Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C in Egypt

The incidence of hepatitis C (HCV) infection and associated risk factors were prospectively assessed in a cohort of 6,734 Egyptians from 2 rural villages who were negative for antibodies to HCV (anti‐HCV). Initial and follow‐up sera were tested for anti‐HCV by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and possible incident cases were confirmed by using the microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) and tested for HCV RNA. All follow‐up serum samples converting from negative to positive without detectable HCV‐RNA were further tested by recombinant immunoblot assay. Over an average of 1.6 years, asymptomatic anti‐HCV seroconversion occurred in 33 people (3.1/1,000 person‐years [PY]), including 28 (6.8/1,000 PY) in the Nile Delta village (AES), where prevalence was 24% and 5 (0.8/1,000 PY) in the Upper Egypt village (baseline prevalence of 9%). The strongest predictor of incident HCV was having an anti‐HCV–positive family member. Among those that did, incidence was 5.8/1,000 PY, compared (P < .001) with 1.0/1,000 PY; 27 of 33 incident cases had an anti‐HCV–positive family member. Parenteral exposures increased the risk of HCV but were not statistically significant; 67% of seroconverters were younger than 20 years of age, and the highest incidence rate (14.1/1,000 PY) was in children younger than 10 who were living in AES households with an anti‐HCV–positive parent. In conclusion, young children would especially benefit from measures reducing exposures or preventing infection with HCV. (HEPATOLOGY 2005.)
Genetic and Maternal Determinants of Effective Dispersal: The Effect of Sire Genotype and Size at Birth in Side‐Blotched Lizards

We assessed genetic factors on progeny dispersal due to sire color morph genotypes in a field pedigree and lab crosses, and we measured maternal effects by studying both natural and experimentally induced egg size variation. Progeny were released into nature upon hatching, but we recorded dispersal distance at maturity, which reflects effective dispersal after viability selection has run its course. Progeny dispersal was significantly affected by sire genotype. Progeny from orange sires dispersed the farthest. Progeny from blue sires dispersed intermediate distances. Progeny from yellow sires were the most philopatric. Sire genotype effects interacted with egg size. In particular, enlarged progeny from orange sires dispersed farther, while enlarged progeny from yellow sires were more philopatric. Progeny from blue sires were unaffected by egg size manipulations. Egg manipulations and natural variation generally had concordant effects indicative of causation. However, asymmetry of gigantization and miniaturization on progeny dispersal from some sire genotypes suggest the involvement of maternal factors besides egg size. Results of laboratory crosses with progeny released into nature confirmed key sire genotype effects and identified additional maternal effects that modulated dispersal as a function of progeny gender. We discuss the adaptive implications of progeny dispersal in the context of male (rock‐paper‐scissors) and female strategies (r‐ and K‐density cycle) that are associated with color morphs.
Medical staff extremity dosimetry in CT fluoroscopy: an anthropomorphic hand voxel phantom study

This work aims to contribute to the study of the radiation dose distribution delivered to the hands of medical staff members during a general computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopic guided procedure. In this study, both Monte Carlo simulations and measurements were performed. For free-in-air and computed tomography dose index (CTDI) body phantom measurements, a standard pencil ionization chamber (IC) 100 mm long was used. The CT scanner model was implemented using MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended) and was successfully validated by comparing the simulated results with measurements. Subsequently, CT images of a hand, together with an anthropomorphic phantom, were voxelized and used with the MCNPX code for dose calculations. The hand dose distribution study was performed both by using thermo-luminescent detector measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The validated simulation tool provides a new perspective for detailed investigations of CT-irradiation scenarios. Simulations show that there is a strong dose gradient, namely the even zones of the hand that are in precise vicinity to the x-ray beam only receive about 4% of the maximum dose delivered to adjacent areas which are directly exposed to the primary x-ray beam. Finally, the scatter contribution of the patient was also studied through MC simulations. The results show that for directly exposed parts of the hand surface, the dose is reduced by the body of the patient (due to the shielding), whereas the dose is increased by scattered radiation from the patient for parts of the skin that receive scattered radiation only.
A comparison of aspirin with placebo in patients treated with warfarin after heart-valve replacement.

