Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Preterm Rabbit: A Model for the Study of Acute and Chronic Effects of Premature Birth

ABSTRACT: The fetal rabbit delivered by caesarean section 0 to 5 days before term (32 days) can serve as a reliable animal model to study the short- and long-term consequences of premature birth. More than 80% of the fetal rabbits delivered at day 28 of gestation will survive 24 h if anesthetics are avoided during delivery and measures designed to meet the metabolic demands of extrauterine life are met. Sixty percent will survive up to and beyond the 7th day postpartum if the preterm pups are kept in a temperature and humidity controlled environment and are fed rabbit milk. Theoretical and practical advantages of this animal model are discussed.
A Possible Difference in the Surface Relaxivity of Costal and Inland Sands~!2009-07-28~!2009-11-04~!2010-06-18~!

The 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin-lattice relaxation rate of hydrated sands is related to the surface-to-volume ratio of the voids or pores between the hydrated sand grains and the surface relaxivity of the grains. The electron spin resonance (ESR) signal is often used to predict the relative surface relaxivity as the surface relaxivity is thought to be proportional to the concentration of paramagnetic species in the sand grains. We have identified a discrepancy in the surface relaxivity and ESR signal of an ocean beach sand compared to two sands of similar diameter from inland deposits. This difference can either be due to more surface weathering of the inland sand or more paramagnetic material from seawater adhering to the ocean sand.
Priming Primary Care Physicians to Treat Osteoporosis After a Fragility Fracture: An Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach

Objective. To evaluate 2 incremental levels of intervention designed to increase initiation of osteoporosis treatment by primary care physicians (PCP) following fragility fractures (FF). Methods. Women and men over age 50 years were screened for incident FF in fracture clinics, and eligible outpatients were randomly assigned to standard care (SC) or to either minimal (MIN) or intensive (INT) interventions. The MIN and INT interventions were intended to educate and motivate both patients and PCP, but differed in their frequency of contact and information content. Delivery of osteoporosis medication was confirmed with pharmacists. Treatment rates were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach. Results. At inclusion, 74.3% of 881 outpatients with FF were untreated. Followup at 12 months was completed in 92.3% of patients. Up to 90% of patients treated at inclusion remained treated at 12 months. Among patients who initially were untreated, 18.8% in the SC group, 40.4% in the MIN, and 53.2% in the INT groups were treated at 12 months. Change in treatment rates (adjusted for age and initial treatment) increased significantly after both MIN and INT. Only the INT intervention significantly increased treatment rates in patients with previous fractures. Negative predictors of change in treatment status included non-major FF, age younger than 65 years, and male sex. Conclusion. Both interventions significantly increased initiation of osteoporosis treatment. Our multidisciplinary intervention builds on existing first-line structures and uses minimal specialized resources. Iterative and systematic interventions in the context of clinical care may modify the approach of PCP to osteoporosis management after FF and narrow the care gap in the long term.
The management of abdominal wall hernias – in search of consensus

Introduction Laparoscopic repair is becoming an increasingly popular alternative in the treatment of abdominal wall hernias. In spite of numerous studies evaluating this technique, indications for laparoscopic surgery have not been established. Similarly, implant selection and fixation techniques have not been unified and are the subject of scientific discussion. Aim To assess whether there is a consensus on the management of the most common ventral abdominal wall hernias among recognised experts. Material and methods Fourteen specialists representing the boards of European surgical societies were surveyed to determine their choice of surgical technique for nine typical primary ventral and incisional hernias. The access method, type of operation, mesh prosthesis and fixation method were evaluated. In addition to the laparoscopic procedures, the number of tackers and their arrangement were assessed. Results In none of the cases presented was a consensus of experts obtained. Laparoscopic and open techniques were used equally often. Especially in the group of large hernias, decisions on repair methods were characterised by high variability. The technique of laparoscopic mesh fixation was a subject of great variability in terms of both method selection and the numbers of tackers and sutures used. Conclusions Recognised experts have not reached a consensus on the management of abdominal wall hernias. Our survey results indicate the need for further research and the inclusion of large cohorts of patients in the dedicated registries to evaluate the results of different surgical methods, which would help in the development of treatment algorithms for surgical education in the future.
Impairment of Long-Term Plasticity of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells Eliminates the Effect of Anodal Direct Current Stimulation on Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Habituation

