Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smoke exposure, histologic type and geography‐related differences in the methylation profiles of non‐small cell lung cancer

Aberrant methylation of several known or putative tumor suppressor genes occurs frequently during the pathogenesis of lung cancers. There are major smoke exposure, histology, geography and gender‐related changes in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated smoking‐related, histologic, geographic and gender differences in the methylation profiles of resected NSCLCs. We examined 514 cases of NSCLC and 84 corresponding nonmalignant lung tissues from 4 countries (USA, Australia, Japan and Taiwan) for the methylation status of 7 genes known to be frequently methylated in lung cancers [p16, RASSF1A (RAS association domain family 1), APC, RARβ, CDH13, MGMT and GSTP1]. Multivariate analyses were used for data analysis. Adenocarcinoma was the major histologic type in women and never smokers; analyses that involved smoke exposure and gender were limited to this histology. Our major findings are a) methylation status of any single gene was largely independent of methylation status of other genes; b) the rates of methylation of p16 and APC and the mean Methylation Index (MI), a reflection of the overall methylation status, were significantly higher in ever smokers than in never smokers; c) the mean MI of tumors arising in former smokers was significantly lower than the mean of current smokers; d) the methylation rates of APC, CDH13 and RARβ were significantly higher in adenocarcinomas than in squamous cell carcinomas; e) methylation rates of MGMT and GSTP1 were significantly higher in the USA and Australian cases than in those from Japan and Taiwan; and (f) no significant gender‐related differences in methylation patterns were noted. Our findings demonstrate important smoke exposure, histologic type and geography‐related differences in the methylation profiles of NSCLC tumors. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent

birdwatcher. The classic Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan by Salim Ali and S Dillon Ripley, which covers the whole region and was first published in 1968-1975, lists over 1,200 species. With additional recording and following the more up-to-date nomenclature in the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of Birds of the World edited by E. C. Dickinson (2003) the current species total for the subcontinent stands at 1,375 species – 13 per cent of the world’s birds. A further relevant reference is Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide by Pamela Rasmussen and John Anderton, which has adopted much narrower species limits and, consequently, the latest edition (2012) recognises 1451 species in the region. Note that less than 800 species are found in all of North America. The Indian subcontinent is species-rich partly because of its wide altitudinal range extending from sea level up to the summit of the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountains. Another reason is the region’s highly varied climate and associated diverse vegetation. The extremes range from the almost rainless Great Indian or Thar Desert, where temperatures reach over 55°C, to the wet evergreen forests of the Assam Hills where 1,300 cm of rain a year have bee recorded at Cherrapunji – one of the wettest places on Earth, and the Arctic conditions of the Himalayan peaks where only alpine flowers and cushion plants flourish at over 4,900 m. The other major factor contributing to the subcontinent’s species-richness is its geographical position in a region of overlap between three biogeographic provinces – the Indo-malayan (South and South-East Asia), Palearctic (Europe and Northern Asia), and Afro-tropical (Africa) realms. As a result, species typical of all three realms occur. Most species are Indo-malayan, for example the ioras and minivets; some are Palearctic, including the accentors, and a small number, such as the Spotted Creeper Salpornis spilonotus, originate in Africa. New species are continually being added to the region’s list. For example, J. K. Tiwari recently found a flock of Pale Rockfinches Carpospiza brachydactyla in Gujarat a bird previously recorded only in the Middle East. Even more exciting, in 2006 Ramana Athreya first described for science the multi-coloured Bugun Liocichla Liocichla bugunorum, from the Himalayan forests of Arunachal Pradesh. Two species from the subcontinent are probably now extinct. The Pinkheaded Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea was formerly locally distributed in pools and swamps in the elephant grass jungles of north-eastern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar. It was last definitely seen in Bihar in 1935, but there are more recent unconfirmed reports from hunters in Myanmar. The Himalayan Dr. Salim Ali
The effect of IFRS and SOX-like regulations on earnings management in East Asian countries

