Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circumcision and STD in the United States: cross sectional and cohort analyses

Background: Male circumcision status has been shown to be associated with sexually transmitted disease (STD) acquisition in some, but not all, studies. Most studies have been cross sectional. Objectives: We examined the association between circumcision status and the prevalence and incidence of gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Methods: We analysed cross sectional and cohort study data from a multicentre controlled trial in the United States. Between July 1993 and September 1996, 2021 men visiting public inner city STD clinics in the United States were examined by a clinician at enrolment and 1456 were examined at follow up visits 6 and 12 months later. At each visit, men had laboratory tests for gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis and were examined for circumcision status. We used multiple logisitic regression to compare STD risk among circumcised and uncircumcised men adjusted for potentially confounding factors. Results: Uncircumcised men were significantly more likely than circumcised men to have gonorrhoea in the multivariate analyses, adjusted for age, race, and site, in both the cross sectional (odds ratio (OR), 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9 to 1.7) and in the cohort analysis (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.6). There was no association between lack of circumcision and chlamydia in either the cross sectional (OR, 1.0; 95% CI 0.7-1.4) or the cohort analysis (OR, 0.9; 95% CI 0.5-1.5). The magnitude of association between lack of circumcision and syphilis was similar in the cross sectional (OR, 1.4; 95% CI 0.6 to 3.3) and cohort analysis (OR, 1.5; 95% CI 0.4 to 6.1). Conclusion: Uncircumcised men in the United States may be at increased risk for gonorrhoea and syphilis, but chlamydia risk appears similar in circumcised and uncircumcised men. Our results suggest that risk estimates from cross sectional studies would be similar to cohort findings.
Insights into the role of protein molecule size and structure on interfacial properties using designed sequences

Mixtures of a large, structured protein with a smaller, unstructured component are inherently complex and hard to characterize at interfaces, leading to difficulties in understanding their interfacial behaviours and, therefore, formulation optimization. Here, we investigated interfacial properties of such a mixed system. Simplicity was achieved using designed sequences in which chemical differences had been eliminated to isolate the effect of molecular size and structure, namely a short unstructured peptide (DAMP1) and its longer structured protein concatamer (DAMP4). Interfacial tension measurements suggested that the size and bulk structuring of the larger molecule led to much slower adsorption kinetics. Neutron reflectometry at equilibrium revealed that both molecules adsorbed as a monolayer to the air–water interface (indicating unfolding of DAMP4 to give a chain of four connected DAMP1 molecules), with a concentration ratio equal to that in the bulk. This suggests the overall free energy of adsorption is equal despite differences in size and bulk structure. At small interfacial extensional strains, only molecule packing influenced the stress response. At larger strains, the effect of size became apparent, with DAMP4 registering a higher stress response and interfacial elasticity. When both components were present at the interface, most stress-dissipating movement was achieved by DAMP1. This work thus provides insights into the role of proteins' molecular size and structure on their interfacial properties, and the designed sequences introduced here can serve as effective tools for interfacial studies of proteins and polymers.
Comparison of fracture risk prediction by the US Preventive Services Task Force strategy and two alternative strategies in women 50-64 years old in the Women's Health Initiative.

CONTEXT The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends osteoporosis screening for women younger than 65 years whose 10-year predicted risk of major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) is at least 9.3% using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool. In postmenopausal women age 50-64 years old, it is uncertain how the USPSTF screening strategy compares with the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool and the Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimate (SCORE) in discriminating women who will and will not experience MOF. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the three strategies for discrimination of incident MOF over 10 years of follow-up among postmenopausal women age 50-64 years. SETTING AND DESIGN This was a prospective study conducted between 1993-2008 at 40 US Centers. PARTICIPANTS We analyzed data from participants of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study and Clinical Trials, age 50-64 years, not taking osteoporosis medication (n = 62 492). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome was 10-year (observed) incidence of MOF. RESULTS For identifying women with incident MOF, sensitivity of the strategies ranged from 25.8-39.8%, specificity ranged from 60.7-65.8%, and AUC values ranged from 0.52-0.56. The sensitivity of the USPSTF strategy for identifying incident MOF ranged from 4.7% (3.3-6.0) among women age 50-54 years to 37.3% (35.4-39.1) for women age 60-64 years. Adjusting the thresholds to improve sensitivity resulted in decreased specificity. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support use of the USPSTF strategy, Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool, or SCORE to identify younger postmenopausal women who are at higher risk of fracture. Our findings suggest that fracture prediction in younger postmenopausal women requires assessment of risk factors not included in currently available strategies.
Government Incentives, Top Management Turnover and Accounting Information: Evidence from China's Soes

