Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A follow‐up study of occupational skin disease in Western Australia

From a total of 993 previously reported cases of occupational skin disease (OSD), 954 (96%) were contacted and 711 (75%) examined, The review time (i.e., period from original diagnosis of OSD until review] varied from u minimum of 6 months to a maximum of over 8 years. Over 60% of cases were reviewed more than 2 years after the original diagnosis was made. More than 50% were still suffering from OSD or consequences related thereto. Clearance was less likely in those who remained in their original, or similar, occupational environment. However, of those who changed their job due to OSD. Many suffered aggravation of the dermatitis from factors in the new work environment. Over 10% of cases had evolved into a persistent post occupational dermatitis without obvious cause. This condition is responsible for considerable impairment and is of medicolegal importance due lo confusion as to its relationship to the original occupational factors.
In vitro antibacterial activity of DU-6859a, a new fluoroquinolone

The in vitro antibacterial activity of DU-6859a, a new fluoroquinolone, against a wide variety of clinical isolates was evaluated and compared with those of tosufloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and sparfloxacin. DU-6859a showed potent broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive, gram-negative, and anaerobic bacteria, and its activity was greater than those of the control quinolones. By comparison of MICs at which 90% of strains are inhibited, DU-6859a had potent activity against bacteria resistant to the control quinolones. The time-killing curves of quinolones showed that the number of viable cells decreased rapidly during 2 to 4 of incubation, and regrowth was not seen even after 8 h incubation. At a concentration of four times the MIC, the frequencies of appearance of spontaneous mutants of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to DU-6859a were < or = 4.0 x 10(-9) to 1.9 x 10(-8). The 50% inhibitory concentrations of DU-6859a were 0.86 and 1.05 micrograms/ml for the supercoiling activities of DNA gyrases isolated from E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. The rank order of the 50% inhibitory concentrations observed for both DNA gyrases roughly paralleled the MICs.
Stricture location predicts swallowing outcomes following endoscopic rendezvous procedures

Complete pharyngoesophageal strictures may be encountered by the otolaryngologist as a consequence of radiation/chemoradiotherapy therapies for head and neck cancer. A combined anterograde and retrograde dilation procedure (rendezvous procedure) has proven to be a useful surgical intervention in these cases. We assess the long‐term swallowing outcomes of this patient cohort including gastrostomy tube (G‐tube) reliance, swallowing quality of life, and variables that contribute to improved swallowing outcomes.
Entrepreneurs’ Resources, Technology Strategy, and New Technology‐Based Firms’ Performance

This study is based on the configuration approach and argues that the new technology‐based venture's performance depends on how well the entrepreneur's resources allow the chosen technology strategy to be executed, in other words, the fit between the resources and the strategy. The authors study this idea by using a sample of 175 Spanish new technology‐based ventures. The results indicate that the fit between the chosen technology strategy and the entrepreneur's resources explain the firm's performance, when this is measured through foreign market performance. That fit is also related to the technology‐based firm's financial results and generic and domestic performance.
Corporate Social Responsibility: From Founders to Millennials

Abstract Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is presented as a series of evolving stages characterized by shifting attitudes and behaviors by business firms, their stakeholders, and public policies. Five major phases of CSR are described: CSR-1: Corporate Social Trusteeship; CSR-2: Corporate Social Responsiveness; CSR-3 Corporate-Business Ethics; CSR-4: Corporate Global Citizenship; and CSR-5: Toward a Millennial Future. Accompanying the first four CSR phases are the principal drivers and policy instruments that have activated those four CSR stages. An evolving set of generational values and attitudes about CSR — from Silent Generation to Baby Boomers to Gen-Xers to today’s Millennials — reveal the continuing development and relevance of — and the major questions and challenges about — Corporate Social Responsibility in the Millennial future.
Crime Is in the Air: The Contemporaneous Relationship between Air Pollution and Crime

Many empirical studies have examined the various determinants of crime. However, the link between crime and air pollution has been largely overlooked. In this paper we study whether exposure to ambient air pollution affects crime using daily administrative data for London in 2004–5. For identification, we estimate models with ward fixed effects and implement two instrumental variable strategies, using atmospheric inversions and wind direction as exogenous shocks to local pollution. We find that air pollution has a positive and statistically significant impact on overall crime and on several major crime categories, including those with economic motives. Importantly, the effect also occurs at pollution levels that are well below current regulatory standards and appears to be unevenly distributed across income groups. Our results suggest that reducing air pollution in urban areas may be an effective measure to reduce crime and that air pollution forecasts can be used to improve predictive policing.
Inhibition of Myogenic MicroRNAs 1, 133, and 206 by Inflammatory Cytokines Links Inflammation and Muscle Degeneration in Adult Inflammatory Myopathies

