Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tattoos: their relationship to trauma, psychopathology, and other myths.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between tattoos and reason for presentation to a community hospital emergency department (ED): injury, illness, or a psychiatric/chemical dependency problem. In addition, to assess contemporary beliefs about tattoos, ED staff and patients were surveyed about their attitudes toward and personal experience with tattoos. Demographic characteristics of participants also were evaluated relative to tattoos. METHODS All patients seen in the ED during two 24-hour periods in winter 1999 were surveyed about tattoos in a personal interview. Hospital staff who regularly interact with ED patients were asked the same questions. Data were collected on 294 patients and 289 staff members. Diagnoses were recorded for all patients, then coded as an injury, illness, or psychiatric/chemical dependency complaint. RESULTS In the 16-35 years age group, 35% of patients and 19% of staff had tattoos. In the 36-50 years age group, 28% of patients and 11% of staff had tattoos, and the 51-65 group had similar percentages: 6% of patients and 5% of staff had tattoos. Having a tattoo was not related to presenting complaint. Age was a significant predictor of attitudes regarding tattoos: Younger people had a more positive attitude. Significantly more smokers (31%) than nonsmokers (13%) had tattoos. Education was negatively related to having a tattoo. Gender was not significantly related to having a tattoo or to the number of tattoos a person had. CONCLUSION A surprisingly large percentage of young patients presenting to the ED had tattoos. No relationship was found between having a tattoo and nature of chief complaint.
A Geographic Relation Between Alcohol Availability and Gonorrhea Rates

Background and Objectives: The availability of alcohol measured as alcohol outlet density is associated with numerous alcohol‐related outcomes in small area analysis. A number of studies suggest that high‐risk sexual behavior should also be considered an alcohol‐related outcome. Goal of this Study: To assess the geographic relationship between alcohol availability and high‐risk sexual behavior at the neighborhood level. Study Design: Ecological analysis of the geographic relation between off‐premise, on‐premise, and total alcohol outlet density and reported gonorrhea rates among 155 urban residential census tracts in New Orleans during 1995. Results: All alcohol outlet density variables were positively related to gonorrhea rates. Off‐premise outlets per square mile was most strongly related to gonorrhea rates (β ± SE) (β = 0.582 ± 0.073), accounting for 29% of the variance in gonorrhea rates. Interpreted as an elasticity, a 10% increase in off‐sale alcohol outlet density accounts for a 5.8% increase in gonorrhea rates. Including the covariates percent black and percent unemployed to the model reduced but did not remove the effect of off‐sale outlet density (β = 0.192 ± 0.047). Conclusions: These results indicate there is a geographic relationship between alcohol outlet density and gonorrhea rates at the census tract level. Although these results cannot be interpreted causally, they do justify a public health intervention as a next step in defining the relation between alcohol availability and high‐risk sexual behavior.
Design of a Universal Inductive Charger for Multiple Electric Vehicle Models

Inductive power transfer technology has become a popular solution for battery charging of electric vehicles (EVs). However, problems such as varied magnetic coupling caused by coil misalignment still limit its practical applications, by safety and stability issues. Meanwhile, the growing market of EVs asks for a universal charger for various models. This paper presents the design process of a universal inductive charger (UIC) for EVs. The proposed UIC is capable of adaptively providing a constant or controllable charging voltage to various EVs, with a wide range of varied magnetic coupling between the transmitting and receiving coils. With a series-connected LC circuit, zero-voltage switching of the primary dc-ac inverter is universally realized in every charging cycle. A simple yet effective control method based on the frequency variation is used to automatically select the optimal frequency in different coupling conditions and adjust the frequency during the charging process. The design of the charging interface is also optimized with higher efficiency and power-transfer capability. Simulations and prototypes validate that the proposed UIC is accurate, robust, and applicable.
Microbial Communities and Their Predicted Metabolic Functions in Growth Laminae of a Unique Large Conical Mat from Lake Untersee, East Antarctica

In this study, we report the distribution of microbial taxa and their predicted metabolic functions observed in the top (U1), middle (U2), and inner (U3) decadal growth laminae of a unique large conical microbial mat from perennially ice-covered Lake Untersee of East Antarctica, using NextGen sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatics tools. The results showed that the U1 lamina was dominated by cyanobacteria, specifically Phormidium sp. , Leptolyngbya sp. , and Pseudanabaena sp. The U2 and U3 laminae had high abundances of Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Closely related taxa within each abundant bacterial taxon found in each lamina were further differentiated at the highest taxonomic resolution using the oligotyping method. PICRUSt analysis, which determines predicted KEGG functional categories from the gene contents and abundances among microbial communities, revealed a high number of sequences belonging to carbon fixation, energy metabolism, cyanophycin, chlorophyll, and photosynthesis proteins in the U1 lamina. The functional predictions of the microbial communities in U2 and U3 represented signal transduction, membrane transport, zinc transport and amino acid-, carbohydrate-, and arsenic- metabolisms. The Nearest Sequenced Taxon Index (NSTI) values processed through PICRUSt were 0.10, 0.13, and 0.11 for U1, U2, and U3 laminae, respectively. These values indicated a close correspondence with the reference microbial genome database, implying high confidence in the predicted metabolic functions of the microbial communities in each lamina. The distribution of microbial taxa observed in each lamina and their predicted metabolic functions provides additional insight into the complex microbial ecosystem at Lake Untersee, and lays the foundation for studies that will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the formation of these unique mat structures and their evolutionary significance.
Combined Spatial Limitation around Residues 16 and 108 of Plasmodium falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase Explains Resistance to Cycloguanil

