Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Value of human papillomavirus typing for detection of anal cytological abnormalities

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate anal cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) typing in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Materials and Methods: Anal samples were collected from 61 patients (44 men and 17 women) and analyzed by PapilloCheck test and conventional cytology. Results: Of all anal samples, 37.7% had cytological abnormalities, 47.54% were negative and 14.75% were unsatisfactory. High-risk HPV, multiple high-risk HPV and HPV 16 infection was detected in 91.13%, 78.26% and 47.82% of the samples with cytological abnormalities and in 47.54%, 6.89% and 3.44% of the negative samples, respectively. High-risk HPV infection was significantly more frequent in anal samples with cytological abnormalities than in negative samples (P = 0.0005, Fisher's test), particularly multiple high-risk HPV infection (P < 0.0001) and HPV 16 infection (P = 0.0002). Conclusions: High-risk HPV, multiple high-risk HPV and HPV 16 infections are significantly associated with anal cytological abnormalities. Furthermore, the frequency of HPV infection in anal cytological samples suggests that high-risk HPV detection has high sensitivity, but low specificity for detection of anal cytological abnormalities, but multiple high-risk HPV typing and HPV 16 typing have a lower sensitivity and high specificity. Results suggest that HPV typing may be useful as an adjunct to cytology to screen patients for high-resolution anoscopy and biopsy.
Algorithms for the Network Analysis of Bilateral Tax Treaties

htmlabstractIn this thesis we conduct a network analysis of bilateral tax treaties. We are given tax data of 108 countries. Companies often send money from country to country via indirect routes, because then the tax that must be paid might be lower. In the thesis we will study the most important of these ‘tax’ routes. Questions that we will answer are, for example: 1. Which countries are the most important ‘conduit’ countries in the network? 2. How can a country maximize the amount of money that companies send through this country? The thesis is mainly theoretical: the focus is on the mathematics and the algorithms used for the network analysis. At the end of each chapter we apply the algorithms to the CPB-network of 108 countries. The thesis is a collaboration between the CWI (Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica) and the CPB (Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis).
FECUNDITY AND MHC AFFECTS EJACULATION TACTICS AND PATERNITY BIAS IN SAND LIZARDS

Abstract We demonstrate that extending copulation enhances probability of paternity in sand lizards and that determinants of copulation duration depend on a males' mating order (first or second). First males, with no information on presence of rivals, extend copulation when mating with a more fecund female. Second males, however, adjust copula duration in relation to a first male's relatedness with his female, which there is reason to believe can be deduced from the MHC-related odor of the copulatory plug. Male-female relatedness negatively influences a male's probability of paternity, and when second males are in a favored role (i.e., the first male is the one more closely related to the female), second males transfer larger ejaculates, resulting in higher probability of paternity. This result corroborates predictions from recent theoretical models on sperm expenditure theory incorporating cryptic female choice and sexual conflict. More specifically, the results conform to a “random roles” model, which depicts males as being favored by some females and disfavored by others, but not to a “constant-type” model, in which a male is either favored or disfavored uniformly by all females in a population.
Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in sugarcane systems by Bayesian conditional autoregressive model – an unbiased prediction strategy

ABSTRACT Spatially dependent data are predominant in soil science and prone to biased inferences from standard statistical analysis. Thus, the aims of this study were: to model the spatial dependency among soil sampling points using a Bayesian conditional autoregressive (CAR) prior; and to determine the effects of different sugarcane management systems on soil C and N stocks. Four sugarcane sites were evaluated: conventional burned (BSC); unburned (USC); and organic sugarcane for 4 years (O04) and 12 years (O12). A native vegetation forest (NVF) site was used as a reference. The CAR model prediction agreed with the observed results of both soil C and N stocks. The highest predicted soil C and N stocks at 0-30 cm depth were observed for O12 (57.3 and 4.8 Mg ha-1), and the lowest were for BSC (37.6 and 3.0 Mg ha-1). The Bayesian CAR model captured the spatial dependence among soil sampling points and allowed to compare soil C and N stocks of different sugarcane managements. Thus, Bayesian spatial modeling is a novel approach to evaluate soil management practices when performing ad hoc monitoring of soil carbon within contiguous areal units.
Proportionality between chest wall resistance and elastance.

