Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Numeracy without a Math Test: Development of the Subjective Numeracy Scale

Background. Basic numeracy skills are necessary before patients can understand the risks of medical treatments. Previous research has used objective measures, similar to mathematics tests, to evaluate numeracy. Objectives. To design a subjective measure (i.e., self-assessment) of quantitative ability that distinguishes low- and high-numerate individuals yet is less aversive, quicker to administer, and more useable for telephone and Internet surveys than existing numeracy measures. Research Design. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Subjects. The general public (N = 703) surveyed at 2 hospitals. Measures. Forty-nine subjective numeracy questions were compared to measures of objective numeracy. Results. An 8-item measure, the Subjective Numeracy Scale (SNS), was developed through several rounds of testing. Four items measure people's beliefs about their skill in performing various mathematical operations, and 4 measure people's preferences regarding the presentation of numerical information. The SNS was significantly correlated with Lipkus and others' objective numeracy scale (correlations: 0.63—0.68) yet was completed in less time (24 s/item v. 31 s/item, P < 0.05) and was perceived as less stressful (1.62 v. 2.69, P < 0.01) and less frustrating (1.92 v. 2.88, P < 0.01). Fifty percent of participants who completed the SNS volunteered to participate in another study, whereas only 8% of those who completed the Lipkus and others scale similarly volunteered (odds ratio = 11.00, 95% confidence interval = 2.14—56.65). Conclusions. The SNS correlates well with mathematical test measures of objective numeracy but can be administered in less time and with less burden. In addition, it is much more likely to leave participants willing to participate in additional research and shows much lower rates of missing or incomplete data.
Complete Nucleotide Sequences of Plasmids pEK204, pEK499, and pEK516, Encoding CTX-M Enzymes in Three Major Escherichia coli Lineages from the United Kingdom, All Belonging to the International O25:H4-ST131 Clone

ABSTRACT We determined the complete nucleotide sequences of three plasmids that encode CTX-M extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in pulsed-field gel electrophoresis-defined United Kingdom variants (strains A, C, and D) of the internationally prevalent Escherichia coli O25:H4-ST131 clone. Plasmid pEK499 (strain A; 117,536 bp) was a fusion of type FII and FIA replicons and harbored the following 10 antibiotic resistance genes conferring resistance to eight antibiotic classes: blaCTX-M-15, blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1,aac6′-Ib-cr, mph(A), catB4, tet(A), and the integron-borne dfrA7, aadA5, and sulI genes. pEK516 (strain D; 64,471 bp) belonged to incompatibility group IncFII and carried seven antibiotic resistance genes: blaCTX-M-15, blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, aac6′-Ib-cr, catB4, and tet(A), all as in pEK499. It also carried aac3-IIa, conferring gentamicin resistance, and was highly related to pC15-1a, a plasmid encoding the CTX-M-15 enzyme in Canada. By contrast, pEK204 (strain C; 93,732 bp) belonged to incompatibility group IncI1 and carried only two resistance genes, blaCTX-M-3 and blaTEM-1. It probably arose by the transposition of Tn3 and ISEcp1-blaCTX-M-3 elements into a pCOLIb-P9-like plasmid. We conclude that (i) United Kingdom variants of the successful E. coli ST131 clone have acquired different plasmids encoding CTX-M ESBLs on separate occasions, (ii) the blaCTX-M-3 and blaCTX-M-15 genes on pEK204 and pEK499/pEK516 represent separate escape events, and (iii) IncFII plasmids harboring blaCTX-M-15 have played a crucial role in the global spread of CTX-M-15 ESBLs in E. coli.
Ecological and evolutionary genomics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the budding yeast, is the most thoroughly studied eukaryote at the cellular, molecular, and genetic levels. Yet, until recently, we knew very little about its ecology or population and evolutionary genetics. In recent years, it has been recognized that S. cerevisiae occupies numerous habitats and that populations harbour important genetic variation. There is therefore an increasing interest in understanding the evolutionary forces acting on the yeast genome. Several researchers have used the tools of functional genomics to study natural isolates of this unicellular fungus. Here, we review some of these studies, and show not only that budding yeast is a prime model system to address fundamental molecular and cellular biology questions, but also that it is becoming a powerful model species for ecological and evolutionary genomics studies as well.
HSF1 phosphorylation by ERK/GSK3 suppresses RNF126 to sustain IGF‐IIR expression for hypertension‐induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Hypertension‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis are major characteristics of early‐stage heart failure (HF). Inhibition of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK) efficaciously suppressed angiotensin II (ANG II)‐induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis by blocking insulin‐like growth factor II receptor (IGF‐IIR) signaling. However, the detailed mechanism by which ANG II induces ERK‐mediated IGF‐IIR signaling remains elusive. Here, we found that ANG II activated ERK to upregulate IGF‐IIR expression via the angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R). ERK activation subsequently phosphorylates HSF1 at serine 307, leading to a secondary phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase III (GSK3) at serine 303. Moreover, we found that ANG II mediated ERK/GSK3‐induced IGF‐IIR protein stability by downregulating the E3 ubiquitin ligase of IGF‐IIR RING finger protein CXXVI (RNF126). The expression of RNF126 decreased following ANG II‐induced HSF1S303 phosphorylation, resulting in IGF‐IIR protein stability and increased cardiomyocyte injury. Inhibition of GSK3 significantly alleviated ANG II‐induced cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that HSF1 phosphorylation stabilizes IGF‐IIR protein stability by downregulating RNF126 during cardiac hypertrophy. ANG II activates ERK/GSK3 to phosphorylate HSF1, resulting in RNF126 degradation, which stabilizes IGF‐IIR protein expression and eventually results in cardiac hypertrophy. HSF1 could be a valuable therapeutic target for cardiac diseases among hypertensive patients.
Vowels Produced by Sliding Three-tube Model with Different Lengths

