Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smoking and Renal Cell Carcinoma1

The relationship between smoking habits and the risk of renal cell carcinoma was investigated in a case-control study conducted in northern Italy on 131 cases of histologically confirmed cancers of the renal parenchyma (85 males, 46 females) and 394 controls in hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nonurological disorders. Compared with never smokers, the relative risk (RR) was 1.7 (95% confidence interval = 1.0-3.1) among ex-smokers. A direct and significant dose-risk relationship was observed among current smokers, with RR of 1.1, 1.9, and 2.3 for moderate, intermediate, and heavy smokers. This trend in risk was statistically significant (x2, = 5.04; P = 0.02). The risk was directly related with duration of smoking (RR =1.7 for <30 versus 1.8 for >30 years, P = 0.04), and inversely with age at starting (RR = 2.0 for -20 versus 1.7 for >20 years) and, among ex-smokers, with time elapsed since stopping (RR = 2.2 for <10 versus 1.3 for >10 years). This pattern of risk, together with the absence of appreciable confounding, adds further evi dence for a causal nature of the association between smoking and renal cell cancer. confidence intervals (16), according to various smoking-related variables were first derived from data stratified by sex and quinquennia of age by the Mantel-Haenszel procedure (17). Significance was assessed by means of the linear test described by Mantel (18). To account simultaneously for the potential confounding effect of various a priori identified factors, multiple logistic regression was used (16, 19), including terms for age, sex, area of residence, education, and body mass index.
The Effect of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Treatment on Recipient Mouse Germ Cell Proliferation Following Spermatogonial Stem Cell Transplantation of Neonatal Donor Mice

Spermatogonia are the male germ line stem cells whose life long expansion is needed for permanent production of spermatozoa. The present study was designed to examine the effect of hCG treatment on germ cell proliferation following stem cell transplantation in mice. Spermatogonial stem cells were isolated from neonatal mice testes and characterized by alkaline phosphatase, immunoreactivity and morphological analysis. hCG was injected into normal and cell transplanted mice. We then evaluated the testosterone levels and cell number in normal mice. After that, cyclin B1 gene expression was investigated in transplanted mice. Different doses of busulfan were injected to investigate the effects of chemotherapy on morphological criteria and preparation of recipient mice for transplantation. In this report we show proliferative potential of spermatogonial stem cells after cytotoxic treatment, transplantation efficiency by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and hCG effect on stem cell regeneration in normal mice and following cell transplantation. The results indicate that spermatogonial stem cells can proliferate after transplantation, and the efficiency of their transplantation depends on hormonal treatment. Therefore, hormonal treatment after stem cell transplantation will be a powerful avenue for increasing the efficiency of transplantation and fertility restoration.
Reliability of clinical diagnosis and laboratory testing techniques currently used for identification of canine parvovirus enteritis in clinical settings

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is the main etiological agent of viral enteritis in dogs. Actually in literature, CPV-2 has been reported with clinical signs that vary from the classical disease, and immunochromatography test and PCR technique have been introduced to veterinary hospitals to confirm CPV-2 diagnosis and other infections. However, the reliability of these techniques has been poorly analyzed. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of veterinary clinical diagnosis, immunochromatography test and PCR technique. Our data indicate that variations in the clinical signs of CPV-2 complicate the gathering of an appropriate diagnosis; and immunochromatography test and PCR technique do not have adequate sensitivity to diagnose positive cases.
Perception of Environment Stressors in Chilean Dentistry Students

Objective: To evaluate the stress factors perceived by dentistry students at the beginning of the academic year, according to academic year and gender. Material and Methods: Descriptive, exploratory, non-experimental, cross-sectional study. The DES30-Sp survey was applied, at the beginning of the first semester 2016 to a sample of 495 dentistry students from first to 5th year of Universidad San Sebastian, Concepcion. The Statistical tests used were the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) and Levene homoscedasticity studies. The internal reliability of the data was estimated using the Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Mean, standard deviation and standard error were estimated. Comparisons between courses and gender were made using the General Multivariate ANOVA (Model III) using the tracers Pillai, Lambda de Wilks and Trace de Hotelling. The level of significance was α≤0.05 and β≥0.80. Results: It is observed that all three estimators were highly significant (p = 0.0005) for the Course and Gender factor. Stress increased steadily as the courses progressed with little inflection in all components of stress and in general stress. Women appeared with a higher perception than men in all components. Conclusion: There is a generalized stress in all the courses and it increases in the superior ones. The perception of the factors of stress varies according to the course and is greater in women.
Chapter 9. Gaze, addressee selection and turn-taking in three-party interaction