Anodal direct current stimulation (DCS) of the cerebellum facilitates adaptation tasks, but the mechanism underlying this effect is poorly understood. We have evaluated whether the effects of DCS effects depend on plasticity of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). Here, we have successfully developed a mouse model of cerebellar DCS, allowing us to present the first demonstration of cerebellar DCS driven behavioral changes in rodents. We have utilized a simple gain down vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation paradigm, that stabilizes a visual image on the retina during brief head movements, as behavioral tool. Our results provide evidence that anodal stimulation has an acute post-stimulation effect on baseline gain reduction of VOR (VOR gain in sham, anodal and cathodal groups are 0.75 ± 0.12, 0.68 ± 0.1, and 0.78 ± 0.05, respectively). Moreover, this anodal induced decrease in VOR gain is directly dependent on the PP2B medicated synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and intrinsic plasticity pathways of PCs.
Clinical Characteristics of Diabetic Patients Transferred to Korean Referral Hospitals

Background We evaluated the disease profile and clinical management, including the status of both glycemic control and complications, in patients with diabetes who were transferred to referral hospitals in Korea. Methods Patients referred to 20 referral hospitals in Gyeongsangnam/Gyeongsangbuk-do and Jeollanam/Jeollabuk-do with at least a 1-year history of diabetes between January and June 2011 were retrospectively reviewed using medical records, laboratory tests, and questionnaires. Results A total of 654 patients were enrolled in the study. In total, 437 patients (67%) were transferred from clinics and 197 (30%) patients were transferred from hospitals. A total of 279 patients (43%) visited higher medical institutions without a written medical request. The main reason for the referral was glycemic control in 433 patients (66%). Seventy-three patients (11%) had received more than one session of diabetic education. Only 177 patients (27%) had been routinely self-monitoring blood glucose, and 146 patients (22%) were monitoring hemoglobin A1c. In addition, proper evaluations for diabetic complications were performed for 74 patients (11%). The most common complication was neuropathy (32%) followed by nephropathy (31%). In total, 538 patients (82%) had been taking oral hypoglycemic agents. A relatively large number of patients (44%) had been taking antihypertensive medications. Conclusion We investigated the clinical characteristics of diabetic patients and identified specific problems in diabetic management prior to the transfer. We also found several problems in the medical system, which were divided into three medical institutions having different roles in Korea. Our findings suggested that the relationships among medical institutions have to be improved, particularly for diabetes.
Development and challenges of mental health in China

