Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alcholismmental illness, and stress in 96 drivers causing fatal accidents.

Surviving and deceased drivers responsible for 96 fatal accidents during a 38-month period in Washtenaw County, Michigan, and a like number of matched controls were evaluated to determine the prevalence of alcoholism, psychopathology, and social stress, as well as other medical and social variables. Information was obtained through interviews of the drivers, their relatives, friends, and employers as well as from traffic and arrest records. Thirty-six of the 96 fatality drivers and three control drivers were chronic alcoholics. In addition, 11 fatality drivers and six control drivers were classified as ldquofrequent, high quantity usersrdquo of beverage alcohol as herein defined. The 96-driver fatality group differed significantly in many respects from the control group. However, the magnitude of discrepancy was often due to the presence of the 36 alcoholics in the fatality group.The 96 fatality drivers averaged significantly more previous accidents (1.2 versus 0.8) and moving violations (3.1 versus 1.7) than the control group, exhibited significantly more psychopathology (41 percent versus 17 percent) and social stress (52 percent versus 18 percent), and included more low-social-class persons (76 percent versus 54 percent) and fewer higher-social-class persons (5 percent versus 29 percent) than the control group.The 36 alcoholic fatality drivers were significantly overrepresented in fatal accidents involving only one vehicle and in those occurring at night. In addition, they had significantly more previous accidents, serious psychopathology (69 percent versus 25 percent) and social stress (72 percent versus 42 percent) than the 60 nonalcoholic fatality drivers.
Targeted Resequencing of Deafness Genes Reveals a Founder MYO15A Variant in Northeastern Brazil

Identifying the genetic etiology in a person with hearing loss (HL) is challenging due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity in HL and the population‐specific variability. In this study, after excluding GJB2 variants, targeted resequencing of 180 deafness‐related genes revealed the causative variants in 11 of 19 (58%) Brazilian probands with autosomal recessive HL. Identified pathogenic variants were in MYO15A (10 families) and CLDN14 (one family). Remarkably, the MYO15A p.(Val1400Met) variant was identified in eight families from the city of Monte Santo in the northeast region of Brazil. Haplotype analysis of this variant was consistent with a single founder. No other cases with this variant were detected among 105 simplex cases from other cities of northeastern Brazil, suggesting that this variant is confined to a geographical region. This study suggests that it is feasible to develop population‐specific screening for deafness variants once causative variants are identified in different geographical groups.
Palliative care in chronic obstructive airways disease: a needs assessment

The view that palliative care should move beyond cancer is widely endorsed, however, there remains a lack of clarity about the level at which this should occur. In order to target the palliative approach effectively, the value of more detailed and localized needs assessment becomes apparent. This paper provides evidence from a study commissioned by a department of public health, where the focus was the palliative care needs of an individual with chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD). Over a six-month period, 63 individuals in the district were interviewed about their experiences of living with COAD and the services utilized, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The findings revealed a poor quality of life, relating to a high degree of social isolation and emotional distress, associated with low physical functioning and disability, and physical symptoms. Current service provision focused on acute exacerbations. Consequently, there is a need to manage the health and social care interface more effectively, with a shift in emphasis from reactive ad hoc provision, which is where the palliative approach to care could be best suited to meet the needs identified.
Optical Near Field Study of Ag Nanowires by the Differential Method

The optical response of subwavelength silver nanowires arranged periodically on silica has been analyzed numerically by the differential method improved by the S matrix algorithm. Our results improve the capacity of this rigorous method to give a description of various phenomena occurring in near and far field around the periodic grating. This renders pos- sible to determine the positions of plasmon’s resonance according to the choice of materials used and the geometrical properties. We study the behavior of the diffracted light by the nano-structure in both single nanowire case and grating nanowires case. The influence of the exact grating period and the induced modification of the spacer nanowire depend- ence are then discussed. Moreover, we present mappings of the electromagnetic field located at 50 nm above the nanowires.
Increasing Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Acceptability by Tailoring Messages to Young Adult Women’s Perceived Barriers

