Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sleep-Wake Cycle of Adolescents in Côte d'Ivoire: Influence of Age, Gender, Religion and Occupation

The human sleep-wake cycle is characterized by significant individual differences. Those differences in the sleep-wake cycle are partially heritable but are also influenced by environmental factors like the light/dark cycle or social habits. In this study we analyse for the first time the sleep-wake rhythm of adolescent pupils and working adolescents in a less industrialised country in West Africa near the equator. The aim of this study was to explore the sleep wake cycle in this geographical region, using Côte d'Ivoire as an example. Data collection took place between 2nd of March and 10th of June 2009. 588 adolescents (338 girls, 250 boys) between 10 and 15 years (mean ± SD: 12.72 ± 1.63) participated in this study. We collected data on the religion of the participants (Christian (N = 159), Muslim (N = 352), other/no religion (N = 77)) and their occupation. Participants were either pupils attending school (N = 336) or adolescents that were already working (N = 252) and not attending school. The interviewer filled in the questionnaire. We found significant effects of age (p < 0.001), gender (p < 0.001), occupation (p = 0.002), religion (p < 0.001) and region (p < 0.001). The midpoint of sleep was on average 1:26 (SD: 00:30) on weekdays and 1:37 (SD: 00:42) on weekend days. There are significant differences between weekdays and weekend days, but these were only small. Sleep duration suggests that adolescents in Côte d'Ivoire may gain sufficient sleep during week and weekend days, and thus, may live more in accordance with their own biological clock than adolescents in the northern hemisphere. In contrast, the data can be interpreted that adolescents live in a permanent ‘jetlag’. Factors may be the more continuous light/dark cycle in the tropics, low amount of ambient light and less electricity.
Provider Approachability: An All-staff Survey Approach to Creating a Culture of Safety.

OBJECTIVES A culture-of-safety survey of our hospital staff revealed fear-based reluctance to question those in authority. We aimed to examine provider approachability (words and actions that promote trust and reduce or eliminate fear of interaction). METHODS Providers and staff completed an anonymous facility-wide survey (survey 1) regarding perceptions of provider approachability. Results were safely communicated to providers, and improvement resources were offered. A follow-up survey (survey 2 [S2]) was performed. RESULTS The survey participation rate was 59% (389/658). Eighty-four percent of providers had improved scores in S2. Mean top-box scores improved from 0.63 to 0.76 (P < .001). Providers deemed less approachable by nonprovider staff were also deemed less approachable by their peers (r = 0.82; survey 1). Forty-four percent reported improvement in the safety culture in S2. Twenty-eight percent of providers reported making efforts to improve how they were perceived by others. CONCLUSIONS Provider approachability surveys are a safe, effective method of assessing and encouraging positive interactions that promote trust and influence positive communication. The process created an opportunity to identify and assist providers who were less approachable.
Prognostic factors and outcome of core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia patients with t(8;21) differ from those of patients with inv(16): a Cancer and Leukemia Group B study.

PURPOSE Because both t(8;21) and inv(16) disrupt core binding factor (CBF) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and confer relatively favorable prognoses, these cytogenetic groups are often treated similarly. Recent studies, however, have shown different gene profiling for the two groups, underscoring potential biologic differences. Therefore, we sought to determine whether these two cytogenetic groups should also be considered separate entities from a clinical standpoint. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed 144 consecutive adults with t(8;21) and 168 with inv(16) treated on Cancer and Leukemia Group B front-line studies. We compared pretreatment features, probability of achieving complete remission (CR), overall survival (OS) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) between the two groups. RESULTS With a median follow-up of 6.4 years, for CBF AML as a whole, the CR rate was 88%, 5-year OS was 50% and CIR was 53%. After adjusting for covariates, patients with t(8;21) had shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.5; P = .045) and survival after first relapse (HR = 1.7; P = .009) than patients with inv(16). Unexpectedly, race was an important predictor for t(8;21) AML, in that nonwhites failed induction more often (odds ratio = 5.7; P = .006) and had shorter OS than whites when certain secondary cytogenetic abnormalities were present. In patients with t(8;21) younger than 60 years, type of induction also correlated with relapse risk. For inv(16) AML, secondary cytogenetic abnormalities (especially +22) and male sex predicted better outcome. CONCLUSION When the prognostic impact of race, secondary cytogenetic abnormalities, sex, and response to salvage treatment is considered, t(8;21) and inv(16) AMLs seem to be distinct clinical entities and should be stratified and reported separately.
Risk management of corporate confidential information in digital form

As electronic commerce becomes increasingly popular, more business data are being stored in digital form and processed by software systems, rather than being stored in paper form and handled by human beings. Consequently, loss of company secrets via the electronic media is becoming a greater threat to organizations. This paper gives a brief analysis of the risk associated with losing corporate confidential information in electronic form
Effects of feeding ergovaline on lamb performance in a heat stress environment.