BACKGROUND Despite the use of warfarin, major systemic embolism remains an important complication in patients with heart-valve replacement. Although the addition of antiplatelet agents has the potential to reduce this complication, their efficacy and safety when given in combination with warfarin are uncertain. METHODS In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we assessed the efficacy and safety of adding aspirin (100 mg per day) to warfarin treatment (target international normalized ratio, 3.0 to 4.5) in 370 patients with mechanical heart valves or with tissue valves plus atrial fibrillation or a history of thromboembolism. RESULTS A total of 186 patients were randomly assigned to aspirin and 184 to placebo, and they were followed for up to 4 years (average, 2.5). Major systemic embolism or death from vascular causes occurred in 6 aspirin-treated patients (1.9 percent per year) and 24 placebo-treated patients (8.5 percent per year) (risk reduction with aspirin, 77 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 44 to 91 percent; P < 0.001). Major systemic embolism, nonfatal intracranial hemorrhage, or death from hemorrhage or vascular causes occurred in 12 patients assigned to aspirin (3.9 percent per year) and 28 patients assigned to placebo (9.9 percent per year) (risk reduction, 61 per cent; 95 percent confidence interval, 24 to 80 percent; P = 0.005); major systemic embolism or death from any cause occurred in 13 patients (4.2 percent) and 33 patients (11.7 percent), respectively (risk reduction, 65 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 33 to 82 percent; P < 0.001); and death from all causes occurred in 9 patients (2.8 percent) and 22 patients (7.4 percent), respectively (risk reduction, 63 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 19 to 83 percent; P = 0.01). Bleeding occurred in 71 patients in the aspirin group (35.0 percent), as compared with 49 patients in the placebo group (22.0 percent) (increase in risk, 55 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 8 to 124 percent; P = 0.02); major bleeding occurred in 24 and 19 patients, respectively (increase in risk, 27 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, -30 to 132 percent; P = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS In patients with mechanical heart valves and high-risk patients with prosthetic tissue valves, the addition of aspirin to warfarin therapy reduced mortality, particularly mortality from vascular causes, together with major systemic embolism. Although there was some increase in bleeding, the risk of the combined treatment was more than offset by the considerable benefit.
Determinantes del comercio intra-industrial: el caso de España

This work analyzes the situation of the intra-industry trade, within the framework of the Spanish foreign trade, in comparison to other countries in the world and contrasting several hypothesis about the determinants of the Spanish intra-industry trade with its most important commercial partners The results of the econometric analysis corroborate the predictions of the theoretical models. These results show that the Spaniard intra-industry trade is positively correlated with the income per capita, with the size of those economies, the existence of a common border and the participation in regional integration schemes (EU) while it is negatively correlated with the existence of a common language, the distance, the differences in the income per capita and the difference in the size of the economies.
Changes in Calf Muscle Performance, Energy Metabolism, and Muscle Volume Caused by Long Term Stay on Space Station MIR

The decrease in performance of antigravitational muscles due to space flight conditions has been studied by several groups of scientists in terms of tissue mass, muscle performance. and neuro-muscular characteristics (1,2,3). However, the role of changes in energy metabolism. determined by the ratio of oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibres and their densities in mitochondria and glycolytic enzymes, is still unclear. For this reason, we have used 3'P magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor the energy metabolism in resting, working, and recovering calf muscle before and after space flight in the scope of the space missions EuroMIR'94 and '95.
Pulmonary Functions, Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Workers of a Copper Processing Industry

Background: Occupational exposure to excessive level of copper results in many adverse health effects. Objective: To measure pulmonary function, oxidative stress, and extent of DNA damage in workers of a copper processing industry. Methods: 30 men working in a copper processing industry and 30 men matched for age and socioeconomic status (comparison group) were included in this study. Pulmonary function test parameters were measured for all participants. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), glutathione (GSH) content in RBCs and 8-OHdG were assayed by ELISA. Extent of DNA damage in leucocytes was assayed by comet assay. Results: Pulmonary function parameters, FVC, FEV1, PEFR, and MVV measured in workers were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those observed in the comparison group. Compared to the comparison group, MDA was significantly (p=0.002) increased in studied workers; TAOC (p=0.017), and GSH (p=0.020) were significantly lower in workers than the comparison group. There was significant DNA damage in leucocytes in workers compared to the comparison group (difference in olive tail moment p<0.001). PEFR, FEF25-75%, and MEF50% were negatively correlated with MDA. Conclusion: The observed DNA damage would be due to increased oxidative stress resulting from excessive exposure to copper.
Risk Parity for the Masses

After a short introduction to risk party, this article introduces robust risk parity, a simple formula that allows the construction of portfolios with equal contributions to volatility for arbitrary large asset universes. The empirical performance of robust risk parity is evaluated with two historical datasets, with equity ETFs and indices representing a multiasset class universe.The analysis of the in-sample and out-of-sample results illustrates how to properly evaluate ex post risk parity. Three practical recommendations are of importance to risk parity investors and investment managers alike.
GMO Regulatory Aspects of Novel Investigational Vaccine Candidates

