Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors Affecting Condom Use among Royal Thai Army Conscripts in Thailand

The study was conducted to explore factors associated with condom use of young Thai men conscripts. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants were 159 conscripts in second year who served in the Royal Thai Army by lottery method. Demographic data, sexual history including condom use, HIV and STDs and knowledge were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: Condom use at the last sex was 41.18% of the conscripts aged 20 - 27 years and secondary school education completed of 74.2%. 25.78% had experience with drugs used but injection was rare (6.9%). Age at the first sex was reported lowest at 11 years, 9.4% reported first sex with men and 21.38% were married. The participants have sexual history (last six months) with female only of 83.2%, male only of 4.1% and both of 14.6%. Among these only 12.6% reported every time of condom use and 19.5% never used condom. Older age, higher education, drinking alcohol, drugs use and higher knowledge were associated with condom use with statistical significance. Conclusions: Condom use among male Thai conscripts was low. Education and a condom use program are urgently needed to prevent future spread of HIV and STDs.
Re: Ockenga et al.—mutations of cystic fibrosis gene in patients with pancreatitis

sented by Poynard et al. (5). They could show in their study that, when treated with IFNa monotherapy, sustained treatment response could not be observed in patients who had all unfavorable response factors, which were also found in our patient (see above). Whether the newly introduced pegylated interferons may be superior to the rIFNa in avoiding breakthroughs remains to be seen and needs further investigation.
A Level-Dependent Auditory Filter-Bank for Speech Recognition in Reverberant Environments

Distortions due to reverberation have detrimental effect on the performance of automatic speech recognition (ASR). In this work, an auditory ﬁlter-bank based feature is presented to improve the ASR in reverberant conditions. The proposed technique is based on the gammachirp ﬁlter bank which provides level dependent frequency response to emulate mechanisms performed in the human auditory system, particularly basilar membrane ﬁltering aimed to improve robustness of the ear. The low frequency tail of gammachirp ﬁlter which is unaffected by bandwidth parameters due to level dependency frequency resolution is effective in reducing the reverberation distortions. Experiments are performed on the Aurora-5 meeting recorder digit task recorded with four different microphones in hands-free mode at a real meeting room. The ASR experiments using the proposed gammachirp based features show reliable and consistent improvements when compared to other conventional feature extraction techniques.
Normal prothrombin time in the presence of therapeutic levels of rivaroxaban

more, Md. : 1950), 182, 7254–7263. Rosenbauer, F. , Wagner, K. , Kutok, J.L. , Iwasaki, H. , Le Beau, M.M. , Okuno, Y. , Akashi, K. , Fiering, S. & Tenen, D.G. (2004) Acute myeloid leukemia induced by graded reduction of a lineage-specific transcription factor, PU.1. Nature Genetics, 36, 624–630. Smith, L.T. , Hohaus, S. , Gonzalez, D.A. , Dziennis, S.E. & Tenen, D.G. (1996) PU.1 (Spi-1) and C/ EBP alpha regulate the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor promoter in myeloid cells. Blood, 88, 1234–1247. Wang, K. , Wang, P., Shi, J., Zhu, X. , He, M. , Jia, X. , Yang, X. , Qiu, F. , Jin, W. , Qian, M. , Fang, H. , Mi, J., Yang, X. , Xiao, H. , Minden, M. , Du, Y. , Chen, Z. & Zhang, J. (2010) PML/RAR[alpha] Targets Promoter Regions Containing PU.1 Consensus and RARE Half Sites in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Cancer Cell, 17, 186–197.
Digitizing Literacy: Reflections on the Haptics of Writing