Lambs exposed to a heat-stressed environment (33 degrees C, 50% relative humidity) were used in three experiments to determine whether ergovaline (EV) is the primary toxin involved in fescue toxicosis. The first study evaluated the effects of feeding diets containing increasing levels of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed (E+) and decreasing levels of endophyte-free tall fescue seed (E-). The second and third study evaluated the response to a diet that contained synthetic EV added to an E- diet and the response to a diet containing endophyte-infected ryegrass seed (R+) with an elevated concentration of EV. In Exp. 1, lambs were fed diets of: 1) 10% E- and 0% E+, 2) 5% E- and 5% E+, or 3) 0% E- and 10% E+. Increasing the percentage of E+ in the diet resulted in a linear decrease (P < 0.01) in feed intake (as-fed basis), skin temperature, thermocirculation index (TCI), and serum prolactin. Body weight gain also decreased (P < 0.06). Respiratory rate and core body temperature were not affected by the 5 or 10% E+ diets. In Exp. 2, lambs were fed diets that contained: 1) 10% E-, 2) 10% E- with synthetic EV added at a level equivalent to the 10% E+ diet, or 3) 10% E+. Feed intake (as-fed basis), body weight gain, and skin temperature did not differ for lambs fed the E- and EV diets. The EV diet elicited a decrease (P < 0.05) in TCI and prolactin compared with the E- diet. The TCI for lambs fed EV did not differ (P > 0.10) from the E+ lambs; however, serum prolactin was lower (P < 0.05) for lambs on the E+ diet than for those fed EV. Core body temperature was not affected (P > 0.10) by feeding EV or E+ fescue seed in Exp. 2. In Exp. 3, lambs were fed diets that contained: 1) 10% E-, 2) 3.24% R+ and 6.76% E-, which added an equivalent amount of EV to E+ diets but reduced concentrations of other ergot alkaloids, or 3) 10% E+. Lambs fed the E+ diet and maintained at 33 degrees C had lowered feed intake (as-fed basis), skin temperature, and TCI compared with lambs fed the E- or R+ diets (P < 0.05). Lambs fed the E+ diet had increased rectal temperatures and lowered serum prolactin compared with lambs on the R+ diet (P < 0.05). Lambs on the R+ diet had a greater rectal temperature and lower serum prolactin than lambs on the E- diet (P < 0.05). These results suggest that EV is a fescue toxin; however, other alkaloids might work synergistically with EV, causing the full expression of fescue toxicosis.
Low-cost improvements in prehospital trauma care in a Latin American city.

OBJECTIVE Prehospital care is a critical component of efforts to lower trauma mortality. In less-developed countries, scarce resources dictate that any improvements in prehospital care must be low in cost. In one Latin American city, recent efforts to improve prehospital care have included an increase in the number of sites of ambulance dispatch from two to four and introduction of the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course. METHODS The effect of increased dispatch sites was evaluated by comparing response times before and after completion of the change. The effect of PHTLS was evaluated by comparing prehospital treatment for the 3 months before initiation of the course (n = 361 trauma patients) and the 6 months after (n = 505). RESULTS Response time decreased from a mean of 15.5 +/- 5.1 minutes, when there were two sites of dispatch, to 9.5 +/- 2.7 minutes, when there were four sites. Prehospital trauma care improved after initiation of the PHTLS course. For all trauma patients, use of cervical immobilization increased from 39 to 67%. For patients in respiratory distress, there were increases in the use of oropharyngeal airways (16-39%), in the use of suction (10-38%), and in the administration of oxygen (64-87%). For hypotensive patients, there was an increase in use of large-bore intravenous lines from 26 to 58%. The improved prehospital treatment did not increase the mean scene time (5.7 +/- 4.4 minutes before vs. 5.9 +/- 6.8 minutes after). The percent of patients transported who died in route decreased from 8.2% before the course to 4.7% after. These improvements required a minimal increase (16%) in the ambulance service budget. CONCLUSION Increase in sites of dispatch and increased training in the form of the PHTLS course improved the process of pre-hospital care in this Latin American city and resulted in a decrease in prehospital deaths. These improvements were low cost and should be considered for use in other less developed countries.
Corneal cryopreservation with dextran.

