Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Case-control study of occupational exposures and male breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether risk of male breast cancer is associated with workplace exposures. METHODS: A case-control study of 178 cases of male breast cancer and 1041 controls was carried out with data from the United States national mortality follow-back survey, which collected questionnaire information from proxy respondents of a 1% sample of all 1986 United States deaths among subjects aged 25-74 years. Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields, high temperatures, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), herbicides, other pesticides, and organic solvents was assessed by applying job-exposure matrices, based on the 1980 United States census occupation and industry codes, to the longest job held by study subjects as reported by the informants. A socioeconomic status index was created by combining information on annual family income, education, assets, and occupation to assess the association of socioeconomic status with male breast cancer. Relative risks were derived from logistic regression modelling, which included age, socioeconomic status, marital status, and body mass index, as well as occupational exposures. RESULTS: Risk for male breast cancer increased significantly with increasing socioeconomic status index (test for trend: p < 0.01), but the risks associated with individual socioeconomic status variables were smaller and the trends were not significant. A significant increase in risk of male breast cancer was associated with employment in blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills (odds ratio (OR) 3.4; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1 to 10.1, based on six cases), and motor vehicle manufacturing (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.2 to 8.2, based on seven cases). However, exposures to electromagnetic fields, high temperature, PAHs, herbicides, other pesticides, and organic solvents were not associated with risk of male breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The role of workplace exposures in increasing risk of breast cancer among men employed in motor vehicle manufacturing and in blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills deserves further investigation. The finding on socioeconomic status suggests that, as well as reproductive factors, other lifestyle factors such as diet that may be related to high socioeconomic status in men should be investigated further.
Ceftiofur use in finishing swine barns and the recovery of fecal Escherichia coli or Salmonella spp. resistant to ceftriaxone.

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between ceftiofur use policy in finishing swine barns and recovery of fecal Escherichia coli or Salmonella spp. resistant to ceftriaxone. The study population included 54 finishing swine barns from three companies located in North Carolina. The barns were each classified according to their reported therapeutic ceftiofur use rates of "Rare," "Moderate," and "Common. " Fecal samples from the barns were cultured for the presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. resistant to ceftriaxone using selective media designed to recover rare organisms expressing the AmpC β-lactamase phenotype. A total of 1899 swine fecal samples yielded 1193 E. coli (63%) resistant to ceftriaxone. Recovery rates by ceftiofur use classification were 45% for Rare, 73% for Moderate, and 68% Common ceftiofur use groups. Barns reporting Rare ceftiofur use had a lower odds of recovery of E. coli (OR=0.32; p<0.001) resistant to ceftriaxone compared to Common use barns. The overall Salmonella spp. prevalence was 63.8% (n=714). Of these, 65 Salmonella were resistant to ceftriaxone with the highest rate (6%) found in the Common ceftiofur use group, followed by Rare (4.1%) and Moderate (0.15%). The odds of recovery of Salmonella resistant to ceftriaxone were similar for barns with ceftiofur use classified as Rare and Common. Samples from barns with ceftiofur use classified as Moderate had a lower odds (OR=0.02; p<0.01) of recovery of Salmonella resistant to ceftriaxone than barns classified as Common. Our result is consistent with the hypothesis that the use of ceftiofur in finishing swine barns, beyond its rare application, may influence the recovery of enteric E. coli with resistance to cephalosporin drugs, although other unmeasured factors appear to be important in the recovery of cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella. The dissemination of enteric bacteria with resistance to cephalosporins has the potential to impact both veterinary and human therapeutic treatment options.
Team Leaders and Team Members in Interorganizational Networks

Through the examination of 11 intact interuniversity research project teams, this study examines the relationship between team leaders, team members, their communication networks (represented as structural holes), and performance. The study shows that in the conduct of their work, the team leaders bridged more structural holes than team members. Although team leaders demonstrated a higher level of out-of-alliance performance, they did not demonstrate higher levels of individual performance on their teams (compared with team members). Furthermore, we examined the relationship between structural holes and both individual team member performance and overall team performance. Contrary to our expectations, bridging structural holes were not significantly related to individual team member performance but were negatively and significantly related to overall team performance, the effect of which came mainly from team members’ effective size.
Post‐operative erythropoiesis is limited by the inflammatory effect of surgery on iron metabolism

