Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological trends in oesophageal cancer in the Nordic countries

Objective. The incidence rates of oesophageal cancer vary more than those of any other cancer, world-wide. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiological features of oesophageal cancer in the Nordic countries. Material and methods. Epidemiological data from the Nordic Cancer Registry (NORDCAN Database, http://www.ancr.nu/nordcan.asp) were used for the study analysis. Results. From 1971 to 2000 in the Nordic countries, 18,034 oesophageal cancers were detected in males and 8216 in females. In males, the incidence rates (world age standardized incidence per 100,000) of oesophageal cancer in 1971–75 and 1996–2000 were 2.7 and 6.0 in Denmark, 4.2 and 3.2 in Finland, 3.4 and 5.6 in Iceland, 2.6 and 3.3 in Norway, and 2.9 and 3.3 in Sweden, respectively. In females, the corresponding figures were: Denmark 1.1 and 1.8, Finland 3.1 and 1.3, Iceland 2.5 and 1.3, Norway 0.7 and 0.9, and Sweden 1.1 and 1.0. Each Nordic country showed a significant geographical variation in the incidence of oesophageal cancer. In both males and females the incidence curves began rising after 40 years of age, but significantly more steeply in males than in females. Over the study period, oesophageal cancer mortality increased from 2.97 to 3.68 per 100,000 in males but decreased from 1.30 to 1.08 in females. The incidence rates of oesophageal adenocarcinoma increased in males in all Nordic countries, and the increase was most marked in Denmark. The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma also increased among Danish females, but compared with males, the incidence rate remained significantly lower. Conclusions. The time trends in incidence of oesophageal cancer differ between the Nordic countries, and there has also been geographical variation within them. On a global comparison, the incidence rates of oesophageal cancer are low in the Nordic region. Oesophageal cancer is a male-predominant disease in all Nordic countries, and the incidence rates of oesophageal adenocarcinoma have increased in males and Danish females.
Coupling reduction in enclosures and cavities using electromagnetic band gap structures

The physical mechanism behind electromagnetic interference (EMI) is the coupling of energy between different primary and secondary sources of radiation and components within the package or chassis. This coupling can be either through conduction or radiation. However, regardless of the coupling mechanism, surface currents are needed to support the electromagnetic fields that eventually cause radiation, which in turn, constitute the EMI in the victim component. Minimizing these surface currents is considered a fundamental and critical step in minimizing EMI. In this work, we address novel strategies to confine surface currents. Unlike the traditional use of lossy materials and absorbers, which can be costly and can suffer from considerable disadvantages including mechanical and thermal reliability leading to limited life time, we consider the use of electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures. These structures are inherently suited for surface current suppression. Their design is straightforward, and they are inexpensive to implement and do not suffer from the limitation of the previous methods used for the type of EMI suppression previously described. The effectiveness of the EBG as an EMI suppresser will be demonstrated using numerical simulations and measurements.
PREVALENCE AND ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCI FROM A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN HYDERABAD

Rising level of resistance to a wide range of antibiotics by both Staphylococcus aureus [SA] and Coagulase Negative Staphylococci [CoNS] represent a significant threat to future treatment efficacy. Present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococci [MRS] which included both, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] and Methicillin Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci [MRCoNS] from different clinical samples and their invitro susceptibility pattern to various antimicrobials. Methicillin resistance was tested by oxacillin and cefoxitin disk diffusion method. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of all the isolates was determined by modified Kirby bauer disc diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration MIC of Vancomycin was determined by E-test method. Of the 186 isolates, 129 isolates (69.35%) were identified as SA and the remaining 57 (30.64%) as MRCoNs. The frequency of MRSA was 34.10 % ( 44/129) and MRCoNS was 26.31 % (15/57). All MRS isolates were 100% resistant to penicillin and recorded 100% sensitivity to vancomycin. The % resistance of MR isolates towards Teicoplanin was 1.69% (1/59) and Linezolid was 6.77% (4/59). Rifampicin and Amikacin showed resistance of 18.64% (11/59) each. Cefuroxime, Cefadroxil, Gentamycin and Erythromycin showed higher resistance of 74.57%, 64.40%, 64.40% and 61.01% respectively. A higher rate of antibiotic resistance was noted in MRCoNS as compared to MRSA. Hence accurate and prompt detection of methicillin resistance are of key importance in ensuring proper antibiotic treatment in infected patients and control their spread in the hospital environment. A detailed knowledge of their sensitivity to antibacterial agents is thus necessary to facilitate the development of effective strategies to combat the growing problem of resistance.
PARENTING AND CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS: MOTHERS' AND FATHERS' VOICES

