Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-sectional survey of hearing impairment and ear disease in Uganda.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and causes of disabling hearing loss in adults and children in Uganda. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional survey of ear disease and hearing impairment. SETTING A random cluster sample design of the population from the Masindi district of Uganda following the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, using a modified version of the WHO Ear Disease Survey Protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The prevalence of disabling hearing impairment using the WHO definitions (excluding 0.5 kHz owing to high background noise levels). RESULTS In the study, 6041 participants were enrolled and underwent audiometric evaluation and an ear examination. The prevalence of disabling hearing impairment was 11.7% in adults and 10.2% in children. A further 2.3% of children in whom thresholds could not be measured were deemed to have significant hearing loss based on screening questions and/or sound-field stimuli. Correctable causes such as dry perforations, cerumen impaction, and chronic suppurative otitis media resulted in disabling hearing loss in 17% of adult subjects and 41% of children. Preventable hearing loss, such as meningitis and noise-induced hearing loss, was present in a further significant percentage of subjects. CONCLUSIONS Ear disease and hearing impairment were found to be important health problems in the Ugandan population. Preventable ear disease is a major cause of hearing loss in the population. It is hoped that the findings of this study will draw attention to the problem in Uganda and will lead to proper allocation of resources for the prevention and treatment of hearing loss and ear disease.
Practitioner review: Non-pharmacological treatments for ADHD: a lifespan approach.

BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic and pervasive developmental disorder that is not restricted to the childhood years. METHODS This paper reviews non-pharmacological interventions that are available at present for preschoolers, school-age children, adolescents and adults. RESULTS The most appropriate intervention for preschoolers is parent training. For school-age children with moderate impairments there is some evidence to suggest that group parent training programmes and classroom behavioural interventions may suffice as a first-line treatment. For school-age children with severe impairments, interventions are more appropriate when combined with stimulant medication (i.e., integrated treatment packages are likely to be more successful than 'standalone' treatments). Multimodal interventions seem to be best suited for middle school/adolescent children, which most likely reflects that these interventions usually integrate home and school treatment strategies and often include an element of social skills training. Stimulant medication is generally the first line of treatment for adults but CBT has also been found to be effective at addressing the complex needs of this population. CONCLUSION Current research has largely ignored that ADHD is a developmental disorder that spans the preschool to adult years. Most studies focus on young school-age children and outside of this age group there is a dearth of controlled trials that provide conclusive evidence. As children mature the mode and agent of intervention will shift to reflect the developmental needs and circumstances of the individual.
A D-galactose-Binding Lectin with Mitogenic Activity from Musca domestica Pupae

A lectin with potent mitogenic activity was isolated from Musca domestica pupae. The lectin was a monomer with a molecular weight of 55 kDa. The purification procedure mainly involved affinity chromatography on galactose-Sepharose-4B. The lectin agglutinated trypsin-treated rabbit blood cells. D-galactose was detected to inhibit the lectin's hemagglutination activity. The lectin was metal independent and temperature dependent and was detected by the periodic acid-Shiff reaction to be a glycoprotein with a carbohydrate content of 2.1%. Observations with an atomic force microscope indicated that the lectin was a globular protein about 75 nm in size, with several carbohydrate chains linked to it. It elicited a mitogenic response from mouse splenocytes in vitro, with the maximal response at a concentration of 20 µg/ml. No lectin has been reported before from Musca domestica pupae, and the lectin we discovered could be of great importance in insect immunity and hypoimmune diseases.
CESifo Working Paper No . 732 WORKING TIME AND EMPLOYMENT UNDER UNCERTAINTY

The standard literature on working time has modelled the decisions of firms in a deterministic framework in which firms can choose between employment and overtime (given mandated standard hours). Contrary to this approach, we consider the impact of uncertainty and real options on the decision of working time, i.e. we examines the determinants of employment and hours in a stochastic framework. We conclude the theoretical analysis with a number of simulation exercises to illustrate the working of the model. JEL Classification: D81, E24, J23.
Fine-grained LTE radio link estimation for mobile phones