ABSTRACT Natural mutations of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (PfDHFR) at A16V and S108T specifically confer resistance to cycloguanil (CYC) but not to pyrimethamine (PYR). In order to understand the nature of CYC resistance, the effects of various mutations at A16 on substrate and inhibitor binding were examined. Three series of mutations at A16 with or without the S108T/N mutation were generated. Only three mutants with small side chains at residue 16 (G, C, and S) were viable from bacterial complementation assay in the S108 series, whereas these three and an additional four mutants (T, V, M, and I) with slightly larger side chains were viable with simultaneous S108T mutation. Among these combinations, the A16V+S108T mutant was the most CYC resistant, and all of the S108T series ranged from being highly to moderately sensitive to PYR. In the S108N series, a strict requirement for alanine was observed at position 16. Crystal structure analyses reveal that in PfDHFR-TS variant T9/94 (A16V+S108T) complexed with CYC, the ligand has substantial steric conflicts with the side chains of both A16V and S108T, whereas in the complex with PYR, the ligand only showed mild conflict with S108T. CYC analogs designed to avoid such conflicts improved the binding affinity of the mutant enzymes. These results show that there is greater spatial limitation around the S108T/N residue when combined with the limitation imposed by A16V. The limitation of mutation of this series provides opportunities for drug design and development against antifolate-resistant malaria.
Relative Target Setting and Cooperation

A large stream of work on relative performance evaluation highlights the benefits of using information about peer performance in contracting. In contrast, the potential costs of discouraging cooperation among peers have received much less attention. The purpose of our study is to examine how the importance of cooperation affects the use of information about peer performance in target setting, also known as relative target setting. Specifically, we use data from an industrial services company where business unit managers need to share specialized equipment and staff with their peers to manage bottlenecks in their capacity. We construct several empirical proxies for the costs and benefits of information about peer performance and examine their effects on target setting. We find robust evidence that the sensitivity of target revisions to past peer performance is higher when peer group performance has greater capacity to filter out noise but lower when the importance of cooperation among peers is greater.
Assortative mixing as a source of bias in epidemiological studies of sexually transmitted infections: the case of smoking and human papillomavirus

SUMMARY For studies examining risk factors of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), confounding can stem from characteristics of partners of study subjects, and persist after adjustment for the subjects’ individual-level characteristics. Two conditions that can result in confounding by the subjects’ partners are: (C1) partner choice is assortative by the risk factor examined and, (C2) sexual activity is associated with the risk factor. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the potential impact of the assortativity bias in studies examining STI risk factors, using smoking and human papillomavirus (HPV) as an example. We developed an HPV transmission-dynamic mathematical model in which we nested a cross-sectional study assessing the smoking–HPV association. In our base case, we assumed (1) no effect of smoking on HPV, and (2) conditions C1–C2 hold for smoking (based on empirical data). The assortativity bias caused an overestimation of the odds ratio (OR) in the simulated study after perfect adjustment for the subjects’ individual-level characteristics (adjusted OR 1·51 instead of 1·00). The bias was amplified by a lower basic reproductive number (R 0), greater mixing assortativity and stronger association of smoking with sexual activity. Adjustment for characteristics of partners is needed to mitigate assortativity bias.
Mexican American trial of community health workers: a randomized controlled trial of a community health worker intervention for Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES We assessed whether community health workers (CHWs) could improve glycemic control among Mexican Americans with diabetes. METHODS We recruited 144 Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes between January 2006 and September 2008 into the single-blinded, randomized controlled Mexican American Trial of Community Health Workers (MATCH) and followed them for 2 years. Participants were assigned to either a CHW intervention, delivering self-management training through 36 home visits over 2 years, or a bilingual control newsletter delivering the same information on the same schedule. RESULTS Intervention participants showed significantly lower hemoglobin A1c levels than control participants at both year 1 Δ = -0.55; P = . 021) and year 2 (Δ = -0.69; P = .005). We observed no effect on blood pressure control, glucose self-monitoring, or adherence to medications or diet. Intervention participants increased physical activity from a mean of 1.63 days per week at baseline to 2.64 days per week after 2 years. CONCLUSIONS A self-management intervention delivered by CHWs resulted in sustained improvements in glycemic control over 2 years among Mexican Americans with diabetes. MATCH adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of CHWs to reduce diabetes-related health disparities.
Tissue‐specific migration pathways by phenotypically distinct subpopulations of memory T cells