With the socioeconomic development and the acceleration of the ageing process of the population, the incidence rates of mental disorders and psycho-behavioural problems have become higher and higher worldwide. So far, the disease burden caused by mental disorders has ranked second in the world.1 In China, the disease burden caused by mental disorders accounts for 13% of all non-communicable diseases burden.2 Hence, mental health has become a major public health problem and social problem. In order to promote mental health, the Chinese government has promulgated a series of policies and regulations, as well as reform measures. Moreover, the upcoming ‘China Brain Project’ will also focus on some mental disorders such as autism, depression and dementia to improve mental health research in China. ### Mental health services #### High prevalence of mental disorders and low consultation rate The epidemiological survey conducted in four provinces in China showed that the prevalence of mental disorders among adults in China was 17.5%, in which the prevalence of mood disorders (mainly depression), anxiety disorders and substance use disorders were 6.1%, 5.6% and 5.9%, respectively.3 According to the WHO report, the recognition rate of global mental disorders is around 50%, and the recognition rate in China is far below the world average. Taking depression as an example, the recognition rate of depression was only 21% in Shanghai, China. In addition, the rate of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders is also relatively low, with an average of only around 150 people per 100 000 people receiving treatment for serious mental disorders. The treatment rate for serious mental disorders in high-income countries is about 17 times that of low-income countries.4 #### High proportion of refractory mental disorders and poor medications response The effectiveness of medications treating mental disorders varies among patients. For example, when one patient with schizophrenia treated with aripiprazole gains improvement, about four patients cannot benefit from the same medication. When duloxetine is effective in treating …
Contrasting Effects of Acidic pH on the Extracellular and Intracellular Activities of the Anti-Gram-Positive Fluoroquinolones Moxifloxacin and Delafloxacin against Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT In contrast to currently marketed fluoroquinolones, which are zwitterionic, delafloxacin is an investigational fluoroquinolone with an anionic character that is highly active against Gram-positive bacteria. We have examined the effect of acidic pH on its accumulation in Staphylococcus aureus and in human THP-1 cells, in parallel with its activity against extracellular and intracellular S. aureus. Moxifloxacin was used as a comparator. Delafloxacin showed MICs 3 to 5 log2 dilutions lower than those of moxifloxacin for a collection of 35 strains with relevant resistance mechanisms and also proved to be 10-fold more potent against intracellular S. aureus ATCC 25923. In medium at pH 5.5, this difference was further enhanced, with the MIC decreasing by 5 log2 dilutions. In infected cells incubated in acidic medium, the relative potency was 10-fold higher than that at neutral pH and the maximal relative efficacy reached a bactericidal effect at 24 h. These results can be explained by a 10-fold increase in delafloxacin accumulation in both bacteria and cells at acidic pH, making delafloxacin one of the most efficient drugs tested in this model. Opposite effects were seen for moxifloxacin with respect to both activity and accumulation. As reported for zwitterionic fluoroquinolones, delafloxacin was found associated with the soluble fraction in homogenates of eukaryotic cells. Taken together, these properties may confer to delafloxacin an advantage for the eradication of S. aureus in acidic environments, including intracellular infections.
Firing of Hippocampal Neurogliaform Cells Induces Suppression of Synaptic Inhibition

Little is known about how neuron firing recorded in vivo retrogradely influences synaptic strength. We injected the firing of a rat hippocampal neurogliaform cell (NGFC), a widely expressed GABAergic neuron type, detected in vivo during theta rhythm, into NGFCs of rat or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-Cre-tdTomato mouse recorded in vitro. We found that the “in vivo firing pattern” produced a transient firing-induced suppression of synaptic inhibition (FSI) evoked by a presynaptic NGFC. Imaging experiments demonstrate that FSI was associated with action potential backpropagation (bAP) and a supralinear increase in dendritic Ca2+. The application of the L-type Ca2+ channel antagonist nimodipine blocked FSI. Further pharmacological experiments, such as the application of a nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase (NO-sGC) receptor antagonist, a NOS inhibitor, and NO donors, suggested that NO released from postsynaptic cells mediated FSI and likely activated presynaptic receptors to inhibit GABA release. The in vivo firing pattern modulated the size of unitary EPSPs impinging on NGFCs through FSI and not via a direct effect on excitatory synaptic transmission. Our data demonstrate: (1) retrograde signaling initiated by in vivo firing pattern, (2) interneuron bAPs detected with fast temporal resolution, and (3) a novel role for NO expressed by specific interneuron types.
Co-morbidities among cataract surgery patients in a tertiary hospital of south India

Aim: To assess the frequency of systemic and ocular co-morbidities among the patients seeking cataract surgery in a tertiary hospital, Puducherry, south India. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cross sectional study. All patients with senile cataract seeking cataract surgery in our hospital and research institute from July 2015 to June 2016 were included. Results: Out of 448 patient’s case records reviewed, there were 218(48.66%) males and 230(51.34%) females. 147 (32.81%) patients had systemic co-morbidity and 66 (14.73%) had concurrent ocular disease. Among the systemic co-morbidities, commonest was diabetes mellitus in 61(13.62%), followed by hypertension in 42(9.38%) and renal disease in 16(3.57%) patients. Among the ocular co-morbidities age related macular degeneration was the commonest seen in 19 (4.24%) cases, followed by diabetic retinopathy in 15 (3.35%) patients. Conclusion: Systemic and ocular co-morbidities are prevalent among the cataract surgery seeking population, which needs to be identified by the ophthalmic surgeons and systemic illness needs to be adequately controlled before surgery while ocular problems need prompt intervention with a close follow-up for a better quality of life.
Missed opportunities for institutional delivery and associated factors among urban resident pregnant women in South Tigray Zone, Ethiopia: a community-based follow-up study

