Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex Disparity in Survival of Patients With Uveal Melanoma: Better Survival Rates in Women Than in Men in South Korea.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the survival rate of patients with uveal melanoma and sex disparity in this rate in South Korea. Methods We extracted incident uveal melanoma patients using the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) database, which covered the entire population from 1999 to 2012 in South Korea. We estimated all-cause survival probabilities and cancer-specific survival probabilities of patients with uveal melanoma and compared these probabilities between subgroups (sex, tumor site, age at diagnosis, etc.) using Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank tests. We fitted the Cox-proportional hazards models for all-cause death and cancer death to determine sex disparities in survival. Results A total of 344 uveal melanoma patients (175 women, 51%) were ascertained. They comprised 283 patients with choroidal melanoma (82%) and 61 patients with ciliary body/iris melanoma (18%). The observed 5-year survival probability from all-cause death was 75% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 69%-79%); women with uveal melanoma showed higher survival probability (83% [95% CI: 76%-89%]) compared with men (66% [95% CI: 58%-73%], P < 0.01). After adjusting for age, year of diagnosis, tumor sites, and diagnostic verification method, the hazards for all-cause death and cancer death in women with uveal melanoma were lower than those in men (hazards ratio for cancer death = 0.50 [95% CI: 0.30-0.81]; hazards ratio for all-cause death = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.25-0.61]). Conclusions Women with uveal melanoma have better survival probabilities relative to men with uveal melanoma. Our findings show a comprehensive picture of survival probability in uveal melanoma cancer patients in Korea, which requires further investigation of mechanism of the sex disparity in uveal melanoma.
THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE STUDENTS PRACTICE

The mission of the higher education from Romania is to generate and to transfer knowledge to the society through the individual, generically named â€œstudentâ€. So, the student is part, together with the teaching and research personnel, of the university community and is considered a partner of the superior education institution and equal member of the academic community.
Epidemiological survey and molecular characterization of avian infectious bronchitis virus in Brazil between 2003 and 2009

As part of an epidemiological study of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Brazil, 252 samples from IBV-suspect flocks were tested and the IBV-positive samples were analysed by sequencing of hypervariable regions 1 and 2 of the S1 gene. A high prevalence of IBV variants was found and the sequence analysis of 41 samples revealed a high molecular similarity among the Brazilian isolates (from 90.2 to 100% and from 85.3 to 100% nucleotide and amino acid identity, respectively). The Brazilian isolates showed low genetic relationship with Massachusetts (63.4 to 70.7%), European (45.9 to 75.6%), American (49.3 to 76.4%) and other reference serotypes (67.5 to 78.8%). The Brazilian isolates branched into one unique cluster, separate from the reference serotypes used for infectious bronchitis control in other countries. The variants analysed in this work had a high similarity with all previously published Brazilian IBV isolates, suggesting the presence and high prevalence of a unique or predominant genotype circulating in Brazil. In addition, the virus neutralization test showed that the three Brazilian isolates analysed in the present study are antigenically related to one another but are different from the Massachusetts serotype. The present study shows that IBVs of a unique genotype can be associated with different clinical diseases, and that low genetic variation was detected in this genotype over a long period of time. The molecular characterization of the Brazilian variants isolated from 2003 to 2009 from different geographic regions of the country shows that only one predominant genotype is widespread in the Brazilian territory, denominated in this study as BR-I genotype.
Evaluations of compliance with the FAO (UN) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

