Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coronary heart disease: outlook for Africa

In Africa, coronary heart disease (CHD) is near absent in rural areas, and very uncommon in urban centres, where many Africans are in an advanced stage of transition. Among town dwellers intakes of food, especially fat, have risen and intakes of fibre-containing foods have fallen. Mean serum cholesterol level is almost double that of rural populations living traditionally. Obesity in females has risen enormously. Prevalence of hypertension exceeds that in the white population. The same applies to the practice of smoking in males, but not in females. The level of physical activity has fallen generally. With these increases in risk factors we can expect urban Africans to attain the high mortality rate for CHD now experienced by Afro-Americans. Prevention by urging reversion to previous lifestyle behaviour is a non-starter. However, as long as Africa remains impoverished, a major rise in CHD is unlikely.
Hepatic failure leads to lethality of chlordecone-amplified hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride.

Chlordecone (Kepone) amplification of CCl4 toxicity occurs at small, nontoxic levels of chlordecone and CCl4 and results in highly increased irreversible hepatotoxicity culminating in lethality. Although it is generally assumed that CCl4 lethality is due to hepatic failure, no definitive studies are available in the literature bridging massive liver failure and death. The present studies were designed to evaluate whether hepatic failure is the cause of the lethality during chlordecone-amplified CCl4 toxicity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on control or a chlordecone (10 ppm) diet for 15 days and injected with CCl4 (100 microliters/kg, ip) on Day 16. Rats were killed at 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hr after CCl4 challenge. Hepatic failure was evaluated by measuring plasma glucose, ammonia, bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), hepatic ATP, glycogen, and by histological and histomorphometric analyses. Plasma creatinine, urea, and kidney histopathology were also assessed for possible renal injury. As expected CCl4 administration to chlordecone-pretreated rats resulted in 20% lethality by 36 hr, which progressed with time, and all rats died within 72 hr. A significant and progressive hypoglycemia was observed with a 60% reduction in plasma glucose at 48 hr. Hepatic glycogen content dropped precipitously. Similarly, hepatic ATP levels remained suppressed (80% of control) at all the time points studied. Plasma ammonia levels were significantly elevated, and by 48 hr, a threefold increase was observed. Plasma ALT, AST, SDH, and bilirubin increased progressively until the death of rats receiving the chlordecone + CCl4 combination. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Multi-target state estimation and track continuity for the particle PHD filter

Particle filter approaches for approximating the first-order moment of a joint, or probability hypothesis density (PHD), have demonstrated a feasible suboptimal method for tracking a time-varying number of targets in real-time. We consider two techniques for estimating the target states at each iteration, namely k-means clustering and mixture modelling via the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. We present novel techniques for associating the targets between frames to enable track continuity.
Cure for early gastric cancer

Early gastric cancer has a high cure rate with surgical treatment. The Japanese experience has clearly shown this. But what is early gastric cancer? Confining this to Stage I, the TNM classification for stomach cancer has distinguished a Stage IA and Stage IB. ' Stage IA includes only those lesions in which the tumor invades the lamina propria or submucosa (Tl) without nodal involvement. Stage IB includes the same mucosa or submucosa extent with nodal metastases within 3 cm of the edge of the primary tumor (Nl). Stage IB also includes tumors that invade the muscularis propria or the subserosa (T2) without nodal involvement. The report in this issue by Sano et al. does not include this latter category.2 Because of the vigorous detection program for gastric cancer in Japan involving superb radiologic and endoscopic techniques, the incidence of Stage I cancer (46%) has been much greater than that in the United States (1 7.1 YO). ^,^ Even then, the Stage 1 5-year survival rate of Japanese patients (90.7%) far exceeds that of patients in community cancer centers in the United States (50%). Such differences are believed to be due to the meticulous staging procedure by Japanese surgeons and pathologists and aggressive gastric surgery. Delayed diagnosis, inadequate primary gastrectomy and lymph node dissection, and less detailed pathologic description may account for the impaired stage-related survival in the United States. Early gastric cancer in the United States is u n c ~ m m o n . ~ ' ~ Sano et al. evaluated 1475 patients with early gastric cancer.2 Their study was limited to patients with T1 primary lesions with or without nodal involvement. Ten percent had nodal involvement. They did not include T2 lesions according to the International Staging System of Stage IB. In Japan, the proportion of these early lesions among all resected gastric cancers has reached 50% in major hospitals, a significant accom-
Finance, Firm Size, and Growth

