Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Children's rights in schools: what do teachers know?

The human rights of children are fundamental international human rights that protect all children against abuse by adults and caregivers as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This study examines teachers' and teacher trainees' knowledge of children's rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations General Assembly, 1989), the Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulations (Statutory Instrument 65 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 1992) and the Secretary of Education and Culture Circular P35 of 3 May 1993 on the administration of corporal punishment by teachers in Zimbabwean primary schools. Data were collected using the Teacher and the Teacher Trainees Questionnaires on 300 primary school teachers and 150 teacher trainees, respectively, in Masvingo Province. Teacher trainees used in this study were attached to experienced primary school teachers during their teaching practice. The study found that the majority of teachers (76.3%) were exposed to the Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulations during their teacher education training. On the other hand, the majority of teacher trainees (60.0%) were not exposed to these Regulations during their training. The Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulations are used to charge teachers who violate children's rights within the school. The majority of teachers (59.3%) feel they are useful, while the majority of teacher trainees (60.0%) feel they are outdated and need to be changed. On the other hand, the majority of teacher trainees (55.3%) indicated that they were exposed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child or the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (OAU Doc. CAB/LEG/24.9/49, 1990), while the majority of teachers (56.7%) were not exposed to either of these during their teacher education training. The study also found that the majority of teacher trainees (63.3%) were not exposed to the Secretary of Education and Culture Circular P35 on corporal punishment by teachers within schools during their teaching practice. It is clear from the ﬁndings that the teacher education curriculum needs to be revised to take account of current trends and contemporary issues in education in the new millennium. Therefore, there is a need for the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture to conduct in-service programmes for teachers who are not familiar with local and international laws concerning the protection of children against child abuse within the school. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differences in human papillomavirus type distribution in high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer in Europe

Knowledge of differences in human papillomavirus (HPV)‐type prevalence between high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (HG‐CIN) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) is crucial for understanding the natural history of HPV‐infected cervical lesions and the potential impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer prevention. More than 6,000 women diagnosed with HG‐CIN or ICC from 17 European countries were enrolled in two parallel cross‐sectional studies (108288/108290). Centralised histopathology review and standardised HPV‐DNA typing were applied to formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded cervical specimens dated 2001–2008. The pooled prevalence of individual HPV types was estimated using meta‐analytic methods. A total of 3,103 women were diagnosed with HG‐CIN and a total of 3,162 with ICC (median ages: 34 and 49 years, respectively), of which 98.5 and 91.8% were HPV‐positive, respectively. The most common HPV types in women with HG‐CIN were HPV16/33/31 (59.9/10.5/9.0%) and in ICC were HPV16/18/45 (63.3/15.2/5.3%). In squamous cell carcinomas, HPV16/18/33 were most frequent (66.2/10.8/5.3%), and in adenocarcinomas, HPV16/18/45 (54.2/40.4/8.3%). The prevalence of HPV16/18/45 was 1.1/3.5/2.5 times higher in ICC than in HG‐CIN. The difference in age at diagnosis between CIN3 and squamous cervical cancer for HPV18 (9 years) was significantly less compared to HPV31/33/‘other’ (23/20/17 years), and for HPV45 (1 year) than HPV16/31/33/‘other’ (15/23/20/17 years). In Europe, HPV16 predominates in both HG‐CIN and ICC, whereas HPV18/45 are associated with a low median age of ICC. HPV18/45 are more frequent in ICC than HG‐CIN and associated with a high median age of HG‐CIN, with a narrow age interval between HG‐CIN and ICC detection. These findings support the need for primary prevention of HPV16/18/45‐related cervical lesions.
Mobile Agent-Based Memory Tracer Using Host-Based Intrusion Detection System for Safeguarding Critical Memory

