Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of urticaria in Spain.

BACKGROUND In spite of the frequency of chronic urticaria there are very few epidemiological studies of its prevalence and distribution. OBJECTIVE We wanted to approach the real prevalence of chronic urticaria in a population-based study and to depict demographic distribution and personal perception of the disease. We also wanted to describe the frequency of acute urticaria episodes in the population studied. METHODS We conducted a population-based study among adults in Spain. We questioned 5003 individuals after calculating a sample size for a maximum variability (conservative approach p=q=0.5). RESULTS We found a 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4-0.8) prevalence of chronic urticaria. The prevalence is significantly higher in women than in men with a OR=3.82 (95%CI 1.56-9.37). Chronic urticaria is a self-limited disease, yet in 8.7% of cases chronic urticaria lasts from one to 5 years and in 11.3%, for more than 5 years. The average age of onset is 40 years. CONCLUSIONS We offer large epidemiology study data on the prevalence of chronic urticaria. The prevalence of chronic urticaria has not yet been defined in an adult population-based study. With this work we offer such data to describe the prevalence and features of this disease.
The Role of Earnings Forecasts in Asset Pricing Models and Estimates of the Cost of Capital

Analysts’ forecasts are a critical input for the Implied Cost of Capital (ICC) estimation. This dissertation makes three contributions to the literature. (1) I measure the impact of analysts’ forecast errors on ICC estimates, (2) I propose a model that outperforms the most popular methods from the literature in terms of forecast accuracy and bias, and (3) I introduce a Fitted ICC as an alternative to the raw ICC estimates to achieve a higher correlation to future returns.
Automatic non-symbolic numerosity processing in preschoolers

There has recently been an increasing focus on the development of automatic processing of numerical magnitude. However, little effort has been made to explore automatic access to non-symbolic numerical magnitude in preschool children. In experiment 1, we used a non-symbolic physical size comparison task in 3- to 6-year-olds to examine developmental changes and the effect of ratio and counting principle knowledge. Results showed that the existence of automatic non-symbolic numerical processing began at age 3–4 years and size congruity effects tended to reduce with increasing age from 4 years old. The study also found that non-counting-principle knowers had a larger congruity effect, and in low ratio conditions the size congruity effect was more easily found. In addition, symbolic number comparison ability was negatively related to size congruity effect. In experiment 2, we explored the relationship between inhibition skill and size congruity effects, as well as interference and facilitatory components in children aged 4 years old. Results showed no correlation between inhibition skills and the size congruity effect and only interference effects were found. We also found a larger interference effect in low ratio conditions than in high ratio conditions.
A comparative study of the neurons of origin of the spinocerebellar afferents in the rat, Cat and squirrel monkey based on the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

The cell bodies of the neurons of the spinocerebellar pathways were examined using large injections of horseradish peroxidose into the cerebellum. Sections of each spinal segment were examined with both the DAB and the de Olmos O‐dianisidine techniques. Results common to all three species were found. In Clarke's nucleus, the central cervical nucleus, and the spinal border cells there were many heavily labeled cells. Clarke's nucleus was found to project primarily ipsilaterally; the spinal border cells primarily contralaterally; and the central cervical nucleus bilaterally. In addition to these aggregates of spinocerebellar neurons there were numerous labeled neurons scattered throughout the spinal grey. Labeled neurons were found in all portions of the spinal grey except the substantia gelatinosa and lateral cervical nucleus and occurred in all spinal segments. They varied in morphology from large multipolar neurons, found predominantly in the ventral horn to small globular and fusiform neurons that were most abundant in the dorsal horn. These cells were found to project both ipsilaterally and contralaterally. Results common to only two of the species examined were also found. In the squirrel monkey and the cat, but not the rat, the marginal layer of the dorsal horn in all segments of the spinal contained numerous labeled neurons. These marginal neurons were especially numerous in the squirrel monkey, where as many as 13 to 16 labeled neurons per section of the dorsal horn were found. In the rat and the squirrel monkey but not the cat, some intensely labeled large multipolar neurons were found in the sacral and caudal segments. These are the cells of Stilling's nucleus, a column of cells similar in position and orientation to that of Clarke's column but different in its projections and details of cytoarchitecture. Thus we have not only confirmed that Clarke's nucleus, the central cervical nucleus, and the spinal border cells project to the cerebellum but we have also found several new sources of spinocerebellar afferents.
The role of surgery in the treatment of pediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Within the last 20 years, the role of surgery in the management of pediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) has changed substantially. Along with the assignment of risk-adjusted therapy and specific treatment protocols, surgical procedures have been restricted to defined situations including abdominal emergencies, diagnostic biopsy, total tumor extirpation and second-look operations. METHODS The authors retrospectively analyzed the effect of initial surgery and second-look operation on event-free survival (EFS) in 79 patients with B-NHL (abdominal primary, n = 57; head or neck tumor, n = 22). Furthermore, the prognostic significance of the stage of disease for the patients analyzed was evaluated. RESULTS Therapy results showed that the extent of resection did not have a significant influence on EFS and that stage of disease was of prognostic relevance only for patients with head and neck tumors. The number of patients who had a second-look operation (n = 12) was too small for statistical interpretation. CONCLUSIONS Because tumor resectability is determined by the stage of disease, which is the superimposed predictor of prognosis, the influence of the extent of resection on EFS cannot be interpreted independently. Nevertheless, the following conclusions can be drawn: in patients with proven localized disease, total resections should be attempted, if not mutilating, to avoid intensified chemotherapy. However, if only partial resections seem feasible, surgical interventions should be restricted to the least necessary procedures for treating life-threatening local tumor effects and establishing a definite diagnosis.
Nonword repetition in adults who stutter: The effects of stimuli stress and auditory-orthographic cues

