Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived Neighborhood Safety During Adolescence Predicts Subsequent Deterioration of Subjective Health Two Decades Later; Gender Differences in a Racially-Diverse Sample

Background: Current study aimed to investigate whether perceived neighborhood as unsafe during adolescence predicts the subsequent perceived health two decades later. Methods: In a prospective study of an ethnically diverse urban sample (83.2% Black), conducted from 1994 to 2012, 851 adolescents were enrolled at 9th grade. Three hundred and seventy-eight participants were followed from 9th grade for 18 years. The outcome was subjective health (feeling as healthy as other people of the same age) measured at baseline (mean age 15 years) and end of follow-up (mean age 33 years). The independent variable was neighborhood perceived as unsafe measured at 9th grade. Baseline age, family structure, and parental employment were control variables. We ran logistic regressions in the pooled sample and also specific to each gender. Results: Perceived neighborhood as unsafe at 9th grade predicted deterioration of subjective health over the next 18 years (unadjusted odds ratio = 1.742, 95% confidence interval = 1.042–2.911). This association remained significant in a multivariable model that controlled for baseline subjective health, family structure, and parental employment. The association between perceived neighborhood safety at 9th grade and subsequent deterioration of perceived health during the next 12 years was significant for females but not males. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that perception of unsafe neighborhoods during adolescence has negative consequences years later for the health of females. Further research is needed to replicate the findings using objective measures of health.
Quantification of active caspase 3 in apoptotic cells.

We describe an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantifying relative amounts of active caspase 3 in apoptotic cells. Covalent modification of caspase 3 active sites with a biotinylated inhibitor differentiates active from latent caspases. Capture on an ELISA plate with an antibody specific for caspase 3 makes the assay specific for caspase 3. Detection is with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated streptavidin that binds to the biotinylated inhibitor covalently bound to caspase 3. Using the assay we detected 6.6 ng active caspase 3 per 10(6) apoptotic staurosporine-treated Jurkat cells. Specificity of the assay for caspase 3 was demonstrated by lack of signal with purified caspases 2, 7, 8, and 10 that were modified by a biotinylated inhibitor. Specificity was also demonstrated by lack of signal with apoptotic MCF-7 cells which do not express caspase 3. The ability to discriminate between active and latent caspase 3 was shown by Western blotting with HRP-streptavidin and anti-caspase 3. Although latent caspase 3 was captured it was not covalently modified with the biotinylated inhibitor. The basic principle of using a covalent inhibitor to identify active enzymes and an antibody to differentiate between enzymes with similar activities has potential for quantifying active members of many classes of enzymes.
Nonequilibrium Quantum Fields in Cosmology : Comments on Selected Current Topics

Concepts of quantum open systems and ideas of correlation dynamics in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, as well as methods of closed-time-path e ective action and in uence functional in quantum eld theory can be usefully applied for the analysis of quantum statistical processes in gravitation and cosmology. We raise a few conceptual questions and suggest some new directions of research on selected currrent topics on the physics of the early universe, such as entropy generation in cosmological particle creation, quantum theory of galaxy formation, and phase transition in in ationary cosmology. Email: hu@umdhep.umd. edu, hu@sns.ias. edu
Whole genome scan to detect quantitative trait loci for conformation and functional traits in dairy cattle.

A granddaughter design was used to locate quantitative trait loci determining conformation and functional traits in dairy cattle. In this granddaughter design, consisting of 20 Holstein Friesian grandsires and 833 sons, genotypes were determined for 277 microsatellite markers covering the whole genome. Breeding values for 27 traits, regarding conformation (18), fertility (2), birth (4), workability (2), and udder health (1), were evaluated in an across-family analysis using multimarker regression. Significance thresholds were determined using a permutation test. The across-family analysis suggested the presence of 61 quantitative trait loci when 27 (i.e., one for each trait) were expected by chance. The test statistic exceeded the genomewise significance threshold for the following traits and chromosomes: chest width on chromosome 2; gestation length on chromosome 4; stature, body capacity, and size on chromosome 5; dairy character on chromosome 6; angularity on chromosome 12; fore udder attachment on chromosome 13; and fore udder attachment and front teat placement on chromosome 19. The quantitative trait loci for size traits on chromosomes 2, 5, and 6 may also have an effect on calving ease. The quantitative trait loci for udder traits on chromosomes 13 and 19 may also affect somatic cell score and mastitis resistance. If there are no negative effects on other economically important traits, marker assisted selection using markers associated with these quantitative trait loci can be applied.
Setting and Revising Antibacterial Susceptibility Breakpoints

