Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life and Cannabis Use: Results from Canadian Sample Survey Data

Data from the 2013 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, and two other surveys are used to determine the effects of cannabis use on self-reported physical and mental health. Daily or almost daily marijuana use is shown to be detrimental to both measures of health for some age groups but not all. The age group specific effects depend on gender. Males and females respond differently to cannabis use. The health costs of regularly using cannabis are significant but they are much smaller than those associated with tobacco use. These costs are attributed to both the presence of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and the fact that smoking cannabis is itself a health hazard because of the toxic properties of the smoke ingested. Cannabis use is costlier to regular smokers and age of first use below the age of 15 or 20 and being a former user leads to reduced physical and mental capacities which are permanent. These results strongly suggest that the legalization of marijuana be accompanied by educational programs, counseling services, and a delivery system, which minimizes juvenile and young adult usage.
Experimentally induced mechanical pain threshold and tolerance difference between competitive contact and non- contact sports male athletes

Study Design: A single blind control experimental research, with repeated measures, on the difference in the experimentally induced mechanical pain threshold and tolerance between contact and non-contact sports male athletes. Summary of Background data: In the past decade, there have been numerous investigations of pain in the athletic environment. Pain tolerance has been contended to be the most critical differentiator between successful and unsuccessful athletes in endurance sports. Athletes have been known to have better pain tolerance and threshold when compared to non-athletes. Contact sport athletes are particularly more prone to injuries that often cause acute and chronic pain. They are hence postulated to have higher pain tolerance. However, there is a lack of studies to support this concept. The empirical data from this current research will allow sport doctors, physiotherapists, sport psychologists, trainers and coaches to better manage injured athletes. Aims: 1. To determine whether competitive male contact sport athletes have higher pain threshold and tolerance than non-contact sports male athletes, which might be associated with better pain management. 2. To determine the difference in mechanical pain threshold and tolerance between male athletes and non-athletes (as controls). 3. To determine the relationship between the “Visual Analog Pain Scale” (Pain-VAS) and pressure pain algometer.
Joint uplink and downlink delay‐aware resource allocation in C‐RAN

This work considers two‐way communication between each pair of users with highly delay‐aware applications. We formulate a joint uplink and downlink resource allocation problem in a cloud radio access network. Assuming average end‐to‐end (E2E) delay of each user pair and practical limitation such as maximum transmit power, we maximize the total throughput of all pair of users in the cloud radio access network. In this setup, we consider that each user can be connected to at most one remote radio head and a limited capacity fronthaul link between each remote radio head and baseband unit. To present the resource allocation problem in a more tractable manner, we replace the E2E delay limitation with its equivalent throughput‐based formulation. Due to inherent NP‐hard and nonconvex nature of the proposed problem, we apply successive convex approximation to reach a two‐step iterative algorithm where, in each step, a specific set of optimization variable derived while other variables are fixed. The problem of each step is transformed into the standard geometric programming via the arithmetic‐geometric mean approximation. Simulation results reveal that our proposed joint uplink‐downlink resource allocation algorithm outperforms a case that uplink and downlink resources are allocated separately in terms of total throughput and outage probability of E2E delay, ie, a chance that E2E delay does not hold.
An investigation of the inflammatory response in patients with prostate cancer