It is true that we have a global fisheries crisis, but it is equally true that we already have the tools to understand its causes and overcome it. One of the elements of this toolkit is the Food and Agriculture Organization (UN) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, launched in 1995 and endorsed by all of FAO's member states. The Code, a mixture of high principles and common sense, is now very widespread and available in several languages other than English, and can be seen as a self-help guide for governments interested in moving their fisheries toward sustainability. The code is voluntary, but it is unclear whether it being voluntary has made its implementation in the field more or less difficult. Had it been obligatory, its language would certainly not have been as clear as it is. Indeed, this clarity of language is what makes it possible to tell whether countries are complying with its various elements. In this report, Professor Tony Pitcher and his team have assessed how the various FAO member countries are performing with regards to implementing the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, a decade after it was launched. They do not cover all maritime countries of the world, but the countries they cover represent over 96% of the world catch. The assessment covers Article 7 on Fishery Management, to many the veritable core of the Code. To this end, they relied on an immense body of literature, and the judgment of independent experts, who helped verify their evaluation for most of the countries. As such, this study represents a valuable review of the status of world fisheries. Moreover, by using numerous criteria to assess countries' performance, Dr Pitcher and his co-authors have obtained robust results, not likely to be overthrown in future re-assessments. This document, thus, will be crucial in future attempts to rank countries in terms of their performance in managing and conserving the resources in their EEZ, as reflected in many ways by compliance with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Thus, for example, we will have to consider whether countries subsidize their fisheries in spite of their resource being in decline (not explicit in the Code, but implicit in Code clauses 7.2.2; 7.6.3; 12.9), whether they adequately protect threatened marine mammals, birds, seabirds, or any other marine animal occurring in their EEZ (Code clauses 7.2.2, 7.2.3. 7.6.9), and whether they have …
First olfactory fiber as an anatomical landmark for frontal sinus surgery

Access to the frontal sinuses is technically challenging owing to their anterosuperior location, diverse anatomy, close proximity to critical structures and the need to work in a relatively narrow space with angled‐lens endoscopes and instruments. This study attempts to study the relationship of the first olfactory fiber with the frontal sinus posterior wall, assessing its fidelity as a surgical landmark during frontal sinus surgery.
The effects of severe iron-deficiency anaemia on maternal and neonatal outcomes: A case–control study in an inner-city London hospital

This case–control study investigates the effects of severe iron-deficiency anaemia in pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes in a relatively deprived inner-city population in a North London hospital. The study group comprised of 106 women with haemoglobin (Hb) < 8 g/dl at any point during pregnancy, while controls were 106 women with Hb > 11 g/dl throughout pregnancy. The study group lost an average of 80 ml more blood at delivery (p = 0.032) and had higher rates of postpartum haemorrhage than the control group (27 vs 12 patients, p = 0.012). However, anaemia did not appear to influence other maternal or neonatal outcomes; these may have been confounded by antenatal intervention with oral haematinics or blood transfusion.
The financial resources of the UK Jewish voluntary sector

The financial resources of the UK Jewish voluntary sector is the first publication to report the findings of JPR's research programme, Long-term Planning for British Jewry. Building on the Jewish Community Information database of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, JPR compiled a comprehensive database of organizations across the community to act as the foundation for all the organizational aspects of the Long-term Planning project. It emerged that the UK Jewish voluntary sector comprises just under 2,000 financially independent organizations. In order for the community to maintain this number of organizations, the income of the Jewish voluntary sector from all its funding streams has to be substantial. These financial resources, however, have never been systematically addressed. JPR commissioned an international expert in the voluntary sector, Professor Peter Halfpenny, Director of the Centre for Applied Social Research at the University of Manchester, to carry out this complex accountancy project. Its objectives were to provide a multi-dimensional analysis of the income and expenditure of the Jewish voluntary sector from all its funding streams and to make comparisons with similar data about the UK voluntary sector as a whole. This report establishes the parameters of the financial resources currently available within the Jewish voluntary sector. It demonstrates that the sector has a significant and complex economy. Moreover, British Jews invest proportionately more in these voluntary organizations than does the UK population as a whole.
Americans' attitudes toward psychiatric medications: 1998-2006.

