Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AIDS, INFECTIVITY, AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Identification of a human T-lymphotropic retrovirus (HTLV-111: Gallo et al, 1984*) as the probable causative agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) will accelerate progress towards effective means of prevention, treatment and eventual eradication of this rare but devastating disease. In the wake of this advance, and particularly since the availability of tests for specific antibodies to HTLV-111 (anti-HTLV-111). new problems have emerged with the practical management of people in increased risk groups, only a very small minority of whom have clinical evidence of AIDS-related illness. These problems are rooted in the high prevalence rates of positive serology for anti-HTLV-I11 in asymptomatic individuals, uncertainties about the clinical significance of either positive or negative results, and the concerns which have been raised about risks of transmission of infection. For health care workers in the U.K. problems of possible infectivity have been brought into sharper focus by the recent publication, by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP), of Interim Guidelines on Safety (1984). A key point, mentioned in the original version of the accompanying Health Circular HC( 8 9 2 , but not in the Guidelines themselves, was that the recommendations should apply not only to all cases where AIDS was suspected, or where AIDS-related disease such as persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL) was present, but also where anti-HTLV-I11 was detected. Without presenting any new facts which might justify the change, a corrigendum issued only 2 weeks after the Health Circular removed the requirement to include anti-HTLV-111 positivity as a marker of increased risk. Clearly, changing the rule book in this way is unlikely either to decrease the infectivity of the virus or allay concern about possible hazards of transmission. It does, however, strengthen one's impression that the Guidelines were not solely based on evaluation of scientific evidence. HTLV-111 is classified by the ACDP as a group 3 pathogen, capable of causing severe human disease and presenting a serious hazard to laboratory workers. Unlike hepatitis B virus (HBV), tests for HTLV-111 antigen are not yet available. At present, therefore, reliance will have to be placed on anti-HTLV-III as the only available serological marker ofexposure to the virus. Tests for anti-HTLV-111 are likely to become routinely available within the next few months, although concerns remain about false positive and false negative results. As regards possible infectivity, the significance of seropositivity for anti-HTLV-I11 is not analogous to anti-HBs. Using virus isolation techniques, HTLV-I11 has been recovered from the blood of many seropositive individuals, both with and without symptoms, and also from semen and saliva (Centers for Disease Control, 198 5a). Especially if they contain blood, urine and faeces
A Case of Yellow Nail Syndrome: Misdiagnosis as Congestive Heart Failure

Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare disorder of unknown cause associated with yellow nails, lymphedema and respiratory manifestations. It was first described by Samman and White in 1964, and to date, approximately 150 cases have been reported. The diagnosis of YNS is essentially a clinical one and based on the presence of characteristic findings. We report a case of YNS of a 62-year-old female who presented with a 4-month history of dyspnea and recurrent pleural effusion. The patient had a 5-year history of leg swelling and dyspnea. She had been managed with medications for congestive heart failure (CHF) for two years and she was referred to our hospital for further evaluation and management.
Relationships between the Goodenough Dam Test and the Columbia Mental Maturity Test for Negro and White Headstart Children

The Colulmbia Mental Maturity Scale showed significantly lower intellectual functioning in deprived Negro children than in similarly deprived white children. Both Negro and white children scored significantly below their chronological ages on the Goodenough Draw-A-Man Test. No group differences were found on the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, and results were congruent with their chronological ages. Caution in the use of these tests with deprived children is suggested.
Selective elongation of the oligosaccharide attached to the second potential glycosylation site of yeast exoglucanase: effects on the activity and properties of the enzyme.

Three exoglucanases (Exgs), ExgIa, ExgIb and Exg325, are secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. They share a common protein portion with two potential glycosylation sites (sequons) but differ in the amount of N-linked carbohydrate [Basco, R.D. , Muñoz, M.D., Hernández, L.M. , Váquez de Aldana, C. and Larriba, G. (1993) Yeast 9, 221-234]. ExgIb contains two short oligosaccharides attached to asparagines (Asn) 165 and 325 of the primary translation product [Hernández, L.M. , Olivero, I. , Alvarado, E. and Larriba, G. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 9823-9831]. Exg325 carries a single, short oligosaccharide bound to Asn325 whereas ExgIa has at least one large oligosaccharide, since it has not been produced by mutant mnn9. To address the question of the origin of ExgIa, both sequons were individually mutated by substituting Gln for Asn. An ExgIa-like isoenzyme was still secreted by mutant Exg165 but not by mutant Exg325. Additional studies on sequential deglycosylation of ExgIa with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (endo H), the susceptibility of both oligosaccharides to the endoglycosidase, and analysis of the presence of GlcNAc at both asparagine residues after total deglycosylation with endo H, indicated that ExgIa contained two oligosaccharides, a short one bound to Asn165 and a large one bound to Asn325, and, accordingly, originated from ExgIb. The elongation of the second oligosaccharide did not result in a higher stability towards thermal inactivation or unfolding, or in an increased resistance to proteases as compared with ExgIb; however, the affinity of the enzyme towards laminarin decreased by 50%. This site-specific elongation occurred in the oligosaccharide that was less susceptible to endo H, indicating that these properties are determined by different conformational constraints.
Consensus Problem of Multi-agent Systems with Markovian Communication Failure