ABSTRACT Intrusion in a host may cause damage to the critical memory, which contains important official files or databases. The mobile agent, a piece of code that makes parallel run on host, migrates through the network and performs the requested action. In this paper, we declare a new intrusion detection model using Host-Based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) for identification and recovery strategies. A memory trace model has been designed to identify the intrusion detection by using a memory tracer mobile agent. Memory Checksum plays a vital role in the identification of the intrusion. This model is designed for intrusion into a host, which alters the critical memory.
E‐SAR‐94010 (LipoEsar®): A Pleiotropic Lipoprotein Compound with Powerful Anti‐atheromatous and Lipid Lowering Effects

E-SAR-94010 (LipoEsar) is a natural product extracted from the marine species S. pilchardus, by means of non-denaturing biotechnological procedures. The main chemical ingredient of LipoEsar is a lipoprotein (60–80%) whose micelle structure probably mimics that of physiological lipoproteins involved in lipid metabolism. In preclinical studies LipoEsar has shown to be effective in (a) reducing blood cholesterol (Cho), triglyceride (TG), uric acid (UA), and glucose (Glu) levels, as well as liver alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity; (b) enhancing immunological function by regulating both lymphocyte and microglia activity; (c) inducing antioxidant effects mediated by superoxide dismutase activity; and (d) improving cognitive function. Clinical studies have revealed that LipoEsar reduces blood total cholesterol (T-Cho) (20–30%), Glu (5–10%), UA (10–15%), TG (30–50%), ALT and AST, after 1–3 months of treatment at a daily dose of 250–500 mg (t.i.d.). The effect on T-Cho is the result of decreasing LDL-Cho levels and increasing HDL-Cho levels in parallel with an improvement in hepatic protection reflected by reduction in ALT, AST, and GGT activity. Most of these therapeutic effects on the regulation of lipid metabolism tend to show an age-dependent pattern and are also associated with specific genomic profiles in the population. In addition, LipoEsar diminishes the size of xanthelasma plaques by 30–60% after 6–9 months of treatment. Similar effects can be observed on atheromatous plaques on the aortic wall of patients with familial and sporadic hypercholesterolemia. LipoEsar is the first marine biotechnological product with lipoprotein structure displaying hypolipemic activity in blood and tissues acting as a potential neuroprotectant in cerebrovascular disorders and arteriosclerosis. Preliminary studies indicate that the biological activity of LipoEsar is genotype-dependent. Since genetic defects in the APOE gene result in familial dysbetalipoproteinemia or type III hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP-III) with increased plasma Cho and TG as a consequence of impaired clearance of chylomicron and VLDL remnants, in the present paper we have investigated the influence of different APOE genotypes on the therapeutic response of LipoEsar in patients with chronic dyslipemia. The study has been performed in 419 patients (age: 55.24 ± 17.71 years; range: 9–96 years) of both sexes (females: N = 212; age: 57.04 ± 17.68 years; range: 15–96 years; males: N = 207; age: 53.38 ± 17.58
Questioning design and method: exploring the value of action research in relation to R&D in primary care

The Mant Report supports the need to involve primary care practitioners and their patients in research and development. This paper questions why this key report, that recognized the need for involvement of health care staff in R&D, did not identify the need for practitioner research methods in community practice. Next, it explores what is meant by practitioner-centred research and locates action research within this context. Drawing on ‘critical realism’ and ‘subtle realism’, the arguments for the use of action research in community research and development are explored. Caution is given to adopting extreme perspectives and, in preference to ‘practitioner-centred research’, practice-centred research is advocated. In conclusion, the paper suggests that the world of R&D is changing and that the time is right for influencing the uptake of alternative methods. It is suggested, given that 90% of contacts between the population and the NHS take place in primary care, it is vitally important that community-based practitioners are well versed with these arguments in order to move forward the debate and bring it closer to a vision of research that places practitioners more centrally in the process of research.
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule is an independent prognostic marker in clear cell renal carcinoma