SUMMARY Clinical microbiology laboratories need to communicate results of antibacterial susceptibility testing to prescribers. Sophisticated prescribers who are knowledgeable of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antibacterials may desire no more information than the MIC of the drug in question. However, most prescribers require interpretation of antibacterial susceptibility testing results. Breakpoints can assist in determining if an antibacterial is potentially useful in the treatment of a bacterial infection. Breakpoints should be set prior to an antibacterial being used clinically. Breakpoint setting requires integration of knowledge of the wild-type distribution of MICs, assessment of the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of the antibacterial, and study of the clinical outcome of infections when the antibacterial is used. It is mandatory that breakpoints be reviewed when antibacterial agents have been in clinical use for some time, particularly if mechanisms of bacterial resistance to the drug have been described. In general, greater amounts of information on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of an antibacterial are available when breakpoints need to be revised. However, the opportunity to conduct randomized clinical studies of an antibacterial declines after the drug has been released commercially. Well-designed observational clinical studies are therefore necessary in order to provide reliable data to inform those reevaluating breakpoints. Breakpoint-setting organizations may also play a role in developing phenotypic tests for detection of resistance mechanisms, as this information may complement use of the breakpoint in some circumstances.
Effects of a protected inclusion of organic acids and essential oils as antibiotic growth promoter alternative on growth performance, intestinal morphology and gut microflora in broilers.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of protected essential oils and organic acids mixture on poultry feeding. A total of 450 1-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were randomly allotted into three treatments with six replicates. Birds were offered a basal diet (C), basal diet with 0.15 g/kg enramycin premix (A) and basal diet with 0.30 g/kg protected essential oils and organic acids mixture product (P). The results showed that protected essential oils and organic acids mixture supplementation reduced average daily feed intake and ratio of feed to gain (F/G) at 22-42 days of age, and F/G during 1-42 days of age also declined (P < 0.05). Product supplementation improved spleen index, villus height and crypt depth of the jejunum at 42 days when compared with the control (P < 0.05). In addition, secretory immunoglobulin A level of ileal mucosa and trypsin and chymotrypsin activities of intestinal tract were higher in the P treatment. Bacterial sequence analysis of the intestinal tract revealed that protected essential oils and organic acids mixture supplementation changed gut microflora mainly in Lactobacillus. These data suggested that dietary mixture of organic acids and essential oils addition could be used in the poultry industry as an antibiotic growth promoter alternative.
Risk of second primary malignancy after esophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.

PURPOSE To assess the risk of subsequent malignancies after esophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus for the establishment of an adequate follow-up program. PATIENTS AND METHODS We statistically analyzed clinical factors in 114 cases of second malignancy after esophagectomy that developed in 94 of 679 patients who underwent curative resection. The cancer incidence rates in the general population estimated by the Research Group for Population-Based Cancer Registration in Japan were used as standards for comparison. RESULTS The 10-year cumulative risk of second malignancy was 34.5%, and the overall relative risk (RR) was 2.98 (95% CI, 2.41 to 3.65). The risk of head and neck cancer was markedly elevated (RR, 34.9; 95% CI, 24.3 to 48.6), followed by the risks of lung cancer (RR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.89 to 5.19) and stomach cancer (RR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.17 to 3.21). Multifactor analysis demonstrated that independent factors affecting the risk of subsequent malignancies were presence of other malignancies detected before esophagectomy and any of the following factors: masculine sex, alcohol consumption, and smoking. The 5-year survival rate after detection of subsequent malignancy was 45%. The outcome in patients with subsequent head and neck cancer was significantly less favorable as a result of difficulty in early detection. CONCLUSION Patients had a remarkably high risk of subsequent cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract after esophagectomy, in particular, head and neck cancer. Minute postoperative surveillance is strongly recommended, especially in patients with a history of malignancies before esophagectomy. Early detection of second malignancies allowed less invasive treatment with favorable outcome.
The Zenith Aortic Stent-Graft: A 5-Year Single-Center Experience