Prostate cancer remains a major global health problem. Each year, in the UK, more than 27,000 patients are diagnosed with prostate cancer and approximately 9,500 die of their disease. The therapeutic options range from treatments primarily aimed at cure, such as radical surgery or radical radiotherapy, in patients with organ-confined disease to palliative treatments such as homrone therapy or chemotherapy used in patients with advanced disease. In chapter 1, the epidemiology, pathology, clinical features and treatment of prostate cancer are discussed. In chapter 2, the specific cellular and non-specific systemic inflammatory responses are discussed. In chapter three, the influence of tumour-bed lymphocyte infiltration on survival in patients with prostate cancer was evaluated. In chapter four, the effect of the systemic inflammatory response on outcome in patients with metastatic prostate cancer was investigated. In chapter five, the relationship between IL-6 and C-reactive protein in patients with untreated prostate cancer and benign prostatic disease was evaluated. Given that the inflammatory response appears to be important in predicting outcome in patients with prostate cancer, the question of whether C-reactive protein, could be used in the diagnostic setting to detect prostate cancer was explored in chapter 6. In conclusion, these studies suggest that in patients with prostate cancer, both the presence of a systemic inflammatory response and a profuse CD4+ lymphocyte infiltration of the tumour bed, predict poor survival. The negative impact of the systemic inflammatory response has been well documented in a variety of other common solid tumours. In contrast, the effect on survival of tumour bed lymphocyte infiltration appears to differ between tumour types. Whereas the presence of tumour-bed lymphocyte infiltration appears to be protective in patients with colorectal cancer, it appears to be detrimental in patients with prostate cancer. The reasons for these differences are as yet not clear. However, given that tumour lymphocyte infiltration parallels that of other inflammatory cells and that an elevated C-reactive protein is associated with poor survival in both tumour types, it may be that the source of interleukin-6 differs in different tumours. In colorectal cancer patients it has been reported that interleukin-6 concentrations increase with tumour stage and correlate with CEA concentrations. This would suggest that in colorectal cancer patients, interleukin-6 is produced by the tumour cells. In contrast, in patients with prostate cancer there is no significant correlation between serum interleukin-6 and PSA concentrations. It may therefore be that in patients with prostate cancer, interleukin-6 is produced by the host inflammatory cells rather than the tumour. If this were so, it might have implications for the treatment of the systemic inflammatory response in patients with different tumour types. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).
Exploring Adolescent Employees' Perceptions of Safety from Workplace Violence

ii Dedication. v Acknowledgements.vi List of Tables. xv List of Figures.xvi List of Appendices.xvii List of Abbreviations. xviii CHAPTER 1.1 Statement of the Problem. 2 Purpose of the Study.3 Why this Study Needed to be Done? 3 Why this Target Population? 4 Why a Mixed Methods Study? 5 Summary. 6 Significance.7 Significance to Occupational Safety and Health. 7 Significance to Nursing. 7 Significance to Employers of Adolescents. 8 Significance to Adolescent Workers and their Parents. 8 Summary. 9 Specific Aims. 9
N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) Immunoreactivity Is Reduced After 6 Years of Storage at -70 °C.

BACKGROUND Clinical trial samples may be stored frozen for prolonged periods before analysis, which can reduce the immunoreactivity of numerous analytes, particularly peptides. We sought to determine the effect of 6 years of frozen storage on serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). METHODS NT-proBNP was measured from serum samples taken from 99 different patients enrolled in the CanPREDDICT study after <1 year of storage at -70 °C using the Roche first-generation NT-proBNP assay on an e411 instrument. Separate aliquots of the same samples were analyzed after an additional 6 years of storage at -70 °C using the Roche second-generation assay on an e601 instrument. RESULTS The median NT-proBNP immunoreactivity for the first measurement was 572 pg/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 205-1606, range 49-12820), while after an additional 6 years of storage at -70 °C, this value decreased to 526 pg/mL (IQR 181-1338, range 18-12880), resulting in a median percent difference of -7% (IQR -10.6% to -3.4%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS We report findings consistent with trends seen in previous work but have investigated the effect of a much longer storage period. Larger percent decreases in NT-proBNP reaching statistical significance are seen, although the median difference is still <10%.
Static Analysis of Superfluous Network Transmissions in Android Applications