Recently, spectrum optimization solutions require mobile phones to obtain precise, accurate and fine-grained estimates of the radio link data rate. In particular, the effectiveness of anticipatory schemes depends on the granularity of these measurements. In this paper we use a reliable LTE control channel sniffer (OWL) to extensively compare mobile phone measurements against exact LTE radio link data rates. We also provide a detailed study of latencies measured on mobile phones, the sniffer, and a server to which the phone is connected. In this study, we show that mobile phones can accurately (if slightly biased) estimate the physical radio link data rate. We highlight the differences among measurements obtained using different mobile phones, communication technologies and protocols.
Population‐based human papillomavirus 16, 18, 6 and 11 DNA positivity and seropositivity in Chinese women

To optimize HPV vaccination implementation at the population‐level in China, data are needed on age‐specific HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 prevalence. This cross‐sectional, population‐based study evaluated the age‐ and type‐specific HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 prevalence of DNA and serum antibodies among women in China. From July 2006 to April 2007, 17–54 year old women from three rural provinces (Xinjiang, Shanxi and Henan) and two cities (Beijing and Shanghai) provided cervical exfoliated cells for HPV DNA and liquid‐based cervical cytology (SurePath). High‐ and low‐risk HPV types were detected with HC‐II (Qiagen), with genotyping of HPV‐positive samples using Linear Array (Roche). HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 serum antibodies were detected using a Luminex‐based, competitive immunoassay (Merck). A total of 4,206 women with DNA and serum antibody results were included. HPV 16 DNA prevalence peaked in women aged 30–34 (4.2%) and 45–49 yr (3.8%), while HPV 18 DNA prevalence peaked at ages 40–44 yr (1.3%). Most women were dually DNA and serum antibody negative: HPV 16 (92.2%), 18 (97.2%), HPV 16 and 18 (90.2%), 6 (92.0%), 11 (96.6%), 6 and 11(89.9%) and HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 (82.5%). Future national HPV vaccination programs in China should target younger women due to increased exposure to HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11 with increasing age. Cumulative exposure of HPV may be underreported in this population, as cross‐sectional data do not accurately reflect exposure to HPV infections over time.
Effect of ω-3 supplementation on placental lipid metabolism in overweight and obese women.

BACKGROUND The placentas of obese women accumulate lipids that may alter fetal lipid exposure. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (n–3 FAs) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) alter FA metabolism in hepatocytes, although their effect on the placenta is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate whether n–3 supplementation during pregnancy affects lipid metabolism in the placentas of overweight and obese women at term. DESIGN A secondary analysis of a double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in healthy overweight and obese pregnant women who were randomly assigned to DHA plus EPA (2 g/d) or placebo twice a day from early pregnancy to term. Placental FA uptake, esterification, and oxidation pathways were studied by measuring the expression of key genes in the placental tissue of women supplemented with placebo and n–3 and in vitro in isolated trophoblast cells in response to DHA and EPA treatment. RESULTS Total lipid content was significantly lower in the placentas of overweight and obese women supplemented with n–3 FAs than in those supplemented with placebo (14.14 ± 1.03 compared with 19.63 ± 1.45 mg lipid/g tissue; P < 0.05). The messenger RNA expression of placental FA synthase (FAS) and diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) was negatively correlated with maternal plasma enrichment in DHA and EPA (P < 0.05). The expression of placental peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (r = −0.39, P = 0.04) and its target genes DGAT1 (r = −0.37, P = 0.02) and PLIN2 (r = −0.38, P = 0.04) significantly decreased, with an increasing maternal n–3:n–6 ratio (representing the n–3 status) near the end of pregnancy. The expression of genes that regulate FA oxidation or uptake was not changed. Birth weight and length were significantly higher in the offspring of n–3-supplemented women than in those in the placebo group (P < 0.05), but no differences in the ponderal index were observed. Supplementation of n–3 significantly decreased FA esterification in isolated trophoblasts without affecting FA oxidation. CONCLUSION Supplementing overweight and obese women with n–3 FAs during pregnancy inhibited the ability of the placenta to esterify and store lipids. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00957476.
The Effects of Upper-Body and Lower-Body Fatigue on Standing Balance