This paper investigates control mechanism and accounting information used for control mechanism, shaped by government incentives for business. Using a sample of China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from 2001 to 2005, it finds that the likelihood of top management turnover in China's SOEs, which is an important aspect of corporate control mechanism, is inversely associated with two types of accounting information of firm performance, firm-specific accounting performance and relative accounting performance, which is induced by the interests of Chinese government for the economic performance and political competition. Further, this paper finds that relative accounting performance, especially regional relative accounting performance, receives more weight in turnover decisions if a SOE is a local monopolistic firm or in local monopoly, because relative performance measure could offer a relatively simple benchmark for local government to assess manager's quality and provide stronger incentive scheme in China's political environment. By seeking deeper understanding into government incentives, the findings imply that induced by government incentives, effective corporate governance which is based on distinguished characteristics of accounting information exists in an economy highly involved by government.
Interleukin-10 Therapy—Review of a New Approach

Interleukin (IL)-10 is an important immunoregulatory cytokine produced by many cell populations. Its main biological function seems to be the limitation and termination of inflammatory responses and the regulation of differentiation and proliferation of several immune cells such as T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, antigen-presenting cells, mast cells, and granulocytes. However, very recent data suggest IL-10 also mediates immunostimulatory properties that help to eliminate infectious and noninfectious particles with limited inflammation. Numerous investigations, including expression analyses in patients, in vitro and animal experiments suggest a major impact of IL-10 in inflammatory, malignant, and autoimmune diseases. So IL-10 overexpression was found in certain tumors as melanoma and several lymphomas and is considered to promote further tumor development. Systemic IL-10 release is a powerful tool of the central nervous system to prevent hyperinflammatory processes by activation of the neuro-endocrine axis following acute stress reactions. In contrast, a relative IL-10 deficiency has been observed and is regarded to be of pathophysiological relevance in certain inflammatory disorders characterized by a type 1 cytokine pattern such as psoriasis. Recombinant human IL-10 has been produced and is currently being tested in clinical trials. This includes rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, organ transplantation, and chronic hepatitis C. The results are heterogeneous. They give new insight into the immunobiology of IL-10 and suggest that the IL-10/IL-10 receptor system may become a new therapeutic target.
How does CSF dynamics change after shunting?

Objective – Hydrocephalus is much more complex than a simple disorder of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation. Shunting primarily corrects disturbed fluid flow which may have an impact on cerebral blood flow and metabolism. We studied hydrocephalic patients before and after shunting to characterize changes in their CSF compensatory parameters.
The hypocretins/orexins: integrators of multiple physiological functions

The hypocretins (Hcrts), also known as orexins, are two peptides derived from a single precursor produced in the posterior lateral hypothalamus. Over the past decade, the orexin system has been associated with numerous physiological functions, including sleep/arousal, energy homeostasis, endocrine, visceral functions and pathological states, such as narcolepsy and drug abuse. Here, we review the discovery of Hcrt/orexins and their receptors and propose a hypothesis as to how the orexin system orchestrates these multifaceted physiological functions.
Geriatric Nursing 2.0!

The last 50 years have been a time of dramatic change and exceptional progress in the care of older adults. Previously, if older adults were incontinent, a Foley catheter was inserted. If they stopped eating, a nasogastric tube was placed for feeding. If they were confused, a medication was given and a restraint device put on. Things have come a long way, as many pioneers who have written about the history of gerontological nursing have chronicled. In particular, Geriatric Nursing: Growth of a Specialty, is the most-comprehensive history available of the field to date, spanning from the 1800s to the present. These authors painstakingly document the early elements of geriatric nursing, especially from the 1940s until the present, with an outstanding narrative of early iconic leaders, including Irene Burnside, Barbara Davis, Thelma Wells, Edna Stilwell, and Doris Schwartz. They also trace geriatric nursing from the early “poor houses” that were essentially the places where indigent people—and particularly elderly indigent people—received care and went to die to the nursing home reform movement and finally to the remarkable improvements in geriatric education and care led by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University and the Hartford Centers for Gerontological Nursing Excellence of today. In this textbook, I have been referred to as a “second generation” (2.0) geriatric nurse pioneer, and I welcome the opportunity to reflect here on the growth and development of gerontological nursing and the transformational changes I have witnessed over the course of my own career.
Testing for Behavioral Objective and Aggregation Opportunities in U.S. Agricultural Data

