Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Six Night Vision Enhancement Systems: Qualitative and Quantitative Support for Intelligent Image Processing

Objective: An evaluation study was conducted to answer the question of which system properties of night vision enhancement systems (NVESs) provide a benefit for drivers without increasing their workload. Background: Different infrared sensor, image processing, and display technologies can be integrated into an NVES to support nighttime driving. Because each of these components has its specific strengths and weaknesses, careful testing is required to determine their best combination. Method: Six prototypical systems were assessed in two steps. First, a heuristic evaluation with experts from ergonomics, perception, and traffic psychology was conducted. It produced a broad overview of possible effects of system properties on driving. Based on these results, an experimental field study with 15 experienced drivers was performed. Criteria used to evaluate the development potential of the six prototypes were the usability dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction (International Organization for Standardization, 1998). Results: Results showed that the intelligibility of information, the easiness with which obstacles could be located in the environment, and the position of the display presenting the output of the system were of crucial importance for the usability of the NVES and its acceptance. Conclusion: All relevant requirements are met best by NVESs that are positioned at an unobtrusive location and are equipped with functions for the automatic identification of objects and for event-based warnings. Application: These design recommendations and the presented approach to evaluate the systems can be directly incorporated into the development process of future NVESs.
CYP2A13, CYP2A6, and the Risk of Lung Adenocarcinoma in a Japanese Population

Both cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2A6 and CYP2A13 are involved in the metabolic activation of tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs). Some kinds of TSNAs induce lung adenocarcinoma in laboratory animals. Thus, polymorphisms of CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 genes may be important as genetic factors of lung cancer, particularly lung adenocarcinoma. We genotyped 179 patients with lung cancer and 183 controls for CYP2A6 gene deletion-type and CYP2A13 C3375T polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction-based techniques on DNA prepared from peripheral blood. In addition, a questionnaire was used to collect demographic, lifestyle and other information from each subject. Unconditional logistic regression was used to compute the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), with adjustments for several covariates found to be associated with risk. Compared with one or more copies of the T allele, the CYP2A13 CC genotype was associated with a substantially increased risk for lung adenocarcinoma (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.03-6.28). Smokers with the CYP2A13 CC genotype showed significantly higher risk (OR = 4.88, 95% CI = 1.35-26.53) compared to non-smokers with possession at least one copy of the CYP2A13 T allele. Although our results indicate that the CYP2A13 gene may play a role in the development of lung adenocarcinoma, the risk for those individuals with single at-risk genotype of CYP2A13 C3375T polymorphism may not be so large. In future studies, analyses based on haplotypes are recommended to confirm the role of CYP2A13 gene in the development of lung adenocarcinoma.
Population health issues in the management of air quality

Epidemiological studies conducted in a number of countries have consistently demonstrated associations between concentrations of ambient air pollution and adverse health outcomes, including premature mortality, cardiorespiratory hospitalizations, emergency department visits for respiratory diseases, asthma attacks, respiratory symptoms, and restricted activity. These associations have prompted regulatory agencies in several countries, including Canada, to either revise current air quality standards or establish new ambient guidelines. In this article, recent epidemiological research in Canada is briefly reviewed in relation to the establishment of PM10 and PM2.5 national air quality objectives. Economic approaches to evaluating costs and health benefits of controlling air pollutants are discussed, and their use illustrated in evaluating the consequences of reducing the sulphur content of gasoline. Ongoing epidemiological research on the health effects of air pollution is outlined, and strategies for evaluating and managing the health risks of air pollution examined.
Effects of Brief Training on Use of Automated External Defibrillators by People Without Medical Expertise

Objective: This study examined the effect of three types of brief training on the use of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) by 43 lay users. Background: Because AEDs were recently approved for home use, brief training for nonprofessional users needs investigation. Method: During training, the exposure training group read an article about AEDs that provided no information on how to operate them; the low-training group inspected the AED and read the operating instructions in the paper-based manual but was not allowed to use the device; and the high-training group watched a training video and performed a mock resuscitation using the AED but no manikin. All participants returned 2 weeks later and performed a surprise simulatedAED resuscitation on a manikin. Results: Most participants in each training group met criteria of minimally acceptable performance during the simulated manikin resuscitation, as measured by time to first shock, pad placement accuracy, and safety check performance. All participants who committed errors were able to successfully recover from them to complete the resuscitation. Compared with exposure training, the low and high training had a beneficial effect on time to first shock and errors. Conclusion: Untrained users were able to adequately use this AED, demonstrating walk-up-and-use usability, but additional brief training improved user performance. Application: This study demonstrated the importance of providing high-quality but brief training for home AED users. In conjunction with other findings, the current study helps demonstrate the need for well-designed training for consumer medical devices.
Quantification of Wrist Motions during Scanning

