Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of the human papillomavirus (HPV) quadrivalent vaccine in a subgroup of women with cervical and vulvar disease: retrospective pooled analysis of trial data

Objectives To determine the effect of human papillomavirus (HPV) quadrivalent vaccine on the risk of developing subsequent disease after an excisional procedure for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or diagnosis of genital warts, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. Design Retrospective analysis of data from two international, double blind, placebo controlled, randomised efficacy trials of quadrivalent HPV vaccine (protocol 013 (FUTURE I) and protocol 015 (FUTURE II)). Setting Primary care centres and university or hospital associated health centres in 24 countries and territories around the world. Participants Among 17 622 women aged 15–26 years who underwent 1:1 randomisation to vaccine or placebo, 2054 received cervical surgery or were diagnosed with genital warts, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. Intervention Three doses of quadrivalent HPV vaccine or placebo at day 1, month 2, and month 6. Main outcome measures Incidence of HPV related disease from 60 days after treatment or diagnosis, expressed as the number of women with an end point per 100 person years at risk. Results A total of 587 vaccine and 763 placebo recipients underwent cervical surgery. The incidence of any subsequent HPV related disease was 6.6 and 12.2 in vaccine and placebo recipients respectively (46.2% reduction (95% confidence interval 22.5% to 63.2%) with vaccination). Vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in risk of any subsequent high grade disease of the cervix by 64.9% (20.1% to 86.3%). A total of 229 vaccine recipients and 475 placebo recipients were diagnosed with genital warts, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, and the incidence of any subsequent HPV related disease was 20.1 and 31.0 in vaccine and placebo recipients respectively (35.2% reduction (13.8% to 51.8%)). Conclusions Previous vaccination with quadrivalent HPV vaccine among women who had surgical treatment for HPV related disease significantly reduced the incidence of subsequent HPV related disease, including high grade disease. Trial registrations NCT00092521 and NCT00092534
TEACHING ENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE: RETHINKING GOALS AND APPROACHES. Sandra Lee McKay. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Pp. viii + 150. £13.50 paper.

From the title of this book, one might expect a review of English teaching methodologies. Although teaching methods are discussed, the book actually sets out to define English as an international language (EIL), as opposed to a second or foreign language (L2), and through this lens, carefully reexamines every aspect of English teaching and learning.
Functional and Selective RNA Interference in Developing Axons and Growth Cones

Developing axons and growth cones contain “local” mRNAs that are translated in response to various extracellular signaling molecules and have roles in several processes during axonal development, including axonal pathfinding, orientation of axons in chemotactic gradients, and in the regulation of neurotransmitter release. The molecular mechanisms that regulate mRNA translation within axons and growth cones are unknown. Here we show that proteins involved in RNA interference (RNAi), including argonaute-3 and argonaute-4, Dicer, and the fragile X mental retardation protein, are found in developing axons and growth cones. These proteins assemble into functional RNA-induced silencing complexes as transfection of small interfering RNAs selectively into distal axons results in distal axon-specific mRNA knock-down, without reducing transcript levels in proximal axons or associated diffusion of small interfering RNA into proximal axons or cell bodies. RhoA mRNA is localized to axons and growth cones, and intra-axonal translation of RhoA is required for growth cone collapse elicited by Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A), an axonal guidance cue. Selective knock-down of axonal RhoA mRNA abolishes Sema3A-dependent growth cone collapse. Our results demonstrate functional and potent RNAi in axons and identify an approach to spatially regulate mRNA transcripts at a subcellular level in neurons.
An Effective Method to Identify Adolescent Generalized Anxiety Disorder by Temporal Features of Dynamic Functional Connectivity

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of common anxiety disorders in adolescents. Although adolescents with GAD are thought to be at high risk for other mental diseases, the disease-specific alterations have not been adequately explored. Recent studies have revealed the abnormal functional connectivity (FC) in adolescents with GAD. Most previous researches have investigated the static FC which ignores the fluctuations of FC over time and focused on the structures of “fear circuit”. To figure out the alterations of dynamic FC caused by GAD and the possibilities of dynamic FC as biomarkers, we propose an effective approach to identify adolescent GAD using temporal features derived from dynamic FC. In our study, the instantaneous synchronization of pairwise signals was estimated as dynamic FC. The Hurst exponent (H) and variance, indicating regularity and variable degree of a time series respectively, were calculated as temporal features of dynamic FC. By leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV), a relatively high accuracy of 88.46% could be achieved when H and variance of dynamic FC were combined as features. In addition, we identified the disease-related regions, including regions belonging to default mode (DM) and cerebellar networks. The results suggest that temporal features of dynamic FC could achieve a clinically acceptable diagnostic power and serve as biomarkers of adolescent GAD. Furthermore, our work could be helpful in understanding the pathophysiological mechanism of adolescent GAD.
Persistent bounded disturbance rejection for impulsive systems with polytopic uncertainties

