Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: occupational and environmental factors.

The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been increasing steadily for the last 30 years, and attention is being focused on the possible causes of this increase. Possible explanations have included the exposure to viruses, radiation, nutrition, and pesticides, and these issues are addressed by other presentations in this workshop. The interest in a possible role of pesticides stems from the observation that farmers have an increased risk of NHL. However, farmers may also be exposed to oncogenic viruses carried by farm animals, and studies of abattoir workers and meat inspectors have found increased risks of NHL; although these findings are unlikely to be directly relevant to the general population, they do complement other suggestions that exposure to oncogenic viruses may be a factor in the general increase in NHL. Farmers may also be exposed to chronic antigenic stimulation which may increase the risk of NHL. This latter observation is consistent with the observation that NHL is associated with several autoimmune diseases which involve chronic antigenic stimulation. NHL has also been associated with a number of occupational exposures but these are generally rare and the findings are inconsistent, although a number of studies have found an increased risk of NHL in work involving exposure to wood, solvents, or related chemicals. Perhaps the strongest evidence of an association with an environmental exposure comes from two studies showing that use of hair dyes increases the risk of NHL. This exposure is relatively common in women, and hair dye use may account for approximately 20% of all NHL cases in women. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Low Serum sICAM-1 Level May Assist in the Exclusion of Neonatal Infection

Serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in 46 samples from 46 infants undergoing intensive care were studied. Residual serum remaining after routine electrolyte analysis was utilised. sICAM-1 levels were determined by ELISA. Blind retrospective chart review was employed to determine whether infants were infected. Serum levels were significantly elevated in infants with proven and probable infection, compared with non-infected infants (p < 0.001). sICAM-1 levels in serum were comparable to levels previously established in plasma samples. The results suggest that serum sICAM-1 measurement is a simple and robust test that differentiates infected from non-infected infants and that a low level of serum sICAM-1 may particularly assist in the exclusion of infection.
Discrete time queues with phase dependent arrivals

The queuing behavior of many communication systems is well modeled by a queuing system in which time is slotted and in which the number of entities arriving during a slot is dependent upon the state of a discrete-time, discrete-state Markov chain. The probability generating function is presented for joint and marginal buffer occupancy distributions of statistical time-division multiplexing systems in this class. A simple technique is discussed for obtaining moments of the queue length distribution. In addition, a discussion is presented of inversion of the probability generating function. Numerical results, including queue length distributions for some special cases, are presented. <<ETX>>
Towards an Understanding of User Acceptance to Use Biometrics Authentication Systems in E-commerce: Using an Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model

Security is an increasingly important issue for business, and with it, the need for authentication. The use of biometric systems for personal authentication is a response to the rising issue of authentication and security. As with any new technology, user acceptance is often hard to measure, thus, in this work, a study of user acceptance of a biometrics authentication system in e-commerce, such as online banking within the Saudi society, was conducted. The study examined whether Saudis are practically willing to accept this technology by involving 306 participants in a large scale laboratory experiment that actively tested a biometric authentication system in combination of a survey. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was adopted as the theoretical basis to develop the research framework in which the model has proven its efficiency as a good predictor for the studyâ€™s application.
4D Biofabrication of fibrous artificial nerve graft for neuron regeneration

In this paper, we describe the application of the 4D biofabrication approach for the fabrication of artificial nerve graft. Bilayer scaffolds consisting of uniaxially aligned polycaprolactone-poly(glycerol sebacate) (PCL-PGS) and randomly aligned methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HA-MA) fibers were fabricated using electrospinning and further used for the culture of PC-12 neuron cells. Tubular structures form instantly after immersion of fibrous bilayer in an aqueous buffer and the diameter of obtained tubes can be controlled by changing bilayer parameters such as the thickness of each layer, overall bilayer thickness, and medium counterion concentration. Designed scaffolds showed a self-folded scroll-like structure with high stability after four weeks of real-time degradation. The significance of this research is in the fabrication of tuneable tubular nerve guide conduits that can simplify the current existing clinical treatment of neural injuries.
An Evaluation of Biodegradable Synthetic Polyurethane Foam in Patients following Septoplasty

