Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human papillomavirus testing by hybrid capture appears to be useful in triaging women with a cytologic diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance.

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to determine the clinical value of human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid testing with the hybrid capture test, specifically to examine whether human papillomavirus testing could identify which women with Papanicolaou smears read as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance were most likely to have histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. STUDY DESIGN Hybrid capture testing for 14 human papillomavirus types, repeat Papanicolaou smears, and colposcopically directed biopsies were performed concurrently on 217 women referred to a student health colposcopy clinic with a previous Papanicolaou smear read as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. RESULTS Human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid positivity was associated with an eightfold increased likelihood of histologic confirmation of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The sensitivity of hybrid capture for any cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was 86% (43/50) and for grade 2 or 3 was 93% (14/15), whereas the corresponding values for the repeat Papanicolaou smear were 60% (30/50) and 73% (11/15), respectively. Moreover, high viral levels of human papillomavirus types known to be associated with cervical cancer were strongly predictive of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS Testing for human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid with hybrid capture appears to offer an effective means by which patients whose cervical Papanicolaou smears have been read as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance could be triaged for colposcopy. In particular, sensitivity for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia could be maintained and specificity markedly improved by referring only those patients who had elevated levels of human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid of cancer-associated viral types.
Races of Infant Industry Protection and Government Sponsored R&D Programs in Lead Markets - Implications for (Capital) Goods' Durability and Trade Policy

Infant industries have come to be associated with behind the frontier technologies in developing countries. This paper takes a fresh look at the infant industry problem and in the more contemporary perspective of developed-emerging economy competition in lead markets such as for example the global solar panel industry. The paper offers a simple dynamic model with learning to think about the problems of finding better mechanisms for global governance in these important industries. It is discussed how not only learning but also a myriad of other issues pertinent to the economic welfare inquiry is at stake such as the impact that durability (quality) of goods has on our consumption possibilities and the environment through turnover rates (waste management) and more ordinary externalities such as emission rates. Different policy scenarios (tariffs, ordinary subsidies, R&D subsidies and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) such as standards affecting demand for innovation or learning) are considered under two different trading regimes. First one where all firms learn symmetrically in cost and the notion of national preference is purely idiosyncratic. Then one where learning paths and national preference partly could be conforming to national culture and institutions which may be fundamental determinants of our preference for things that endure. The best policy when preference is informative from a global governance perspective is either by targeting the supply side to make producers switch their learning priorities via standards for engaging in R&D programs. Or by targeting the demand side giving incentives that make consumers align their behavior with the most rational consumption choice once including the dimension of durability. However, the latter policy can only affect the intervening country’s own consumer welfare, whereas the former policy enhances everyone’s welfare. Hence the paper demonstrates that NTBs or standards can be welfare improving in ways that ordinary instruments such as tariffs and subsidies cannot. We can therefore not always think about standards as equivalent in form to tariffs. There is a need to open the black box on institutions and NTBs to really appreciate their good and bad aspects for international trade.
Monitoring QoE on digital terrestrial TV: A comprehensive approach

Deployment of a monitoring system for digital terrestrial television (DTV). It was designed to collect and process information for broadcasters and regulatory bodies, in order to control and improve the quality of the delivered signal in its service area, which is in turn a factor to boost the adoption of DTV by the users. The system continuously measures the signal's RF parameters and transport stream characteristics at many places, using a common time base, in order to assess continuously and automatically the perceived quality, instead of measuring on request of users or broadcasters, when problems are experienced. The article describes the architecture of the system, which is distributed, scalable and very low cost, and shows a functional evaluation of the prototype deployment. Special attention is given to the quality models that emulate the human perception for audio and video, considering both non reference and full reference models. The system is modular, in such a way that different quality models may be used, independently from the acquisition, transmission and recording of quality parameters functionality.
A Laboratory Assessment of Factors That Affect Bacterial Adhesion to Contact Lenses

Adhesion of pathogenic microbes, particularly bacteria, to contact lenses is implicated in contact lens related microbial adverse events. Various in vitro conditions such as type of bacteria, the size of initial inoculum, contact lens material, nutritional content of media, and incubation period can influence bacterial adhesion to contact lenses and the current study investigated the effect of these conditions on bacterial adhesion to contact lenses. There was no significant difference in numbers of bacteria that adhered to hydrogel etafilcon A or silicone hydrogel senofilcon A contact lenses. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhered in higher numbers compared to Staphylococcus aureus. Within a genera/species, adhesion of different bacterial strains did not differ appreciably. The size of initial inoculum, nutritional content of media, and incubation period played significant roles in bacterial adhesion to lenses. A set of in vitro assay conditions to help standardize adhesion between studies have been recommended.
Silicon bulk micromachined RF MEMS switches with 3.5 volts operation by using piezoelectric actuator

