Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of self-collection devices for cytology and human papillomavirus DNA testing in cervical cancer screening.

Introduction Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in women worldwide with an estimated 466,000 new cases and 231,000 deaths per year. The incidence of cervical cancer as well as deaths from the disease have declined sharply in Western developed countries with the advent of cytologic screening; however, this success is overshadowed by minimal progress in incidence and death rate reduction in developing countries, where over 80% of the global cases of cervical cancer now occur. Poor progress in developing countries is due largely to a lack of effective screening programs and has resulted in a cervical cancer death rate approaching the incidence rate. Even in the United States, approximately half of the women who develop cervical Correspondence:Michael A. Bidus, MD, Division of GynecologicOncology, Building 2, 2Floor, Room2J06,Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20307. E-mail: michael.bidus@na. amedd.army. mil The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.
Internet users' attitude and behavioural intention on ebranding

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the effect of internet users' general attitude towards internet advertising and level of product involvement on their attitudes and behaviour. In this study, three banner advertisements and corporate websites of varying creative content and message appeal were used. Data was gathered through an online survey with a sample size of 245 respondents. The Covariance Structural Modelling results show that general attitude towards internet advertising and level of product involvement has a positive impact on users' attitudes (site and brand) and behavioural intention. The results show that the extent to which users perceive a corporate website is customised from information derived from their individual-level differences and is influenced by their general attitude towards internet advertising and level of involvement.
Government funding framework for South African Higher Education Institutions

Since the early 1950s, only four funding formulae have been used for public funding of higher education institutions in South Africa. From the introduction of the Holloway formula in 1953 to the current New Funding Formula (NFF), implemented in 2004, the underlying factors that determine the base of funding for higher education stayed the same. Some principles, such as weighted stu-dent numbers, changed the calculation of students, but student intake, student output and research output still determine funding. While the basis of funding did not change much, the amounts per unit changed significantly, especially since 2001. Research became the focus of some universities, while others in-creased their student intake in order to generate the maximum amount of in-come from government subsidies. The NFF continues to evolve and managerial staff needs the necessary knowledge on the basics of subsidy to make informed decisions. With the new cycle for enrolment planning being done from 2014 to 2019, knowledge of the NFF is more important than ever.
Teaching reputational risk management in the supply chain

Purpose – In the supply chain context, professionals manage various risks that have the potential to disrupt supplies. Surprisingly, one kind of risk is often overlooked: reputational risk. It is critical to recognise the risk potential that impacts on the reputation of the organisation. Furthermore, managers require an appropriate tool set to control it. The present paper aims to have a twin focus: first, it will lay out the basic premises behind corporate reputation, reputational risk, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Second, the practical implications will be addressed that lead to a substantial teaching component.Design/methodology/approach – The present paper is based on two research stages. Initially, the authors adopted the “reflective practitioner” philosophy that aimed at discovering the common beliefs in practice that explain working processes and management thought. In particular, they explored the foundation of CSR, reputation and risk management with specialists in dedicated worksho.
Sphingomyelin induces cathepsin D-mediated apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells and increases inflammation in DSS colitis

Background The sphingolipid sphingomyelin is a constituent in food derived from animals. Digestive breakdown of sphingomyelin results in ceramide, recently suggested to be involved in activation of cathepsin D as a novel mediator of apoptosis. Damage of the epithelial barrier was detected in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) due to increased rates of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) apoptosis. Methods Acute colitis was induced in C57-BL/6 mice with 2.0% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) over 7 days. Spontaneous colitis was developed in B6-IL10tm1Cgn (interleukin 10-negative (IL-10–/–)) mice. Mice received 4 or 8 mg sphingomyelin/day by oral gavage. IECs were isolated ex vivo. Apoptosis was determined by propidium iodide (PI) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining. Execution of apoptosis was confirmed by analysis of active cathepsin D, caspase-3 and caspase-9 with western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results Following DSS-mediated colitis, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis indicated increased apoptosis of IECs under dietary sphingomyelin. The mean sub-G1 portion increased from 8.7±2.5% under a normal diet to 14.0±3.1% under dietary sphingomyelin. Cathepsin activity was significantly increased in isolated IECs after gavage of 4 mg of sphingomyelin per day. Western blot and IHC revealed execution of the apoptotic cascade via activated caspase-3 and caspase-9. Dietary sphingomyelin in the IL-10–/– model confirmed aggravation of mucosal inflammation. Conclusion Apoptosis of IEC induced by dietary sphingomyelin is mediated via ceramide and cathepsin D activation. This shortens the physiological life cycle of IECs and impairs crucial functions of the intestinal mucosa: barrier, defence and nutrient absorption. The findings provide evidence that dietary sphingomyelin may increase intestinal inflammation.
Consumer Activism on the Internet: The Role of Anti-brand Communities