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a safe and effective primary prevention strategy for cervical cancer. Despite the need for effective HPV vaccination interventions, relatively few have been tested. Moreover, existing interventions have tended to use a one-size-fits-all educational approach. We investigated whether tailoring intervention materials to young adult women’s perceived barriers to HPV vaccination—a known psychosocial predictor of vaccine uptake—would increase women’s intentions to receive the HPV vaccine. Methods Young adult women (N = 94; aged 18–26 years) who had not been vaccinated against HPV were randomly assigned to read either a nontailored message about HPV vaccination or a message that was individually tailored to participants’ perceived barriers to HPV vaccine uptake (e.g., safety concerns, cost, and not sexually active). Participants’ intentions to receive the HPV vaccine in the next year were assessed before and after delivery of the intervention and served as the primary outcome variable. Results The most commonly selected barrier and primary reason for not getting vaccinated was concern about vaccine adverse effects (endorsed by 55%). Knowledge about HPV vaccination increased after exposure to the intervention but did not differ by experimental condition. Although HPV vaccination intentions increased from pretest to posttest in both conditions, participants in the tailored condition reported greater increases in intentions than did participants in the nontailored condition (F1,90 = 4.02, P = 0.048, partial &eegr;2 = 0.043). Conclusions Findings suggest that tailoring intervention materials to women’s individual barriers is a potentially promising strategy for increasing HPV vaccination among young adult women.
Saccharomyces boulardii inhibits inflammatory bowel disease by trapping T cells in mesenteric lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Saccharomyces boulardii is a nonpathogenic yeast used for treatment of diarrhea. We used a mice model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to analyze the effects of S boulardii on inflammation. METHODS Lymphocyte-transferred SCID mice, displaying IBD, were fed daily with S boulardii. Weight loss and inflammatory status of the colon were monitored. Nuclear factor-kappaB activity was assessed in the colon. The CD4(+) T-cell production of interferon (IFN) gamma was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and a comprehensive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis for both colon and mesenteric lymph nodes was performed. Finally, we analyzed cell migration mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS S boulardii treatment inhibits IBD. S boulardii induces an accumulation of IFN-gamma-producing T-helper 1 cells within the mesenteric lymph nodes correlated with a diminution of CD4(+) T-cell number and IFN-gamma production by CD4+ T cells within the colon. The influence of S boulardii treatment on cell accumulation in mesenteric lymph nodes was also observed in normal BALB/c mice and involves modifications of lymph node endothelial cell adhesiveness by a yeast secretion product. CONCLUSIONS S boulardii has a unique action on inflammation by a specific alteration of the migratory behavior of T cells, which accumulate in mesenteric lymph nodes. Therefore, S boulardii treatment limits the infiltration of T-helper 1 cells in the inflammed colon and the amplification of inflammation induced by proinflammatory cytokines production. These results suggest that S boulardii administration may have a beneficial effect in the treatment of IBD.
Detection by an Immunofluorescence Test of Encephalitozoon intestinalis Spores in Routinely Formalin-Fixed Stool Samples Stored at Room Temperature

ABSTRACT Of the several microsporidia that infect humans,Enterocytozoon bieneusi is known to cause a gastrointestinal disease whereas Encephalitozoon intestinalis causes both a disseminated and an intestinal disease. Although several different staining techniques, including the chromotrope technique and its modifications, Uvitex 2B, and the quick-hot Gram-chromotrope procedure, detect microsporidian spores in fecal smears and other clinical samples, they do not identify the species of microsporidia. A need for an easily performed test therefore exists. We reevaluated 120 stool samples that had been found positive for microsporidia previously, using the quick-hot Gram-chromotrope technique, and segregated them into two groups on the basis of spore size. We also screened the smears by immunofluorescence microscopy, using a polyclonal rabbit anti-E. intestinalis serum at a dilution of 1:400. Spores in 29 (24.1%) of the 120 samples fluoresced brightly, indicating that they were E. intestinalis spores. No intense background or cross-reactivity with bacteria, yeasts, or other structures in the stool samples was seen. Additionally, the numbers of spores that fluoresced in seven of these samples were substantially smaller than the numbers of spores that were present in the stained smears, indicating that these samples were probably derived from patients with mixed infections of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and E. intestinalis. Because a 1:400 dilution of this serum does not react with culture-grown Encephalitozoon hellem,Encephalitozoon cuniculi, or Vittaforma corneaeor with Enterocytozoon bieneusi spores in feces, we concluded that an immunofluorescence test using this serum is a good alternative for the specific identification of E. intestinalis infections.
Singularity-Free Fully-Isotropic Translational Parallel Mechanisms

Parallel mechanisms show desirable characteristics such as a large payload to robot weight ratio, considerable stiffness, low inertia and high dynamic performances. In particular, parallel manipulators with fewer than six degrees of freedom have recently attracted researchers' attention, as their employ may prove valuable in those applications in which a higher mobility is uncalled-for. The attention of this paper is focused on translational parallel mechanisms (TPMs), that is on parallel mechanisms whose output link (platform) is provided with a pure translational motion with respect to the frame. It deals with the general problem of the topological synthesis and classification of TPMs and it investigates both their constraint and direct singularities. In particular, it identifies for the first time special families of fully-isotropic mechanisms. Such manipulators exhibit outstanding properties, as they are free from singularities and show a constant orthogonal Jacobian matrix throughout their workspace. As a consequence, both the direct and the inverse position problems are linear and the kinematic analysis proves straightforward.
Semantic growth of morphological families in English