Abstract: In this paper, I argue that gaze behavior in multiparty interaction is essential for two aspects of turn-taking: for addressee selection and for next-speaker selection by current speaker. The two conversational tasks are related, but – at least in longer turns – not identical and should be distinguished analytically. In multiparty interaction, addressee selection by gaze is a non-trivial issue, as most bodily arrangements make it hard or impossible for the current speaker to look at all (intended) addressees at the same time. Rather, current speakers alternatingly look at the co-participants they want to address. Further details of this pattern of gaze alternation are discussed.
Survey of string similarity approaches and the challenging faced by the Arabic language

Measuring the similarity between strings plays an increasingly important role in many applications such as information retrieval, short answer grading, and conversational agent software. There has been much recent research interest in applying string similarity within Arabic language applications; however, the use of string similarity in Arabic poses a substantial challenge such as the complexity of the morphological system, ambiguity, and lack of resources. This survey discusses the existing research into string similarity approaches and the difficulties posed by the Arabic language by dividing them into three approaches; lexical-based similarity, semantic-based similarity, and hybrid similarity. The aim of this paper is to review these approaches and to identify suitable approaches with Arabic language.
Tailored Cyclodextrin Pore Blocker Protects Mammalian Cells from Clostridium difficile Binary Toxin CDT

Some Clostridium difficile strains produce, in addition to toxins A and B, the binary toxin Clostridium difficile transferase (CDT), which ADP-ribosylates actin and may contribute to the hypervirulence of these strains. The separate binding and translocation component CDTb mediates transport of the enzyme component CDTa into mammalian target cells. CDTb binds to its receptor on the cell surface, CDTa assembles and CDTb/CDTa complexes are internalised. In acidic endosomes, CDTb mediates the delivery of CDTa into the cytosol, most likely by forming a translocation pore in endosomal membranes. We demonstrate that a seven-fold symmetrical positively charged β-cyclodextrin derivative, per-6-S-(3-aminomethyl)benzylthio-β-cyclodextrin, which was developed earlier as a potent inhibitor of the translocation pores of related binary toxins of Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens, protects cells from intoxication with CDT. The pore blocker did not interfere with the CDTa-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of actin or toxin binding to Vero cells but inhibited the pH-dependent membrane translocation of CDTa into the cytosol. In conclusion, the cationic β-cyclodextrin could serve as the lead compound in a development of novel pharmacological strategies against the CDT-producing strains of C. difficile.
Reliability and construct validity of the Online Cognition Scale in the Portuguese (Brazil) version (OCS-BR)

Objective: To evaluate construct validity and reliability of the Portuguese (Brazil) version of Online Cognition Scale (OCS-BR). Methods: Portuguese (Brazil) versions of Online Cognition Scale (OCS), of Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and socio demographic questionnaire was applied to a sample (n = 359) of health university students. Construct validity evidence was verified through the factorial and convergent validity by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and internal consistency and stability analysis through Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) respectively. Discriminative power of items were analyzed using item-total correlation and point biserial correlation. Results: OCS-BR presented satisfactory evidence of construct validity. The instrument showed Cronbach’s alpha of 0.91 and ICC of 0.91. Conclusion: Portuguese (Brazil) version of OCS shows items consistently gatherd to measure the Problematic Internet Use (PIU) construct, it is considered s stable instrument in time and with sufficient evidence of construct validity.
Genetic diversity and population structure of six Chinese indigenous pig breeds in the Taihu Lake region revealed by sequencing data

Summary The Chinese indigenous pig breeds in the Taihu Lake region are the most prolific pig breeds in the world. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of six breeds, including Meishan, Erhualian, Mi, Fengjing, Shawutou and Jiaxing Black, in this region using whole‐genome SNP data. A high SNP with proportions of polymorphic markers ranging from 0.925 to 0.995 was exhibited by the Chinese indigenous pigs in the Taihu Lake region. The allelic richness and expected heterozygosity also were calculated and indicated that the genetic diversity of the Meishan breed was the greatest, whereas that of the Fengjing breed was the lowest. The genetic differentiation, as indicated by the fixation index, exhibited an overall mean of 0.149. Both neighbor‐joining tree and principal components analysis were able to distinguish the breeds from each other, but structure analysis indicated that the Mi and Erhualian breeds exhibited similar major signals of admixture. With this genome‐wide comprehensive survey of the genetic diversity and population structure of the indigenous Chinese pigs in the Taihu Lake region, we confirmed the rationality of the current breed classification of the pigs in this region.
Random trees in random graphs

We show that a random labeled n-vertex graph almost surely contains isomorphic copies of almost all labeled n-vertex trees, in two senses. In the first sense, the probability of each edge occurring in the graph diminishes as n increases, and the set of trees referred to as "almost all" depends on the random graph. In the other sense, the probability of an edge occurring is fixed, and the relevant set of trees is predetermined. The same method applies to show that almost all labeled n-tournaments contain isomorphic copies of almost all labeled oriented n-trees.
Search for muon neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Bursts with the IceCube neutrinotelescope