To guide formulation of an aggregate model of U.S. agricultural production, this paper reports nonparametric test results for both behavioral objective and aggregation level. Nonparametric tests are implemented as heuristics to determine empirical support for simplified analytical structures. Evidence does not refute the joint hypothesis that producers behave collectively as though they are a price-taking, profit-maximizing firm with a convex technology subject to nonregressive technical change. The empirical results also support exhaustive aggregation of input categories, but much less aggregation of outputs. This paper reports the first known implementation of the nonparametric homothetic separability tests. Copyright 1998, Oxford University Press.
Entry and Managerial Incentives: A Note

This note reinforces the results in a paper by Sen (1993). It is shown that his assumption that the incentive schemes in a two-period model are the same for the two periods is not necessary for the results: only the long-term nature of contracts with managers matters. Copyright 2000 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the Board of Trustees of the Bulletin of Economic Research
‘Young and unionised in the UK? Insights from the public sector’

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between trade unions and young workers in the UK using the Young Members’ Network of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union as a case study. Design/methodology/approach – Findings are based on semi-structured interviews with 20 full-time officials and 39 lay officials of all ages, the collection and analysis of primary documents and observations at a range of union meetings. Findings – It is argued that PCS has developed a strong network of young activists and is leading the way in terms of engaging with and representing young workers. However, its success in the future may be limited due to changes to the external environment in which the union is trying to organise. Research limitations/implications – The research highlights the role of an under researched area of trade union membership. To provide additional insights, further research is needed into the practice of other unions. Originality/value – This paper provides significan.
Clonal deletion of thymic mature T cells induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin B in murine fetal thymus organ culture

The present study aims at investigating the intrathymic maturational stage of T cells at which clonal deletion can be induced. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was added to organ cultures of murine fetal thymus lobes at various time points of culture, and Vβ8‐expressing cells were assayed on day 14. Vβ8 low‐expressing (Vβ8′°) cells were reduced to 40‐60 % of the control receiving no SEB, though the reduction was ambiguous when SEB was given on day 13. In marked contrast, Vβ8 high‐expressing (Vβ8hi) cells were virtually completely deleted in all groups including the group given SEB on day 13. Most of the Vβ8hl cells that were deleted by 24 h of treatment with SEB were shown to be of the CD4+8 mature phenotype, though CD4−8+Vβ8hi cells were also deleted. It was further shown that the thymic Vβ8hi CD4+8− cells recovered from organs cultured for 14 days without SEB responded to immobilized anti‐Vβ8 monoclonal antibody, indicating that Vβ8hi cells, which were highly sensitive to clonal deletion, were functionally competent mature T cells. These results strongly suggest that the thymus is capable of eliminating all T cells recognizing antigen present in the thymus regardless of the maturational stage of T cells.
A transmit power allocation of MIMO system in coal mine tunnels

The multi-path fading could be resisted in mine tunnels by using MIMO technology, but transmittal power of wireless communication equipment in tunnels must be confined as a result of preventing explosion. A novel power allocation algorithm of confined transmit power is proposed to apply coal mine tunnels based on existing scheme. It could implement transmit average total power minimization and optimal allocation on confined each antenna power. The simulation results showed that the computation complexity of new proposed algorithm is reduced under the satisfying target bit error rate as well as total transmit power while limitation of per-antenna peak power, and the transmit efficiency would be increased significantly.
Changing epidemiology of end-stage renal disease in last 10 years in Iran.

INTRODUCTION The rapid increase in the prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) necessitates putting into practice some strategies to prevent its development and progression, especially in the developing world. Detailed chronological changes in the incidence of ESRD may sharpen the focus on its prevention. We, therefore, determined the detailed epidemiological features of ESRD in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data of the national registry of Iran's ESRD provided by the Ministry of Health were used to retrieve the ESRD figures between 1997 and 2006. RESULTS A total of 35 859 patients who initiated renal replacement therapy (20 633 men and 15 226 women) were registered during the study period from 1997 to 2006. The annual number of patients with ESRD beginning maintenance treatment in Iran increased 130% between 2000 and 2006. During 1997 to 2006, the proportion of new cases of ESRD attributed to diabetes mellitus increased 2-fold from 16% in 1997 to 31% in 2006. The mean age of newly registered men and women increased from 47.0 years and 49.0 years to 52.5 years and 53.0 years, respectively. As for all and major causes of ESRD, age-adjusted incidence rates for men generally were higher than those for women. Male-female ratio was 1.3:1, with no significant changes during this period. CONCLUSIONS We strongly recommend considering chronic kidney disease prevention with initial focusing on strategies and treatment modalities that slow ESRD progression in order to postpone the need for renal replacement therapy.
The pspC Gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae Encodes a Polymorphic Protein, PspC, Which Elicits Cross-Reactive Antibodies to PspA and Provides Immunity to Pneumococcal Bacteremia