A proportion of T cells recirculate in a tissue‐selective manner. Recent studies which showed that the skin‐tropic subset of T cells was of memory/activated type, led us to examine whether the preferential homing of T cells to the gut also involved memory T cells, and if so whether these memory T cells were phenotypically distinct from other memory T cells. Lymphocytes migrating through the gut and the skin of sheep was collected by cannulating the lymphatic ducts draining these tissues. Both naive and memory T cells were found to recirculate through the gut, although only memory T cells migrated through the skin. However, when T cells from the gut were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate and assessed for their migration back to the gut, it was the memory population which showed a tropism for the gut. Gut‐tropic memory T cells migrated poorly through the skin, indicating that these cells were distinct from skin‐tropic memory T cells. This was confirmed by phenotypic analysis. Gut memory T cells expressed very low levels of the α6 and β1 integrins, in contrast to skin memory T cells which expressed high levels. There was no evidence for heterogeneity within the naive T cell population, which migrated preferentially to lymph nodes. This migration pattern could be explained in part by the high expression of the L‐selectin (lymph node homing receptor, LAM‐1) on naive T cells, in contrast to memory T cells from gut or skin which were mostly L‐selectin negative. These results in sheep indicate that subsets of α/β memory T cells show tissue‐selective migration patterns, which probably develop in a particular environment following encounter with antigen.
Green tea drinking and multigenetic index on the risk of stomach cancer in a Chinese population

The purpose of our study was to examine the roles of green tea drinking, other risk and protective factors, and polymorphism of susceptibility genes such as GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, and p53 codon 72 and their possible joint effects on the risk of stomach cancer. A population‐based case‐control study was conducted in Taixing, China, including 206 newly diagnosed cases with stomach cancer and 415 healthy control subjects. Epidemiological data were collected by in‐person interviews using a standard questionnaire. Polymorphisms of susceptibility genes were assayed by PCR‐RFLP techniques. A multigenetic index was created by summing up the number of risk genotypes. The data were analyzed using the logistic regression model. A reverse association between green tea drinking and risk of stomach cancer was observed with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34–1.01). Dose‐response relationship was shown (p‐trend < 0.05). A higher score on the multigenetic index was associated with increased risk of stomach cancer with an adjusted OR of 2.21 (95% CI = 1.02–4.79) for those with at least 3 risk genotypes compared to those with <2 risk genotypes. Green tea drinking was suggested to have more than multiplicative interactions with alcohol consumption with an adjusted OR for interaction of 4.57 (95% CI = 1.62–12.89), and with higher multigenetic index with adjusted OR for interaction of 2.31 (95% CI = 0.88–6.03). The protective effect of green tea drinking was observed on the risk of stomach cancer and the possible effect modification by susceptibility genes was suggested. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Discussing those not present: comprehension of references to absent caregivers

The ability to understand references to the absent enables conversation to move beyond the here-and-now to matters distant in both space and time. Such understanding requires appreciating the relation between language and communicative intent: one must recognize speakers' intentions to use language to converge on a shared conversational focus that is at least somewhat independent of the current context. Despite its centrality to language development, the emergence of absent reference understanding has received little systematic attention. The present research investigated the responses of 60 infants aged 1;0 to 2;6 to a researcher talking about both present and absent caregivers. When infants aged 1;3 and older heard talk about absent caregivers they displayed a complex of nonverbal communicative responses that were divergent from their responses to talk about a present person. Infants aged 2;0 and older provided responses indicating understanding of absent reference. The findings suggest that by 1;3 infants may have at least a tacit appreciation of language as a device for coordinating conversational focus, and hint at increased sophistication in infants' absent reference comprehension skills at 2;0.
Bank Loan Loss Provisions, Risk-Taking and Bank Intangibles

This article investigates the relationship between discretionary loan loss provisions and bank intangibles among African banks. Prior studies have focused on how intangible assets affect firms' profitability and valuation decisions with almost no focus on the role of loan loss provisions. We investigate whether banks increase (decrease) loan loss provisions in response to risks associated with investment in intangible assets. We find that discretionary loan loss provisions are inversely associated with bank intangible assets and change in intangible assets, but the inverse association is weakened in environments with strong investor protection. We observe that income smoothing is reduced among banks that have large intangible asset investment. Moreover, income smoothing is pronounced among banks that have few intangible asset investments but this behaviour is reduced for banks in environments with strong minority shareholders right protection.
Série Scientifique Scientific Series 2018 s-33 Demand for Annuities : Price Sensitivity , Risk Perceptions , and Knowledge