The problem of bounded disturbance rejection for linear impulsive systems with polytopic uncertainties is considered in this paper. By using the Lyapunov function and positively invariant set method, a sufficient condition for robustly internal stability and L1-performance of the impulsive systems is obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities. A simple algebraic approach to the design of a linear state-feedback controller that robustly stabilizes the system and achieves a desired level of disturbance attenuation is proposed. Furthermore, since the Lyapunov function matrix is decoupled from coefficient matrices in the newly obtained sufficient criterion, it is convenient to study the robustness problem for impulsive systems with respect to polytopic uncertainty. A numerical example is worked out to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed approach and less conservatism of the newly obtained results.
Usefulness of diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of prostate transition-zone cancer

Background: Conventional T2-weighted (T2-WI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has poor sensitivity for prostate transition-zone (TZ) cancer detection. Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the clinical value of diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in combination with T2-WI for the diagnosis of TZ cancer. Material and Methods: Twenty-six TZ cancers in 23 patients with at least one tumor (tumor size >10 mm) located predominantly in the TZ were included in the study. Sixteen peripheral-zone (PZ) cancers in 12 patients with PZ cancer but without TZ cancer (control group) were selected by step-section pathologic maps. All patients underwent MRI and radical prostatectomy. MRI was obtained by a 1.5T superconducting system with a phased-array coil. Imaging sequences were T2-WI with fat saturation (FST2-WI), DW-MRI (single-shot echoplanar image, b=0 and 1000 s/mm2, apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] map findings), and DCE-MRI (3D fast spoiled gradient recalled [SPGR], contrast medium [0.2 mmol/kg], total injection time 5 s, image acquisition 30, 60, and 90 s). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive value (PPV) for the diagnosis of TZ cancer were evaluated in four protocols: A) FST2-WI alone, B) FST2-WI plus DW-MRI, C) FST2-WI plus DCE-MRI, D) FST2-WI plus DW-MRI plus DCE-MRI. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and PPV in protocol A (FST2-WI alone) were 61.5%, 68.8%, 64.3%, and 76.2%, respectively. FST2-WI plus DW-MRI (protocol B) improved the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and PPV. In FST2-WI plus DW-MRI plus DCE-MRI (protocol D), the number of true-negative lesions increased and false-positive lesions decreased, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and PPV were 69.2%, 93.8%, 78.6%, and 94.7%, respectively. There was a significant difference between protocols A and D (P<0.05). Conclusion: Adding DW-MRI to FST2-WI in the diagnosis of prostate TZ cancer increased the diagnostic accuracy. The addition of DCE-MRI may be an option to improve the specificity and PPV of diagnosing TZ cancer with FST2-WI and DW-MRI.
Perceived Effectiveness of Influence Strategies in the United States and Three Chinese Societies

This study explored the perceived effectiveness of organizational influence strategies amongst three Chinese societies and the US. A total of 488 managers rated 16 influence tactics on their effectiveness across three influence directions - upward, downward and lateral. Consistently, these 16 tactics fell into two broad dimensions of influence - the more nurturing Gentle Persuasion (GP) and the more agentic Contingent Control (CC). The perceived effectiveness of GP increased with higher position power of the target, and vice versa for CC. No cultural differences were found for the rated effectiveness of CC. However, regardless of the influence direction, Americans managers rated GP as most effective; Mainland Chinese, the least. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that Reward for Application predicted a manager’s endorsement of GP as more effective, and Fate Control of CC. The effect of Fate Control on CC was, however, moderated by culture, exemplifying culture’s sensitizing role in directing member responses.
Developmental hearing loss eliminates long-term potentiation in the auditory cortex

Severe hearing loss during early development is associated with deficits in speech and language acquisition. Although functional studies have shown a deafness-induced alteration of synaptic strength, it is not known whether long-term synaptic plasticity depends on auditory experience. In this study, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) was induced surgically in developing gerbils at postnatal day 10, and excitatory synaptic plasticity was examined subsequently in a brain slice preparation that preserves the thalamorecipient auditory cortex. Extracellular stimuli were applied at layer 6 (L6), whereas evoked excitatory synaptic potentials (EPSPs) were recorded from L5 neurons by using a whole-cell current clamp configuration. In control neurons, the conditioning stimulation of L6 significantly altered EPSP amplitude for at least 1 h. Approximately half of neurons displayed long-term potentiation (LTP), whereas the other half displayed long-term depression (LTD). In contrast, SNHL neurons displayed only LTD after the conditioning stimulation of L6. Finally, the vast majority of neurons recorded from control prehearing animals (postnatal days 9–11) displayed LTD after L6 stimulation. Thus, normal auditory experience may be essential for the maturation of synaptic plasticity mechanisms.
Family mediation in the United States and China: a relevant method in social work education for a vulnerable population

