Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of meningioma among users of high doses of cyproterone acetate as compared with the general population: evidence from a population-based cohort study.

AIM Information from the spontaneous reporting system raised the hypothesis of an increased risk of meningioma in patients treated with high doses of cyproterone acetate (CPA). The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis of an increased risk of meningioma among users of high dose CPA as compared with non-users in a medical records computerized database. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was performed in a Spanish primary care database (BIFAP). Meningioma incidence rates were compared in patients exposed to high dose CPA (users) with those non-exposed and with those exposed to low dose CPA. Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate the incidence rate ratios after adjusting for age and gender. RESULTS Among 2474 users of high dose cyproterone (6663 person-years) four meningioma cases were identified, resulting in an incidence rate (IR) of 60.0 (95% CI 16.4, 153.7) per 100,000 person-years, which was significantly higher than that observed among the non-users (IR 6.6; 95% CI 6.0, 7.3) and among women users of low dose cyproterone (IR 0.0, 95% CI upper limit 5.5). After adjusting for age and gender, patients exposed to high dose CPA showed an increased risk of meningioma of 11.4 (95% CI 4.3, 30.8) as compared with non-users. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study support the hypothesis that the exposure to high dose CPA increases the risk of meningioma.
Exposure to Inhalable, Respirable, and Ultrafine Particles in Welding Fume

This investigation aims to explore determinants of exposure to particle size-specific welding fume. Area sampling of ultrafine particles (UFP) was performed at 33 worksites in parallel with the collection of respirable particles. Personal sampling of respirable and inhalable particles was carried out in the breathing zone of 241 welders. Median mass concentrations were 2.48 mg m−3 for inhalable and 1.29 mg m−3 for respirable particles when excluding 26 users of powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs). Mass concentrations were highest when flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) with gas was applied (median of inhalable particles: 11.6 mg m−3). Measurements of particles were frequently below the limit of detection (LOD), especially inside PAPRs or during tungsten inert gas welding (TIG). However, TIG generated a high number of small particles, including UFP. We imputed measurements <LOD from the regression equation with manganese to estimate determinants of the exposure to welding fume. Concentrations were mainly predicted by the welding process and were significantly higher when local exhaust ventilation (LEV) was inefficient or when welding was performed in confined spaces. Substitution of high-emission techniques like FCAW, efficient LEV, and using PAPRs where applicable can reduce exposure to welding fume. However, harmonizing the different exposure metrics for UFP (as particle counts) and for the respirable or inhalable fraction of the welding fume (expressed as their mass) remains challenging.
Is a standalone inertial measurement unit accurate and precise enough for quantification of movement symmetry in the horse?

Standalone ‘low-cost’ inertial measurement units (IMUs) could facilitate large-scale studies into establishing minimal important differences (MID) for orthopaedic deficits (lameness) in horses. We investigated accuracy and limits of agreement (LoA) after correction of magnitude-dependent differences of a standalone 6 degree-of-freedom IMU compared with an established IMU-based gait analysis system (MTx) in six horses for two anatomical landmarks (sacrum and sternum). Established symmetry measures were calculated from vertical displacement: symmetry index (SI), difference between minima (MinDiff) and difference between maxima (MaxDiff). For the sacrum, LoA were ± 0.095 for SI, ± 6.6 mm for MinDiff and ± 4.3 mm for MaxDiff. For the sternum, LoA values were ± 0.088 for SI, ± 5.0 mm for MinDiff and ± 4.2 mm for MaxDiff. Compared with reference data from mildly lame horses, SI values indicate sufficient precision, whereas MinDiff and MaxDiff values are less favourable. Future studies should investigate specific calibration and processing algorithms further improving standalone IMU performance.
An evaluation of neurocognitive models of theory of mind

We review nine current neurocognitive theories of how theory of mind (ToM) is implemented in the brain and evaluate them based on the results from a recent meta-analysis by Schurz et al. (2014), where we identified six types of tasks that are the most frequently used in imaging research on ToM. From theories about cognitive processes being associated with certain brain areas, we deduce predictions about which areas should be engaged by the different types of ToM tasks. We then compare these predictions with the observed activations in the meta-analysis, and identify a number of unexplained findings in current theories. These can be used to revise and improve future neurocognitive accounts of ToM.
The effect of case management on childhood pneumonia mortality in developing countries