Fredberg and Stamenovic (J. Appl. Physiol. 67: 2408-2419, 1989) demonstrated a relatively robust phenomenological relationship between resistance (R) and elastance (E) of lung tissue during external forcing. The relationship can be expressed as omega R = eta E, where omega = 2 pi times forcing frequency and eta is hysteresivity; they found eta to be remarkably invariant under a wide range of circumstances. From data gathered in previous experiments, we have tested the adequacy and utility of this phenomenological description for the chest wall (eta w) and its major compartments, the rib cage (eta rc), diaphragm-abdomen (eta d-a), and belly wall (eta bw+). For forcing frequencies and tidal volumes within the normal range of breathing, we found that eta w remained in a relatively narrow range (0.27-0.37) and that neither eta w nor the compartmental eta's changed much with frequency or tidal volume. Compared with eta w, eta rc tended to be slightly low, whereas eta d-a tended to be slightly higher than eta w. However, at higher frequencies (greater than 1 Hz) all eta's increased appreciably with frequency. During various static nonrespiratory maneuvers involving use of respiratory muscles, eta w increased up to twofold. We conclude that in the normal ranges of breathing frequency and tidal volume 1) elastic and dissipative processes within the chest wall appear to be coupled, 2) eta's of the various component parts of the chest wall are well matched, 3) respiratory muscle contraction increases the ratio of cyclic dissipative losses to energy storage, and 4) R of the relaxed chest wall can be estimated from E. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sleep behavior of South African adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To survey a large group of South African adolescents about their sleep behavior, daytime behaviors, and morning alertness as compared to those of other teenagers worldwide. DESIGN Subjects completed a questionnaire about their sleep habits and daytime behaviors on the previous day, and subjective morning alertness at the time of completing the questionnaire. SETTING Four secondary schools in Johannesburg, South Africa on mid-week mornings. PARTICIPANTS 825 secondary school students volunteered for this study. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The students, (16+/-1 years), 61% female, reported significantly less time in bed (p<0.001) on a school night (453+/-70 minutes), compared to weekend nights (476+/-128 minutes). On the school night, they reported a mean sleep onset latency of 17 minutes, with 45% of the sample falling asleep in less than ten minutes. Short sleep onset latency and short in-bed wakefulness both were positively related to a high sleep efficiency and subjective sleep quality. On the previous day, 72% of the adolescents had consumed caffeinated beverages and 56% had exercised, but these behaviors did not significantly influence their nighttime sleep. The majority (77%) of students had napped the previous day and 8% had taken medication to fall asleep that night. 40% of the students felt that they could fall asleep mid-morning, if given the chance, but their sleepiness was independent of their nighttime sleep quality or duration. CONCLUSIONS Similarly to teenagers around the world, South African adolescents get insufficient sleep during the week, which they attempt to compensate for on the weekends. A large proportion of the students are also sleepy during the school day, which may influence their academic performance.
Struggling with social capital: Pakistani women micro entrepreneurs’ challenges in acquiring resources