Purpose Adults who stutter (AWS) are less accurate in their immediate repetition of novel phonological sequences compared to adults who do not stutter (AWNS). The present study examined whether manipulation of the following two aspects of traditional nonword repetition tasks unmask distinct weaknesses in phonological working memory in AWS: (1) presentation of stimuli with less-frequent stress patterns, and (2) removal of auditory-orthographic cues immediately prior to response. Method Fifty-two participants (26 AWS, 26 AWNS) produced 12 bisyllabic nonwords in the presence of corresponding auditory-orthographic cues (i.e., immediate repetition task), and the absence of auditory-orthographic cues (i.e., short-term recall task). Half of each cohort (13 AWS, 13 AWNS) were exposed to the stimuli with high-frequency trochaic stress, and half (13 AWS, 13 AWNS) were exposed to identical stimuli with lower-frequency iambic stress. Results No differences in immediate repetition accuracy for trochaic or iambic nonwords were observed for either group. However, AWS were less accurate when recalling iambic nonwords than trochaic nonwords in the absence of auditory-orthographic cues. Conclusions Manipulation of two factors which may minimize phonological demand during standard nonword repetition tasks increased the number of errors in AWS compared to AWNS. These findings suggest greater vulnerability in phonological working memory in AWS, even when producing nonwords as short as two syllables.
Adjusting for population heterogeneity: A framework for characterizing statistical information and developing efficient test statistics

The focus of this work is the TDT‐type and family‐based test statistics used for adjusting for potential confounding due to population heterogeneity or misspecified allele frequencies. A variety of heuristics have been used to motivate and derive these statistics, and the statistics have been developed for a variety of analytic goals. There appears to be no general theoretical framework, however, that may be used to evaluate competing approaches. Furthermore, there is no framework to guide the development of efficient TDT‐type and family‐based methods for analytic goals for which methods have not yet been proposed. The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework that serves both to identify the information which is available to methods that are immune to confounding due to population heterogeneity or misspecified allele frequencies, and to inform the construction of efficient unbiased tests in novel settings. The development relies on the existence of a characterization of the null hypothesis in terms of a completely specified conditional distribution of transmitted genotypes. An important observation is that, with such a characterization, when the conditioning event is unobserved or incomplete, there is statistical information that cannot be exploited by any exact conditional test. The main technical result of this work is an approach to computing test statistics for local alternatives that exploit all of the available statistical information. Genet Epidemiol 24:284–290, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of safe community program on motorcyclists' safety with focus on helmet usage in 14 cities of IR Iran

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of safe community interventions on motorcyclists' safety. Two cross sectional observations were conducted in 14 cities (five safe community practicing and nine safe community non-practicing cities) independently on 2005 and 2007. Ten percent of registered motorcycles were observed and interviewed (n=1114 in each observation). 87.9% used motorcycle for commercial purposes. All motorcyclists were male and mostly aged 18–29 years old. Death rate significantly rose from 122 to 254 per 100000 motorcyclists in Fars province since the first observation (p < 0.0001). Helmet usage rate was constant (13%). Recorded crashes increased from 16.4% to 23.1% in safe community setting (p < 0.0001). 11% carried more than one pillion. Heat disturbances, embarrassment, hearing blockage, and negligence were the most mentioned excuses for not using helmet. Law enforcement, public education, accessibility to helmets on discount rate, new legislation and, finally, access to new designed helmet were the most suggestions made by motorcyclists to promote helmet usage. No significant effect was noticed between two settings except in injury registration system in safe community. Community involvement in the safety programs could ensure sustainability of initiatives and continuity of interventions in safe communities.
Relative risk of cardiovascular and cancer mortality in people with severe mental illness from the United Kingdom's General Practice Rsearch Database.