This thesis examines the effect of IFRS and SOX-like regulations on earnings management in Asian countries. Firstly, the study finds no strong evidence that IFRS convergence leads to a decline in discretionary accruals in Thailand. Institutional factors including debt and equity financing exhibit a positive relationship with discretionary accruals. Boards of directors and block shareholders appear to play a role in mitigating discretionary accruals, while big-4 auditors do not. Secondly, in the post-IFRS period, listed firms in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore experience a decline in income smoothing, especially those with a high level of income smoothing in the pre-IFRS period. These firms seem to switch from accruals to real activity manipulation, especially overproduction. In the post-IFRS period, however, their income smoothing level is still relatively high compared to those with a low level of income smoothing. Finally, JSOX contributes to a decline in loss avoidance of Japanese firms, especially large firms, but it has no effect on manipulating methods. Japanese firms with a propensity for avoiding losses, used both specific accruals and investment adjusting in both the pre- and post-JSOX periods. The study also finds that firms switch from one specific accrual to another to achieve loss avoidance and are likely to alter capital expenditure rather than research and development expenses. In short, changes in accounting standards and regulations contribute to some decline in earnings management in Asian countries. The institutional factors still negatively affect accounting quality in this region after many years of the changes.
The impact of pornography on gender-based violence, sexual health and well-being: what do we know?

As Internet access and literacy increases, pornography has become highly accessible, cheap and diverse. Online pornography use is common in the USA, with nearly 9 out of 10 men and 1 out of 3 women aged 18–26 reporting accessing pornography online.1 In June 2013, legal pornographic websites received more UK-based traffic than social networks, shopping, news and media, email, finance, gaming and travel websites.2 For example, popular pornography website ‘pornhub’ received 79 billion video views in 2014.3 Increased access to pornography online has been accompanied by rising concerns that it negatively impacts health and well-being, particularly with regard to young people. These concerns include that viewing any sexually explicit material erodes morals and that specific types of pornography, such as that depicting violence against women, leads to increased violence against women in real life. Even in the case of non-violent pornography, there is anxiety that people view pornography as ‘real’ rather than fantasy and that this negatively influences attitudes and real-life sexual behaviour, particularly when people's sexual experience is limited such as in adolescence.4 Other concerns include the scarcity of condom use in pornography (both for diminishing condom use as a social norm and for the risks to the health of performers), impacts on body image (including trends in pubic hair removal and labiaplasty), and the harms of pornography addiction. Despite the myriad of fears about online pornography, questions remain over its actual harm. Do viewers really imitate pornography in their own lives and does this negatively influence their health and well-being? Does watching violence in pornography lead to misogyny and gender-based violence? Are young people at greater risk of the negative effects of viewing pornography (if they exist) than older adults? In this paper, we explore the most commonly cited concerns over online pornography by …
Cancer mortality and predictions for 2018 in selected Australasian countries and Russia

Background Predicted cancer mortality figures and rates are useful for public health planning. Materials and methods We retrieved cancer death certification data for 10 major cancer sites and total cancers from the World Health Organization (WHO) database and population data from WHO and United Nations Population Division databases. We obtained figures for Russia, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Australia in 1970-2015. We predicted numbers of deaths by age group and age-standardized rates (world population) for 2018 by applying a linear regression to mortality data of each age group over the most recent trend segment identified by a joinpoint regression model. Results Russia had the highest predicted total cancer mortality rates, 158.5/100 000 men and 84.1/100 000 women. Men in the Philippines showed the lowest rates for 2018 (84.6/100 000) and Korean males the most favourable predicted fall (21% between 2012 and 2018). Women in Korea had the lowest total cancer predicted rate (52.5/100 000). Between 1993 and 2018, i.e. by applying the 1993 rates to populations in subsequent years, a substantial number of cancer deaths was avoided in Russia (1 000 000 deaths, 821 000 in men and 179 000 in women), Israel (40 000 deaths, 21 000 in men and 19 000 in women), Hong Kong (63 000 deaths, 40 000 in men and 23 000 in women), Japan (651 000 deaths, 473 000 in men and 178 000 in women), Korea (327 000 deaths, 250 000 in men and 77 000 in women), and Australia (181 000 deaths, 125 000 in men and 56 000 in women). No appreciable reduction in cancer deaths was found in the Philippines. Conclusion Overall, we predicted falls in cancer mortality. However, these are less marked and later compared with the European Union and United States. Substantial numbers of deaths were avoided in all countries considered except the Philippines. Lung cancer mortality remains exceedingly high in Russian men, despite recent falls.
Decreased Gene Expression of Epstein–Barr Virus-Induced Gene 3 (EBI-3) may Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

