Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic use and risk of non‐hodgkin lymphomas

Clinical case reports have suggested that specific bacterial infections are associated with certain non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. Epidemiological case–control studies have been conducted using antibiotics as a proxy for bacterial infections, but with inconclusive results. The aim of this study was, in a cohort design, based on the unique nationwide Danish registers, to investigate the association between use of antibiotics and the risk of NHL subtypes. On the basis of the Civil Registration System, we established a cohort of the entire adult (≥15 years) Danish population. Information on use of antibiotics came from the Danish Drug Prescription Registry and lymphoma diagnosis from the Danish Cancer Registry. Associations were assessed by adjusted rate ratios (RRs). In total, 13,602 patients were diagnosed with one of the NHL subtypes during 51.6 million person‐years of follow‐up (1995–2008). We observed positive associations between use of antibiotics and plasma cell myeloma [RR = 1.11, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 1.00–1.24], chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) (RR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.20–1.45), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (RR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04–1.88) and anaplastic large T‐cell lymphoma (ALCL) (RR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.00–3.36). Among these, the increased risk of CLL/SLL, MCL and ALCL, respectively, did not vary by years since use, and only the risk of CLL/SLL risk differed by number of prescriptions. While causality could not be established in our study, an intriguing positive long‐term association between antibiotic use and CLL/SLL risk was observed. To what extent these findings indicate a role for bacteria in lymphoma pathogenesis requires further investigation.
Correlations of Sighting-Eye Dominance Tests and Comparison of Combined Scores in Classroom, Clinic, and Ophthalmological Populations

Contingency coefficients for near- and far-point binocular and monocular sighting tests determined from data of 240 classroom children in Grades 4, 8, and 12 were significant. Also significant differences were noted for distributions of sighting tests combined two at a time (correlated) when compared with distributions of responses on a single test. Comparison of combined test distributions for classroom and clinic populations yielded significant differences in near-point sighting and between near- and far-point tests. Comparison with the ophthalmological data of Fink confirmed the validity of the findings. All simple and combined score distributions deviated from normalcy. Near-point binocular sighting exerts a strong influence on combined score distributions because more mixed-eyedness is indicated by that test.
Shifts in Thinking through a Teachers' Network

This article describes the organisation of a teachers' professional network and the teachers' use of 'pedagogical documentation' to analyse, reflect on and critique pedagogical practice. It explores ways in which a forum and process were created for teachers to think about assumptions, values and the purpose of education, explore reciprocal influences of teachers' and children's interactions, and deepen opportunities for parents and children to contribute to the curriculum. It discusses policy and practice implications and points to ways for engaging in a broader debate.
Mycophenolate mofetil as therapy for pyoderma gangrenosum.

BACKGROUND Pyoderma gangrenosum is an ulcerative condition that may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease or inflammatory arthritis. In addition to local wound care, management often includes the use of systemic corticosteroids or systemically administered immunomodulatory agents. OBSERVATIONS We retrospectively analyzed 7 patients with pyoderma gangrenosum who were treated with mycophenolate mofetil. Patients were included if they had a diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum and were treated with mycophenolate mofetil for at least 2 uninterrupted months. Improvement was based on reduction in lesion size or decrease in concomitant therapy. Overall, 6 of 7 patients had some reduction in ulcer size while receiving mycophenolate mofetil therapy, and 4 of 7 completely healed. However, responsiveness was inadequate in 3 patients. Two discontinued mycophenolate mofetil for alternate therapy, and the third required the addition of dapsone and infliximab for complete healing. The only adverse event observed in our analysis attributed to mycophenolate mofetil therapy was transient anemia. CONCLUSIONS Mycophenolate mofetil may be beneficial as an immunomodulatory agent in selected patients with pyoderma gangrenosum. Further controlled trials are warranted to define its place among the therapeutic options for this rare disease.
Control of neonatal tetanus in India.