Different methods of corneal cryopreservation have been introduced, those employing intracellular cryoprotectants such as Me2SO or glycerol being the most widely favored. We investigated the influence of several freeze-thaw trauma variables on the survival of porcine endothelial monolayers when employing the extracellular cryoprotective agent dextran. We first examined the effects of various dextran concentrations and then, having ascertained the optimal concentration, further investigated the influence of fetal calf serum (FCS) concentration in the cryopreservation medium, the cooling rate, the thawing temperature, and the length of the preincubation in the freezing medium prior to cryopreservation. The numerical densities of endothelial cells were determined at dissection in hypoosmotic balanced salt solution and after organ culture by staining with alizarin red S and trypan blue. Morphological evaluation was not performed directly after thawing but after a subsequent organ culture at 37 degrees C to detect latent cell damage after freeze-thaw trauma. Our data revealed that corneas cryopreserved in minimal essential medium containing 10% dextran but lacking FCS, preincubated for 3 h, frozen at a cooling rate of 1 degrees C/min, and thawed at 37 degrees C incurred the lowest cell losses (22.4%, SD +/- 3.8). We conclude that dextran is an effective cryoprotectant for freezing of porcine corneas. However, variations between species in the results of cryopreservation require further investigation of an in vivo animal model and studies with human corneas before its clinical use can be recommended.
Genetic Response to Bacteriophage Infection in Lactococcus lactis Reveals a Four-Strand Approach Involving Induction of Membrane Stress Proteins, d-Alanylation of the Cell Wall, Maintenance of Proton Motive Force, and Energy Conservation

ABSTRACT In this study, whole-genome microarrays were used to gain insights into the global molecular response of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IL1403 at an early stage of infection with the lytic phage c2. The bacterium differentially regulated the expression of 61 genes belonging to 14 functional categories, including cell envelope processes (12 genes), regulatory functions (11 genes), and carbohydrate metabolism (7 genes). The nature of these genes suggests a complex response involving four main mechanisms: (i) induction of membrane stress proteins, (ii) d-alanylation of cell wall lipoteichoic acids (LTAs), (iii) maintenance of the proton motive force (PMF), and (iv) energy conservation. The phage presence is sensed as a membrane stress in L. lactis subsp. lactis IL1403, which activated a cell wall-targeted response probably orchestrated by the concerted action of membrane phage shock protein C-like homologues, the global regulator SpxB, and the two-component system CesSR. The bacterium upregulated genes (ddl and dltABCD) responsible for incorporation of d-alanine esters into LTAs, an event associated with increased resistance to phage attack in Gram-positive bacteria. The expression of genes (yshC, citE, citF) affecting both PMF components was also regulated to restore the physiological PMF, which was disrupted following phage infection. While mobilizing the response to the phage-mediated stress, the bacterium activated an energy-saving program by repressing growth-related functions and switching to anaerobic respiration, probably to sustain the PMF and the overall cell response to phage. To our knowledge, this represents the first detailed description in L. lactis of the molecular mechanisms involved in the host response to the membrane perturbations mediated by phage infection.
Activities of LL-37, a Cathelin-Associated Antimicrobial Peptide of Human Neutrophils

ABSTRACT Human neutrophils contain two structurally distinct types of antimicrobial peptides, β-sheet defensins (HNP-1 to HNP-4) and the α-helical peptide LL-37. We used radial diffusion assays and an improved National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards-type broth microdilution assay to compare the antimicrobial properties of LL-37, HNP-1, and protegrin (PG-1). Although generally less potent than PG-1, LL-37 showed considerable activity (MIC, <10 μg/ml) againstPseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium,Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes,Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, even in media that contained 100 mM NaCl. Certain organisms (methicillin-resistantS. aureus, Proteus mirabilis, and Candida albicans) were resistant to LL-37 in media that contained 100 mM NaCl but were susceptible in low-salt media. Burkholderia cepacia was resistant to LL-37, PG-1, and HNP-1 in low- or high-salt media. LL-37 caused outer and inner membrane permeabilization of E. coli ML-35p. Chromogenic Limulus assays revealed that LL-37 bound to E. coli O111:B4 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with a high affinity and that this binding showed positive cooperativity (Hill coefficient = 2.02). Circular dichroism spectrometry disclosed that LL-37 underwent conformational change in the presence of lipid A, transitioning from a random coil to an α-helical structure. The broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties of LL-37, its presence in neutrophils, and its inducibility in keratinocytes all suggest that this peptide and its precursor (hCAP-18) may protect skin and other tissues from bacterial intrusions and LPS-induced toxicity. The potent activity of LL-37 againstP. aeruginosa, including mucoid and antibiotic-resistant strains, suggests that it or related molecules might have utility as topical bronchopulmonary microbicides in cystic fibrosis.
THE EQUALITY MULTIPLIER: HOW WAGE COMPRESSION AND WELFARE EMPOWERMENT INTERACT