The network transmission is an important way to exchange information between Android applications and their own backend or other third-party servers. However, some network transmissions are superﬂuous for the apps’ functionalities. Superﬂuous network transmissions not only increase the network traﬃc but also may leak users’ sensitive data. To identify the superﬂuous network transmissions, we propose a static-analysis based approach. Evaluation with real world market apps shows that 62% apps contain superﬂuous network transmissions, and 48% of the analyzed network transmissions are super-ﬂuous, and our approach could eﬀectively detect superﬂu-ous network transmissions in Android apps.
Correlates of vitamin D status in Inuit preschoolers and adults and correlates of bone mineral density in Inuit preschoolers

Evidence since the Nutrition Canada Survey (1973) suggests that Aboriginal people have low intakes of vitamin D and are shifting away from the consumption of traditional foods (TF). Further risk factors including higher body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, and latitude status predispose Aboriginal populations to low vitamin D status. In addition, previous studies suggest that Aboriginal children, as a group, are at a higher risk for low bone mass compared to other Canadian infants as a function of vitamin D. Thus, the objectives of this thesis were to: (i) determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency and optimal concentrations in Inuit adults and preschoolers; (ii) identify contributors to vitamin D intake, including market foods (MF) and TF among Inuit adults and preschoolers and compare usual vitamin D intakes to the recommended adequate intake (AI) in Inuit adults and preschoolers; (iii) identify predictors of an optimal vitamin D status in Inuit adults and preschoolers; and (iv) identify predictors associated with a higher bone mineral density (BMD) in Inuit preschoolers. Data for this study were obtained from the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey (IHS), which included 2599 adults (≥ 18 years (y)) and from the Child Inuit Health Survey (CIHS), which included 388 preschoolers (3 to 5 y) who were randomly selected. For objective (i), plasma or serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured by Chemiluminesent technology (DiaSorin, Liaison). For objective (ii), usual intakes of adults were estimated by using information on within person variability obtained from a previous study. Vitamin D intake of preschoolers was adjusted using a second 24 hour dietary recall (24 h recall) and an estimation of the adjusted vitamin D intake was calculated following the guidelines by the Institute of Medicine. For objective (iii) and (iv), logistic regression was used. Also, for objective (iv), heel BMD was estimated using ultrasound Sahara Sonometer. Results showed that vitamin D status of Inuit preschoolers and adults was low at the end of summer. With the decreasing consumption of TF, 14.1-64.7% of adults and 61.4 of preschoolers met or exceeded the AI for vitamin D. In adults, TF was the major contributor to vitamin D intake, whereas in preschoolers, TF intake was too low to establish links to vitamin D status. However milk was the major contributor to vitamin D intake in this age group. The strongest predictors of an optimal vitamin D status among Inuit adults were older age and healthy waist circumference, while for preschoolers, vitamin D intake above the AI and younger age were the strongest predictors. Finally, the strongest predictors of BMD were higher BMI and MUFA intake plus lower latitude. This is the first assessment of vitamin D status of the Inuit population in 30 y and the first assessment of BMD in Inuit preschoolers. In conclusion, this research has identified a high prevalence of low vitamin D status in Inuit preschoolers and young adults. Since TF was positively associated with vitamin D status,…
Reversible Data Hiding Schemes in Encrypted Images Based on the Paillier Cryptosystem

In this paper, we propose a novel framework for reversible data hiding schemes in encrypted images inspired by the privacy needs of outsourcing data in the cloud service. Our scheme allows the image owner and the data provider to send encrypted images and encrypted data to the data processor separately; then, the data processor can do the embedding without knowing any side information; the receiver would obtain the marked image after decryption and could extract the hidden data and completely recover the original image. By exploiting the Paillier homomorphism and the equivalence of the modular approach, the high capacity of at least 1 bpp and even exceeding 1016 bpp can be achieved at one-time embedding. Then, we extended the ﬁrst scheme to provide a multi-receiver, reversible data hiding scheme by combining our approach with the( t, w )-threshold secret sharing homomorphism. It is suitable for the application of distributed storage with fault tolerance or the protection of patients’ privacy when they are consulting with multiple doctors.
The Examination of Views of Parents about the Web-Based Performance Evaluation Program in the Science Teaching Process

