Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond the Checklist: Assessing Understanding for HIV Vaccine Trial Participation in South Africa

Objectives:Informed consent and understanding are essential ethical requirements for clinical trial participation. Traditional binary measures of understanding may be limited and not be the best measures of level of understanding. This study designed and compared 4 measures of understanding for potential participants being prepared for enrollment in South African HIV vaccine trials, using detailed operational scoring criteria. Methods:Assessment of understanding of 7 key trial components was compared via self-report, checklist, vignettes, and narrative measures. Fifty-nine participants, including members of vaccine preparedness groups and 1 HIV vaccine trial, took part. Results:There were significant differences across the measures for understanding of 5 components and for overall understanding. Highest scores were obtained on self-report and checklist measures, and lowest scores were obtained for vignettes and narrative descriptions. Conclusions:The findings suggest that levels of measured understanding are dependent on the tools used. Forced-choice measures like checklists tend to yield higher scores than open-ended measures like narratives or vignettes. Consideration should be given to complementing checklists and self-reports with open-ended measures, particularly for critical trial concepts, where the consequences of misunderstanding are potentially severe.
Determining the Stress Field in Active Volcanoes Using Focal Mechanisms

Stress inversion of seismological datasets became an essential tool to retrieve the stress field of active tectonics and volcanic areas. In particular, in volcanic areas, it is able to put constrains on volcano-tectonics and in general in a better understanding of the volcano dynamics. During the last decades, a wide range of stress inversion techniques has been proposed, some of them specifically conceived to manage seismological datasets. A modern technique of stress inversion, the BRTM, has been applied to seismological datasets available at three different regions of active volcanism: Mt. Somma-Vesuvius (197 Fault Plane Solutions, FPSs), Campi Flegrei (217 FPSs) and Long Valley Caldera (38,000 FPSs). The key role of stress inversion techniques in the analysis of the volcano dynamics has been critically discussed. A particular emphasis was devoted to performances of the BRTM applied to volcanic areas.
Asthma and Respiratory Dysfunction among Urban, Primarily Hispanic School Children

A screening program identified children with poorly managed asthma or respiratory dysfunction. Children in grades 2-5 in all Passaic, New Jersey, schools were eligible for screening with questionnaires and a biometric test. Those with risk factors or failed biometric screening were referred to primary care providers. Of the 6,579 eligible children, 3,657 (56%) had parental questionnaires returned and 3,834 (58%) were biometrically screened. Over the 4-yr study period, 6-22% of children were previously diagnosed with asthma. Approximately 20% of children demonstrated peak flow measures 75% of predicted values. Predictors of a prior diagnosis of asthma and a medical treatment plan for asthma management were health care coverage and ethnicity. Predictors of peak flow test failure were the presence of roaches and mold in the home, pesticide use, and a family member with asthma.
Three‐dimensional reconstruction of corticospinal tract using one‐photon confocal microscopy acquisition allows detection of axonal disruption in spinal cord injury

The principal motor tract involved in mammalian locomotor activities is known as the corticospinal tract (CST), which starts in the brain motor cortex (upper motor neuron), extends its axons across the brain to brainstem and finally reaches different regions of spinal cord, contacting the lower motor neurons. Visualization of the CST is essential to carry out studies in different kinds of pathologies such as spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. At present, most studies of axon structure and/or integrity that involve histological tissue sectioning present the problem of finding the region where the CST is predominant. To solve this problem, one could use a novel technique to make the tissues transparent and observe them directly without histological sectioning. However, the disadvantage of this procedure is the need of costly and non‐conventional equipment, such as two‐photon fluorescence microscopy or ultramicroscopy to perform the image acquisition. Here, we show that labeling the CST with FluoroRuby in the motor cortex and then performing the clearing technique, the z‐acquisition of the entire CST in unsectioned tissue followed by three‐dimensional reconstruction can be carried out by standard one‐photon confocal microscopy, with yields similar to those obtained by two‐photon microscopy. In addition, we present an example of the application of this method in a spinal cord injury model, where the disruption of CST is shown at the lesion site.
Cultural Practices of Hispanics: Implications for the Prevention of AIDS

Specific cultural practices of Hispanics were assessed with regard to condom use as an AIDS prevention measure. The sample of 190 Hispanics, including 117 males and 73 females, were mostly young adults who had recently immigrated to the western part of the United States. Condom use was associated with the "one who buys the condoms, " who were mostly men, and machismo practices, such as protecting the woman by using condoms. Suggestions include directing prevention of AIDS messages to males, emphasizing the protection of women through the use of condoms. Religion was nota significant factor with regard to use of condoms even though over 85% of the subjects identified themselves as Catholic. Fate orientation with respect toAIDS also was not a significant factor. The extent adherence to traditional Hispanic cultural values was influenced by the degree of education and acculturation. It is suggested that both education and acculturation levels be assessed prior to the implementation of prevention programs.
The Ambient Birdhouse: Bringing Birds Inside to Learn About Birds Outside