ABSTRACT PspC is one of three designations for a pneumococcal surface protein whose gene is present in approximately 75% of allStreptococcus pneumoniae strains. Under the name SpsA, the protein has been shown to bind secretory immunoglobulin A (S. Hammerschmidt, S. R. Talay, P. Brandtzaeg, and G. S. Chhatwal, Mol. Microbiol. 25:1113–1124, 1997). Under the name CbpA, the protein has been shown to interact with human epithelial and endothelial cells (C. Rosenow et al., Mol. Microbiol. 25:819–829, 1997). The gene is paralogous to the pspA gene in S. pneumoniae and was thus called pspC (A. Brooks-Walter, R. C. Tart, D. E. Briles, and S. K. Hollingshead, Abstracts of the 97th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology 1997). Sequence comparisons of five published and seven new alleles reveal that this gene has a mosaic structure, and modular domains have contributed to gene diversity during evolution. Two major clades exist: clade A alleles are larger and contain an extra module that is shared with many pspA alleles; clade B alleles are smaller and lack this pspA-like domain. All alleles have a proline-rich domain and a choline-binding repeat domain that show 0% divergence from similar domains in the PspA protein. Immunization of a rabbit with a recombinant clade B PspC molecule produced antiserum that cross-reacted with both PspC and PspA from 15 pneumococcal isolates. The cross-reactive antibodies afforded cross-protection in a mouse model system. Mice immunized with PspC were protected against challenge with a strain that expressed PspA but not PspC. The PspA- and PspC-cross-reactive antibodies were directed to the proline-rich domain present in both molecules.
Effect of polymeric black tea polyphenols on benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]-induced cytochrome P4501A1 and 1A2 in mice

The chemopreventive activity of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) is, in part, due to modulation of cytochrome P450s (CYPs). To investigate the enzyme modulatory properties of major black tea polyphenols, the effect of decaffeinated black tea extract (DBTE) or polymeric black tea polyphenol (PBP) mix was studied on CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in mouse tissues. Animals receiving 2.5% DBTE or 1% PBP mix or drinking water (15 days) were challenged with single oral benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) (1 mg/mouse) treatment on the 14th day. Liver and lung microsomes isolated after 24 h were analysed for CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, using biochemical substrate(s) and Western blot analysis. Treatment with 2.5% DBTE or 1% PBP mix did not significantly alter the basal activity and level of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, whereas pretreatment with 2.5% DBTE or 1% PBP mix resulted in a significant decrease in both the activity and the level of B(a)P-induced CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in liver and lungs. The PBP mix possesses enzyme modulatory properties exhibited by monomeric GTPs.
Implications of announced phase II national allocation plans for the EU ETS

Abstract We quantified the volume of free allowances that different national allocation plans proposed to allocate to existing and new installations, with specific reference to the power sector. Most countries continue to allocate based on historic emissions, contrary to hopes for improved allocation methods, with allocations to installations frequently based on 2005 emission data; this may strengthen the belief in the private sector that emissions in the coming years will influence their subsequent allowance allocation. Allocations to new installations provide high and frequently fuel-differentiated subsidies, risking significant distortions to investment choices. Thus, in addition to supplying a long market in aggregate, proposed allocation plans reveal continuing diverse problems, including perverse incentives. To ensure the effectiveness of the EU ETS in the future, the private sector will need to be shown credible evidence that free allowance allocation will be drastically reduced post-2012, or that these problems will be addressed in some other way.
Managing Product Definition in High-Technology Industries: A Pilot Study

Product definition creation and management are critical aspects of the new product development process. A well-developed product definition reflects understanding of customer and user needs, the competitive environment, technology availability, and regulatory and standards issues. A robust product definition is one that stands up to challenge and guides the product development process, allowing the development team to make tradeoffs and decisions quickly and effectively. This article examines the product definition creation and management processes at six major U.S. electronics companies. Customer and user needs assessment is a particularly critical aspect of product definition; clear, widespread communication of product definition elements throughout a product development team is important; and change to a product definition during product development must be carefully and explicitly managed to obtain the best chances of overall product success. Many of the firms in this study used surprisingly rudimentary procedures to bring together the requisite product definition information and failed to distinguish the creation of product definition as an important phase of the product development process. Further, few of the firms understood that product definitions will change during product development and they did not have mechanisms for managing that change.