. We performed meta‐analyses on three classes of biological motion: movement of the whole body, hands, and face. Additional analyses of studies of static faces or body stimuli and sub‐analyses grouping experiments as a function of their control stimuli or task employed allowed us to identify main effects of movements and forms perception, as well as effects of task demand. In addition to specific features, all conditions showed convergence in occipito‐temporal and fronto‐parietal regions, but with different peak location and extent. The conjunction of the three ALE maps revealed convergence in all categories in a region of the right posterior superior temporal sulcus as well as in a bilateral region at the junction between middle temporal and lateral occipital gyri. Activation in these regions was not a function of attentional demand and was significant also when controlling for non‐specific motion perception. This quantitative synthesis points towards a special role for posterior superior temporal sulcus for integrating human movement percept, and supports a specific representation for body parts in middle temporal, fusiform, precentral, and parietal areas. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pneumocystis jiroveci

Asymptomatic colonisation of P. jiroveci has been described in immunocompromised patients with primary acute and chronic respiratory disorders including bacterial pneumonia, lung fibrosis, transplant patients and lung edema2,3,4. The detection of P. jiroveci in these groups of patients suggests that lung tissue damage may favour colonisation of this organism2. Consequently, colonisation may represent a reservoir for person-to-person transmission in these patients2,4.
Clinical Relevance of Improved Microbleed Detection by Susceptibility-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background and Purpose— Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has been shown to be more sensitive in detecting cerebral microbleeds (MBs) than is conventional T2*-weighted gradient-recalled echo imaging (GRE). However, the clinical relevance of this improved detection in terms of associations with clinical measures and risk factors is unclear. We sought to determine whether associations of MBs with clinical characteristics, risk factors, white-matter hyperintensities, and lacunes were different on GRE versus SWI in memory clinic patients. Methods— One hundred forty-one patients presenting at our memory clinic were included and underwent clinical evaluation and a magnetic resonance imaging protocol including both GRE and SWI. Images were analyzed for numbers and locations of MBs and white-matter hyperintensities. In a subset of patients, apolipoprotein E status was determined. Negative binomial regression was used to assess clinical and radiologic associations with MB number. Results— MB prevalence was 23% on GRE and 40% on SWI. A total of 219 and 284 MBs were detected on GRE and SWI, respectively. Within groups with MBs, the median MB count was 1 (range, 1 to 144) on GRE and 2 (range, 1 to 129) on SWI (P<0.001). The increase in the number of MBs on SWI was equally distributed among brain regions. Strengths of the associations with age, sex, white-matter hyperintensities, and presence of lacunes with higher MB numbers were comparable for GRE and SWI (all P<0.05); no differential independent associations were detected. Conclusions— SWI detected more MBs in more patients, irrespective of MB location. However, this enhanced detection had no improved clinical relevance in terms of associations with vascular risk factors or radiologic markers of small-vessel disease.
Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles as Carriers for Nucleus-Based Gene Therapy Due to Size-Dependent Nuclear Entry

The aim of this study was to determine the size-dependent penetration ability of gold nanoparticles and the potential application of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles for intranucleus delivery and therapy. We synthesized gold nanoparticles with diameters of 2, 6, 10, and 16 nm and compared their intracellular distribution in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm (2 and 6 nm) could enter the nucleus, whereas larger ones (10 and 16 nm) were found only in the cytoplasm. We then investigated the possibility of using ultrasmall 2 nm nanoparticles as carriers for nuclear delivery of a triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) that binds to the c-myc promoter. Compared to free TFO, the nanoparticle-conjugated TFO was more effective at reducing c-myc RNA and c-myc protein, which resulted in reduced cell viability. Our result demonstrated that the entry of gold nanoparticles into the cell nucleus is critically dependent on the size of the nanoparticles. We developed a strategy for regulating gene expression, by directly delivering TFOs into the nucleus using ultrasmall gold nanoparticles. More importantly, guidelines were provided to choose appropriate nanocarriers for different biomedical purposes.
The Online Romance Scam: A Serious Cybercrime

The Online Romance Scam is a relatively new form of fraud that became apparent in about 2008. In this crime, criminals pretend to initiate a relationship through online dating sites then defraud their victims of large sums of money. This paper presents some descriptive statistics about knowledge and victimization of the online dating romance scam in Great Britain. Our study found that despite its newness, an estimated 230,000 British citizens may have fallen victim to this crime. We conclude that there needs to be some rethinking about providing avenues for victims to report the crime or at least making them more comfortable when doing so.
Patients' attitudes toward screening for medical conditions in a dental setting.

