Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Human Papillomavirus Genotyping in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Its Relevance to Cervical Cancer Prevention in Malawian Women

Purpose Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) continues to be a significant cause of cancer morbidity and is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, cervical cancer is not only the most common female cancer but also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Malawi, in particular, has the highest burden of cervical cancer. With the increasing use of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, documenting the prevalent HPV types in those high-risk populations is necessary to both manage expectations of HPV vaccination and guide future vaccine development. Materials and Methods In this study, we performed HPV typing on 474 cervical SCC samples and analyzed the potential impact of HPV vaccination in this population. Results Ninety-seven percent of tumors were positive for at least one HPV type, and 54% harbored more than one HPV type. HPV 16 was the most common type (82%), followed by HPV 18 (34%), HPV 35 (24%), and HPV 31 (12%). A vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 would ideally prevent 53% of cervical SCC, and the nonavalent HPV vaccine (covering HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) would prevent 71% of cervical SCC in Malawi (assuming 100% vaccine efficacy). The main reason for a lack of coverage was high prevalence of HPV 35, which was also present as a single infection in a small subset of patients. Conclusion Although any HPV vaccination in this population would likely prevent a significant proportion of cervical cancer, the nonavalent vaccine would provide better coverage. Furthermore, investigation of the role of HPV 35 in this population, including possible cross-protection with other HPV types, should be pursued.
Understanding male sexual behaviour in planning HIV prevention programmes: lessons from Laos, a low prevalence country

Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted with a range of young men in Vientiane, Laos; interviews were conducted with male sex workers. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a purposive sample of 800 young men. Results: Most young men initiate sex at an early age and have multiple sex partners. Married men are more likely to pay for sex and most sex for money is negotiated in non-brothel settings. Despite high reported condom use for last intercourse with a casual partner, decisions on condom use are subjective. Many men have extramarital sex when their partner is pregnant and post partum. 18.5% of men report having had sex with another man; most of these men also report having sex with women. Moreover, more men report having had anal sex with a woman than with a man. Conclusions: Although not a probability sample survey, this study of a broad range of young men in Vientiane reveals sexual behaviours that could lead to accelerated HIV transmission. Education should emphasise the need to use condoms in all sexual encounters outside the primary relationship. This needs special emphasis when the partner is pregnant or post partum. Advice on safe sex with other men needs to be integrated into all sexual health education for young men.
Association of Genetic Polymorphisms with Serum Estrogens Measured Multiple Times During a 2-Year Period in Premenopausal Women

There is evidence that circulating estrogens are associated with breast cancer risk. In this study of premenopausal women, we explored the association of polymorphisms in genes in the estrogen synthesis and metabolism pathways with serum and urinary levels of estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) and with the urinary ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1)/16α-hydroxyestrone (16α-OHE1). This analysis included 220 women, who were participants in a 2-year randomized soy intervention. Blood specimens were collected in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle an average of 4.4 times over 2 years. Overnight urinary specimens were collected on the same cycle day, only at baseline. Levels of E1, E2, 2-OHE1, and 16α-OHE1 were measured by enzyme immunoassays. The DNA samples were analyzed by PCR/RFLP for the COMT Val158Met, CYP1A1*2A, CYP1A1*2B, CYP1A2*1F, CYP1B1 Val432Leu, and CYP17 T27C polymorphisms. We applied mixed models to investigate the relations between genotypes and repeated serum hormone measurements and generalized linear models to assess associations between genotypes and urinary estrogen metabolites. The CYP1A2 C allele was significantly associated with lower serum E2 levels; in CC genotype carriers, serum E2 levels were 26.3% lower than in homo- and heterozygous common allele carriers combined (P = 0.01). CYP1A2*1F also affected the urinary 2-OHE1/16α-OHE1 ratio; carriers of the variant C allele had a markedly lower ratio than individuals with the AA genotype (1.37 versus 1.76; P = 0.002). These data suggest that CYP1A2*1F is associated with lower circulating levels of E2, and that it may be a susceptibility locus for breast cancer.
Conventional blood tests in predicting influenza A (H1N1) rapidly