We demonstrate a technology to explore the problem of the disconnect between people and nature, the Ambient Birdhouse. Although people are surrounded by flora and fauna, nature is often hidden and difficult to learn about. Birds are active outside when many people are indoors, seen but not heard, or heard but not seen. So, can technologies play a role in reconnecting us to and through nature? This project researches how to learn about local birds in a non-intrusive, fun calm and engaging manner. The Ambient Birdhouse sits inside the house and plays media of local birds - sometimes giving clues about them. Bird houses are connected. You can share bird media from your phone of your own sightings, challenging a neighbour to identify them. Known calls are interspersed with environmental sound to foster listening and developing an ear for local birds. The Ambient Birdhouse follows principles of ambient interaction. It poses the design research challenge of how to engage people in a gentle, social way over time to build awareness of nature, bringing it back into our lives.
Web people search: results of the first evaluation and the plan for the second

This paper presents the motivation, resources and results for the first Web People Search task, which was organized as part of the SemEval-2007 evaluation exercise. Also, we will describe a survey and proposal for a new task, "attribute extraction", which is planned for inclusion in the second evaluation, planned for autumn, 2008.
Development of a Streptavidin-Biotin Immunoperoxidase Procedure for the Detection of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Antigen in Porcine Lung

Boos J, Esiri MM: 1986, Pathological features of encephalitis. In: Viral encephalitis: pathology, diagnosis and management, pp. 1-27. Blackwell Scientific, Boston, MA. Calisher CH: 1983, Taxonomy, classification, and geographic distribution of California serogroup bunyaviruses. Prog Clin Biol Res 123:1-16. Craig GB Jr: 1983, Biology of Aedes triseriatus: some factors affecting control. Prog Clin Biol Res 123:329-341. Defoliart GR: 1983, Aedes triseriatus: vector biology in relationship to the persistence of La Crosse virus in endemic foci. Prog Clin Biol Res 123:89-104. Early E, Peralta PH, Johnson KM: 1967, A plaque neutralization method for arboviruses. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 12:5741747. Godsey MS Jr, Amoo F, Yuill TM, Defoliart GR: 1988, California serogroup virus infections in Wisconsin domestic animals. Am J Trop Med Hyg 39:409-416. 11.
The Case for Experimental, Adaptive Restraint Policies in Developing Nation Metropolitan Areas

Many developing nations have introduced policies designed to slow the rate of population growth of their largest cities. This article argues that there is a strong case for an explicit experimental or adaptive approach in policy design. Using the examples of Sao Paulo in Brazil and Seoul in South Korea, it is argued that coordinated trial and error methods with appropriate monitoring, evaluation, and policy revision can prove beneficial, especially given the high levels of uncertainty which surround both the objectives and the contexts of urbanization policies in most countries.
Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Management in The Mental Health of Iranian University Students: A Comparison of Blended Therapy, Face-to-Face Sessions, and mHealth App (Aramgar)

Background: Stress is an important part of a college student’s life. Psycho-technology has greatly helped students cope more effectively with stress. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of three methods of intervention for stress management in students based on mindfulness-based stress reduction, including blended therapy, smartphone mobile application, and face-to-face therapy. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was designed with pretests, posttests, and follow-ups for a month on randomly selected students. The first group was treated by the Aramgar application only, the second group by both the face-to-face therapy and Aramgar application, and the third group by the face-to-face therapy only. The DASS-21 was utilized for both pretest and posttest administration. The ANOVA and post hoc tests were applied to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of the participants was 24.29 ± 3.21 years. There was a significant difference in the mean score reduction of depression, stress, and anxiety between the three groups (P < 0.001). The post hoc test showed that the blended therapy group had the greatest mean score reduction on stress, depression, and anxiety among the three groups. Conclusions: The blended approach could improve the mental health of students more than the two other approaches. Therefore, the use of mobile platforms of new technologies is highly suggested along with face-to-face interventions in clinics to support people within their daily routine.
Glutamine as a regulator of DNA and protein biosynthesis in human solid tumor cell lines.