Neonatal tetanus (NNT), a disease preventable by immunization, is a major problem and a leading cause of neonatal mortality. Sample surveys were organized in 1981 and 1982 by the Directorate General of Health Services in India, in collaboration with the state health authorities, to collect reliable baseline data on NNT. The surveys were carried out by the 30 cluster sampling technique. Rural and urban populations were surveyed separately. The survey was conducted by restrospective house to house visits. In each unit, a sample of 2000 live births was studied; 67 live births being recorded in each cluster. Based on the survey results, it is estimated that 2.3-2.5 lakh infants died within the 1st month of life due to NNT during 1981; nearly 2/3 of these were in Uttar Pradesh. Although the NNT mortality rates varied from state to state, they were consistently higher in the rural areas. Tetanus as a cause of neonatal deaths ranged from 0-68.7% in the urban areas and from 16.4-72.5% in the rural areas. The control of tetanus in general and neonatal tetanus, in particular, is receiving a high priority in the government programs. 2 major programs are in operation for the prevention of NNT in the country -- the immunization of pregnant women with tetanus toxoid vaccine (TT) under the expanded program on immunization (EPI) and the training of dais under the rural health program. NNT will be prevented if the women and the dais (who are still associated with almost 70-75% of the deliveries in many areas with high NNT mortality rates) are convinced of the need for TT vaccination during the antenatal period and practice the basic principles of cutting cord and keeping the umbilical stump free of unclean dressings. The vaccination of pregnant women was started as a national program in 1975-76 with a modest coverage of 14.5 lakhs. The number of pregnant women given either 2 or a booster dose in 1982-83 had risen to 74.0 lakhs. The plan is to cover 110 lakhs pregnant women in 1983-84 and 130 lakhs in 1984-85. Besides the vaccination of pregnant women, TT immunization services are provided to infants and children. Since the protection received from the mother will last only for a few months, infants are given TT as a combined vaccine with diphtheria toxoid and pertussis vaccine (DPT) at 3 months of age. The immunization program is a part of primary health care and the services are provided through the existing health delivery systems. The vaccination services are available at the hospitals, maternal and child health clinics, and dispensaries in the urban areas and in the primary health centers and the subcenters in the rural areas. The effectiveness of the control measures will be evaluated by determining the vaccination coverage of the eligible population and by the documentation of the reduction of NNT mortality rates in the area.
Heterogeneous Firm Responses to Rising Teenage Wages

Substantial youth minimum wage changes in New Zealand between 2000 and 2007 raised teenage average wages by 5–10 per cent relative to those for adults. We use Statistics New Zealand's Linked Employer–Employee Database (LEED) to examine whether firms' teenage labour demand responses to these changes are greater for firms with higher teenage‐employment share. We find evidence that high teen‐employers reduced their teen employment relative to other firms and had lower survival rates over the period. However, firms that entered the main teen‐employment industries had higher teen‐employment shares than continuing firms. The results are consistent with endogenous technology adoption in response to non‐marginal changes in relative wages.
Bringing Incapacity Benefit numbers down: to what extent do women need a different approach?

The dominant narrative used to explain the big rise in Incapacity Benefit (IB) numbers across Britain is essentially about men. The collapse of male employment in older industries, mostly in the North, Scotland and Wales, led to the emergence of a cohort of mainly older, less healthy men who accessed IB instead of unemployment benefits. What this overlooks is that among the under-60s the number of women claiming IB now almost equals the number of men. In view of the long-term increase in employment opportunities for women, the similarity in IB numbers is at first sight surprising. Does this mean that bringing down the number of women on IB requires a different approach? The article draws on evidence from a survey of men and women claiming IB, in-depth interviews with claimants and professional stakeholders and secondary data analysis. The identical geography of male and female IB claimants suggests that a weak aggregate demand for labour is through time transmitted, via labour market sorting processes, to exclude from employment the most disadvantaged in terms of skills and health, irrespective of gender. The article highlights important similarities between the men and women claiming IB but also a number of distinctive issues affecting women, including the roles of increased labour market participation, lone parenthood and the impact of benefit rules. It is concluded that a package of economic regeneration and supply-side interventions will bring down the number of both men and women claiming IB.
Absorptive Capacity for R&D: The Identification of Different Firm Profiles

Being competitive requires continuously performing product and process innovations nowadays. Because of this reason, the absorption of externally generated R&D is increasingly important for companies. It is well known that companies differ regarding their aptitude for knowledge absorption. This paper aims at the identification of different firm profiles by means of the identification and valuation of drivers that support the absorption of external R&D. For this, we have carried out an empirical work that is based on a random sample of companies located in the northern Spanish county of Biscay. We identify four company conglomerates according to their attitude to absorb externally generated R&D.
Cognitive function alone is a poor predictor of health-related quality of life in employed patients with MS: results from a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objective: Depression, anxiety, disease severity, and cognitive functions impact on the quality of life of people with MS. However, the majority of studies were not based on multivariate models and did not target employed patients. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of HRQoL in persons with MS in the workforce considering cognitive, psychological, disease severity, and disability-related variables. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Hierarchical block regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of physical and mental components of HRQoL, measured with the MSQOL-54. Candidate predictors included cognitive functioning (a selection of Rao’s BRB-NT), sample features (age, education, MS duration), depressive symptoms (BDI-II), anxiety (STAI-Y), disability (WHODAS 2.0), and MS severity (EDSS): those that correlated with PCS and MCS with p < . 250 and those that correlated with other predictors with coefficients >. 800 were excluded from regression analyses. Results: In total, 181 patients (60.8% females, mean age 39.6, median EDSS 1.5) were included. In both models, cognitive variables had a poor explicative power. The models improved significantly when psychological, as well as, disease severity and disability variables were added. R2 of complete models was 0.732 for the physical component, 0.697 for the mental one: BDI-II, STAI-State and, some WHODAS 2.0 scales were significant predictors of HRQoL. Conclusions: Monitoring anxiety, depressive symptoms, and level of disability through self-reported questionnaires may provide useful suggestions to improve the HRQoL of persons with MS in the workforce, permitting to address possible problems in the work context and plan corrective actions.
Site-specific mutagenesis of the catalytic subunit of cholera toxin: substituting lysine for arginine 7 causes loss of activity