Objective The purpose of this study is to examine the usability of biodegradable synthetic polyurethane foam (BSPF) after septoplasty by comparing it with Merocel and silicone intranasal splints as packing materials in terms of patient comfort and efficiency. Study Design A prospective, unmasked, randomized trial. Setting A tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods This study was designed to be a prospective, randomized clinical trial. Sixty-eight patients who underwent septoplasty were included in this study. The patients were randomized to receive Merocel, silicone intranasal septal splint (INS), or BSPF after septoplasty. Clinical efficacy on bleeding, pain, and subjective symptoms related to packing materials was evaluated. Results There was a statistically significant difference between the Merocel group and the other 2 groups in terms of bleeding and adhesion. The average score on the pain scale was 2.47 ± 1.01 for BSPF, 3.68 ± 1.27 for INS, and 6 ± 2.21 for Merocel. Scores on general satisfaction scales were 6.95 ± 1.42 for Merocel, 8.44 ± 2.12 for INS, and 8.28 ± 1.88 for BSPF. Conclusion The efficacy of BSPF was comparable with that of Merocel and INS. Biodegradable synthetic polyurethane foam significantly reduced pain and patient discomfort during packing and removal, followed by INS, compared with Merocel.
Do Gender-Based Disparities in Authorship and Editorship Exist in Healthcare Simulation Journals? A Bibliometric Review of the Research.

STATEMENT Publication in peer-reviewed journals, and serving on editorial boards, is considered an indicator of academic productivity and success, and a means of influencing discourse and practice in a field. This bibliometric review explored gender in authorship, and editorship, across the 3 existing English language, nonspecialty specific healthcare simulation journals. In total, 40.4% of publications had women first authors and 34.4% had women senior authors. There were no differences by journal and no apparent changes over time. Poor participation of women on editorial boards (38.1% of editorial board members were women) was observed. The observed level of representation of women as first and senior authors, and on editorial boards, is comparable with other health sciences domains but nonetheless warrants attention and improvement. Future research examining the profile of those working within simulation or evaluating strategies to improve the participation of women within healthcare simulation research and journals would be of interest.
A New Optical-Based Device for Online Black Powder Detection in Gas Pipelines

In this paper, an optical-based device for online black powder detection in gas pipelines is proposed. The device uses different optical wavelengths within the infrared (IR) range and applies chemometric algorithms to quantify the actual amount of black powder. Hence, three methods based on near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR), and Raman spectroscopy are used to acquire various spectra. The principal component regression (PCR) and the partial least square regression (PLSR) algorithms are then applied to assess the capability of each of the three methods when black powder is subject to different environmental conditions that may occur in real-life fields. The experimental results indicated that the mean squared error of prediction for the PLSR is 0.0008731, 0.0001983, and 5.04e-5 for NIR, MIR, and Raman, respectively, while for the PCR it is 0.0009065, 0.0002068, and 5.099e-5. Also, the coefficient of determination (R2) for the PLSR was 0.9744, 0.9753, and 0.998199 for NIR, MIR, and Raman, respectively, while for the PCR it was 0.9743, 0.9744, and 0.998165. In addition, both PCR and PLSR completed the analysis very fast (in tens or hundreds of microseconds), however, PLSR accomplished the prediction analysis faster than PCR which serves as an advantage for online monitoring especially when multiprobes are used for the monitoring. Hence, while both PLSR and PCR perform equally well, the PLSR is even more robust since it can compensate for systematic and human errors more than PCR. The predictions from all three techniques (NIR, MIR, and Raman spectroscopy) were similarly good and no specific technique was superior to the others.
Cognitive impairment in euthymic bipolar patients: implications for clinical and functional outcome.