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and midterm results of the Zenith stent-graft in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Methods: Since March 1994, 364 patients have undergone endovascular repair of infrarenal AAA. Of the 94 who were treated with the Zenith stent-graft from 1996 to 2002, 88 patients (82 men; mean age 72.6 ± 6.5 years, range 47–88) with at least 6-month follow-up were analyzed. Sixty-one (69.3%) patients were considered at high risk for intervention; 7 ruptured AAAs were treated emergently. In all, 68 (77.3%) bifurcated stent-grafts (including 18 TriFab systems) and 20 aortomonoiliac configurations were used. Cumulative data on endoleak, migration, secondary procedures, and survival were evaluated with Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results: Implantation success was 97.7%; 2 (2.3%) access-related failures were converted to open repair (1 immediate, 1 at 3 months). There were 3 (3.4%) graft limb thromboses (2 immediate, 1 late), 3 (3.4%) cases of colon ischemia due to embolization in 1 and hypogastric artery occlusion in 2, and 1 (1.1%) renal infarction due to embolism. Three (3.4%) patients died within 30 days. Eleven (12.5%) endoleaks and 1 (1.1%) late endograft migration were recorded. The 5-year cumulative endoleak and migration rates were 15% and 7%, respectively. Sixty-three (71.6%) patients did not present any complication related to the repair during a mean follow-up of 20.6 ± 14.9 months (range 6–68); notably, no complications were associated with the 18 TriFab systems. Six (6.8%) secondary procedures were performed (31% 5-year cumulative secondary procedural rate). All 6 (6.8%) aneurysm-related deaths (the 3 perioperative, 2 from late AAA rupture, and 1 during a secondary procedure) and 14 of 18 (20.4%) non-aneurysm—related deaths occurred in high-risk patients; the 5-year cumulative survival rates were 57% for any death and 92% for aneurysm-related deaths. Conclusions: The Zenith stent-graft appears both safe and effective in terms of midterm outcome of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.
Incident Infection and Resistance Mutation Analysis of Dried Blood Spots Collected in a Field Study of HIV Risk Groups, 2007-2010

Objective To assess the utility of cost-effective dried blood spot (DBS) field sampling for incidence and drug resistance surveillance of persons at high risk for HIV infection. Methods We evaluated DBS collected in 2007–2010 in non-clinical settings by finger-stick from HIV-positive heterosexuals at increased risk of HIV infection (n = 124), men who have sex with men (MSM, n = 110), and persons who inject drugs (PWID, n = 58). Relative proportions of recent-infection findings among risk groups were assessed at avidity index (AI) cutoffs of ≤25%, ≤30%, and ≤35%, corresponding to an infection mean duration of recency (MDR) of 220.6, 250.4, and 278.3 days, respectively. Drug resistance mutation prevalence was compared among the risk groups and avidity indices. Results HIV antibody avidity testing of all self-reported ARV-naïve persons (n = 186) resulted in 9.7%, 11.3% and 14.0% with findings within the 221, 250, and 278-day MDRs, respectively. The proportion of ARV-naïve MSM, heterosexuals, and PWID reporting only one risk category who had findings below the suggested 30% AI was 23.1%, 6.9% and 3.6% (p<0.001), respectively. MSM had the highest prevalence of drug resistance and the only cases of transmitted multi-class resistance. Among the ARV-experienced, MSM had disproportionately more recent-infection results than did heterosexuals and PWID. Conclusions The disproportionately higher recent-infection findings for MSM as compared to PWID and heterosexuals increased as the MDR window increased. Unreported ARV use might explain greater recent-infection findings and drug resistance in this MSM population. DBS demonstrated utility in expanded HIV testing; however, optimal field handling is key to accurate recent-infection estimates.
The pathology of tumor stromatogenesis

Stromatogenesis is the formation of new, specific type, stroma at sites of active tumor cell invasion as an integral part of the invading process. The newly formed stroma by being wedged between tissue planes of least resistance disrupts the continuity of normal structures cleaving paths for the invading tumor cells – intramural stromatogenesis for endophytic tumors. Less frequently, the new stroma is formed towards a void space, i.e. at the free surfaces, whether internal or external (extramural stromatogenesis for exophytic tumors). It is postulated that the formation of this new stroma is generated and governed by the invading tumor cells with the tolerance and complicity of the adjacent activated fibroblasts. The spindle cells of the “neostroma” are intensely proliferating myofibroblasts, which are characterized by the frequent expression of α-smooth muscle actin and the particularly frequent expression of thymidine phosphorylase, PDGF-receptors and SPARC (secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine). The cellular and extracellular qualities, different as they are from those of reactive fibrosis, make stromatogenesis amenable to easy penetration by neoplastic cells and a prospective method for diagnosing early tumor invasion. Studies also suggest that the neostroma has complementary to cancer cell metabolic activity, important for buffering of cancer cell waste products and for the prevention of cancer cell acidic death. Thus, cancer cells and neostroma should not be seen as a mixture of heterogeneous uncoordinated cells but rather as a unified morphologic and metabolic domain with a harmonious collaboration between aerobic (myofibroblasts, endothelial cells) and anaerobic compartments (cancer cells).
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Metonymy determining the type of the direct object Sweep

This paper discusses the parallel between transitive locative alternations and logical metonymy, as in he began the book. It will be explained that both kinds of argument shifts can be considered as predicative metonymies, which cause a figure/ground effect of the direct object within the frame evoked by the verb.
Functional Traits in Parallel Evolutionary Radiations and Trait-Environment Associations in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa

Evolutionary radiations with extreme levels of diversity present a unique opportunity to study the role of the environment in plant evolution. If environmental adaptation played an important role in such radiations, we expect to find associations between functional traits and key climatic variables. Similar trait-environment associations across clades may reflect common responses, while contradictory associations may suggest lineage-specific adaptations. Here, we explore trait-environment relationships in two evolutionary radiations in the fynbos biome of the highly biodiverse Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. Protea and Pelargonium are morphologically and evolutionarily diverse genera that typify the CFR yet are substantially different in growth form and morphology. Our analytical approach employs a Bayesian multiple-response generalized linear mixed-effects model, taking into account covariation among traits and controlling for phylogenetic relationships. Of the pairwise trait-environment associations tested, 6 out of 24 were in the same direction and 2 out of 24 were in opposite directions, with the latter apparently reflecting alternative life-history strategies. These findings demonstrate that trait diversity within two plant lineages may reflect both parallel and idiosyncratic responses to the environment, rather than all taxa conforming to a global-scale pattern. Such insights are essential for understanding how trait-environment associations arise and how they influence species diversification.
OCCURRENCE AND REMOVAL OF PRIORITY POLLUTANTS BY 1 LAMELLA CLARIFICATION AND BIOFILTRATION 2

9 This study investigates the occurrence of all priority substances (n = 41) listed in the 10 Water Framework Directive and additional substances (n = 47) in raw sewage, as well as the 11 removal performance of lamella clarification and biofiltration techniques. Once the efficiency 12 of both types of techniques has been assessed for typical wastewater parameters, the 13 differences in each technique's ability to remove pollutants becomes obvious; nevertheless, 14 pollutant removal in quantitative terms still depends on the physico-chemical properties of the 15 compounds used and operating conditions within the selected facility. For lamella 16 clarification, the removal of organic chemicals was found to be primarily correlated with their 17 sorption potential and, hence, strongly dependent upon log Kow of the compound under study. 18 Compounds with a strong hydrophobic character (log Kow > 4.5) are removed to a significant 19 extent (approx. 85%), while hydrophilic compounds (log Kow < 3.5) are poorly removed (< 20 20%). For biofiltration, the removal of chemicals appears to be compound-dependent, 21 although this outcome involves several mechanisms, namely: i) physical filtration of total 22 suspended solids, ii) volatilisation, iii) adsorption on biomass, and iv) biotransformation of 23 substances. Even if the complex processes within a biofilter system do not yield an accurate 24 prediction of pollutant removal, two groups of chemicals can still be clearly identified: i) 25 hydrophobic or volatile compounds, for which moderate to high removal rates are observed 26 (from 50% to over 80%); and ii) hydrophilic, non-volatile and refractory compounds for 27 which a low removal rate would be expected (< 20%). 28
INOTROPIC AND CHRONOTROPIC EFFECTS OF SOTALOL IN CONSCIOUS DOGS : ASSESSED IN COMBINATION WITH ATROPINE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By

3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete.
Effects of Excess Cash, Board Attributes and Insider Ownership on Firm Value: Evidence from Pakistan

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether excess cash, board attributes (i.e. board size, board independence and CEO duality) and insider ownership affects the value of the firm. Data were taken from annual reports of non-financial firms listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) Pakistan during 2008-2012. Pooled ordinary least squares method used to estimate the effects of excess cash and internal governance indicators on the value of the firm. Our results indicate that excess cash is significantly negatively related to firm value. Excess cash along with board size is significant and negatively related to firm value. Excess cash along with insider ownership is significant and negatively related to firm value. Control variables namely leverage and dividends are positively while firm size is negatively related to firm value in all regressions. In sum, empirical results indicate that excess cash, board size and insider ownership have material effects on the value of the firm. Moreover, findings of this study provide support to managers to understand the impact of excess cash and internal governance measures on firm value. In addition, findings provide support to regulatory authorities to frame regulations that improve the level of corporate governance in the country.
Provisional chapter Use of ECMO in Sepsis and Septic Shock

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has always been controversial in the past. Evidence was mainly build up in neonates and much controversy remained in adults. The main adult indications were mechanical support (e.g., in cardiogenic shock) or respiratory support (e.g., in the field of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)). Sepsis was historically often considered as a contraindication. As a consequence of several worldwide flu outbreaks, the use of ECMO in infectious diseases increased. Besides in these viral infections, there was also growing interest for its use in bacterial septicemia, although often as escape therapy. In the recent years, other techniques gained increasing interest like for example, immunoadsorption, implemented in dialysis or ECMO circuits. In this chapter, we resume the available literature on the use of ECMO in septic shock including the use of immunoadsorption techniques.