The molecular basis of inflammatory myopathies such as dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis, and inclusion body myositis, which share the characteristics of chronic muscle inflammation and skeletal muscle wasting, are poorly understood. As such, effective targeted treatments for these diseases are lacking, resulting in critical unmet medical needs for these devastating diseases. The purpose of this study was to identify possible new targets for drug development by exploring the mechanism by which inflammation may play a role in the pathology of the inflammatory myopathies.
Enhanceosome Formation over the Beta Interferon Promoter Underlies a Remote-Control Mechanism Mediated by YY1 and YY2

ABSTRACT The expression of beta interferon genes from humans and mice is under the immediate control of a virus-responsive element (VRE) that terminates 110 bp upstream from the transcriptional start site. Whereas a wealth of information is available for the enhanceosome that is formed on the VRE upon the signals generated by viral infection, early observations indicating the existence of other far-upstream control elements have so far remained without a molecular fundament. Guided by a computational analysis of DNA structures, we could locate three as-yet-unknown transcription factor-binding regions at −0.5, −2, and −3 kb. Our present study delineates the interplay of factors YY1 and YY2 as it occurs at the sites at −3 kb and −2 kb (otherwise called HS1 and HS2), consistent with the idea that the novel factor YY2 antagonizes the negative actions exerted by YY1. Differences between the human and murine control regions will be described.
TeleWatt: An innovative electric vehicle charging infrastructure over public lighting systems

The growth of the Electric Vehicle (EV)'s market is strongly conditioned by the availability of cost-effective and reliable charging infrastructures. In the current state of the technology, the limited capacity of the batteries limits EV's market to urban moves. The rapid deployment of charging stations in urban areas is a real challenge. In this paper, we introduce an original approach consisting in reusing existing public lighting infrastructures for that purpose. Two main advantages characterize our solution. First, charging stations can be deployed rapidly without costly civil engineering. Second, a fraction of the power non consumed by the lamps at night can be used for the benefit of the charging stations. Meanwhile, such an approach must be achieved while guaranteeing the stability and quality of the lighting system.
The resolvase/invertase domain of the site-specific recombinase TnpX is functional and recognizes a target sequence that resembles the junction of the circular form of the Clostridium perfringens transposon Tn4451

Tn4451 is a 6.3-kb chloramphenicol resistance transposon from Clostridium perfringens and is found on the conjugative plasmid pIP401. The element undergoes spontaneous excision from multicopy plasmids in Escherichia coli and C. perfringens and conjugative excision from pIP401 in C. perfringens. Tn4451 is excised as a circular molecule which is probably the transposition intermediate. Excision of Tn4451 is dependent upon the site-specific recombinase TnpX, which contains potential motifs associated with both the resolvase/invertase and integrase families of recombinases. Site-directed mutagenesis of conserved amino acid residues within these domains was used to show that the resolvase/invertase domain was essential for TnpX-mediated excision of Tn4451 from multicopy plasmids in E. coli. An analysis of Tn4451 target sites revealed that the transposition process showed target site specificity. The Tn4451 target sequence resembled the junction of the circular form, and insertion occurred at a GA dinucleotide. Tn4451 insertions were flanked by directly repeated GA dinucleotides, and there was also a GA at the junction of the circular form, where the left and right termini of Tn4451 were fused. We propose a model for Tn4451 excision and insertion in which the resolvase/invertase domain of TnpX introduces 2-bp staggered cuts at these GA dinucleotides. Analysis of Tn4451 derivatives with altered GA dinucleotides provided experimental evidence to support the model.
The Effects of Pronator Quadratus Repair on Outcomes After Volar Plating of Distal Radius Fractures

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate forearm rotation after volar plating of the distal radius fractures with and without pronator quadratus repair. Design: This was an institutional review board–approved retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Setting: The study was conducted at an Academic Medical Center. Patients: Over a 5-year period, 606 patients with distal radius fractures (OTA classifications 23-A through 23-C) were enrolled in an institutional review board–approved, prospectively collected, distal radius database. One hundred and seventy-five patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation with volar plating. Of these, 112 patients had complete 1-year follow-up (6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months) and were included in this study. Intervention: Volar plating of the distal radius was performed with pronator quadratus repair (group A), versus volar plating without pronator quadratus repair (group B). Surgeries in group A were performed by a fellowship trained hand surgeon utilizing volar plates from Depuy Orthopedics (Warsaw, IN), whereas the surgeries in group B were performed by a fellowship trained orthopedic trauma surgeon utilizing volar plates from Stryker (Mahwah, NJ). Main Outcome Measurements: Primary outcomes include forearm range of motion. Secondary outcomes include grip strength, pain levels, functional outcomes (DASH scores), radiographs, and complications. Results: Baseline and demographic characteristics of the patients were similar between the 2 groups. There was no difference in mean pronation (P = 0.08) at 1 year. Among secondary analyses, radial deviation was significantly different (P = 0.03); however, pain (P = 0.13) and DASH scores (P = 0.14) were not. The only patient that requested plate removal had the pronator repaired (group A). Conclusions: We conclude that there is no advantage in repairing the pronator quadratus during volar plating of distal radius fractures. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Domestic and trade policies affecting the world cotton market