Writing is a complex cognitive process relying on intricate perceptual-sensorimotor combinations. The process and skill of writing is studied on several levels and in many disciplines, from neurophysiological research on the shaping of each letter to studies on stylistic and compositional features of authors and poets. In studies of writing and literacy overall, the role of the physically tangible writing device (pen on paper; computer mouse and keyboard; digital stylus pen and writing tablet; etc.) is rarely addressed. By and large, the (relatively young) field of writing research is dominated by cognitive approaches predominantly focusing on the visual component of the writing process, hence maintaining a separation between (visual) perception and motor action (e.g., haptics1). However, recent theoretical currents in psychology, phenomenology & philosophy of mind, and neuroscience – commonly referred to as “embodied cognition” – indicate that perception and motor action are closely connected and, indeed, reciprocally dependent. Today, most of our writing is done with digital writing devices (the computer, the mobile phone, the PDA [i.e., Personal Digital Assistant]), rather than writing by hand. The switch from pen and paper to mouse, keyboard and screen entails major differences in the haptics of writing, at several distinct but intersecting levels. Handwriting is by essence a unimanual activity, whereas typewriting is bimanual. Typically, handwriting is also a slower process than typewriting. Moreover, the visual attention of the writer is strongly concentrated during handwriting; the attentional focus of the writer is dedicated to the tip of the pen, while during typewriting the visual attention is detached from the haptic input, namely the
CMR imaging for the evaluation of myocardial stunning after acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis of prospective trials.

BACKGROUND Myocardial stunning is an important sequela of acute coronary syndromes and its determination might affect decisions on defibrillator implantation and assist devices after myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) assessing myocardial stunning after acute myocardial infarction using low-dose dobutamine (LDD), end-diastolic wall thickness, and contrast delayed enhancement (DE). METHODS AND RESULTS A systematic review of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane for all prospective trials assessing myocardial stunning by CMR following AMI was performed using a standard approach for meta-analysis for diagnostic test and a bivariate analysis. Search results revealed 9384 studies, out of which 17 met criteria. A total of 634 patients (mean age 59 years, 85% male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction: 52%) were included. DE-CMR had a weighted sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 68% to detect myocardial stunning using 50% transmurality as a cut-off, with a PPV and NPV of 83 and 72%, respectively. With an overall diagnostic accuracy of 82%, LDD-CMR had a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 81%, with a PPV and NPV of 82 and 63%, respectively. LDD showed an overall accuracy of 74%. CONCLUSION DE-CMR has a higher sensitivity, whereas LDD-CMR has a higher specificity for the detection of viable stunned myocardium following myocardial infarction. Whether the combination of DE and LDD may improve the prediction of myocardial recovery remains to be determined.
Fate and toxicity of endosulfan in Namoi River water and bottom sediment.

Endosulfan (6,7,8,9,10,10,-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepine-3-oxide) sorption (standardized to 1% total organic carbon and dry weight) was significantly (P < 0.05) more concentrated on the large (>63 microm) particle fraction compared with smaller size fractions (<5 microm and 5-24 microm) of bottom sediments from the Namoi River, Australia. Following completion of the particle size fractionation (6 to 12 wk) and a sediment toxicity assessment (2 wk), the sediments showed large decreases in concentrations of alpha-endosulfan that coincided with an increase in endosulfan sulfate concentrations and minimal changes in beta-endosulfan concentrations. In the Namoi River, similar patterns were observed in the composition of total endosulfan in monthly measurements of bottom sediments and in passive samplers placed in the water column following runoff from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fields. The toxicity of endosulfan sulfate in river water indicated by the nymphs of the epibenthic mayfly Jappa kutera, was more persistent than the alpha- and beta-endosulfan parent isomers due to its longer half-life. This suggests that endosulfan sulfate would contribute most to previously observed changes in population densities of aquatic biota. Measured concentrations of total endosulfan in river water of up to 4 microg L(-1) following storm runoff, exceed the range of the 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values in river water for both alpha-endosulfan (LC50 = 0.7 microg L(-1); 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.5 to 1.1) and endosulfan sulfate (LC50 = 1.2 microg L(-1); 95% CI = 0.4 to 3.3). In contrast, the 10-d LC50 value for total endosulfan in the sediment toxicity test (LC50 = 162 microg kg(-1); 95% CI = 120 to 218 microg kg(-1)) was more than threefold higher than the highest measured concentration of total endosulfan in field samples of bottom sediment (48 microg kg(-1)). This suggests that pulse exposures of endosulfan in the water column following storm runoff may be more acutely toxic to riverine biota than in contaminated bottom sediment.
A 3'-coterminal nested set of independently transcribed mRNAs is generated during Berne virus replication