As a backlash against capitalism, there is a growing resistance to transnational brands and corporate globalization. To cite a few trends, consumers are opposing global brands and expressing concerns about corporate practices related to environmental issues and human rights. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current anti-brand social movement by examining consumer activist groups on the Internet. We identified three anti-brand websites for in-depth analysis: anti-Wal-Mart, anti-McDonald’s, and antiStarbuck’s. Based on 36 interviews and a two-year examination of anti-brand communities, we provide an understanding of why online anti-brand communities form, we explore the behavioral manifestations of such movements, and we discuss technological influences. The concluding section discusses our findings in terms of implications for theory.
Cross Currency Swap Valuation

Cross currency swaps are powerful instruments to transfer assets or liabilities from one currency into another. The market charges for this a liquidity premium, the cross currency basis spread, which should be taken into account by the valuation methodology. We describe and compare two valuation methods for cross currency swaps which are based upon using two different discounting curves. The first method is very popular in practice but inconsistent with single currency swap valuation methods. The second method is consistent for all swap valuations but leads to mark-to-market values for single currency off market swaps, which can be quite different to standard valuation results.
Interferon alfa-2a as compared with conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND In view of studies showing that interferon alfa was effective treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia and that it prolonged survival, we organized a prospective, controlled comparative study of this treatment. METHODS We compared recombinant interferon alfa-2a with conventional chemotherapy (hydroxyurea or busulfan) in a trial designed to have a power of 80 percent to detect a difference of 20 percent in median survival between the group given interferon and the group given conventional chemotherapy. Between 1986 and 1988, 322 patients with previously untreated or minimally treated Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia were randomly assigned to treatment with either interferon alfa-2a (218 patients) or conventional chemotherapy (104 patients). RESULTS The rate of karyotypic response (defined as > 33 percent of metaphases negative for the Philadelphia chromosome) was 30 percent in the interferon group and 5 percent in the conventional-chemotherapy group (P < 0.001). The time to progression from the chronic phase of leukemia to an accelerated or a blastic phase was longer in the interferon group than in the conventional-chemotherapy group (median, > 72 vs. 45 months; P < 0.001), as was survival (median, 72 vs. 52 months; 6-year survival, 50 percent vs. 29 percent; P = 0.002 for both comparisons). There was one treatment-related death in each group. Treatment was discontinued because of side effects (mainly influenza-like, gastrointestinal, or neurologic symptoms) in 35 patients given interferon alfa-2a (16 percent). The cost of interferon treatment was 200 times that of the conventional treatment. CONCLUSIONS During long-term treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, interferon alfa-2a induced more karyotypic responses than conventional chemotherapy, delayed disease progression longer, and prolonged overall survival more.
The Air Quality Health Index and Emergency Department Visits for Otitis Media.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to explore novel multipollutant exposure assessments using the Air Quality Health Index in relation to emergency department visits for otitis media (OM). DESIGN This study was a retrospective analysis using information from emergency department visits for OM, air pollution, and weather databases. METHODS For children 3 years of age or younger, there were 4,815 emergency department visits for OM over a 6-year period across hospitals in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Both time-stratified case-crossover and nonlinear time series distributed lag analyses were applied to investigate the association between the Air Quality Health Index and visits for OM. FINDINGS Using case-crossover analysis, there was an increase in emergency department visits with OM diagnoses 6 to 7 days postexposure to increased ozone and 3 to 4 days after exposure to increased particulate matter. For every 1 unit increase in the Air Quality Health Index, discharge diagnosis of OM increased 5% to 6% three days postexposure. Effects were stronger using the nonlinear time series analysis. The overall risk for OM, in the first 15 days after an increase in the Air Quality Health Index, was 1.22 times the risk of OM on days following no increase in exposures. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm that there is an association between the multipollutant Air Quality Health Index and emergency department visits for OM. The findings can be used to inform risk communication, patient education, and policy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Clinicians can use the Air Quality Health Index as an education and advocacy tool to promote and protect the health of those at high risk for OM to reduce exposures.
Acute immune polyneuropathies: correlations of serum antibodies to Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori with anti-GM1 antibodies and clinical patterns of disease.