While not a food item in and of itself, cotton is important for food security in many developing countries. The cotton sector is also subject to a lot of controversy regarding its role in development, poverty alleviation, North–South trade, and environmental destruction (Mancini et al. 2005); the crop has been successively depicted as increasing or decreasing poverty and as worsening countries’ public deficits because of mismanagagement (Moseley and Gray 2008). Yet a closer look at the topic shows that cotton is a major source of cash income for millions of people, particularly in Africa, where it is also a source of foreign exchange earnings for more than 15 countries (Tschirley, Poulton, and Labaste 2009). For example, in Mali (a least developed country, or LDC) three million people make their livelihoods directly off cotton production (Sanogo, Keita, and Sanogo 2009). In addition to providing producers with cash income, cotton also appears to be a key product for fighting rural poverty and achieving food security for several other reasons.
Laparoscopic Sigmoid Resection for Cancer: Curative Resection and Preliminary Medium-Term Results

PURPOSE Despite reservations about compliance with oncologic radical criteria, laparoscopic resection of the sigmoid colon is increasingly being used with curative intent in oncologic surgery of the colorectum. The aim of the present study was to obtain further information on the perioperative course, the oncologic radicalness of the procedure, and medium-term outcome. METHODS The data presented here were obtained from a prospective, multicenter study conducted in Germany and Austria. These data were acquired from an analysis of subgroups derived from a total of 3,133 recruited patients. RESULTS A total of 292 patients from 36 hospitals underwent laparoscopic resection of the sigmoid colon with curative intent. The definitive histopathologic work-up of surgical specimens revealed the following International Union Against Cancer tumor stages: 122 Stage I, 86 Stage II, and 84 Stage III. The mean operating time was 172 minutes, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 241 ml. The conversion rate to open surgery was 5.5 percent, the majority of such conversions being made necessary by vascular lesions. Sixty-five of the patients reported at least one postoperative problem or complication (22.3 percent); the mortality rate was 2.7 percent. With a mean of 13.4 recovered lymph nodes and a mean aboral safety margin of 72 mm, the formal criteria for the assessment of oncologic radicalness were met. Intraoperative cell dissemination occurred in two patients. The long-term results, which, at a mean follow-up of 2.1 years and a follow-up rate of 73.3 percent, must be considered preliminary, show a calculated stage-related survival rate of 88.8, 90.9, and 64.1 percent, respectively, for the International Union Against Cancer Stages I, II, and III. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic sigmoid resection can be performed technically reliably—also with curative intent—with acceptable complication and mortality rates and, to date, with survival rates that are at least comparable with those achieved with open surgical procedures.
High-performance system GreenLight laser: indications and outcomes

Purpose of review In this review, we present recent clinical and urodynamic data on transurethral photoselective vaporization of the prostate, and report on the recent introduction of the 120 W GreenLight laser (GLL) high-performance system. Recent findings Published studies provide substantial evidence that photoselective prostate vaporization is an efficacious treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. Recent studies confirm improved urodynamic findings following GLL treatment. Moreover, it can be used safely in high-risk patients (e.g. those on anticoagulant medication and patients with cardiopulmonary diseases), and has been proposed as an alternative to prostate enucleation for larger glands. Depending on the reimbursement system in different countries, it can be a cost-effective procedure. The introduction of the 120 W high-performance system GLL does, however, place distinct demands on training and operative schemes. Summary The clinical results of GreenLight prostate vaporization are equivalent to those following transurethral resection of the prostate, with reduced operative risks, even for the high-risk patient. These clinical benefits have been confirmed by improved urodynamic parameters. The potential advantages of the new 120 W high-performance system GLL are yet to be unequivocally proven in larger randomized trials.
Family Caregiving or Caregiving Alone: Who Helps the Helper?