Abstract Background With the aim of populating the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) with parameters of effectiveness of existing interventions, we conducted a systematic review of the literature assessing the effect of pneumonia case management on mortality from childhood pneumonia. Methods This review covered the following interventions: community case management with antibiotic treatment, and hospital treatment with antibiotics, oxygen, zinc and vitamin A. Pneumonia mortality outcomes were sought where available but data were also recorded on secondary outcomes. We summarized results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs, quasi-experimental studies and observational studies across outcome measures using standard meta-analysis methods and used a set of standardized rules developed for the purpose of populating the LiST with required parameters, which dealt with the issues of comparability of the studies in a uniform way across a spectrum of childhood conditions. Results We estimate that community case management of pneumonia could result in a 70% reduction in mortality from pneumonia in 0–5-year-old children. In contrast treatment of pneumonia episodes with zinc and vitamin A is ineffective in reducing pneumonia mortality. There is insufficient evidence to make a quantitative estimate of the effect of hospital case management on pneumonia mortality based on the published data. Conclusion The available evidence reinforces the effectiveness of community and hospital case management with World Health Organization-recommended antibiotics and the lack of effect of zinc and vitamin A supportive treatment for children with pneumonia. Evidence from one trial demonstrates the effectiveness of oxygen therapy but further research is required to give higher quality evidence so that an effect estimate can be incorporated into the LiST model. We identified no trials that separately evaluated the effectiveness of other supportive care interventions. The summary estimates of effect on pneumonia mortality will inform the LiST model.
A Flexible Future in Europe?: Changing Patterns of Employment in the United Kingdom

It is widely recognised that the 1980s have seen significant changes in patterns of employment in the UK, including major shifts in the industrial and occupational structure, and important developments in the labour market and the conditions and social relations of employment. What might prove more contentious is establishing which changes are the really significant ones and why they have occurred. Should attention be focused on the massive increase in unemployment in the first half of the decade, or on the 'de-regulation' of the labour market and the growth of flexibility (Department of Employment 1985: 18-21)? Have we been living in a period when relatively long term secular trends, such as the decline of employment in manufacturing, have culminated in a 'post-industrial society', or has it been the specific acts and/or failures to act by government which have been the most important influence? Will the l990s see a continuation of the trends of recent years, or will the 1 980s come to be seen as a temporary interruption to developments which characterised earlier decades? The aim of this paper is to consider the available evidence relating to changing patterns and-conditions of employment so as to to try to disentangle some of the longer term underlying trends from the more contingent and historically specific; and to show to what extent each has played its part in creating the labour force with which we enter the l990s, with its particular occupational and industrial structure. The discussion will be divided into two main parts: firstly, an account of the changing size and composition of the economically active population of the UK, the distribution of those in employment by sector, industry and occupation, the level of unemployment and the characteristics of the unemployed. This will be primarily descriptive, though so far as possible it will identify the most important influences on the changes which have taken place. Secondly, we shall consider the somewhat more contentious issues regarding the changing nature of employment relations the nature of the labour market, the conditions of
Understanding the Role of Transmission Power in Component-Based Architectures for Adaptive WSN

Component-based architectures can play an important role in solving some of the problems related to energy management in Wireless Sensor Networks. It has been recently shown that real-time interfaces, and their associated mechanisms for online adaptation, are useful for solving the problem of dynamically allocating bandwidth in a WSN, while still satisfying both quality and energy constraints. In this paper we will discuss the relevance of extending this model with a new parameter, the transmission power of the nodes. Based on experimental data, it will be shown that this parameter has a strong impact on both the energy consumed by the nodes and the quality/reliability of the communication. The integration of this feature with the notion real-time interface, although not completely solved, will be discussed as well.
Comparison of Subjective Heterophoria Testing With a Phoropter and Trial Frame

Purpose. Subjective measurement of the oculomotor deviation at both distance and near is a standard test in optometric practice. A number of procedures are available to the practitioner, and previous studies have demonstrated differences in the repeatability of many of the techniques. However, it is unclear whether testing the subject through a phoropter or in free space (trial frame) will alter the oculomotor deviation. Methods. Distance and near heterophoria was measured in 60 visually normal subjects between 20 and 34 years of age using the Von Graefe (VG), Maddox Rod (MR), and Modified Thorington (MT) procedures. The deviation was assessed for viewing distances of 6 m and 0.40 m using both a phoropter and trial frame. To examine the repeatability of each technique, the deviation was measured on two separate occasions for each procedure, with the two sessions being separated by at least 24 hours. Results. The mean vertical deviations at both distance and near were extremely close to orthophoria, and only minimal variation was observed. However, the MR procedure, when used with a trial frame, gave the best repeatability for measuring vertical deviations both at distance and near. Regarding horizontal deviations, the repeatability was better for all three procedures when using a trial frame compared with the phoropter. The best repeatability at distance and near was observed when the MT and MR techniques, respectively, were used with the trial frame. Consistent with previous reports, the VG procedure had poor repeatability, especially when used with the phoropter, and the mean findings showed a greater exo deviation when compared with the other two techniques. Conclusions. Testing oculomotor deviations in free space provides a more repeatable response than when using a phoropter. Accordingly, we recommend that subjective measurements of heterophoria in the clinical setting can best be quantified using either the MR or MT techniques in free space.
Structure of HIV-2 reverse transcriptase at 2.35-Å resolution and the mechanism of resistance to non-nucleoside inhibitors