Background Every pregnant woman is considered to be at risk and some risks may not always be foreseeable or detectable. Therefore, the presence of a skilled birth attendant at every delivery is considered to be the most critical intervention in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. In Ethiopia, the proportion of births attended by skilled personnel in urban settings can be as low as 10%. Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to identify factors affecting unplanned home delivery in urban settings, where there is relatively good access in principle to modern healthcare institutions. Design A community-based follow-up study was conducted from 17 January 2014 to 30 August 2014, among second- and third-trimester pregnant women who had planned for institutional delivery in South Tigray Zone. A systematic sampling technique was used to get a total of 522 study participants. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant data. Bivariate and multivariate data analyses were performed using SPSS version 16.0. Results The study revealed that among 465 pregnant women who planned for institutional delivery, 134 (28.8%) opted out and delivered at their home (missed opportunity). Single women (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.17–4.68), illiterate mothers (AOR 6.14, 95% CI 2.20–17.2), absence of antenatal clinic visit for indexed pregnancy (AOR 3.11, 95% CI 1.72–5.61), absence of obstetric complications during the index pregnancy (AOR 2.96, 95% CI 1.47–5.97), poor autonomy (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.27–3.49), and absence of birth preparedness and complication readiness (AOR 3.83, 95% CI 2.19–6.70) were significant predictors of unplanned home delivery. Conclusions A significant proportion of pregnant women missed the opportunity of modern delivery assistance. Educational status, antenatal care status, lack of obstetric complications, poor autonomy, and lack of birth preparedness and complication readiness were among the important predictors of unplanned home delivery.
Uterine Tumors Resembling Ovarian Sex Cord Tumors (UTROSCT) Lack the JAZF1-JJAZ1 Translocation Frequently Seen in Endometrial Stromal Tumors

Uterine tumor resembling ovarian sex cord tumor (UTROSCT) is a rare uterine neoplasm composed predominantly or exclusively of cells which resemble those seen in sex cord tumors of the ovary. Since its initial morphologic description, it has been unclear whether UTROSCT represents a variant within the spectrum of endometrial stromal tumors (ESTs), which may rarely exhibit areas of sex cord-like differentiation, or whether it is a distinct uterine neoplasm unrelated to ESTs. Recently, several studies have revealed a recurrent t(7;17) translocation resulting in a JAZF1-JJAZ1 gene fusion in over 60% of EST and its variants, including 2 out of 4 endometrial stromal tumors with sex cord-like elements (ESTSCLE). We examined UTROSCTs for evidence of the JAZF1-JJAZ1 gene fusion by fluorescence in situ hybridization and by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in 24 and 20 cases, respectively. The JAZF1-JJAZ1 gene fusion was not identified in any tumor by either method. Although we cannot entirely exclude that UTROSCT represents a variant of ESTSCLE which lacks this translocation, our findings suggest that UTROSCT does not share the genetic mechanism common to the majority of ESTs with or without sex cord-like differentiation, and therefore most likely represents a distinct neoplasm unrelated to ESTSCLE.
The Luminosity Function of Void Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We measure the r-band luminosity function (LF) of a sample of 103 void galaxies over a large range of magnitude, -21.5 < Mr < -14.5. These objects were identified by Rojas et al. from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey as residing in regions with local galaxy density δρ/ρ < -0.6 on a scale of 7 h-1 Mpc. We compare the void galaxy LF with that of galaxies in denser regions (so-called "wall" galaxies). The void galaxy LF is well fitted by a Schechter function with normalization Φ* = (0.19 ± 0.04) × 10-2 h3 Mpc-3, characteristic magnitude M - 5 log h = -19.74 ± 0.11, and faint-end slope α = -1.18 ± 0.13. A comparable measurement of the LF of wall galaxies yields Φ* = (1.42 ± 0.03) × 10-2 h3 Mpc-3, M - 5 log h = -20.62 ± 0.08, and α = -1.19 ± 0.07. Thus, we find that void galaxies are characteristically fainter than wall galaxies, but we do not find a significant dependence of the slope of the LF at the faint end on environment alone. The latter result suggests that there is no excess of dwarfs in voids, in contrast to predictions of cold dark matter (CDM) models. We split both the void and wall samples in half by density and find that the LFs of both the higher and lower density void galaxies and the lower density wall galaxies are similar in shape. However, the LF of wall galaxies in the highest density regions has a shallower faint-end slope, i.e., there are relatively fewer faint galaxies in the highest density regions. The LF of void galaxies is most similar to that of late-type galaxies in denser regions. The LFs of subsamples of wall galaxies that have blue g - r color, spiral-like surface brightness profiles (Sérsic index n < 2), or relatively high star formation rates [EW(Hα) > 5 Å], have brighter M but faint-end slopes similar to those of void galaxies. In contrast, the LFs of wall galaxies with red g - r color, elliptical-like profiles, or low star formation rates have significantly shallower faint-end slopes and brighter values of M than we find for void galaxies. We conclude that the void galaxy population is dominated by faint, late-type galaxies. The shift in M* between the void and wall galaxy LFs is consistent with the shift of the mass function in voids predicted by extended Press-Schechter theory.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli Strains Isolated in 1991 and 2001-2002 from Poultry and Humans in Berlin, Germany