Abstract Purpose. Although real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (rRT-PCR) are gold standard for the diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1), the results can be delayed up to several days, which is problematic during a pandemic. Because of this limitation of rRT-PCR, clinicians have often had to set a treatment plan that was solely based on clinical suspicion. We investigated the hematological and biochemical factors that are associated with rRT-PCR results, in order to help clinicians deal with acute febrile patients during influenza pandemics. Methods. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 465 emergency department patients who underwent both rRT-PCR and blood tests at the same time. Hematological and biochemical findings were compared between the rRT-PCR-positive group and rRT-PCR-negative group. Results. Levels of leukocytes, hemoglobin, platelets, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, serum glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin were significantly different between the two groups in the univariate analyses. In the multivariate analyses, leukocyte counts ≤ 10.8 (× 109)/L [odd ratio (OR) = 8.2, sensitivity = 93.7%, NPV = 85.3%], BUN levels ≤ 7.1 μmol/L (OR = 3.0, sensitivity = 93.7%, NPV = 85.3%), and CRP levels ≤ 60 mg/L (OR = 2.4, sensitivity = 93.7%, NPV = 85.3%) were independently associated with positive rRT-PCR results. Conclusions. Leukocyte counts, BUN levels and CRP levels were important predictors of rRT-PCR-positive results for 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in adults.
Western households' water knowledge, preferences, and willingness to pay.

"Water conflicts are intensifying as the population grows in the American West. Stakeholders seek a better understanding of households' water knowledge, preferences, and willingness to pay (WTP) as they contemplate various water allocation initiatives. An Internet survey provides insight into western households' perceptions and preferences regarding water use and management, their familiarity with water terminology, and their WTP a fee in support of eight potential water initiatives regarding water acquisition, conservation, and reallocation. Further analysis identifies factors that influence the decision. Just over half of all respondents express a WTP the fee, with an estimated median WTP among survey respondents of $15.65 per summer month. Respondents with higher self-reported water knowledge are more likely to support the fee. The probability of supporting the fee is also influenced by respondents' demographic characteristics and attitudes toward water scarcity and management. " Copyright (c) 2010 Canadian Agricultural Economics Society.
Energy use and leisure consumption in Norway: an analysis and reduction strategy

This article discusses the environmental impacts of leisure activities. Calculations are presented for the time-use, money expenditure and energy use involved in leisure services and goods consumed by Norwegians in 2001. The paper draws upon a two-year project financed by the Research Council of Norway. Leisure consumption represented around 23% of the total energy use within private and public consumption in Norway. The energy intensity of leisure consumption, measured in energy use per amount of expenditure, was 20% lower than that of everyday household consumption but 380% times higher than that of public consumption. Surveys show that around half of Norwegian leisure time is spent at home, with considerable use of electronic goods, but that the major energy users are holidays, outdoor recreation and second homes. Growing mobility in leisure patterns is a dominating problem. Leisure consumption is growing rapidly and energy-intensive forms of leisure consumption are growing fastest. A 10-point strategy for reducing the environmental impacts of leisure consumption is presented, including strategies for changing leisure production, changing patterns of leisure consumption, changing the volume of leisure consumption and utilising leisure as an educational arena.
Evaluation of Patients' Preferences for Genital Herpes Treatment

Background: Genital herpes (GH) is widespread, and detrimental to patients' quality of life. It is not always adequately treated, however, with potential consequences for patients' well-being and healthcare costs. Involving patients in treatment decisions can increase their satisfaction and adherence. We investigated patients' preferences for different GH treatments. Methods: A discrete choice experiment was administered to 154 subjects with GH. Subjects chose between different treatment options: episodic, suppressive, or no treatment, described according to: chance of GH recurrence; chance of transmitting the GH virus to a partner; chance of becoming infected with HIV; number of tablets to be taken every day and during an outbreak; and out-of-pocket cost. Subjects' willingness to pay and probability of treatment uptake were estimated. Results: Subjects preferred antiviral treatment to no treatment, and subjects receiving suppressive treatment preferred this treatment to no treatment. Effect of treatment on GH recurrence and HIV infection rates was a significant influence on subject's choice, as were the number of tablets taken daily and during an outbreak and out-of pocket treatment cost. Subjects were willing to pay between $15.50 and $73.41 for treatment. Subjects' willingness to pay depends on the type of treatment and their current treatment. Conclusions: Subjects' preferences are influenced by both the treatment they follow and attributes of treatment including cost. Knowledge of patients' preferences, together with their clinical status, could help decision-makers to optimize therapy uptake and success.
Relationship lending, default rate and loan portfolio quality

This article empirically verifies the existence of a connection between the relationship-oriented model and the quality of the loan portfolio, by using alternative risk measures to previous studies. Consistently with earlier literature, bank size, distance and intensity of labour are used as proxies for the relationship lending model. The main results demonstrate that the relationship lending variables are all significant contributory factors to the loan portfolio quality. Robustness tests, conducted using intermediate risk measures (Doubtful Loan Rate (DLR), Past Due Loan Rate (PDLR)), confirm the results. Our findings are consistent with the relationship lending literature, but we extend to Default Rate (DR) measurement, a new role in terms of a banking model to create loans and manage credit risk. Finally, banking literature can take advantage of the DR indicator as a proxy for the quality of loan portfolio, and we consider its strong relationship to the intermediation model chosen.
Validation of photoplethysmography as a method to detect heart rate during rest and exercise