A laboratory study was performed to help assess the risk of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) associated with the use of scanners in the grocery store environment. In this study experienced and inexperienced cashiers scanned a set of 12 standard grocery items using 19 different combinations of scanners, scanner orientations, and check stands. The motion characteristics of both wrists in three-dimensional space were documented and used as dependent measures of performance. These motions were compared with wrist motion benchmarks of high-and low-risk wrist accelerations. It was found that, in general, scanning motions are of sufficient magnitude to contribute to CTDs of the wrist. It was also found that wrist motion characteristics were greatly influenced by the different combinations of scanners, scanner orientations, and check stand designs. It was concluded that the "front-style" check stand minimizes potentially injurious wrist motions because it permits the checker to split the scanning task between the two hands. The type of scanner and scanner orientation that minimized potentially injurious wrist motions was much more unique to the individual workstation condition. Additionally, it appears that scanners perceived by the checkers as needing fewer wrist deviations, such as those with slanted windows, also minimize wrist motions. The implications of these findings for the ergonomic design of the workplace are discussed.
SPECIAL SECTION: Medication Instruction Design: Younger and Older Adult Schemas for Taking Medication

We examined whether older and younger adults share a schema for taking medication and whether instructions are better recalled when they are organized to match this schema. Experiment 1 examined age differences in schema organization. Participants sorted medication items (e.g., purpose, dose, possible side effects) according to similarity and then ordered the items to create a preferred instruction set. Cluster analysis of the sort and order data showed that younger and older adults share a schema for taking medication. Secondary regression analyses found that verbal ability (i.e., vocabulary scores) predicted individual differences in schema organization. In Experiment 2 participants recalled instructions that were either compatible with this schema in terms of grouping and order of items or were presented in nonpreferred orders. Younger participants remembered more information than did older participants, but both age groups better remembered and preferred the more schema-compatible instructions. Secondary analyses showed that recall was also positively related to verbal ability. Along with our earlier research, this study suggests that older and younger adults possess a schema for taking medication and that instructions that are compatible with this schema provide an environmental support that improves memory for medication information.
A pilot study to explore the effectiveness of “early” rehabilitation after a hospital admission for chronic heart failure

People with chronic heart failure (CHF) experience acute exacerbations of their symptoms. These episodes are costly to patients and the health service. The study was a single group, pretest and posttest design. Seventeen patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) started rehabilitation within 4 weeks of hospital discharge. The 6 week rehabilitation programme included exercise and self-management education. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), the incremental and endurance shuttle walking tests (ISWT/ESWT) were assessed at baseline and after rehabilitation. The number and duration of any CHF admissions in the year before and the year after rehabilitation were also recorded. Improvements in the ISWT, ESWT, and depression were, mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) 60.6 (36.0–85.2) metres, 356.0 (173.0–539.0) seconds (both p ≤ 0.001) and −1.0 (−1.8–−0.2) points (p < 0.05), respectively. HADS anxiety improvements failed to reach significance. At 1 year, there was a significant decrease in CHF-related hospitalisations, mean change (95% CI) −0.8 (−1.1–−0.4), p ≤ 0.001 and CHF bed days −13.0 (−24.4–−1.6), p < 0.05. Early rehabilitation significantly improved exercise capacity and depression and reduced CHF-associated health care utilisation in patients who had recently been hospitalised. The intervention was safe. However, the sample size was small and results were not compared to a control group. Therefore, the effects of natural recovery are unknown.
The use of infrared thermography to assess inflammation associated with hot-iron and freeze branding in cattle

Infrared thermography was used to compare differences in extent and duration of inflammation observed on hot-iron and freeze brand sites as an indicator of tissue damage and the associated discomfort to the animals. Thirty beef heifers of mixed breed were assigned to either hot-iron (H) or freeze (F) branding treatments according to a predetermined randomized branding order. Ten animals were branded each day over a 3-d period. On the day prior to branding, animals were clipped to expose two patches of skin; one to be used for the branding treatment and the other for a control. Thermographic images of control and treatment sites were made at 0.08 h (5 min) prior to branding, immediately after the brand was completed (0 h), as well as 0.08, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 h after branding. Control site temperatures were subtracted from treatment site temperatures for each individual animal. Both F and H brand sites were consistently warmer (1.9 ± 0.3 and 1.6 ± 0.3 °C, respectively) than their .
Effects of Russian current and low-frequency pulsed current on discomfort level and current amplitude at 10% maximal knee extensor torque