OBJECTIVES This study examined recent changes in attitudes toward psychiatric medications in the U.S. general population. METHODS Samples of adult participants in the U.S. General Social Surveys of 1998 (N=1,387) and 2006 (N=1,437) were compared for opinions on the benefits and risks of psychiatric medications as well as willingness to take them in hypothetical situations, including experiencing symptoms of panic attacks or major depression and difficulty in coping with stress or having trouble in personal life. RESULTS Public opinions regarding benefits of psychiatric medications became more favorable between 1998 and 2006. More participants in 2006 than in 1998 thought that medications help people to deal with day-to-day stresses (83.4% versus 77.8%), make things easier in relation with family and friends (75.9% versus 68.4%), and help people feel better about themselves (68.0% versus 60.1%). The public expressed a greater willingness to take medications in 2006 compared with 1998 for trouble in personal life (29.1% versus 23.3%), to cope with stresses of life (46.6% versus 35.5%), for depression (49.1% versus 41.2%), and for panic attacks (63.7% versus 55.6%). Opinions regarding the risks of medications did not change between 1998 and 2006. CONCLUSIONS Americans' opinions toward psychiatric medications became more favorable over the past decade, and people became more willing to take these medications. These changes have likely contributed to the increased use of psychiatric medications in recent years and will continue to do so in the coming years.
Effects of Advective-Diffusive Transport of Multiple Chemoattractants on Motility of Engineered Chemosensory Particles in Fluidic Environments

Motility behavior of an engineered chemosensory particle (ECP) in fluidic environments is driven by its responses to chemical stimuli. One of the challenges to understanding such behaviors lies in tracking changes in chemical signal gradients of chemoattractants and ECP-fluid dynamics as the fluid is continuously disturbed by ECP motion. To address this challenge, we introduce a new multiscale numerical model to simulate chemotactic swimming of an ECP in confined fluidic environments by accounting for motility-induced disturbances in spatiotemporal chemoattractant distributions. The model accommodates advective-diffusive transport of unmixed chemoattractants, ECP-fluid hydrodynamics at the ECP-fluid interface, and spatiotemporal disturbances in the chemoattractant concentrations due to particle motion. Demonstrative simulations are presented with an ECP, mimicking Escherichia coli (E. coli) chemotaxis, released into initially quiescent fluids with different source configurations of the chemoattractants N-methyl-L-aspartate and L-serine. Simulations demonstrate that initial distributions and temporal evolution of chemoattractants and their release modes (instantaneous vs. continuous, point source vs. distributed) dictate time histories of chemotactic motility of an ECP. Chemotactic motility is shown to be largely determined by spatiotemporal variation in chemoattractant concentration gradients due to transient disturbances imposed by ECP-fluid hydrodynamics, an observation not captured in previous numerical studies that relied on static chemoattractant concentration fields.
Arf Regulates Interaction of GGA with Mannose‐6‐Phosphate Receptor

The role of ADP‐ribosylation factor (Arf) in Golgi associated, γ‐adaptin homologous, Arf‐interacting protein (GGA)‐mediated membrane traffic was examined. GGA is a clathrin adaptor protein that binds Arf through its GAT domain and the mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor through its VHS domain. The GAT and VHS domains interacted such that Arf and mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor binding to GGA were mutually exclusive. In vivo, GGA bound membranes through either Arf or mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor. However, mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor excluded Arf from GGA‐containing structures outside of the Golgi. These data are inconsistent with predictions based on the model for Arf's role in COPI veside coat function. We propose that Arf recruits GGA to a membrane and then, different from the current model, ‘hands‐off’ GGA to mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor. GGA and mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor are then incorporated into a transport intermediate that excludes Arf.
The clinical significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio in Guillain–Barré syndrome

ABSTRACT Purpose/Aim of the study: Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) is a severe peripheral nervous disease that leads to muscle weakness and areflexia. We now commonly accept a synthesis that inflammation and immunity play key role in GBS pathogenesis. Many studies pointed out that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are novel promising markers of inflammation or immunity. Our study aimed to evaluate whether the NLR and the MLR were associated to GBS or not. Materials and Methods: We measured blood cell count in 334 individuals including 117 GBS and 217 healthy controls. Results: Our findings demonstrated that the GBS patients had higher levels of NLR and MLR than the healthy controls. The severe group also had higher levels of NLR and MLR compared to the mild group. We took the method of receiver-operating characteristic curve to find out the cut-off value of NLR for GBS occurrence and severity; it was 2.295 and 3.05, respectively. The cut-off values of MLR for GBS incidence and severity were the same, it was 0.235. Conclusion: In the setting of GBS, the NLR and MLR were significantly increased and they may be pathophysiologically and clinically relevant in GBS. The NLR and MLR would be new biomarkers of medical application.
Resource activation for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, co-morbid symptoms and impaired functioning: a randomized controlled trial in Cambodia