Cholera and pertussis toxins each contain a subunit with ADP-ribosyltransferase activity, sharing a region of nearly identical amino acid sequence near the NH2 terminus. Previous investigations have shown that substitution of a lysine residue for Arg-9 in the catalytic A subunit of pertussis toxin substantially eliminates its enzyme activity. We now report that substitution of lysine for the position-equivalent Arg-7 of cholera toxin subunit A leads to a similar loss of catalytic activity. This result suggests a correlation of function with structure between the sequence-related cholera and pertussis toxin A subunits and may contribute to the design of a vaccine containing an enzymatically inert analog of cholera toxin.
Taking Race Off the Table

Whites are theorized to support color-blind policies as an act of racial agenda setting—an attempt to defend the existing hierarchy by excluding race from public and institutional discourse. The present analysis leverages work distinguishing between two forms of social dominance orientation (SDO): passive opposition to equality (SDO-E) and active desire for dominance (SDO-D). We hypothesized that agenda setting, as a subtle hierarchy-maintenance strategy, would be uniquely tied to high levels of SDO-E. When made to believe that the hierarchy was under threat, Whites high in SDO-E increased their endorsement of color-blind policy (Study 1), particularly when the racial hierarchy was framed as ingroup advantage (Study 2), and became less willing to include race as a topic in a hypothetical presidential debate (Study 3). Across studies, Whites high in SDO-D showed no affinity for agenda setting as a hierarchy-maintenance strategy.
The 987P gene cluster in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli contains an STpa transposon that activates 987P expression

The genetic determinant for the production of 987P fimbriae has been cloned into pBR322. Analysis of frequently occurring deletions in the resultant recombinant plasmid, pPK180, revealed that the 987P gene cluster contains a transposon that encodes the synthesis of heat-stable enterotoxin STpa and is flanked by inverted repeats of IS1. Hybridization experiments with STpa- and 987P-specific probes demonstrated that a variety of STpa+ 987P+ wild-type Escherichia coli strains contained contiguous STpa-987P DNA, most likely on their chromosome. Transcription of the 987P gene cluster appeared to be activated by the adjacent IS1 element.
English Rural Housing Market Policy: Some Inconvenient Truths?

Abstract Recent major policy innovations require each English region to agree the allocation of new housing between sub-regional housing market areas (HMAs). Allocations are to be based upon Housing Market Assessments that consider variation between and within HMAs, which will often embrace both urban and rural areas. Measures of the supply/demand balance within HMAs are to determine the distribution of new housing supply but these measures will be sensitive to the way HMA boundaries are drawn. The policy is inclined to direct new housing into urban areas on sustainability grounds so the way the new housing policy affects a rural area can critically depend on whether the HMA it is in is mostly urban. Yet the policy guidance on how to define HMAs leaves many questions unanswered. This paper examines these questions and shows that some can be resolved by critical examination of the policy logic, while others are more technical and call for further developmental work to be done.
The Role Of Shared Leadership In The Strategic Decision Making Processes Of New Technology Based Firms

The dynamic business environment is seen by many as requiring a significant change in our thinking about leadership. Shared leadership is one alternative to the 'classic' vertical model and implies that either no individual performs all of the leadership functions or that within an organisation, there is a set of individuals who collectively perform such functions. This emerging model of leadership is seen to be of particular relevance to the management of new ventures; however, both the construct of shared leadership and leadership within new ventures remain under-researched areas. This paper reports the results of a pilot study that employed a case study approach to analyse the factors integral to the appointment of a CEO, the criteria upon which founders and CEOs make their decisions and the process by which decisions are made after a CEO has been appointed.
Perforation during colonoscopy in endoscopic ambulatory surgical centers.