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM) has recently attained a renewed interest as a candidate protein in diagnosis, prognostication and therapy of various tumor entities. The molecular epidemiology and prognostic relevance of EPCAM in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and amongst the histological subtypes of RCC are unclear. We analyzed the prevalence and prognostic significance of EPCAM in a tumor tissue microarray composed of 1,088 independent RCCs samples by immunohistochemistry (IHC). We found significant variations of EPCAM IHC staining intensities in between the RCC subtypes: in papillary and chromophobe RCC, the majority of tumors (89–93%) showed an at least weak EPCAM protein expression. In the largest subgroup, the clear cell (cc)RCC (n = 767), a negative EPCAM IHC was found in 1/3 of the patients and was associated with high‐grade disease and nodal metastases. Kaplan–Meier analyses demonstrated a significant association between positive EPCAM IHC and prolonged overall survival, even in a subset of low‐risk ccRCC. In multivariable analyses, EPCAM represented an independent risk factor of survival throughout all subgroups. For localized, low‐grade ccRCC, information of EPCAM IHC raised predictive accuracy of a multivariate model by ∼5%, compared to T‐stage and grade alone. Our findings indicate that EPCAM is an independent prognostic molecular marker in ccRCC and, especially in localized ccRCC, might be able to provide auxiliary information for a better prognostication.
Carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1 negatively regulates granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor production by breast tumor‐associated macrophages that mediate tumor angiogenesis

Carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1), a cell adhesion molecule expressed on epithelial cells and activated immune cells, is downregulated in many cancers and plays a role in inhibition of inflammation in part by inhibition of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) production by myeloid cells. As macrophages are associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer, but play important roles in normal breast, we hypothesized that CEACAM1 downregulation would lead to tumor promotion under inflammatory conditions. Cocultures of proinflammatory M1 macrophages with CEACAM1 negative MCF7 breast cells produced high levels of G‐CSF (10 ng/mL) compared to CEACAM1‐transfected MCF7/4S cells (1 ng/mL) or anti‐inflammatory M2 macrophage cocultures (0.5 or 0.1 ng/mL, MCF7 or MCF7/4S, respectively). The expression of CEACAM1 on M1s was much greater than for M2s and was observed only in cocultures with either MCF7 or MCF7/4S cells. When M1 macrophages were mixed with MCF7 cells and implanted in murine mammary fat pads of nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice, tumor size and blood vessel density were significantly greater than MCF7 or MCF7/4S only tumors which were hardly detected after 8 weeks of growth. In contrast, M1 cells had a much reduced effect on MCF7/4S tumor growth and blood vessel density, indicating that the tumor inhibitory effect of CEACAM1 is most likely related to its anti‐inflammatory action on inflammatory macrophages. These results support our previous finding that CEACAM1 inhibits both G‐CSF production by myeloid cells and G‐CSF‐stimulated tumor angiogenesis.
Predicting Functional Performance and Range of Motion Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of functional performance and range of motion measures on outcomes after total knee arthroplasty. DesignThis is a secondary analysis of two pooled prospective randomized controlled trials. Sixty-four subjects (32 men and 32 women) with end-stage knee osteoarthritis scheduled to undergo primary total knee arthroplasty were enrolled. Active knee flexion and extension range of motion, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test time, and 6-min walk test distance were assessed. ResultsPreoperative measures of knee flexion and extension were predictive of long-term flexion (&bgr; = 0.44, P < 0.001) and extension (&bgr; = 0.46, P < 0.001). Acute measures of knee flexion and extension were not predictive of long-term flexion (&bgr; = 0.09, P = 0.26) or extension (&bgr; = 0.04, P = 0.76). Preoperative TUG performance was predictive of long-term 6-min walk performance (&bgr; = −21, P < 0.001). Acute TUG performance was predictive of long-term functional performance on the 6-min walk test, after adjusting for the effects of sex and age (P = 0.02); however, once adjusted for preoperative TUG performance, acute TUG was no longer related to long-term 6-min walk performance (P = 0.65). ConclusionsAcute postoperative measures of knee range of motion are of limited prognostic value, although preoperative measures have some prognostic value. However, acute measures of functional performance are of useful prognostic value, especially when preoperative functional performance data are unavailable.
Associations amongst disease severity, religious coping and depression in a cohort of Jamaicans with sickle-cell disease