In this paper, fully integrated RF MEMS switches with piezoelectric actuation have been designed, fabricated, and characterized by using silicon bulk micromachining technology. Two different types of RF MEMS switches are proposed. One is a resistive type having a pure gold metal contact and the other is a capacitive type, which is comprised of Au/AlN/Au dielectric capacitor. Reliable and reproducible operations of these resistive and capacitive switches can be carried out at 3.5 volts. The measured isolation and insertion loss of the resistive are -62 dB and -0.8 dB switch at a frequency of 5 GHz, respectively. The capacitive switch exhibits an isolation of -18 dB and an insertion loss of -0.7 dB at a frequency of 5 GHz. The isolation curve of the capacitive switch is very flat over a very wide frequency ranged from 0.5 GHz to 30 GHz. The switching times of these switches are 4 /spl mu/sec at the rising and 20 /spl mu/sec at the falling actuation, respectively.
Risk factors for hospital admission of Brazilian children with non-rotavirus diarrhoea: a case control-study.

BACKGROUND Rotavirus has been the leading cause of severe cases of acute diarrhoea (AD) among children worldwide; however, in the same areas, a large reduction in AD related to rotavirus has been observed after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine. In Brazil, where there is a high rotavirus vaccine coverage, AD caused by pathogens other than rotavirus is still a frequent cause of outpatient visits and hospitalisations among children under 5 years. METHODS A hospital-based case-control study enrolled children aged 4 to 24 months admitted to 10 hospitals from all five Brazilian Regions. Cases (n=1178) were children admitted with diarrhoea who tested negative for rotavirus in a stool sample. Controls (n=2515) were children admitted without diarrhoea, frequency matched to cases by sex and age group. We estimated odds ratios using logistic regression, in a hierarchical approach according to a previously defined conceptual framework. Population-attributable fractions (PAF) were estimated for each variable, each block and for all significant variables in the latter model adjusted. RESULTS The factors studied accounted for 41% of the non-rotavirus AD hospital admissions and the main risk factors included lack of adequate excreta disposal (PAF=12%), untreated drinking water (PAF=11%) and a history of previous hospitalization due to AD (PAF=21%). Low socio-economic conditions, no public water supply, crowding and low weight-for-age made smaller contributions. CONCLUSIONS These findings further our knowledge of risk factors associated with severe AD in the post-rotavirus vaccination era. We recommend further increase in coverage of basic sanitation, improvements in water quality and further expansion of primary healthcare coverage to reduce the occurrence of non-rotavirus severe diarrhoea and subsequent hospitalization of Brazilian children.
Market Structure and Partnership Levels in Air-Rail Cooperation

In this paper, we build a theoretical model to study the underlying factors behind the various partnership levels in different cooperation schemes between airline and high-speed rail (HSR). We study two different intermodal relationships: a parallel one where the networks of the airline and the rail operator overlap partially and a vertical one where they do not overlap at all. We examine the situations when the cooperation levels are either exogenous or endogenous. For any given cooperation level, we show that the incremental profit of a vertical partnership is higher than that of a parallel partnership. However, when the two types of partnerships are both possible, the parallel partnership might be dominated by the vertical partnership only when the air-rail connecting service is sufficiently inferior to the connecting flight. The social welfare level of a parallel partnership is higher than that of a vertical partnership when the air-rail connecting service is sufficiently superior to the connecting flight. When the cooperation level is also a decision variable, a parallel partnership will have higher cooperation level than a vertical partnership when the travel time of HSR is sufficiently short compared with that of air.
Flip chip solder joint reliability analysis using viscoplastic and elastic-plastic-creep constitutive models

Both elastic-plastic-creep and viscoplastic constitutive models may be used for inelastic deformation analysis of solder joints. In this paper, a phenomenological approach using elastic-plastic-creep analysis and an Anand viscoplastic model is reported for solder joint reliability. Flip chip soldered assemblies with 63Sn-37Pb solder joints were subjected to a thermal cyclic loading condition of -40 to +125degC to assess the solder joint fatigue performance. In the finite-element modeling, the viscoplastic strain energy density per cycle obtained from the viscoplastic analysis is compared with the inelastic (plastic and creep) strain energy density per cycle calculated from the elastic-plastic-creep analysis. The inelastic (plastic+creep and viscoplastic) strain energy density extracted from the finite-element analysis results, at the critical solder joint location, were used as a failure parameter for solder fatigue models employed. It was found that the predicted solder joint fatigue life has a better correlation to the first failure or first-time-to-failure result
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Studies on the effectiveness of endoscopic surgery in reproductive medicine