OBJECTIVE Cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder may be a stable characteristic of the illness, although discrepancies have emerged with regard to what dysfunctions remain during remission periods. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether euthymic bipolar patients would show impairment in verbal learning and memory and in executive functions compared with healthy controls. Secondly, to establish if there was a relationship between clinical data and neuropsychological performance. METHODS Forty euthymic bipolar patients were compared with 30 healthy controls through a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing estimated premorbid IQ, attention, verbal learning and memory, and frontal executive functioning. The effect of subsyndromal symptomatology was controlled. RESULTS Remitted bipolar patients performed worse than controls in several measures of memory and executive function, after controlling for the effect of subclinical symptomatology, age and premorbid IQ. Verbal memory impairment was related to global assessment of function scores, as well as to a longer duration of illness, a higher number of manic episodes, and prior psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence of neuropsychological impairment in euthymic bipolar patients, after controlling for the effect of subsyndromal depressive symptoms, suggesting verbal memory and executive dysfunctions. Cognitive impairment seems to be related to a worse clinical course and poor functional outcome.
ZONING IN THE KIRKA BORATE DEPOSIT, WESTERN TURKEY: PRIMARY EVAPORITIC FRACTIONATION OR DIAGENETIC MODIFICATIONS?

The Kirka borate deposit (Miocene), in western Turkey, the most important B2O3 producer at present in the world, exhibits a symmetrical zonation in a lateral sense; it is comprised of: a central body of Na borate (borax), an intermediate zone of Na–Ca borate (ulexite), and a marginal zone of Ca borate (colemanite). This mineral zonation is also developed in a vertical sense, although it is somewhat asymmetrical because of the presence of a discontinuous Mg borate horizon overlying the central body of borax. The genesis of such a mineral zonation in the Tertiary lacustrine borate deposits of the world has been attributed to a number of diagenetic processes. In contrast, we postulate that the Kirka sequence is merely depositional and represents an evaporitic sequence in a lake basin. The existence of a lateral gradient of salinity in the Kirka lacustrine system would have conditioned the concentric pattern of the facies. The various borax lithofacies (chemical, clastic, mixed) present in the central body reflect precipitation in a lake under evolving conditions. These conditions oscillate from a predominant subaqueous setting at variable depths (perennial lake stage), to an interstitial setting (playa-lake stage). The evaporative concentration of the boratiferous solution in the lake, together with the periodic changes in temperature of the water mass, are considered to be the main controls on the crystallization of borax. No petrographic evidence was found for an inyoite-to-colemanite transformation, as previously proposed. Furthermore, the post-depositional burial of the Kirka deposit is considered to be only moderate, and insufficient for such a generalized transformation. The Mg borates represent the ultimate evaporitic precipitates from the fractionation of the initial boratiferous solution, instead of the reaction products between pre-existing borates and groundwaters. The mineral zonation in Kirka is primary, not only for borax and ulexite, but also for both the colemanite forming the marginal zone and the Mg borates overlying the central body of borax.
Plasma cortisol concentration and disappearance rate of 4-14C-cortisol in newcomers to high altitude.

Abstract Cortisol plasma concentration, volume of distribution, metabolic clearance rate and the fractional turnover rate constants have been studied in young male sea level natives before and during exposure to 4300 m of altitude. The second day of stay at high altitude the mean plasma cortisol concentration increased from 9.9 ±0.6 to 15.5±3.1 μg/100 ml (p<0.05). The estimated metabolic clearance rate was not significantly altered: 239.5±22.7 1/24 hr for sea level control vs. 259.7 ±15.8 1/24 hr during exposure to high altitude. The cortisol is distributed between 2 compartments; the second compartment decreases during exposure to high altitude from 11.7 ±1.5 to 7.1 ±1.01 (p <0.02). This decrease may be partially explained as a consequence of contraction in the extracellular space.
The significance of ‘the visit’ in an English category-B prison: views from prisoners, prisoners’ families and prison staff