This paper examines whether financial development boosts the growth of small firms more than large firms and hence provides information on the mechanisms through which financial development fosters aggregate economic growth. We define an industry's technological firm size as the firm size implied by industry specific production technologies, including capital intensities and scale economies. Using cross-industry, cross-country data, the results indicate that financial development exerts a disproportionately large effect on the growth of industries that are technologically more dependent on small firms. This suggests that financial development accelerates economic growth by removing growth constraints on small firms and also implies that financial development has sectoral as well as aggregate growth ramifications. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Discovery of another anti-HIV protein in the search for the CD8+ cell anti-HIV Factor

Nearly three decades ago, soon after the recognition of AIDS and its causative agent, HIV, the first immune response against the AIDS virus was identified: an unexpected anti-HIV activity of CD8+ cells that did not involve cell killing (1). This immune response differed from the classic CD8+ cell antiviral activity in which cytotoxic T lymphocytes kill virus-infected cells (2). The CD8+ cell noncytotoxic anti-HIV response (CNAR) became evident in HIV-infected individuals who were healthy without any clinical signs but had serologic evidence of HIV infection. Although, initially, these asymptomatic individuals were expected to develop AIDS, several continued to remain healthy. Later it was determined that it takes about 10 y for 50% of infected individuals to develop AIDS (3). From these, about 5–8% are asymptomatic long-term survivors (LTS) with normal CD4+ cells and low plasma viral loads (4, 5). CNAR was discovered when the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the LTS were placed in culture and only released infectious virus when the CD8+ cells were removed. Adding back the CD8+ cells to the infected CD4+ cells inhibited virus replication without affecting the viability of the CD4+ cells (1).
Health-promoting intervention for community-dwelling older adults - Focusing on the concept of frailty and intervention outcome

LIST OF PAPERS ABBREVATIONS INTRODUCTION 7 Opening statement 7 Aging and its consequences 7 Relations between health, aging and occupation 10 Everyday life of older persons 13 Health promotion for community-dwelling older adults 15 Rationale for this thesis 17 AIMS 19 METHODS 20 Study I 20 Study II 21 Studies III and IV 22 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 31 RESULTS 32 Study I 32 Study II 33 Studies III and IV 35 DISCUSSION 39 Discussion of the findings 39 Methodological considerations 46 CONCLUSIONS 53 FUTURE RESEARCH 54 SWEDISH SUMMARY 55 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 56 REFERENCES 58 PUBLICATIONS
Mitomycin C as an adjunct in the treatment of localised ocular surface squamous neoplasia

Aim: To report the outcome of topical mitomycin C (MMC) used as adjunctive treatment following primary excision of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). Method: Prospective, non-comparative interventional case series of 27 primary OSSN lesions from 26 patients treated in a single ocular oncology centre over a 4 year period. Result: 27 cases of OSSN received a treatment regimen of surgical excision, followed by topical MMC. Mean follow up of 27 (SD 12) months (range 12–50, median 25 months) revealed zero recurrences. Conclusion: MMC treatment following surgical excision decreases the recurrence rate of primary ocular surface neoplasia and should be considered as adjunctive therapy in primary treatment.
Strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 of low pathogenicity for chickens isolated from poultry and wild birds in Denmark

