Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SAT0022 S100a8/a9 Is A Potent Serum and Imaging Biomarker Tool for Assessing Joint Inflammation and Destruction in Seronegative Experimental Arthritis

Background Seronegative joint diseases, including psoriatic arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, are characterized by the lack of autoantibodies, which are relevant biomarkers for predicting disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. Promising alternative biomarkers are the Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs), S100A8, S100A9 and the heterodimer S100A8/A9. These proteins are specifically expressed and released by infiltrating phagocytes and may therefore serve as relevant biomarkers for joint inflammation and destruction in seronegative arthritis. Objectives In this study we determined the biomarker potential of serum S100A8/A9 and in vivo imaging of synovial S100A8 to asses joint inflammation and damage in the IL-1 receptor antagonist deficient (IL-1Ra–/–) mice, a mouse model for seronegative arthritis in which serum autoantibodies are not correlated to disease activity. Methods Serum levels of S100A8/A9 and various cytokines were monitored during arthritis development in IL-1Ra–/– mice using ELISA and Luminex and were correlated to macroscopic and microscopic parameters for joint inflammation and damage. Local S100A9 expression and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) mediated cartilage damage in the ankle joints were investigated by immunohistochemistry. In addition local S100A8 and activated MMPs were monitored in vivo by optical imaging using anti-S100A8-Cy7 and AF-489-Cy7, a specific tracer for activated MMPs. Results Starting at week 8, serum levels of S100A8/A9 were significantly increased (1640 ± 1008 ng/ml at week 16) in IL-1Ra–/– mice compared to WT BALB/c control mice (429 ± 191 ng/ml, P =0.005) and strongly correlated to joint swelling (r =0.766, P<0.0001), while serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, IL-17, IL-4 or IFN-α did not. In addition, high serum S100A8/A9 levels at week 10 were predictive for increased joint swelling at week 16 (r =0.576, P =0.0002). Next to macroscopic swelling, increased serum S100A8/A9 also correlated to microscopic cell influx (r =0.794, P <0.0001) and was reflected by local expression of S100A9 within the synovium, indicating the activated synovial lining as the source of increased serum S100A8/A9. Local expression of S100-DAMPs could also be monitored non-invasively by in vivo optical imaging using anti-S100A8-Cy7. Next to a biomarker for inflammation, S100-DAMPs may also be used for assessing joint damage. Indeed, arthritic IL-1Ra–/– mice showed increased cartilage damage (r =0.687, P <0.0001) which coincided with MMP-mediated neoepitope (VDIPEN) expression and in vivo imaging of activated MMPs. Conclusions These findings underline the potential of S100-DAMPs as a systemic and local biomarker in seronegative arthritis, not only for assessing inflammation but also joint damage. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Non-Carcinogenic Lead Inadvertent Occupational Health Risk Assessment in Select Instructional Laboratories in Moi University and University of Eldoret, Kenya

Settled surface indoor dust is of environmental importance since it can act as a medium of human exposure to heavy metals. Universities’ laboratories are involved in varied activities some of which may expose Pb to workers. The study aimed at assessing occupational non-carcinogenic risks arising from Lead (Pb) exposure in indoor settled dust. Dust samples were collected according to standard procedure and Pb levels determined by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Mean Pb levels ranged from 344.89±12.267-754.438±76 mg/kg, which were mostly above WHO/FAO: EU: U.S. EPA (100 mg/kg: 300 mg/kg: 400 mg/kg) recommended standards. Non-carcinogenic risk for Pb HQ results in the entire study area were found to be significantly (95 % (CI); p < 0.05) above unit for women and 70% for men. However, overall it was observed that there was no variation in lead non-carcinogenic risk between men and women (p = 0.8515) in the entire study area. The results indicate that there were potential occupational Pb non-cancer risks. Recommendation is made for periodical non-cancer medical checks to ensure workers’ safety.
FREQUÊNCIA DE ANTICORPOS ANTI-TOXOPLASMA GONDII EM CÃES COM SINAIS CLÍNICOS COMPATÍVEIS COM TOXOPLASMOSE