Antecedent Campylobacter jejuni infection, detected by serologic tests, has been implicated in some acute immune polyneuropathies (AIP). Antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, C. jejuni, and GM1 ganglioside were measured in sera from 35 Chinese patients with AIP. Anti-GM1 antibodies were found in 54% of C. jejuni-seropositive, H. pylori-seronegative patients. In contrast, anti-GM1 antibodies were rare in sera that were either seropositive for both C. jejuni and H. pylori (P = .04) or seronegative for C. jejuni (P = .01). Motor axonal AIP was more common in the C. jejuni-seropositive, H. pylori-seronegative patients (82%) than in the bacterial antibody-negative group (38%). It was concluded that in AIP patients, C. jejuni-positive sera may be polyreactive, in that it may also react with H. pylori. In this situation, the specificity for either infection requires further validation. In contrast, sera with specific C. jejuni seropositivity are associated with both motor axonal AIP and selective serum IgG anti-GM1 antibodies.
Attack on WiFi-based Location Services and SSL using Proxy Servers

Wireless LANs, or WiFi, are very common in any household or business today. It allows access to their home or business network and the Internet without using wires. Their wireless nature allows mobility and convenience for the user and that opens up a lot of new possibilities in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. One application that makes use of wireless LANs is positioning, which can be used in areas where Global Positioning Systems may have trouble functioning or not at all. However, a drawback of using wireless communication is that it is susceptible to eavesdropping and jamming. Once the wireless signal is jammed, an attacker can set up fake access points on different channels or frequencies to impersonate a legitimate access point. In this thesis, this attack is performed specifically to trick WiFi-based location services that are becoming very popular nowadays, especially for mobile devices. It will be shown that the attack works on Skyhook, Google, Apple and Microsoft location services, four of the major location service providers, and works on dual-band hardware. Some countermeasures to such an attack are also presented. The web is an important part of many people’s lives nowadays. People expect that their privacy and confidentiality is preserved when they use the web. Previously, web traffic uses HTTP which meant traffic is all unencrypted so most information is sent in plaintext, which an attacker can intercept and read. This is clearly a security problem so many websites now default to using a more secure protocol, namely HTTPS which uses HTTP with SSL, and will redirect you to the more secure version if you attempt to connect using the non-SSL version of the website. SSL works by exchanging keys between the client and server and the actual data is protected using the key and the cipher suite that is negotiated between the two. However, if a network uses a proxy server, it works slightly different. The SSL connection is broken up into two separate ones and that creates the potential for man-in-the-middle attacks that allow an attacker to intercept the data being transmitted. This thesis analyzes several scenarios in which an adversary can conduct such a man-in-the-middle attack, and potential detection and mitigation methods.
Evidence from Auditors About Managers' and Auditors' Earnings-Management Decisions

This paper reports analyses of data obtained using a field‐based questionnaire in which 253 auditors from one Big 5 firm recalled and described 515 specific experiences they had with clients who they believe were attempting to manage earnings. This approach enables us to analyze separately managers' decisions about how to attempt earnings management and auditors' decisions about whether to prevent earnings management by requiring adjustment of the financial statements. Our results indicate that managers are more likely to attempt earnings management, and auditors are less likely to adjust earnings management attempts, which are structured (not structured) with respect to precise (imprecise) standards. We also find that managers are more likely to make attempts that increase current‐year income, but auditors are more likely to require that those attempts be adjusted, that managers are more likely to make attempts that decrease current‐year income with unstructured transactions and/or when standards are imp.
Non-Deceptive Counterfeiting Purchase Behavior: Antecedents Of Attitudes And Purchase Intentions

This study offers insights into factors underlying consumers' intentions to purchase counterfeit products. Based on existing literature in the field, we posit that intention to buy is influenced by consumers' attitudes, moral intensity and perceived risk. In addition, we hypothesize that attitudes are determined by moral intensity and perceived risk. The hypotheses are tested with data gathered from a random sample of adult consumers using structural equations modeling. Implications of different patterns of results identified are also discussed.
Speaker Age Classification and Regression Using i-Vectors