A number of claims have been made regarding the importance of prisoners staying in touch with their family through prison visits, firstly from a humanitarian perspective of enabling family members to see each other, but also regarding the impact of maintaining family ties for successful rehabilitation, reintegration into society and reduced re-offending. This growing evidence base has resulted in increased support by the Prison Service for encouraging the family unit to remain intact during a prisoner’s incarceration. Despite its importance however, there has been a distinct lack of research examining the dynamics of families visiting relatives in prison. This paper explores perceptions of the same event – the visit – from the families’, prisoners’ and prison staffs' viewpoints in a category-B local prison in England. Qualitative data was collected with 30 prisoners’ families, 16 prisoners and 14 prison staff, as part of a broader evaluation of the visitors’ centre. The findings suggest that the three parties frame their perspective of visiting very differently. Prisoners’ families often see visits as an emotional minefield fraught with practical difficulties. Prisoners can view the visit as the highlight of their time in prison and often have many complaints about how visits are handled. Finally, prison staff see visits as potential security breaches and a major organisational operation. The paper addresses the current gap in our understanding of the prison visit and has implications for the Prison Service and wider social policy.
Overcontrolled Hostility, Empathy, and Egocentric Balance in Violent and Nonviolent Psychiatric Offenders

Psychiatric offenders, divided into five groups on the basis of their criminal charges (murder, assault with a deadly weapon, rape, pedophilia, nonviolent property offenses), were administered the overcontrolled hostility scale, a measure of emotional empathy as well as a self-focus sentence-completion test. Data were also obtained regarding aggressive behavior of the 115 subjects during the course of hospitalization. Contrary to predictions, none of the paper-and-pencil measures discriminated significantly between offender groups and the canonical correlation between criminal charges and scores on the personality measures was only of low moderate value. Implications of results regarding suitable measures and future research strategies are discussed.
Intranasal Vaccination with Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Type 5 against Human Papillomavirus Type 16 L1

ABSTRACT Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) have been developed and evaluated as recombinant vectors for gene therapy in many preclinical studies, as well as in clinical trials. However, only a few approaches have used recombinant AAV (rAAV) to deliver vaccine antigens. We generated an rAAV encoding the major capsid protein L1 (L1h) from the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), aiming to develop a prophylactic vaccine against HPV16 infections, which are the major cause of cervical cancer in women worldwide. A single dose of rAAV5 L1h administered intranasally was sufficient to induce high titers of L1-specific serum antibodies, as well as mucosal antibodies in vaginal washes. Seroconversion was maintained for at least 1 year. In addition, a cellular immune response was still detectable 60 weeks after immunization. Furthermore, lyophilized rAAV5 L1h successfully evoked a systemic and mucosal immune response in mice. These data clearly show the efficacy of a single-dose intranasal immunization against HPV16 based on the recombinant rAAV5L1h vector without the need of an adjuvant.
Exchange Rates and Investment Good Prices: A Cross-Industry Comparison

This paper presents estimates of the impact of exchange rate movements on the industry-level price of investment goods using a panel of OECD countries. An exchange rate depreciation (appreciation) causes a significant rise (fall) in the prices of the investment goods used by most industries, but the magnitude of this effect differs greatly across sectors. A currency depreciation causes a stronger increase in the price of investment goods used by industries that produce high-technology products and employ a larger proportion of imported capital. Hence, movements in the exchange rate may affect the level and distribution of investment across sectors.
No reference PSNR estimation for compressed pictures

Many user-end applications require an estimate of the quality of coded video or images without having access to the original, i.e. a no-reference quality metric. Furthermore, in many such applications, the compressed video bitstream is also not available. The paper describes methods for using the statistical properties of the coded video data to estimate the quantization error caused by compression without accessing either the original pictures or the bitstream. A commonly used quality metric, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is subsequently computed from the estimated quantization error. Since quantization error is the most significant loss incurred during typical coding schemes, the estimated PSNR, or any PSNR-based quality metric may be used to gauge the overall quality of the pictures.
Rapamycin Prolongs Cardiac Allograft Survival in a Mouse Model by Inducing Myeloid‐Derived Suppressor Cells