Abstract A crucial aspect of successful venturing is social capital. In contrast to traditional Western-oriented research where social capital is construed positively, we found that in the traditional, patriarchal society of Pakistan, social capital puts high restrictions on women micro entrepreneurs – where social capital prevents or slows venturing efforts. Results also show that although women do get some selective access to resources from family members, they are restricted by limited access to social capital outside of family members. As women entrepreneurs have the potential to play an important role in the development of any society, and especially so in developing countries, based on the insights derived from this qualitative study, we propose suggestions for further research on women micro entrepreneurs in non-Western contexts.
Perceptions of School by Two Teenage Boys with Asperger Syndrome and their Mothers: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study aimed to develop an understanding of the challenges faced by teenage boys with Asperger syndrome and their mothers. A case study approach was used to collect data from two 13-year-old boys who have Asperger syndrome and their mothers in Queensland, Australia. Data were collected through the use of semi- structured interviews. The words of the boys and their mothers provide a valuable insight into the personal experiences and feelings of the participants. An inductive approach to data analysis identified four themes: (1) developmental differences; (2) problems associated with the general characteristics of Asperger syndrome (i.e. communication and social difficulties, restricted range of interests, a need for routine); (3) stress; and (4) ‘masquerading’. The first three themes relate strongly to the current literature, but the emergence of masquerading is of particular interest in developing a fuller understanding of the experiences of individuals with Asperger syndrome at school.
Norovirus vaccine against experimental human Norwalk Virus illness.

BACKGROUND Noroviruses cause epidemic and sporadic acute gastroenteritis. No vaccine is available to prevent norovirus illness or infection. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial to assess the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of an investigational, intranasally delivered norovirus viruslike particle (VLP) vaccine (with chitosan and monophosphoryl lipid A as adjuvants) to prevent acute viral gastroenteritis after challenge with a homologous viral strain, Norwalk virus (genotype GI.1). Healthy adults 18 to 50 years of age received two doses of either vaccine or placebo and were subsequently inoculated with Norwalk virus and monitored for infection and gastroenteritis symptoms. RESULTS Ninety-eight persons were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive vaccine (50 participants) or placebo (48 participants), and 90 received both doses (47 participants in the vaccine group and 43 in the placebo group). The most commonly reported symptoms after vaccination were nasal stuffiness, nasal discharge, and sneezing. Adverse events occurred with similar frequency among vaccine and placebo recipients. A Norwalk virus-specific IgA seroresponse (defined as an increase by a factor of 4 in serum antibody levels) was detected in 70% of vaccine recipients. Seventy-seven of 84 participants inoculated with Norwalk virus were included in the per-protocol analysis. Vaccination significantly reduced the frequencies of Norwalk virus gastroenteritis (occurring in 69% of placebo recipients vs. 37% of vaccine recipients, P=0.006) and Norwalk virus infection (82% of placebo recipients vs. 61% of vaccine recipients, P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS This norovirus VLP vaccine provides protection against illness and infection after challenge with a homologous virus. (Funded by LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals and the National Institutes of Health; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00973284.).
Tethered flight control of a small quadrotor robot for stippling

We investigate tethered flight of a small quadrotor robot in the context of creating stippled prints. At a low level, we use motion capture to measure the position of the robot and the canvas, and a robust control algorithm to command the robot to fly to different stipple positions to make contact with the canvas using an ink soaked sponge. With the objective of fully autonomous flight, we power our quadrotor using a wired tether. We compensate for the tether in our control of the robot by assuming a static catenary curve of fixed length between the robot and the power source, and model the forces and torques produced. We evaluate accuracy of hovering and flight on simple paths, and compare the results to untethered flight.
Cell volume regulation in nonrenal epithelia.

