Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occurrence of Cancer in Socioeconomic Groups in Sweden: An Analysis Based on the Swedish Cancer Environment Registry

We wanted to examine the distribution of cancer by socioeconomic group in Sweden. For this purpose the 1960 census population was followed up for the whole period 1961–79 by means of the Swedish Cancer Environment registry. Cancer morbidity in five socioeconomic groups has analysed for each of 50 cancer sites. An association has found between several sites and particular socioeconomic groups. For instance, there are elevated rates of lung cancer and stomach cancer among blue collar workers; colon cancer and breast cancer among white collar workers and lip and stomach cancer among self-employed farmers. The overall cancer morbidity was close to the expected levels for all groups except self-employed farmers, who showed a marked deficit.
Superior hot carrier reliability of single halo (SH) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nMOSFET in analog applications

In this paper, for the first time, we report a study on the hot carrier reliability performance of single halo (SH) thin film silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nMOSFETs for analog and mixed-signal applications. The SH structure has a high pocket impurity concentration near the source end of the channel and low impurity concentration in the rest of the channel. Besides excellent dc output characteristics and experimental characterization results on these devices show better V/sub th/-L roll-off, low DIBL, higher breakdown voltages, and kink-free operation. Further SH SOI MOSFETs have been shown to exhibit reduced parasitic bipolar junction transistor effect in comparison to the homogeneously doped channel (conventional) SOI MOSFETs. Small-signal characterization on these devices shows higher ac transconductance, higher output resistance, and better dynamic intrinsic gain (g/sub m/R/sub o/) in comparison with the conventional homogeneously doped SOI MOSFETs. Also, the low drain junction capacitance as a result of low impurity concentration near the drain region is beneficial for improved circuit performance. The experimental results show that SH SOI MOSFETs exhibit a lower hot carrier degradation in small-signal transconductance and dynamic output resistance in comparison with conventional homogeneously doped SOI MOSFETs. From 2-D device simulations, the lower hot carrier degradation mechanism in SH SOI MOSFETs is analyzed and compared with the conventional SOI MOSFETs.
Supermarket revolution in Asia and emerging development strategies to include small farmers

A “supermarket revolution” has occurred in developing countries in the past 2 decades. We focus on three specific issues that reflect the impact of this revolution, particularly in Asia: continuity in transformation, innovation in transformation, and unique development strategies. First, the record shows that the rapid growth observed in the early 2000s in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand has continued, and the “newcomers”—India and Vietnam—have grown even faster. Although foreign direct investment has been important, the roles of domestic conglomerates and even state investment have been significant and unique. Second, Asia's supermarket revolution has exhibited unique pathways of retail diffusion and procurement system change. There has been “precocious” penetration of rural towns by rural supermarkets and rural business hubs, emergence of penetration of fresh produce retail that took much longer to initiate in other regions, and emergence of Asian retail developing-country multinational chains. In procurement, a symbiosis between modern retail and the emerging and consolidating modern food processing and logistics sectors has arisen. Third, several approaches are being tried to link small farmers to supermarkets. Some are unique to Asia, for example assembling into a “hub” or “platform” or “park” the various companies and services that link farmers to modern markets. Other approaches relatively new to Asia are found elsewhere, especially in Latin America, including “bringing modern markets to farmers” by establishing collection centers and multipronged collection cum service provision arrangements, and forming market cooperatives and farmer companies to help small farmers access supermarkets.
Diagnostic potential in bladder cancer of a panel of tumor markers (calreticulin, γ‐synuclein, and catechol‐o‐methyltransferase) identified by proteomic analysis

Using proteomic analysis, we previously identified calreticulin (CRT) as a potentially useful urinary marker for bladder cancer. Now, we have also identified γ‐synuclein (SNCG) and a soluble isoform of catechol‐o‐methyltransferase (s‐COMT) as novel candidates for tumor markers in bladder cancer, by means of proteomic analysis. In the process of establishing a superior tumor marker system, we investigated the diagnostic value of a combination assay of these three proteins. Voided urine samples were obtained from 112 bladder cancer and 230 control patients. Urinary CRT, SNCG, and s‐COMT were measured as a combined marker by quantitative western blot analysis. Relative concentration of each protein was calculated and the diagnostic value of a concomitant examination of these markers was evaluated by receiver operator characteristic analysis. With the best diagnostic cutoff, the overall sensitivity of the combined markers was 76.8% (95% confidence interval, 69–81%) with a specificity of 77.4% (72–80%), while those of a single use of CRT were 71.4% and 77.8%, respectively. When evaluated in relation to tumor characteristics, such as grade, stage, size, and outcome of urinary cytology, the diagnostic capacity of the combined markers was equal to or better than that of CRT in all categories. Concomitant use of CRT, SNCG, and s‐COMT had higher sensitivity for detection of bladder cancer than did single use of CRT. Our study suggests that use of this panel of markers will improve the diagnosis of bladder cancer and may allow the development of a protein microarray assay or multi‐channel enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.
Knowledge-Based Approaches to Database Design