The sliding three-tube (S3T) model, based on Fant’s acoustic theory and proposed in our previous studies, has a simple structure, enabling it to produce human-like vowels useful for education in acoustics and speech science. In this study, we changed the size of the S3T model and combined it with sound sources with different fundamental frequencies. We confirmed that the models could produce vowels of different speaker types. We were able to retain good vowel quality for a perceptual study when we simultaneously shortened vocaltract length and increased fundamental frequency. We also discussed the models in a new way, comparing children’s and adults’ vowels, especially for educational purposes.
Investing in the Peace: Economic Interdependence and International Conflict

Research appears to substantiate the liberal conviction that trade fosters global peace. Still, existing understanding of linkages between conflict and international economics is limited in at least two ways. First, cross-border economic relationships are far broader than just trade. Global capital markets dwarf the exchange of goods and services, and states engage in varying degrees of monetary policy coordination. Second, the manner in which economics is said to inhibit conflict behavior is implausible in light of new analytical insights about the causes of war. We discuss, and then demonstrate formally, how interdependence can influence states' recourse to military violence. The risk of disrupting economic linkages—particularly access to capital—may occasionally deter minor contests between interdependent states, but such opportunity costs will typically fail to preclude militarized disputes. Instead, interdependence offers nonmilitarized avenues for communicating resolve through costly signaling. Our quantitative results show that capital interdependence contributes to peace independent of the effects of trade, democracy, interest, and other variables.
Perception of risk and the strategic impact of existing IT on information security strategy at board level

Purpose – Information security is becoming increasingly more important as organisations are endangered by a variety of threats from both its internal and external environments. Many theorists now advocate that effective security policies should be created at senior management level. This is because executives are able to evaluate the organisation using a holistic approach as well as having the power to ensure that new systems and procedures are implemented in a timely manner. There is, however, a continuing lack of understanding regarding the strategic importance of managing information security. In addition, there is a gap in the literature on the relationship between directors and information security strategy. This paper attempts to close this gap by exploring how directors perceive their organisation's security and what factors influence their decisions on the development and implementation of information security strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on constructivist grounded .
Two decades of inequalities in smoking prevalence, initiation and cessation in a southern European region: 1986-2007.

BACKGROUND The smoking epidemic is still progressing in southern Europe. We aimed to analyse the magnitude and trend of social inequalities in smoking prevalence, initiation and cessation in the Basque Country, a southern European region, from 1986 to 2007, determining the patterns by sex and age. METHODS This was a cross-sectional time trend study on the population aged >24 years using the Basque Country Health Surveys of 1986, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007. Age-adjusted prevalence of current and ever smoking and cessation were calculated, as were relative index of inequality and population-attributable risk by occupational social class and educational level. Relative risk of starting smoking was estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Calculations were performed separately by sex and for two age groups (25-44 years and >44 years). RESULTS Men and young women in the Basque Country have evolved towards the last stage of the epidemic, with an increasing concentration of smoking in disadvantaged groups, by educational level, especially among the youngest population. In older women, smoking continues rising, especially among higher socio-economic groups, though differences between groups are diminishing. The role of initiation and cessation inequalities as determinants of smoking inequalities differed considerably by age and sex. CONCLUSION Inequalities in smoking prevalence widened from 1986 to 2007 in the Basque Country, especially among the youngest population. The changing pattern of these inequalities and the different roles of initiation and cessation dynamics need to be taken into account to improve the results of tobacco control policies and their effect on smoking inequalities.
Usefulness of whole-blood interferon-gamma assay and interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assay in the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis.