The demand for voluntary individual lifetime annuities is low. To assess the rea-sons why, we designed a stated-preference experiment where we vary characteristics of annuity contracts to estimate individuals’ sensitivity to their value-to-cost ratio, a statistic also known as an annuity’s money’s worth. Using different measures of longevity risk and survival expectations, including individually tailored estimates from a micro-simulation model and subjective expectations, we investigate how knowledge of the product and mortality risk misperceptions affect the take-up as well as the sensitivity of the demand for annuities. We find that annuities are objectively not priced fairly, although they can appear to be fairly priced given an individual’s subjective mortality risk. We also find that demand is somewhat price-inelastic so that, given their current 10% take-up rate, lowering the price of annuities to fair actuarial levels could increase demand by at most 2 percentage points. Lack of knowledge of annuities explains another 1.2 percentage points. We find limited additional interest for deferred annuities compared to immediate ones although respondents are less price sensitive when evaluating deferred annuities.
The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on the Utilisation of Natural Resources in Nigeria

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of FDI on the utilization of natural resources in Nigeria. This article uses annual data from 1970 to 2015 and employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration, a testing procedure for level relationships developed by Pesaran and Shin (1999) and Pesaran et al. (2001). The ARDL cointegration approach examines the long-run relationship between FDI and natural resources on one hand and GDP on the other hand. The empirical results indicate that aggregate FDI has a positive and statistically significant impact on both natural resources and GDP in Nigeria. The ‘OIL’ variable presents a positive coefficient while GDP presents a negative estimated coefficient. From a policy point of view, countries such as Nigeria, endowed with natural resources, should pursue policies targeted at full deregulation (privatisation) of their natural resource sector to better utilise the abundance of their natural resources and attract additional FDI. Regarding GDP, there should be concerted efforts to boost the performance of the non-oil sector in Nigeria through more investments in the agricultural and industrial sectors which will make the growth of the economy spread across other sectors and, in turn, encourage national economic growth and development, reducing the possibility of the ‘resource curse’. This is the first paper that employs ARDL in determining the impact of FDI on the utilization of natural resources in Nigeria.
Prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded study of the efficacy and safety of meropenem vs. cefotaxime therapy in bacterial meningitis in children. Meropenem Meningitis Study Group.

OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of meropenem with cefotaxime for the treatment of infants and children with bacterial meningitis. METHODS Infants and children with strongly suspected or documented bacterial meningitis were randomly assigned in a prospective multicenter study to receive either meropenem or cefotaxime. Patients were assessed at the end of therapy and at 5 to 7 weeks and 5 to 7 months after the end of treatment for the presence of neurologic and sensory neural sequelae. RESULTS A total of 258 children were randomized to either treatment group. A further 8 patients with suspected pneumococcal meningitis were treated with meropenem without randomization. Of the randomized patients 154 were fully evaluable, 79 in the meropenem group and 75 in the cefotaxime group. At the end of treatment there were no significant differences in clinical outcome between the two treatment groups. Clinical cure with or without sequelae was achieved in 97 and 96% of the meropenem- and cefotaxime-treated patients, respectively. At the end of treatment and at 5 to 7 weeks, 46 and 54% of meropenem patients were cured with no sequelae, respectively. Corresponding results for cefotaxime patients were 56 and 58%. All pathogens were eradicated. In total 37 patients had seizures during treatment, 15 (12%) in the meropenem and 22 (17%) in the cefotaxime group. None of the seizures was considered to be drug-related. CONCLUSIONS This trial shows that meropenem is suitable therapy for bacterial meningitis in infants and children and that it offers an efficacy and safety profile similar to that of cefotaxime.
Non-core liabilities and interest rate pass-through: bank-level evidence from Indonesia

ABSTRACT The policy importance of non-core liabilities (bank liabilities other than equity and retail deposits) has risen to prominence in recent years with a number of studies highlighting it as a useful indicator of financial procyclicality and vulnerability. In this paper, we look at non-core liabilities in relation to its role in the transmission of monetary policy, particularly by examining how the interest rate channel of monetary policy is affected by non-deposit liabilities. We analyse this issue in the context of an emerging economy experience of Indonesia, which in recent years, has seen an increased reliance of its banking sector on non-core funding. Our investigation employs available bank-level data on non-core liabilities and lending rates in Indonesia over the period October 2011 to July 2016. We find that including non-core liabilities in the estimation has an effect, relative to the baseline, of stronger overall and immediate pass-through, albeit with a more sluggish adjustment towards the correction of disequilibrium in the next period. The overall effect is that non-core liabilities make the duration longer for the monetary policy rate to transmit to bank lending rates in Indonesia.