This paper studies the consensus problem of multi-agent systems with Markovian communication failure which may be caused by limited communication capacity. The occurrence of the failures is modeled by a discrete-time Markov chain. A consensus sufficiency condition is established in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Based on this condition, a new controller design method is provided. A numerical example is utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Oral contraceptives and low back pain

Background. Only few indications have appeared in the literature concerning a possible relationship between the use of oral contraceptives and low back pain. In our daily work we often meet women who have been recommended to abandon their use of oral contraceptives depending on coexisting low back pain. In order to assess the opinions of a possible relationship between oral contraceptives and low back pain this study was undertaken.
The impact of a self‐management group programme on health behaviour and healthcare utilization among congestive heart failure patients

The ‘Chronic Disease Self‐Management Programme’ (CDSMP) emphasizes patients’ responsibility for the day‐to‐day management of their condition(s) and has shown favourable effects on health behaviour and healthcare utilization among various groups of patients with chronic conditions. However, the effects of the CDSMP among congestive heart failure (CHF) patients are unknown. We therefore aimed to assess the effects of the CDSMP on health behaviour and healthcare utilization in patients with CHF.
Perceived barriers to accessing adequate nutrition among food insecure households within a food desert.

OBJECTIVES The US Department of Agriculture has identified an area in La Crosse, Wisconsin as a food desert-a low-income area with a low level of access to a grocery store or healthy, affordable food outlet. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential predictors of severe food insecurity in this area. METHODS Questionnaires assessing food insecurity and perceived barriers to accessing adequate nutrition were sent out to 2,068 households located within the food desert in La Crosse. Data was analyzed to examine correlations between severe food insecurity and demographics, certain health behaviors, and perceived barriers to nutrition. RESULTS Overall food insecurity existed in 33.9% of households: severe food insecurity with hunger in 14.6%, and without hunger in 19.3%. Significant correlations to severe food insecurity included health insurance status (Medicaid vs private insurance, OR 3.5), renting a home (OR 5.23), identifying the cost of healthy foods as a significant barrier (OR 2.97), having no transportation to a store (OR 3.09), not having enough money (OR 22.88), and currently smoking (OR 3.60). CONCLUSION Severe food insecurity was much higher in this population than expected. Clinicians should consider the patient's ability to access and afford healthy food as part of the patient's health history, as well as considering individual and population solutions.
Blind separation of wide-band sources in the frequency domain

Conventional antenna array processing techniques are based on the use of second order statistics but rest on restrictive assumptions. Thus, when a priori information about the propagation or the geometry of the array are hardly available, the model can be generalized to a blind sources separation model. It supposes the statistical independence of the sources and their non-Gaussianity. We focus on the generalization of the sources separation problem to convolutive mixtures of wide-band sources in the frequency domain. As the N-point discrete Fourier transform of signals generally tends to be Gaussian when N tends to infinity according to the central limit theorem, we replace the independence criterion of the sources with the independence of a specific MA filtering of their DFT. The result is then an instantaneous complex mixture in time-domain and the new sources are proved to be non-Gaussian.
A nanoparticle dispersion method for in vitro and in vivo nanotoxicity study