The research was aimed to reveal the views of parents on web-based performance evaluation program. The case study method adopted for this study. The research was conducted in the central district of Trabzon province during the fall semester of 2012-2013 academic years. A questionnaire was administered to three hundred parents and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 of those parents. The obtained data was analyzed through descriptive and content analysis. Majority of the parents were found to be satisfied that they could see how their children were evaluated what kind of performance activities were used as an assessment and evaluation instrument, and which scores their children achieved in those activities. However, the implementation of the study with quite a limited parental participation caused the study to remain incapable of reflecting the views on this subject sufficiently. It was recommended that web-based program should be administered to a larger sample.
Dysregulated Antibody, Natural Killer Cell and Immune Mediator Profiles in Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases

The pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) is poorly understood and the association between different immune features and the germline variants involved in AITD are yet unclear. We previously observed systemic depletion of IgG core fucosylation and antennary α1,2 fucosylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in AITD, correlated with anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) levels. Fucose depletion is known to potentiate strong antibody-mediated NK cell activation and enhanced target antigen-expressing cell killing. In autoimmunity, this may translate to autoantibody-mediated immune cell recruitment and attack of self-antigen expressing normal tissues. Hence, we investigated the crosstalk between immune cell traits, secreted proteins, genetic variants and the glycosylation patterns of serum IgG, in a multi-omic and cross-sectional study of 622 individuals from the TwinsUK cohort, 172 of whom were diagnosed with AITD. We observed associations between two genetic variants (rs505922 and rs687621), AITD status, the secretion of Desmoglein-2 protein, and the profile of two IgG N-glycan traits in AITD, but further studies need to be performed to better understand their crosstalk in AITD. On the other side, enhanced afucosylated IgG was positively associated with activatory CD335- CD314+ CD158b+ NK cell subsets. Increased levels of the apoptosis and inflammation markers Caspase-2 and Interleukin-1α positively associated with AITD. Two genetic variants associated with AITD, rs1521 and rs3094228, were also associated with altered expression of the thyrocyte-expressed ligands known to recognize the NK cell immunoreceptors CD314 and CD158b. Our analyses reveal a combination of heightened Fc-active IgG antibodies, effector cells, cytokines and apoptotic signals in AITD, and AITD genetic variants associated with altered expression of thyrocyte-expressed ligands to NK cell immunoreceptors. Together, TPOAb responses, dysregulated immune features, germline variants associated with immunoactivity profiles, are consistent with a positive autoreactive antibody-dependent NK cell-mediated immune response likely drawn to the thyroid gland in AITD.
A Pathology Review of the Lower Gastrointestinal Tract in Relation to Ulcerative Colitis in Rats and Cynomolgus Macaques Treated With Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate

Among many short-term, subchronic, and chronic toxicology studies with ammonium perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), the gastrointestinal tract has not been identified as a target organ for PFOA-related toxicity in laboratory animals where the corresponding serum PFOA concentrations typically approach several orders of magnitude higher than the general human population. These lack of gastrointestinal tract-related findings were in direct contrast to an epidemiological observation where a positive trend was observed for ulcerative colitis, an idiopathic chronic inflammatory condition of the gut, in a Mid-Ohio River community whose drinking water contained higher levels of PFOA. This study was conducted to perform a histological reevaluation of large intestine sections in laboratory animals from 2 long-term toxicological studies: one was with Sprague Dawley rats that received ammonium PFOA in their diet for 2 years and the other one was with cynomolgus macaques that received daily capsules of ammonium PFOA for 6 months. In both studies, there was a lack of histological evidence of treatment-related inflammatory lesions that was suggestive of the occurrence of ulcerative colitis in these laboratory animals even under the most rigorous treatment schedules. These findings do not offer support for the biological plausibility of the epidemiological associations reported.
Decreased Susceptibility to Azithromycin in Clinical Shigella Isolates Associated with HIV and Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Diseases, Minnesota, USA, 2012–2015