Twenty-one strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 of low virulence for chickens were isolated in Denmark between 1996 and the beginning of 2003. The low virulence of the strains was demonstrated by sequencing the fusion (F) gene at the cleavage site motif and in some cases by determining the intracerebral pathogenicity index in day-old chicks. By using a panel of monoclonal antibodies it was shown that the isolates belonged to four different antigenic groups (five C2 isolates, six E isolates, six H isolates and four G/Q isolates). They were placed in three distinguishable genetic groups by phylogenetic analysis of a partial sequence of the F gene. The origin of the six E isolates was probably contaminated vaccines; the other viruses were isolated from wild birds and from poultry which probably came into contact with wild birds.
Detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms with MR angiography: comparison of volume-rendering and maximum-intensity-projection algorithms.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare volume rendering and maximum intensity projection as postprocessing techniques of MR angiography in the detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography studies performed in 82 patients were retrospectively evaluated by two independent reviewers who were unaware of digital subtraction angiography findings, the standard of reference. Panoramic maximum-intensity-projection and volume-rendered angiograms were produced from each data set to investigate the presence of underlying aneurysms. Each detected aneurysm was then interactively evaluated with subvolume maximum-intensity-projection and targeted volume-rendering algorithms to evaluate aneurysm morphology and size. Aneurysm detection and characterization were evaluated by means of the receiver operating characteristic analysis, and aneurysm size was evaluated using the limits-of-agreement method. Image quality, aneurysm neck depiction, and vascular delineation were also compared between maximum-intensity-projection and volume-rendered images. The time required for the generation and interpretation of maximum-intensity-projection and volume-rendered images was assessed. RESULTS Volume rendering tended to improve the diagnostic confidence (A(z) [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve] = 0.95 vs A(z) = 0.90 for maximum intensity projection) and yielded a considerable improvement in sensitivity (89% vs 71% for maximum intensity projection), particularly in the detection of small cerebral aneurysms. Regarding aneurysm morphology, volume rendering performed significantly better than maximum intensity projection in lobulation detection (p < 0.001) and slightly better in neck categorization (p > 0.238). Limits-of-agreement analysis showed a trend toward improved assessment of the aneurysm size by volume rendering (-0.31 +/- 1.62 mm vs -1.27 +/- 2.84 mm by maximum intensity projection). Overall image quality and vascular delineation of involved vessels on volume-rendered images were rated better than that obtained by maximum intensity projections (p < or = 0.007 and p < or = 0.001, respectively). Evaluation of time-of-flight MR angiography data sets was significantly facilitated with volume rendering (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The volume-rendering technique facilitates the evaluation of cerebral time-of-flight MR angiography data sets and allows better detection and more reliable characterization of intracranial aneurysms than does maximum intensity projection.
Evaluation ergonomique des interfaces utilisateur : un pas vers l'automatisation. (Ergonomic evaluation of user interfaces : a step to automation)

L'ingenierie des Interfaces Homme-Machine s'est manifestee jusqu'ici par le developpement de modeles et d'outils d'aide a la construction d'interfaces utilisateur. Dans le processus iteratif de developpement des interfaces, l'evaluation est souvent negligee par les developpeurs ou reste le produit d'une demarche artisanale. Notre but est de fournir une aide automatique en vue d'une evaluation plus performante. Apres une revue de l'etat de l'art, nous proposons deux espaces taxonomiques qui permettent de situer les techniques d'evaluation actuelles et les modeles de taches possibles. Nous proposons ensuite EMA, un mecanisme d'analyse automatique pour l'evaluation ergonomique des interfaces utilisateur. L'analyse utilise trois sources d'information : une base de profils de comportement modelises sous forme de regles, une representation formelle de l'espace des taches realisables avec le logiciel teste, ainsi que les donnees comportementales enregistrees au cours des sessions d'utilisation du logiciel teste. EMA est aujourd'hui un detecteur d'anomalies. Il conviendra dans nos perspectives d'extension, d'en faire un critique explicatif, voire correctif.
Hypothyroidism among pediatric cancer patients: A nationwide, registry‐based study