Background: Low-frequency pulsed current (LFPC) and Russian current (RC), a type of kilohertz-frequency alternating current, have been frequently used for muscle strengthening in rehabilitation programs. Despite the popularity of these current types, it is unclear which is most effectively able to generate a similar submaximal torque with minimal discomfort and current amplitude. Objective: To compare discomfort and current amplitude between LFPC and RC to achieve a knee extensor torque of 10% of the maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC). Methods: Twenty-two healthy subjects were subjected to three electrically elicited knee extensor submaximal contractions (10% MIVC) that were sustained for 10 seconds. The current amplitude required to achieve 10% MIVC and subjective discomfort were assessed directly by the electrical stimulator and with the Visual Analogue Pain Scale, respectively. A paired t-test was used to determine differences between the electrical currents (α = 0.05). Results: LFPC required significantly lower current amplitude (15%) and a lower discomfort level (50%) to achieve 10% of MIVC compared to RC. Conclusion: LFPC current seems to be more effective than RC with respect to discomfort level and current amplitude to produce 10% of MIVC.
Continued recovery in an adult with cerebellar ataxia

Background and purpose: The authors previously reported on the functional recovery of an adult with chronic, severe ataxia secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI) after 28 sessions of trunk stabilization and locomotor training (LT). The purpose of this case report is to describe this individual's functional abilities 3.5 years after the intervention. Case description: Thirteen months post-TBI and not expected to be a functional ambulator, an adult male participated in a trunk stabilization and LT intervention. After the intervention, he continued to exercise in a hospital-based fitness program and received additional physical therapy. Evaluation of balance, gait, trunk performance, self-reported function, and quality of life was performed at 6 weeks (baseline), 1 year, and 3.5 years after completing the intervention. Outcomes: Balance, gait, and function improved. Resting left transverse abdominis thickness, measured using ultrasound imaging, increased as did left-side bridge and trunk flexion endurance. He increased community participation and expressed general satisfaction with his overall quality of life. Discussion and conclusion: In the 3.5 years after participation in an intervention of trunk stabilization and LT this adult became an independent limited community ambulator. Persons with severe ataxia secondary to TBI may continue to improve many years after injury.
Effect of lipopolysaccharide on toll-like receptor-4 signals in mouse cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Recent findings showed that activated TLR signals on cancer cells might promote cancer progression. This study was designed to explore the influence of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on mouse melanoma and breast cancer cell proliferation and their TLR4 signalling. METHODS Mouse melanoma cell line (B16F10) and breast cancer cell line (4T1) were taken as models. They were treated with LPS (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 µg/ml) for 4, 16, 24, 48 h and MTT assay was done. The expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB mRNA was detected by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction method quantitatively. RESULTS Ultra-pure LPS at 5 µg/ml concentration increased significantly B16F10 cell viability 24 hour after stimulation, but not in 4T1 cell. The mRNA levels of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB were significantly up-regulated in both cell lines by stimulating the cells at 5 µg/ml LPS. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrated that B16F10 and 4T1 cells are responsive to LPS, but their responses are time and dose dependent. These results provide new ways to understand the TLR4 signalling in tumour cells (Fig. 2, Ref. 24).
Upregulated Hoxc6 expression is associated with poor survival in gastric cancer patients.

Human Hox genes (Homeobox) have crucial roles in development and differentiation, regulating numerous processes including apoptosis, receptor signalling, differentiation, motility and angiogenesis. Aberrant expression of Hoxc6 gene has been reported in several tumor tissues and cancer cell lines. The prognostic significance of Hoxc6 in gastric cancer remains largely unknown.This study was aimed to investigate the clinical significance of Hoxc6 in gastric cancer.Total RNA of paired tissue samples (n=25) and a tissue microarray containing 161 paired tissues from patients with gastric cancers at different stages were collected. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunochemistry assay were carried out to investigate the expression of Hoxc6. Hoxc6 mRNA was increased in gastric cancer tissues ( 16 of 25) compared with the adjacent normal mucosa (P<0.05). Immunohistochemical detection showed that expression of Hoxc6 was associated with the depth of tumor invasion (P<0.05). Patients with higher expression levels of Hoxc6 had a shorter overall survival rate (P<0.05). Hoxc6 might contribute to the progression of gastric carcinogenesis and may be a significant predictor of poor survival in patients with gastric cancer after curative operations.
Age- and appearance-related stereotypes about patients undergoing a painful medical procedure