BACKGROUND Perforation as a complication of colonoscopy is estimated to occur in 0.01% to 0.3% of procedures, but the frequency in ambulatory settings is unknown. This study determined the number of perforations occurring within a network of endoscopic ambulatory surgery centers. METHODS A total of 116,000 colonoscopies were performed within one network of 45 endoscopic ambulatory surgery centers in the United States during 1999. All identified perforations were reported to the network clinical director and reviewed by a panel of 3 gastroenterologists. RESULTS There were 37 (0.03%) perforations; 27 in women and 10 in men. Median patient age was 75 years (range 39-87 years); 18 patients (49%) had diverticular disease and 20 (54%) had a history of pelvic or colonic surgery. Twenty-four (65%) procedures were diagnostic, and 13 (35%) were therapeutic. The most common site of perforation was the sigmoid colon (62%); followed by the ascending colon (16%); cecum, transverse colon, and splenic flexure (11%); and rectum, anastomotic, or unknown (11%). The time to diagnosis ranged from immediate to 72 hours (29 <1 hour, 8 >1 hour). All patients were hospitalized; 35 (95%) underwent exploratory laparotomy, and 2 (5%) were treated conservatively. No patient died. CONCLUSIONS Reported perforations for procedures performed in endoscopic ambulatory surgery centers occurred most frequently during diagnostic colonoscopy in older woman with a history of surgery or diverticular disease. Reported perforations in endoscopic ambulatory surgery centers were uncommon.
Three-point approach for estimating integrated volatility and integrated covariance

Applying jump-robust methods to estimating integrated volatility is in the mainstream of financial econometrics. However, little if any attention has been devoted to the construction of a jump-free estimator for integrated covariance that overlooks the well-documented manifestation of joint jumps. Joint jumps are contemporaneous within the day. Therefore, this study proposes a three-point approach that not only deals with estimating volatility, but also constructs a singular-jump-free and joint-jump-free covariance. Since the basic idea of the three-point covariance is based on conditional quantiles, we also provide two alternative procedures for finding approximated estimations in practical applications. Based on this approach, our empirical results confirm that singular jumps and joint jumps occur on the Taiwan Futures Exchange.
Endoscopic localization of colorectal cancer: study of its accuracy and possible error factors.

INTRODUCTION accurate preoperative localization of colorectal cancer (CRC) is very important, with a wide range of published error rates. AIMS to determine accuracy of endoscopic localization of CRC in comparison with preoperative computed tomography (CT). To analyse variables that could be associated with a wrong endoscopic localization. PATIENTS AND METHODS endoscopic and CT localization of a series of CRC without previous surgery were reviewed. We studied the concordance between endoscopic and radiologic localization against operative findings comparing accuracy of endoscopy and CT. We analysed the frequency of wrong endoscopic diagnoses with regard to a series of patient, endoscopy and tumor variables. RESULTS two hundred thirty seven CRC in 223 patients were studied. Concordance with surgical localization was: colonoscopy = 0.87 and CT = 0.69. Endoscopic localization accuracy was:91.1%; CT: 76.2%: p = 0.00001; OR = 3.22 (1.82-5.72). Obstructive cancer presented a higher rate of wrong localization: 18 vs. 5.7% in non-obstructive tumors (p = 0.0034; OR = 3.65 (1.35-9.96). Endoscopic localization mistakes varied depending on tumor location, being more frequent in descending colon: 36.3%, p = 0.014; OR = 6.23 (1.38-26.87) and cecum: 23.1%, p = 0.007; OR = 3.92 (1.20-12.43). CONCLUSIONS endoscopic accuracy for CRC localization was very high and significantly better than CT accuracy. Obstructive tumor and those located in the descending colon or cecum wereassociated with a significant increase of the error risk of CRC endoscopic localization.
Remotely sensed habitat diversity predicts butterfly species richness and community similarity in Canada

Although there is no shortage of potential explanations for the large-scale patterns of biological diversity, the hypothesis that energy-related factors are the primary determinants is perhaps most extensively supported, especially in cold-temperate regions. By using unusually high-resolution biodiversity and environmental data that have not previously been available, we demonstrate that habitat heterogeneity, as measured by remotely sensed land cover variation, explains Canadian butterfly richness better than any energy-related variable we measured across spatial scales. Although species-richness predictability declines with progressively smaller quadrat sizes, as expected, we demonstrate that most variability (>90%) in butterfly richness may be explained by habitat heterogeneity with secondary contributions from climatic energy. We also find that patterns of community similarity across Canada are strongly related to patterns of habitat composition but not to differences in energy-related factors. Energy should still be considered significant but its main role may be through its effects on within-habitat diversity and perhaps, indirectly, on the sorts of habitats that may be found in a region. Effects of sampling intensity and spatial autocorrelation do not alter our findings.