ABSTRACT Background: Interleukin-35 (IL-35) is a member of the IL-12 family of heterodimeric cytokines produced by regulatory T (Treg) cells. This immunosuppressive cytokine can prevent exaggerated inflammatory responses like those responsible for the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aims to determine the correlation between the gene expression of Epstein–Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI-3) and IL-12A (p35) subunits of IL-35 in peripheral blood leukocytes with immunological and clinical parameters in RA patients. Methods: We recruited 47 patients with RA and 44 healthy subjects. The disease activity score-28 (DAS-28) was assessed by an expert rheumatologist and the plasma levels of neopterin and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) was measured using ELISA method also Serum rheumatoid factor (RF) was assessed by the agglutination test. For the evaluation of IL-12A and EBI-3 gene expression, we used qPCR. Results: We did not find any significant correlation between the gene expression of IL-35 subunits and DAS-28. There was a negative correlation between the plasma levels of neopterin and the gene expression of EBI-3 (p = 0.004). Inversely, we found a positive correlation between plasma level of anti-CCP and neopterin (p < 0.001) also between RF and DAS-28 (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Regarding the significant negative correlation between EBI-3 gene expression and plasma levels of neopterin, it can be concluded that the altered gene expression of EBI-3 may play a role in the pathogenesis of RA.
Predictors of Substance Use in the Tribal Population of Northeast India: Retrospective Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Survey

Objective: Substance misuse is a wide-spread phenomenon that affects all levels of society. The household survey data of different tribes from Arunachal Pradesh, India were used to present the prevalence of substance use in different tribes and to examine the association between socio-demographic factors and substance use. Materials and method: A sample of 3421 tribal individuals aged 15 years and older was extracted from earlier conducted substance use survey in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with substance use. Results: The prevalence of any substance use was reported to 53.1% and significantly higher among men (67%) than among women (38%). Alcohol was started at early teenage (14 years) and accepted socially as a ‘holy drink’ shared with family members and others. Tobacco and opium was mainly introduces by their friends. Prevalence of any substance intake was significantly higher among Tutsa tribe (77%), aged 45 years or older (≥ 75%), among illiterates (61%), indigenous religion (71%), widow/widower (71%) and household size with 1-3 persons (63%). Subsequently, regression analysis showed that any substance use was significantly associated with ethnic group, religion, age, education, occupation and marital status of different tribal communities. Conclusion: Overall, substance use was very high among the tribal people, indicating strong social, cultural and traditional belief. These finding has major policy implications, including the need to focus substance use interventions to young age tribal people.
Coping with Invisible Threats: Nuclear Radiation and Science Dissemination in Maoist China