Database design is often described as an intuitive, even artistic, process. Many researchers, however, are currently working on applying techniques from artificial intelligence to provide effective automated assistance for this task. This article presents a summary of the current state of the art for the benefit of future researchers and users of this technology. Thirteen examples of knowledge-based tools for database design are briefly described and then compared in terms of the source, content, and structure of their knowledge bases; the amount of support they provide to the human designer; the data models and phases of the design process they support; and the capabilities they expect of their users. The finding show that there has apparently been very little empirical verification of the effectiveness of these systems. In addition, most rely exclusively on knowledge provided by the developers themselves and have little ability to expand their knowledge based on experience. Although such systems ideally would be used by application specialists rather than database professionals, most of these systems expect the user to have some knowledge of database technology.
The transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor-6 controls the development of pancreatic ducts in the mouse.

BACKGROUND & AIMS A number of hereditary polycystic diseases are associated with formation of cysts within the pancreatic ducts. The cysts result from abnormal tubulogenesis, but how normal pancreatic duct development is controlled remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the transcriptional mechanisms that control pancreatic duct development by addressing the role of the transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-6. METHODS Using immunostaining, we have determined the expression pattern of HNF-6 in pancreatic ducts during mouse development. Hnf6 null mice at various stages of development were studied by immunolocalization methods to assess the morphology, differentiation, and proliferation status of ductal cells. The expression of genes involved in hereditary polycystic diseases was determined by real-time, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS We show that HNF-6 is expressed in the pancreatic duct epithelium throughout development and that, in the absence of HNF-6, duct morphogenesis is perturbed. Although development of the intercalated ducts is normal, cysts appear within the interlobular and intralobular ducts. This is associated with abnormal development of primary cilia at the apical pole of the duct cells and with reduced expression of a set of genes involved in polycystic diseases, namely those coding for HNF-1beta and for the cilium-associated proteins polyductin/fibrocystin and cystin. CONCLUSIONS We identify HNF-6 as the first transcriptional regulator of pancreatic duct development and reveal the existence of different regulatory mechanisms in distinct duct compartments. HNF-6 controls a network of genes involved in cilium formation and in hereditary polycystic diseases. Finally, HNF-6 deficiency represents a genetically defined model of pancreatic cystic disease.
Formaldehyde treatment of proteins can constrain presentation to T cells by limiting antigen processing

Proteins to be used as vaccines are frequently treated with formaldehyde, although little is known about the effects of this treatment on protein antigenicity. To investigate the effect of formaldehyde treatment on antigen recognition by T cells, we compared the in vitro T-cell response to proteins that have been formaldehyde treated with the response to untreated proteins. We found that peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals vaccinated with three formaldehyde-treated proteins (pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, pertactin) of Bordetella pertussis showed little or no response to the formaldehyde-treated proteins but proliferated very well in response to the corresponding untreated protein. These findings were further confirmed with CD4+ T-cell clones specific for defined epitopes of the bacterial proteins. We found that some epitopes are presented poorly or not at all when formaldehyde-treated proteins are used, whereas other epitopes are equally presented to T-cell clones when either formaldehyde-treated or untreated antigens are used. However, T-cell recognition could be restored by either antigen degradation before formaldehyde treatment or heat denaturation after such treatment. Parallel digestion with trypsin of both formaldehyde-treated and untreated proteins showed that fragments generated from the two forms of the same antigen were different in size. These results demonstrate that formaldehyde treatment can constrain antigen presentation to T cells and that this may be due to an altered proteolytic processing of formaldehyde-treated proteins.
Potential of coconut water and soy milk for use as storage media to preserve the viability of periodontal ligament cells: an in vitro study.

AIM There is no consensus regarding the ability of coconut water and soy milk to maintain long-term cell viability. This study investigated the ability of pH-adjusted coconut water and soy milk to maintain the viability of periodontal ligament cells over a short and a longer period and compared these abilities with those of other solutions. METHODS Dog premolar teeth were extracted, dried for 30 min, and stored in the following media for 50 min or 24 h: long shelf-life whole milk (SWM), long shelf-life skim milk (SSM), Hank's Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), soy milk (SM), and pH-adjusted coconut water (CW). The positive and two negative control groups corresponded to 0-min, 30-min (short-term), and 24-h (long-term) dry times, respectively. Cell viability was analyzed by trypan blue exclusion. Data were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-analysis using the Dunn method. RESULTS In the short-term experiment, the SSM resulted in significantly lower cell viability than SM and CW. At 24 h, SM and CW resulted in higher viability than HBSS and SSM and in comparable performance with the positive control group. Cell viability decreased over time, except in SM and CW. CONCLUSIONS Soy milk and pH-adjusted coconut water showed promising results as storage solutions for avulsed teeth, preserving the viability for up to 24 h.
Living with a person who has parkinson's disease: The Spouse's perspective by stage of disease