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between disease severity (sickle-cell type and hospital, emergency room and clinic emergency visits (CEU)), religious coping (positive and negative) and depression. This was accomplished through secondary analysis of a data set based on a Comprehensive Sickle Cell Standardized Questionnaire compiled by a multidisciplinary team of professionals from Duke University Medical Centre, and administered to persons with sickle-cell disease being treated at the Sickle Cell Unit on the University of the West Indies Campus between November 2008 and January 2009. Disease severity was not a good predictor of depression within the population. On the other hand, depression was found to correlate with positive and negative religious coping, such that increases in the former were associated with decreases in depression scores; while the reverse was noted for the latter (negative religious coping). The results shed light on issues that could possibly impact the treatment plan for such individuals.
Occupational exposure to arsenic and risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer in a multinational European study

Occupational studies show a high risk of lung cancer related to arsenic exposure by inhalation; however, only a few studies, and with conflicting results, previously examined a potential link between arsenic exposure at work and skin cancer. The aim of this study is to assess airborne arsenic exposures at the workplace and to quantify associations with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The study sample consists of 618 incident cases of NMSC and 527 hospital‐based controls aged 30–79 years from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Exposures were evaluated by local experts using occupational histories. Information on host factors and other exposures was collected and used to adjust the associations of interest using multivariable logistic regression. The lifetime prevalence of exposure to work‐related arsenic is 23.9% for cases and 15.5% for controls. No significant association between arsenic exposure in the workplace and NMSC was detected, although an increased adjusted odd ratio was observed for participants with higher cumulative lifetime workplace exposure to arsenic in dust and fumes compared to referents [odds ratios (OR) = 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76–4.95]. There is evidence for modification of the workplace arsenic–NMSC association by work‐related sunlight exposure in women, with a markedly increased adjusted OR in the presence of workplace sunlight exposure (OR = 10.22, 95% CI = 2.48–42.07). Workplace coexposure to arsenic and sunlight may thus pose an increased risk of NMSC.
Reduction of Co-Occurring Distress and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Women Substance Abusers

SUMMARY Women who abuse alcohol and drugs may have a number of co-occurring distress issues, such as depression, traumatic stress, and violence, that impede their ability to make changes in the behaviors that place them at risk for contracting HIV. The objective of this article is to evaluate the influence of participating in an enhanced HIV risk-reduction project on reducing women's co-occurring distress. Study participants were 206 predominantly African-American women who participated in the North Carolina CoOperative (NC CoOp) Study that provided AIDS outreach to crack and injection drug users. The women participated in a two-session standard risk-reduction intervention and were then randomly assigned to either receive no further intervention or to participate in an additional three-session-enhanced intervention. The enhanced intervention was designed to work with individual participants in the context of their specific needs and co-occurring distress issues. Co-occurring distress, including depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, victimization, aggression, and physical health, was measured at intake and at 3 months after the intervention. The reduction in co-occurring distress was much more substantial for participants receiving the enhanced intervention. In addition, the difference in reduction of co-occurring distress between the standard and enhanced intervention groups was the greatest for women who reported the highest levels of baseline co-occurring distress. These findings suggest that a longer, more personalized intervention may be expected to produce greater positive changes in the lives of women who exhibit a high degree of distress. Reduction in co-occurring distress can improve women's quality-of-life and may enhance their ability to subsequently reduce their HIV risk behavior.
Monitoring the levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) in cereals in Lebanon and validation of an HPLC/UV detection for the determination of DON in crushed wheat (bulgur)