The purpose of our study was to analyze the effects of upper-body fatigue and lower-body fatigue on post-exercise standing balance. Force plates were used to assess static balance by measuring the displacement of the Center of Pressure (COP) while subjects stood on the plate. Ten healthy male undergraduate students (mean age 20.7 years, SD = 1.3) each participated in one session. All subjects were considered to be physically fit, as determined by self-reported vigorous physical activity in hours per week (mean activity 7.1 hours, SD = 3.7). During sessions, participants performed two control trials and two fatigue trials, with each trial consisting of subjects standing motionless on a force plate for 20 seconds. Participants completed one upper-body fatiguing protocol and one lower-body fatiguing protocol in random order. Standing balance trials were completed before and immediately following each fatigue protocol. Lower-body fatigue was achieved by participants performing a maximum number of body-weight squats, while upper-body fatigue was attained by participants performing a maximum number of push-ups. Subjects reported their Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), which was used to determine individuals’ subjective level of exhaustion on a scale of 6-20 (mean squat RPE = 14.9, SD = 2.2; mean push-up RPE = 15.4, SD = 1.3). Each subject was required to rest during a 15-minute recovery period between each fatigue protocol. The upper-body fatigue protocol produced significant (p < 0.05) mediolateral variability of the COP when compared to the control condition, and additionally, the lower-body fatigue protocol resulted in a significantly greater path length in comparison to the control trials. There was no significant difference in standing balance between upper and lower-body fatigue trials. The most paramount findings of the present study indicate that the selective fatigue of upper-body musculature greatly impairs standing balance, particularly by causing significant mediolateral deviations.
Towards an evidence-based presentation authoring tool

It would be difficult to argue that any software tool plays a greater role in knowledge transfer than PowerPoint. Unfortunately, prevailing presentation authoring practices yield less than optimal results (as evidenced by the near universal understanding of the phrase “Death by PowerPoint”). In this paper we describe our ongoing effort to develop an interactive presentation authoring aid that helps users craft an effective message and supporting visual media. More specifically, this software aid engages the user in a step-by-step dialog covering tasks ranging from the framing of an argument to the selection of appropriate data chart. We describe the results of preliminary experiments that indicate that such aids can provide benefits to both the speaker and the audience. Finally, we describe a practical approach to collecting the data required to support evidence-based presentation guidance.
Plasma Protein Electrophoresis in Birds: Comparison of a Semiautomated Agarose Gel System With an Automated Capillary System

Abstract: Plasma agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) is recognized as a very reliable diagnostic tool in avian medicine. Within the last 10 years, new electrophoresis techniques such as capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) have emerged in human laboratory medicine but have never been investigated in birds. To investigate the use of CZE in birds and to compare it with AGE, plasma samples from 30 roosters (Gallus gallus), 20 black kites (Milvus migrans), and 10 racing pigeons (Columba livia) were analyzed by both AGE and CZE. For the 3 species studied, values determined by AGE and CZE were well correlated for albumin and beta and gamma fractions whereas other values differed significantly. Values for alpha-3 fraction in the rooster, alpha-1 fraction in the black kite, and alpha fractions in the pigeon obtained by AGE were very well correlated with the prealbumin fraction values obtained by CZE. Repeatability and reproducibility appeared higher with CZE than with AGE. Although the interpretation of CZE electrophoresis patterns seems to produce results similar to those obtained with AGE, some proteins present in the alpha fraction measured with AGE migrated to the prealbumin fraction found with CZE. Although CZE requires the use of specific reference intervals and a much higher sample volume, this method has many advantages when compared with AGE, including better repeatability and reproducibility and higher analysis output.
Fibrinogen degradation products in patients with the Quebec platelet disorder