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A Prospective Study on the Causes of Delayed Diagnosis of Childhood Cancer in Ibadan, Nigeria

Outcome in cancer may be improved by early diagnosis and prompt treatment. The objectives of this study were to determine the prediagnostic intervals (lag time) in childhood cancer and the factors that influence them at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. The study was prospective and observational and involved children diagnosed with cancer from July 2012 to June 2014 at UCH, Ibadan, Nigeria. A history of the illness was obtained and physical examination performed on each patient. Information obtained and analyzed included sociodemographic data, cancer diagnosis and stage, time intervals between onset of symptoms and diagnosis, and the reasons for delayed diagnosis. A total of 91 children were studied, comprising 46 males and 45 females. Their ages ranged from 1 month to 15.0 years, with a median of 4.0 years. Median parent lag time was 2.0 weeks, median health system or physician lag time 8.0 weeks, and median overall lag time 15.5 weeks. Overall lag time had a negative correlation with age of child at diagnosis, a positive correlation with the number of health facilities visited before diagnosis, and was shorter in mothers younger than 40 years of age. Lag time was significantly different among the diagnostic tumor categories, with Burkitt lymphoma having short times and retinoblastoma with long times. Delayed diagnosis of childhood cancer is a significant problem in Ibadan. Education of parents and health workers on early presentation and accurate diagnosis are recommended.
Effects of Soy Isoflavone on Performance, Meat Quality and Antioxidative Property of Male Broilers Fed Oxidized Fish Oil

This study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary soy isoflavone (ISF, 0 and 20 mg/kg) on performance, meat quality and antioxidative property in male broilers. Six replicates of 45 birds (42 d old) were used for each treatment. The birds were fed soybean meal-free diets containing 3% oxidized fish oil (acid value, 6.76 mg potassium hydroxide/g; and peroxide value, 6.18 meq/kg) for 3 wk. The results showed that average daily gain, feed intake, feed conversion and carcass traits were not affected by soy 1SF. Compared with the control group, breast muscle color redness value and water holding capacity were increased (p<0.05) by ISF supplementation. The activity of plasma catalase was increased by supplementing with 20 mg ISF/kg diet. In breast muscle, Broilers fed 20 mg ISF/kg had decreased production of malondialdehyde and lactic acid. The ISF supplementation elevated total antioxidative capacity and activities of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. The results indicated that dietary ISF could increase redness and water holding capacity of meat, and antioxidative property of meat in male broilers fed oxidized fish oil diet.
A comparative assessment of alignment angle of the knee by radiographic and physical examination methods.

OBJECTIVE To compare the knee-alignment angle from a full-limb radiograph (mechanical axis) with the anatomic-axis angle as measured by physical examination using a goniometer and by 2 other radiographic methods. METHODS The knee-alignment angle was measured in 114 knees of 57 subjects who had radiographic osteoarthritis (OA), with a Kellgren/Lawrence grade of >/=1 in at least one knee. The mechanical axis was defined as the angle formed by the intersection of 2 lines, one from the center of the head of the femur to the center of the tibial spines, and a second from the center of the talus to the center of the tibial spines. The anatomic axis was defined as the angle formed by 2 lines, each originating from a point bisecting the femur and tibia and converging at the center of the tibial spine tips. The anatomic-axis angle was measured by 3 methods: 1) physical examination using a goniometer, 2) a posteroanterior (PA) fixed-flexion knee radiograph (anatomic(PA) axis), and 3) an anteroposterior (AP) full-limb radiograph (anatomic(AP) axis). RESULTS Significant correlations were found between the mechanical-axis angle and the anatomic-axis angle measured by each of the 3 methods: by goniometer (r = 0.70, P < 0.0001), by anatomic(PA) axis (r = 0.75, P < 0.0001), and by anatomic(AP) axis (r = 0.65, P < 0.0001). The anatomic axis was offset a mean 4.21 degrees valgus from the mechanical axis (3.5 degrees in women, 6.4 degrees in men), which was consistent across all methods. CONCLUSION Knee alignment assessed clinically by goniometer or measured on a knee radiograph is correlated with the angle measured on the more cumbersome and costly full-limb radiograph. These alternative measures have the potential to provide useful information regarding the risk of progression of knee OA when a full-limb radiograph is not available.
Does CEO's Holding of Vested Options Measure Overconfidence?