In this paper, we examine the use of i-vectors both for age regression as well as for age classiﬁcation. Although i-vectors have been previously used for age regression task, we extend this approach by applying fusion of i-vectors and acoustic features regression to estimate the speaker age. By our fusion we obtain a relative improvement of 12.6% comparing to solely i-vector system. We also use i-vectors for age classiﬁcation, which to our knowledge is the ﬁrst attempt to do so. Our best results reach unweighted accuracy 62.9%, which is a relative improvement of 16.7% comparing to the best results obtained in age classiﬁ-cation task at Age Sub-Challenge at Interspeech 2010.
Avolition-Apathy and White Matter Connectivity in Schizophrenia: Reduced Fractional Anisotropy Between Amygdala and Insular Cortex

The avolition/apathy domain of negative symptoms includes motivation- and pleasure-related impairments. In people with schizophrenia, structural and functional abnormalities were reported in key regions within the motivational reward system, including ventral-tegmental area (VTA), striatum (especially at the level of the nucleus accumbens, NAcc), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), as well as amygdala (Amy) and insular cortex (IC). However, the association of the reported abnormalities with avoliton-apathy is still controversial. In the present study, we investigated white matter connectivity patterns within these regions, using a probabilistic analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data, in male subjects with schizophrenia. Thirty-five male subjects with schizophrenia (SCZ) and 17 male healthy controls (HC) matched for age, underwent DTI. SCZ were evaluated using the Schedule for Deficit Syndrome (SDS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Probabilistic tractography was applied to investigate pathways connecting the Amy and the NAcc with the OFC and IC. Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) was observed in left Amy–ventral anterior IC connections, in SCZ compared with controls. This abnormality was negatively correlated with avolition/apathy but not with expressive deficit scores. SCZ showed also a reduced connectivity index between right NAcc and medial OFC, as compared with controls. Finally, the left NAcc-dorsal anterior IC connectivity index was negatively correlated with working memory scores. Our results indicate that only the avolition/apathy domain of negative symptoms is related to abnormal connectivity in the motivation-related circuits. The findings also demonstrate that distinct alterations underlie cognitive impairment and avolition/apathy.
Social support and family communication as factors protecting adolescents against multiple recurrent health complaints related to school stress.

INTRODUCTION One reason of increased psychological and somatic health problems in adolescence is intensification of stress in school and everyday life. There is little evidence to what extent the level of school achievements shapes this relationship. AIM The aim of the study was to investigate determinants of subjective health complaints in schoolaged children, taking into account the interaction effects. METHODS Anonymous survey was conducted in Poland in 2013/2014 on the sample of 4,545 students, as a part of the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) study. On the basis of prevalence of eight symptoms in the past 6 months, a standardized index of health complaints (SCL - Subjective Complaints Checklist) was calculated (0-100). To predict its variability three hierarchical linear models (five blocks) were estimated, separately for three levels of school achievements. Support from family, classmates and teachers as well as family communication were considered as protective factors, which can reduce the negative impact of stress. All analyses were adjusted for age, gender and family affluence. RESULTS The standardized SCL index was equal to 23.2 in boys and 32.5 in girls. The high level of school stress was reported by 28.5% boys and 35.6% girls, respectively. Regarding these two measures, similar patterns of change were observed, increase with age and with deterioration of academic achievement. Final multivariate models explained 22-25% variability of SCL, slightly more among worst students. Accumulation of low family support and high level of school stress caused the highest increase in the SCL index in very good students. CONCLUSIONS School performance is an important determinant of subjective health complaints in adolescence, also modifying the impact of other risk and protective factors.
Enhancement of Voltage Quality in Isolated Power Systems

The use of series compensators (SCs) in improving voltage quality of isolated power systems is considered. The roles of the compensators are to mitigate the effects of momentary voltage sags/swells, and to control the level of harmonic distortions in the networks. A control strategy for the SC is developed to regulate power flow. This is achieved through phase adjustment of load terminal voltage. It leads to an increase in the ridethrough capability of loads to the voltage sags/swells. Validity of the technique is illustrated through simulation