This paper explores the question of when and how morphological families are formed in one’s mental lexicon, by analyzing age-of-acquisition norms to morphological families (e.g., booking, bookshelf, check book) and their shared morphemes (book). We demonstrate that the speed of growth and the size of the family depend on how early the shared morpheme is acquired and how many connections the family has at the time a new concept is incorporated in the family. These findings dovetail perfectly with the Semantic Growth model of connectivity in semantic networks by Steyvers and Tenenbaum (2005). We discuss implications of our findings for theories of vocabulary acquisition.
Cyanophycin Synthetase-Like Enzymes of Non-Cyanobacterial Eubacteria: Characterization of the Polymer Produced by a Recombinant Synthetase of Desulfitobacterium hafniense

Some bacterial genomes were found to contain genes encoding putative proteins with considerable sequence homology to cyanophycin synthetase CphA of cyanobacteria. Such a gene from the Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobe Desulfitobacterium hafniense was cloned. Expression in Escherichia coli resulted in the formation of a polydispers copolymer of aspartic acid and arginine, with a minor amount of lysine, of about 30 kDa molecular mass. In contrast to cyanophycin, this polymer was water-soluble. The structure of the polymer formed by the synthetase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense was studied by enzymatic degradation with the cyanophycin-specific hydrolase cyanophycinase, and by chemical and mass-spectroscopic analyses. Despite of the differences in solubility, indicating that both polymers cannot be completely identical, the chemical structure was found to be very similar to that of cyanophycin. The results suggest that the use of cyanophycin-like polymers as a nitrogen- rich reserve material is not restricted to cyanobacteria, and that such polymers may not necessarily be stored in granules.
Effects of plant growth regulators and carbohydrates on callus induction and proliferation from leaf explant of Lippia multiflora Moldenke (Verbenacea)

Lippia multiflora Moldenke is a tropical plant used in traditional medicine for many diseases treatment (malaria, hyperthermia, blood pressure, etc.). The aqueous extract and essential oils obtained from the leaves have pharmacological, pesticide and cosmetic properties. This study aims to develop a protocol of callus induction and proliferation from leaf explants of L. multiflora. Murashige and Skoog (1962) basal medium was respectively supplemented with different concentrations (0,5; 2,5 ; 5 and 10 µM) of the plant growth regulators 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and Picloram (PIC). The best auxin was then combined respectively with three types of cytokinins (kinetin (KIN), benzylaminopurine (BAP) and zeatin (ZEA)). The best hormonal combination was used to test the effect of type and concentration of carbohydrate on callus formation. The results showed that the medium supplemented with 5µM PIC expressed a callus induction rate and a fresh and dry weight of callus significantly higher than the other tested auxins. Medium supplemented with 5 µM PIC + 25 µM KIN was more suitable for callus induction and proliferation. Among the carbohydrates, the maximum rate of callus formation was expressed by the leaf explants on medium containing 3% fructose. The protocol for callus induction developed in this study would allow the in vitro production of essential oil of L. multiflora from cell suspension cultures.
Health profile of Danish army personnel.

The purpose of the present study was to delineate a health profile of professional Danish army personnel. Two-hundred twenty officers, noncommissioned officers, and gunners on active duty at Varde Barracks, housing the South Jutland Artillery Regiment and the Danish Army Artillery School, were asked about their physical and psychological health, interpersonal relations, and working conditions as well as their dietary, drinking, and smoking habits. Measurements were made of resting pulse rate, blood pressure, height, weight, waist and hip girth, and pulmonary function. The ratio of waist-to-hip girth and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Psychological well-being was evaluated using the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Psychosomatic symptoms were frequently reported, but very few of those surveyed appeared to have psychiatric disorders as measured by the GHQ. Also, somatic health problems were frequently reported, the most frequent being lower-back pain, mild chest pain, and sensory disorders. Differences in interpretation and reporting of "lasting health problems" may explain the relatively high score for this question. The interpersonal relations, both upward and downward in the hierarchy rank order, received high scores. Compared with the general population, alcohol consumption was very low, whereas smoking-in particular heavy smoking-was much more frequent among professional Danish army personnel. Lung function testing showed significantly poorer mean values of forced expiratory volume in 1st second of expiration and mean forced expiratory flow 25 to 75% of forced vital capacity among smokers compared with nonsmokers, although the mean values for the whole group of both smokers and nonsmokers were well above reference values for all lung function parameters. The frequency of moderately overweight individuals (25 < BMI < or = 30) was significantly higher among the male army personnel than in the general population, whereas this was not the case for obesity (BMI > 30). Abdominal obesity, regarded as an independent risk factor for the development of ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and all-cause mortality, was present in 5%, and 3% belonged to the highest-risk group by having a low BMI as well as abdominal obesity.
E-Learning and Semantic Web