This paper reports for the first time a method for determining deoxynivalenol (DON) in crushed wheat (bulgur) using an high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet light detection. Linearity (r 2 > 0.999), selectivity and recovery (70–110%) were acceptable. Results show that the limit of detection (LOD) was 50 µg kg−1 and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 80 µg kg−1. The level of DON was determined in 165 samples of cereals – wheat, forkha (wheat flour special for cake) and bulgur (crushed wheat) – marketed in Lebanon. The results showed that the contamination with DON was 8.75%, 7.5% and 5.0% in bulgur, wheat and forkha, respectively. The LOD and LOQ for wheat (or forkha) were, respectively, 40 and 50 µg kg−1. The level of DON in all samples was below 1250 µg kg−1 as recommended by European Union Directives (Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1126/2007), except for one sample of wheat which contained 2307 µg kg−1. These data suggest that the Lebanese population is exposed to DON through food ingestion at concentrations lower than the tolerable daily intake (TDI) and suggest that measures must be performed routinely to avoid high levels of DON contamination to be found on Lebanese market.
Prediagnostic plasma testosterone, sex hormone‐binding globulin, IGF‐I and hepatocellular carcinoma: Etiological factors or risk markers?

Elevated prediagnostic testosterone and insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) concentrations have been proposed to increase risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the metabolism of these hormones is altered as a consequence of liver damage and they may have clinical utility as HCC risk markers. A case–control study was nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort and included 125 incident HCC cases and 247 individually matched controls. Testosterone, sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) and IGF‐I were analyzed by immunoassays. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. The area under the receiver operating curves (AUC) was calculated to assess HCC predictive ability of the tested models. After adjustments for epidemiological variables (body mass index, smoking, ethanol intake, hepatitis and diabetes) and liver damage (a score based on albumin, bilirubin, aspartate aminotransaminase, alanine aminotransaminase, gamma‐glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase concentrations), only SHBG remained significantly associated with risk [OR for top versus bottom tertile of 3.86 (1.32–11.3), ptrend = 0.009]. As a single factor SHBG had an AUC of 0.81 (0.75–0.86). A small, but significant increase in AUC was observed when SHBG was added to a model including the liver damage score and epidemiological variables (from 0.89 to 0.91, p = 0.02) and a net reclassification of 0.47% (0.45–0.48). The observed associations of HCC with prediagnostic SHBG, free testosterone and IGF‐I concentrations are in directions opposite to that expected under the etiological hypotheses. SHBG has a potential to be tested as prediagnostic risk marker for HCC. © 2013 UICC
Antioxidant capacity of potato chips and snapshot trends in acrylamide content in potato chips and cereals on the Canadian market

The concentration of acrylamide was measured in selected varieties of five brands of potato chips and breakfast cereals over a 5-year period. Most of the products were purchased in one locality in Canada. Samples were analysed by an isotope dilution (13C3) acrylamide method. They were extracted with water, partitioned with dichloromethane, filtered through a 5 kDa centrifuge filter, cleaned-up on HLB Oasis polymeric and Accucat mixed mode anion and cation exchange SPE columns, and analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The acrylamide concentration in potato chips varied from 106 to 4630 ng g−1, while values in cereals varied from 50 to 347 ng g−1. Wide variations were observed between brands, within brands over time, and between lots of the same brand. A subset of potato chip samples was analysed for in vitro antioxidant activity. No relationship was found between antioxidative capacity of potato chips and their acrylamide content.
Refractory insular cortex epilepsy: clinical features, investigation and treatment

A significant percentage of patients continue to present with seizures after epilepsy surgery. Among the multiple causes, the most obvious ones include failure to remove all of the epileptogenic tissue or incorrect localization of the epileptogenic zone. Recent evidence has shown that failure to recognize insular cortex seizures may be responsible for some of these surgical failures. First, insular seizures may mimic temporal, parietal or frontal lobe seizures. Second, insular seizures may coexist with seizures from other lobes. In this article, we review recently published data on the role of the insula in refractory partial epilepsy, the appropriate investigation and surgical therapy for this seizure entity.