Abstract. The decrease in haemoglobin concentration commonly observed after major surgery is usually corrected by red cell transfusions or oral iron medication. The increased awareness of blood‐transmissible diseases has led to the restrictive use of homologous blood and to interest in alternatives for correcting anaemia. We investigated the pathophysiology of postoperative anaemia by studying variables of erythropoiesis, iron metabolism, and inflammation in 48 consecutive patients who underwent total hip replacement. Haemoglobin concentration remained low during 14 days after surgery with only a mild increase in erythropoietin concentration and reticulocyte count. No increase in serum transferrin receptor concentration was observed during the first 2 weeks after surgery. Postoperative serum ferritin increased, whereas serum iron, transferrin and transferrin saturation decreased significantly. There was a marked increase in interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein with maximal values on the 1st and 4th postoperative day, respectively. At 6 weeks after surgery, haemoglobin concentration and variables of iron metabolism were almost at the preoperative level and serum transferrin receptor concentration was significantly increased, indicating increased erythropoietic activity. These changes were preceded by the normalization of interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein levels. Haemoglobin, iron, transferrin, and ferritin concentrations were not influenced by iron therapy during the postoperative period and no differences of erythropoietic and iron variables were observed between transfused and non‐transfused patients. In conclusion, post‐operative erythropoiesis is associated with an inflammatory effect of surgery on iron metabolism, which can explain, despite a slightly increased production of erythropoietin, the persistence of anaemia and the lack of effect of iron supplementation after surgery.
Quantum capacitance measurement for a black phosphorus field-effect transistor

The unique electrical, optical and thermal properties of black phosphorus have triggered the development of black phosphorus transistors as well as a wide range of other relevant applications. However, there are still challenges in understanding and modeling gated black phosphorus, among which the exploration of quantum capacitance is crucial. Understanding quantum capacitance requires specified measurements other than typical characterizations done before for black phosphorus transistors. Recently, Kuiri et al (Nanotechnology 26 485704) reported the quantum capacitance measured on few layer black phosphorus and its difference compared to that from conductance measurement. Localized states near the band edge were observed by the capacitance measurement, which was considered as the main reason for the difference. The new findings provide guidelines for theoretical understanding and modeling of black phosphorus devices.
Advances in Brief Inactivation of Retinoblastoma Protein in Uveal Melanoma by Phosphorylation of Sites in the COOH-Terminal Region 1

Uveal melanoma is the most common malignancy of the eye, but little is known about its underlying genetic defects. Melanomas of uveal origin, unlike those of the skin, are rarely familial and have not been linked consistently to mutations in tumor suppressor genes. Here, we investigated the Rb pathway in uveal melanoma. Most tumors displayed strong immunostaining for Rb and p16, suggesting that they were not mutationally inactivated. However, Rb was frequently phosphorylated at serine-807 and serine-811, and cyclin D1 was expressed in many of the tumors. Mutation of these serine residues prevented cyclin D-dependent phosphorylation from inactivating Rb in cultured cells. We conclude that Rb is frequently inactivated in uveal melanoma by phosphorylation of residues in the COOH-terminal region that regulate its activity, and one mechanism for this phosphorylation is overexpression of cyclin D.
The Comparative Usefulness of Orthostatic Testing and Tilt Table Testing in the Evaluation of Autonomic-Associated Dizziness

Objective: To elucidate the usefulness of clinical orthostatic blood pressure testing (COBP) as a screening tool for autonomic dysfunction. Study Design: In this retrospective case review, the records of 156 consecutive patients with nonotologic dizziness as the primary complaint seen in an academic neurotology clinic between 2005 and 2009 were reviewed. The objective of this study was accomplished by comparing the diagnostic yield of COBP with that of head-upright tilt table testing (HUT) and assessing the sensitivity and specificity of COBP in predicting an abnormal HUT in patients with nonotologic dizziness. Setting: Ambulatory tertiary referral center. Patients: Patients presenting to the clinic with dizziness without otologic cause. Intervention(s): Clinical evaluation, orthostatic blood pressure testing, and HUT. Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary outcome assessed in this study was patient blood pressure. Blood pressures were measured in the clinic in the following order: supine, sitting, and standing. Positive COBP was defined as a reduction in systolic or diastolic blood pressure greater than 20 or 10 mm Hg, respectively, or both, within 3 minutes of sitting from supine or standing from sitting. For comparison, HUT was used as the gold standard. A positive HUT was defined as a reduction in systolic or diastolic blood pressure greater than 20 or 10 mm Hg, respectively, or both, relative to baseline at any point after initiation of HUT. Results: Forty patients were referred for HUT. Twenty-four (61.5%) of these patients were deemed to have a positive response. Thirty-three patients (85%) referred to HUT were initially evaluated with COBP, which revealed orthostatic hypotension (OH) in 8 patients (24%). COBP was calculated to have sensitivity and specificity of 21% and 71%, respectively, when asymptomatic OH was included in the positivity criteria. When asymptomatic OH was excluded from the positivity criteria, the sensitivity and specificity remained similar at 25% and 76%, respectively. However, the exclusion of asymptomatic OH from the positivity criteria resulted in a decrease in the positive predictive value from 50% to 25% and an increase in the negative predictive value from 40% to 76%. Overall, HUT detected 16 patients with an abnormal result that were missed by COBP testing. Conclusion: Evaluation for autonomic dysfunction should be part of the comprehensive evaluation of a dizzy patient, involving, at a minimum, orthostatic testing of blood pressure and heart rate. Patients with nonotologic dizziness and light-headedness with a normal neurotologic evaluation can reasonably be referred for HUT, even in the presence of normal in-office orthostatic testing.
Broad-Spectrum Bactericidal Activity of Ag2O-Doped Bioactive Glass