OBJECTIVES Previous studies demonstrated the efficacy of chairside medical screening by dentists to identify patients who are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular-associated events and the favorable attitude of dentists toward chairside medical screening. This study assessed patient attitudes toward chairside medical screening in a dental setting. METHODS A self-administered questionnaire of eight five-point response scale questions was given to a convenience sample of adult patients attending an inner-city dental school clinic and two private practice settings. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests and t-tests were used to compare responses between study groups. Friedman nonparametric analysis of variance was used to compare response items within each question. RESULTS Regardless of setting, the majority of respondents was willing to have a dentist conduct screening for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and hepatitis infection (55-90 percent); discuss results immediately (79 percent and 89 percent); provide oral fluids, finger-stick blood, blood pressure measurements, and height and weight (60-94 percent); and pay up to $20 (50-67 percent). Respondents reported that their opinion of the dentist would improve regarding the dentist's professionalism, knowledge, competence, and compassion (48-77 percent). The fact that the test was not done by a physician was ranked as the least important potential barrier. While all respondents expressed a favorable attitude toward chairside screening, the mean score was significantly lower among clinic patients across most questions/items. The priority rankings within an item were similar for both groups. CONCLUSIONS Acceptance by patients of chairside medical screening in a dental setting is a critical element for successful implementation of this strategy.
Miscarriage: Emotional burden and social suffering for women in Pakistan

ABSTRACT The study aimed to explore the bereavement experiences of women after miscarriage. Ten women who experienced miscarriages of their first child were interviewed. Verbatim interviews were analyzed through the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis that yielded eight super ordinate themes: shattered planning; physical and emotional pain; reaction to miscarriage; transformed marital relationships; in-laws’ support; blame attribution; identity and well-being; and posttraumatic growth. The participants shared the constant psychological and physical pain they felt after miscarriage. The results reveal that cultural awareness is crucial when addressing the healthcare needs of women who undergo similar reproductive losses in different cultures.
Human Neuroscience

diagnostic power of the measures. A third study (Oller et al., 2010) found a lower frequency of proper speech expressions in a large sample of children with ASD in long durations of natural speech, thus providing the first quantitative and automatic measure for speech abnormalities in ASD. Similar findings, however, were also obtained in children with delayed speech development. In the current study we sought to develop a speech spectrum-based measure that will reliably discriminate between children with ASD and children with normal development. Such a bio-marker could add to the accumulating effort in developing quantitative and objective measures for ASD (e.g., Fan et al., 2009; Ecker et al., 2010) and might hopefully lead to early identification, which is thought to improve the effectiveness of treatment (Levy et al., 2009). We considered several speech measures that might discriminate those children with ASD from those having normal development. One such measure is the long-term average spectrum (LTAS), which provides an amplitude-by-frequency function of overall S behavior , averaging across many individual spectra derived from various vocal tract configurations (Lofqvist and Mandersson, 1987). The LTAS can provide some reliable and consistent measures of voice quality, obtained without requiring a periodic or repeated voice, including measures that can discriminate between preterm and full-term baby cries (Goberman and Robb, 1999). Other measures to consider include spectral variability across time, pitch variability as well as pitch range, previously reported to be abnormal in ASD (Hubbard and Trauner, 2007).
Analytical Methods for Transient Flow to a Well in a Confined‐Unconfined Aquifer

Concurrent existence of confined and unconfined zones of an aquifer can arise owing to ground water withdrawal by pumping. Using Girinskii’s potential function, Chen (1974, 1983) developed an approximate analytical solution to analyze transient ground water flow to a pumping well in an aquifer that changes from an initially confined system to a system with both unconfined and confined regimes. This article presents the details of the Chen model and then compares it with the analytical model developed by Moench and Prickett (1972) for the same problem. Hypothetical pumping test examples in which the aquifer undergoes conversion from confined to water table conditions are solved by the two analytical models and also a numerical model based on MODFLOW. Comparison of the results suggests that the solutions of the Chen model give better results than the Moench and Prickett model except when the radial distance is very large or aquifer thickness is large compared with drawdown.
Googling suicide: surfing for suicide information on the Internet.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the types of resources a suicidal person might find through search engines on the Internet. We were especially interested in determining the accessibility of potentially harmful resources, such as prosuicide forums, as such resources have been implicated in completed suicides and are known to exist on the Web. METHOD Using 5 popular search engines (Google, Yahoo! , Ask.com, Lycos, and Dogpile) and 4 suicide-related search terms (suicide, how to commit suicide, suicide methods, and how to kill yourself), we collected quantitative and qualitative data about the search results. The searches were conducted in August and September 2006. Several coraters assigned codes and characterizations to the first 30 Web sites per search term combination (and "sponsored links" on those pages), which were then confirmed by consensus ratings. Search results were classified as being prosuicide, antisuicide, suicide-neutral, not a suicide site, or error (i.e., page would not load). Additional information was collected to further characterize the nature of the information on these Web sites. RESULTS Suicide-neutral and anti-suicide pages occurred most frequently (of 373 unique Web pages, 115 were coded as suicide-neutral, and 109 were anti-suicide). While pro-suicide resources were less frequent (41 Web pages), they were nonetheless easily accessible. Detailed how-to instructions for unusual and lethal suicide methods were likewise easily located through the searches. CONCLUSIONS Mental health professionals should ask patients about their Internet use. Depressed, suicidal, or potentially suicidal patients who use the Internet may be especially at risk. Clinicians may wish to assist patients in locating helpful, supportive resources online so that patients' Internet use may be more therapeutic than harmful.