Abstract Despite their enhanced marketplace visibility, validity of wearable photoplethysmographic heart rate monitoring is scarce. Forty-seven healthy participants performed seven, 6-min exercise bouts and completed a valid skin type scale. Participants wore an Omron HR500U (OHR) and a Mio Alpha (MA), two commercial wearable photoplethysmographic heart rate monitors. Data were compared to a Polar RS800CX (PRS). Means and error were calculated between devices using minutes 2–5. Compared to PRS, MA data was significantly different in walking, biking (2.41 ± 3.99 bpm and 3.26 ± 11.38 bpm, p < 0.05) and weight lifting (23.30 ± 31.94 bpm, p < 0.01). OHR differed from PRS in walking (4.95 ± 7.53 bpm, p < 0.05) and weight lifting (4.67 ± 8.95 bpm, p < 0.05). MA during elliptical, stair climbing and biking conditions demonstrated a strong correlation between jogging speed and error (r = 0.55, p < 0.0001), and showed differences in participants with less photosensitive skin.
The Relationship between Budgetary Institutions and Efficiencies: Changes after the Implementation of the Top-Down Budgeting System

This paper provides an empirical analysis of the relationship between the top-down budgeting system and allocative efficiencies (budgetary outcomes) in the case of the Korean central government. From the perspective of New Institutionalism, a comparative analysis between the bottom-up budgeting system and the top-down budgeting system was carried out. The results of the analysis confirm the relationships between budgeting institutions, action situations, budgeting participants` interactions, and allocative efficiencies. The changes in budgeting rules, and thus in action situations, due to the implementation of the top-down budgeting system led to changes in budgeting participants` behaviors and thus in budgetary outcomes. Two behavior patterns-excessive budget requests by departments and huge budget cuts by the central budget office-were both greatly reduced. The resulting budgetary outcomes (allocative efficiencies) were changed. These changes were assessed to be reasonably beneficial in the context of the Korean budgeting situation.
Provider judgments of patients in pain: seeking symptom certainty.

OBJECTIVE Uncertainty often surrounds judgments of pain, especially when pain is chronic. In order to simplify their decisions, providers adduce information from a variety of sources. Unfortunately, an extensive literature suggests that the information that is brought to bear actually can bias pain judgments, resulting in judgments that consistently differ from patient reports, with a potential negative impact on treatment. METHODS This review examines the pain assessment literature from a social cognition perspective that emphasizes interpersonal and situational factors that can influence judgments. Consistent with that model, it organizes research findings into three broad domains that have been shown to systematically influence assessments of pain, involving patient, provider, and situational factors. RESULTS A causal model for pain judgment is proposed, and its implications for clinical research and practice are explored. CONCLUSIONS In order to minimize the uncertainty that can characterize symptoms such as chronic pain, practitioners bring information to bear on pain assessment that can lead to misjudgments. While intuitively appealing, much of the information that is considered often has little association with pain severity and/or adjustment. A more rational decision-making process can reduce the judgment errors common to pain assessment and treatment.
Business Legitimacy and the Margins of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Russian Context

Large and medium-size companies have failed to acquire legitimacy and respectability among the vast strata of Russian society. The resulting crisis of confidence may have serious consequences, including increasing intervention by the state. Our study, which is based on a survey of 129 firms in Russia, seeks, first, to establish whether Russian managers' attitudes toward and understanding of corporate social responsibility were similar to those of their Western counterparts and, second, to find out whether the conditions of low generalized public trust in Russian corporations would stimulate Russian firms to develop corporate social responsibility as a means of increasing their legitimacy with their stakeholders, as suggested in the literature. Our survey provides evidence of a discrepancy between attitudes predicted by theory and those revealed by managers. This leads us to consider a range of economic, social, and political factors in the search for an explanation for the discrepancy.
Efficiency Measurement Theory and its Application to Airport Benchmarking

Efficiency measurement is critical for industries where firms do not face strong competition, ad we cannot relay on the market to discipline the firms effectively , Airports are a typical example. At the same time, the fact that airports produces multiple outputs using a common set of inputs calls for a delicate and sophisticated treatment in measuring their efficiencies. The current paper starts out by presenting the conventional methodologies of efficiency measurement such as DEA, Stochastic Frontier method, Productivity Index, and some recent developments in efficiency measurement literature. We then provide a review of the existing literature on airport efficiency measurement results, recent advancement on the airport efficiency measurement, and some recent empirical estimates of the effects of ownership forms and governance structures on airport's efficiency.
Tourism and hospitality internships: influences on student career aspirations