Cell volume regulation occurs in both tight, Na+-transporting epithelia (e.g., frog skin) and in leaky. NaCl-transporting epithelia (e.g. amphibian gallbladder). In tight epithelia volume regulation occurs only in response to cell swelling, i.e. only regulatory volume decrease (RVD) is observed, whereas in leaky epithelia cell volume regulation has been observed in response to osmotic challenges that either swell or shrink the cells. In other words, both RVD and regulatory volume increase (RVI) are present. Both volume regulatory responses involve stimulation of ion transport in a polarized fashion: in RVD the response is basolateral KCl efflux, whereas in RVI it is apical membrane NaCl uptake. The loss of KCl during RVD appears to result in most instances from increases in basolateral electrodiffusive K+ and Cl-permeabilities. In gallbladder, concomitant activation of coupled KCl efflux may also occur. The RVI response includes activation of apical membrane cation (Na+/H+) and anion (Cl-/HCO-3) exchangers. It is presently unclear whether the net ion fluxes resulting from activation of these transporters, during either RVD or RVI, account for the measured rates of restoration of cell volume. In gallbladder epithelium, RVD is inhibited by agents which disrupt microfilaments or interfere with the Ca2+-calmodulin system. These pharmacologic effects are absent in RVI. Some steps in the chain of events resulting in either RVI or RVD have been established, but the signals involved remain largely unknown. There is reason to suspect a role of intracellular pH in the case of RVI and of membrane insertion of transporters in the case of RVD, possibly with causal roles of both intracellular Ca2+ and the cytoskeleton in the latter.
Use‐dependent learning and memory of the Hering–Breuer inflation reflex in rats

The classic Hering–Breuer inflation reflex (HBIR) is a widely held tenet for understanding the lung volume‐related vagal control of respiratory rhythm. Recent evidence, however, has revealed that the fictive HBIR elicited by electrical vagal stimulation in rats is not static but may be attenuated centrally by two forms of non‐associative learning (habituation and desensitization) that continually mitigate the reflex effects with exponential adaptations like a differentiator or high‐pass filter. Desensitization is analogous to habituation but exhibits an explicit short‐term memory (STM) in the form of a rebound response with exponential decay during recovery from stimulation. To investigate whether such learning and memory effects are lung volume related and use‐dependent (practice makes perfect), we compared the time‐dependent changes in inspiratory and expiratory durations (tI and tE) during and after 1 or 8 min unilateral lung inflation or high‐frequency, low‐intensity vagal stimulation in anaesthetized, uni‐ or bi‐vagotomized rats. Unilateral lung inflation and vagal stimulation both elicited abrupt shortening of tI and lengthening of tE (HBIR effects) and gradual habituation and desensitization throughout the 1 or 8 min test period, followed by rebound responses in tI and tE with exponential recovery (STM effects) in the post‐test period. In both cases, the STM time constants for tI and tE were significantly longer with the 8 min test than with the 1 min test (17–45 versus 4–11 s, P < 0.01). We conclude that the HBIR and its central habituation and desensitization are mediated peripherally by lung volume‐related vagal afferents, and that the STM of desensitization is use‐dependent. The translational implications of these findings are discussed.
Metal nanoparticles sensitize the formation of singlet oxygen.

Singlet oxygen (O2) is known to play an indispensible role in the photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment of cancer, and is an important oxidant for hydroperoxidation of olefins in organic synthesis. Singlet O2 is conventionally formed by sensitization by organic photosensitizers, such as Rose Bengal, silicon phthalocyanine, etc. These organic or organometallic dyes are, however, prone to photoinduced degradation and enzymatic degradation, which becomes problematic in PDT treatments, and reduces the efficiency of the generation of singlet O2. [5,8] It is, therefore, important to search for photosensitizers with highly efficient singlet O2 generation and large absorption coefficients that are photochemically more stable and less prone to enzymatic degradation. Previously, it was reported that the yield of singlet oxygen production by a photosensitizer, namely, Rose Bengal, was enhanced by a silver island film through the metal-enhanced absorption of photosensitizer. It was also reported that a gold nanodisk could enhance the phosphorescence decay rate of singlet oxygen, leading to a larger characteristic phosphorescence emission band of singlet oxygen at 1270 nm. In another two studies, it was observed that the quantum yield of singlet O2 formation generated by phthalocyanine photosensitizers can be enhanced by the presence of gold nanoparticles. Herein we report an unprecedented observation that singlet oxygen can be formed through direct sensitization by metal nanoparticles (M NPs, M=Ag, Pt, and Au) without the presence of any organic photosensitizers. Unambiguous experimental evidence includes direct observation of singlet oxygen emission at roughly 1268 nm, hydroperoxidation of cyclohexene, green fluorescence from a selective singlet oxygen fluorescent sensor, namely, Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green (SOSG, Molecular Probe), and quenching of singlet oxygen phosphorescence by sodium azide. As shown in Figure 1, photoexcitation of M NPs at the surface plasmon resonance absorption bands of Ag (d= 55, 42 nm), Pt (10 nm), and Au (22 nm) in D2O results in characteristic singlet oxygen emission at 1264 and 1268 nm, respectively. Control experiments show that in the absence of metal nanoparticles, photoexcitation of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) in D2O using either 254 or 508 nm light did not result in any detectable singlet O2 emission signal (see the
Myocardial velocities measured during adenosine, dobutamine and supine bicycle exercise: a tissue Doppler study in healthy volunteers

