Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of the Relationships between Rainfall Conditions and Pollutant Wash-Off from the Paved Road

Stormwater runoff monitoring was carried out from 2011 to 2015 to investigate the relationships between rainfall conditions (antecedent dry days (ADDs), rainfall intensity, depth and duration), and water quality parameters of stormwater from a paved road in Korea. Factor analysis suggested that the effect of rainfall conditions on the concentrations of selected pollutants varied depending on the pollutant. As total COD (total chemical oxygen demand) concentration increased, the level of heavy metals increased and resulted in a decrease of BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand) because of their toxicity. In addition, ADDs had a significant impact on the wash-off of solids from paved road. The predominant particles in stormwater were 30 μm and smaller, and increased in concentration as ADDs increased. Thus, the initial load of accumulated particles became a major factor in the wash-off process. The mass of particle-related pollutants was also subject to the effect of ADDs due to the affinity between pollutants and predominant particles (<30 μm). However, the effect of ADDs on the mass of organic matter and nitrogen was relatively weak. ADDs contributed to the decrease of some pollutants by photo-oxidation, volatilization and natural decay over dry days, as well as desorption from solids during rainfall.
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Numerical Evaluation: a Critical Discussion

The numerical evaluation of the specific absorption rate (SAR) is a critical task when evaluating human exposure to electromagnetic (EM) fields. Nevertheless, SAR calculation is strongly influenced by many factors as, for instance, the shape of the volume containing the reference mass, the space discretization step or the treatment of internal air (just to mention some of them): different choices can induce significant discrepancies. In this work an overview on some SAR algorithms is firstly presented, and a discussion on their potential differences reported. Then, such algorithms and some new ones proposed by the authors, are used to evaluate the SAR in artificially generated case tests and in some practical human-antenna interaction cases. The remarkable differences highlighted from the comparison, enforce the necessity to individuate a "canonical" algorithm, as discussed in conclusion.
Extent of aortic arch calcification on chest radiographs is associated with coronary artery disease severity

Objective: Visible aortic arch calcification (AAC) on chest radiographs is putatively associated with cardiovascular outcomes. This retrospective study investigated a correlation between the semi-quantitative extent of AAC and cardiovascular disease severity. Methods: 305 consecutive patients presenting with chest pain who underwent coronary artery angiography and chest radiography during the same hospital stay were retrospectively enrolled. Radiologists blinded to the results of the coronary angiography graded the extent of AAC on a 4-point scale, grades 0-3. The severity of coronary artery disease was described by the number of diseased vessels and Gensini score. Results: AAC was graded as 0, 1, 2, and 3 in 182, 43, 51, and 29 patients, respectively. With increasing AAC grade, the patients tended to be older and coronary artery disease was more prevalent. The AAC grade significantly correlated with the number of affected coronary arteries, and the average Gensini score (P < 0.001, both). AAC grade 3 was an independent predictor for multivessel disease (OR 1.720, 95% CI, 1.184-2.498, P = 0.004) and high Gensini score (OR 1.529, 95% CI, 1.153-2.029, P = 0.003). Conclusion: The extent of AAC, semi-quantitatively determined by chest radiograph, correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease (number of diseased vessels and Gensini score). The highest AAC grade was an independent predictor of multivessel disease and high Gensini score.
Income Mobility and Welfare

This paper develops a framework for the quantitative analysis of individual income dynamics, mobility and welfare. Individual income is assumed to follow a stochastic process with two (unobserved) components, an i.i. d. component representing measurement error or transitory income shocks and an AR(1) component representing persistent changes in income. We use a tractable consumption-saving model with labor income risk and incomplete markets to relate income dynamics to consumption and welfare, and derive analytical expressions for income mobility and welfare as a function of the various parameters of the underlying income process. The empirical application of our framework using data on individual incomes from Mexico provides striking results. Much of measured income mobility is driven by measurement error or transitory income shocks and therefore (almost) welfare-neutral. A smaller part of measured income mobility is due to either welfare-reducing income risk or welfare-enhancing catching-up of lowincome individuals with high-income individuals, both of which have economically significant effects on social welfare. Decomposing mobility into its fundamental components is thus seen to be crucial from the standpoint of welfare evaluation.
Respiratory and gastrointestinal complications of caustic ingestion in children