Nowadays, e-learning systems are widely used for education and training in universities and companies because of their electronic course content access and virtual classroom participation. But not all learners learn in the same way and at the same rate, some prefer the traditional text-based or oral presentation of content, while others learn more easily in a visual or kinetic instruction style. The real value of e-Learning lies not in its ability to train just anyone, anytime, anywhere, but in our ability to deploy this attribute to train the right people to gain the right skills or knowledge at the right time. Learning objects and courses databases are syntactically structured text archives with powerful search engines. But, there is no semantic relationship between information needs of the user and the information content of documents. Because of many limitations using web 2.0 for creating E-learning management system, now-a-days we use Web 3.0 which is known as Semantic web. It is a platform to represent E-learning management system that recovers the limitations of Web 2.0. However, with the rapid increase of learning content on the Web, it is time-consuming for learners to find contents they really want to and need to study. “Making content machine-understandable” is a popular paraphrase of the fundamental prerequisite for the Semantic Web. This paper focuses on e-Learning, benefits and requirements of e-Learning and potential uses of semantic web technology in e-Learning.
Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria at Oslo University Hospital 2000

In 18 of the patients, PNH was secondary to another bone marrow disease BACKGROUND Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare haematological disease characterised by chronic haemolysis, pancytopenia and venous thrombosis. The condition is attributable to a lack of control of complement attack on erythrocytes, platelets and leucocytes, and can be diagnosed by flow cytometry. In this quality assurance study, we have reviewed information from the medical records of all patients tested for PNH using flow cytometry at our laboratory over a ten-year period.
Key Parameters for the Use of AbobotulinumtoxinA in Aesthetics: Onset and Duration

Abstract Time to onset of response and duration of response are key measures of botulinum toxin efficacy that have a considerable influence on patient satisfaction with aesthetic treatment. However, there is no overall accepted definition of efficacy for aesthetic uses of botulinumtoxinA (BoNT-A). Mechanical methods of assessment do not lend themselves to clinical practice and clinicians rely instead on assessment scales such as the Frontalis Activity Measurement Standard, Frontalis Rating Scale, Wrinkle Severity Scale, and Subject Global Assessment Scale, but not all of these have been fully validated. Onset of activity is typically seen within 5 days of injection, but has also been recorded within 12 hours with abobotulinumtoxinA. Duration of effect is more variable, and is influenced by parameters such as muscle mass (including the effects of age and sex) and type of product used. Even when larger muscles are treated with higher doses of BoNT-A, the duration of effect is still shorter than that for smaller muscles. Muscle injection technique, including dilution of the toxin, the volume of solution injected, and the positioning of the injections, can also have an important influence on onset and duration of activity. Comparison of the efficacy of different forms of BoNT-A must be made with the full understanding that the dosing units are not equivalent. Range of equivalence studies for abobotulinumtoxinA (Azzalure; Ipsen Limited, Slough UK/Galderma, Lausanne CH/Dysport, Ipsen Biopharm Limited, Wrexham UK/Galderma LP, Fort Worth, TX) and onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox; Allergan, Parsippany, NJ) have been conducted, and results indicate that the number of units of abobotulinumtoxinA needs to be approximately twice as high as that of onabotulinumtoxinA to achieve the same effect. An appreciation of the potential influence of all of the parameters that influence onset and duration of activity of BoNT-A, along with a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the face and potency of doses, are essential to tailoring treatment to individual patient needs and expectations.
Letter: possible association between PPI use and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

SIRS, We appreciate the interest raised by Tabibian and Kane regarding our recent study demonstrating increased likelihood of persistent organ failure among hospitalised patients who received delayed ERCP ≥48 h compared to early ERCP <48 h from presentation. We agree with the comments regarding the potential for unmeasured confounders that may impact the association of delayed ERCP on persistent organ failure. However, when we adjusted for the two additional factors stated in the letter to multivariate analyses (coagulopathy defined by INR >1.5 and hypoxaemia requiring oxygen supplementation on presentation), the adjusted odds ratio of delayed compared to early ERCP (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.4–7.1) and 17% (95% CI: 7–29%) relative risk of every 1-day delay in ERCP on persistent organ failure were identical to the primary analyses in the study. Furthermore, even in most unstable patients, hypoxaemia or coagulopathy should not preclude early ERCP after adequate volume resuscitation with primary goals of biliary decompression as a definitive treatment for biliary sepsis. Finally, selection bias resulting from excluding outpatients with cholangitis in our study is likely not important in clinical practice given that most cases of cholangitis are managed as inpatients. Although we are in agreement that a prospective study comparing different periods of time to ERCP would be desirable, cholangitis is an infrequent cause of hospitalisation in major centres (90–203 patients during 8–16 years in retrospective studies). Furthermore, time-sensitive inclusion criteria, substantial but relatively infrequent outcome (i.e. in-hospital mortality 2–9%), and clinical instability of some patients may pose challenges to enrolment and will certainly require multicentre collaboration.