Background: Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) quantified by tissue Doppler (TVI) have improved the diagnostic capacity of the procedure. Quantification of other stress modalities, e.g. adenosine stress echo (ASE) and exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) are necessary for assessing any pathophysiological differences in different forms of stress.
Using Eye-Tracking to Unveil Differences Between Kids and Teens in Coding Activities

Computational thinking and coding is gradually becoming an important part of K-12 education. Most parents, policy makers, teachers, and industrial stakeholders want their children to attain computational thinking and coding competences, since learning how to code is emerging as an important skill for the 21st century. Currently, educators are leveraging a variety of technological tools and programming environments, which can provide challenging and dynamic coding experiences. Despite the growing research on the design of coding experiences for children, it is still difficult to say how children of different ages learn to code, and to cite differences in their task-based behaviour. This study uses eye-tracking data from 44 children (here divided into "kids" [age 8-12] and "teens" [age 13-17]) to understand the learning process of coding in a deeper way, and the role of gaze in the learning gain and the different age groups. The results show that kids are more interested in the appearance of the characters, while teens exhibit more hypothesis-testing behaviour in relation to the code. In terms of collaboration, teens spent more time overall performing the task than did kids (higher similarity gaze). Our results suggest that eye-tracking data can successfully reveal how children of different ages learn to code.
How Tourist Attraction Agglomeration Affects a Regional Tourism Economy

According to agglomeration theory, tourist attraction agglomeration can enhance the performance of tourism economy in a region. In contrast, industrial organization theory suggests that tourist attraction agglomeration can harm economic performance. This study examines the impact of tourist attraction agglomeration on a regional tourism economy using empirical evidence. China has experienced a proliferation of tourist attractions in the last 15 years. In 2000, only 590 A-class tourist attractions were part of the tourism market; however, by 2012, the number of A-class tourist attractions had increased to 6,042, providing a good opportunity for estimating the impact of agglomeration. The study results show a positive relationship between tourist attraction agglomeration and the performance of a regional tourism economy, suggesting that agglomeration theory holds up in the real world. Some implications for regional tourism planning and tourism development are derived.
Minimum Data Rate for Mean Square Stabilizability of Linear Systems With Markovian Packet Losses

This paper investigates the minimum data rate for mean square stabilizability of linear systems over a lossy digital channel. The packet dropout process of the channel is modeled as a time-homogeneous Markov process. To overcome the difficulties induced by the temporal correlations of the packet dropout process and stochastically time-varying data rate due to packet dropouts, a randomly sampled system approach is developed to study the minimum data rate for mean square stabilizability. It is shown that the minimum data rate for scalar systems can be explicitly given in terms of the magnitude of the unstable mode and the transition probabilities of the Markov chain. The number of additional bits required to counter the effect of Markovian packet losses on stabilizability is exactly quantified. Our result contains existing results on data rate and packet dropout rate for stabilizability of linear scalar systems as special cases and provides a means for better bandwidth utilization by jointly considering bits per sample and an effective sampling. Necessary and sufficient conditions on the minimum data rate problem for mean square stabilizability of vector systems are provided respectively and shown to be optimal under some special cases.