The aim of this study was to detect antibodies against T. gondii in dogs with clinical signs compatible with toxoplasmosis attended in a veterinary hospital. A serological survey was performed in 598 dogs from 1993 to 2013. The IgG antibodies survey against T. gondii was carried out by means of Indirect Fluorescence Antibodies Test (IFAT); samples with titers ≥16 were considered positive. Among the dogs with clinical signs, 259 (43,31%) were positive for T. gondii with titers varying between 16 to 4096; among the healthy animals, 79 (22.25%) were reagents. The most frequent signals were: neurological (30.43%) and uveitis (8.03%). Among variables race, gender, and age, only the last one affected the observed results with greater frequency f seropositive in elderly dogs.
Current strategies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common condition characterized by persistent, progressive airflow obstruction. It is an irreversible process that contributes increasingly to the mortality rates across the globe. COPD is currently the third leading cause of death. Various environmental exposures play a role in the development of COPD, but, by far, smoking is the greatest risk factor. The main objectives in COPD management are eliminating risk factors, symptom control, decreasing the rate of lung function decline, preventing exacerbations and early detection of lung cancer. Modern COPD management requires a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes various pharmacological, behavioral and surgical modalities. Very few treatment options have an impact on mortality and lung function decline. New therapeutic methods are continuously sought.
Female Sexual Dysfunction and Related Factors among Reproductive Age Women in Kaskan, Iran

Aim: Sexual function is influenced by different individual and environmental factors . Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) can lead to serious conditions for women and their family. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors for FSD, in Kashan, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 200 women refering to educational gynecology clinics and meeting the inclusion criteria was selected in Kashan, Iran, 2014. Three anonymous self-administered questionnaires were completed by the participants: Demographic, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Chi-square, T-test, Mann Whitney's and Pearson's correlation coefficients were performed for the determination of factors associated with FSD. A score less than 28 out of a possible score of 36 suggests the presence of FSD based on FSFI. Findings: Of total participants, 119 (59.5%) had FSD. Thirty-nine percent reported desire disorders, 37% arousal disorders, 28.5% lubricant disorders, 24%5 orgasmic disorders, 19.5% pain disorders, and 22.5% satisfaction disorders . Sexual dysfunction was more common in depressed, anxious and stressed and low educated women with older age and longer duration of marriage. Conclusion: Sexual dysfunction is common among women and some demographic and emotional problems likely contribute to the experience of sexual dysfunction . This finding may have implications on the clinical evaluation of sexual function and identifying the effect of demographic and psychological factors on FSD in women.
Arbeitsintensivierung: Ursachen, Verläufe und Risikogruppen

In diesem Beitrag wird ein Überblick über empirische Studien zur Arbeitsintensivierung gegeben. Wahrnehmungen von Arbeitsintensivierung sind eine direkte Folge von sozialer Beschleunigung, die u. a. aus den Entwicklungen im Spätkapitalismus und den zunehmenden Möglichkeiten von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien resultiert. Aus internationalen Panel- und Längsschnittdatensätzen kann abgeleitet werden, dass sich die Arbeit zumindest seit den 1990er Jahren intensiviert hat ; seit etwa 2010 sind diese Zuwächse etwas geringer geworden. Von Intensivierungswahrnehmung ist ein beträchtlicher Teil der Arbeitnehmer*innen betroffen. Arbeitsintensivierung kann dabei zusätzlich zu Zeitdruck als ein gesundheitsrelevanter Stressor wirksam werden. Sogar die Arbeitssicherheit kann beeinträchtigt sein. Besonders hohe Wahrnehmungen von Intensivierung haben jüngere Beschäftigte und Führungskräfte. Als Schutzfaktoren sind die bekannten Ressourcen in der Arbeitswelt zu werten (Autonomie, soziale Unterstützung), wobei der Verhältnisprävention über die Definition von Rahmenbedingungen eine besondere Bedeutung zukommt.
A REVIEW ON THE POTENTIAL PROPERTIES OF GINSENG