Abstract During the early People’s Republic of China (PRC) era the science dissemination campaign (kexue puji) aimed at conveying not only scientific knowledge related to daily life concerns but also knowledge about invisible dangers, most prominently those emanating from weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons. The immediate task of the young PRC after the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 was to make nuclear radiation visible by iconic metaphors and to teach the population about the dangers of an invisible nuclear fallout should the United States decide to use nuclear weapons. By focusing on the most characteristic media in science dissemination of the 1950s such as the Newsletter of Science Dissemination (Kexue puji tongxun), as well as popular science journals such Science Pictorial (Kexue huabao) and Knowledge Is Power (Zhishi jiushi liliang), this article shows how the state used metaphors of the invisible to influence social and political behavior. Convincing the barely literate peasant and the inchoately educated worker of possible dangers in the Cold War required a different epistemology of knowledge than in traditional society. This resulted in a further refinement of Maoist science philosophy that integrated materialism into science policies.
Family crisis intervention in war contexts: a case study of a traumatised Palestinian family

The aim of this study was to analyse the phases of an innovative in vivo exposure intervention in which all family members were present at the scene of a traumatic incident. Clinical practice has borne out the efficacy of family intervention and its benefits for traumatised individuals and family groups. The intervention discussed here was conducted with a Palestinian family that had suffered trauma in a missile attack during the Israeli–Lebanese war of summer 2006. Narrative and meaning-reconstruction methods were combined with cognitive-behavioural techniques. The study highlights the limitations of the intervention as well as suggesting future directions for integrated models of crisis intervention; development of an evidence-based model is recommended.
Accuracy of 30-day recall for components of sexual function and the moderating effects of gender and mood.

INTRODUCTION Despite the ubiquity of 1-month recall periods for measures of sexual function, there is limited evidence for how well recalled responses correspond to individuals' actual daily experiences. AIM To characterize the correspondence between daily sexual experiences and 1-month recall of those experiences. METHODS Following a baseline assessment of sexual functioning, health, and demographic characteristics, 202 adults from the general population (101 women, 101 men) were recruited to complete daily assessments of their sexual function online for 30 days and a single recall measure of sexual function at day 30. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES At the baseline and 30-day follow-ups, participants answered items asking about sexual satisfaction, sexual activities, interest, interfering factors, orgasm, sexual functioning, and use of therapeutic aids during the previous 30 days. Participants also completed a measure of positive and negative affect at follow-up. The main outcome measures were agreement between the daily and 1-month recall versions of the sexual function items. RESULTS Accuracy of recall varied depending on the item and on the gender and mood of the respondent. Recall was better (low bias and higher correlations) for sexual activities, vaginal discomfort, erectile function, and more frequently used therapeutic aids. Recall was poorer for interest, affectionate behaviors (e.g., kissing), and orgasm-related items. Men more than women overestimated frequency of interest and masturbation. Concurrent mood was related to over- or underreporting for six items addressing the frequency of masturbation and vaginal intercourse, erectile function, and orgasm. CONCLUSIONS A 1-month recall period seems acceptable for many aspects of sexual function in this population, but recall for some items was poor. Researchers should be aware that concurrent mood can have a powerful biasing effect on reports of sexual function.
Assessment of Neurophysiologic Changes and Disease Activity in Patients with Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: The involvement of the peripheral nervous system is not uncommon in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); the most common disorders are multiple mononeuritis, sensor motor neuropathy, and entrapment neuropathy. Several auto-antibodies are associated with the disease, but of the most important are the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. However, little is known, about the role of high sensitive C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) in relation to disease activity in RA. The objectives were to look for the frequency of peripheral nerves involvement in chronic rheumatoid arthritis patients and to investigate the correlations between clinical, hematological, serological, and neurophysiologic findings. Methods: This study involved 48 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 30 apparently healthy subjects as controls. Neurophysiologic assessment was performed for each patient and control subjects and the ELISA method was used for the quantitative measurement of serum anti-CCP antibodies and Hs-CRP concentrations by using special kits. Results: The mean duration of the disease was 6.76±0.795 years, the mean DAS28 for RA patients was 5.22±0.131, and the mean HAQ score was 1.00±0.06. Thirty-three (68.8%) of 48 cases with RA exhibited an electrophysiological evidence of neuropathy(ies): 14 (29.2%) patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), 9 (18.8%) patients with polyneuropathy, while 5 (10.4%) patients showed mononeuritis multiplex. There were highly significant increases in the mean values of serum anti-CCP antibody concentration (22.61 ± 2.34 Vs 5.47 ± 0.42 U/ml, P<0.001), serum Hs-CRP concentration (10.05 ± 0.64 Vs 2.81 ± 0.22 mg/l, P<0.001), and ESR (41.85±2.7 Vs 11.73±1.3 mm/hr, P<0.001) in the RA group compared to the control group. In patients with RA, significant negative correlations were observed between anti-CCP antibody concentration and sural nerve velocity (r = - 0.233, P < 0.05) while significant positive correlation was found between anti-CCP antibody concentration with sural latency (r=0.231, P<0.05). The serum Hs-CRP level significantly positively correlated with the Stanford disability index (r=0.324, P<0.05), number of tender joint (r=0.296, P<0.05), and ESR (r=0.436, p<0.01). Conclusions: The commonest neurophysiologic abnormalities were carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), followed by polyneuropathy. Serum anti-CCP antibodies concentration, serum Hs-CRP concentration, and disability index (DI) are significantly correlated with neuropathy and occurrence of neuropathy depends on the activity and/ or severity of rheumatoid arthritis.
A comparative evaluation of factors and reasons for defaulting in tuberculosis treatment in the states of West Bengal Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.