We explore how more wage equality fuels the generosity of the welfare state via political competition in elections, and how a more generous welfare state fuels wage equality via empowerment of weak groups in the labor market. Together the two mechanisms may generate a cumulative process that explains how equality multiplies, and why countries with more equal distributions of market outcomes also have stronger welfare states. The complementarity between wage setting and welfare spending can explain why almost equally rich countries differ so much in economic and social equality among their citizens.
Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty

Abstract “Nonsurgical rhinoplasty” refers to the use of injectable temporary fillers used to augment select areas of the nose to achieve improved appearance or function in select patients. Nonpermanent fillers can be used safely and must be properly chosen based on their properties and the desired effect. In addition to proper patient and product selection, a thorough understanding of nasal anatomy, analysis of the deformity, and recommended injection techniques are absolutely necessary to obtain good outcomes and avoid complications. The proper plane for injection is the deep fatty layer, just superficial to the perichondrium and periosteum. Erring on the side of undercorrection, small incremental boluses, and constant reassessment are the best way to avoid overfilling or producing irregularities and asymmetries. The most devastating and feared complications are vascular compromise, tissue necrosis, and even blindness, making the nose a challenging area to treat with fillers. The surgeon wishing to use fillers in the nose should be familiar with proper technique, recognition of developing problems, and have a practical plan in place for immediate reversal and treatment.
PERFORMANCE AND CHALLENGES IN SHALLOW WATER Can I Communicate with My AUV?

The prospects for an increased future use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in the Maritime & Offshore sector are high, mainly due to the search for cost effectiveness. AUVs reduce the need for large crews, divers and vessels in the operational area. AUVs are already operational for bathymetric and environmental mapping, pipeline tracking and mine hunting, and there is a trend towards their use for inspection and environmental monitoring.
Gene Expression in Thyroxin-Induced Metamorphosing Axolotl Hearts

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a unique model to study vertebrate heart development for several reasons. In addition to the wild-type animal, there is also an embryonic lethal condition caused by a homozygous recessive mutation in cardiac gene “c” [1,2]. These mutant embryonic hearts do not contract, are deficient in tropomyosin, and lack organized myofibrils [3,4], making them an excellent model to study the process of cardiac myofibrillogenesis [5,6]. In contrast to most other model organisms currently being utilized, axolotl embryos are comparatively large (2mm diameter), hence, they can be studied with relative ease. Being amphibians, axolotl embryos mature externally within jelly coats. Therefore, unlike using mammalian embryos, it is unnecessary to sacrifice the parent. Moreover, an average of a hundred axolotl embryos are produced from a single spawning and these embryos develop relatively slowly which is useful for studying vital developmental stages of interest [7]. In fact the timing of developmental stages of interest may be controlled to some extent, as the rate of development for these poikilothermic animal embryos is temperature dependent [8].
Termination of Pregnancy and Psychiatric Morbidity

Background We investigated whether reported psychiatric morbidity was increased after termination of pregnancy compared with other outcomes of an unplanned pregnancy. Method This was a prospective cohort study of 13 261 women with an unplanned pregnancy. Psychiatric morbidity reported by GPs after the conclusion of the pregnancy was compared in four groups: women who had a termination of pregnancy (6410), women who did not request a termination (6151), women who were refused a termination (379), and women who changed their minds before the termination was performed (321). Results Rates of total reported psychiatric disorder were no higher after termination of pregnancy than after childbirth. Women with a previous history of psychiatric illness were most at risk of disorder after the end of their pregnancy, whatever its outcome. Women without a previous history of psychosis had an apparently lower risk of psychosis after termination than postpartum (relative risk RR = 0.4, 95% confidence interval CI = 0.3–0.7), but rates of psychosis leading to hospital admission were similar. In women with no previous history of psychiatric illness, deliberate self-harm (DSH) was more common in those who had a termination (RR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1–2.6), or who were refused a termination (RR 2.9, 95%CI 1.3–6.3). Conclusions The findings on DSH are probably explicable by confounding variables, such as adverse social factors, associated both with the request for termination and with subsequent self-harm. No overall increase in reported psychiatric morbidity was found.
A Dynamic Approach to Interest Rate Convergence in Selected Euro-Candidate Countries

We advocate a dynamic approach to monetary convergence to a common currency that is based on the analysis of financial system stability. Accordingly, we empirically test volatility dynamics of the tenyear sovereign bond yields of the 2004 EU accession countries in relation to the eurozone yields during the January 2, 2001 untill January 22, 2009 sample period. Our results show a varied degree of bond yield comovements, the most pronounced for the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland, and weaker for Hungary and Slovakia. However, since the EU accession, we find some divergence of relative bond yields. We argue that a static specification of the Maastricht criterion for longterm bond yields is not fully conducive for advancing stability of financial systems in the eurocandidate countries.