The HIV-2 serotype of HIV is a cause of disease in parts of the West African population, and there is evidence for its spread to Europe and Asia. HIV-2 reverse transcriptase (RT) demonstrates an intrinsic resistance to non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs), one of two classes of anti-AIDS drugs that target the viral RT. We report the crystal structure of HIV-2 RT to 2.35 Å resolution, which reveals molecular details of the resistance to NNRTIs. HIV-2 RT has a similar overall fold to HIV-1 RT but has structural differences within the “NNRTI pocket” at both conserved and nonconserved residues. The structure points to the role of sequence differences that can give rise to unfavorable inhibitor contacts or destabilization of part of the binding pocket at positions 101, 106, 138, 181, 188, and 190. We also present evidence that the conformation of Ile-181 compared with the HIV-1 Tyr-181 could be a significant contributory factor to this inherent drug resistance of HIV-2 to NNRTIs. The availability of a refined structure of HIV-2 RT will provide a stimulus for the structure-based design of novel non-nucleoside inhibitors that could be used against HIV-2 infection.
Nucleation of strange matter in dense stellar cores.

We investigate the nucleation of strange quark matter inside hot, dense nuclear matter. Applying Zel'dovich's kinetic theory of nucleation we find a lower limit of the temperature {ital T} for strange-matter bubbles to appear, which happens to be satisfied inside the Kelvin-Helmholtz cooling era of a compact star life but not much after it. Our bounds thus suggest that a prompt conversion could be achieved, giving support to earlier expectations for nonstandard type-II supernova scenarios.
Sex determination by the interarticular distance of metacarpals and phalanges: a digital radiologic study in contemporary Turkish people

Objectives: The ability to determine sex from isolated bones and bone fragments is a necessity in medicolegal investigations. While the pelvis and cranium are the most useful bones for these determinations, they are not always available. The purpose of the present work is to obtain a discriminant equation for the metacarpals and phalanges in a live Turkish population. Methods: Interarticular distances of the metacarpals and phalanges of the left hands of 22 males and 43 females were measured on digital roentgenograms. Means, standard deviations and minimum and maximum values were found. Results: A multivariate logistic regression model was formed to estimate sex, with 72.7% of the males, 90.7% of the females and 84.6% of the pooled individuals being correctly classified when the cut value was 0.5. Conclusion: We consider that the length of metacarpals and phalanges are potential bones that can be used for sex deter- mination in forensic science. Radiologic measurements are an optimal alternative to population studies where the number of well-protected cadavers is limited or unavailable.
Lyophilized plasma for resuscitation in a swine model of severe injury.

HYPOTHESIS Lyophilized plasma (LP) is as safe and effective as fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for resuscitation after severe trauma. DESIGN Multicenter animal study. SETTING Animal laboratories, 2 level I trauma centers. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-two Yorkshire crossbred swine. INTERVENTIONS Lyophilized plasma was analyzed for factor levels and clotting activity before lyophilization and after reconstitution. Swine were subjected to complex multiple trauma including extremity fracture, hemorrhage, severe liver injury, acidosis, and hypothermia. They were then resuscitated with FFP, LP, FFP and packed red blood cells (PRBCs) in a ratio of 1:1, or 1:1 LP and PRBCs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Residual clotting activity of LP after reconstitution, swine mortality, hemodynamic measures, total blood loss, coagulation profiles, and inflammatory measures. RESULTS Lyophilization decreased clotting factor activity by an average of 14%. Survival and heart rate were similar between all groups. Swine resuscitated with LP had equivalent or higher mean arterial pressures. Swine treated with LP had similar coagulation profiles, plasma lactate levels, and postinjury blood loss compared with those treated with FFP. Swine treated with 1:1 FFP-PRBCs were similar to those treated with 1:1 LP-PRBCs. Resuscitation with LP resulted in a reduction in postresuscitation interleukin 6 expression compared with resuscitation with FFP. CONCLUSIONS The process of lyophilization and reconstitution of plasma reduces coagulation factor activity by 14%, without acute differences in blood loss. Lyophilized plasma can be used for resuscitation in a severe multiple trauma and hemorrhagic shock swine model with efficacy equal to that of FFP and with decreased interleukin 6 production.
Biomolecule-Mediated Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles using Dried Vitis vinifera (Raisin) Extract