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and prevalence of hypothyroidism (HT) among childhood cancer survivors by means of register linkage. Patients extracted from the Finnish Cancer Registry data base (5,180 patients with cancer diagnosis at the age of 0–15 years, and born after 1970) were linked with thyroxin reimbursement data (Drug Reimbursement Register) and with thyroxin purchase data (prescription database) maintained by the Social Insurance Institution. At the end of follow‐up, the prevalence of HT (10,509/100,000) was found to exceed that in the general population (240/100,000) for those aged <35 years. Diagnostic group (p < 0.0001) and gender (p < 0.0025) had significant effect on the risk of developing HT. Males were less prone to the development of HT. Cumulative incidence rate of HT was highest in patients with thyroid cancer (TC), Hodgkin lymphoma, central nervous system (CNS) tumors and neuroblastoma. Except in patients with TC (4.5 months) and CNS tumors (19 months), the median time for the appearance of HT was quite long, varying between 2 and 4.5 years. We consider our results valuable in providing new data for the planning of thyroid function follow‐up in different diagnostic groups of childhood cancer survivors. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aujeszky's disease in horses fulfils Koch's postulates

Aujeszky's disease virus was isolated from the brain of a horse which had shown severe neurological signs, including excessive sweating, muscle tremors and periods of mania. Pathological examination revealed a non-suppurative meningoencephalitis. The virus was propagated in cell culture and inoculated into the conjunctiva and nostrils of two ponies. The ponies developed fever seven days after inoculation and subsequently started to behave abnormally, showing severe neurological signs on the ninth day after inoculation. One pony became excited and the other was depressed. One pony died on the ninth day after inoculation and the other was euthanased on the 10th day. Both ponies had a significant increase in serum antibody titre against the virus. The virus was recovered from several parts of the brains and the eyes of the ponies. Aujeszky's disease in horses therefore fulfils Koch's postulates. Although horses do not appear to be very susceptible to the virus, Aujeszky's disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of horses with fatal or transient neurological signs of disease in areas where the virus is endemic.
The effects of VEGF on survival of a random flap in the rat: examination of various routes of administration.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on survival of a full thickness random pattern, McFarlane musculocutaneous flap in the rat. In addition, this study examined a number of different methods of VEGF delivery in an attempt to determine the most effective route of administration. A 2 x 8 cm full thickness dorsal flap with the pedicle remaining attached at the anterior end was elevated in 72 male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were randomised into six groups and immediately received the following treatment: Group I (n = 12): systemic VEGF injection into the femoral vein (50 microg/ml); Group II (n = 10): multiple systemic VEGF injections at 0, 24 and 48 h post flap elevation (50 microg/ml); Group III (n = 12): subdermal VEGF injection into the flap (1 microg/ml); Group IV (n = 12): subfascial VEGF injections into the recipient bed (1 microg/ml); Group V (n = 10): topical VEGF onto the recipient bed (1 microg/ml); Group VI (n = 16): control group with no treatment. Following 5 days recovery, the area of flap survival was measured. Mean flap survival ranged from 91% in Group II to 78% in Group V, and was significantly greater in all experimental groups (P< 0.001 for Groups I-IV and P< 0.05 for Group V) as compared to the control group (mean survival of 66%). The only significant difference between the experimental groups was between the mean survival in Group II and Group V (P< 0. 05). Histological analysis demonstrated a qualitatively greater amount of granulation tissue and neovascularisation in the experimental groups. These results support the notion that VEGF rescues tissue at risk of hypoxic damage by inducing angiogenesis, and the use of growth factors such as VEGF holds promise as a method of increasing skin viability.
Four-degree-of-freedom solid state MEMS joystick