Background Mental health morbidity in post-conflict settings is high. Nevertheless, randomized controlled trials of psychotherapy on site are rare. Our aim was to integrate rigorous research procedures into a humanitarian programme and test the efficacy of resource activation (ROTATE) in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), co-morbid symptoms and impaired functioning in Cambodia. Method A total of 86 out-patients with PTSD were randomly assigned to five sessions of ROTATE (n = 53) or a 5-week waiting-list control (WLC) condition (n = 33). Treatment was provided by six Cambodian psychologists who had received extensive training in ROTATE. Masked assessments were made before and after therapy. Results PTSD remission rates according to the DSM-IV algorithm of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire were 95.9% in ROTATE and 24.1% in the WLC condition. Thus, patients receiving ROTATE had a significantly higher likelihood of PTSD remission (odds ratio 0.012, 95% confidence interval 0.002–0.071, p < 0.00001). Additionally, levels of anxiety, depression and impaired functioning were significantly reduced compared with the WLC condition (p < 0.00001, between-group effect sizes d = 2.41, 2.26 and 2.54, respectively). No harms were reported. Conclusions ROTATE was efficacious in treating Cambodian patients with high symptom levels of PTSD, emotional distress and impaired functioning. ROTATE is a brief, culturally adaptable intervention focusing on stabilization and strengthening resources rather than trauma confrontation. It can be taught to local professionals and paraprofessionals and enhance access to mental health care for patients in need.
The Role of Managerial Fit in Determining Organizational Performance: An Empirical Assessment of Presidents in U.S. Higher Education

The question of managerial fit—the congruence between a manager and his or her environment—has become widely debated by policymakers, practitioners, and scholars from a number of fields as the occurrence of non-internal management hires has increased across many types of organizations. Although many assume that higher levels of fit in an organization will generate better performance, others argue that misfits are better suited at leading organizations as motivated change agents. In this study, a measure of person–organization fit is created using original cross-sectional time-series data on U.S. university presidents from 1993 to 2009. Findings indicate that maximizing fit is not always ideal and that fit has a nonlinear relationship with organizational performance such that some fit is healthy but high fit can be detrimental for student performance measures.
Quality of service support for event detection in wireless sensor network. (Support de la qualité de service dans les réseaux de capteurs sans fil pour la détection d'événements)

Cette these presente nos travaux a la fois theoriques et techniques sur la fourniture de la qualite de service dans les reseaux de capteurs sans fil, travaux developpes principalement pour la detection en temps reel d'evenements.Le premier probleme fondamental pour assurer une qualite de service est la connectivite d'un reseau. La probabilite de non-isolation de noeud est donnee garantissant une borne superieure de 1-connectivite du reseau. Un deuxieme probleme traite concerne la consideration conjointe du probleme de connectivite de communication et de couverture de detection. Ce probleme etant formalise comme un probleme d'optimisation multi-objectif, un algorithme heuristique du type genetique a ete developpe, permettant ainsi d'aider au deploiement. Pour assurer la communication des donnees en temps reel et de facon fiable, un protocole de routage base sur SPEED a ete developpe. Les simulations ont montre une amelioration notable de performances par rapport aux solutions existantes. Afin d'assurer la fiabilite de l'information finale, un ensemble de regles de fusion de decision a ete propose. Quant a son implementation reelle avec moins de complexite sur des noeuds de ressources limitees, trois alternatives sous-optimales ont ete proposees et qui donnent des performances satisfaisantes dans des plages de rapport signal sur bruit
Reliability of findings around healthy implants in association with oral hygiene measures: a clinical, microbiological, and immunological follow-up in edentulous patients.