Shigellosis outbreaks caused by Shigella with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin (DSA-Shigella) among men who have sex with men (MSM) have been reported worldwide. We describe sexual health indicators and antimicrobial drug resistance for shigellosis cases in Minnesota, USA. We analyzed a sample of isolates received during 2012–2015 and cross-referenced cases with the Minnesota Department of Health Sexually Transmitted Disease Database to ascertain patients’ HIV status and recent chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis infections. Of 691 Shigella isolates, 46 (7%) were DSA-Shigella; 91% of DSA-Shigella patients were men, of whom 60% were living with HIV. Among men, those with DSA-Shigella infection had greater odds of living with HIV, identifying as MSM, or having a recent diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease. DSA-Shigella was associated with MSM, HIV infection, and recent sexually transmitted disease. To decrease spread of DSA-Shigella, interventions targeted at communities at high risk are needed.
Hindi Version of Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III: Distinguishing Cognitive Impairment Among Older Indians at the Lower Cut-Offs

Background Screening and diagnostic tests provide an objective measure of cognitive performance and also aid in distinguishing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from major neurocognitive disorder (MNCD). Further, when such tests are culturally and educationally unbiased, it strengthens their diagnostic utility. This study aimed to validate the Hindi version of Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) in Indian older adults and compare its validity with the Hindi Mini-Mental State Examination (HMSE). Methods A sample of 412 consenting older adults visiting a memory clinic was recruited into the study. They were categorized into three groups: healthy controls (n=222), MCI (n=70), and MNCD (n=120). The complete clinical protocol was followed. Hindi ACE-III and HMSE were administered and were statistically analyzed. Results The optimal cut-off values to detect MCI and MNCD with ACE-III were 71 and 62 (AUC: 0.849 and 0.884), respectively, which were slightly higher than with HMSE (AUC: 0.822, 0.861). Education- and age-stratified cut-offs were also computed. Conclusion Hindi ACE-III has good discriminating power at lower cut-offs than the standard scores in differentiating between MCI and MNCD.
Efficacy of a Single Intra-Articular HYMOVIS ONE Injection for Managing Symptomatic Hip Osteoarthritis: A 12-Month Follow-Up Retrospective Analysis of the ANTIAGE Register Data

Purpose The use of ultrasound (US) guidance has allowed hip osteoarthritis to be treated with intra-articular (IA) injections. HYMOVIS ONE (HYADD4-G) is a new hyaluronic acid (HA) derivative product with unusual characteristics, and it has been used with good results in knee osteoarthritis (OA). This study assessed the efficacy and safety of a single HYMOVIS ONE injection in patients affected by symptomatic hip OA. Patients and Methods This post-marketing cohort study assessed data from the ANTIAGE Register. Inclusion criteria were age ≥40 years, symptomatic hip OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade I–III) of ≥1-year duration, and ≥12 months follow-up. All patients received a single HYMOVIS ONE (32 mg/4 mL) injection at baseline. Values for 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, the Lequesne index, and nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drug (NSAID) consumption were evaluated at 6 and 12 months. Adverse events were also recorded. Results The included patients (n = 198) consisted of 42.5% women, with a mean (± SD) age at baseline of 62 (± 14.2) years and a mean (± SD) body mass index of 26.3 (± 2.5). The mean (SD) Lequesne index and VAS pain scores at baseline were 11.5 (± 4.6) and 6.4 cm (± 2.2), respectively. All groups exhibited statistically significant reductions at all time points compared to baseline. At 12 months, the VAS pain score was reduced by 17.2%, the Lequesne index by 33.7%, and NSAID consumption by 41.7%. Conclusion Our study supports the clinical efficacy and safety of a single HYMOVIS ONE injection for managing symptoms in patients with hip OA, confirming previous data on the use of HYMOVIS as a background therapy in the management of knee osteoarthritis.