Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A survey of smoking in institutions that educate health professionals.

THE ASSOCIATION between smoking and disease has been well documented (1,2). Recent attention in the literature has been focused on the effect of other people's cigarette smoke on the nonsmoker. The effects of such involuntary smoking depends on many factors, such as the health status of the person exposed, the exposure time, and the concentration and type of smoke in the room. Thus, effects may range from eye and throat irritations to respiratory infections, undesirable cardiac effects, asthma attacks, and impairments due to increased blood carbon monoxide levels (3-5). Health professionals can be expected to be particularly knowledgeable about the disease-producing effects of smoking and about the health benefits that are gained by stopping. Yet, health practitioners continue to smoke. The proportion of current cigarette smokers among professional groups has varied somewhat according to the year and geographic location of the study. A 1975 national survey indicated that in the United States, 38.9 percent of the registered nurses, 21.0 percent of the physicians, and 23.3 percent of the dentists were smoking cigarettes (6,7). Among adults in the
Role of L1 in Neural Development: What the Knockouts Tell Us

Mutations in the cell adhesion molecule L1 cause severe developmental anomalies in the human nervous system. Recent descriptions of L1 gene knock-out mice from three research groups demonstrate that these mice are strikingly similar to humans with mutations in the L1 gene. In both humans and mice there are defects in the development of the corticospinal tract and cerebellar vermis, hydrocephalus, and impaired learning. The production of a viable animal model for X-linked hydrocephalus suggests that unanswerable questions posed by the human disease will finally be approachable using modern experimental methods.
Maternity Leave Duration and Full-time/Part-time Work Status Are Associated with US Mothers’ Ability to Meet Breastfeeding Intentions

Background: Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits for infants and mothers; however, many infants are not breastfed as long as recommended or desired by mothers. Maternal employment is frequently cited as a barrier to breastfeeding. Objective: This study aimed to assess whether maternity leave duration and return status (full-time [FT], part-time [PT]) were associated with not meeting a mother’s intention to breastfeed at least 3 months. Methods: We used data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, a cohort study. Analyses were limited to women employed prenatally who intended to breastfeed 3 months or longer (n = 1172). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between maternity leave duration and return-to-work status (< 6 weeks/FT, < 6 weeks/PT, 6 weeks-3 months/FT, 6 weeks-3 months/PT, not working by 3 months) and meeting a mother’s intention to breastfeed at least 3 months. Results: Overall, 28.8% of mothers did not meet their intention to breastfeed at least 3 months. Odds of not meeting intention to breastfeed at least 3 months were higher among mothers who returned to work FT before 3 months (< 6 weeks/FT: adjusted odds ratio = 2.25, 95% confidence interval, 1.23-4.12; 6 weeks-3 months/FT: adjusted odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval, 1.30-2.56), compared with mothers not working at 3 months. Conclusion: Returning to work full-time before 3 months may reduce a mother’s ability to meet her intention to breastfeed at least 3 months. Employer support for flexible work scheduling may help more women achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Travel time to dialysis as a predictor of health-related quality of life, adherence, and mortality: the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).