A comparative evaluation was undertaken to determine the influence of organizational set-up and other factors on the defaulting behaviour of tuberculosis patients. The defaulting pattern was analysed in four centres one of which was a private hospital (TMH Jamshedpur) one an NGO (ADMH Jamshedpur in Jharkhand) and the other two were government institutions (DTC Purulia West Bengal and TB Centre Roing Arunachal Pradesh). In all 1258 patients on short course chemotherapy were enrolled. Defaulters were identified by record review and interviewed either at home or in the clinic. Defaulter rate was least in TMH followed by ADMH and DTC Purulia in that order and maximum in TB Centre Roing. Age distribution of the defaulters was similar in ADMH and DTC the percentage significantly increasing with age the maximum being in 45-59 years and declining thereafter. In TMH and TB Centre the percentage of defaulters continued to remain high even in the older age groups. The percentage of defaulters decreased uniformly with increasing income in the DTC and TB Centre with a peak in the middle income group in ADMH and all high income group defaulters in TMH. For all the proportion of defaulters decreased uniformly with increasing educational status. The time of defaulting was similar in all institutions starting at the third month increasing up to the fourth month and declining subsequently. Among the various reasons for defaulting the important ones were distance from treatment centre indifference due to improvement in symptoms and lack of motivation. (authors)
Survey of KABP on STD/AIDS among male sexual workers in Shenzhen City

Objective To understand KAP on STD/AIDS among money boy(MB) and explore their role in transmission of STD/HIV in Shenzhen.Methods A rainbow workgroup was set up for survey of MSM and a large quantity of educational materials were given out.Questionnaire survey of high risk behavior of STD/AIDS were conducted among MB with informed consent.Results The rates of gay and bisexual among MB were 50.7% and 39.1% respectively.The awareness rate of HIV/AIDS knowledge was low.Most MBs believed that they have very little chance to be infected with HIV.More than 60% of them believed that condoms were very efficient for prevention of HIV.In the last year about 30% MB had sex with female and 7.5% of their wives or fixed girl friends had STD.The age when having first sex with male in the arranges from 13 to 28.When having sex with male partners anal sex was the lead,and the others were oral sex,masturbation by others,sex with fingers by others.In the last six months about 30% MB had sex with both males and females and the rate of condom use is no more than 50%. In the last year 11.6% of MBs infected with STD and less than 50% of them did HIV testing,no more than 30% received HIV education,more than 30% took drugs and drank before sex,and more than 60% didn't use condoms when having oral sex.Conclusion Money boys serve as a bridge in transmission of HIV and monitoring work be strengthened in the future.