In ancient China, mediation was the principal means of resolving disputes. The Confucian view was that the best way to resolve a dispute was by moral persuasion and agreement, not by sovereign coercion. A natural harmony was thought to exist in human affairs that it was wrong to disrupt. Unilateral self-help and adversarial proceedings presume the end of a harmonious relationship. Thus, both are antithetical to the peace and understanding that are central to Confucian concepts. Mediation is currently practised on a grand scale in the People’s Republic of China through the people’s mediation committees. Even in the formal Chinese legal system, considerable emphasis is placed on self-determination and mediation in the resolution of all types of disputes (Folberg, 1983). From 1981 to 1988, people’s mediation committees in all of China had successfully resolved the civil disputes of more than 56 million cases, most of them family cases (Bulletin of Chinese Women, 1989). Much mediation is conducted with divorce cases which has recently risen to one per thousand marriages in China (Xu and Wang, 1987). In the United States, early Chinese immigrants set up the Chinese Benevolent Association to resolve disputes between community and family members by mediation. In 1920, the American Jewish community re-established its own mediation forum, the Jewish
Female sexual dysfunction and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION Sexual dysfunction is reported in diabetic women (female sexual dysfunction [FSD]). AIM To examine the frequency of FSD in diabetic women, and its clinical or metabolic correlates, through meta-analysis of available studies. METHODS We searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and in reference lists of articles and systematic reviews; we considered human clinical studies published as full articles reporting on FSD in diabetic and control women. In total, we considered 26 studies, including 3,168 diabetic and 2,823 control women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Frequency of FSD and score of Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) as a function of study size, patient details (age, body mass index [BMI], duration of diabetes, metabolic control [HbA1c], chronic complications, Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] score). RESULTS Frequency of FSD was higher in type 1 (OR [95%CI] 2.27 [1.23, 4.16]), in type 2 diabetes (2.49 [1.55, 3.99]), and in "any diabetes" (type 1 and 2) women (2.02 [1.49, 2.72]) than in controls for any duration of diabetes. FSFI was lower in type 1 (-0.27 [-0.41, -0.12]), in type 2 diabetes (-0.65 [-0.75, -0.54]), and in "any diabetes" women (-0.80 [-0.88, -0.71]) than in controls. Depression was significantly more frequent in diabetic than in control women. At meta-regression only BMI was significantly associated with effect size (P = 0.005). At weighed regression, the only significant association was found between age and FSFI (P = 0.059). The limitations were as follows: only studies of observational nature were available, and heterogeneity was seen among studies. CONCLUSIONS FSD is more frequent in diabetic than in control women, but it is still poorly understood; low FSFI is associated with high BMI. Further studies are necessary to better understand risk factors for FSD in diabetic women.
A Stronger Reason for the Right to Sign Languages

Is the right to sign language only the right to a minority language? Holding a capability (not a disability) approach, and building on the psycholinguistic literature on sign language acquisition, I make the point that this right is of a stronger nature, since only sign languages can guarantee that each deaf child will properly develop the linguistic and cognitive potentialities with whom (s)he is endowed at birth. So, the right to sign language is also the right to the integrity of the person.
Optical mapping of electrical activity in rat somatosensory and visual cortex

We have investigated the use of optical methods for monitoring neuron activity in mammalian cortex. The cortex was stained with a voltage- sensitive dye and fluorescence was simultaneously measured from 124 areas using a photodiode array. Optical signals were detected in rat somatosensory cortex in response to small whisker movements and in visual cortex in response to light flashes to the eye. Relatively large signals were obtained during focal interictal epileptiform discharges induced by bicuculline. The measuring system had a time resolution of milliseconds and a spatial resolution of a few hundred micrometers. Simultaneous, multi-site optical recordings of activity may provide a new and potentially powerful method for studying function and dysfunction in mammalian cortex.
Extended coagulation profiles of healthy baboons and of baboons rejecting GT‐KO pig heart grafts