CONTEXT People with severe mental illness (SMI) appear to have an elevated risk of death from cardiovascular disease, but results regarding cancer mortality are conflicting. OBJECTIVE To estimate this excess mortality and the contribution of antipsychotic medication, smoking, and social deprivation. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING United Kingdom's General Practice Research Database. Patients Two cohorts were compared: people with SMI diagnoses and people without such diagnoses. Main Outcome Measure Mortality rates for coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and the 7 most common cancers in the United Kingdom. RESULTS A total of 46 136 people with SMI and 300 426 without SMI were selected for the study. Hazard ratios (HRs) for CHD mortality in people with SMI compared with controls were 3.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99-5.21) for people 18 through 49 years old, 1.86 (95% CI, 1.63-2.12) for those 50 through 75 years old, and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.92-1.19) for those older than 75 years. For stroke deaths, the HRs were 2.53 (95% CI, 0.99-6.47) for those younger than 50 years, 1.89 (95% CI, 1.50-2.38) for those 50 through 75 years old, and 1.34 (95% CI, 1.17-1.54) for those older than 75 years. The only significant result for cancer deaths was an unadjusted HR for respiratory tumors of 1.32 (95% CI, 1.04-1.68) for those 50 to 75 years old, which lost statistical significance after controlling for smoking and social deprivation. Increased HRs for CHD mortality occurred irrespective of sex, SMI diagnosis, or prescription of antipsychotic medication during follow-up. However, a higher prescribed dose of antipsychotics predicted greater risk of mortality from CHD and stroke. CONCLUSIONS This large community sample demonstrates that people with SMI have an increased risk of death from CHD and stroke that is not wholly explained by antipsychotic medication, smoking, or social deprivation scores. Rates of nonrespiratory cancer mortality were not raised. Further research is required concerning prevention of this mortality, including cardiovascular risk assessment, monitoring of antipsychotic medication, and attention to diet and exercise.
International volunteer tourism and youth travelers – an emerging tourism trend

ABSTRACT This study attempted to examine the intricate associations among volunteer tourism (VT) motivations, overall image, satisfaction, trust, and the influence of these relationships on behavioral intentions among youth travelers. Our findings from the structural analysis indicated that VT motivations significantly contributed to building positive images, inducing satisfactory VT experiences, and building trust with a VT organization. Our results also demonstrated the competence of the higher-order structure of VT motivations in explicating the intention formation. In addition, the overall image, satisfaction, and trust played an important mediating role. Moreover, satisfaction with VT experiences was of utmost significance in determining intentions.
Exploring Nurses’ Knowledge and Experiences Related to Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed care is an emerging concept that acknowledges the lasting effects of trauma. Nurses are uniquely positioned to play an integral role in the advancement of trauma-informed care. However, knowledge related to trauma-informed care in nursing practice remains limited. The purpose of this article is to present the results of a qualitative study which explored nurses’ understandings and experiences related to trauma-informed care. Seven semistructured interviews were conducted with nurses and four categories emerged from the analysis: (a) Conceptualizing Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, (b) Nursing Care and Trauma, (c) Context of Trauma-Informed Care, and (d) Dynamics of the Nurse–Patient Relationship in the Face of Trauma. These findings highlight important considerations for trauma-informed care including the complex dynamics of trauma that affect care, the need to push knowledge about trauma beyond mental health care, and noteworthy parallels between nursing care and trauma-informed care.
Identification of mRNAs associated with programmed cell death in immature thymocytes