Objectives: To determine circumstances surrounding the ingestion of caustic substances, the incidence of respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms at presentation, and the degree of investigation and active treatment during hospitalisation. Long term respiratory and gastrointestinal sequelae were also studied. Design: Retrospective case note study covering a 10 year period. Setting: Tertiary children’s hospital. Patients: Children and adolescents presenting following caustic ingestions to the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Main outcome measures: Requirement for interventional oesophagoscopy/bronchoscopy, respiratory support or admission to intensive care, and long term gastrointestinal or respiratory sequelae noted. Results: Thirty two cases of caustic ingestion were identified in 31 patients (median age 2.6 years; 78% boys). The average time in hospital was 2 days. Two patients (6%) required intensive care nursing, and both required intubation with mechanical ventilation (average 33 hours). Thirty patients (97%) underwent diagnostic oesophagoscopy, and two underwent laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy for visualisation of the upper airway. No patient had long term respiratory consequences. Two patients (6%) sustained significant oesophageal injuries requiring interventional oesophagoscopy. Conclusions: Caustic ingestion is overrepresented in boys. Most ingestions involve household cleaning products. Symptoms on admission do not usually require intensive care admission. Gastrointestinal symptoms predominate at presentation, however, these are usually mild. Respiratory symptoms are uncommon and respiratory involvement requiring intervention is rare, although the presence of respiratory symptoms should be viewed as potentially serious. Long term sequelae of caustic ingestion are rare and in this series only affected the gastrointestinal tract. The indications for diagnostic endoscopy need further evaluation.
MAL and Ternary Complex Factor Use Different Mechanisms To Contact a Common Surface on the Serum Response Factor DNA-Binding Domain

ABSTRACT The transcription factor serum response factor (SRF) interacts with its cofactor, MAL/MKL1, a member of the myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) family, through its DNA-binding domain. We define a seven-residue sequence within the conserved MAL B1 region essential and sufficient for complex formation. The neighboring Q-box sequence facilitates this interaction. The B1 and Q-box regions also have antagonistic effects on MAL nuclear import, but the residues involved are largely distinct. Both MAL and the ternary complex factor (TCF) family of SRF cofactors interact with a hydrophobic groove and pocket on the SRF DNA-binding domain. Unlike the TCFs, however, interaction of MAL with SRF is impaired by SRF αI-helix mutations that reduce DNA bending in the SRF-DNA complex. A clustered SRF αI-helix mutation strongly impairs MAL-SRF complex formation but does not affect DNA distortion in the MAL-SRF complex. MAL-SRF complex formation is facilitated by DNA binding. DNase I footprinting indicates that in the SRF-MAL complex MAL directly contacts DNA. These contacts, which flank the DNA sequences protected from DNase I by SRF, are required for effective MAL-SRF complex formation in gel mobility shift assays. We propose a model of MAL-SRF complex formation in which MAL interacts with SRF by the addition of a β-strand to the SRF DNA-binding domain β-sheet region, while SRF-induced DNA bending facilitates MAL-DNA contact.
Cytokine production after whole body and localized hyperthermia.