ABSTRACT Bioactive glass has found extensive application as an orthopedic and dental graft material and most recently also as a tissue engineering scaffold. Here we report an initial investigation of the in vitro antibacterial properties of AgBG, a novel bioactive glass composition doped with Ag2O. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of this new material and of two other bioactive glass compositions, 45S5 Bioglass and BG, have been studied by using Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus as test microorganisms. Concentrations of AgBG in the range of 0.05 to 0.20 mg of AgBG per ml of culture medium were found to inhibit the growth of these bacteria. Not only was AgBG bacteriostatic, but it also elicited a rapid bactericidal action. A complete bactericidal effect was elicited within the first hours of incubation at AgBG concentrations of 10 mg ml−1. 45S5 Bioglass and BG had no effect on bacterial growth or viability. The antibacterial action of AgBG is attributed exclusively to the leaching of Ag+ ions from the glass matrix. Analytical measurements rule out any contribution to AgBG-mediated bacterial killing by changes in pH or ionic strength or the dissolution of other ionic species from the biomaterials. Our observations of the dissolution profiles of Ag+ from AgBG in the presence and absence of bacteria are consistent with silver accumulation by the bacteria.
Place of death: how much does it matter? The priority is to improve end-of-life care in all settings.

Increasing patient choice is at the heart of current UK health service policy. At the end of life the focus is on eliciting patients' preferences for where end-of-life care is delivered, facilitating death at home when desired, and preventing crisis admissions in the last few days of life.1 Less than one-fifth (18.5%) of deaths from all causes in England and Wales currently occur at home. More than half of all deaths (58.3%) occur in hospital, with evidence of a slow but steady decline in deaths occurring at home and a rising proportion of deaths in hospital. Figure 1 shows data for cancer deaths from 1993 to 2005 from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figure 1 Place of death for cancer patients in England and Wales 1993–2005. There is a mismatch between patients' preferred and actual place of death. Cross-sectional studies of patients,2,3 their informal carers,4 and the lay public5 reveal a majority preference for death at home: for most of us it is the natural place that death should come, reflecting who we are and what home and family means. Such preferences are not categorical, but are usually stronger or weaker leanings in one direction or another, qualified by uncertainty about the impact of future events.6 Conditions at three levels must be met for palliative care at home to be successful. Personal factors include the patient's desire to remain at home, their attitude towards death and dying, and the impact of their illness in …
Review of surrogate modeling in water resources

Surrogate modeling, also called metamodeling, has evolved and been extensively used over the past decades. A wide variety of methods and tools have been introduced for surrogate modeling aiming to develop and utilize computationally more efficient surrogates of high‐fidelity models mostly in optimization frameworks. This paper reviews, analyzes, and categorizes research efforts on surrogate modeling and applications with an emphasis on the research accomplished in the water resources field. The review analyzes 48 references on surrogate modeling arising from water resources and also screens out more than 100 references from the broader research community. Two broad families of surrogates namely response surface surrogates, which are statistical or empirical data‐driven models emulating the high‐fidelity model responses, and lower‐fidelity physically based surrogates, which are simplified models of the original system, are detailed in this paper. Taxonomies on surrogate modeling frameworks, practical details, advances, challenges, and limitations are outlined. Important observations and some guidance for surrogate modeling decisions are provided along with a list of important future research directions that would benefit the common sampling and search (optimization) analyses found in water resources.
Design and simulative analysis of a batteryless Teflon coated capacitive pressure sensor for glaucoma diagnosis