PURPOSES The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the whole-blood interferon-gamma assay (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) and interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) based on early secretory antigenic target 6 and culture filtrate protein 10 in the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in routine clinical practice. METHOD We conducted a prospective study enrolling 144 participants with suspected pulmonary TB in a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, South Korea, to investigate the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of these tests. Clinical assessment, tuberculin skin test (TST), whole-blood interferon-gamma ELISA (QuantiFERON-TB Gold [QFT-G]; Cellestis Ltd; Victoria, Australia), and an ELISPOT assay (T SPOT.TB; Oxford Immunotec; Oxford, UK) were performed. Test results were compared with the final confirmed diagnoses. RESULTS Active pulmonary TB was diagnosed in 67 of 144 participants (47%). Sensitivities of QFT-G and T SPOT.TB for active pulmonary TB were 89% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79 to 96%) and 92% (95% CI, 83 to 97%), respectively; and specificities were 49% (95% CI, 37 to 61%) and 47% (95% CI, 36 to 59%). NPVs of QFT-G (84%; 95% CI, 69 to 93%) and T SPOT.TB (87%; 95% CI, 73 to 96%) were higher than that of TST (64%; 95% CI, 51 to 76%) [p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively]. CONCLUSION High NPVs of QFT-G and T SPOT.TB for the diagnosis of active TB suggest the supplementary role of these tests for the diagnostic exclusion of active TB, although the low PPV limits their usefulness in routine clinical practice in South Korea, where the prevalence of latent TB infection is considerable.
The proteolipid protein gene: double, double, ... and trouble.

That more of a good thing may be too much has been apparent at least since the discovery that Down syndrome is caused by three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the normal two. Duplications of myelin genes also lead to trouble. An extra dose of PMP22, the gene for a protein of peripheral nervous system myelin, causes Charcot-Marie Tooth type 1A disease (CMT1A). Increased dosage of the proteolipid protein gene, PLP, which encodes the chief protein of CNS myelin, can cause Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD). The work of Inoue et al. is of particular importance because they found the duplication in four of five families with {open_quotes}classical{close_quotes} PMD, whereas other changes in PLP, such as missense mutations, are found in no more than one in four or five patients with the disease. 27 refs.
Addressing the challenges of requirements ambiguity: A review of empirical literature

Ambiguity in natural language requirements has long been recognized as an inevitable challenge in requirements engineering (RE). Various initiatives have been taken by RE researchers to address the challenges of ambiguity. In this paper the results of a mapping study are presented that focus on the application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques for addressing ambiguity in requirements. Systematic review of the literature resulted in 174 studies on the subject published during 1995 to 2015, and out of these only 28 are empirically evaluated studies that were selected. From of the resulting set of papers, 81% have focused on detecting ambiguity; whereas 4% and 5% are focusing on reducing and removing ambiguity respectively. Addressing syntactic, semantic, and lexical ambiguities has attracted more attention than other types. In spite of all the research efforts, there is a lack of empirical evaluation of NLP tools and techniques for addressing ambiguity in requirements. The results have pointed out some gaps in empirical results and have raised questions the designing of an analytical framework for research in this field.
Productivity and Utilization Benchmarks for Chain Flail Delimber-Debarkers-Chippers Used in Fast-Growing Plantations

The study developed robust benchmark figures for the performance of delimber-debarker-chippers in fast-growing eucalypt plantations, through the analysis of an exceptionally large database that combined automatically-captured and user-input records. Data for three Peterson Pacific DDC 5000 H units operated by the Brazilian company Fibria Cellulose were captured continuously for three years, from 2015 to 2017. During this time, all study machines ran triple-shift and clocked over 25 000 hours each. The consolidated record included information for 79 858 delay events, with an average duration of 0.55 hours per event. Delay time accounted for 57% of total worksite time: mean utilization was therefore 43%. Maintenance was the most important cause of delays, and accounted for 22% of total worksite time. Interaction delays came second, and represented 20% of total worksite time. Mean productivity was 88 solid m3 ub (under bark) per productive machine hour (PMH) or 39 solid m3 ub per scheduled machine hour (SMH), depending on whether delay time was excluded or included in the calculation. The gap between the most efficient and the least efficient operator was 22% and 26% for scheduled productivity and utilization, respectively (this difference was calculated by taking the figures for the lowest performer as a basis). While the exact productivity figures reported here may reflect the exceptionally favorable conditions encountered in rationallymanaged South American plantations, the dynamics revealed in this study may have general validity and could offer precious insights for rationalizing a whole range of similar operations. ;
Simplified dynamic model of a voltage-sourced converter with modular multilevel converter design

This paper introduces a simplified HVDC model developed for modeling the steady-state and the dynamic behavior of a Voltage-Sourced Converter based on the Modular Multilevel Converter design. The simplified model is intended for time domain simulations in a positive sequence dynamic simulation program. The model is used for dynamic stability studies and performance analysis of the HVDC within a large AC network. The simplified model is validated against a detailed model comprising the complete converter controls.
New BMSC-Laden Gelatin Hydrogel Formed in Situ by Dual-Enzymatic Cross-Linking Accelerates Dermal Wound Healing