Abstract The dispersion in air of nanoparticles of different sizes, materials and morphologies with controlled agglomeration involving aerosol delivery for in vivo and in vitro studies is one of the most difficult challenges in the field of nanoparticle toxicology. We describe here a nanoparticle dispersion system using an electrospray method to deliver airborne nanoparticles (∼ 10–100 nm) with spatial uniformity and controllable particle concentration for in vitro and in vivo studies. With the dispersion method, single nanoparticles (polystyrene latex particles, TiO2, Au, Mn, quantum dots, and carbon nanotubes) can be delivered to cells and animals via the air. The degree of agglomeration can be controlled by changing the suspension feeding rate to simulate realistic conditions for exposure studies.
Comparison of ocular response analyzer parameters in chinese subjects with primary angle-closure and primary open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate corneal hysteresis (CH) and intraocular pressure (IOP) measured by the Ocular Response Analyzer in Chinese subjects with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), assess their relationship with Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) measurements, and compare this with subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal controls. METHODS In this prospective observational study, consecutive subjects with PACG and POAG without prior intraocular surgery were enrolled from glaucoma clinics. Normal subjects were recruited from an ongoing population-based study. One eye of each subject underwent standardized ocular examination and IOP measurement by GAT and the Ocular Response Analyzer. Corneal hysteresis and corneal-compensated IOP were compared between groups. RESULTS Of the 443 subjects recruited, 131 had PACG, 162 had POAG, and 150 were normal. Corneal hysteresis was lower in PACG (9.1 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.7 to 9.4 mm Hg) and POAG (9.5 mm Hg; 95% CI, 9.2 to 9.5 mm Hg) eyes compared with control eyes (10.4 mm Hg; 95% CI, 10.1 to 10.6 mm Hg; P < .001 for both), with no difference (P = .16) in CH found between PACG and POAG eyes. After adjusting for age, sex, and IOP measurement by GAT, CH persisted to be lower only in eyes with PACG in comparison with control eyes (9.4 vs 10.1 mm Hg; P = .006). Eyes with POAG had lower CH than control eyes but the difference was not statistically significant (9.6 vs 10.1 mm Hg; P = .06). CONCLUSIONS Corneal hysteresis was lower in eyes with glaucoma. After adjusting for age, sex, and IOP measurement by GAT, a persistently lower hysteresis was noted in eyes with PACG compared with other groups.
Demenz mit Lewy-Körperchen und verminderter Dopamin-Transporter-Bindung verweist auf Acetylcholin-Mangel

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia. It is usually caused by a mixture of symptoms of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease leading to a significant impairment of nigro-striatal dopaminergic and baso-cortical cholinergic neurotransmission with typical clinical symptoms of a fluctuating course, hallucinations, parkinsonism, REM-sleep disorder and neuroleptic hypersensitivity. If the clinical presentation of DLB is uncharacteristic, the demonstration of reduced presynaptic striatal dopamine transporter (DaT) sites supports a suspicion of DLB and may lead to important therapeutic consequences. In these circumstances this evidence for compromised dopaminergic neurotransmission also indicates a significant cholinergic deficit: both require diligent therapeutic attention.
A strategic evaluation of the development of a new product.

An effective strategic management process is vital to the continued success of any organisation. As competition mounts within markets globally, the pressure on organisations to succeed continues to mount. This paper attempts to analyse the situation of a small firm in the South African market. It recognises the challenges faced by this organisation while critically assessing the strategic choices made by this firm in its attempts to continue on its current growth path. In particular, this paper assesses the strategic initiative of the development of an attendance management program to address the identified strategic gaps within Monitored Healthrisk Managers. This assessment excludes an analysis of the current market for such a product, it is presumed that such a market exists, but rather attempts to analyse the position of MHM itself to see whether it has the necessary resources to undertaken such an initiative. In particular, this paper assesses the strategic choice using an abstract of the model developed by Johnson & Scholes to analyse the strategic option using criteria supporting the suitability, acceptability and feasibility of the development of the program. This research is intended to provide a critical assessment of the program which will be used in a report to the management team of MHM serving to illustrate the viability of such an undertaking.
Financial Management for the Public Services

Part 1 Public service environment: economics of public service provision the new management of public services. Part 2 Understanding finance: budgeting and budgetary control costing and pricing capital investment appraisal. Part 3 Applied accountability: audit quality the mismanagement of financial resources performance measurement. Part 4 Key sectors: local government financial management National Health Service financial management. Part 5 Towards the future: financial management - an overview.
Wie IT-Security Matchplays als Awarenessmaßnahme die IT-Sicherheit verbessern können

„Operation Digitales Chamäleon” ist eine IT-Security Schulung in Form eines Serious Games. Zielgruppe des Spiels sind ITSicherheitsprofessionals. Teams entwerfen Angriffsund Verteidigungsstrategien – eingebettet in einen Prozess von Schulung und Debriefing. Die vorliegende Arbeit adressiert die Frage, wie „Operation Digitales Chamäleon“ die IT-Security Awareness bei ITSicherheitsprofessionals beeinflusst. Hierzu wird im ersten Teil das Design vorgestellt, welches im zweiten Teil um ausgewählte Ergebnisse der Evaluation von sieben Spielen zu Spielerlebnis, Wahrnehmung, Wissensgewinn und geplanten Verhaltensveränderungen ergänzt wird. „Operation Digitales Chamäleon“ ist ein Format der IT-Security Matchplays, die im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts VeSiKi entwickelt und validiert werden.
Transcriptional silencing by the Polycomb protein in Drosophila embryos.