BACKGROUND Longer travel time to the dialysis unit creates a substantial burden for many patients. This study evaluated the effect of self-reported 1-way travel time to hemodialysis on mortality, health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), adherence, withdrawal from dialysis therapy, hospitalization, and transplantation. STUDY DESIGN Prospective observational cohort. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Patients enrolled in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practices Patterns Study who completed a patient questionnaire (n = 20,994). PREDICTOR One-way travel time to hemodialysis treatment, categorized as 15 or less, 16 to 30, 31 to 60, and longer than 60 minutes. Covariates included demographics, comorbid conditions, serum albumin level, time on dialysis therapy, and country. OUTCOME & MEASUREMENT HR-QOL was examined by using a linear mixed model. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine associations with mortality, withdrawal from dialysis therapy, hospitalization, and transplantation. RESULTS Longer travel time was associated with greater adjusted relative risk (RR) of death (P = 0.05 for overall trend). Adjusted HR-QOL subscales were significantly lower for those with longer travel times compared with those traveling 15 minutes or less. There were no associations of travel time with withdrawal from dialysis therapy (P = 0.6), hospitalization (P = 0.4), or transplantation (P = 0.7). LIMITATIONS The questionnaire nonresponse rate was substantial, and nonresponders were older, with more comorbid conditions. Travel time was assessed by using a single nonvalidated question. CONCLUSIONS Longer travel time is associated significantly with greater mortality risk and decreased HR-QOL. Exploring opportunities to decrease travel time should be incorporated into the dialysis clinical routine.
Ghanaian school-going adolescents’ self-perceived barriers of access to quality education: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Social equality has emerged as one of the important ideals of human society, especially for development. Moreover, education has featured prominently among the many key drivers of equality. However, in developing nations like Ghana, education represents one of the areas in which gross inequality has eroded the country’s potential for attaining equality and development. The aim of the current study was to explore adolescents’ self-perceived barriers regarding access to quality education in the Northern Region of Ghana and provide suggestions on the way forward. A sample of 18 school-going adolescents from six secondary schools within the Northern Region of Ghana was purposively selected to participate in face-to-face interviews. The barriers identified included limited resources, gender disparities and a multi-dimension nature of poverty. Implications for policy and research are discussed.
Association between physical activity and quality of life among Western Australian breast cancer survivors

Previous research has shown that physical activity (PA) may be beneficial to quality of life (QoL) in breast cancer survivors. Few studies however, have focused on the time period soon after the completion of adjuvant therapy or examined exercise issues separately for rural/urban or healthy weight/obese breast cancer survivors. Our study addressed these issues. Breast cancer survivors (N = 558) from the Western Australia Cancer Registry completed a survey that included the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Breast (FACT‐B) scale. Results showed that only 31% of breast cancer survivors were meeting the recommended PA guidelines post‐treatment. Analysis of variance revealed that survivors meeting these guidelines reported higher scores on the FACT‐B (mean difference 8.6; 95% CI = 5.0–12.1; p<0.001), the FACT‐General (mean difference 6.3; 95% CI = 3.5–9.0; p<0.001), the trial outcome index (TOI; p<0.001), and several of the FACT‐B subscales. Furthermore, healthy weight participants also reported higher scores than obese participants on the FACT‐B (p = 0.058) and the breast cancer subscale (p = 0.033). There were no differences based on geographic location. We conclude that physically active and healthy weight breast cancer survivors report better QoL than their inactive and obese counterparts soon after completing adjuvant therapy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Liquidity-Adjusted Capital Asset Pricing Model in Emerging Market : How is Ghana Faring?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with its many facets of definitions and practices is used to examine the effect of illiquidity risk on expected excess stock returns in Ghana. As a corporate social responsibility, the GSE recently engineered the operation of what it termed the Ghana Alternative Market in 2015 since one of the cardinal pillars of CSR is to drive change towards sustainability focusing on businesses with a high potential for growth. Evidence exists to show that liquidity risk can be measured using the conditional asset pricing model in Ghana. It is realized that systematic liquidity risk is priced in Ghana using the different risk premia. It emerge that though the size of market capitalization in Ghana is small with its small firm size, liquidity risk is priced systematically irrespective of the type of the market. Our evaluation concludes that under different market situation, the Ghanaian economy is more align to the downward market where stocks were priced during the period of the last financial shock. Cross listing of stock and regional market, integration in Sub-Sahara Africa is a policy option managers of the economies within the sub region should focus.
An Architecture-Based Multi-Objective Optimization Approach to Testing Resource Allocation