OBJECTIVES To assess the performance of clinical, microbiological, and immunological diagnosis of peri-implant health and the influence of professional hygiene measures on them. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-one edentulous patients with oral implants supporting a lower overdenture were followed up over 3 months beginning 1 week before their annual recall visit. Hygiene scores, probing depth, bleeding on probing (BOP), implant stability, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) volume, sulcular interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations, and relative concentrations of five bacterial species (polymerase chain reaction) were investigated. Measurement variation was assessed as a function of (a) intra- and (b) inter-examiner reliability, (c) inter-implant variation in each patient, (d) time, and (e) effect of hygiene measures by accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility, and visualization with the Bland and Altman Plot. RESULTS Measurement means and accuracy (in parentheses) were as follows: GCF volume 1.5 microl (1.5), Interleukin-1beta 8 ng/ml (26), PGE2 63 ng/ml (185), bacteria sum score 0.2 (0.7), plaque score 1 (1), BOP score 0 (1), Periotest value -4 (3), resonance frequency analysis ISQ 66 (11), and pocket probing depth 2.3 mm (0.7). No finding exhibited any statistically significant measurement variation as explained by accuracy, repeatability, or reproducibility. Bland and Altman Plots revealed insufficient agreement for replicated BOP assessments. A short post-treatment reduction in plaque and BOP scores was visually apparent. Still, professional oral hygiene measures exerted no sustained influence on the clinical and biochemical appearance of the peri-implant tissues. CONCLUSION All findings except BOP showed statistically acceptable repeatability and moderate vulnerability to influences present 'chairside' in clinical practice.
Effects of anti-reflux surgery on weakly acidic reflux and belching

Background Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) is the most frequently performed operation for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). However, 12% of the patients have persistent reflux symptoms and 19% develop gas-related symptoms after LNF. Weakly acidic reflux and inability to belch have been alleged to cause these symptoms, respectively. The effect of LNF on weakly acidic reflux and (supra) gastric belching was evaluated. Methods In 31 patients upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, stationary oesophageal manometry and 24-h impedance–pH monitoring off acid secretion inhibiting drugs was performed before and 6 months after primary LNF for GORD that was refractory to proton pump inhibitors. Patients filled out validated questionnaires on GERD-HRQoL before and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Results LNF reduced reflux symptoms (18.6→1.6; p=0.015). The procedure drastically reduced the incidence (number per 24 h) of acid (76.0→1.6; p<0.001) and weakly acidic (13.6→5.7; p=0.001) as well as liquid (53.4→5.4; p<0.001) and mixed reflux episodes (36.3→1.9; p<0.001). In contrast, gas reflux was reduced to lesser extent (35.6→25.7; p=0.022). Proximal, mid-oesophageal and distal reflux were reduced to a similar extent. Persistent GORD symptoms were neither preceded by acid nor by weakly acidic reflux. The number of air swallows did not change, but the number of gastric belches (GBs) was greatly reduced (68.5→23.9; p<0.001). Twenty-three patients had supragastric belches (SGBs), both before and after surgery, whereas eight patients had no SGBs at all. The majority of SGBs were not reflux associated and the frequency was greatly increased after LNF (20.8→46.0; p=0.036). Reflux-associated SGBs were abolished after surgery (14.0→0.4; p<0.001). Conclusions LNF similarly controls acid and weakly acidic reflux, but gas reflux is reduced to lesser extent. Persistent reflux symptoms are neither caused by acid nor by weakly acidic reflux. LNF alters the belching pattern by reducing GBs (air venting from stomach) and increasing SGBs (no air venting from stomach). This explains the increase in belching experienced by some patients after LNF, despite the reduction in gastric belching. It can be hypothesised that the reduction in GBs after LNF incites patients to increase SGBs in a futile attempt to vent air from the stomach.