Biomolecule-mediated nanoparticle synthesis has recently the gained attention of researchers due to its ecofriendly and non-toxic nature. Metabolites from plant extracts represent a better alternative to chemical methods to fulfill the growing demand for non-hazardous nanoparticle synthesis routes. Selenium and its nanoparticles have an extensive range of applications. Thus, biofabrication of selenium nanoparticles can be potentially useful in various fields. This study reports a green approach to biosynthesize selenium nanoparticles (Se-np) using dried Vitis vinifera (raisin) extracts. The biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscope (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Transmission electron microscopic images revealed the spherical shape of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles and a size range of 3–18 nm. Dynamic light scattering also confirmed the average particle size of 8.12 ± 2.5 nm with 0.212 PDI. The crystalline nature of selenium nanoparticles was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction study. Moreover, as inferred from the FTIR spectrum, the presence of highly stable lignin biopolymer on the surface of selenium nanoballs suggests a possible role as capping agent.
Obesity and the clinical use of serum GGT activity as a marker of heavy drinking

Objective. Gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) is a widely used clinical marker of alcohol abuse. However, although obesity may also elevate serum GGT activities, the effects of overweight on the interpretation of GGT testing have remained poorly defined. Material and methods. GGT activities from 1147 moderate drinkers and 449 abstainers who were classified according to body mass index (BMI) were compared with those of 208 heavy drinkers admitted for detoxification. Results. GGT upper normal limits, defined based on normal weight abstainers (men 53 U/L; women 45 U/L) were lower than those based on moderate drinkers (men 68 U/L; women 50 U/L). The relative increases in GGT activities in male moderate drinkers with overweight (54%) or obesity (125%) exceeded the corresponding changes found in women (25% and 75%, respectively). The BMI‐dependent variation on the sensitivity of GGT for correctly classifying heavy drinkers ranged from 29% to 67%. The rates of false‐positive values in the subgroups from low to high BMI varied from 0% to 27%, respectively. Conclusions. The data indicate that the diagnostic value of serum GGT testing could be improved by using reference data derived from databases of abstainers with normal weight or BMI‐based categorization of reference ranges.
Coloring Away Communication in Parallel Query Optimization

RAJEEV MOTWANI* Department of Computer Science Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305 rajeev@cs.stanford. edu trees that minimize the computation and communication costs of parallel execution. We address the problem of finding parallel plans for SQL queries using the two-phase approach of join ordering and query rewrite (JOQR) followed by parallelization. We focus on the JOQR phase and develop optimization algorithms that account for communication as well as computation costs. Using a model based on representing the partitioning of data as a color, we devise an efficient algorithm for the problem of choosing the partitioning attributes in a query tree so as to minimize total cost. We extend our model and algorithm to incorporate the interaction of data partitioning with conventional optimization choices such as access methods and strategies for computing operators. Our algorithms apply to queries that include operators such as grouping, aggregation, intersection and set difference in addition to joins.
A Robust Bayesian Truth Serum for Small Populations

Peer prediction mechanisms allow the truthful elicitation of private signals (e.g., experiences, or opinions) in regard to a true world state when this ground truth is unobservable. The original peer prediction method is incentive compatible for any number of agents n >= 2, but relies on a common prior, shared by all agents and the mechanism. The Bayesian Truth Serum (BTS) relaxes this assumption. While BTS still assumes that agents share a common prior, this prior need not be known to the mechanism. However, BTS is only incentive compatible for a large enough number of agents, and the particular number of agents required is uncertain because it depends on this private prior. In this paper, we present a robust BTS for the elicitation of binary information which is incentive compatible for every n >= 3, taking advantage of a particularity of the quadratic scoring rule. The robust BTS is the first peer prediction mechanism to provide strict incentive compatibility for every n >= 3 without relying on knowledge of the common prior. Moreover, and in contrast to the original BTS, our mechanism is numerically robust and ex post individually rational.