The levels of TNF, IL-1 and IL-6 in circulating blood female WAG/Ry rats were assessed in relation to treatment with localized hyperthermia of the right hind leg or with whole-body hyperthermia (WBH). After a localized treatment for 30 min at 43 or 44 degrees C no detectable increase in levels of IL-6 or TNF was obtained. Hyperthermia for 30 min at 45 degrees C led to an elevated level of IL-6 of 19.4 +/- 5.2 U/ml above the control level of 24 h after treatment. Levels of IL-1 were never higher than those in control animals that received only anaesthesia. Anaesthesia induced a peak level of approximately 131 U/ml IL-1 6 h after treatment. Serum levels of IL-1 and IL-6 are enhanced after WBH. IL-1 reaches a peak level already during WBH about 15 after reaching 41.5 degrees C. IL-6 levels were not enhanced during WBH but 1 h after WBH a clear peak was observed. Anaesthesia with sham WBH did not lead to enhanced IL-6 levels but enhanced IL-1 levels were clearly detected. We did not detect TNF in any sample after WBH. It is concluded from the present results that IL-6 is not induced by a 'standard' treatment of localized hyperthermia as used in oncotherapy (i.e. 60 min at 43 degrees C) to such a high level locally that this is reflected in increased levels in circulating blood. WBH at clinically relevant temperatures leads to enhanced levels of IL-1 and IL-6. The difference in IL-6 response after WBH or localized hyperthermia probably is related to the fact that in WBH also the bone marrow is treated. This may lead to stimulation of this important stem cell compartment of the peripheral blood. The sequence of appearance of IL-1 and IL-6 after hyperthermia is akin to the sequence in an inflammatory response. However, the experiments with sham treatment show that IL-1 may appear in the circulating blood not followed by IL-6. These results indicate that enhanced IL-1 levels may reflect a stress reaction of the animal related to the (sham) treatment. Enhanced levels of IL-1 after WBH correlate with enhanced levels of ACTH in the circulating blood.
The effects of poverty environments on elders' subjective well-being: a conceptual model.

This article presents a conceptual model, the Urban Ecological Model of Aging, to be used by researchers to assess the impact of living in neighborhoods of concentrated and prolonged poverty on elderly residential satisfaction and subjective well-being. Specifically, the suprapersonal environment characteristics, or aggregated people characteristics, of impoverished urban neighborhoods are explicated and included in a predictive model of community-dwelling elders' affective state, i.e., positive and negative affect. Demographic and personal characteristics are also included in the model as predictors.
Synthesis of rotavirus-like particles in insect cells: comparative and quantitative analysis.

When the three major structural proteins, VP2, VP6, and VP7, of rotavirus are co-expressed in insect cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses, they self-assemble into triple-layered virus-like particles (VLPs) that are similar in morphology to native rotavirus. In order to establish the most favorable conditions for the synthesis of rotavirus VLPs, we have compared the kinetics of 2/6/7-VLP synthesis in two different insect cell lines: High Five cells propagated in Excell 405 medium and Spodoptera frugiperda 9 cells in Excell 400 medium. The majority of VLPs produced in both cell lines were released into the culture medium, and these released VLPs were predominantly triple-layered and were found to be stable for the period of six or seven days examined. The optimal synthesis of VLPs depended upon the cell line and the culture medium used as well as the time of harvesting infected cell cultures. The highest yield of VLPs was obtained from High Five cultures in the late phase of infection when the yield was at least 5-fold higher than that from S. frugiperda 9 cultures on a per cell basis. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of High Five cells for the production of VLPs as potential rotavirus subunit vaccines.
Does Current Scientific Evidence Support a Link between Light at Night and Breast Cancer among Female Night-Shift Nurses?

Breast cancer is increasingly prevalent in industrialized regions of the world, and exposure to light at night (LAN) has been proposed as a potential risk factor. Epidemiological observations have documented an increased breast cancer risk among female night-shift workers, and strong experimental evidence for this relationship has also been found in rodent models. Indirect support for the LAN hypothesis comes from studies involving blind women, sleep duration, bedroom light levels, and community nighttime light levels. This article reviews the literature, discusses possible mechanisms of action, and provides recommendations for occupational health nursing research, practice, and education. Research is needed to further explore the relationship between exposure to LAN and breast cancer risk and elucidate the mechanisms underlying this relationship before interventions can be designed for prevention and mitigation of breast cancer.
Plasma Insulin Levels During Reactive Hypoglycemia