The Quebec platelet disorder is a serious bleeding disorder associated with proteolysis of α‐granular proteins, including fibrinogen. We evaluated fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) assays as screening tests for this disorder. Patients with the Quebec platelet disorder (13/13) had elevated serum FDPs (P <0.01) due to secreted degraded platelet fibrinogen, but normal plasma FDPs and D‐dimers. Unrelated controls with bleeding disorders (32/34) had undetectable FDPs, and controls with FDPs due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and other illnesses (11/11) had elevated FDPs in all assays (P < 0.01). Immunoblot analyses indicated plasma fibrinogen was normal in the Quebec patients and platelet FDPs were found in their platelet lysates, releasates and serum samples. Their platelet FDPs were not altered by treatment with fibrinolytic inhibitors and were different from the FDPs in DIC and in plasmin‐digested fibrinogen. Tests for serum FDPs may provide a simple rapid way to screen for the Quebec platelet disorder.
Clinical Features and Pharmacological Treatment of Migraine Patients Referred to Headache Specialists in Canada

We set out to examine selected clinical characteristics of migraine patients referred to neurologists specializing in headache in Canada, and to document their pharmacological therapy both before and after consultation with the neurologist. Demographic, clinical and pharmacotherapy data were collected at the time of consultation for 606 patients referred to five headache clinics and who were given a migraine diagnosis by the neurologist. Data were analysed as part of the Canadian Headache Outpatient Registry and Database (CHORD) Project. The mean age of the migraine patients was 39.7 years; and 82.5% were female. The majority of patients suffered severe impact from their headaches. Prior to consultation, 48.7% were taking a triptan; after consultation, 97.2% were on a triptan. Before consultation, 30.9% were on a prophylactic drug; after consultation, 70.4% were. 20.8% of patients were medication overusers. Of these medication overusers, 42.4% were overusing an opiate, usually in combination with other analgesics; 21.6% were overusing a triptan. Medication changes made by the neurologists at consultation included a large increase in the use of both triptans and prophylactic medications. Medication overuse, particularly opiate overuse, remains a significant problem in patients with migraine in Canada.
Mouse strain-specific idiotypy and interstrain idiotypic cross-reactions.

Genetic studies with the crosses and backcrosses of SWR/J and A/J mice indicate that the idiotypic determinants of Group A streptococcal antibodies segregate in a Mendelian fashion. The idiotypic reactions were inhibited with phenyl-β-N-acetyl-glucosaminide which contains immunodominant determinants of the Group A carbohydrate. Some of the absorbed idiotypic antisera to SWR/J and A/J Group A antibodies failed to detect strain-specific idiotypic determinants. Such anti-idiotypic sera exhibited interstrain idiotypic cross-reactions with the Group A antibodies from a number of different mouse strains. These idiotypic cross-reactions were also inhibited by phenyl-β-N-acetyl-glucosaminide, a finding which suggests that these interstrain idiotypic cross-reactions are dependent at least in part on site-associated determinants.
Theory of a multimode quasiequilibrium semiconductor laser.

This paper gives a simple plane-wave multimode semiconductor-laser theory valid near threshold under the quasiequilibrium assumption that the total field envelope varies little in the intraband scattering times. Subject to these limitations, the theory is able to describe the full many-body effects in the semiconductor medium for a variety of field configurations including unidirectional, bidirectional, and two-mirror standing-wave lasers with nonuniform gain distributions. The theory predicts that spatial-hole burning can lead to multimode operation and that bidirectional ring-laser operation cannot occur. Generalization to larger field intensities is discussed within the framenuork of the quasiequilibrium assumption
High-molecular-weight linear multimer formation by single-stranded DNA plasmids in Escherichia coli

We inserted foreign DNA segments into plasmids which replicate by a rolling-circle mechanism in Escherichia coli and observed the appearance of high-molecular-weight plasmid multimers (HMW). This phenomenon, which occurs more frequently with GC-rich segments, depends on the mode of replication of the plasmid and on host homologous recombination functions. We found that (i) HMW are formed upon insertion of a foreign DNA segment into a single-stranded DNA plasmid, whereas the same DNA insert has no such effect on a theta replicon, and (ii) HMW are not present in a recA mutant strain but are found in a lexA (Ind-) mutant. Enzymatic studies allowed us to define the HMW structure as linear double-stranded tandem head-to-tail plasmid repeats. Use of heteroplasmid strains showed that HMW production by one plasmid does not affect another resident plasmid, indicating that no host functions are phenotypically inactivated. This distinguishes our system from the HMW observed with various replicons in the absence of RecBCD enzyme activity. We propose that the role of the foreign insert is to protect the DNA from RecBCD exonuclease attack.
The right ventricle: anatomy, physiology and clinical imaging