OBJECTIVE The transport of glutamine by six different human solid tumor-derived cell lines (e.g., breast, colon, liver) was characterized and the impact of glutamine deprivation on rates of tumor cell proliferation and DNA and protein synthesis was assayed. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Glutamine is added routinely to cell culture media and its importance for cellular growth has been established. However, carrier-mediated glutamine transport by solid tumors has not been studied extensively, and the mechanisms by which glutamine contributes to cell growth regulation require further investigation. METHODS In a panel of different human solid tumor-derived cells, sodium-dependent glutamine transport was characterized in vitro and rates of cell proliferation, protein and DNA synthesis, as well as thymidine transport, were correlated with glutamine concentrations in the culture media. RESULTS In all cells, regardless of tissue origin, sodium-dependent glutamine transport was mediated almost exclusively by a single carrier. There was a range of Michaelis constants (Km) and maximal transport velocities (Vmax) for the glutamine transporter in each cell type, but the amino acid inhibition profiles were nearly identical, consistent with uptake by the System ASC family of transporters. Rates of cell growth, DNA and protein synthesis, and thymidine transport correlated with the glutamine concentration in the culture media, indicating the central role of this amino acid in regulating cellular proliferation. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that glutamine transport by all solid tumors is mediated by the System ASC family of transporters. The variation in Km values suggests that some cancers may be better suited to survive in a low glutamine environment than others. The mechanism by which glutamine supports cell proliferation and regulates cell cycle kinetics involves its modulation of DNA and protein biosynthetic rates.
Ellipsometric studies of the dielectric function of Cd1-xMnxTe alloys.

We present ellipsometric measurements of the dielectric function of a series of ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$Te samples (0lxl0.7) in the (1.5\char21{}5.5)-eV photon-energy region at room temperature. The data display structures which can be attributed to the ${E}_{0}$, ${E}_{0}$+${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{0}$, ${E}_{1}$, ${E}_{1}$+${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}$, and ${E}_{2}$ critical points of zinc-blende-type semiconductors: A fit of these structures with standard analytic expressions yields the energies, widths, strengths, and excitonic phase angles of the critical points. While the energy of the ${E}_{0}$ critical points increases with x, those of ${E}_{1}$ and ${E}_{1}$+${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}$ decrease slightly. This fact is probably related to an increasing admixture of spin-up Mn 3d states into the initial valence states of these transitions.
Predicting Academic Performance

The importance placed on matriculation increases at each level of academia, with the greatest significance placed at the tertiary level. The task of standardizing entry-level requirements at the tertiary level has lead to the implementation of assessments such as SAT GMAT and GRE. Prior research conducted at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH) indicated that the task of finding effective predictors of academic performance remains incomplete. This study examines the relationship between students' overall academic performance (GPA) and matriculation requirements performance in first year courses in the Bachelor of Science and Information Technology (BSCIT) program at UTECH. The study evaluates undergraduate students that completed the BSCIT program in 2005. The files for all BSCIT undergraduate students of 2005 were surveyed and specific data was collected. The findings pointed out that performance in first year gateway courses had some level of significance in predicting performance. The findings from this study will be instrumental in restructuring the admissions policy for the program
Evolution of tuberculosis control and prospects for reducing tuberculosis incidence, prevalence, and deaths globally.

CONTEXT The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are stimulating more rigorous evaluations of the impact of DOTS (the WHO-recommended approach to tuberculosis control based on 5 essential elements) and other possible strategies for tuberculosis (TB) control. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prospects for detecting 70% of new sputum smear-positive cases and successfully treating 85% of these by the end of 2005, for reducing TB incidence, and for halving TB prevalence and deaths globally between 1990 and 2015, as specified by the MDGs. DATA SOURCES TB case notifications (1980-2003) from DOTS and non-DOTS programs and cohort treatment outcomes (1994-2002) reported annually to the World Health Organization (WHO) by up to 200 countries, TB death registrations, and prevalence surveys of infection and disease. STUDY SELECTION Case notification series that reflect trends in incidence, treatment outcomes from DOTS cohorts, death statistics from countries with WHO-validated vital registration systems, and national prevalence surveys of infection and disease. DATA EXTRACTION Case reports, treatment outcomes, prevalence surveys, and death registrations from WHO's global TB database covering 1990-2003 to estimate TB incidence, prevalence, and death rates through 2015 for 9 epidemiologically different world regions. DATA SYNTHESIS TB incidence increased globally in 2003, but incidence, prevalence, and death rates were approximately stable or decreased in 7 of 9 regions. The exceptions were regions of Africa with low (<4% in adults 15-49 years) and high rates (> or =4%) of HIV infection. The global detection rate of new smear-positive cases by DOTS programs increased from 11% in 1995 to 45% in 2003 (with the lowest case-detection rates in Eastern Europe and the highest rates in the Western Pacific) and could reach 60% by 2005. More than 17 million patients were treated in DOTS programs between 1994 and 2003, with overall treatment success rates more than 80% since 1998. In 2003, overall reported treatment success was 82%, with much variation among regions. The highest rates were reported in the Western Pacific region (89%) and lowest rates in African countries with high and low HIV infection rates (71% and 74%, respectively), in established market economies (77%), and in Eastern Europe (75%). To halve the prevalence rate by 2015, TB control programs must reach global targets for detection (70%) and treatment success (85%) and also reduce the incidence rate by at least 2% annually. To halve the death rate, incidence must decrease more steeply, by at least 5% to 6% annually. CONCLUSION Reduction of TB incidence, prevalence, and deaths by 2015 could be achieved in most of the world, but the challenge will be greatest in Africa and Eastern Europe.
Radiation Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy

With the current advances in screening, earlier detection of prostate cancer, and improved techniques for performing radical prostatectomy, a larger number of patients are being surgically treated. However, on pathologic examination of their prostate, these patients might not have organ confined disease. The pathologic features which predict failure in those cases are unknown prior to surgery. This includes patients with seminal vesicle invasion, positive surgical margins, and high Gleason scores. Patients at high risk for local recurrence are candidates for further therapy to control the local disease. These patients represent a large proportion of surgically treated patients. In spite of 58% of patients having clinically localized disease at presentation, over one-half will likely be T3 disease. 1 This is despite all the advances in screening. Adjuvant radiotherapy and/or various methods of androgen deprivation are available for this group of patients. A Mayo Clinic study found that 5-year local recurrence-free survival rates were >95% among prostatectomy patients who had either radiation or orchiectomy compared with 84% for patients who received no adjuvant therapy. 2 However, no advantage for adjuvant therapy was found in overall or cause-specific mortality. One recent study reported the efficacy of adjuvant radiation after radical prostatectomy, but only among patients found with pT3 who had an undetectable PSA after surgery. 3 Postoperative radiation therapy can be given as adjuvant or salvage irradiation. Adjuvant radiation therapy can be used postoperatively for patients with high risk of recurrence. Radiation used as salvage therapy is usually associated with biochemical failure, whether it is associated with a palpable local or biopsy-detected lesion or not. The questions that we need to answer are: • Does radiation therapy following surgery offer any advantage in local control? • Does radiation therapy in this setting have any influence on survival and mortality? • What predicts patients prognosis after radical prostatectomy? • What should our indications be to use radiation therapy in the postoperative setting? • How can radiation therapy be used most effectively -- salvage or adjuvant?
Expression and significance of MOC‐31 and calretinin in pleural fluid of patients with lung cancer

The cytologic assessment of pleural effusions to distinguish carcinoma cells from reactive mesothelial cells is particularly challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of monoclonal antibody (MOC‐31) and calretinin in pleural fluid of patients with lung cancer to significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy.
“The Man Who Would Be Popular”: An Analysis of Salman Rushdie’s Twitter Feed

In September 2011, Salman Rushdie joined the popular social network Twitter. What initially began as an experiment to tweet a narrative in 140 characters became an intensely dynamic platform for engaging with the public and cultivating an authorial persona for the well-known author. By early 2015, Rushdie had nearly 700,000 Twitter followers and regularly appeared in news media for his Twitter content. Shortly after joining Twitter, Rushdie eagerly demonstrated his knowledge of the platform and has involved some of his 1.25 million followers in debates and conversations about a wide range of issues from the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns to gun control. More than just an interesting glimpse into Rushdie’s everyday thoughts, his Twitter feed is a valuable archive. By applying qualitative discourse analysis to Rushdie’s Twitter feed, patterns in Rushdie’s use of the social network emerge, revealing some of the ways in which he attempts to engage readers, defend his positions, and cultivate his authorial legacy. This article develops careful categorization of concepts and themes which emerge from a review of Rushdie’s tweets. Applying discourse analysis to this data will enable scholars to make valuable connections between analyses of Rushdie’s published work and his social media persona. In particular, this study looks at the ways in which this noted author is attempting to disseminate his message, inhabit his role as a celebrity author, and shape his authorial legacy.
Familial gastric cancer: overview and guidelines for management*

Families with autosomal dominant inherited predisposition to gastric cancer have been described. More recently, germlineE-cadherin/CDH1mutations have been identified in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer kindred. The need to have protocols to manage and counsel these families in the clinic led a group of geneticists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, and molecular biologists to convene a workshop to produce consensus statements and guidelines for familial gastric cancer. Review of the available cancer pathology from people belonging to families with documented germlineE-cadherin/CDH1mutations confirmed that the gastric cancers were all of the diffuse type. Criteria to define the different types of familial gastric cancer syndromes were agreed. Foremost among these criteria was that review of histopathology should be part of the evaluation of any family with aggregation of gastric cancer cases. Guidelines for genetic testing and counselling in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer were produced. Finally, a proposed strategy for clinical management in families with high penetrance autosomal dominant predisposition to gastric cancer was defined.