Ginseng is a traditional herb mostly used in eastern world, namely the countries of Korea and China. It is believed to be a herbal elixir and useful in promotion of long healthy life. It is known to increase strength and vital capacity of the body (1). Ginsenosides are the main active compounds that constitute ginseng. They are considered to be steroidal saponins that act as anti- tumor activists (2). They have been known to show a myriad of pharmacological effects on target tissues, although the type of ginsenoside varies in each species of ginseng. This review study aims to explore the history, mechanisms, targets and effect of ginseng.
A survey on hyper basis function neural networks

ABSTRACT Hyper basis function neural networks (HBFNNs) have gained considerable attention in recent years, which have shown good performance in a variety of application domains. In this paper, we first briefly introduce the development of neural networks. Then the structure of HBFNNs is presented in detail. HBFNNs are an extension of radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs), which use the weighted norm instead of the Euclidean norm to represent the distance from input data to hidden layer neuron centres. With this change, the generalization ability of neural networks becomes stronger than that of RBFNNs. Subsequently, we summarize several commonly used training methods for HBFNNs, including static training methods and dynamic training methods. Finally, we give several typical application fields of HBFNNs.
Factors Influencing the Intention of Getting the HPV Vaccine among College Women: An Application of the Reasoned Action Approach

Purpose: Although at high risk for contracting HPV, less than half of college women have been vaccinated. The purpose of the current study was to examine underlying factors influencing college women’s intention to get the HPV vaccine using the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA). Methods: Data were collected from two different samples of college women at a large Mid-west university via two phases. In Phase 1, a salient-belief elicitation survey based on the RAA was utilized to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 43 college women. Phase 1 data were then utilized to create a quantitative closed-ended instrument, which was administered to a large sample (n=279) of female college students in Phase 2. Results: Results indicated that the perceived consequences of getting the vaccine, such as protection against HPV and cervical cancer, were primary determinants influencing intention to get the HPV vaccine. Participants perceived healthcare providers and mothers as salient referents influencing their vaccination decisions. Attitude towards the act and perceived norm were the major predictors of intention to get a vaccine. Conclusions: Results suggest the importance of attitudes and perceived norms (especially mothers and healthcare providers) in predicting intention to get the HPV vaccine. Utilizing theory-based approaches to design interventions may be beneficial to increase vaccination rates among college women. Such interventions could focus on the attitudes and perceived norms of college students’ regarding getting the HPV vaccine.
An investigation into male gender identity and the experience of childhood sexual abuse.

Background and Aims In view of limitations in existing models, a study was devised to examine the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on masculine gender identity in relation to other background factors. Design and Participants A mixed design incorporated qualitative and quantitative components. A theoretical sample of ten abused men was interviewed, five of whom identified as heterosexual and five as homosexual. Measures Interview transcripts were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith 1996) and a thematic coding frame developed. Modified Repertory Grids (Kelly 1955) were administered to examine participants' conceptualisation of gender categories and to elucidate patterns of identification between participants, abusers, and other key figures. A further selection of transcript data was micro-coded in order to map gender associations of specific participant responses. Results Findings indicated that, while CSA did compromise identifications with 'masculine' values of power, agency and control, participants also reported conflicts over their reduced capacity for identification with positive 'feminine' characteristics. These included emotional expression and other interpersonal competencies. Contrary to the Masculinity Model of Adjustment (Antill and Cunningham 1980), many participants expressed ambivalence towards conventional gender roles, and had experienced attempts to conform to them as ego-dystonic. The results provided some evidence consistent with theories of Gender Shame (Mendel 1992), and supported the view that an adequate conceptualisation of the effects of CSA upon gender should incorporate interactions between abuse and other aspects of the individual's developmental and social context. Clinical Implications The study supported the view that the framework of conventional gender and sexual categories may be of limited relevance in work with sexually abused men. It endorsed the need for clinicians to set aside some existing assumptions in the literature, and develop more sophisticated models of gender more congruent with survivors' perceptions regarding the impact of CSA upon gender and sexuality.
Factors affecting detection probability of elephant (Loxodonta africana) carcasses in an African conservation area