Through thematic analysis of interviews, we explored parents' perceptions of their child's behaviors and their own parenting. A purposive sample of four mothers and four fathers who reported behavior problems for their 7½ year-old-child was selected from a larger study. Parents appraised their child positively despite episodic behavior problems, and described parenting in the context of financial difficulties, marital conflict, chronic illness, lack of support for parenting, and abuse in the parent's family of origin. Data suggest a need for timely mental health services to assist parents with managing their child's behaviors within the context of the family's situation.
Reactive oxygen species and fatigue‐induced prolonged low‐frequency force depression in skeletal muscle fibres of rats, mice and SOD2 overexpressing mice

Skeletal muscle often shows a delayed force recovery after fatiguing stimulation, especially at low stimulation frequencies. In this study we focus on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this fatigue‐induced prolonged low‐frequency force depression. Intact, single muscle fibres were dissected from flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscles of rats and wild‐type and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) overexpressing mice. Force and myoplasmic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) were measured. Fibres were stimulated at different frequencies before and 30 min after fatigue induced by repeated tetani. The results show a marked force decrease at low stimulation frequencies 30 min after fatiguing stimulation in all fibres. This decrease was associated with reduced tetanic [Ca2+]i in wild‐type mouse fibres, whereas rat fibres and mouse SOD2 overexpressing fibres instead displayed a decreased myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity. The SOD activity was ∼50% lower in wild‐type mouse than in rat FDB muscles. Myoplasmic ROS increased during repeated tetanic stimulation in rat fibres but not in wild‐type mouse fibres. The decreased Ca2+ sensitivity in rat fibres could be partially reversed by application of the reducing agent dithiothreitol, whereas the decrease in tetanic [Ca2+]i in wild‐type mouse fibres was not affected by dithiothreitol or the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine. In conclusion, we describe two different causes of fatigue‐induced prolonged low‐frequency force depression, which correlate to differences in SOD activity and ROS metabolism. These findings may have clinical implications since ROS‐mediated impairments in myofibrillar function can be counteracted by reductants and antioxidants, whereas changes in SR Ca2+ handling appear more resistant to interventions.
Characterization of Early Stages of Human B Cell Development by Gene Expression Profiling1

We have characterized several stages of normal human B cell development in adult bone marrow by gene expression profiling of hemopoietic stem cells, early B (E-B), pro-B, pre-B, and immature B cells, using RNA amplification and Lymphochip cDNA microarrays (n = 6). Hierarchical clustering of 758 differentially expressed genes clearly separated the five populations. We used gene sets to investigate the functional assignment of the differentially expressed genes. Genes involved in VDJ recombination as well as B lineage-associated transcription factors (TCF3 (E2A), EBF, BCL11A, and PAX5) were turned on in E-B cells, before acquisition of CD19. Several transcription factors with unknown roles in B lymphoid cells demonstrated interesting expression patterns, including ZCCHC7 and ZHX2. Compared with hemopoietic stem cells and pro-B cells, E-B cells had increased expression of 18 genes, and these included IGJ, IL1RAP, BCL2, and CD62L. In addition, E-B cells expressed T/NK lineage and myeloid-associated genes including CD2, NOTCH1, CD99, PECAM1, TNFSF13B, and MPO. Expression of key genes was confirmed at the protein level by FACS analysis. Several of these Ags were heterogeneously expressed, providing a basis for further subdivision of E-B cells. Altogether, these results provide new information regarding expression of genes in early stages of human B cell development.
Test expectancy affects metacomprehension accuracy.

BACKGROUND Theory suggests that the accuracy of metacognitive monitoring is affected by the cues used to judge learning. Researchers have improved monitoring accuracy by directing attention to more appropriate cues; however, this is the first study to more directly point students to more appropriate cues using instructions regarding tests and practice tests. AIMS The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the accuracy metacognitive monitoring was affected by the nature of the test expected. SAMPLE AND METHOD Students (N= 59) were randomly assigned to one of two test expectancy groups (memory vs. inference). Then after reading texts, judging learning, completed both memory and inference tests. RESULTS Test performance and monitoring accuracy were superior when students received the kind of test they had been led to expect rather than the unexpected test. CONCLUSION Tests influence students' perceptions of what constitutes learning. Our findings suggest that this could affect how students prepare for tests and how they monitoring their own learning.
Characterization of the calcium-fluoroaluminosilicate glass prepared by a non-hydrolytic sol-gel route for future dental application as glass ionomer cement

Glass ionomer cements are widely employed in dentistry due to their physical, biological and mainly anti-caries properties. Glass ionomers consist of an aluminosilicate glass matrix modified with other elements, and they contain large quantities of fluorine. In this study, we report on the preparation of calcium-fluoroaluminosilicate glasses by a nonhydrolytic sol-gel route as an alternative approach to obtaining alumina-silica matrices. The glass powders were prepared via the non-hydrolytic sol-gel method, by mixing AlCl3, SiCl4, CaF2, AlF3, NaF, and AlPO4. The powders were studied by thermal analysis (TG/DTA/DSC), photoluminescence (PL), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR27Al-29Si), and X ray diffraction (XRD). TG/DTA/DSC analyses revealed a constant mass loss due to structural changes during the heating process, which was confirmed by NMR and PL. A stable aluminosilicate matrix with potential future application as a glass ionomer base was obtained.
Administration of testosterone attenuates neuronal loss following axotomy in the brain-stem motor nuclei of female rats