Software systems are widely employed in society. With a limited amount of testing resource available, testing resource allocation among components of a software system becomes an important issue. Most existing research on the testing resource allocation problem takes a single-objective optimization approach, which may not adequately address all the concerns in the decision-making process. In this paper, an architecture-based multi-objective optimization approach to testing resource allocation is proposed. An architecture-based model is used for system reliability assessment, which has the advantage of explicitly considering system architecture over the reliability block diagram (RBD)-based models, and has good flexibility to different architectural alternatives and component changes. A system cost modeling approach which is based on well-developed software cost models is proposed, which would be a more flexible, suitable approach to the cost modeling of software than the approach adopted by others which is based on an empirical cost model. A multi-objective optimization model is developed for the testing resource allocation problem, in which the three major concerns in the testing resource allocation problem, i.e., system reliability, system cost, and the total amount of testing resource consumed, are taken into consideration. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA), called multi-objective differential evolution based on weighted normalized sum (WNS-MODE), is developed. Experimental studies are presented, and the experiments show several results. 1) The proposed architecture-based multi-objective optimization approach can identify the testing resource allocation strategy which has a good trade-off among optimization objectives. 2) The developed WNS-MODE is better than the MOEA developed in recent research, called HaD-MOEA, in terms of both solution quality and computational efficiency. 3) The WNS-MODE seems quite robust from the sensitivity analysis results.
Immunopathology and Infectious Disease Mast Cells Regulate the Magnitude and the Cytokine Microenvironment of the Contact Hypersensitivity Response

The role that mast cells play during contact hypersensitivity (CS) response is unclear because some studies have shown that mast cell-deficient mice have relatively intact CS responses whereas others have shown opposing results. Mast cells secrete a wide range of immunomodulatory mediators and can potentially influence the type of immune response generated in the skin during CS. Therefore, we examined the type of microenvironment generated during CS in both W/Wv mast cell-deficient and wild-type mice in response to different immunizing doses of hapten (oxazolone). The CS response elicited after low-dose oxazolone was significantly diminished in W/Wv mice compared with wild-type mice. Unexpectedly, the CS response elicited in W/Wv mice immunized with highdose oxazolone was more severe compared with wildtype mice. In addition, after immunization with high-dose oxazolone, the granulocyte infiltrate in W/Wv mice was increased by twofold compared with wild-type mice. A shift in the cytokine milieu toward the expression of type-1 cytokines as well as a significant increase in the local adhesion of neutrophils and CD4 T cells in the microvasculature of the skin was observed after hapten challenge in W/Wv mice immunized with high-dose oxazolone compared with wild-type mice. These results suggest that mast cells can act as regulators and inducers of the inflammatory response depending on immunizing stimulus strength. (Am J Pathol 2008, 172:1638–1649; DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.070559) Contact sensitivity (CS), a form of delayed type hypersensitivity is a prototypical T-cell-mediated skin inflammatory response that occurs after cutaneous exposure to haptens. Re-exposure of the skin to the same sensitizing hapten results in an inflammatory response that is characterized by substantial leukocyte infiltration into tissue and edema formation that peaks throughout 24 to 48 hours. This response is subject to the regulatory effects of cytokines produced by T lymphocytes and is dependent on the recruitment of antigen-specific T cells to the site of hapten challenge. Multiple types of T cells have been shown to play a role in murine CS. In addition to interferon gamma (IFN)and interleukin (IL)-2-producing CD4 helper T lymphocytes (TH1 cells), IFN-producing CD8 T cells, T cells, and IL-4or IL-10-secreting CD4 T cells (TH2 cells) also participate in murine CS. 4–8 Thus, to potentially control hypersensitivity responses it is important to understand the antigen-specific/nonspecific events that are responsible for the recruitment of Tlymphocyte subsets into skin. The inflammatory response elicited after re-encountering antigen can be separated into two distinct phases, both demarcated by a macroscopic swelling response. The first phase occurs within the first 2 hours after elicitation and is thought to involve the activation of the complement system, degranulation of mast cells, and the release of vasoactive and inflammatory mediators such as histamine, serotonin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).
A mathematical model for breast cancer lesion estimation: electrical impedance technique using TS2000 commercial system