This paper reports on a novel four-degree-of-freedom solid state joystick. It consists of a rigid polymer cylinder with spherical dome on top of a CMOS chip. The sensor chip with a size of 2.0times2. 5 mm2 contains 10 octagonal stress sensors distributed across the surface exploiting the shear piezoresistive effect in silicon. The joystick shows a linear response of its integrated stress sensors to forces Fx, Fy, and Fz up to 5 N and to a moment Mz up to 5 mNm. For calibration, the sensitivities towards these loads were measured individually. The Moore-Penrose inverse of the sensitivity matrix enables the extraction of these four loads from the vector of the piezoresistor signals.
Design of metamaterial lens for antenna array

In this paper, a metamaterial lens is proposed to enable a linear array to possess the radiation properties of circular array in free space. The Quasi-Conformal Transformation Optics (QCTO) methodology is used to derived the required refractive index distribution of the lens. The radiation characteristics of linear array with the metamaterial lens are obtained by full-wave simulation. The design approach is expected to apply to another conformal array.
The multi-agent model and method for Energy-Saving Generation Dispatching system

In Energy-Saving Generation Dispatching mode, the dispatching is required to be accordance with safety, energy-saving, environmental protecting and economic, which involving with many aspects such as units' order, distributed units, reliability, reserve, electrical market, environmental protecting, security, stability, peak load and frequency regulation and net loss. The important and difficult work in implementing Energy-Saving Generation Dispatching is to united coordination theses factors to make high quality plan in short time. So it is necessary to research a novel Energy-Saving Generation Dispatching for smart grid. By using advantages of Multi-Agent's dispersion and coordination ability, this paper also establishes a Multi-Agent model to carry out Energy-Saving Generation Dispatching, set up their models and researches on the structure, contents and communication strategies of each agent. So the excellent dispatching commands will be made by presented Multi-Agent system. The application steps of this system will be introduced at last of this paper. Besides, seen from the application situation in Guangxi Communicate Dispatching Center, this Multi-Agent is very suitable for implementing and popularizing Energy-Saving Generation Dispatching.
A Bidirectional Endfire Array With Compact Antenna Elements for Coal Mine/Tunnel Communication

A six-element endfire array is proposed for coal mine or tunnel communication in this letter. To further decrease the end cross section, which has adverse effect on air ventilation, meander-line folded dipoles are used as antenna elements. By the antenna itself, the cross section toward the ventilation direction is only 100 × 1 mm2. A prototype array is fabricated and tested. Bidirectional endfire radiation patterns with low cross-polarization levels in the azimuth and elevation plane are achieved. The measured - 10-dB bandwidth is approximately 7.5% (834-899 MHz), and the corresponding peak gain is 8.05-9.05 dBi.
Murine natural killer cell activation receptors

Summary: Natural killer (NK) cells express two types of receptors involved in target recognition: inhibitory receptors for target cell MHC class I molecules and activation receptors. While there has been significant progress in understanding the inhibitory receptors, less is known about the activation receptors. Detailed analysis of several mouse NK‐cell activation receptors provides insight into the physiologic relevance of these receptors in the innate immune response.
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE : PERPLEXING CASES & CURRENT ISSUES UROLOGY

Initial Evaluation of Animals with Kidney Disease with a Focus on Chronic Diseases (CKD) For all animals with CKD, a thorough history and physical examination should be accompanied by complete clinical pathology testing, which includes a biochemical panel, hematology, and urinalysis with specific proteinuria tests and aerobic bacterial culture. Survey radiography ± abdominal ultrasonography and blood pressure measurements should be performed. This initial battery of tests allows the veterinarian to evaluate the severity of the disease, establish a prognosis, follow the response to subsequent therapy, and identify complicating factors. As part of this evaluation, renal azotemia should be distinguished from other causes of azotemia, and CKD should be distinguished from the more readily reversible acute kidney disease. Frequently, this latter differentiation may be accomplished with a careful history, physical examination, and evaluation of laboratory findings, although occasionally a renal biopsy may be required (see subsequent section on renal evaluation).