We present the results of searches for high-energy muon neutrinos from 41 gamma- ray bursts (GRBs) in the northern sky with the IceCube detector in its 22-string con- figuration active in 2007/2008. The searches cover both the prompt and a possible precursor emission as well as a model-independent, wide time window of -1 h to +3 h around each GRB. In contrast to previous searches with a large GRB population, we do not utilize a standard Waxman? Bahcall GRB flux for the prompt emission but calcu- late individual neutrino spectra for all 41 GRBs from the burst parameters measured by satellites. For all three time windows the best estimate for the number of signal events is zero. Therefore, we place 90percent CL upper limits on the fluence from the prompt phase of 3.7 x 10-3 erg cm-2 (72TeV - 6.5 PeV) and on the fluence from the precursor phase of 2.3 x 10-3 erg cm-2 (2.2TeV - 55TeV), where the quoted energy ranges contain 90percent of the expected signal events in the detector. The 90percent CL upper limit for the wide time window is 2.7 x 10-3 erg cm-2 (3TeV - 2.8 PeV) assuming an E-2 flux.
Individual‐Level Foci of Identification at Work: A Systematic Review of the Literature

This paper presents a systematic literature review of individual-level targets (or foci) of identification, that is, the bases by which one derives a sense of self as a unique being in the context of work. We reviewed 253 articles from over 30 top management journals between 2005 and 2016. In examining foci types, definitions, underpinning theoretical and philosophical assumptions, we catalogue nine categories of individual-level identification foci (manager, leader, follower, team, organization, occupation-specific, professional, career and work), finding a dominance of functionalist meta-theoretical orientations (comprising over half the sample, with interpretivist approaches comprising about a third of studies). Further, we enhance construct clarity in the field; we identify conceptual challenges with extant definitions of key foci, and offer integrative definitions by specifying scope conditions for each identity focus and semantic relationships between various identity foci. We contextualize our discussion of construct clarity to different research orientations in the field and offer possibilities for theoretical developments therein. Third, we offer an integrative framework for positioning work in the field by scope of interest (identity content or context) and identity construction assumptions (stable or evolving), suggesting directions for future research.
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy on a flat graphene surface

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an attractive analytical technique, which enables single-molecule sensitive detection and provides its special chemical fingerprints. During the past decades, researchers have made great efforts towards an ideal SERS substrate, mainly including pioneering works on the preparation of uniform metal nanostructure arrays by various nanoassembly and nanotailoring methods, which give better uniformity and reproducibility. Recently, nanoparticles coated with an inert shell were used to make the enhanced Raman signals cleaner. By depositing SERS-active metal nanoislands on an atomically flat graphene layer, here we designed a new kind of SERS substrate referred to as a graphene-mediated SERS (G-SERS) substrate. In the graphene/metal combined structure, the electromagnetic “hot” spots (which is the origin of a huge SERS enhancement) created by the gapped metal nanoislands through the localized surface plasmon resonance effect are supposed to pass through the monolayer graphene, resulting in an atomically flat hot surface for Raman enhancement. Signals from a G-SERS substrate were also demonstrated to have interesting advantages over normal SERS, in terms of cleaner vibrational information free from various metal-molecule interactions and being more stable against photo-induced damage, but with a comparable enhancement factor. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a freestanding, transparent and flexible “G-SERS tape” (consisting of a polymer-layer-supported monolayer graphene with sandwiched metal nanoislands) to enable direct, real time and reliable detection of trace amounts of analytes in various systems, which imparts high efficiency and universality of analyses with G-SERS substrates.
Social Preferences and Price Cap Regulation

This paper analyzes the allocative properties of price cap regulation under very general hypotheses on the nature of society's preferences. We propose a generalized price cap that ensures the convergence to optimal (second best) prices in the long-run equilibrium for virtually any form of the welfare function. Hence, the result of the convergence to Ramsey prices of Laspeyres-type price cap regulation is a particular instance of our more general result. We also provide an explicit and relatively easy to calculate and implement generalized price cap formula for distributionally weighted utilitarian welfare functions, as suggested by Feldstein (1972). Copyright 2002 by Blackwell Publishing Inc.
The relationship between the optical Hα filaments and the X‐ray emission in the core of the Perseus cluster