The plasma insulin response to an oral glucose load was studied in fourteen patients with reactive hypoglycemia—based on blood glucose values of 45 mg. /100 ml. or below following 100 gm. of glucose. In reactive hypoglycemia, no single mechanism involving insulin secretion could explain the development of low blood glucose values. Six patients with reactive hypoglycemia demonstrated elevated plasma insulin values in association with normal blood glucose levels. In five patients the results of glucose tolerance tests suggested mild diabetes mellitus, and plasma insulin levels were increased. Three patients with reactive hypoglycemia had essentially normal glucose tolerance tests and no abnormality in plasma insulin response was noted.
Role of Cervical IL-6 and IL-8 Levels in Preterm Labor in Nulliparous Pregnant Women

Article history: Received: 4 Dec 2010 Accepted: 26 Apr 2012 Available online: 28 Oct 2012 ZJRMS 2013; 15(2): 11-13 Background: Premature birth is a cause of prenatal mortality and covers 60-80% of deaths caused by the congenital defects. Despite eye-catching developments in medical sciences, premature birth statistics are still high and impose hefty costs on the society. Laboratory indexes such as IL-6 and IL-8 are used to predict the preterm delivery. In this study, the role of IL-6 and IL-8 of cervix in women with preterm labor and term delivery were compared . Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed on 89 patients, 60 patients in control group and 29 patients in the study group, who had symptoms of preterm labor. Endocervical swab samples were collected from all patients in order to study IL-6 and IL8 levels using ELISA technique. SPSS-15 statistical software was used for the analysis of data. T-test was used to assess different qualitative variables. Results: 78 patients (87.63%) and 11 patients (12.35%) had term and premature deliveries, respectively. The two groups had not significant difference in terms of weight and size. A significant statistical difference only in cervix IL-8 was observed between the two term and preterm groups after comparison of the mean variables. Conclusion: Cervico-vaginal level of IL-8 in premature deliveries is higher than term deliveries and it can be used to predict premature delivery. Copyright © 2013 Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Knowledge of asthma among caregivers of asthmatic children: outcomes of preliminary education.

OBJECTIVES To assess the knowledge of asthma among the caregivers of asthmatic children and to evaluate the outcomes of preliminary education. MATERIAL AND METHOD The caregivers of asthmatic patients aged 2-15 years who attended the pediatric chest clinic of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital from January to December 2003 were randomly recruited to answer the questionnaire about asthma prior to the educational discussion with the investigators or nurses. The questionnaire was done again 6 months later. The significant factors associated with adequate knowledge and change of knowledge of the caregivers were identified. RESULTS Among the 79 study caregivers, forty-two (53.2%) had sufficient knowledge of asthma (score > or = 34 out of 44). The average pre-test score was 33 +/- 3.6 (24-42). The duration of caring for their asthmatic child was the only significant factor associated with adequate knowledge (p < 0. 05). After the educational session, the post-test score was significantly improved (36.0 +/- 2.6; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Half of the caregivers of the asthmatic children had insufficient knowledge of asthma. Education about asthma is still needed to improve their knowledge.
Conflict management among American and Chinese employees in multinational organizations in China

Purpose – This study aims to examine how American and Chinese employees of multinational organizations deal with conflict between them.Design/methodology/approach – In‐depth interviews were conducted with 42 employees from 28 multinational organizations operating in China. A constant comparative method was used to analyze the data.Findings – The paper finds that both American and Chinese employees used various strategies to deal with conflict, such as integrating, insisting on one's own solution, compromising, yielding to authority, avoiding, passive resistance, dissolving the relationship, and a third‐party approach. In general, American participants were more likely to confront a conflict than Chinese participants. Findings of this study also indicate that differing motivations lead to the utilization of a common conflict management strategy.Research limitations/implications – The validity of this study might be compromised due to self‐reported responses. Future researchers need to further clarify defin.
Salmonella Infections in The Gambia, 2005-2015.