This study was undertaken to elucidate whether (1) administration of testosterone to female rats attenuates axotomy-induced neuronal loss; (2) the efficacy of testosterone treatment is related to the age of animals, the dosage given, and the time and duration of the treatment; (3) neurons which project or terminate aberrantly can survive; and (4) the trophic actions of testosterone on neuronal survival and axonal outgrowth are operated under the same mechanisms. The hypoglossal and facial nerves were transected unilaterally at 3 and 6 weeks of age. In order to establish the dose-response curve, testosterone propionate (TP) at doses of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 5.0 mg was injected subcutaneously twice weekly during the first 4 postaxotomy weeks, and once weekly thereafter for an additional 6 weeks. Neuronal numbers in the hypoglossal and facial motor nuclei were counted 10–12 weeks after axotomy in serial paraffin sections stained with cresyl violet. To determine the time course of TP effect, neuronal numbers were counted at 1, 4, 12, and 20 weeks after axotomy. In addition, neuronal loss 12 weeks after axotomy in rats treated with TP for the first 3 postaxotomy weeks only was compared with that in rats withheld TP treatment until the 5th postaxotomy week. To determine axonal projections and terminations of the surviving neurons, HRP retrograde tracing technique was used. Results indicated that TP treatment significantly attenuated neuronal loss in prepubertal and young adult female rats in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Only doses which elevated serum testosterone to levels comparable to or surpassing normal male levels were effective. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Original Verbal Images of Children as a Function of Time

87 children between 8 and 11 yr. were identified as high, moderate and low creatives on a measure of verbal originality and presented 5 onomatopoeic words 4 times with time deadlines of 10 sec. , 20 sec. , 30 sec. and unlimited time. All three groups needed some time press although highly creative boys and girls generally needed more than their less creative peers.
Validity of Norwegian Rectal Cancer Registry data at a major university hospital 1997–2005

Background. The Norwegian Rectal Cancer Registry (NRCR) has been used extensively to monitor patient treatment and outcomes since its establishment in 1993. Control of data validity is crucial to ensure reliable information, but an audit of the NRCR data validity has not been performed so far. This study aims to validate NRCR data on patients diagnosed in the period 1997–2005, Department of Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital. Material and methods. The material comprises NRCR data on all 482 patients diagnosed with rectal cancer in the period 1997–2005 at a major Norwegian university hospital. We checked 50 variables for discrepancies by comparing NRCR data with the medical records. All erroneous registrations were recorded. Results. One hundred patients (21%) had one or more data discrepancies in the registry, and 131 errors (0.5%) were noted in total. Sixteen variables (32%) had no erroneous registrations. Pre-operative CT and type of surgical procedure had the highest proportion of erroneous registrations (2.1%). Recorded errors were grouped into five variable categories: Pre-operative evaluation and adjuvant treatment (40 errors), surgical treatment (44 errors), pathological evaluation (20 errors), complications (7 errors) and oncological outcomes (20 errors). The majority of erroneous registrations (45%) were considered minor in severity, 27% were moderate and 28% were major. Conclusion. Assessment of the NRCR data from a nine-year period showed a good data validity in this hospital cohort.
Patient-specific dosimetric endpoints based treatment plan quality control in radiotherapy

In intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), the optimal plan for each patient is specific due to unique patient anatomy. To achieve such a plan, patient-specific dosimetric goals reflecting each patient’s unique anatomy should be defined and adopted in the treatment planning procedure for plan quality control. This study is to develop such a personalized treatment plan quality control tool by predicting patient-specific dosimetric endpoints (DEs). The incorporation of patient specific DEs is realized by a multi-OAR geometry-dosimetry model, capable of predicting optimal DEs based on the individual patient’s geometry. The overall quality of a treatment plan is then judged with a numerical treatment plan quality indicator and characterized as optimal or suboptimal. Taking advantage of clinically available prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans, we built and evaluated our proposed plan quality control tool. Using our developed tool, six of twenty evaluated plans were identified as sub-optimal plans. After plan re-optimization, these suboptimal plans achieved better OAR dose sparing without sacrificing the PTV coverage, and the dosimetric endpoints of the re-optimized plans agreed well with the model predicted values, which validate the predictability of the proposed tool. In conclusion, the developed tool is able to accurately predict optimally achievable DEs of multiple OARs, identify suboptimal plans, and guide plan optimization. It is a useful tool for achieving patient-specific treatment plan quality control.
Tyche: Risk-Based Permissions for Smart Home Platforms