NGC 1275 in the centre of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, Abell 426, is surrounded by a spectacular filamentary Hα nebula. Deep Chandra X-ray imaging has revealed that the brighter outer filaments are also detected in soft X-rays. This can be due to conduction and mixing of the cold gas in the filaments with the hot, dense intracluster medium. We show the correspondence of the filaments in both wavebands and draw attention to the relationship of two prominent curved north-west filaments to an outer, buoyant radio bubble seen as a hole in the X-ray image. There is a strong resemblance in the shape of the hole and the disposition of the filaments to the behaviour of a large air bubble rising in water. If this is a correct analogy, then the flow is laminar and the intracluster gas around this radio source is not turbulent. We obtain a limit on the viscosity of this gas.
COLOR DISTRIBUTIONS, NUMBER, AND MASS DENSITIES OF MASSIVE GALAXIES AT 1.5 < z < 3: COMPARING OBSERVATIONS WITH MERGER SIMULATIONS

We present a comparison between the observed color distribution, number, and mass density of massive galaxies at 1.5 < z < 3 and a model by Hopkins et al. that relates the quasar and galaxy population on the basis of gas-rich mergers. In order to test the hypothesis that quiescent red galaxies are formed after a gas-rich merger involving quasar activity, we confront photometry of massive (M>4 × 1010 M☉) galaxies extracted from the FIRES, GOODS-South, and MUSYC surveys, together spanning an area of 496 arcmin2, with synthetic photometry from hydrodynamical merger simulations. As in the Hopkins et al. model, we use the observed quasar luminosity function to estimate the merger rate. We find that the synthetic U − V and V − J colors of galaxies that had a quasar phase in their past match the colors of observed galaxies that are best characterized by a quiescent stellar population. At z ∼ 2.6, the observed number and mass density of quiescent red galaxies with M>4 × 1010 M☉ is consistent with the model in which every quiescent massive galaxy underwent a quasar phase in the past. At z ∼ 1.9, 2.8 times less quiescent galaxies are observed than predicted by the model as descendants of higher redshift quasars. The merger model also predicts a large number and mass density of galaxies undergoing star formation driven by the merger. We find that the predicted number and mass density accounts for 30%–50% of the observed massive star-forming galaxies. However, their colors do not match those of observed star-forming galaxies. In particular, the colors of dusty red galaxies (accounting for 30%–40% of the massive galaxy population) are not reproduced by the simulations. Several possible origins of this discrepancy are discussed. The observational constraints on the validity of the model are currently limited by cosmic variance and uncertainties in stellar population synthesis and radiative transfer.
The Correlates of Work in a Post-Afdc World: The Results from a Longitudinal State-Level Analysis

Much of the research that has followed welfare reform and new policies such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has focused on identifying the variations in how different states have put the new policy into practice. Less is known however, about how this new policy affects the ability of recipients to earn a living through work. We use panel data from the state of Illinois and examine what explains labor force participation and performance among current and recent TANF recipients. We use both cross-sectional and longitudinal methods to analyze our data. Our results indicate that human capital factors such as education, job skills, and health are important determinants of labor market participation and performance. In addition, we find that long term welfare recipients are equally likely to participate and perform well in the labor market as shorter term welfare recipients. Finally, government housing subsidy appeared to have a positive effect on labor force participation and performance.
Teacher supervision and evaluation challenges: Canadian perspectives on overall instructional leadership

Abstract This inquiry focuses on the overall instructional leadership approaches used by exemplary principals in three high performing Canadian provinces to overcome three persistent obstacles to effective teacher supervision and evaluation: (a) the management challenge, (b) the complexity challenge, and (c) the learning challenge. Analysis of data collected from interviews, focus groups, observations, field notes, documents, artifacts, and reflective research journals yielded the following four assertions: (a) Shared, distributed, and collective approaches to overall instructional leadership deepen and widen impact. (b) Effective supervision and evaluation are part of a career-long continuum of practice that fosters teacher growth while ensuring quality teaching. (c) There are multiple learning pathways to effective overall instructional leadership. (d) Policy contexts that place teacher supervision and evaluation practice within a broader conception of overall instructional leadership are beneficial.
Picking favorites: The influence of robot eye-gaze on interactions with multiple users

We evaluated the effects of robot gaze behavior on interactions with multiple users in a museum-like setting. We posit that a robot needs to divide its attention between multiple users and may be able to use its gaze to `point' at objects of interest. A 2 (person-oriented [only looking at participants] vs. object-oriented [also looking at artworks] gaze) × 2 (`favored' [looked at more] vs. `not favored' [looked at less] by the robot) mixed factorial design (N=57) study was carried out in a museum-like lab setting where a robot talked about two artworks to groups of three participants. Results indicate that `favored' participants did indeed pay more attention to the robot and the artworks. However, surprisingly they paid more attention when the robot did not look over to the object of interest compared to when it did give this gaze cue. The findings suggest that using an object-oriented gaze as a cue for people to look at an object may not carry across readily from person-to-person to human-robot communication. People had trouble interpreting the cue and were possibly distracted by the robot's movement.