By using poly(A)-selected RNA from Berne virus (BEV)-infected embryonic mule skin cells as a template, cDNA was prepared and cloned in plasmid pUC9. Recombinants covering a contiguous sequence of about 10 kilobases were identified. Northern (RNA) blot hybridizations with various restriction fragments from these clones showed that the five BEV mRNAs formed a 3'-coterminal nested set. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of four complete open reading frames of 4743, 699, 426, and 480 nucleotides, with initiation codons coinciding with the 5' ends of BEV RNAs 2 through 5, respectively. By using primer extension analysis and oligonucleotide hybridizations, RNA 5 was found to be contiguous on the consensus sequence. The transcription of BEV mRNAs was studied by means of UV mapping. BEV RNAs 1, 2, and 3 were shown to be transcribed independently, which is also likely--although not rigorously proven--for RNAs 4 and 5. Upstream of the AUG codon of each open reading frame a conserved sequence pattern was observed which is postulated to function as a core promoter sequence in subgenomic RNA transcription. In the area surrounding the core promoter region of the two most abundant subgenomic BEV RNAs, a number of homologous sequence motifs were identified.
Epidemiology of melanoma in Puerto Rico, 1987-2002.

BACKGROUND The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma continues an increasing trend worldwide and has had the highest rise in incidence of all malignancies during the last decades. Mortality rates for melanoma have remained relatively stable in most countries despite the increase in incidence rates. The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiological trends of malignant melanoma in Puerto Rico from 1987 to 2002 and to compare these findings with those previously reported for Puerto Rico as well as with those reported for other countries. METHODS All cases of malignant melanoma reported to the Puerto Rico Cancer Registry from 1987 to 2002 were included. Age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated. Trends were compared by age, gender, anatomical location of the tumor and tumor thickness. RESULTS There were 1,568 new melanoma cases reported between 1987 and 2002 in Puerto Rico, comprising a 50% overall increase in incidence during this period. Male to female incidence ratio was 1:0.86. The most common anatomical location in women was the lower extremity followed by the head and neck region. In men, the most common anatomical location was the trunk, followed by the head and neck region. Most of the superficial tumors (< 1mm) were located on the trunk followed by the lower limb. The most common specific histologic diagnosis reported was melanoma in situ. In 40.8% of the cases the tumor thickness value was not provided. The number of thinner melanomas (< 1mm) reported increased during the study period. Mortality rates were slightly higher for men than for women, still mortality rates remained stable for both genders and all age groups analyzed. CONCLUSIONS Melanoma incidence rates continue to increase in Puerto Rico. This, in combination with an increase in the diagnosis of thin melanomas, suggests that the stable mortality rates may be due, in part, to earlier diagnosis and improved overall prognosis.
BCG vaccination and the tuberculin skin test in a country with low prevalence of tuberculosis. Epidemiological and immunological studies in healthy subjects.