BACKGROUND There are large data gaps in the epidemiology of diseases caused by Salmonella enterica in West Africa. Regional surveillance of Salmonella infections is necessary, especially with the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant clones. METHODS Data on Salmonella isolated from various clinical specimens from patients from across The Gambia were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 2005 to April 2015. Antibiotic sensitivity testing of Salmonella isolates was performed by disk diffusion method. Serotyping and serogrouping of Salmonella isolates was performed using standard microbiology techniques. RESULTS Two hundred three Salmonella isolates were isolated from 190 patients: 52% (106/203) from blood and 39% (79/203) from stool specimens. Salmonella was also isolated from urine, aspirates, cerebrospinal fluid, wounds, and abscesses. The prevalence of Salmonella in blood cultures was 0.8% (106/13,905). Of the serotyped salmonellae, 14% (21/152) were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, whereas 86% (131/152) were serovars other than Typhi (nontyphoidal Salmonella). Of the 102 typed NTS isolates, 40% (41) were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, 10% (10) were Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, and 3% (3) were Salmonella enterica serovar Arizonae. Overall, 70% (142/203) of the salmonellae were pansusceptible. Multidrug resistance was found in 4% (9/203) of the isolates, 3 of which were Salmonella Enteritidis. CONCLUSIONS Salmonellae are associated with a wide spectrum of invasive and noninvasive infections across all ages in The Gambia. There is evidence of multidrug resistance in salmonellae that warrants vigilant monitoring and surveillance.
Performance Comparison between DWT-based and DCT-based Encoders

The scalable extension to the H.264/AVC has been established as a Scalable Video Coding (SVC) standard, and JPEG2000 is a state of the act still image coding standard. SVC is based on the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and JPEG2000 is based on Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Despite the DWT has been successfully employed in still image coding, the latest video coding standard keeps on ultilising DCT and the relevant techniques as its coding tools. In this paper, we investigate SVC for intra frame coding and JPEG2000 for still image coding, on video sequences with different resolutions and features. We intend to gain deeper insight into the application scenarios of these two transform techniques. The experiments results demonstrate that at high bitrates, JPEG2000 outperforms SVC, and it is vice versa. We also note that the PSNR difference between SVC and JPEG2000 decreases with increasing the picture resolution.
Long-term effects of childbearing on mortality: Evidence from pre-industrial Sweden

This paper presents an analysis of the impact of childbearing history on later-life mortality for ever-married men and women using historical micro-level data of high quality for southern Sweden. The analysis uses a Cox proportional hazards model, estimating the effects on old-age mortality of number of births and timing of first and last births. By studying the effects of previous childbearing on mortality by sex and social status, we also gain important insights into the mechanisms relating childbearing to mortality in old age. The results show that number of children ever born had a statistically significant negative impact on longevity after age 50 for females but not for males. Analysis by social group shows that only landless women experienced higher mortality from having more children, which seems to indicate that the main explanations are to be found in social or economic conditions specific to females, rather than in the strictly biological or physiological effects of childbearing.
Intestinal parasitic infections in naval personnel.

When the School of Tropical Medicine was established at the Naval Hospital, Treasure Island, in July, 1944, it became necessary to have a source of parasitic material for instructional purposes. Accordingly, the school undertook the examinations for intestinal and blood parasites previously done by the hospital's clinical laboratory. This not only provided material for class use, but also gave the authors a chance to secure data on the incidence of parasitic infections in a rather representative group of naval personnel, drawn from the various activities of the Twelfth Naval District. The total number of military personnel examined from the inception of the program to October 1, 1945, was 1153. On these persons a total of 2747 examinations, or an average of 2.4 per individual, was made. In addition 103 civilian navy employees and their families, interned in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation, were examined by us upon their return to the United States, an average of 2.8 examinations apiece being performed upon this group.