Recent scientific and technical developments create novel opportunities for vaccine development. Regulatory compliance has to be ensured from preclinical research to market authorization, whereby different legal frameworks that go beyond quality, efficacy or patient safety aspects need to be taken into account. As academia and start-ups are often focused on gathering scientific evidence, the regulatory maze is often regarded by applicants as challenging in the overall pathway to clinical translation. This is particularly true for applications concerning vaccine candidates containing or consisting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Active communication between applicants and competent authorities or advisory bodies early in the development stages facilitates a correct implementation of the regulatory frameworks and is of utmost importance to identify challenges or hurdles in order to avoid unnecessary delay in scientific review. Based on the state-of-play in Belgium, this chapter discusses examples of regulatory journeys of applications with genetically modified viral vectors and novel vaccine candidates that have been reviewed by GMO national competent authorities in Belgium and in Europe. They highlight the need of having a comprehensive view of global perspec-tives early in the development to facilitate the translation of research to clinical development or even market authorization.
Assessing the health benefits of reducing particulate matter air pollution in the United States.

Most Americans are exposed daily to airborne particulate matter (PM), a pollutant regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Current national standards are set for PM10 (particles less than 10 microns in diameter) and new standards have been promulgated for PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter). Both particle sizes have been associated with mortality and morbidity in studies in the United States and elsewhere and an unambiguously safe level of ambient PM has been difficult to identify. PM10 concentrations have been reduced significantly in U.S. cities over the past two decades and relatively few locations continue to exceed national PM10 standards. However, the new PM2.5 standards will require further reductions in PM concentrations and additional expenditures for emission controls. Information about the health and economic benefits of achieving lower PM concentrations is important because: (1) expected costs of further PM reductions rise after the least-cost options are exhausted, and (2) there is uncertainty about the existence of a threshold safe level for PM. This paper develops and applies a methodology for quantifying the health benefits of potential reductions in ambient PM. Although uncertainties exist about several components of the methodology, the results indicate that the annual nationwide health benefits of achieving the new standards for PM2.5 relative to 1994-1996 ambient concentrations are likely to be between $14 billion and $55 billion annually, with a mean estimate of $32 billion.
A novel interference management framework for limited base-station cooperation system

Base station cooperation is a promising technique to address the serious co-channel interference issue, but dramatic signaling overhead and high computational complexity are inherent in this advanced coordination technology. Limited form of cooperation among base stations becomes an practical method to deploy this multiple cell processing in a realistic network. After analyzing the multi-cell sum rate maximum problem subjected to cluster size and per base station transmission power, a heuristic clustering algorithm is proposed in this paper to facilitate the cluster formation to adapt to the dynamic interference condition in cellular network. Distributed beamforming is further applied among those transmitters in the same cluster. Both of these two interference management strategies are built on the concept of transmitter's leakage channel. According to this interference generating channel state information, each transmitter locally and independently calculates the leakage power to receivers in neighboring cells, and this information is utilized to design the heuristic search utility function and the distributive beamforming vector. Through simulation it is observed that the proposed framework leads to significant gain over static clustering policy and harvests majority of performance gain improved by optimal clustering scheme at less complexity cost.
Rewards of (Dis)Integration

A much-debated issue regarding globalization is whether it translates into Free Association and Collective Bargaining (FACB) rights for workers. The author uses Dreher’s (2006) globalization index, which gauges globalization on economic, social, and political dimensions, and Mosley’s (2011) FACB rights index, which measures 37 aspects of both practices and laws violations of FACB rights, to examine the impact of globalization on FACB rights of workers. Using panel data for 142 developing countries during the 1985–2002 period, the author finds mixed evidence of the impact of globalization on FACB rights, controlling for a host of relevant factors, including endogeneity concerns using a System-GMM approach. While social globalization is associated with both strengthening laws and enforcing the laws to protect FACB rights, this is not the case for political globalization. In addition, the positive effect of economic globalization on FACB rights is sensitive to estimation specifications.
Contact transition modelling on planar manipulation system with LuGre friction model

In this paper, for motion planning and controlling on manipulation system, a novel contact transition model is proposed by employing the LuGre friction model instead of Coulomb friction. The LuGre model is a differential equation with a state variable defined as the microscopic average bristle deflection between bodies and has the capability of more realistic friction properties. The stick-slip transition in the tangential directions at contact points is firstly formulated as a continuous system because the LuGre model is continuous at zero tangential contact velocities. The impact transition is secondly formulated by describing the dynamics of collided bodies during the impact as differential equations with respect to the normal impulse instead of time. Here, the LuGre model is modified to the differential one with respect to the normal impulse, where the state variable can be interpreted as the stored energy of the bristle deflection. Numerical simulations are performed to show the effectiveness of the formulations.
Effects of 10-T Static Magnetic Field on Human Peripheral Blood Immune Cells