ABSTRACT The susceptibilities of 430 Campylobacter jejuni strains and 79 C. coli strains to six antimicrobial agents were tested and analyzed. The two sets of strains originated from retail market chicken and turkey samples and from humans, respectively, in Berlin, Germany. Two groups of isolates, one dating from 1991 and the other dating from 2001-2002, were tested. Of the Campylobacter sp. isolates recovered from humans in 2001-2002, 45.1% were resistant to ciprofloxacin, 37.8% were resistant to tetracycline, 12.8% were resistant to ampicillin, and 50.0% were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. All isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, while the overall rate of resistance to erythromycin was 6.1%. During the 10 years between the two sampling times, the rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin (P< 0.001), ampicillin (P = 0.035), and tetracycline (P = 0.01) increased significantly among strains isolated from humans. Furthermore, among human C. coli strains the rate of resistance to erythromycin rose from 7.1% in 1991 to 29.4% in 2001-2002. In comparison, Campylobacter sp. isolates from poultry already had high rates of resistance in 1991. Different rates of resistance to tetracycline among isolates from chickens and turkeys suggested the development of resistance during antimicrobial treatment in food animals. Thus, discrepancies in the antimicrobial resistance rates among Campylobacter isolates originating from poultry and humans support the hypothesis that at least some of the resistant Campylobacter strains causing infection in humans come from sources other than poultry products.
Extractable organic matter in municipal wastewaters. 2. Hydrocarbons: molecular characterization.

Hydrocarbons isolated from southern California municipal wastewaters were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography and computer-assisted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Most of the hydrocarbons (56-77%) are not chromatographically resolvable and probably derive from petroleum products such as lubricating oils. Normal, iso-, and acyclic isoprenoid alkanes along with alkylcyclohexanes and numerous series of substituted benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compose the major fraction of the resolvable hydrocarbons. Polycyclic terpenoids occur as trace constituents and appear also to be of ancient, not recent biosynthetic, origin. However, the virtual absence of 17.cap alpha. (H),18.cap alpha. (H),21.beta. (H)-28,30-dinorhopane, a specific marker of California oils, indicates that locally produced petroleum is, at most, a minor contributor to these wastewaters. A homologous series of long-chain alkylbenzenes presumably derived from the LAS-type detergents was identified. These compounds seem to be abundant and ubiquitous domestic wastewater constituents that might be exploited as anthropogenic waste tracers in the marine environment.