ABSTRACT This study advances the understanding of family caregiving by examining the relationship between adult children caregivers and their helpers. Specifically, it focuses on examining “who helps whom” and extends analyses beyond the dyadic focus of caregiving in later life. The focus on helping and caregiving addresses the variety of contributions and responsibilities involving not only the caregiver who was the target respondent in this research, but also others identified as helpers in the provision of care. The data for this study are derived from the Work and Eldercare Research group of CARNET: The Canadian Aging Research Network. Secondary analysis of CARNET data focuses on data collected from 250 individuals with significant caregiving responsibilities for at least one older person. Findings extend Kahn & Antonucci's convoys of social support model (1981) and Cantor's model of social care (1991) by disentangling some of the dimensions of helping and caregiving, such as the distinction between direct and assistive help. RÉSUMÉ l'étude creuse la question de la prestation des soins familiaux en examinant la relation entre l'enfant adulte dispensateur de soins et ses aidants. Elle se penche plus précisément sur la question «Qui aidea qui ? » et fait déborder l'analyse de la dynamique diadique de la prestation de soins au troisième âge. En s'attardant sur l'aide et la dispensation de soins, l'étude aborde les diverses formes d'apport et de responsabilité concernant non seulement le «dispensateur de soins», répondant «cible» de la recherche, mais également les personnes regroupées sous le vocable «aidantes». Les données qui font l'objet de la présente étude proviennent du groupe de recherche sur le travail et les aînés de CARNET : le Réseau canadien de recherche sur le vieillissement. l'analyse secondaire de CARNET est centrée sur les données concernant 250personnes assumant de grandes responsabilités en prestation de soins familiaux auprès d'au moins une personne âgée. Les constatations permettent d'étoffer le modèle de convois de soutien social de Kahn et Antonucci (1981), et le modèle des soins sociaux de Cantor (1991) en démêlant les écheveaux de l'aide et de la prestation de soins, notamment en distinguant l'aide directe de l'aide de soutien.
Prevalence and predictors of premenstrual syndrome among college-aged women in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Research on risk factors for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is lacking for the Gulf countries of the Middle East, a region with unique cultural features that might influence expectations and self-perception of the disease. We examined the association of PMS frequency with possible risk factors for the disease. METHODS Using a self-report questionnaire, we surveyed all eligible young women (n=464) enrolled in the medical, nursing and medical technology/respiratory therapy educational programs at a university in Dammam. Women were asked about the frequency of symptoms during the previous six months. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which of several biopsychosocial and dietary factors influenced the premenstrual symptom score. RESULTS At least one premenstrual symptom was experienced by 448 women (96.6%), and 176 (37.5%) had a high symptom severity score. Premenstrual symptom frequency was significantly associated with a maternal history of premenstrual syndrome, self-perception of mental stress, physical activity, consumption of sweet-tasting foods, and coffee, but these factors only explained 14% of the variability in the multiple regression model. CONCLUSIONS We recommend that women vulnerable to mental stress take advantage of relaxation techniques and psychotropic therapies. Moreover, women with PMS might eliminate sweet-tasting food and caffeine-containing beverages, particularly coffee, from their diet.
Development of a questionnaire to assess worker knowledge, attitudes and perceptions underlying dermal exposure.

OBJECTIVES Workers' behavior is identified as an important determinant of dermal exposure and is influenced by knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions. Because behavior may be a significant predictor of exposure, its assessment provides a means for examining exposure and designing strategies and incentives that encourage worker protective behavior. Currently, there are no psychosocial instruments examining worker knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions with respect to dermal hazards. Accordingly, a questionnaire was developed and tested to provide an instrument for measuring worker knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. METHODS The questionnaire was developed on the basis of a literature review and expert consultation. Scales were constructed based on standard methods. Two worker focus groups were used to evaluate worker understanding and content validity of the KAP (knowledge, attitudes, perceptions) questionnaire. The resulting 115-item questionnaire that included scales for knowledge (N=13), attitudes (N=27), perceptions (N=15), behavior (N=8), behavioral intentions (N=15), barriers (N=13), and facilitators (N=5) was tested on 89 workers from 19 facilities. RESULTS The concepts identified in the focus groups included worker perception of higher risk due to a poor fit and replacement frequency for personal protective equipment and cross-contamination by workers moving into work zones. Field testing of the questionnaire (N=89) yielded Cronbach's alpha reliability scores ranging from 0.87 for the self-efficacy personal protective equipment scale to 0.92 for the overall belief scale, indicating high internal reliability. CONCLUSIONS Although further testing and refinement is needed, this survey instrument provides an initial and conceptually unique means for evaluating behavioral determinants of worker dermal exposure.
Contextual vulnerability of rainfed crop-based farming communities in semi-arid Zimbabwe: A case of Chiredzi District

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability based on the socioeconomic and biophysical characteristics of Chiredzi District, a region that is susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change and variability. Design/methodology/approach Vulnerability was assessed using the Vulnerability to Resilience and the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity frameworks. Findings The major indicators and drivers of vulnerability were identified as droughts, flash floods, poor soil fertility and out-migration leaving female- and child-headed households. From sensitivity analysis, it was shown that different areas within the district considered different biophysical and socioeconomic indicators to climate change and variability. They also considered different vulnerability indicators to influence the decisions for adaptation to climate change and variability. Originality/value The results of this study indicate that the area and cropping systems are greatly exposed and are sensitive to climatic change stimuli, as shown by the decline in main cereal grain yield. These results also showed that there is a need to define and map local area vulnerability as a basis to recommend coping and adaptation measures to counter climate change hazards.