Abstract Onodera, H. , Jin, Z. , Chida, S. , Suzuki, Y. , Tago, H. and Itoyama, Y. Effects of 10-T Static Magnetic Field on Human Peripheral Blood Immune Cells. Radiat. Res. 159, 775–779 (2003). The exposure of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed in a 10-T static magnetic field. Without lymphocyte stimulation, there were no significant differences in the viability of the exposed and unexposed CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. The expression of Th1 type chemokine receptor, CXCR3, and Th2 type receptor, CCR3, was unaltered after magnetic-field exposure. No differences were observed in the naive T cells and memory T-cell subclasses in either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. In contrast to the unstimulated condition, the magnetic-field exposure reduced the viability of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated T cells in both the CD4+ and CD8+ subclasses. In particular, the number of PHA-treated naive CD8+ T cells (CD45RA+CD4–CD8+) was markedly decreased after the magnetic-field exposure, while PHA-treated memory CD8+ cells (CD45RA–CD4–CD8+) were resistant to the exposure. The number of PHA-treated naive CD4+ T cells (CD45RA+CD4+CD8–) and memory cells (CD45RA–CD4+CD8–) was markedly decreased to a similar degree. Thus the susceptibility of lymphocytes to the magnetic-field exposure differed among activated T-cell subtypes. The magnetic-field exposure significantly increased the death of PHA-stimulated lymphocytes by apoptosis. These results suggest that a strong static magnetic field has acute effects on immune cells during cell division, while the field exposure has a minimal effect on immune cells in a nondividing phase.
Survey measures of inflation expectations in Poland: are they relevant from the macroeconomic perspective?

ABSTRACT This paper estimates different versions of the stylized New Keynesian model of the Polish economy, in which alternative measures of inflation expectations are used, that is, model-consistent (rational) expectations and survey-based expectations of consumers, enterprises and financial sector analysts. To compare dynamic properties of the models, we analyse propagation of the interest rate impulse, exchange rate impulse and a permanent change of inflation target. Differences in impulse responses pose the question which model should be treated as the most adequate. Analysis of in-sample inflation forecasting errors suggests that the model with rational expectations displays the lowest forecasting accuracy, while the model using expectations of enterprises is the best-performing model. In more general terms, our analysis suggests the best way of exploiting survey data on inflation expectations is not by using them as separate forward-looking information, alternative to macroeconomic models, but by combining both types of information.
Property improvement of CNT spun yarns and their composites through pressing, stretching and tensioning

Untwisted multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn was spun from vertically aligned CNT arrays by solid-state drawing CNT webs through a ceramic die. CNT yarn-reinforced epoxy composites were developed using a resin drop method. Waviness and poor packing of CNTs in the untwisted spun yarns have limited the mechanical properties of the yarns and their composites. Therefore, pressing along with sliding was applied to create thin-twisted yarns with dense packing of the CNTs. Besides, stretching and tensioning techniques were applied to the twisted yarns to reduce twist angle as well as waviness of the CNTs and their bundles. Stretching and tensioning of the press-slid yarns under constant loads of 0.15, 0.25, 0.35 N enhanced the mechanical properties of the yarns significantly. Moreover, stretching and tensioning of the press-slid CNT yarns increased the mechanical properties of the yarn composites considerably. However, tensioning of the press-slid yarns is more effective than their stretching.
Bridging the geographical divide : An inquiry into organizing visions as facilitative mechanism for cross-cluster knowledge exchange

This chapter engages with the recent skeptical turn towards the knowledge-based theory of clusters, which is criticized for overemphasizing the role of geographical proximity in facilitating knowledge dynamics among entrepreneurs. In particular, this study aims at the role of so-called organizing visions as facilitating crosscluster knowledge exchange. Building on a proximity framework, this study finds both qualitative and quantitative evidence for the facilitative function of organizing visions. Interestingly, organizing visions are promulgated through non-local buzz interactions, allowing entrepreneurs to engage in cross-cluster knowledge exchange. The findings of this study lead us to fundamentally reconsider the knowledge-based theory of clusters.
Interleukin 6 is involved in interleukin 1‐induced activities

Human monocytes produce a number of soluble mediators involved in regulation of inflammation and lymphocyte growth and differentiation such as interleukin 1 (IL1) and tumor necrosis factor. Recently, the cDNA of another monocyte‐derived factor, interleukin 6 (IL6), was cloned. Herein we show that purified E. coli‐derived recombinant IL6 (rIL6) is as active as IL 1 in the thymocyte assay. In addition, IL 1 and IL 6 synergize strongly in stimulating thymocyte proliferation. Another property shared by IL 1 and IL6 is their pyrogenicity. Human rIL6 induces a monophasic fever after i.v. injection into rabbits. Together with the observation that IL 1 induces IL6 in a variety of cells including thymocytes, our data suggest that IL6 is involved in many of the pleiotropic effects of IL1.