In situ forming hydrogel shows enormous potential as a therapeutic implant or carrier in tissue repair and regeneration. It can perfectly seal or fill the defective tissue, consequently functioning as a cell/drug delivery vehicle. In this contribution, a new gelatin hydrogel with dual-enzymatic cross-linking of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and galactose oxidase (GalOx) was developed, and the therapeutic effect of this hydrogel encapsulated with bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) in dermal wound healing was investigated. This hydrogel possesses a quick gelation process within 5 min, a high water content, and a uniform three-dimensional (3D) porous network. The 3D cell culture study indicated that gelatin hydrogel matrix of HRP(5U):GalOx(1U) or HRP(2U):GalOx(1U) could provide a friendly 3D microenvironment for supporting the survival, proliferation, and spread of mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) with negligible cytotoxicity. Hematoxylin and eosin staining test suggested that this hydrogel has superior histocompatibility and minimized immune response in vivo. Furthermore, wound-healing studies on a C57 mouse model of excised wound demonstrated that BMSC-laden gelatin hydrogel could significantly accelerate the wound closure as compared to other groups. These data suggest that this dual-enzymatically cross-linked gelatin hydrogel loaded with BMSC has a great potential in wound healing and other tissue-regeneration applications.
Drug effects on the CVS in conscious rats: separating cardiac output into heart rate and stroke volume using PKPD modelling

Previously, a systems pharmacology model was developed characterizing drug effects on the interrelationship between mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR). The present investigation aims to (i) extend the previously developed model by parsing CO into heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV) and (ii) evaluate if the mechanism of action (MoA) of new compounds can be elucidated using only HR and MAP measurements.
Prevalence of tuberculosis in patients with cirrhosis of liver in western India

Summary Tuberculosis is a common disease in India. Its prevalence is higher in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis in patients with liver cirrhosis in Western India. The prevalence was fifteen times higher than in the general population. It was significantly higher in alcoholics. The response to treatment and outcome were found to be favourable.
Joint bent-cable Tobit models for longitudinal and time-to-event data

ABSTRACT In this article, we show how to estimate a transition period for the evolvement of drug resistance to antiretroviral (ARV) drug or other related treatments in the framework of developing a Bayesian method for jointly analyzing time-to-event and longitudinal data. For HIV/AIDS longitudinal data, developmental trajectories of viral loads tend to show a gradual change from a declining trend after initiation of treatment to an increasing trend without an abrupt change. Such characteristics of trajectories are also associated with a time-to-event process. To assess these clinically important features, we develop a joint bent-cable Tobit model for the time-to-event and left-censored response variable with skewness and phasic developments. Random effects are used to determine the stochastic dependence between the time-to-event process and response process. The proposed method is illustrated using real data from an AIDS clinical study.
Occurrence of oligoclonal bands in multiple sclerosis and other CNS diseases

The results of cerebrospinal fluid agarose gel electrophoresis in 300 consecutive patients were correlated with neurological examinations and diagnoses, other cerebrospinal fluid studies, and the results of evoked potential examinations. The presence of oligoclonal bands was the most sensitive test for multiple sclerosis (MS); bands were present in from 100% (11/11) of patients with definite MS to 82% (27/33) of those with possible MS (classified by McAlpine criteria). The visual evoked response was the next most sensitive study. Thirty‐eight patients without MS or related disorders had bands in the IgG region. Three patients had plasma cell dyscrasias. Seven patients had thick single bands. Single bands did not correlate with chronic polyneuropathy but appeared to be an artifact of storage. Twenty‐eight patients had active neurological disease, including cerebral infarction (in 5), viral infection (in 4), remote effect of carcinoma (in 4), and acute and chronic polyneuropathies (in 6). In acute illnesses (i.e., vascular insults), repeat electrophoresis showed disappearance of bands. In continually active disease, bands persisted. These results indicate that the presence of oligoclonal bands provides sensitive supporting evidence for the diagnosis of MS but that bands may be present in other disorders, including those not directly related to infection or abnormal immune response. The data suggest that oligoclonal bands may represent an immune reponse to neurological injury that is prominent in disorders with a particularly intense or continuous antigenic stimulus.
The international incidence of childhood cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has coordinated a worldwide study of the incidence of cancer in childhood. Contributors from over 50 countries have provided data. This paper presents a summary of some of the major results. The incidence rates and relative frequencies of childhood cancers are described according to I2 diagnostic groups, defined mainly in terms of tumour morphology. Variations in the risk of those tumours between different countries and different ethnic groups provide important information on the relative importance of environmental and genetic factors in their aetiology.