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are the main immunosuppressive drugs for organ transplant recipients. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which mTOR inhibitors induce immunosuppression is not fully understood. Myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) maintain host immunity; however, the relationship between mTOR inhibitors and MDSCs is unclear. Here, the results from a murine cardiac transplantation model revealed that rapamycin treatment (3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally on postoperative days 0, 2, 4, and 6) led to the recruitment of MDSCs and increased their expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that rapamycin induced the migration of iNOS‐expressing MDSCs into the subintimal space within the allograft vessels, resulting in a significant prolongation of graft survival compared with that in the untreated group (67 days vs. 7 days, respectively). These effects were counterbalanced by the administration of an anti‐Gr‐1, which reduced allograft survival to 21 days. Moreover, adoptive transcoronary arterial transfer of MDSCs from rapamycin‐treated recipients prolonged allograft survival; this increase was reversed by the anti‐Gr‐1 antibody. Finally, co‐administration of rapamycin and a mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor trametinib reversed rapamycin‐mediated MDSC recruitment. Thus, the mTOR and Raf/MEK/extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways appear to play an important role in MDSC expansion.
Private Haushalte als Arbeitsgeber bleiben beschäftigungspolitisch von geringer Bedeutung: "Hausmädchenprivileg" überflüssig

Auf privaten Haushalten ruhen vielfach grose Hoffnungen im Hinblick auf die Erschliesung zusatzlicher Beschaftigungsmoglichkeiten. Politische Reformvorhaben wie die Einfuhrung von Haushaltsschecks zielten sowohl auf die Stimulierung neuer Beschaftigungsmoglichkeiten als auch auf die "Legalisierung" bereits bestehender Beschaftigungsverhaltnisse. Die im Bericht veroffentlichten Daten uber den Umfang und die Entwicklung von personenbezogenen Dienstleistungen in Privathaushalten zeigen, dass beschaftigungsstimulierende Effekte bisher ausgeblieben sind. Vermutlich hat die Regelung in hohem Mase zu Mitnahmeeffekten bei gut verdienenden Haushalten gefuhrt. Deshalb ist die Abschaffung des "steuerlichen Hausmadchenprivilegs" ins Auge zu fassen. Die Schaffung groserer Transparenz uber die vermeintlich hohen Grenzsteuerbelastungen bei Mehrverdienerhaushalten, die sich fur die Lohnsteuerklassenkombination III/V entschieden haben, konnte ein erster Schritt aus der Schattenwirtschaft sein.
Incidence of herpes zoster, before and after varicella-vaccination-associated decreases in the incidence of varicella, 1992-2002.

BACKGROUND Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella and, later in the life of the host, may reactivate to cause herpes zoster (HZ). Because it is hypothesized that exposure to varicella may boost immunity to latent VZV, the vaccination-associated decrease in varicella disease has led some to suggest that the incidence of HZ might increase. We assessed the impact that varicella vaccination has on the incidence of varicella and of HZ. METHODS Codes for cases of varicella and of HZ in an HMO were determined in automated databases of inpatients and outpatients, on the basis of the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases. We calculated the incidence, during 1992-2002, of varicella and of HZ. RESULTS The incidence of HZ remained stable as the incidence of varicella decreased. Age-adjusted and -specific annual incidence rates of varicella decreased steadily, starting with 1999. The age-adjusted rates decreased from 2.63 cases/1000 person-years during 1995 to 0.92 cases/1000 person-years during 2002; among children 1-4 years old, there was a 75% decrease between 1992-1996 and 2002. Age-adjusted and -specific annual incidence rates of HZ fluctuated slightly over time; the age-adjusted rate was highest, at 4.05 cases/1000 person-years, in 1992, and was 3.71 cases/1000 person-years in 2002. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed that the vaccination-associated decrease in varicella disease did not result in an increase in the incidence of HZ. These early findings will have to be confirmed as the incidence of varicella disease continues to decrease.