We present a mathematical model to analyze transadmittance data for the detection of breast cancer using TransScan TS2000 commercial system. The model was constructed based on the assumption that a lesion exists near the surface of a breast region. The breast region that is considered as a background is assumed to be homogeneous at least near the surface where we attach a planar array of electrodes. Based on the model, we developed a lesion estimation algorithm utilizing single- or multifrequency transadmittance data. The approximate ratio of two conductivity values for the lesion and background needs to be known to estimate the size of the lesion even though the location estimate does not require this ratio. From the results of numerical simulations with added noise, we suggest better ways of interpreting TS2000 transadmittance images for the detection of breast cancer with improved accuracy. Since this study provides a rigorous mathematical modeling of TS2000 commercial system, it will be possible to apply the technique to lesion estimation problems based on more realistic models of breast regions in future studies.
Overexpression of Caspase-1 in adenocarcinoma of pancreas and chronic pancreatitis.

AIM To identify the expression of Caspase-1(interleukin-1beta converting enzyme) and its role in adenoma of the pancreas and chronic pancreatitis. METHODS The expression of Caspase-1 was assessed in 42 pancreatic cancer tissue samples, 38 chronic pancreatitis specimens, and 9 normal pancreatic tissues by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. RESULTS Overexpression of Caspase-1 was observed in both disorders, but there were differences in the expression patterns in distinct morphologic compartments. Pancreatic cancer tissues showed a clear cytoplasmatic overexpression of Caspase-1 in tumor cells of 71% of the tumors, whereas normal pancreatic tissues showed only occasional immunoreactivity. In chronic pancreatitis, overexpression of Caspase-1 was found in atrophic acinar cells (89%), hyperplastic ducts (87%), and dedifferentiating acinar cells (84%). Although in atrophic cells a clear nuclear expression was found, hyperplastic ducts and dedifferentiating acinar cells showed clear cytoplasmic expression. Western blot analysis revealed a marked expression of the 45 kDa precursor of Caspase-1 in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis (80% and 86%, respectively). Clear bands at 30 kDa, which suggested the p10-p20 heterodimer of active Caspase-1, were found in 60% of the cancer tissue and 14% of the pancreatitis tissue specimens, but not in normal pancreatic tissues. CONCLUSION Overexpression of Caspase-1 is a frequent event in pancreatic disorders and its differential expression patterns may reflect two functions of the protease. One is its participation in the apoptotic pathway in atrophic acinar cells and tumor-surrounding pancreatitis tissue, the other is its possible role in proliferative processes in pancreatic cancer cells and hyperplastic duct cells and dedifferentiating acinar cells in chronic pancreatitis.
Abnormal regulation of renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha-hydroxylase activity in the X-linked hypophosphatemic mouse.

Abnormal vitamin D metabolism has been suspected in patients with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) and X-linked hypophosphatemic mice (Hyp-mice), the murine homologue of the human disease. We compared 25(OH)D-1 alpha-hydroxylase activity in the Hyp-mouse kidney to that in normal and phosphate-depleted mouse kidney. Weanling normal and Hyp-mice were fed a 0.6% phosphorus diet; phosphate-depleted mice received a 0.02% phosphorus diet. At 8-10 wk of age the serum phosphorus values in Hyp (3.35 +/- 0.12 mg/dl) and phosphate-depleted mice (3.83 +/- 0.56) were not significantly different. Despite the similar magnitude of phosphate depletion, however, the maximum levels of 25(OH)D-1 alpha-hydroxylase activity were disparate: phosphate-depleted mouse kidney had profoundly increased activity compared to normal (17.04 +/- .104 vs. 4.96 +/- 0.23 fmol 1,25(OH)2D3 produced/mg kidney per min) while Hyp-mouse kidney had a fourfold lesser increment (8.18 +/- 0.62). These data indicate that phosphate depletion is a potent stimulus of 25(OH)D-1 alpha-hydroxylase activity in the (C57BL6J) mouse. Moreover, the results show that abnormal regulation of 25(OH)D-1 alpha-hydroxylase activity is manifest in the Hyp-mouse.
The Transition Experiences of Middle Eastern Graduate Students in the U.S.