Poaching for ivory has led to massive population declines of African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana). To prioritize anti-poaching efforts, elephant poaching hotspot maps were created. However, these might be biased because they are not corrected for the detection probability of elephant carcasses. Carcass decomposition state was defined as a proxy for detection probability. Detection probability was influenced by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) influencing live elephant densities across the area. Our results show the importance of accounting for detection probability to achieve true estimates when predicting poaching risk to successfully direct anti-poaching efforts in African conservation areas.
Dependency Parser for Bengali-English Code-Mixed Data enhanced with a Synthetic Treebank

Code-mixing (CM) refers to the mixing of various linguistic units (morphemes, words, modifiers, phrases, clauses and sentences) primarily from two or more participating grammatical systems within a sentence [10]. The development of CM NLP systems has significantly gained importance in recent times due to an upsurge in the usage of CM data by multilingual speakers. However, this proves to be a challenging task due to the complexities created by the presence of multiple languages together. The complexities get further compounded by the inconsistencies present in the raw data on social media and other platforms. In this thesis, we explore methods to efficiently parse the immensely popular Bengali-English CM which is widely spoken in India and Bangladesh. We present a neural stack-based dependency parser for CM data of Bengali-English by utilizing pre-existing resources for closely related Hindi-English CM as well as monolingual treebanks for Bengali, Hindi, and English. To address the issue of scarcity of annotated resources for the Bengali-English CM pair, we present a rule-based system to computationally generate synthetic CM dataset from parallel treebanks of Bengali and English. The generated synthetic CM data does not require an overhead of preprocessing for language identification and normalization as we get orthographic norms from standard corpora. Next, we project automatic annotations from Bengali and Hindi-English treebanks to Bengali-English using simple heuristics creating a synthetic CM treebank for Bengali-English (Syn-BE). Incorporating Syn-BE into our neural stacking parser further improves its performance. Our final model achieves an accuracy of 89.63% for POS tagging and 76.24% UAS and 61.41% LAS points for dependency parsing. This model improves parsing results by 1.37% LAS points when compared with a stacking model utilizing pre-existing Hindi-English and other monolingual resources. We also present a dataset of 500 Bengali-English tweets annotated under Universal Dependencies scheme which can be utilized for evaluation of the system as well as providing seed training data.
Fate of Bitter Compounds through Dry-Hopped Beer Aging. Why cis-Humulinones Should be as Feared as trans-Isohumulones?

Abstract The evolution of isohumulones, main bitter compound of beers, through storage and its bitter impact has been studied for many years. With the uprising of highly hopped and, especially, dry-hopped beers during the last decade, other compounds such as humulones, cis-humulinones and hulupones have been shown to participate in both the sensory and measured bitterness of these beers. However, the fate of these compounds through aging is still unclear. The present work evaluated, by means of spectrophotometric and RP-HPLC-UV analyses, the evolution of bitterness units (BU), cis- and trans-isohumulones, humulones, cis-humulinones, hulupones, and tetrahydro-isohumulones in 21 Belgian dry-hopped beers after two years of storage. Besides the expected degradation of trans-isohumulones, it was observed an average decrease of 91% of humulones and 73% of cis-humulinones. Together, these results indicate a decrease of 18 – 43% of the calculated bitterness intensity of dry-hopped Belgian beers. The losses of cis-humulinones in dry-hopped beers bring seven new oxidation compounds, some of them very similar to those issued from trans-isohumulones. The bitterness impact of these compounds is yet to be determined.
Production of Microbial Hydrocolloids from Renewable Resources

Bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS) producers were screened on lignocellulose hydrolysate. Paenibacillus 2H7 was selected for 500 ml fermentations. The furfural concentration correlated with the onset of the exponential phase and an improved fermentation strategy for the 7 l scale was devised. The fungal EPSs of S. rolfsii and S. commune were produced fermentatively. Poor EPS solubility after precipitation hampered all analyses. Therefore, a quantitative fluorometric assay was developed to replace precipitation.
Topological Data Analysis for Clustering and Classifying Time Series

Topological Data Analysis (TDA), which refers to methods of utilizing topological features in data (such as connected components, tunnels, voids, etc.) has gained considerable momentum. More recently, TDA has been increasingly used for analyzing time series. The recent researches of using TDA in time series are mainly focused on unsupervised and supervised learning. In this thesis, a review of TDA will be provided, following by using TDA in time series for doing unsupervised and supervised learning for different applications. Topological Data Analysis for Clustering and Classifying Time Series
Non-conventional resources for the coming drought: the development of rainwater harvesting systems in a Mediterranean suburban area

ABSTRACT The city of Sant Cugat del Vallès (Spain) has made mandatory the installation of rainwater harvesting systems in new housing units with large gardens but also has provided subsidies to households to build these systems on a voluntary basis. We conducted a survey of households in both groups (mandatory and voluntary) to explore the effectiveness of these different types of policies. We see many similarities between the two groups, especially concerning satisfaction with the systems, and with their perceived environmental and economic benefits. The main difference was the preferred size of rainwater tanks.
KYKY Living Lab handbook for co-creation by schools and companies

Päivi Sutinen, Director, Open Innovation Platforms in City of Espoo, Six City Strategy Kristiina Erkkilä, Development Director, Education and Cultural Services, City of Espoo Piia Wollstén, Project Manager, Open Innovation Platforms in City of Espoo, Six City Strategy Katja M. Hagman, Project Manager, KYKY, Open Innovation Platforms in City of Espoo, Six City Strategy Tuija Hirvikoski, Specialist, Laurea University of Applied Sciences Anne Äyväri, Specialist, Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Dental and otologic problems in cleft lip and palate patients from Northern Finland : cleft associated problems

Patients with orofacial clefts must overcome problems associated with their deformity including multiple surgeries, facial scarring, speech difficulties, dental problems and hearing loss. This study considered dental and hearing problems faced by cleft lip and palate patients in Northern Finland. The research aimed to determine prevalence of dental anomalies in cleft children, assess restorative treatment need and examine dental treatment necessary under general anesthesia. Other aims were to identify middle ear problems, need for ventilation tubes (VTs) among cleft children and examine the relationship between cleft severity, palatoplasty technique and hearing outcomes in cleft children aged between 3 and 9-years. The material comprised 214 cleft patients treated at Oulu University Hospital. In the dental study 26.6% had at least one dental anomaly while 17.9% had 2 or 3, most commonly missing or supernumerary teeth. In the general anesthesia study 11.5% had a syndrome and 52.4% of those with a syndrome aged 6-years-old needed restorative treatment. General anesthesia was required for dental treatment in 17.5% of cleft patients, mostly in those with a syndrome. In the middle ear study 79% had secretions in the middle ear during the study period. On average 3 VTs were placed in each patient. The prevalence of tympanic perforation was 35.9% and cholesteatoma occurred in 3.3%. In the hearing study pure tone average did not significantly differ between right and left ears and was unrelated to cleft severity or palatoplasty technique. Based on the dental study the severity of clefting increased with the prevalence of dental anomalies. The general anesthesia study found that need for restorations increased with cleft severity. The presence of a syndrome increased the need for dental treatment under general anesthesia. The middle ear study found that patients with cleft lip and palate and isolated cleft palate had more extensive clefts affecting Eustachian tube function with more frequent middle ear problems requiring more VTs than isolated cleft lip patients. Continuous presence of VTs increased the prevalence of tympanic perforation and cholesteatoma. The hearing study concluded that most of the 3 to 9 year-old cleft patients had normal hearing thresholds unaffected by cleft severity or palatoplasty technique.