Polycomb group (Pc‐G) proteins act to keep homeotic genes stably and heritably silenced during Drosophila development. Here, it is shown that Polycomb (Pc), one of the Pc‐G proteins, acts as a transcriptional silencer in Drosophila embryos if tethered to reporter genes by the DNA binding domain of GAL4 (i.e. as a GAL‐Pc fusion protein). The results suggest that silencing by GAL‐Pc requires the C‐terminal portion of Pc, but not the chromodomain. If a pulse of Gal‐Pc is provided, synthetic reporter genes are repressed, though only transiently. In contrast, reporter genes containing homeotic gene sequences remain stably and heritably silenced in a Pc‐G gene‐dependent fashion, even when GAL‐Pc is no longer present. This implies that GAL‐Pc recruits Pc‐G proteins to DNA and suggests that maintenance of silencing requires the anchoring of Pc‐G proteins to specific cis‐regulatory sequences present in homeotic genes. The extent of DNA over which the Pc‐G machinery acts is quite selective, as silencing established on one enhancer does not necessarily ‘spread’ to a juxtaposed synthetic enhancer.
IoT Data Profiles: The Routines of Your Life Reveals Who You Are

Preserving privacy is getting more and more important. The new EU general data protection regulation (GDPR) which will apply from May 2018 will introduce developments to some areas of EU data protection law and increase the privacy and personal integrity by strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals in EU. GDPR will most likely have an impact on many organizations and put pressure on many organizations that handle data.In this work, we investigate to what extent data profiles consisting of data from connected things can be used to identify a user. We use time and event profiles that can be created based on when, where and how a user communicates and uses digital devices. Our results show that such data profiles can be used to identify individuals and that collecting and creating data profiles of users can be seen as a serious threat towards privacy and personal integrity.
A note on developing countries' export supply response

This article comments on the export supply response of developing countries. As developing countries are more exposed to irrecoverable entry costs in international markets their export supply response differs from that of developed countries. In developing countries the relationship between export supply and exchange rates is most likely to be persistent (path-dependent). However, the form of persistence depends on the structure of the countries' export industry. Countries where the structure of the export industry consists of a few large firms with homogenous production technologies and equal market entry costs differ in their export persistence response compared to countries where the structure is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises with different production technologies and diverse market entry costs. In order to implement successful export promotion programmes in developing countries, a deeper understanding of differences in the structure of their export industries is necessary.
[Echo Doppler in the characterization of thyroid nodular disease].

This study was aimed at investigating role and efficacy of color-Doppler US in the characterization of thyroid nodules. Eight-three consecutive patients with only one solid thyroid nodule, not smaller than 0.8 cm, were examined. They were submitted to scintigraphy and laboratory tests first and then to color-Doppler US, to fine-needle biopsy and/or to histologic examinations. Color-Doppler US examinations were performed with a 7.5 MHZ linear probe, 5-MHz Doppler frequency, PRF = 0.8 KHz, 40-50 degrees insonation angle, wall filters at the lowest level, 2-5 mm sample volume, color and Doppler gains set at 30-50% and asynchronous data collection. The final diagnosis, made at cytology and/or histology, showed 43 follicular hyperplasias, 19 follicular adenomas and 21 carcinomas. The following US variables were considered: nodule size, site, margins and the possible presence of the "halo sign" pattern, with a special attention paid to micro-/macrocalcifications, signs of invasion of surrounding anatomic structures and possible adenopathies. With color-Doppler US, we studied presence and distribution of nodular vascularization, peak (Vp) and middle (Vm) velocity, resistive index (RI) and Doppler spectrum morphology. In agreement with the current literature, 3 patterns of nodular vascularization were considered: not apparent, or type I (3/83), which was found only in follicular hyperplasia; peripheral, or type II (46/83) and finally, peri- and intranodular, or type III (31/83). Hyperplasias exhibited a type I pattern rarely and exclusively and, if vascularized, they always exhibited Vp < 50 cm/s, Vm < or = 40 cm/s and mostly (39/40 RI < or = 0.75; adenomas were always vascularized, with Vp > 50 cm/s and mostly (18/19) RI < or = 0.75; primary or secondary tumors were always vascularized, with an extremely variable distribution, and if Vp < 50 cm/s, their RI > 0.75, while if Vp < 50 cm/s, their RI was independent of the threshold value of 0.75. These preliminary conclusions seem to confirm that vascular patterns alone are not particularly helpful, compared with B-mode US results, in distinguishing among thyroid nodules. Nevertheless, Vp and RI may be of great usefulness in the characterization of solid nodules and in the selection of the patients to submit to fine-needle biopsy.