The number of international graduate students coming to the U.S. to attend American colleges and universities is growing. In 2010 alone, over 20,000 Middle Eastern Graduate students (MEGS) were studying in U.S. universities (Bhandari & Chow, 2010). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of how MEGS experienced the transition from their home to the host culture and recommend how to help them with it. The conceptual framework used in this study was a comprehensive transition model incorporating Schlossberg et al.’s 4S Transition Model (1995) with the main ideas from Chickering’s Vectors of Adult Development (1969), Furnham and Bochner’s Social Skills and Culture Learning Model (1986), Tinto’s Theory of Doctoral Persistence (1987), and Taylor’s Cultural Learning Model (1994). The following questions guided the research: 1. How do Middle Eastern graduate students describe the academic and social environment in which they find themselves? (situation) 2. How do Middle Eastern graduate students experience the academic and social transition to graduate school in the U.S.? (self) 3. How do Middle Eastern graduate students describe adapting to graduate school in the U.S.? (strategy and support) Answering these questions was accomplished through Seidman’s (2006) three in-depth interview approach. The sample consisted of eight MEGS who were enrolled in a U.S. university. The study’s findings showed how MEGS described their environments by focusing on the differences, challenges, role changes, and what caused them stress. Specifically, (a) male participants in this study were not educated in a co-ed education system; (b) most participants had been living with their families until moving to the host country; and (c) they were not aware of the importance of social support systems and the social environment. MEGS also experienced feeling proud, overwhelmed, conflicted, homesick, lonely, and finally, changed as a result of this transition. Finally, they described adapting to graduate school by using strategies such as (a) consulting others when faced with challenges, (b) observing then acting when they could not consult; (c) being self-reliant when faced with academic challenges; (d) getting involved socially to experience the host culture; and (e) receiving different support from others.
Down‐Regulation of Endothelial Adhesion Molecules and Leukocyte Adhesion by Treatment with Superoxide Dismutase Is Beneficial in Chronic Immune Experimental Colitis

&NA; Modulation of adhesion molecule expression that govern trafficking of leukocytes into the inflamed intestine is envisioned as a new strategy for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study was designed to determine the impact of reducing oxidative stress on adhesion molecules expression and leukocyte recruitment in experimental chronic colitis. For that purpose, colitic interleukin‐10 knockout and wild‐type mice were studied. Groups of animals were treated with Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) 13 mg/kg/d or vehicle for either 7 or 14 days. Expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 and mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule‐1 were determined; leukocyte‐endothelial cell interactions in colonic venules were studied with intravital microscopy; and changes in colon pathology and biomarkers of colitis severity were determined. Development of colitis was associated with a marked increase in endothelial vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 and mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule‐1 expression, which were significantly reduced by treatment with SOD1. The increase in leukocyte rolling and adhesion in colonic venules of colitic mice were significantly reduced by administration of SOD1. This treatment markedly reduced colonic lipid hydroperoxidation, myeoloperoxidase activity, and plasma levels of serum amyloid A protein and resulted in significant, although modest, reductions in histologic damage score. The therapeutic value of SOD1 when administered prophylactically was assessed in the dextran sulfate sodium model of colitis with similar positive results. These results indicate that SOD1 affords significant amelioration of colonic inflammatory changes in experimental colitis. Down‐regulation of adhesion molecule expression, reduction of lipid hydroperoxidation, and recruitment of leukocytes into the inflamed intestine contribute to this beneficial effect.