AbstractThe literature suggests that pain in the elderly is undertreated and that this may be related, in part, to stereotypic beliefs held about elderly patients. This study examines observer perceptions of patients who have undergone a painful medical procedure (venipuncture). Ratings of patient pain, general functioning and need for treatment were examined in relation to patient age and physical attractiveness. The impact of knowledge about a patient's veteran status (i.e. whether or not a patient is a war veteran) was also examined. Results suggested that perceptions about patients were affected by their age and physical attractiveness. Older and less physically attractive people were perceived as experiencing more pain and having lower overall functioning. The implications that these stereotypes have for clinical care are discussed. These findings cannot explain the undertreatment of pain in the elderly as older persons were rated as being equally likely to benefit from treatment as younger patients.
Down-regulation of miR-205 promotes stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting PLCβ1 and increasing CD24 expression.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a particularly lethal form of cancer. Overall survival evenafter liver surgery is unsatisfactory due to high metastatic capacity and recurrence rates. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) were recently proposed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of HCC metastasis and recurrence. In our study, we found that down-regulation of miR-205 promoted stem cell inhibition of HCC.Expression of miR-205 and PLCβ1 was investigated by qRT-PCR. MiR-205 and PLCΒ1 expression were associated with disease free survival(DFS) by log-rank test. Computational predicting software was used to predict potential targets of miR-205. MiR-205 and PLCΒ1 were transfected into cells to analyze the stem cell inhibition. MiR-205 was significantly down-regulated and PLCβ1 dramatically up-regulated in tumors compared with matched tissues (P<0.0001). High miR-205 and low PLCβ1 expression was found to be associated with better DFS. PLCβ1 was one of the potential targets of miR-205 and the dual luciferase report system demonstrated that PLCβ1 was a direct target of miR-205 in cells. When miR-205 and PLCβ1 were transfected into cells, we found that the number of spheres increased and the CD24+ subpopulation of HCC cells dramatically increased.Down-regulation of miR-205 promotes stem cell inhibition of HCC by targeting PLCβ1 and increasing CD24 expression.
Work Organization, Job Stress, and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Recent studies indicate potential links among work organization, job stress, and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). In this paper we propose several pathways for a theoretical relationship between job stress and WRMDs. These pathways highlight the physiological, psychological, and behavioral reactions to stress that can affect WRMDs directly and indirectly. One model stipulates that psychosocial work factors (e.g., work pressure, lack of control), which can cause stress, might also influence or be related to ergonomic factors such as force, repetition, and posture that have been identified as risk factors for WRMDs. In order to fully understand the etiology of WRMDs, it is important to examine both physical ergonomic and psychosocial work factors simultaneously. Smith and Carayon-Sainfort (1989) have proposed a model of the work system for stress management that provides a useful framework for conceptualizing the work-related factors that contribute to WRMDs. Practical applications of this research include practitioners taking into account psychosocial work factors and job stress in their efforts to reduce and control WRMDs.
THE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM AS ENGAGING WITH EXTERNAL NON-ACADEMIC COMMUNITIES

CITATION: Smith-Tolken, A. 2011. The University Curriculum as Engaging with External Non-Academic Communities: A Grounded Theory Inquiry Approach, in E. Bitzer & N. Botha (eds.). Curriculum Inquiry in South African Higher Education: Some Scholarly Affirmations and Challenges. Stellenbosch: SUN MeDIA. 349-369. doi:10.18820/9781920338671/18.
Posture–cognition interaction during quiet standing in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the effects of cognitive task (silent backward counting) on postural control in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) (n = 25) as compared with asymptomatic controls (n = 25). Static postural control during quiet standing was assessed under different conditions including: (1) rigid surface–open eyes; (2) rigid surface–closed eyes; (3) foam surface–open eyes; and (4) foam surface–closed eyes. Dependent variables were center of pressure (COP) parameters and cognitive score. The results of this study showed that for most COP parameters, the patients with knee OA had greater postural sway than asymptomatic control subjects. Moreover, while cognitive loading affects postural sway in dual-task compared to single-task conditions, the pattern of change was not different between the two groups. Cognitive loading caused decreased postural sway in both groups. Future studies should select patients with more disability, choose more attention demanding cognitive tasks, and expose the subjects to dynamic balance situations to further explore the effect of cognitive loading on postural performance in this specific patient population.
Reply: When is the time right for a phase III clinical study in spinal cord injury (P = 0.05)?

Sir, We thank Drs Kramer and Curt for their comments and appreciate the opportunity to respond. They highlight a very important issue pertaining to clinical trial design: identification of an appropriate target population best suited to establish interventional efficacy. While some would argue that patient recruitment should be restricted as little as possible, others maintain that tight sampling characteristics reduce variance and improve study discrimination. Both philosophies have merit; however, in the latter approach lies risk that study results may not be generalized to a ‘real-world’ population. We attempted to address this dilemma in our Phase II trial (Casha et al. , 2012) through stratification of subjects with motor complete and motor incomplete spinal cord injuries in our primary randomization scheme. Our principle clinical outcome of motor recovery …