Emerging smart home platforms, which interface with a variety of physical devices and support third-party application development, currently use permission models inspired by smartphone operating systems-they group functionally similar device operations into separate units, and require users to grant apps access to devices at that granularity. Unfortunately, this leads to two issues: (1) apps that do not require access to all of the granted device operations have overprivileged access to them, (2) apps might pose a higher risk to users than needed because physical device operations are fundamentally risk- asymmetric-"door.unlock" provides access to burglars, and "door.lock" can potentially lead to getting locked out. Overprivileged apps with access to mixed-risk operations only increase the potential for damage. We present Tyche, a system that leverages the risk-asymmetry in physical device operations to limit the risk that apps pose to smart home users, without increasing the user's decision overhead. Tyche introduces the notion of risk-based permissions. When using risk-based permissions, device operations are grouped into units of similar risk, and users grant apps access to devices at that risk-based granularity. Starting from a set of permissions derived from the popular Samsung SmartThings platform, we conduct a user study involving domain-experts and Mechanical Turk users to compute a relative ranking of risks associated with device operations. We find that user assessment of risk closely matches that of domain experts. Using this ranking, we define risk-based groupings of device operations, and apply it to existing SmartThings apps, showing that risk-based permissions indeed limit risk if apps are malicious or exploitable.
The Effect of Nicotine and its Interaction with Ethanol on Biochemical Parameters, Oxidative Damage and Histological Changes in the Rat's Liver

In the present study we have evaluated the effect of chronic nicotine exposure and ethanol supplementation on biochemical parameters and oxidative stress in serum and liver of rats, respectively. We also performed histological analysis in liver. The nicotine-treated rats showed a weak effect on the activities of markers of liver function and a significant increase in the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The combined exposure significantly increased the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Moreover, the results showed that nicotine significantly increased lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and enhanced catalase (CAT) activity in liver. The combination of nicotine plus ethanol revealed the same effect in the level of lipid peroxidation and SOD activity, whereas the level of CAT activity was significantly raised. Histological studies showed morphological alterations in liver rat in both treated groups compared to control rats. Also, comparing the results of the nicotine-group to nicotine ethanol-group, we concluded that nicotine had prejudicial effects of less intensity than the association of nicotine and ethanol. These finding suggest that chronic nicotine administration provoked harmful effects to the liver; this hepatotoxicity can be enhanced by supplementation of ethanol and this association certainly increase the risk to develop liver diseases. Finally, the liver toxicity induced by nicotine alone or supplemented with ethanol was revealed by increasing both lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the liver, disturbance of indicators of liver function, enhance in the level of LDH and change of histological parameters.
Basics and Application of Ground-Penetrating Radar as a Tool for Monitoring Irrigation Process

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical method that employs an electromagnetic technique. The method transmits and receives radio waves to probe the subsurface. One of the earliest successful applications was measuring ice thickness on polar ice sheets in 1960s (Knodel et al., 2007). Since then, there have been rapid developments in hardware, measurement and analysis techniques, and the method has been extensively used in many applications, such as archaeology, civil engineering, forensics, geology and utilities detection (Daniels, 2004).
THE ‘WOMAN QUESTION’ IN MALAYAN PERIODICALS, 1920–1945

This article focuses on the debates on Malay women's role in the modern Malayan nation that appeared in Malay newspapers and magazines edited by men and women from the 1920s to 1945. It examines the dominant ideas emerging during this transitional period to determine whether the issues raised by Malay female writers represented a continuous thread from those raised earlier by male writers (the so-called male reformists), and assesses the extent of women's contributions to the ongoing polemics.
The Effect of Intimate Partner Violence on Mental Health Status Among Women of Reproductive Ages

Violence against women has been recognized as both a major public health problem and a human rights violation worldwide. Research has documented the association between physical/sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health, measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) among women in reproductive age. This study underlines that different types of IPV is independently associated with mental health status. Results also show effects of IPV on mental health may not only be immediate but also be long term. These findings suggest that efforts to identify women with mental health problems should include screening for the types and history of IPV victimization.
Harlem's Queer Dandy: African-American Modernism and the Artifice of Blackness

Investigating the figure of the queer black dandy in the art and literature of the Harlem Renaissance, this article argues that African American modernists such as Wallace Thurman and Richard Bruce Nugent revise nineteenth-century, European models of dandyism and decadence in order to critique the cult of authenticity surrounding the cultural construction of blackness. Their rebellion against the commodification of black identity gives birth to a new aesthetic that combines the naturalized simplicity and vigor of primitivism with the artifice of decadenceÐmaking legible a distinctly African American incarnation of the new forms of desire, identity, and community emerging in modern, urban culture.