The objective of this study was to examine the experience of spouses caregiving for their spouse with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to determine whether their experiences differed by stage of disease. By using a cross‐sectional design and mail questionnaire data from 380 spouse caregivers across 23 sites of the Parkinson Study Group, key caregiver variables were examined by stage of PD. Three categories of variables‐caregiver role strain (10 measures), caregiver situation (four measures), and caregiver characteristics (four measures)‐were analyzed by using t tests with Bonferroni correction. Specific types and amounts of role strain accumulated as the disease progressed, and they differed significantly between stages (p < 0.05). In the caregiving situation, the mean number of caregiving tasks tripled by stage 4/5. Negative changes in lifestyle plus decreases in predictability in caregivers' lives increased significantly in late‐stage disease (p < 0.05). Caregiver characteristics of physical health and preparedness did not significantly differ across stages of disease. Depression was significantly higher by stage 4/5. Mutuality, the positive quality of the relationship as perceived by the caregiving spouse, declined beginning at stage 2. Caregiver strain is experienced across all stages of PD and accumulates significantly as the disease progresses. This study defines types and amounts of strain by stage of disease, which will be helpful in designing formal intervention trials to provide more effective help for spouse caregivers.
Stem Cells in Normal and Leukemic Hemopoiesis

M ANY DIFFERENT disciplines now meet in the study of hemopoiesis. Developmental biologists, molecular geneticists, and cell physiologists are challenged to explain the processes underlining continuing differentiation. Oncologists, intrigued by a malignancy that retains many features of normal growth, have used leukemia as a model system, yielding data applicable to many tumors. Clinical scientists, encouraged by their ability to induce complete remission in a widespread and rapidly fatal disease, developed methodologies of systematic therapeutic innovation based on well designed clinical trials. Biochemists, immunologists, virologists, and epidemiologists have all found particular challenges and opportunities in the study of hemopoiesis. It is not surprising, therefore, that much information is available; there is even considerable agreement concerning cellular organizalion, as evidenced by the similarity of lineage diagrams in the publications of diverse authors. However, major problems remain, and their importance is emphasized as they are restated in the context of each advance in knowledge. This article contains three continuing themes: these are the lineages and differentiation programs that have been identified in normal and leukemic hemopoiesis; the balance between stochastic and deterministic processes in the regulation of normal and leukemic clonal expansion; and the nature of the determination event when pluripotent stem cells enter into a specific lineage. These themes are illustrated by an examination of normal and leukemic hemopoiesis, the proposal of a model of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), and descendants. These all impinge on both myelopoietic and Iymphopoietic leukemias. The view is advanced that differentiation continues in these diseases, but new programs are assembled abnormally but with normal components.
The Jim Pitts Site: A Stratified Paleoindian Site in the Black Hills of South Dakota

The Jim Pitts site is a multicomponent Paleoindian locality in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with a rare Goshen residential occupation. All Paleoindian components were comprised in the Leonard paleosol. The deepest component at the site is a Goshen level dated to 10,185 ± 25 B.P. It correlates with a late fall-early winter camp site. Over the course of its use parts of at least five bison were procured and introduced to the site. Above this level an array of point styles, including Goshen, Folsom, Agate Basin, several Fishtail points, James Allen, Cody, and Alberta, have also been found. The following study provides a typological and technological description of the point assemblage and weighs the implications of the chrono-cultural stratigraphy for reconstructing the Paleoindian cultural landscape. It questions the validity of some types, particularly Goshen, as cultural and chronological markers. Ultimately, the evidence presented here reinforces a model in which multiple Paleoindian point types occur simultaneously on the central and northern Great Plains. This in turn challenges a unilineal view of Paleoindian culture history.
Roflumilast: clinical benefit in patients suffering from COPD

Background and aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and is characterised by persistent airway inflammation, which leads to impaired airway function, quality of life and intermittent exacerbations. In spite of recent advances in the treatment of COPD, new treatment options for COPD are clearly necessary.
Occupational allergic rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by bishop's weed (Ammi majus)

Bishop's weed (Ammi majus) has been known to induce toxic phytophotodermatitis. We now describe IgE‐mediated rhinitis and contact urticaria caused by exposure to bishop's weed in a 31‐year‐old atopic female florist. A skin prick‐prick test with bishop's weed flowers gave an 8‐mm wheal, and the bishop's weed‐specific IgE level in the patient's serum was 9.7 PRU/ml (RAST class 3). In an immunoblotting experiment with the patient's serum, nine IgE‐binding protein bands with the molecular weights 19, 34, 39–41 (doublet), 52–61 (doublet), and >67 (triplet) kDa were detected in bishop's weed extract. The patient became symptomless after she had ceased to work as a florist.
Small interfering ribonucleic acid design strategies for effective targeting and gene silencing