Option-based measures of overconfidence are widely used as proxies for overconfidence in corporate finance. Overexposure of a CEO's wealth to the firm's idiosyncratic risk is taken as a sign of CEO overconfidence. The literature has used the measures to study the effect of managerial overconfidence on corporate investment, financial policy, innovation and merger and acquisition. The belief is that overconfident CEOs behave differently. We trace CEOs across firms to investigate whether option exercise decisions correlate with firm characteristics. We find that a CEO's decision to hold or exercise vested options is considerably driven by firm and market conditions. Our analysis casts doubt on the view that repeated holding of in-the-money options solely captures overconfidence.
ESRD treatment modality selection: which factors are important in the decision?

UNLABELLED The purpose of this study was to determine which factors are most important in choosing between ESRD treatments and to assess if patients, R.N. 's and M.D.'s agree or differ as to the level of importance of different factors. METHODS 22 patients, 11 R.N. 's and 10 M.D.'s were interviewed to determine which factors should be considered. Forty-three factors were identified relevant to CAPD and hemodialysis. Then 14 patients, 8 R.N. 's and M.D.'s were asked to rate each of these factors on a scale of 1-10 (10 being most important) and the average score for each was computed. The factors were then ranked in order of importance (1 being most important). The results revealed that peritonitis ranked as overall the most important factor in determining treatment modality choice. In general, life style considerations ranked higher than medical consequences of a specific therapy. There was concordance amongst the three groups in some areas but there were also differences between patients, R.N. 's and M.D.'s. This raises important issues with regards to the adequacy of patient counselling.
Exercise Before Puberty May Confer Residual Benefits in Bone Density in Adulthood: Studies in Active Prepubertal and Retired Female Gymnasts

Exercise during growth may contribute to the prevention of osteoporosis by increasing peak bone mineral density (BMD). However, exercise during puberty may be associated with primary amenorrhea and low peak BMD, while exercise after puberty may be associated with secondary amenorrhea and bone loss. As growth before puberty is relatively sex hormone independent, are the prepubertal years the time during which exercise results in higher BMD? Are any benefits retained in adulthood? We measured areal BMD (g/cm2) by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry in 45 active prepubertal female gymnasts aged 10.4 ± 0.3 years (mean ± SEM), 36 retired female gymnasts aged 25.0 ± 0.9 years, and 50 controls. The results were expressed as a standardized deviation (SD) or Z score adjusted for bone age in prepubertal gymnasts and chronological age in retired gymnasts. In the cross‐sectional analyses, areal BMD in the active prepubertal gymnasts was 0.7–1.9 SD higher at the weight‐bearing sites than the predicted mean in controls (p < 0.01). The Z scores increased as the duration of training increased (r = 0.32–0.48, p ranging between <0.04 and <0.002). During 12 months, the increase in areal BMD (g/cm2/year) of the total body, spine, and legs in the active prepubertal gymnasts was 30–85% greater than in prepubertal controls (all p < 0.05). In the retired gymnasts, the areal BMD was 0.5–1.5 SD higher than the predicted mean in controls at all sites, except the skull (p ranging between <0.06 and <0.0001). There was no diminution across the 20 years since retirement (mean 8 ± 1 years), despite the lower frequency and intensity of exercise. The prepubertal years are likely to be an opportune time for exercise to increase bone density. As residual benefits are maintained into adulthood, exercise before puberty may reduce fracture risk after menopause.
Evaluation of the Methods Used for Carboxyhemoglobin Analysis in Postmortem Blood

Numerous methods have been described in the literature for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in whole blood. The most popular and widely used have been (1) the spectrophotometric methods, which could be performed either by using a conventional spectrophotometer or by using specialized automated instruments known as CO-oximeters; (2) the gas chromatographic methods, with variable detection systems, which have been considered as the reference methods for every carbon monoxide analysis. The authors have critically reviewed previously reported comparative studies on these methods, considering statistical and analytical matters, in order to propose the best method for the determination of COHb in postmortem blood, that could be utilized in forensic toxicology laboratories where such analyses are limited in number (less than 20 per year). Criteria for evaluation have been accuracy, reliability, simplicity, time, and cost. The authors’ concluding statement has been that the manual spectrophotometric method could be the method of choice for COHb determination in postmortem blood samples. It is simple, rapid, and reliable and fulfills the forensically acceptable accuracy. It is performed by the use of a conventional spectrophotometer, which is considered a basic instrument in every analytical laboratory.