Abstract: Introduction: Derangements of coagulation, e.g. thrombotic microangiopathy (TM) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), limit the success of pig‐to‐baboon organ transplantation. Studies have investigated the coagulation profile in baboons post‐xenotransplantation (XTx), but an extended coagulation profile of healthy baboons pre‐XTx has not been reported.
Pure Verrucous Carcinoma of the Penis: Two Cases

Verrucous carcinoma is a rare subtype of penile verruciform squamous cell carcinoma. However, in past literature, the diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma has been confused with giant condylomas, and papillary and warty carcinomas due to the absence of critical criteria in pathological diagnosis. We experienced two cases of penile verruciform tumor occurring in a 48-year-old Japanese male and an 88-year-old Japanese male. We performed partial penectomy without lymph node dissection after biopsy. Although we initially detected small palpablelymph node swelling in the latter case, unnecessary lymph node dissection could be avoided by pathological diagnosis using preoperative biopsy. The resected specimens were diagnosed in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) classification and current pathological reviews. Histopathological findings and immunohistochemical appearance were compatible with a diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma.
Surface classification: hypothesis testing and parameter estimation

A 3-D surface classification method based on the quadric surface model is described. This technique does not require the points from the surface to lie on a grid. A sample of surface points is classified as planar or nonplanar through two hypothesis tests. If the sample is nonplanar, curvature features are evaluated at each point to classify the sample as spherical, cylindrical, or conical. A nonlinear optimization technique is then used to refine the parameters (e.g. radius, orientation) of the resulting surface type. <<ETX>>
Supporting Handoff in Tabletop Shared Workspaces

Handoff of objects and tools is a common action in face-toface collaborative work. Handoff is one of the low-level actions of collaboration that are smooth and natural in physical settings, but that are not usually considered in the design of digital workspaces. To better inform the design of these systems, we carried out a study that looked at the details of where and how handoff occurs in two-person targeting tasks. The study showed several characteristics of handoff that have implications for the design of tabletop shared workspaces. ACM Classification: H5.2 [Information interfaces and presentation]: User Interfaces. Graphical user interfaces. General terms: Design, Human Factors.
Wilderness and Cultural Landscapes: Shifting management emphases in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

A major 5 year review of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area management plan 1992 by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service resulted in a new plan in 1999. As part of the process, a 1997 draft circulated for comment had flagged significant changes in management prescriptions: these changes represented responses from the planners to protests from communities who argued that the 1992 document, in the name of wilderness preservation, had ignored their long-standing involvement with land inside World Heritage boundaries. Using a cultural heritage perspective, this paper analyses the 1999 plan (which was virtually unchanged from the 1997 draft), and contrasts it with the 1992 management assumptions. Specific provisions designed to address aspects of community concern are explained. The shift in management emphasis is interpreted as a reflection of recent debates about relationships between wilderness and cultural landscapes, and about community roles in conservation. This change in Tasmania also points to possibilities for gaining support for a broader conservation perspective through a new, different kind of community involvement in the management of national parks.
Prognostic models in acute pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To review the evidence for existing prognostic models in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and determine how valid and useful they are for predicting patient outcomes. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources OVID MEDLINE and EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library from inception to July 2014, and sources of grey literature. Eligibility criteria Studies aiming at constructing, validating, updating or studying the impact of prognostic models to predict all-cause death, PE-related death or venous thromboembolic events up to a 3-month follow-up in patients with an acute symptomatic PE. Data extraction Study characteristics and study quality using prognostic criteria. Studies were selected and data extracted by 2 reviewers. Data analysis Summary estimates (95% CI) for proportion of risk groups and event rates within risk groups, and accuracy. Results We included 71 studies (44 298 patients). Among them, 17 were model construction studies specific to PE prognosis. The most validated models were the PE Severity Index (PESI) and its simplified version (sPESI). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 2.3% (1.7% to 2.9%) in the low-risk group and 11.4% (9.9% to 13.1%) in the high-risk group for PESI (9 studies), and 1.5% (0.9% to 2.5%) in the low-risk group and 10.7% (8.8% to12.9%) in the high-risk group for sPESI (11 studies). PESI has proved clinically useful in an impact study. Shifting the cut-off or using novel and updated models specifically developed for normotensive PE improves the ability for identifying patients at lower risk for early death or adverse outcome (0.5–1%) and those at higher risk (up to 20–29% of event rate). Conclusions We provide evidence-based information about the validity and utility of the existing prognostic models in acute PE that may be helpful for identifying patients at low risk. Novel models seem attractive for the high-risk normotensive PE but need to be externally validated then be assessed in impact studies.