Programmed cell death is an essential cellular process that occurs in epithelial turnover, neural development, and regulation of cell populations of the immune system. Thymocytes undergo programmed cell death in response to several inductive stimuli, including exposure to glucocorticoids or radiation. This program can be blocked by inhibitors of RNA or protein synthesis; this implies that new proteins are required to execute the death programs. To search for possible death-associated mRNAs, we directionally cloned cDNA representing mRNA from control and dexamethasone-treated thymocytes. These libraries were used to produce ample amounts of DNA and RNA used in subtractive hybridization for the removal of sequences present in both control and induced cells. The remaining unhybridized sequences were selectively amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cloned to produce a library enriched for sequences expressed in death-induced cells. From this library we isolated cDNAs of death-associated mRNAs. One of these mRNAs, RP-8, appears within 1 h after exposure to gamma radiation, and a second mRNA, RP-2, is observed within 2 h. Both of these mRNAs accumulate during a period when a reference mRNA, actin, is declining. RP-2 and RP-8 are no longer detectable after 6 h postinduction, when apoptosis and mRNA degradation are evident in the culture. Sequence analysis of RP-8 cDNA indicates the presence of a zinc finger domain suggestive of a possible DNA regulatory role for the RP-8 protein. cDNA sequence results on RP-2 classify the corresponding protein as an integral membrane protein. We conclude that RP-2 and RP-8 are death-associated mRNAs that should be functionally evaluated in the context of the death process. As previously suggested, it may be that a family of "death genes" is activated by various stimuli depending on the type of cell, in a manner somewhat analogous to the induction of heat shock (stress) protein genes.
HLA-DQ8 (DQB1*0302)-Restricted Th17 Cells Exacerbate Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in HLA-DR3-Transgenic Mice 1

Among all of the genetic factors associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility, MHC class II molecules have the strongest association. Although a direct role of DR alleles in MS have been confirmed, it has been difficult to understand the role of DQ alleles in disease pathogenesis due to strong linkage disequilibrium with certain DR alleles. Population studies have indicated that DQ alleles may play a modulatory role in progression of MS. Using HLA class II transgenic (Tg) mice, we investigated gene complementation between DR and DQ genes in the disease process. Previously, using single Tg mice (expressing HLA-DR or DQ gene), we showed that PLP91–110 peptide induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) only in DR3. Aβ° mice, suggesting that DR3 (DRB1*0301) is a disease susceptibility gene in the context of PLP. We also showed that DQ6 protects development of EAE in DQ6/DR3 double Tg mice by production of anti-inflammatory IFN-γ. In this study, we investigated the ability of DQ8 to modulate disease in DR3/DQ8 double Tg mice. Introduction of DQ8 onto DR3 Tg mice led to higher disease incidence and increased disease severity on immunization with PLP91–110, indicating that DQ8 had an exacerbating effect on the development of EAE. Increased susceptibility in DR3/DQ8 Tg mice was due to increased production of proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 by DQ8-restricted T cells. HLA-DR3/DQ8 mice with EAE also demonstrated increased inflammation and demyelination in CNS as compared with single DR3 Tg mice. Thus double Tg mouse provides a novel model to study epistatic interactions between HLA class II molecules in inflammatory and demyelinating disease.
Relationship between Chloroquine Toxicity and Iron Acquisition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Chloroquine is one of the most effective antimalarials, but resistance to it is becoming widespread. However, we do not fully understand either the drug's mode of action or the mechanism of resistance. In an effort to expand our understanding of the mechanism of action and resistance associated with chloroquine, we used Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model eukaryotic system. To aid in the discovery of potential drug targets we applied the transcriptional profiling method to identify genes transcriptionally responsive to chloroquine treatment in S. cerevisiae. Among the genes that were differentially expressed with chloroquine treatment were a number of metal transporters involved in iron acquisition (SIT1, ARN2, ARN4, and SMF2). These genes exhibit similar expression patterns, and several are known to be regulated by AFT1, a DNA binding protein, which responds to iron levels in the cell. We investigated the role of chloroquine in iron metabolism by using a variety of approaches, including pharmacological, genetic, and biochemical techniques. For these experiments, we utilized yeast lacking the major iron uptake pathways (FET3 and FET4) and yeast deficient in SIT1, encoding the major up-regulated iron siderophore transporter. Our experiments show that yeast genetically or environmentally limited in iron availability has increased sensitivity to chloroquine in pharmacological assays and that the addition of iron rescues these cells from chloroquine killing. 55FeCl3 accumulation was inhibited in the presence of chloroquine, and kinetic analysis demonstrated that inhibition was competitive. These results are consistent with deprivation of iron as a mechanism of chloroquine killing in yeast.
10.3 heterogeneous multi-processing quad-core CPU and dual-GPU design for optimal performance, power, and thermal tradeoffs in a 28nm mobile application processor

Driven by consumer demand, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are offering more desktop-like capabilities. High-performance CPUs and GPUs, which handle compute-intensive tasks, are key to enhancing the user experience in applications such as 3D gaming, high-definition video and internet browsing. A CPU and GPU on a tablet device, however, can together consume up to 90% of the total SoC power. As the number of CPU and GPU cores on mobile devices continues to grow, it will require innovation to keep within fixed power and thermal budgets, while providing high performance.