The immune response induced by vaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is not fully understood, and the interpretation of the tuberculin skin test (TST) is still under debate. This thesis was based on questions raised while implementing protective measures for healthcare workers and others at risk of exposure to tuberculosis (TB) in Sweden, a country where the prevalence of TB is low. The present distribution of TST reactions in healthy young adults was analyzed, as well as the influence of various background factors on TST reactivity. Forty-two percent of BCG-vaccinated subjects had TST reactions ≥10 mm, while most unvaccinated subjects were non-reactive. BCG vaccination, geographic origin and age had decisive influence on TST reactivity. Most TST reactions in unvaccinated Swedish subjects were probably caused by cross-reactivity with non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Furthermore, the scar rate and TST reactivity after BCG vaccination was analyzed in children and adults. Vaccination of adults resulted in consistent scar formation, while scar prevalence in previously vaccinated children was low. There was a positive correlation between scar presence and TST reactivity in children as well as adults. Vaccinated subjects without a scar were TST positive more frequently than those non-vaccinated, indicating a systemic vaccine reaction in the absence of a local reaction. New opportunities to elucidate the above-mentioned issues have evolved from insights in the immunology of TB. A T-helper 1 (Th1) response is known to confer protection against TB. Markers of a Th1 response are e.g. production of interferon-gamma and lymphocyte proliferation after in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with tuberculin. These immune correlates were analyzed in relation to TST reactivity in previously BCG-vaccinated healthcare workers without known exposure to TB. Subjects with large positive TST reactions mounted a stronger Th1 response than TST negative subjects. Moreover, the corresponding in vitro analyses were performed before and after BCG vaccination of TST negative young adults. Both primary vaccination and revaccination caused a significant increase of the Th1 response, suggesting a protective effect against TB. In conclusion, a history of BCG vaccination and/or the presence of a BCG scar are strong predictors of TST reactivity in our setting. A BCG scar can be used as an indicator of a technically correct vaccination in adults but does not have the same implication after vaccination of children. IFN-γ has a decisive role in the Th1 response and in resistance against TB, but protective immunity against TB is more complex than the effects of T cell derived IFN-γ production only. The in vitro results should therefore be evaluated with caution. Yet, TST reactivity was associated with a protective immune response in vitro in BCGvaccinated adults without known TB exposure, and a corresponding response was induced by primary vaccination as well as revaccination of young adults.
Physiological profile and activity pattern of young soccer players during match play.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine aerobic demands and activity patterns during match play in young soccer players with respect to competition level, age, and biological maturity. METHODS Ten nonelite players (NbP) and nine elite players (EbP) in their early puberty (12 yr), and seven elite players (EeP) in their late puberty (14 yr) were studied. Heart rate (HR) and activity pattern were recorded during match play, whereas corresponding . VO(2) and HR values were obtained during submaximal and maximal treadmill tests in the laboratory. The maturity status was assessed from testicular volume. RESULTS No difference in . VO(2max) was observed between the nonelite and the elite players in the beginning of puberty (58.7 +/- 5.3 vs 58.6 +/- 5.0 mL O(2). min-1.kg(-1)), whereas the elite players in the end of puberty were significantly more fit (63.7 +/- 8.5 mL O(2). min(-1). kg(-1)). During match play, a higher HR was recorded in the elite players in the beginning of puberty than their nonelite counterparts, whereas the two elite groups showed the same HR responses (HR 1st half/2nd half-NbP: 162/157; EbP: 177/174; EeP: 178/173). The elite players in the end of puberty thus performed a higher absolute and relative . VO(2) (.VO(2). min(-1) and mL O(2). min(-1). kg(-1)) compared with the nonelite players during both halves, corresponding to more time spent in standing/walking in the nonelite group. The elite players in the end of puberty showed higher absolute . V(O2) values during match play than the young elite players but identical relative aerobic loads. It seems that the midfield/attack group had the highest absolute . VO(2max) and was performing at the highest HR during the matches. CONCLUSION The present study shows that young soccer players are highly specialized both according to playing level and position on the field.
Modified-release recombinant human TSH (MRrhTSH) augments the effect of (131)I therapy in benign multinodular goiter: results from a multicenter international, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND Recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) can be used to enhance (131)I therapy for shrinkage of multinodular goiter (MG). OBJECTIVE, DESIGN, AND SETTING The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of 0.01 and 0.03 mg modified-release (MR) rhTSH as an adjuvant to (131)I therapy, vs. (131)I alone, in a randomized, placebo-controlled, international, multicenter study. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION Ninety-five patients (57.2 ± 9.6 yr old, 85% females, 83% Caucasians) with MG (median size 96.0, range 31.9-242.2 ml) were randomized to receive placebo (group A, n = 32), MRrhTSH 0.01 mg (group B, n = 30), or MRrhTSH 0.03 mg (group C, n = 33) 24 h before a calculated activity of (131)I. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary end point was a change in thyroid volume (by computerized tomography scan, at 6 months). Secondary end points were the smallest cross-sectional area of the trachea; thyroid function tests; Thyroid Quality of Life Questionnaire; electrocardiogram; and hyperthyroid symptom scale. RESULTS Thyroid volume decreased significantly in all groups. The reduction was comparable in groups A and B (23.1 ± 8.8 and 23.3 ± 16.5%, respectively; P = 0.95). In group C, the reduction (32.9 ± 20.7%) was more pronounced than in groups A (P = 0.03) and B. The smallest cross-sectional area of the trachea increased in all groups: 3.8 ± 2.9% in A, 4.8 ± 3.3% in B, and 10.2 ± 33.2% in C, with no significant difference among the groups. Goiter-related symptoms were effectively reduced and there were no major safety concerns. CONCLUSION In this dose-selection study, 0.03 mg MRrhTSH was the most efficacious dose as an adjuvant to (131)I therapy of MG. It was well tolerated and significantly augmented the effect of (131)I therapy in the short term. Larger studies with long-term follow-up are warranted.
Photovoltaic power plant in Florianópolis: A case study