Research shows that students will often change their career choices relating to the tourism and hospitality industries following work experiences. This qualitative study investigates how participation in one specific type of work experience, an internship, impacts on student participants' career choices and goals. While most respondents did indeed change their career aspirations following the internship, these changes reflected a shift within the industry rather than a shift against entering the industry. Many participants indicated they had switched their goals away from pursuing a career in hospitality in favour for developing a career in tourism, while the reverse was not apparent.
Feeding in Infancy and Later Ability and Attainment: a Longitudinal Study

Attainment tests completed by members of the National Survey of Health and Development (1946 birth cohort) showed that those who had been entirely bottle‐fed in infancy scored significantly lower than those who had been entirely breast‐fed. After taking differences in family background into account, the bottle‐fed group scored between 1 and 2 points less than the breast‐fed group on scales with a population standard deviation of 10.0 points.
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Functional diseases of the digestive system show no evidence of organic alterations, but only the function of the organs is involved, usually being chronic illness. The Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is an example of functional disorder in which pain and / or abdominal discomfort are associated with alterations in bowel habits, with bloating and feeling of fullness often being of the clinical picture [1]. The very uncomfortable symptoms profile compromises the quality of life of patients. The prevalence of IBS varies from 3 to 20%, with a mean of 10% to 15%, decreasing after the age of 60 years [2,3].
Book Review: Sports Tourism: Participants, Policy, and Providers

because it is easy to read and comprehend the theoretical, factual, and statistical content. Sport Tourism Development is most relevant for students and academics who have an interest in sport tourism. The book would make an excellent required or extra reading for any university or college course that discusses the different aspects of the sport and tourism relationship. Although the book reviews sport tourism from an academic perspective, it may be of interest to people outside of academia who are serious about sporting events.
Exploration of polygonal environments using range data

Several robotic problems involve the systematic traversal of the environment, commonly referred to as exploration. We present a strategy for the exploration of unknown finite polygonal environments, using a point robot with 1) no positional uncertainty and 2) an ideal range sensor that measures range in N uniformly distributed directions. The range data vector, obtained from the range sensor, corresponds to a sampled version of a visibility polygon. Visibility polygon edges that do not correspond to environmental edges are called jump edges and the exploration strategy is based on the fact that jump edges indicate directions of possibly unexplored environmental regions. We describe conditions under which it is possible to identify jump edges in the range data. We also show how the exploration strategy can be used in a solution to the terrain acquisition problem and describe conditions under which a solution is guaranteed within a finite number of measurements.
A Disaggregated Analysis of Asymmetrical Behaviour in the UK Housing Market

Potential asymmetrical adjustment in UK house prices is considered. The present analysis extends previous research in a number of crucial ways. First, a seminal examination of asymmetry in regionally disaggregated UK house prices is undertaken. Secondly, data are examined which are further disaggregated according to the age, or vintage, of the housing stock. However, the major development concerns the application of a non-parametric testing approach to detect cyclical asymmetry. In contrast to previously employed tests in the economics literature, the Triples test employed possesses high power and is not sensitive to outliers. It is found that extensive asymmetry is present in UK house prices, with cyclical peaks typically being greater in magnitude than corresponding troughs. The implications of these findings for the comparison and construction of economic theories of the housing market, the specification of econometric models and the construction and implementation of economic policy are noted.
Eroding the Wealth of Women: Gender and the Subprime Foreclosure Crisis

This article considers how mortgage markets evolved beyond protective legislation, creating a policy gap conducive to new forms of gender inequity in housing and lending. In the early 2000s, single women represented the fastest-growing group of homeowners in the United States, but they also experienced higher rates of risky lending than their male peers, even when controlling for financial profile. To date, the only policy protecting women’s access to credit was enacted before the neoliberal shift of the 1980s, when economic discrimination against women amounted to exclusion from the market economy. In the recent subprime era, risky lending eclipsed the established prime market, injecting high levels of risk into the mortgage pool and creating a vacuum of opportunity for lenders and a mirage of opportunity for groups historically excluded from the market. This shift leaves single women, particularly women of color, immersed in a fragmented lending market characterized by high levels of default and foreclosure.
Framework for Marketing Strategy

It's up to the marketing staff to maximize a firm's total revenue net of selling costs, and this often calls for statistical as well as sales know-how, for many factors must be equated and others, such as fixed and variable costs, juggled to produce the most advantageous net possible. Outlined here is a framework within which to view marketing situations and some strategies to help keep the percentages in your favor.