This paper presents the design and simulative analysis of MEMS sensor which can be used as pressure sensitive capacitor of Intraocular Pressure (IOP) sensor. An IOP sensor is an LC tank circuit which can be used as diagnostic device for glaucoma disease. This sensor detects pressure in Intraocular range i.e. 0-60mmHg in terms of capacitance. In this paper, different shapes and structures of diaphragm are investigated and found that 4 slotted square diaphragm as optimum. A battery less design was proposed by coating the diaphragm with Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) which is highly electronegative. The sensor yields a displacement sensitivity of 9.577×10-5μm/Pa and 13.186×10-5μm/Pa for diaphragm with and without Teflon coating respectively. The capacitive sensitivity has also increased from 5.916×10-7 1/Pa to 10.758×10-7 1/Pa with Teflon coating. It can be seen that, displacement and capacitive sensitivities were improved by 1.3 and 1.8 times respectively by using 4 slotted square diaphragm coated with Teflon. The greatest advantage of the proposed design is the removal of external biasing.
A Novel Design Methodology for High-Efficiency Current-Mode and Voltage-Mode Class-E Power Amplifiers in Wireless Power Transfer systems

The high-efficiency current-mode (CM) and voltage-mode (VM) Class-E power amplifiers (PAs) for MHz wireless power transfer (WPT) systems are first proposed in this paper and the design methodology for them is presented. The CM/VM Class-E PA is able to deliver the increasing/decreasing power with the increasing load and the efficiency maintains high even when the load varies in a wide range. The high efficiency and certain operation mode are realized by introducing an impedance transformation network with fixed components. The efficiency, output power, circuit tolerance, and robustness are all taken into consideration in the design procedure, which makes the CM and the VM Class-E PAs especially practical and efficient to real WPT systems. 6.78-MHz WPT systems with the CM and the VM Class-E PAs are fabricated and compared to that with the classical Class-E PA. The measurement results show that the output power is proportional to the load for the CM Class-E PA and is inversely proportional to the load for the VM Class-E PA. The efficiency for them maintains high, over 83%, when the load of PA varies from 10 to 100 $\Omega$, while the efficiency of the classical Class-E is about 60% in the worst case. The experiment results validate the feasibility of the proposed design methodology and show that the CM and the VM Class-E PAs present superior performance in WPT systems compared to the traditional Class-E PA.
Activator of G-protein signaling 8 is involved in VEGF-mediated signal processing during angiogenesis

ABSTRACT Activator of G-protein signaling 8 (AGS8, also known as FNDC1) is a receptor-independent accessory protein for the Gβγ subunit, which was isolated from rat heart subjected to repetitive transient ischemia with the substantial development of collaterals. Here, we report the role of AGS8 in vessel formation by endothelial cells. Knockdown of AGS8 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced tube formation, as well as VEGF-stimulated cell growth and migration. VEGF stimulated the phosphorylation of the VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2, also known as KDR), ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK; however, knockdown of AGS8 inhibited these signaling events. Signal alterations by AGS8 siRNA were associated with a decrease of cell surface VEGFR-2 and an increase of VEGFR-2 in the cytosol. Endocytosis blockers did not influence the decrease of VEGFR-2 by AGS8 siRNA, suggesting the involvement of AGS8 in VEGFR-2 trafficking to the plasma membrane. VEGFR-2 formed a complex with AGS8 in cells, and a peptide designed to disrupt AGS8–Gβγ interaction inhibited VEGF-induced tube formation. These data suggest a potential role for AGS8–Gβγ in VEGF signal processing. AGS8 might play a key role in tissue adaptation by regulating angiogenic events. Summary: Activator of G-protein signaling 8 (AGS8) regulates the angiogenic events in endothelial cells by influencing the intracellular distribution of VEGFR-2. A new signal input to angiogenesis by AGS8 is suggested.
Multimorbidity in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes

ABSTRACT Background: People with type 2 diabetes frequently have a variety of related and unrelated chronic conditions. These additional conditions have implications for patient education, treatment burden and disease management. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the nature of multimorbidity, and its impact on GP visits, polypharmacy and glycaemic control as measured by HbA1c, in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes attending general practice in Ireland. Methods: A cohort of 424 patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in a cluster randomized controlled trial based in Irish general practice was examined. Patient data included: medical conditions, HbA1c, health service utilization, socio-economic status and number of prescribed medications. Results: 90% of patients had at least one additional chronic condition and a quarter had four or more additional chronic conditions. 66% of patients had hypertension; 25% had heart disease; and 16% had arthritis. General practitioner visits and polypharmacy increased significantly with increasing numbers of chronic conditions. When comparing patient self-report with medical records, patients who reported a higher proportion of their conditions had better glycaemic control with a significantly lower HbA1c score. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of multimorbidity in these patients with type 2 diabetes and the results suggest that glycaemic control is related to patients’ awareness of their chronic conditions. The variety of conditions emphasizes the complexity of illness management in this group and the importance of maintaining a generalist and multidisciplinary approach to their clinical care.