Photovoltaic power plants provide alternative and renewable energy. Besides that, the sun is an infinite and costless source, which supplies them. I addition to that, photovoltaic systems has low maintenance costs. Problems may occur if a set of equipment presents the same defect and cannot rely on the manufacturers collaboration to solve it. This paper presents the Megawatt Solar situation, 1 MWp photovoltaic power plant installed and operated by Eletrosul. The company is located in Florianópolis, Brazil, where there are about 62 inverters broke down. The tests performed to identify the cause of the problems, the solution proposed by Eletrosul team and the results of the improvements are discussed as follows.
Influence of 7 days of hindlimb suspension and intermittent weight support on rat muscle mechanical properties.

Unloading the rat hindlimb results in a decrease in mass, especially in those muscles that normally have a load-bearing function. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of intermittent periods of weight support in ameliorating this atrophic response. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to either a control (CON), a hindlimb suspended (HS), or a hindlimb suspended plus intermittent weight support (HS-WS) group. HS-WS rats were walked slowly on a treadmill at 0.2 m/s and a 19% incline for 10 min, every 6 h. After 7 d, the in situ mechanical properties of the soleus (Sol) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) were studied. Body weights of HS and HS-WS rats were 9 and 13% lower than CON. The SOl weight relative to body weight was 21 and 9% lower in HS and HS-WS than CON. Maximum tetanic tension relative to muscle mass was significantly lower in HS than CON, whereas HS-WS had values similar to CON. The MG weight relative to body weight was significantly lower in both suspended groups. The maximum tetanic tension relative to muscle weight was significantly elevated in HS-WS compared to CON, suggesting that weight support may have preferentially maintained the contractile protein component of the muscle. Contraction times were 25% faster (p less than 0.05) in the Sol and unchanged in teh MG of HS rats. For each muscle, the fatigue properties were similar in all groups. These data indicate that a low-force, short-duration exercise regime results in a significant functional recovery in the "slow" Sol, whereas the "fast" MG is less affected. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A comparative study of psychosocial development in children who receive cochlear implants

Abstract Objectives This study assessed self-reported quality of life of children with a cochlear implant (CI), comparing results with two published reports from the past decade. Methods Participants included 33 pediatric CI recipients with a mean age of 10.12 years (SD = 3.59), mean implantation age of 1.36 years (SD = 0.46), and mean CI experience of 6.23 years (SD = 1.75). Children in all three studies completed a self-report quality-of-life questionnaire that included seven benefit and six problem items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Results Outcomes revealed agreement across studies in overall benefit and problem ratings. Environmental awareness and frustration reduction were the most and least positively rated outcomes, respectively. Items contributing to overall ratings differed across studies. Current CI recipients rated speech production, making new friends, and understanding speech more positively and taking extra care of the device more negatively than previous generations of pediatric CI users. Discussion Overall, benefits outweigh problems of the device, according to children using CI. Differences in issues motivating self-report ratings reflect changes in CI candidacy, technology, and social participation over the past decade. These findings emphasize the need for clinicians to address not only communication needs, but also quality-of-life issues to optimize outcomes in children using CI.