Introduction: Gene silencing mediated by siRNAs is becoming a promising therapeutic approach. Although many strategies and technologies have been applied to siRNA design, a key issue lies in the selection of efficient design predictors. Furthermore, the development of systemic siRNA delivery strategies, which would enhance the therapeutic effect, remains a central issue. Areas covered: The review discusses the basic principles of the sequence-specific design criteria of functional siRNAs and possible chemical modifications. Some of the most recent advances in the development of siRNA design algorithms and delivery strategies are also presented. Emphasis is given to the important design rule sets and predictors which determine the functionality of an efficient siRNA. Expert opinion: The potential and limitations of efficient design predictors obtained from computational algorithms play a crucial role in the development of target-specific siRNAs. Furthermore, the future success of RNA interference therapeutics will depend on their ability to efficiently cross the physiological barriers, selectively target cells-of-interest and finally silence the gene-of-interest without any side effects.
Maintaining Hope in Transition: A Theoretical Framework to Guide Interventions for People With Heart Failure

Theoretical frameworks provide a structure for the planning and delivery of nursing care and for research. Heart failure (HF), a condition of increasing prevalence in communities internationally, is responsible for high rates of morbidity, mortality, and great societal burden. The HF illness trajectory can be unpredictable and uncertain. Markers of transition, such as functional decline and increasing dependence, can signal the need for transition to a more palliative approach. This transition challenges clinicians to deliver information and interventions and to support patients and their families not only in relation to their physical status but also in the social, psychological, and existential dimensions. This article describes a theoretical framework, Maintaining Hope in Transition, informed by transition theory, to assist patients to cope with a diagnosis of HF and to guide development of nursing interventions. Transition theory provides a useful context to assist clinicians, patients, and their families adjust to the challenges inherent in a diagnosis of HF and negotiating the illness trajectory. Key factors acknowledged in the Maintaining Hope in Transition framework that determine its utility in models of care for HF patients are (1) acknowledging the changing of life circumstances, (2) restructuring reality, (3) dealing with vulnerability, (4) achieving normalization, and (5) resolving uncertainty. It is likely that incorporation of these factors in care planning, information, and interventions can facilitate patients' and their families' abilities to negotiate the HF illness trajectory, particularly in the advanced stages.
[IgG antibody response against Plasmodium vivax in children exposed to malaria, before and after specific treatment]

OBJECTIVE: To assess the IgG antibody response against P. vivax (IgG anti-PV), and cytophilic (IgG1 and IgG3) and noncytophilic (IgG2) IgG subclasses in 34 children aged 0 to 15 years old infected with P. vivax malaria. METHODS: IgG levels were determined by indirect fluorescent antibody technique during the acute and therapeutic control phase. Patients were distributed into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of a previous malaria episode. IgG anti-PV levels were measured on the first and last day of treatment, and compared by Student's t test. Antibody levels were correlated with asexual parasitemia (Spearman's correlation test). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS : Increased IgG levels were observed on the first and on the last day of treatment. The geometric means for IgG subclass titers found in patients with previous history of malaria were: IgG1 (806.35) > IgG3 (28.28) > IgG2 (20). In patients infected for the first time, the responses obtained were: IgG1 (709.21) > IgG3 (39.3) > IgG2 (10.7). There was no association between asexual parasitemia and antibody levels on the first day of treatment. Cytophilic antibodies (IgG1, IgG3) predominated over noncytophilic antibodies (IgG2).
Quality-of-life: Child and parent perspectives following severe traumatic brain injury

Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can produce temporary or permanent impairment. Quality-of-life (QoL) after TBI has been well studied in adults, but less so in children. The aim of this study was to assess the QoL of children with TBI and compare the findings with the evaluations of parents and children without brain injury. Methods: Participants were 23 children with TBI, mean age 11 years, who had been treated at the SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals. Participants were matched by age, sex, parents’ socio-cultural level and place of residence with 23 other children who had no history of brain injury. The instruments used were the SARAH QoL Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the SARAH Physical-Functional Classification of the Child and Adolescent and a structured interview with parents. Results: The results demonstrated that, in an average 4 years after the accident, all of the children with TBI were attending school and most could walk independently. The parents’ reports about post-TBI problems were marginally associated with the children's self-evaluations. The parents showed important concerns regarding their child across all dimensions of life. Conclusions: Children with TBI report significantly reduced QoL compared to a control group in the physical, psychological, cognitive and total score dimensions. However, TBI children with average academic performance (65%) obtained the same QoL scores as the control group.