Not long ago the right ventricle (RV) was considered an “unnecessary” part of the normal circulation. While factually correct—ablation or replacement of the RV free wall can be well tolerated by experimental animals without reduction in cardiac output, and many surgical algorithms for congenital heart diseases culminate in a circulation devoid of a sub-pulmonary ventricle, a Fontan procedure, for example—it is clear that such circulations are far from normal. Furthermore, recent studies consistently demonstrate a central role for RV dysfunction in the prognosis and outcomes for a wide variety of acquired and congenital cardiac conditions. Consequently there has been a renewed interest in the singular role of the RV, as well as its influence on global function via biventricular interactions. In this review, we will discuss some of the challenges encountered in the measurement of RV volume and function in the context of the RV’s unique anatomic structure and physiology. The role of both ventricles is to propel blood forward in the circulation. To enable this mechanical role, ventricular function is intimately related to ventricular structure. However, the two ventricles differ. Morphologically, the RV is distinguished from the left ventricle (LV) by having coarser trabeculae, a moderator band, and a lack of fibrous continuity between its inlet and outflow valves. In the RV the pulmonary valve sits on a freestanding muscular infundibulum and the crista supraventricularis courses between it and the tricuspid valve to aid free wall contraction toward the interventricular septum. Because it normally operates at a lower pressure than the LV, the RV has a thinner wall. Its septal contour is indented by the dominant LV, producing a shape that is difficult to model geometrically (fig 1). Figure 1 Three dimensional reconstructions of the right ventricle (RV) illustrating its complex shape in a normal subject (A). RV remodelling in diseased hearts can result in profound shape change, as in this patient (B) with dilated RV due to severe pulmonary regurgitation following repair of tetralogy of Fallot. The mesh surface is the left ventricle. LV, left ventricle; P, pulmonary valve; RV, right ventricle; T, tricuspid valve. See Sheehan and Bolson14 for explanation of reconstruction method. Nearly all studies of ventricular fibre structure were performed on the LV.1 Dissection studies showed that its fibres course …
THE CHANDRA COSMOS SURVEY. I. OVERVIEW AND POINT SOURCE CATALOG

The Chandra COSMOS Survey (C-COSMOS) is a large, 1.8 Ms, Chandra program that has imaged the central 0.5 deg2 of the COSMOS field (centered at 10h, +02o) with an effective exposure of ∼160 ks, and an outer 0.4 deg2 area with an effective exposure of ∼80 ks. The limiting source detection depths are 1.9 × 10−16 erg cm−2 s−1 in the soft (0.5–2 keV) band, 7.3 × 10−16 erg cm−2 s−1 in the hard (2–10 keV) band, and 5.7 × 10−16 erg cm−2 s−1 in the full (0.5–10 keV) band. Here we describe the strategy, design, and execution of the C-COSMOS survey, and present the catalog of 1761 point sources detected at a probability of being spurious of <2 × 10−5 (1655 in the full, 1340 in the soft, and 1017 in the hard bands). By using a grid of 36 heavily (∼50%) overlapping pointing positions with the ACIS-I imager, a remarkably uniform (±12%) exposure across the inner 0.5 deg2 field was obtained, leading to a sharply defined lower flux limit. The widely different point-spread functions obtained in each exposure at each point in the field required a novel source detection method, because of the overlapping tiling strategy, which is described in a companion paper. This method produced reliable sources down to a 7–12 counts, as verified by the resulting logN–logS curve, with subarcsecond positions, enabling optical and infrared identifications of virtually all sources, as reported in a second companion paper. The full catalog is described here in detail and is available online.